Immigration Distinction
The move by Arizona to harshen up their immigration policy stirred up a hornets’ nest. While some politicians said it was a good thing – or at least Constitutional – most public figures opposed the action. Not surprisingly, the majority of Americans supported it.
The Republican-controlled legislature in The Grand Canyon State passed the bill and the Republican governor signed it for mostly political reasons, the biggest one being the failure of the national government to act on their immigration problems which is truly a national issue. Sadly, for all the pooh-poohing coming out of the Democratic administration, few expect any action out of Congress.
Two stories surfaced last week that underscore the problem with their failure to act. One was about a 21-year-old Georgia woman who had been brought into the country illegally by her parents ten years ago. She was stopped by police for a traffic violation and discovered to be an illegal. It wasn’t clear why the girl hadn’t sought or managed to become a citizen.
Another case in New Jersey found a man who had made a minor error on his green card application who was suddenly arrested and removed from his home in handcuffs. After ten days in jail, media pressure got the man released, at least temporarily, but it was clear that he had attempted to do it right but had been tripped up by an obscure regulation that was unnecessarily enforced by dangerously over-zealous immigration authorities.
I believe that intent should matter, that the laws should be clear, and that we should be able to distinguish between scofflaws and well-meaning foreigners who err on our forms.
What is needed is leadership in Washington to produce clear and effective policy that dictates action by law enforcement at the state and national levels, separates the honest would-be citizens from the miscreants, and restores meaning to the term American. It’s gonna be a long wait I fear.
©2010 SetonnoteS
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