Thread: GOP punts on immigration reform

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Nethaway: GOP punts on immigration reform


Wednesday, September 06, 2006

The governors of the states most heavily impacted by illegal immigration — Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California — met recently in Austin and agreed that Congress must reform the nation’s immigration laws.

Don’t put it off. Do it now.

These governors, two Democrats and two Republicans, want Congress to put partisan politics aside, stop holding meaningless immigration hearings around the nation and take action to relieve states and cities of the burden of a federal responsibility.

So far Colorado, Utah, Georgia, Pennsylvania and Louisiana have passed state laws attempting to deal with illegal immigration. Other states are contemplating their own immigration bills.

Besides the states, cities and communities around the nation are taking it upon themselves to enact local immigration laws that are often punitive, likely unconstitutional and should be handled by Congress.

Cities that have either passed or have considered passing local immigration ordinances include Farmers Branch, Texas; Riverside, N.J.; Palm Bay, Fla.; Gadsden, Ala.; Kennewich, Wash.; Escondido, Calif.; and Avon Park, Fla.

Cities take up federal duties

In addition, the Pennsylvania communities of Hazleton, Allentown, Shenandoah and Mount Pocono also have been reported to be at various stages of assuming immigration duties that belong to the federal government.

According to a USA Today article, Lou Barletta, the mayor of Hazleton, has been contacted by officials from 30 towns asking for a copy of Hazleton’s law, which likely will be met with multiple lawsuits for trying to chase illegal immigrants out of town.

The border governors, state legislatures, various city officials around the country and an overwhelming majority of the American people are all in agreement that Congress should enact immigration reforms.

Congressional Republican leaders appear to have decided to let the cities, states and American people stew in their own immigration juices. Instead, GOP leaders are trying to gain political traction by concentrating this year on national security issues.

It’s still possible to force the Republican leaders in the GOP-controlled Congress to take up an overhaul of the nation’s ineffective immigration laws this year. But it will take a push from President Bush and other Republicans to put a bipartisan need ahead of an election-year political agenda.

President Bush made sweeping immigration reforms a key part of his presidential agenda early in his first administration. He continues to support immigration reform that includes some method to match foreign workers with American employers whose businesses depend on foreign workers.

The Bush plan is opposed by a group of House Republican leaders who prefer punishment for the 12 million or so illegal immigrants now living in the United States, rather than solutions that allow needed foreign workers to work legally and eventually earn citizenship.

The House and Senate have both passed immigration bills. The Senate’s version, which enjoys strong bipartisan support, is in line with Bush’s long-standing effort to provide a legal mechanism enabling U.S. employers to hire foreign workers if they demonstrate that they could not fill those jobs with U.S. citizens.

Recently, a large group of influential Texas business leaders representing agriculture, food processing, hospitality, construction, banking and other businesses joined together to urge passage of immigration legislation that recognizes how vital immigrant labor is to the economy.

The people in those countries where we are trying to establish democracies might need a little extra convincing when they notice how elected leaders in the United States feel they do not have to pay attention to the will of the people who elected them.

Immigration is federal responsibility. Congress should pass immigration reform this year.

Rowland Nethaway’s column appears Wed- nesday and Friday. E-mail: RNethaway@wacotrib .com

The GOP is completely worthless!

That is a very biased article and should be labeled as opinion rather than news. But, the republicans can and should enforce our current immigration and labor laws. No reform is needed, just enforcement.