Last week, Arizona governor Jan Brewer further fanned the flames of resentment and suspicion around the immigration debate in her state when she announced her evidence-free view that the majority of people entering the United States illegally do so to transport illegal drugs. Thankfully, President Obama seems to be relying on actual facts in that area. In his speech today outlining the need for comprehensive immigration reform, he gave an honest explanation of the dangers of the current system:

The result is an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States. The overwhelming majority of these men and women are simply seeking a better life for themselves and their children. Many settle in low-wage sectors of the economy; they work hard, they save, they stay out of trouble. But because they live in the shadows, they’re vulnerable to unscrupulous businesses who pay them less than the minimum wage or violate worker safety rules -– thereby putting companies who follow those rules, and Americans who rightly demand the minimum wage or overtime, at an unfair [dis]advantage. Crimes go unreported as victims and witnesses fear coming forward. And this makes it harder for the police to catch violent criminals and keep neighborhoods safe. And billions in tax revenue are lost each year because many undocumented workers are paid under the table.

As we predicted in our Right Wing Watch: In Focus report on the efforts to derail comprehensive immigration reform, the Right has not been letting facts get in the way of its smear efforts. From Brewer’s claim about drug smuggling to false assumptions that illegal immigration causes crime, opponents of immigration reform have been trying to shift the debate to be about fear and suspicion, rather than reality and solutions. These tactics are nasty, but they shouldn’t be underestimated.

It’s encouraging that Obama is trying to counter the campaign of misinformation. Let’s hope that it leads to actual solutions.