State priority: Illegal immigrants
Saturday, January 5, 2008



Congress' failure to deal comprehensively with immigration has left states in the lurch with limited authority to deal with what essentially is a federal responsibility. Faced with the prospect of extended inaction at the federal level, the state Legislature is of necessity exploring ways to stem the problem. Its timely attention should keep matters from getting worse.

Legislative leaders talked about their agenda for the upcoming session in a meeting with members of the South Carolina media this week, and it was clear that immigration ranks among the major issues for most. Clearly, legislators are getting an earful from their constituents about the rising level of illegal immigration and the related public costs in education and health care.

The Senate last year endorsed comprehensive legislation based on the recommendations of a task force headed by Sen. Jim Ritchie, R-Spartanburg. Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell, R-Charleston, says the bill provides solutions to illegal immigration that don't overstep constitutional limits to the state's authority. Some slight revisions need to be made in response to a recent court ruling that provides for workers' compensation payments to illegal immigrants, the senator says.

The legislation recognizes that while South Carolina can't patrol its borders or deport illegal immigrants, it should be able to appropriately penalize those who knowingly employ them, or who provide them with false identity cards. The bill also would require the state to verify the legal status of those who apply for public assistance.

South Carolina should join those states seeking stronger protections against illegal immigration. Legislators can help ensure that illegal immigrants won't be able to take advantage of the relative laxity in existing state law, regarding their presence here.

As restrictions are tightened elsewhere on illegals, it would be only natural for them to seek safer haven in states with fewer restrictions on their presence.

Sen. McConnell will continue his campaign for legislative authority to call for a Constitutional Convention among the states, with the intent of forcing the federal government to acknowledge its responsibility for enforcement and the need for stronger restrictions at the federal level.

Ultimately, Congress will be forced to deal comprehensively with the issue. Maintaining the pressure at the state level will serve as an admonition to Congress for its failure to act. With the number of illegals in the nation estimated at 12 million and growing, a comprehensive federal solution is needed. This state has a responsibility to do what it can in the interim.

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