Editorial: A reform catalyst
By Editorial Board August 30, 2011 at 8:18 pm 
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Immigration just got personal for President Barack Obama. Earlier this week, his 67-year-old uncle was arrested for drunk driving and found to be in the country illegally. Onyango Obama reportedly asked to make a call to the White House after police detained him.
With this recent development, Obama is caught in a pickle — does he deport his uncle or does he let him walk free? Either way, this could be the catalyst that sparks a legitimate discussion of comprehensive immigration reform.
Politically this is a tough issue for the president, and it is further complicated by the fact that a family member is an illegal immigrant. Obama can take a hard line on immigration and try to attract independent voters and moderate Republicans or he can push for a pathway to citizenship, what some deride as “amnesty,” and win the Hispanic vote.
Either way, this and another state’s tough immigration law took the spotlight off Arizona. With the passage of Senate Bill 1070 last year, our state pushed immigration to the forefront of the national conversation. Advocates said it simply enforced existing federal laws while critics said the law encouraged racial profiling.
This spring we made headlines because of a movement led by Senate President Russell Pearce to get rid of birthright citizenship. Now the hysteria has moved on to other corners of the country: first Alabama, now Washington D.C.
The new Alabama law penalizes people who knowingly give illegal immigrants a job, place to live or a ride, and also requires schoolteachers to report the immigration status of their students.
This is on top of provisions that are similar to SB 1070, including the ability for police to check the driver’s immigration status if they pull them over if they have reason to believe the person to be an immigrant.
Immigration is no longer just an issue limited to a few states. Similar SB 1070-like laws passed in Indiana as well as Georgia. When states in the Midwest and Deep South are targeting immigrants, the battle has moved beyond the Arizona-Mexico border.
Though our immigration problem might not be as crippling as Europe’s, the issue clearly needs solving, and it must be solved in a rational, humane way.
What should be remembered when dealing with this is that, as the president’s uncle’s arrest showed, illegal immigration has a human side to it — it isn’t just about deporting everyone that is here illegally.
In fact, immigrating to the country is not even a misdemeanor, let alone a felony. It is a civil offense and offenders are fined a small amount of money. If this is considered such a minor offense, why not establish a guest worker program and encourage more people to apply for student and work visas?
Whatever the outcome is, immigration is the next battle looming on the horizon. The fight will probably be uglier and nastier than the yearlong battle over health care this nation endured.
This is not just a question of what policy is better; it is a fight that will define our nation’s values, and, unfortunately, illegal immigrants have reason to be very apprehensive.
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Categories: Editorial Newsletter Opinion
Tags: Alabama Barack Obama Illegal Immigration immigration reform Onyango Obama SB 1070
It’s time to expose hard -core leftist Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, who has taken it upon herself in contracting with foreign countries to pamper illegal aliens. This is outrageous and unconstitutional in signing some formal alliance with diplomats from a group of Latin American nations. Her intent to shelter of what Solis described as the labor rights, for both legal and illegal migrants working unlawfully in America. First President Obama signs into law an unauthorized fiat to preselect only heinous criminal aliens, but other illegal aliens are to be set free, with the possibility of a working visa. Then we have Solis, who interprets as the labor rights for both legal and illegal immigrants working in the U.S. Both Obama and Solis have ignored the US Constitution our “Rule of Law” and gone over the heads of Congress. In a signing ceremony between the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, and El Salvador and adjoining with Mexico, Nicaragua and Guatemala, who had signed this agreement in the past?
\This newly revised agreement that U.S. Labor Secretary signed with Latin American nations is supposedly aimed at protecting both legal and illegal workers in this country, by educating employers and workers alike about health, safety, and wage laws. This women needs to get her head on straight, because she is scheming with the open border nuts, and foreign countries contravening against real American workers. Is this why Eric Holder, the Department of IN-Justice tearing at the financial throats of Arizona, Alabama and Georgia to attempt in lowering their defenses, creating pressure on struggling States. Its apparent intent to make other states think twice before employing their own policing laws, in saving these states from insolvency? Pay attention to the fact, if you came to America legally of any religious denomination–if you are Black, White, Hispanic or any other race and undertook the documentation to join our culture; have always been welcome.
