(from Wisconsin State Journal opinion sectionhttp://www.madison.com/wsj/home/opin...=40577&ntpid=3)

There are good intentions behind the Madison City Council's decision to open taxpayer-funded home loan programs to illegal immigrants. But the consequences of letting people who broke the law compete for public money against law-abiding citizens make the council's decision wrong.

We appreciate that illegal or undocumented immigrants deserve better treatment from the law than they receive. But immigration reform is a job for Congress. By acting on its own, the City Council has taken an approach riddled with conflicts.

Consider the contradictory messages sent by policies that, on one hand, declare that it is illegal for a family to remain here and, on the other hand, aid the family to make a home here.

Consider also the case of a low-income family that applies for public money to help buy a home late in the year, only to be told that the program has run out of money because the last loan went to a family of illegal immigrants. What if the low-income family applying for aid is a family of legal immigrants?

It is plainly unfair for public policy to deny aid to families who do everything right and give money to families who broke the law.

Finally, consider the case of a family of illegal immigrants that receives public money for a home loan only to be discovered by federal Homeland Security officials. It is not smart stewardship of public funds to advance loans to people who run the risk of being deported.

At stake is roughly $1 million a year in state and federal money that Madison distributes for loans to buy, repair and renovate homes. About $750,000 is distributed to non-profit agencies for housing development. The result is perhaps 20 to 30 homes per year that can be sold to low-income families. The remaining $250,000, made available for the first time this year, is for down payment and closing cost loans made directly to buyers. That money can aid about 35 families.

Before the City Council's action this week, the home loan programs were limited to documented citizens. But Tuesday the council voted to open them to illegal immigrants, providing they have federal individual taxpayer identification numbers to demonstrate that they pay taxes.

Supporters of the council's decision maintain that if illegal immigrants are paying the taxes that help to fund the loan programs, they should be included in those programs.

There is no denying that illegal immigrants live in Madison, and our community needs to cope with their needs. But solving that problem by creating more problems is not the answer. The City Council's action clearly creates more problems by potentially denying aid to law-abiding families, exposing loan programs to the risk that borrowers will be deported and setting up a contradictory public policy.

The council should reconsider its decision.