Quote Originally Posted by The El Paso Times (click masthead)

Immigration: Feds need to take more responsibility
El Paso Times Staff, 04/26/2008 12:00:00 AM MDT

When the Texas Legislature convenes next year, conservative Republican lawmakers are preparing to clamp down on illegal immigration. We wonder whether this is more political than practical. The most recent legislative session saw the defeat of a number of anti-illegal immigration measures. However, the GOP lawmakers want to revisit and try to revive the measures. That will be popular with a number of constituents.

Border security considerations have flared into new prominence recently, between legislative sessions, as the Bush administration pushes to build a border fence (or wall, if you prefer) and have much of it completed by the end of the year. This effort has generated protests and legal action, and no doubt played a significant role in the state GOP legislators' decision to renew the debate on immigration. It will play well during campaigns and at the polls. Practically speaking, securing the border, whether it be against terrorism or illegal immigration, is the job of the federal government. There's no arguing that the feds have been delinquent in carrying out that task, and are no doubt happy to dump as much of the job -- and accompanying expense -- on the border states as possible.

That, in turn, forces the states to take action on their own -- and at their own expense. It's fine for Texas lawmakers to revive this discussion. But at the same time, Texas officials from Gov. Rick Perry on down need to keep up unrelenting pressure on the feds to do their part when it comes to border security and stemming illegal immigration. Some attorneys familiar with immigration law have said it's dangerous to enforce federal immigration laws at the state and local levels, saying that it could make communities more dangerous and could cause police to be the targets of more lawsuits. Indeed, there's been more than enough controversy in this area about disputed traffic stops and other incidents.

Local law enforcement officials should not be expected to assume the duties of enforcing immigration law. It is not in their scope of experience or training, it would entail considerable additional expense, it would erode vital trust between residents and their law enforcers, and it's just plain not right because it's a federal responsibility. As Gary Urias, an attorney with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, said, "It decreases the ability of police to fight crime and protect local residents." Texas state elected officials and state legislators all along the border need to be calling and visiting their federal counterparts, convincing them of their duty to address and fund border security instead of shoveling off the job to border states. Source (click here)
It's exclusively a federal matter? Exclusively? Since when? Excluding state and local law enforcement from dealing with federal laws would create a need for federal patrolmen, federal beat cops and a whole new bureaucracy. It's absurd. They enforce kidnapping, bank embezzlement and as a matter of fact, every other law I can think of EXCEPT the immigration laws. And many law enforcement organizations are very efficient at enforcing immigration laws. Naaahhh. I'm not buyin' it. It's a buncha' propaganda sold to a buncha' weak-minded libs, very much like the propaganda that ensures citizenship to anchor babies. These cuckoos would raise holy hell if the feds sent troops to the border -- posse comitatus and all that. Sorry libs, you can't have it both ways. Either enforce the laws or cede ownership of the border to the feds.
Red and blue emphasis added by me.