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Jewish World Review August 23, 2005 / 18 Av, 5765 The new politics of immigration By Rich Lowry
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
In 2003, Gov. Bill Richardson welcomed a bus caravan of
"undocumented workers" — i.e., illegal aliens — traveling through
his state on its way to Washington, D.C. He enthused: "Thank you for
coming to Santa Fe. Know that New Mexico is your home."
Turns out that they aren't so welcome after all. Last week
Richardson became the first of two border-state governors — Arizona
Democrat Janet Napolitano quickly joined him — to declare disaster
areas on the border, exactly because so many undocumented workers
are coming across it. When two savvy Democratic governors
spectacularly change their posture on immigration, it's a sign of a
significant political shift — perhaps, finally, public outrage over
the out-of-control border is making an impression on the political
establishment.
Richardson has been a conventional Democrat on immigration. He
signed a bill giving illegal immigrants living in New Mexico
in-state tuition at its public colleges. New Mexico is one of the
few states in the country that gives driver's licenses to illegals.
Napolitano has been similarly hostile to the enforcement of
immigration laws.
There is little sign yet that these newly border-conscious
Democrats will actually get tough on illegals. They appear to be
trying the Hillary Clinton tack on immigration, which is to sound
pro-enforcement while not doing much. Clinton declared at the end of
last year, "I am ... adamantly against illegal immigrants." But John
Fund of The Wall Street Journal notes that in a recent speech before
the Hispanic group La Raza, the only immigration measures she talked
about were in-state tuition for the children of illegals and amnesty
for illegal immigrants who graduate from high school in the U.S.
Richardson defends New Mexico's extended hand to illegals on
grounds that the state is "immigrant friendly" and has to be
"practical." What's impractical is the idea that immigration
enforcement can be a matter of simply better policing along the
2,000-mile border with Mexico. Interior enforcement has to be part
of the solution, including a crackdown on employers who hire
illegals and steps to signal to illegals that they aren't welcome
here. It is nonsensical to say, as Richardson and Napolitano are in
effect saying, "Gee, the border is too porous, but we're going to
give illegals the same privileges as citizens when they get here."
By rights, Democrats should be the most anti-illegal-immigration
of the two parties. The benefits of illegal immigration go
disproportionately to employers and people rich enough to hire
nannies, pool cleaners, etc. They get to hire low-paid workers with
very few rights. The costs fall on minorities and low-skill workers,
whose wages are undercut.
Richardson and Napolitano have taken a step toward giving
pro-enforcement immigration reformers the whip hand in the debate
over the border. In Congress, the debate is divided between those
advocating tougher laws and those who want an amnesty and a new
temporary-worker program. Even those favoring the latter approach
are now calling for a grand bargain including tougher laws. The
counteroffer from the pro-enforcement side should be that since
there is only a consensus that we need better laws, enforced more
thoroughly, that should be the starting point for any reform. Only
after serious enforcement has been tried — for the first time in
decades — should any amnesty or guest-worker program be considered.
The leader of the pro-enforcement forces should be President
Bush. After a brutal year defending an unpopular war and a less
popular Social Security initiative, favoring something the public
wants — an immigration crackdown — might be what he needs. Of
course, that would require Bush, who has been pushing for a
quasi-amnesty and a temporary-worker program, to change his tune.
But if Richardson and Napolitano can, why can't he?
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© 2005 King Features Syndicate |
Mitch Albom | |||||||||||
