BY DAVE PARRO
A federal judge's ruling Thursday that struck down an anti-illegal immigration law in Hazleton, Pa., illustrates just how urgent an issue reform should be at the federal level.
Left with no guidance from Congress, towns across the country have been struggling to figure out how they can best control at the local level the problems that come with illegal immigration. Among them are Carpentersville, which is waiting to see how the Hazleton case plays out before drafting its own law, and Waukegan, which earlier this month passed a controversial measure related to the deportation of illegal immigrant criminals.
Is this how we're going to address the immigration crisis in this country, by allowing federal judges to rule on individual cities' attempts to offer solutions when the federal government itself hasn't done anything to solve the problem?
The Hazleton law was ruled unconstitutional because it is supposedly pre-empted by federal law and would violate due-process rights. The city's lawyers promise an appeal because they see an activist judge who ignored Supreme Court precedent and existing federal law that allows towns to address the "consequences of illegal immigration."
Municipalities shouldn't have to deal with this problem on their own. It's too big. By sitting idly by while a patchwork of local laws is implemented across the country rather than setting the rules for everyone, Congress is allowing hostilities to fester and the country to become more divided. It shouldn't be up to our local officials to secure the borders, but they are certainly the ones paying the price for our federal lawmakers' inaction.
We shouldn't let the courts decide our immigration laws. That won't happen if Congress takes responsibility for this mess and relieves local elected officials of a duty that shouldn't have fallen to them in the first place.
I believe the courts rule on the constitutionality of laws. They only thing they decide is whether a law can be enforced. Blaming them for misguided laws is kind of silly. Repeating the 'activist judge' mantra just perpetuates the right-wing talking points.
I thinks it's also misleading to suggest that the President and Congerss have done nothing. They did fund that big old fence in Texas correct?
And really Dave, you should be bashing the Republicans who, back on June 7 killed the Senate immigration bill by threatening a fillibuster (cloture failed to get 60 votes). I would recommend you direct your outrage at the appropirate parties instead of this cynical 'pox on both your houses' approach.
Due process rights??? Excuse me but if you are here illegally you shouldn't have ANY rights!! Dave, you are right on with this one. Our government (BOTH sides) has let this country down big time. I can see why the illegals don't take the US seriously when we make laws and then do not enforce them. We are ALL paying the price for our federal lawmakers' inaction. As far as plainfieldrob's comment about directing "your outrage at the appropirate parties" who would that be? We've had the laws on the books for how many years? Who didn't enforce them when they were first made?
Since you broached the matter, Karen, perhaps a review of the voting records of our local federal lawmakers is in order:
Immigration Profile of Rep. Dennis Hastert
Voted against authorizing the use of troops on the border in 1999
Nearly doubled H-1B foreign high-tech workers in 1998
Voted in 1998 to allow firms to lay off Americans to make room for foreign workers
Tried to create massive new foreign agriculture worker program in 1996
Opposed mandatory workplace verification programs in 1996
The records for Sen. Obama and Sen. Durbin are also available for review/scrutiny.
Karen-
IF you are a proud American who firmly believes in capitalism, then you should brush up on your Econ 101. Immigration, like everything in economics, is a byproduct of supply and demand. The demand for labor is great in our country, hence the supply of labor coming from other countries. It's actually something that you should view with pride. People actually want to come to America to work. Imagine if it were the other way around.
Now I know you just might come back with laws and how they're made to be followed. I won't argue with you on that point.
I just happen to be one of those Americans that has a lot of faith in the economic fundamentals of our great country. I'm glad people want to come here.
Econ101 & 14th District Voter:
I want them to do it legally!!! How have illegal immigrants working here helped you in any financial way? All I see in my neighborhood are lazy illegals laying around having more children that my tax dollars have to go to support! If they came to work here, why are there so many using our benifits? If they are so proud to be here why didn't they come through legally? Why are they still flying their country's flag?
I NEVER said I supported Dennis Hastert in ANY way!!
Maybe you should look up "Operation Wetback" on the internet and see how President Eisenhower handled the situation.
Better yet read Theodore Roosevelt's comments below on being part of this great country we call AMERICA! I don't see any of these illegals assimilating to our way of life. They want to come here to use our resources and keep their language and their flag in our country. If their country is so great they want to fly their flag, why did they come here?
Our government has a responsibility to the "AMERICAN PEOPLE" and no one else!!
Theodore Roosevelt on Immigrants and being an AMERICAN
"In the first place we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag, and this excludes the red flag, which symbolizes all wars against liberty and civilization, just as much as it excludes any foreign flag of a nation to which we are hostile...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."
Theodore Roosevelt 1907
Karen-
I'm not threatened by illegal immigrants in any way. They do not intimidate me. Though there are exceptions, the vast majority of them come to the US to work. They certainly don't come here for our weather.
Our laws regarding immigration need to be reformed. Again, it all comes back to supply and demand. The day our economy no longer requires immigrants, we'll be in a whole lot of trouble.
I sense that your disdain for illegal immigrants is rooted in something more than just following our laws.
Econ101
I agree they don't come here for the weather...they come for the benifits at our expense. When I was looking for work many of jobs for the office work I do required me to know a different language - spanish...and there were also pay incentives...if you know spanish...why? This is America! Don't get me wrong here, I don't have a problem with any race. I am white and have black and Mexican family members whom I love dearly. I have friends of many races that I care deeply about. My grandfather came from Germany, learned the english language, became a LEGAL citizen of this country. When someone comes here for any reason, work, family, school whatever I don't have a problem with it, but when the first thing they do when they set foot on this soil is illegal...I have a problem with that! It tells me they don't give a damn about our laws...any of them and those are the people I do not want here sucking up America's goodness.
Please tell me what good reforming our immigration laws will do when they do not enforce the laws already on the books?