Enforce the Immigration Laws
Monday, June 18, 2007; Page A16


In her June 10 op-ed, "The Myth of Amnesty," Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano correctly noted that "our country has done basically nothing to enforce the 1986 legislation against either the employers who hired illegal immigrants or those who crossed our borders illegally to work for them." But then she said that the 1986 law is unenforceable. How can she know this? We have never tried. What opponents of the current immigration legislation want is enforcement of the laws that we have. Creating more unenforced laws will do no good.

Ms. Napolitano also said of the latest immigration bill: "It is not 'amnesty' to require these individuals to earn the privilege of citizenship." The illegal immigrants who would get legal status by the bill being considered in the Senate would not be required to apply for citizenship; they would have to apply for a visa, pay fees and meet other requirements, but they would face no penalties. The businesses that have employed them and that have put out of business competitors who followed the law would face neither prosecution nor penalties. What is that, if not amnesty?

Ms. Napolitano brought up a sob story of the 12-year-old girl who was left here when her parents and brother, illegal immigrants, were deported. Crime breaks up families when the criminal is sent to jail. But in this case, her family could have taken her with them. Coming here illegally was their choice. Leaving her here was their choice, too.

The governor's penultimate sentence was the best in the piece: Amnesty, she said, is " not a solution." She is right. Enforcement is the solution.

JACK SCHEIBLE

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