Napolitano recently vetoed SB 1157 which would have allowed law enforcement to arrest illegals as trespassing if they discovered they were indeed illegal. It was made to appear that law enforcement would drop everything else and go after illegals, something they don't have the time, budget, training or manpower to accomplish. They might have just considered it one more piece of the arsenal available for dealing with the illegal immigration issue, but I guess that would make too much sense.
Cross posted from Red Hot Cuppa Politics
Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano (D), and Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Jr. (R) have issued a statement which seems to address the border situation -- to a certain extent:
From the Seattle Times (comments in black ital are mine):
You know, if Western governors had been allowed to enforce their own borders, with their own state laws already on the books, we wouldn't have this problem.The U.S. Senate returns to work this week with no certainty it will resume debate on comprehensive immigration reform. Western governors strongly urge the Senate to avoid fractious debate and find the middle ground on this critical piece of legislation that a majority of U.S. citizens are demanding.
The Western Governors' Association has offered a solid framework that includes increased border security, employment-based visas, a temporary guest worker program and state reimbursement for enforcement. Our list of priorities is a comprehensive one based in the realities we face every day in our states..."
Key elements of our framework include:
*Technology-driven border control. Adequate funding of law enforcement personnel and infrastructure is essential, along with cutting-edge enforcement technology that allows all levels of enforcement to share comprehensive databases, while safeguarding our privacy. Unmanned aerial vehicles and ground-based sensors and radar would improve intrusion detection. Cyber ports and fast lanes would reduce federal delays and bureaucracy at ports of entry. (that's Hillary's "smart fence," and anyone with electronics in their car understands that the more sophisticated the technology is, the more easily it screws it)
*Reform the visa system and widen our legal labor pool. The visa system must be streamlined so employers will use it, not shun it. This requires a streamlined process and sufficient numbers of visas to meet U.S. employer demands, especially in the high-tech and biotech industries and seasonal agriculture and hospitality operations. (how about some sanctions for employers? Allowing illegal workers who are identified to be deported? How about deporting felons ... ?)
*A guest worker program without amnesty. Foreign labor should not be a substitute for U.S. workers. A guest worker program should supplement areas where there are documented shortages of U.S. workers. Biometric and tamper-resistant identification tools should be used in performing background checks. Current federal employer sanctions for knowingly hiring undocumented labor must be enforced, and employers need an electronic, secure, reliable and fast employment-verification system 24/7. (this one's fair)
*Address the root causes by engaging with Mexico and Latin America. The federal government must aggressively and more effectively address the root cause of illegal immigration, not just its consequences. The first step is to begin working with the Mexican and Latin American governments to generate economic growth, improve the standard of living and promote ownership in those countries. (this one sounds like forking over alot of money to corrupt officials)Western governors call on Congress -- Republican and Democrat -- to not delay and come together to enact immigration reform that will restore our respect for the rule of law and our rich immigrant heritage while preparing our economy and work force for a changing world
As it is, hat in hand, they have to go to our illustrious Senators to try to get some rational attention to the problem. Western governors have to beg Senators from frickin' Massachusetts, where illegal immigration is an elite intellectual excercise, to have some sense about the issue.
And guess what? Republican Senators are most interested in CYA before elections, while Democrats spin happily in order to increase their changed of regaining control of Congress.
It's true. It's all about them.
Click to the Coalition Blog for the latest on immigration reform news. Brian's got an interesting article about how ICE can't do anything and RightTruth describes how the lack of immigration control has affected Tennessee, the volunteer state. And there's this very instructive article by James Foley, in which he thanks God for obstructionist Democrats (!)
**This was a production of The Coalition Against Illegal Immigration (CAII). If you would like to participate, please go to the above link to learn more. Afterwards, email the coalition and let Brian know at what level you would like to participate**
tag: Coalition Against Illegal Immigration (CAII)
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