As far as campaign issues go, immigration has taken the back seat with both candidates, in favor of the economy and foreign policy. We heard a lot about last year before the Straw Poll and caucuses, as candidates were trying to woo Iowa voters, but we haven’t heard much from John McCain or Barack Obama in some time.

But it’s not going away. This spring we saw what was then the largest immigration raid in the country right here in Iowa. In the summer, that title was taken by a raid in Mississippi that ended with nearly 600 illegal immigrants in custody.

It’s naive to think the problem can be solved without a stricter enforcement of immigration laws. Tighter border security and more employer oversight are crucial to stopping the identity theft and unfair work conditions discovered in these raid cases.

But there’s another answer some members of Congress are squabbling about: legal immigration.

Every year, the government approves thousands of visas to distribute to foreigners with a job offer or family members in the United States, as well as foreign workers already in the country, living with a temporary visa.

However, for a variety of reasons these green cards, already approved by Congress, fail to make it into the hands of their intended recipients.

U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., proposed a bill earlier this year that would ensure these ownerless visas would find their way into the right hands. Congress has estimated that, if passed, the bill would provide more than 500,000 visas to immigrants already approved for them.

The biggest opposition to her bill is Iowa’s own U.S. Rep. Steve King, R-District 5. King has piled amendment after amendment to ensure the bill does not pass, saying that it would allow too many immigrants into the country than is allowed by law.

A similar version of the law has been introduced in the Senate — attached to a bill asking employers to verify their employees’ Social Security documentation to check for stolen numbers. It is being met with opposition as well.

The issue here is that these visas are not being created out of thin air. They have been officially approved, and it is a waste of government time when these green cards are approved then not distributed properly.

Denying this legislation is counter-productive to the problem, which is illegal immigration, not just immigration. Who knows, with more legal workers in the United States, we could avoid another fiasco like the ones in Postville or Mississippi.