The Neighbor

I Believe · Apr 7, 2026 · 31m · transcript

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…