Monday, January 23, 2006

Our Opinion: Immigration is not an issue for the states

Tucson Citizen

On the issue of illegal immigration, there can be no disagreement on one statement: The federal government is failing to control this nation's borders, and something must be done.

Nonetheless, we are conflicted by proposals in several states - including in Arizona - to give states a much larger role in preventing illegal immigration.

We are especially troubled by proposals from Gov. Janet Napolitano to spend $100 million of Arizonans' money on border-related enforcement. And we don't like her plea to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to pay Arizona to station National Guardsmen along the border.

More border coverage:

Napolitano has consistently maintained that immigration and border enforcement are strictly federal responsibilities. She reiterated that point two weeks ago in her State of the State speech.

But she then said that until and unless the federal government acts, the state should step in "because the situation demands it and our citizens deserve it."

Other states feel the same way. Last year, states considered nearly 300 immigration-related bills and passed 36 of them, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

This is an obvious problem. This nation should have one federal immigration policy, not 50 different policies and packages of laws promulgated by the individual states.

The federal government has been hiring Border Patrol agents and deploying them at a breakneck pace. Technology is being increasingly used along the border to detect illegal incursions.

Napolitano says that is not happening quickly enough. We agree. We do not, however, agree with her proposed solution: to seek federal money for more National Guardsmen on the border.

There now are 174 National Guardsmen on the Arizona-Mexico border, assisting the Border Patrol and other officers. The additional troops would not arrest suspected illegal immigrants but would patrol back roads and report on suspicious people, under Napolitano's plan.

Moves to increase military presence on the border are disturbing. This is law enforcement work that should be performed by properly trained law enforcement officers.

We also are worried about state moves to require that employers prove that workers they hire are in the country legally. There already are federal laws covering this - laws that are not adequately enforced. Layering on additional state laws is not the answer. And state money should be spent on state issues, not on what is clearly a federal matter.

Napolitano said "tough and realistic immigration reform, including a guest worker program, must be enacted this year." We agree. Pushing for such federal legislation should be the state's priority - not further muddying the waters with a hodgepodge of state laws.