Immigration reform starts with a question we have postponed for decades: what do we owe the people who already live and work beside us? Remembering a roofer who was my neighbor in Leavenworth, I examine enforcement, employer responsibility, and the gap between the labor America uses and the legal status it offers.
This April 2026 essay proposes a category of legal economic residency, with labor protections, tax obligations, delayed benefits, a national-service option, and state sponsorship arrangements. These are proposals, not existing law. The argument asks Congress and citizens to make a durable decision, hold employers accountable, and preserve due process rather than leave working neighbors in permanent uncertainty.
Read the essay and sources: https://joelkdouglas.com/2026/04/07/the-neighbor/
