Don't forget, Ms. Shorey, this is also about stopping voting fraud.
And, just because something may be hard or expensive, is that a reason to not do it?
Right, I didn't think so.
Get a clue.
Posted on 11/18/2004 9:28:18 AM PST by television is just wrong
Experts: Resources too scarce for Prop. 200 enforcement
More Updates
By ANANDA SHOREY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOENIX - Federal immigration officials don't have the resources to punish illegal immigrants who may be reported by government workers under a recently approved Arizona initiative aimed at cracking down on fraud, immigration experts say.
State and local government workers who don't report illegal immigrants who apply for some benefits and services could go to jail or face fines under Proposition 200, which voters passed Nov. 2. Federal officials won't be responsible for enforcing the state law, but they will have to deal with any increased reports.
Immigration officials are already too swamped dealing with smugglers, fugitives and potential terrorists to deal with illegal immigrants seeking benefits, said Angela Kelley, deputy director of the National Immigration Forum, an immigrant rights organization.
"It puts in jeopardy priorities that target criminal aliens and terrorists _ those who mean to do us harm," Kelley said. "It is completely a wrong-headed approach."
The enforcement priorities for Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents here include capturing and removing terrorists, migrant smugglers, criminal and fugitive illegal immigrants and protecting the national security infrastructure, said agency spokesman Russell Ahr.
Ahr wouldn't say how ICE will handle reports generated by Proposition 200. Ahr also declined to say how many agents work in Arizona _ the main gateway for illegal immigrants on the U.S.-Mexico border.
But he did say ICE has been dealing with a budget shortfall, which has led to scaled-back training, travel and vehicle maintenance, as well as a ban on hiring and transfers.
The agency is already too busy to handle reports it receives about undocumented immigrants in workplaces unless they involve high security facilities, said Tamar Jacoby, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank.
"We have 8 to 12 million illegal immigrants in the country," said Jacoby, who specializes in immigration. "There is no way that enforcement alone is going to solve the problem."
Under Proposition 200, government workers must refuse to accept state-issued identification cards, including drivers' licenses, to determine the eligibility for benefits unless the issuing agency has verified the applicant's immigration status.
They will have to provide written reports to federal immigration authorities on illegal immigrants who seek certain benefits. But the reports will likely join the thousands of tips immigration officials in Arizona
Don't forget, Ms. Shorey, this is also about stopping voting fraud.
And, just because something may be hard or expensive, is that a reason to not do it?
Right, I didn't think so.
Get a clue.
It's not hard to enforce this law. There are many standard as well as creative ways of doing it.
The easiest way is to cut off social services and arrest the employers and they will deport themselves!
Californians, get sign and get signatures on the Save Our License petition:
http://www.saveourlicense.com/
I'm tired of this "we can't do it" attitude from everybody. That includes Tom Ridge and Asa Hutchinson.
Had we taken that attitude following Pearl Harbor we would all be speaking Japanese now. There is nothing America can't do if we set our minds to it. (/rant)
Give government a way to cut and they figure out how to spend enough money figuring out how, to preclude saving a dime.
Since the city of Phoenix has said they will use taxpayer money to defend employees so sued, fine. They can be the first target. The PAN organization can sue the crap out of them and bleed them dry. Once they have parted with a few hundred million for non compliance with the law, they will have to change their ways.
MALDEF just sued, and won, $50 million from Abercrombie and Fitch for not hiring "blacks, hispanics, and asians". In addition, since this was a "civil rights" lawsuit, they can apply and recover millions in claimed legal fees (the guys who sued over Prop. 187 in California got $3 million). Now that our side has the law with us, we should play that game right back even harder. The Mexicans think they can sue us to take our country? Good Luck. The fight's only begun.
Did you hear what I heard on tv today. That if congress approves Bush's immigration bill, then he will allow more money to assist the borders.
True.
Did Angela think to mention when she was appointed the official spokesman for the Government Immigration Service?
What the hell is the National Immigration Forum? How many states does it have offices in?
So many questions... so few answers...
OK.
I am an expert, and this entire article is horsepuckey!
We can also go after the companies that employ and harbor these illegals with laws that are already on the books. We could clean this mess up in less that a year if we tried.
By doing so the border will pretty much take care of itself with minimum patrols because there is no incentive for the illegals to come here.
If you turn the porch light off after dark the bugs will go away. Right?
.
Someone should tell Tamar if Israel can enforce their border controls so can we. (Our money in both cases)
You're absolutely right. Illegal immigration costs California taxpayers billions of dollars EVERY YEAR, plus our hospitals are closing, our schools are loaded to the max, our towns are looking more and more like Mexico. We're not supposed to complain because they're President Bush's buddies.
"It's too hard" is not an acceptable response.
The adults are in charge now. Time to do your job.
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