Editorial from a North Carolina newspaper. Despite its "tough-sounding" title, this editorial repeats the myths of the OBL and calls for amnesty. We should call Sens. Burr and Dole (and Rep. Shuler) and tell them we disagree with this editorials conclusions:
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CITIZEN-TIMES.com
published October 19, 2007 12:15 am
National leaders shirk duty on immigration enforcement

The death of a comprehensive immigration bill in Congress during the summer left counties, cities and states to face an almost impossible situation.

Immigrants come to the United States illegally because they need jobs and there’s a demand for their labor, but there’s no legal path available for them.

As long as those circumstances continue to coexist, the number of people in the United States illegally, estimated at about 12 million, will continue to grow.

It’s the federal government’s job to oversee and control immigration.

The absolute paralysis on the part of Congress and the president to develop and implement a real solution has left states and local governments struggling to find their own answers.

The latest effort involves local sheriffs. North Carolina will become the first state to work with the federal government in training local law enforcement officers to help enforce immigration law. The partnership with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency was announced earlier this week by the N.C. Sheriff’s Association.

Burden on local officers

Buncombe and Henderson County sheriffs said Wednesday that they plan to become a national model and regional hub for the program, which will give local law enforcement officers power to enforce immigration policy at county jails.

Some sheriffs have sought the extra authority as a way to reduce crime and to ease the burden on overcrowded jails. Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison has said up to 15 percent of the inmates in the county jail might be illegal immigrants.

Lt. Randy Sorrels said the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Department currently has no way to track such a number, but it is not his impression the jail is over capacity because of inmates in the country illegally.

The new program is just another tool to identify and better track people here illegally, he said.

The program will operate only within the jails and will not target the Hispanic community with raids. Ten Henderson County officers and eight Buncombe County officers will be trained on identifying arrested illegal immigrants through databases, including a Department of Homeland Security database not currently accessible by local authorities.

Henderson County Sheriff Rick Davis is right when he says, “Nobody can argue with the deportation of a criminal.â€