HOMELAND DEFENSE PETITION

American Patrol.com ^

[Minutemen]

Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus

Working Toward Sound Immigration Policies for America

Chairman Tom Tancredo (R-CO)

[Minutemen]

Freepers: Please check out Republican Tom Tancredos' page and please sign the "Homeland Defense Petition."
Thank you.

[inquest]

The only sound immigration policy is to allow states to set their own immigration policies - ones that would actually punish violators, not just "restrain" them from entering.

[Minutemen]

"The only sound immigration policy is to allow states to set their own immigration policies - ones that would actually punish violators, not just "restrain" them from entering."
You are dead wrong. Immigration is a federal issue. Punishment should be deportation. Our country does not need nor can we afford to house these violators in jails, hospitals etc. It is lack of backbone to enforce existing federal law that has gotten us into the mess we are in today. Can you imagine allowing 50 states to draft and enforce 50 different immigration policies?? What about the states that may prefer not to enact immigration statutes at all ?? (Califofnia for example!! )

[inquest]

Immigration is a federal issue.

Perhaps you can point to the part of the Constitution that establishes that.

[Minutemen]

I dont see anything in the Constitution that says each state shall govern immigration. P.S... we dont have (or need) 50 different armies, we have the US ARMY. Lets put them to work.

[inquest]

I refer you to the tenth article of amendment thereto: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

And there's no need for an army to enforce any other types of laws, and immigration law is no different.

[Minutemen]

How about "Providing for the common defense"? (Preamble to the....)
That is what Feds should be doing. State immigration Department ?
What next- internal passports to travel between states and cities??

[inquest]

The preamble doesn't provide any actual powers; it only gives the reasons why the Constitution is being enacted. And the states are prohibited from discriminating against citizens from other states, but the Constitution says nothing about how they treat non-U.S. citizens.

[Minutemen]

I respect your opinions. I do not necessarily equate all that is "Federal" as being bad. I do not believe that "States"
are always far more qualified and efficient for a task just because they are "States". Our state governments are just as corrupt and bloated as the Federal government has been perceived in the recent past. One Nation- One Immigration policy- One enforcer.

[inquest]

Thanks. It's true that state governments can be quite corrupt, but they're also more likely to be responsive to their constituents, since they're smaller and more accessible. Sometimes, it's better to let each house manage its own act, so to speak, than to try to impose universal solutions. I think individual states will be more motivated to keep immigrants out than the feds will.

Also, in regards to something you said earlier, I don't think that arresting illegal immigrants would overflow the prisons as much as it may seem. The reason there are so many illegals is that there's nothing to deter them. If they're caught trying to cross the border, the worst that will happen to them is that they'll be sent back to try again, until they get in. Introduce a deterrence factor, and I'm pretty sure we'll cut down on the numbers. I urge you to at least consider the idea.