Thread: Breaking immigration laws shouldn't never be ignored (Op-Ed)

Breaking immigration laws shouldn't never be ignored
04/17/2007

The problem of illegal immigration - and indeed of legal immigration - has grown to large proportions over the last couple of decades, but after years of governmental neglect, enforcement has toughened up over the last year or so.

What we have seen is more surveillance, more deportations and more investigation of industries and cities where many illegal immigrants tend to settle.

Some of the enforcement has been in the forms of massive raids, where large numbers of people are abruptly arrested in large-scale operations and unceremoniously taken to jail.

That has the leaders of ARISE, a congregation-based organization that speaks on behalf of immigration reform, up in arms and calling on elected officials to seek an end to the wide-scale operation. We wonder whether the people at ARISE are tackling the wrong problem. Perhaps it would be better to get people documented than to ask people such as senators Chuck Schumer and Hillary Clinton to assist in evading the law.

ARISE does present a sympathetic case, it should be noted. A number of the people who have been seized are active, employed members of society who, often, are responsibly raising a family.

It is indeed unfortunate that children suffer, but it must not be forgotten that no matter how respectable and productive the person under arrest, if he is not a documented worker, he is in this country under false pretenses and can only be classified as an illegal immigrant.

The Immigration and Naturalization Service could go about its job in a more civilized and compassionate way, to be sure, but it does need to go about its job.

What is needed is for Washington to stop hemming and hawing and get down to streamlining and modernizing current immigration law.
Unfortunately, just as with the war, Social Security, health services the environment, genuine and human problems have become mere talking points when politicians are trying to score points.

We don't believe people should just be able to move into this country at an alarming pace. Poverty in a home country or political repression is tragic, but we can't cure the world's ills no matter how well intentioned we may be.

Reform the law. Make the process accessible. Create uniform guidelines. These are among the steps that need to be taken.
When a group such as ARISE gets loud about the fact a law is being enforced, they are hurting their own cause. Less rhetoric and more in the way of concrete plans needs to be the basic building block.


http://www.troyrecord.com/site/news.cfm ... 7018&rfi=6©The Record 2007

The Immigration and Naturalization Service could go about its job in a more civilized and compassionate way ???
ARE YOU NUTS? ILLEGAL ALIENS ARE CRIMINALS. INS should TAKE OFF THE KID GLOVES AND ENFORCE THE LAW!