Thread: Immigration debate is about respecting law, pure and simple

Immigration debate is about respecting law, pure and simple
Posted to: Kerry Dougherty Opinion
Kerry Dougherty
Virginian-Pilot columnist
The Virginian-Pilot
© January 8, 2008
HERE'S A PREDICTION: It's going to get ugly in Richmond this winter.

A bushel of bills before the General Assembly are aimed at illegal immigration at a time when emotions - at least around here - still are inflamed because two Virginia Beach teenagers were killed last spring by an inebriated illegal immigrant with a criminal record.

There will be charges of bigotry. And intolerance. After all, we can't even agree on what to call those who are in the country illegally.

The politically correct crowd is fond of "undocumented workers." Newspapers like "illegal immigrants."

Both bristle at "illegal aliens." Defamatory, they say. Like something out of one of those creepy Sigourney Weaver movies.

Odd. My copy of Webster's defines an "alien" as "belonging to another country or people; foreign," which sounds just about right.

In fact, when I lived in Ireland in the early 1980s, I was an "alien." I even carried around government papers that made it official. I never felt like an extraterrestrial.

I do remember the raw winter day I went to the Aliens Registration Office in Dublin to beg for permission to stay in the country when my tourist visa expired. A burly man in a uniform grilled me about the work I'd be doing, how much money I had and where I planned to live.

Before signing the paperwork, he sternly reminded me that I was a guest in a foreign nation. Violate even the most minor Irish law, he warned, and we'll deport you.

By the time he finished his lecture, I was afraid to jaywalk.

Of course, like most Americans, I have a fairly law-abiding nature. It's that fundamental respect for the rule of law that makes the debate over the "rights" of illegal immigrants all the more exasperating.

If foreigners break laws to get here, at the very least they should be deported the first time they're caught breaking others.

Yet the open-borders crowd counters that those who oppose illegal immigration are prejudiced. That we hate foreigners.

Nonsense.

What we don't like are law-breakers and cheaters.

We all know it's the responsibility of the feds to enforce immigration. And we're aware that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is swamped, what with millions of illegal immigrants in the country and more arriving every day.

Maybe it's time to give ICE a hand instead of simply pointing fingers in the direction of Washington.

Some proposals before the General Assembly would do just that. Several bills would deny bail to illegal immigrants who are arrested on criminal charges, to give ICE time to act. Another would make it a crime for employers to hire illegal immigrants. And localities would be banned from acting as sanctuary cities.

The most intriguing bill is Senate Joint Resolution 26, offered by a Democrat, Charles J. Colgan of Manassas. It asks the commonwealth to join other states in suing the federal government to recover state funds spent on illegal immigration.

Here's a thought: Virginia ought to tack on a bill for public schools. That way, maybe we could finally find out how many kids are being educated - courtesy of Virginia taxpayers - while they're here illegally with their families.

In 1982, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that children could not be denied a public education because of their immigration status. Fine. Let the feds pay for them.

If states forcefully demand action on behalf of their law-abiding citizens, Washington might get serious about enforcing America's borders.

Be prepared. The debate leading up to that will be bitter.

Kerry Dougherty, (757) 446-2306, kerry.dougherty@cox.net
http://hamptonroads.com/2008/01/immigra ... and-simple

The most intriguing bill is Senate Joint Resolution 26, offered by a Democrat, Charles J. Colgan of Manassas. It asks the commonwealth to join other states in suing the federal government to recover state funds spent on illegal immigration.

Wooooohoooooo! Way to legislate!!!!

"The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican form of Government, and shall protect each of them against invasion." Article IV Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution.

Many years ago, the school district of McAllen, Texas, was talking of doing this. The border towns began suffering a lot earlier than other parts of the country.

Never heard what happened to it - but Texas did put the Robin Hood bill in place. It took monies from more affluent school districts and gave to less affluent districts. They didn't say to help educate illegals - but that's what it did.