Immigration Ground Zero

Washington Post ^ | December 26, 2007 | Editorial

[3AngelaD]

THE NEW ground zero in the debate over illegal immigration is Arizona, where the nation's toughest...crackdown on undocumented workers and their employers is scheduled to take effect Jan. 1. The Arizona law, passed by the state legislature after Congress failed to enact immigration reform last summer, penalizes companies that knowingly hire illegal immigrants by suspending their business licenses for up to 10 days; on a second offense, the business license would be revoked -- what Gov. Janet Napolitano (D) has called a corporate "death penalty." Thus the Arizona law may become a test case for how much pain a state is willing to endure, and inflict, in the name of ridding itself of a population that contributes enormously to its economic growth and prosperity....

That explains why so many business owners were livid in June when the U.S. Senate killed legislation to provide an eventual path to citizenship for the 12 million illegal immigrants already living in America...

The Arizona law...was enacted and is taking effect in an atmosphere of extreme emotion, ugly diatribes in the blogosphere and occasional street scuffles -- the sort of environment that defeats rational discourse....

...a situation tailor-made to enable racial profiling and false...Already...hundreds of illegal immigrants pulling their children out of school and seeking work elsewhere.

There is little clarity about the law itself, which is being challenged in court by major business associations, Hispanic groups and the American Civil Liberties Union...

...the price the law will exact is likely to be severe -- to the state's economy, to thousands of immigrant families and, very likely, to the civil rights of legal residents..Those costs may cause Arizonans to question the prudence of their state lawmakers and highlight the folly of Washington's failure to come to grips with illegal immigration.

[3AngelaD]

Again, the Wash Post wants us to believe that the entire problem we have is a FAILURE TO GRANT AMNESTY to millions of illegal aliens, and that the states are wrong, wrong, wrong to attempt to do anything about enforcing our immigration laws. And, again, the Wash Post takes to task any legislature or elected official seeking to enforce the law.

[KTM rider]

resistance is futile, America

prepare to be assimilated

[gubamyster]

ping

[grjr21]

without also recognizing the plain reality of America's need for immigrant labor.

 

I guess I'm just dumb then cause I don't see how we  NEED  immigrant  labor 

[maxter]

And I believe Oklahoma’s employer related legislation takes effect July 1st.

[cripplecreek]

Funny how that works isn’t it? We’ve got illegals here in Michigan despite our high unemployment rate.

[frogjerk]

Reasonable suspicions exist that many companies will continue hiring and paying illegal workers off the books to evade the law's sanctions, which may give rise to a sizable underground economy and encourage exploitation of vulnerable workers.

You mean what will happen is what is already happening now? OH NO!!! -sarc

[the_devils_advocate_666]

I guess I'm just dumb then cause I don't see how we NEED immigrant labor

I have no problem with immigrant labor, it is the illegal immigrant labor that is the issue.

[Scythian]

I guess the states around AZ are about to get a bunch of new visitors?

[EDINVA]

“without also recognizing the plain reality of America’s need for immigrant labor.

“I guess I’m just dumb then cause I don’t see how we NEED immigrant labor “

left out is that magical word ILLEGAL.

[donna]

Arizona news stories:

Group Suing Farm Labor Contractor for Hiring Foreigners
http://www.ktar.com/index.php?nid=6&sid=682574

Pruitt’s Owner Loses Appeal
http://www.ktar.com/?nid=6&sid=684710

Minutemen Want Border Fence Completed
http://www.ktar.com/?nid=6&sid=684642

Border Patrol Seizes Pot Worth More than $1 M
http://www.ktar.com/index.php?nid=6&sid=683817

[rbosque]

The feds should triple the fines for businesses and should stop rewarding illegals who give birth here citizenship to their kids.

[donna]

Hey Washington Post: This is not good for our quality of life. Can we slow down PLEASE!

MARCH 22, 2007

Maricopa County, Ariz., gained 696,000 residents between 2000 and 2006, the largest numerical increase of the nation’s 3,141 counties, according to estimates released today by the U.S. Census Bureau.

This increase surpasses the total population of all but 15 U.S. cities. Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, has 3.8 million residents, making it the nation’s fourth largest county.

[grjr21]

it is the illegal immigrant labor that is the issue

I don't have a problem with immigrants  my own mother is a naturalized citizen.But the U.S. should be self supporting .There are no jobs the we won't do  .There may be some that we won't do for what employers would like to pay but heck that is the way capitalism works you've got to take the good with the bad

[Vigilanteman]

But the price the law will exact is likely to be severe -- to the state's economy, to thousands of immigrant families and, very likely, to the civil rights of legal Hispanic residents who will come under unwarranted suspicion.

What a conundrum of horse crap! Legal Hispanic residents have legal working documents which all citizens and legal residents, Hispanic and otherwise, are required to provide when starting a job, opening a bank account, applying for a driver's license and in general doing what legal immigrants and citizen normally do.

[Redbob]

"......Already...hundreds of illegal immigrants pulling their children out of school and seeking work elsewhere."

Sounds like self-deportation CAN work!

[the_devils_advocate_666]

Well why take a low paying and difficult job when you can sit on your a$$ and collect welfare?

[grjr21]

Thats so true

[USMCVet]

Given the drumbeat in pro-illegal immigration rhetoric on its editorial page, I'm amazed the Post just doesn't come out in Spanish once and for all.

Their credibility never has been very high - and keeps going lower as they pick positions that correspond to Comrade Marx but are consistently opposite their readership.

[3AngelaD]

The Post bought and continues to publish the local Spanish newspaper, which is an amazing read for anyone who reads Spanish. It is anti-American, anti-white people, carries ads for business who claim not to ask for your “papers,” and has an editorial slant that, for instance, defends Hugo Chavez and advocates open borders, telling people how to skirt the law.