Immigration reform is a national problem

Because Congress failed to pass comprehensive immigration reform, states are crafting their own laws. That could be a mistake.

Instead, Democrats and Republicans in legislatures across the country should pressure the federal government to deal with this crisis. That is the role states should play. It is a national problem, which requires a national resolution that is realistic and compassionate.

That means doing a better job of securing the border and ensuring employers follow workplace laws.

But it also means raising immigration quotas to meet U.S. work-force needs and reunify families. It means providing a path to citizenship for an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the country, if they have a good record otherwise.

States cannot make those changes.

States can step in only where enforcement is involved. So Arizona's new law, which took effect Jan. 1, suspends a business license on a first offense and revokes it on the second for knowingly hiring illegal immigrants. Oklahoma's law, which took effect in November 2007, includes a host of punitive consequences, including making it a felony to harbor or transport illegal immigrants. In fact, the number of state laws enacted in 2007 related to immigrants surged compared to 2006 -- 246 vs. 84 -- according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. It makes no sense for state taxpayers to finance duplicative state enforcement structures because the federal government has failed to do its job.

But what will it say about states if they vent their understandable frustration by adopting laws that make some people, legal or illegal immigrants, suspect?

Such laws will terrorize undocumented workers who came to the United States to escape poverty in their home countries and whose presence was tolerated for decades because of their contribution to the economy.

"The way it affects people is there's more fear," said Sister Chris Feagan, who works with the immigrant community. "People are afraid to report anything 'to the police' because they might be investigated as to whether they are legal or not legal. Or they might be legal, but there might be someone in their home who is not."

States should press hard for national leaders to fulfill their obligation to enforce existing employment laws and pass comprehensive immigration reform, but should not attempt to fill the void with state laws that will do more harm than good.

-- The Des Moines Register
http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs ... 14/OPINION

Article Comments:

zeezil

Joined: 11 Feb 2008
Posts: 1
Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 8:46 am Post subject: Raise immigration quotas? Are you nuts?

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Raise immigration quotas? We bring in 1.3 million LEGAL immigrants every year. And you want to raise immigration quotas? On our current national fertility and net migration rates, we will go from a national population of 300 million now to 600 million in 2050. And you want to raise immigration quotas? Furthermore, stop the emotional crying about unifying families, which is the mantra of the illegal immigrants advocates. Unifying families should have no role in setting our immigration policies.

Your plea for giving citizenship to illegal immigrants will rightfully fall on the deaf ears of the American people, who are fed up with the wanton disregard for our laws by illegal aliens. Citizens are screaming for law enforcement not rewarding the perpetrators of breaking immigration law with the very object of their crime...legalization leading to citizenship.

As there is no legal, moral, and constitutional argument for the support of illegal immigration, you turn to the emotional plea to not terrorize undocumented workers. Really, who cares? As lawbreakers who perpetuate their crime every day by remaining and operating here, they should be worried that the long arm of the law will catch up to them. Fear of the consequences for breaking a law insures compliance with the law.

No, my friend, states are doing exactly what they have to do by passing laws for their own safety and benefit. The federal government is not the place to go to for immigration enforcement because they have proven time and time again they are not the “clearing houseâ€