Immigration retaliation

October 2, 2011

U.S. Justice Department spokeswoman told The Post and Courier on Thursday, "To the extent we find state laws that interfere with the federal government's enforcement of immigration law, we are prepared to bring suit." If that were a joke, it would be funny.

Unfortunately, though, it's no joke. It's an appalling threat of legal action against South Carolina, Utah, Indiana and Georgia. The Obama administration already has taken Arizona to court for its immigration law.

To state the painfully obvious: If the Justice Department had been effectively enforcing the national immigration laws already on the books, numerous states, including South Carolina, wouldn't have felt obligated to pass immigration laws of their own since President Obama moved into the White House.

Another sadly apparent Washington shortcoming on this issue: Congress, despite a glaring need that long preceded Mr. Obama's rise to the presidency, has failed to craft comprehensive immigration reform legislation.

Yet now the Justice Department warns that it's ready to play the enforcer -- not against illegal immigration, but against states' attempts to counter it.

Federal failure to enforce immigration laws has created costly problems across the nation. Facing that rising duress, states have understandably tried to fill that gap.

Gov. Nikki Haley signed the immigration bill passed by our General Assembly into law in June. It would require police, starting in January, to contact federal immigration staff if they suspect a person is in the United States illegally. And local and state police could check a person's immigration status if they have "reasonable" suspicion that they aren't here legally.

Though that sounds fair enough, the best way to handle immigration would be from the national level -- if only the administration were willing to fulfill that federal obligation.

The American Civil Liberties Union is preparing a legal challenge of its own to the S.C. law. State Attorney General Alan Wilson insists that our law is constitutional and "in support" of federal immigration law.

Whatever the courts decide, however, this verdict is indisputable: The federal government has long been guilty of negligence on illegal immigration -- an abdication of duty that has accelerated under President Obama.

In late August, the White House even ordered the Homeland Security and Justice departments to "review" -- in other words, delay -- approximately 300,000 deportation cases against alleged illegal immigrants.

At least that shows some consistency. Because when it comes to coping with illegal immigration, Washington has long been in "delay" mode.

Too bad the Obama administration isn't as interested in solving the illegal-immigration problem as it is in thwarting the states that are -- and courting Hispanic votes in the self-serving, irresponsible process.

Because if this administration were doing its immigration duty, it wouldn't have to waste its time -- and our money -- pondering lawsuits against the states now forced to fill that gap.

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2011 ... taliation/