Immigration Nimbyism
In the past, I've lauded state efforts to act when Congress has shirked its responsibilities. I think states were right to enact legislation funding stem cell research in response to the federal ban on funds for any but the most limited research. Some issues, however, require a federal response. Immigration is one of those issues. That's why I was disheartened by an article in today's Washington Post written by T.R. Reid.
State legislatures around the nation are considering hundreds of proposals dealing with illegal immigration, reflecting the exasperation of many local officials with Congress's failure to contend with the millions of undocumented workers who have entered the nation in recent years.
Here in Arizona, the House has passed a proposal to set fines and other penalties for companies that hire undocumented workers. The bill, which had regularly failed in previous years, is expected to win Senate approval within days and is only one of many plans under consideration.
...For the most part, the new state measures are designed to get tough on illegal immigrants, on employers who give them jobs and on state officials who give them benefits.
At the same time, though, some states are moving in the other direction -- making life easier for immigrants, legal or otherwise.
The multistate approach, with some states at variance with others, threatens to create a maze of laws and regulations at a time when the nation as a whole is struggling with how to contend with an unprecedented wave of illegal immigration.
..."Our position has been that employment of immigrants is a federal issue, and it deserves a federal response," said Farrell Quinlan of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry. "But if the federal government doesn't act, you're going to see the states try to fill the void." [Emphasis added]
And that is simply an untenable approach. Immigration is indeed a federal issue, and creating a patchwork quilt of laws that vary from state to state is an exercise in futility. It also serves to inflame passions over an issue that is hot enough as it is. States should instead be placing direct pressure on their Congressional delegation to get serious and to get busy to come up with a reality based solution, even an imperfect one.
State legislatures around the nation are considering hundreds of proposals dealing with illegal immigration, reflecting the exasperation of many local officials with Congress's failure to contend with the millions of undocumented workers who have entered the nation in recent years.
Here in Arizona, the House has passed a proposal to set fines and other penalties for companies that hire undocumented workers. The bill, which had regularly failed in previous years, is expected to win Senate approval within days and is only one of many plans under consideration.
...For the most part, the new state measures are designed to get tough on illegal immigrants, on employers who give them jobs and on state officials who give them benefits.
At the same time, though, some states are moving in the other direction -- making life easier for immigrants, legal or otherwise.
The multistate approach, with some states at variance with others, threatens to create a maze of laws and regulations at a time when the nation as a whole is struggling with how to contend with an unprecedented wave of illegal immigration.
..."Our position has been that employment of immigrants is a federal issue, and it deserves a federal response," said Farrell Quinlan of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry. "But if the federal government doesn't act, you're going to see the states try to fill the void." [Emphasis added]
And that is simply an untenable approach. Immigration is indeed a federal issue, and creating a patchwork quilt of laws that vary from state to state is an exercise in futility. It also serves to inflame passions over an issue that is hot enough as it is. States should instead be placing direct pressure on their Congressional delegation to get serious and to get busy to come up with a reality based solution, even an imperfect one.
posted by Diane at 4:02 AM
1 Comments:
In some states like CA, the taxes from immigrants don't cover the services received. That's where state legislation is going to be a problem.
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