Immigration crackdowns that don't work
Posted by Amy Gottlieb August 24, 2007 5:13PM
http://blog.nj.com/njv_amy_gottlieb/200 ... at_do.html

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind for immigrants and those who follow immigrant issues closely. Governor Corzine established a Blue Ribbon Panel on immigrant integration. Devastating murders in Newark sparked a debate about the role of police in immigration enforcement. A directive from the Attorney General requires police to notify ICE after arresting someone they believe is undocumented.

New Jersey was at one time a model state for policies that provide a welcoming atmosphere for immigrants. The Blue Ribbon panel was to be a piece of that. With the new directive, we are moving in a different direction, following the lead of places like Prince William County, Virginia that have passed resolutions requiring police to conduct immigration investigations, and no longer feel welcoming.

Many have applauded the Attorney General, while others have expressed caution. I am concerned that the directive will lead to profiling, lack of safety and trust in immigrant communities, and an overall sense of a crackdown at the state level, parallel to the growing crackdown at the federal level.

Using the immigration system to deal with indictable offenses in New Jersey is misguided, as the immigration status of the person arrested is irrelevant to the offense committed. It is the criminal justice system itself that must take on prevention, apprehension, prosecution, and sentencing in a way that does not dehumanize anyone in the process. Our federal immigration system must be fixed so that we do not have millions of undocumented people moving further into the shadows; a fair and humane immigration policy at the federal level would solve the problem without giving so much authority to police officers who already have enough on their plates.

But because the issue of immigration has become such a contentious one, we are not going to see federal legislation anytime soon. Until the terms of the debate change and policies are no longer set based on fear, we will continue on this road of piecemeal attempts to stop or limit immigration, which will have no impact whatsoever on the much deeper problem of violence in our communities.