Today's opinion selection comes from the Miami Herald via the Lexington Herald-Leader (Kentucky). Titled "U.S. needs reasonable immigration reform," the piece lays out the need for "sound, reasonable, enforceable national immigration policy."
Key excerpts—
Failure to respond to public concern over immigration would be irresponsible. Immigration laws must be strictly enforced. But the way that authorities are trying to compensate for the failure to devise a sane national immigration policy is wrong on several counts.
To begin with, it is selective enforcement. Large-scale immigration roundups are random and scattershot, often sweeping up the good and the bad. It often depends on where anti-immigrant sentiment is the strongest, not where criminal violations are prevalent. (...)
In many instances, the process is unfair (...) The hit-and-miss effect is particularly evident at the local level. In some communities, police are encouraged to arrest illegal immigrants, regardless of whether they are familiar with immigration laws. (...)
Finally, the sudden intensification of anti-immigrant measures is ineffective. As a deterrent, it is unlikely to have any effect on workers who manage to keep their jobs, although it will drive more illegal immigrants to the underground economy to avoid deportation.
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"In some communities, police are encouraged to arrest illegal immigrants, regardless of whether they are familiar with immigration laws."
Whom is being referred to the police or the illegals? Is the writer suggesting that ignorance of the law is excusable?
"Large-scale immigration roundups are random and scattershot, often sweeping up the good and the bad."
Of course they are and what the public has been clamoring for is a vigorous and continuous roundup process that will begin to send the correct message to those who have violated our borders and ignored our immigration laws. Some have suggested that we should only roundup and deport the criminals among the illegal aliens, as though they all wear a large scarlet C that identifies them as such. We have to begin with the idea that all illegals are well illegal and therefore deserving of expeditious deportation.
02 julio, 2008 05:07:37 PM
GORDON JOHNSON dijo...
"But the way that authorities are trying to compensate for the failure to devise a sane national immigration policy is wrong on several counts."
The basic problem is that everyone has their own version of what would constitute a sane national immigration policy. Some consider mass amnesty as part of such a policy. Others say mass deportation is the sine qua non of a sane policy.
One thing is certain that the failure to enforce our current laws through internal enforcement based on E-verification of work status is not a sane policy. The failure to secure our borders by jailing all violators apprehended at the border rather than simply escorting them back across the border allowing them another opportunity penalty-free is not a sane policy.
Illegal immigrants are already underground since few are detected and fewer still deported. Driving them farther underground will at least make it more difficult for legitimate employers to hire them, especially if the employers are also penalized commensurate with the extent of their violations.
02 julio, 2008 05:07:34 PM
dijo...
The pro-illegal-alien propaganda hits just keep coming, don't they? Daniela, I hope you realize that your blog has lost all credibility with the few people who still read it.
