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Dangerous Red Tape


Winston-Salem Journal

Two criminal cases in this area make painfully clear that this country urgently needs to reform its immigration system. What's needed is a system that allows hard-working people in - and does a much better job of keeping track of illegal immigrants, including those who refuse to abide by the laws of this land.

In one case, the system was too quick to deport. In another, it was too slow. In both cases, it failed miserably.

In the first case, Ignacio Benitez faces a charge of involuntary manslaughter in Yadkin County in connection with an accident in which his 12-year-old daughter was killed. He is, of course, innocent until proved guilty. But his case may never be resolved, because U.S. immigration officials have deported him to Mexico, where he is now free. There's finger-pointing going on between federal and local officials. But ultimately, it was the feds who deported Benitez, who was incarcerated.

In the second case, Giliberto Cruz-Hernandez faces charges in connection with a series of rapes in Winston-Salem, Greensboro and High Point. The crimes happened after he had already been twice deported to Mexico. But somehow he made it back to the United States, where he held a driver's license and was the co-owner of a house - in Winston-Salem. The frustrating question is how he went through all that paperwork without getting deported again. But now that he faces these serious charges, bungled paperwork had better not result in his getting deported before his case is resolved - as Benitez was.

These cases may well ignite hard feelings against illegal immigrants; indeed, they may already have done so. But such a reaction is wrong, because these cases represent the extreme. There are many illegal immigrants who are living peacefully in this country, often working hard at jobs few others want.

That said, immigration reform is clearly needed. Better coordination between local law- enforcement officials and immigration officials is crucial. The process for granting illegal immigrants driver's licenses needs strong scrutiny.

But immigration control is a federal issue, and Congress and federal officials must do most of the work on this problem. President Bush announced last year an outline for solving immigration problems that includes a guest-worker program that would allow for legal entry for three years at a time. That's a start, if Congress would only tackle it. Bush's outline could lead to a plan that would legally let in hard-working, honest workers, freeing immigration officials to better guard the borders against criminals.

It could also help prevent the kind of dangerous snafus that allowed Iganacio Benitez to escape trial - and let Giliberto Cruz-Hernandez slip back into this country after being twice deported.