By Jane Goldhamer

With much talk of the need for immigration reform, I have seen little in the way of proposals for a comprehensive plan, so I am offering a combination of partial steps that have been put forth, as an overall way to address this problem.

I begin with the thesis that the United States cannot support an infinite population and that, at this time, our population is straining the limits of desirable sustainability. We experience water shortages, pollution, urban sprawl, traffic congestion, overstressed and underfunded education, health care and other social services, and a serious level of unemployment. Rarely is the connection to overpopulation spelled out. The U.S. is the greatest contributor to anthropogenic global warming due to our high level of consumerism. And I'd venture to guess that most of the immigrants seeking entry into the U.S. are seeking the opportunity to become greater consumers--for which they can scarcely be faulted!

Current figures place legal immigration at or somewhat over one million people each year--enough to create one new sizeable city every year, and it entails cutting more trees, and paving over a lot more land for houses, streets, schools, hospitals, stores, etc. Leaving aside arguments about whether this annual tidal wave of newcomers is or is not economically beneficial, the fact remains that we're getting too crowded. The number of illegal immigrants annually is inexact, but surely adds significantly to the excessive population the country is laboring under.

Unfortunately, the opposition to this high level of immigration comes most vocally from a xenophobic strain in our society, and is answered by a humanitarian strain which reminds us that "we're a nation of immigrants" (forgetting about the Native Americans whose way of life we immigrants have destroyed, of course). There is, however, some degree of consensus that something needs to be done about illegal immigration but, in the absence of a plan taking all points of view into consideration, more heat than light is shed. And so I offer this combination of partial solutions as what could be an effective way to address the problem.

Grant amnesty to all the illegal immigrants in the U.S. (excluding the latest newcomers), with two attendant measures: One, repeal the law granting citizenship to anyone born in the U.S., making citizenship automatic only for anyone born to an American citizen--thus eliminating the urge for pregnant women to make it over the border. Two, put some serious and effective measures in place to seal our borders and ports of entry, making Arizona's SB 1070 unnecessary.

Third, reduce the level of legal immigration from one million a year to 100,000, with highest priority for political refugees. Such a great reduction would reduce the work of the INS in keeping track of immigrants with temporary visas, seeing that they leave when they're supposed to, or apply for extensions, or get in line for naturalization. More attention could thus be given to detecting those who slip in illegally. It would also relieve pressure on the U.S. ecosystem and it would lower an unsustainable population growth, because most immigrants are in or approaching their reproductive years.

The number of people that Lifeboat America can safely and responsibly hold is a matter which cannot be ignored for much longer. The American Dream can become the American Nightmare. Other countries need to address their own overpopulation problems, rather than exporting their excess to America. The proposals I've offered seem to me to be both doable and humane. Why not try them?

Jane Goldhamer lives in Beaverton.