Sanctuary cities and Arizona
Among the limited powers of the federal government are matters of immigration and border security. However, the government seems unable to carry out these constitutional responsibilities, seemingly incapable of doing what the Constitution mandates.
The federal government has ignored illegal aliens for decades, President’s Hoover, Truman and Eisenhower the only presidents who seriously tried to solve the problem, Hoover during the depression, Truman following World War II and Eisenhower following the Korean War.
Since then, illegal aliens have poured across our southern border, essentially unabated. And as their numbers rose, “sanctuary” cities passed ordinances banning use of municipal funds to support federal immigration laws, in essence aiding and abetting illegal aliens.
They did this despite federal laws stating that “concealing, harboring, or sheltering illegal aliens” is a felony and also in defiance of the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, which states that cities could not ban municipal employees from reporting workers immigration status to federal authorities.
Like these sanctuary cities that responded to the government’s negligence, Arizona also decided to take action. But unlike the sanctuary cities that disregard federal law, Arizona decided to pass state laws supporting federal immigration laws.
Although having no comments about sanctuary cities, the President did have comments about Arizona, saying it threatens to “undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans.” What does the President think is unfair about securing our borders? What does he think is unfair about arresting and deporting people here illegally? Does the President think the Arizona rancher murdered on his own land did not have a right to the fairness the he so freely claims for illegal aliens? Did the President offer the same support to this American family that he offers illegal aliens?
So, what does the government do about the sanctuary cities ignoring federal immigration laws while Arizona supports them? It sues Arizona, letting the sanctuary cities continue to do whatever they choose. Attorney General Eric Holder claims Arizona is interfering with federal immigration responsibilities, saying Arizona’s law “will (negatively) impact the entire country’s safety.” How is a secure southern border a threat to our safety?
The suit further claims Arizona is interfering with “the numerous interests the federal government must balance” and is “supplanting the federal government’s immigration regime with its own state-specific immigration policy.” Is it possible for Arizona to interfere with and supplant a regime and policy that is essentially non-existent?
Maybe the Attorney General meant to say that since the federal government’s policy is to ignore our southern border and to ignore the illegal aliens in the country, Arizona’s attempt to enforce federal law really is interfering with federal policy. Why does the government have unlimited resources to sue Arizona but does not have the resources needed to secure our southern border and deport illegal aliens?
Why would our government ignore its constitutional responsibility? Why would it allow up to 20 million people to live here illegally? Why would it continually promise to secure our borders with no intent to do so? Why would it sue a state trying to secure our southern border while ignoring cities that flaunt federal laws and harbor illegal aliens?
Could our elected officials have less interest in the Constitution and more interest in the potential votes of 20 million illegal aliens? Are these 20 million potential voters an incentive for negligence? Could our Washington political aristocracy be more interested in themselves and their political parties than in our country?
Does the federal government have an unofficial, unconstitutional policy of ignoring illegal aliens, of not securing our borders, of courting 20 million votes at the expense of its own citizens? If not, why the inaction?
Why not just follow the Constitution, secure our borders and deport those who are here illegally. This would remove the incentives for Arizona to enforce federal law and the incentives for sanctuary cities to flaunt federal law. Just a thought.
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One Response to “Sanctuary cities and Arizona”
Dale Charles says:
July 12, 2010 at 7:48 AM
Hi Craig – your Arizona article today is right on the money!!! Keep up the good work!