The arrival of an election year typically ensures that hot-button topics will fall by the wayside as incumbents prepare to campaign across their respective districts for re-election.

This is particularly true in Congress where the balance of power Republicans have held is teetering in the winds of political volatility. But even within the party there are divisions causing massive headaches with the mid-term elections fast approaching.

Republicans who hold a moderate position on immigration are now pushing for a vote to preserve Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a program that temporarily shields some young immigrants from deportation and allows them to work legally. Party members who favor President Donald Trump’s hardline views are in no mood to address the topic.

Nonetheless, U.S. House of Representative Republicans elected from districts with large numbers of Hispanic, suburban or agriculture-industry voters with pro-immigration views are seeing the opposite side. Those members are defying party leadership and have a good shot at bringing the issue to a vote, even with the sensitive election year in full swing.

The immigration issue was gaining steam last year and earlier this year, but seemingly fell by the wayside in recent months. The long-standing debate potentially could affect the outcome of several races in the election cycle. To date, the Senate has made the most rumblings on immigration with competing bills aimed at protecting young immigrants and another on toughening border security. Both bills collapsed earlier this year and never found their way to the House.

But once again the need for honesty, practical thinking and meaningful legislation is coming to the political surface. The long-ignored flow of immigrants coming into the country exploded into a fiery presidential campaign issue that helped catapult Trump into the presidency. Both political parties, however, have been at fault for shelving immigration for too long.

Bringing a vote to the House floor would be a healthy addition to the campaign season, because voters deserve to know where each candidate stands. An election year is not an excuse for again tabling immigration concerns.

The role of immigrants in sustaining a healthy, thriving agriculture industry in the United States is no secret to anyone who is producing and shipping products across the country and globally, to the benefit of the United States. Other industries have also filled important roles with immigrants for various reasons.

Reasonable solutions to working with existing undocumented immigrants, stopping illegal immigration, and re-creating an immigration policy that is fair and beneficial to the United States and those who desire to come here are not impossible.

The United States opened the door to illegal immigration years ago without any consideration to the consequences.

The role of immigrants, legal or undocumented law-abiding residents, has value to many aspects of American life. The reluctance and failure by Congress to come to the table with some degree of compassion, reason and understanding of immigration’s ties to the economy is beyond comprehension.

Hopefully, the Republican House members pushing for a vote will be successful so the issue will move forward with reason and integrity.