Let localities take lead in immigration
Date published: 10/12/2007

In 1929, illegal entry into the U.S. became a federal crime punishable by up to six months in prison. Repeat offenses are punishable with up to two years. Yet only 1.5 percent of illegal immigrants were prosecuted and convicted in 2004.

Title 8 section 1324 states that every person who knows of an illegal alien or otherwise supports illegal immigration can be punished up to 10 years. That means people like John Steinbach, of the pro-illegal immigration organization "Mexicans Without Borders," should be in jail.

A 2007 national survey found that 90 percent of likely voters felt illegal immigration is a problem. A UPI/Zogby Poll says 59 percent believe the way to deal with illegal immigration is through enforcement of existing laws, deportation, and prosecution of employers who illegally employ workers.

The Board of Supervisors in Hazelton, Pa., passed immigration ordinances. In June 2006, a U.S. District Judge ruled against the town and upheld the federal government's 1986 Illegal Immigration and Reform Act as a federal issue, not a local issue. This impedes local officials from protecting the welfare of constituents against illegal immigrants.

King George County should pass similar local ordinances and also lead local municipalities in addressing this nationally. We should enact (and Sheriff Clarence Dobson's recent report to the Board of Supervisors supports) section 287-g of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Should federal officials impede the removal of illegals, the county should sue the federal government in civil court for an injunction to force the government to execute its own laws and for compensatory damages to recoup the expense illegal immigrants have cost the county, as well as punitive damages in order to reform the government's approach to its lack of enforcement of immigration laws.

-Thad Dobbert
King George
http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2007 ... 007/323896