Thread: S.C. - State Sen. Tom Davis: Obama's hypocrisy palpable on i

Obama's hypocrisy palpable on immigration
Published Monday, July 26, 2010
Comments (1)

A recent letter argues that Article I, Section 8, of the U.S. Constitution, which empowers Congress to "establish a uniform rule of naturalization," makes Arizona's new immigration law unconstitutional. It also tells us to stop complaining about President Barack Obama since it is not constitutionally the president's job to secure our borders. This is wrong on both counts.

The writer misapplies the constitutional rule of federal pre-emption, which prohibits states from passing laws in areas where federal law already occupies the field. But while the federal government has exclusive authority to pass laws in certain areas, such as immigration, its duty to enforce those laws is concurrent with that of the states. States enforce federal laws all the time, and that's what Arizona's new law purports to do.

Of course, Obama's real problem with the Arizona law is not that it contradicts federal immigration law, but that it takes it too seriously. As Attorney General Eric Holder has said, our president favors a "balanced administration of the immigration laws" -- for example, tolerating sanctuary cities that defy federal immigration laws and forbid enforcement by local officials, but lowering the boom on states that strictly enforce them. The hypocrisy here is palpable.

Finally, it is most emphatically the job of our nation's chief executive to ensure that the laws of the United States are faithfully executed, and Obama has not done so in this instance. That he also wants to stop states from enforcing those laws is reprehensible.

State Sen. Tom Davis

Beaufort

www.islandpacket.com

I think Obama should volunteer for a screening by an Arizona police department. That might solve a lot of problems and questions in this country.

Dixie

That's why Obama won't come to Arizona now - he might be "racially profiled" and "asked for his "papers".