This President and his officials are a humiliating every working American of all occupational levels. Solis promotes illegal immigration, which once the signal goes out will draw into America more foreigners, which taxpayers will be burdened with? We need a president who cares for the American people, the 14 million citizens and residents, with the majority still looking for work. The Labor Department on its website says the (INA.) The Immigration & Nationality Act only protects “U.S. citizens and aliens authorized to accept employment in the U.S. from discrimination in hiring or discharge.” Solis seems to have amended INA policy on her own, saying at the signing ceremony Solis stated:
“No matter how you got here or how long you plan to stay, you have certain rights,” Solis said. “You have the right to be safe and in a healthy workplace and the right to a legal wage. We gather here today to strengthen our shared commitment to protect the labor rights of migrant workers in the United States. Unfortunately, due to language barriers and immigration status, migrant workers can be those that are most vulnerable abused.”
Illegal Immigration is a spreading contagion, that must be diminished and eventually end as a trickle. In today’s NumbersUSA, Eurofresh Inc., the nation’s largest grower of greenhouse tomatoes, last week pleaded guilty to knowingly hiring illegal aliens and was fined $600,000. The Arizona-based company will remain on probation for five years. $ 600.000 is a worthy fine for stealing jobs from Americans, but somebody should go to prison. AS I HAVE CONTINUALLY REPEATED, WHY ISN’T ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION A FELONY AS IN OTHER COUNTRIES? THAT WAY WE COULD CONSTRUCT A JAIL SYSTEM LIKE MARICOPA COUNTY SHERIFFS JOE ARPAIO TENT CITY IN ARIZONA?
All illegal aliens should be removed from regular jails and prisons and placed in Arizona’s notorious Joseph M. Arpaio canvas city prison and it would change anybody’s mind in illegally coming here. Joe’s tent city is an equally opportunity criminal incarceration compound, with high wire fences and attired with razor wire. Hundreds of thousands in jail for Drunken driving killers, child and female attacks, homicides and you name it; Let the Sheriff’s Joe’s cuisine, for ten years and temperatures reaching 110 degrees under canvas. Millions of illegal aliens from across the borders and tourist over-stay’s, would only be too happy to go home, after living on the daily sustenance of Boloney sandwiches. Arpaio makes the inmates wear pink underwear and the usual critics have complained that it’s a cruel and unusual punishment, though no one can find a law against it. American society should build more of these tent cities for illegal immigrant invaders, in desert areas and make it uncomfortable to stay here. Then make Joe Arpaio as warden to enforce our laws.
Taking money from taxpayers to support foreigners is downright treasonous and must stop. Giving out $113 Billion a year in entitlements to foreign nationals to pacify the open borders set and the Leftist extremist minority is a disgusting situation must end. That’s why millions of Americans tormented by this financial, moral and legal evidence is joining the conservative TEA PARTY. Under scrutiny are the executive directives Of Eric Holder, so is there another move of Obama’s Liberal soldiers to covertly pass another damaging amnesty as in 1986, the TEA PARTY will be ready to scream “impeachment.” The Tea Party is not growing by the hundreds, but millions and expected to vote into the political arena, even more moderate conservative leaders. Under the TEA PARTY agenda there will be no Amnesties, Sanctuary cities or States, no Dream Acts and no policies that rescind the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control bill. Learn more about the illegal aliens free give-aways, at “NumbersUSA.” Observe more in Democratic and Liberal press concealment of odious criminal cases across the United States at “American Patrol.” Then “Judicial Watch” website is a legally Conservative site that Promotes Integrity, Transparency and Accountability in Government, Politics and the Law, and exposes corruption in Washington. Learn whom can be trusted and who cannot in Congress at “Judicial Watch.” Just type in any browser Search engine any of these pro-sovereignty websites.