Illegal Immigration: The Crime That Is Not A Crime
Wednesday, April 22, 2009 at 04:08PM
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has just joined a long list of participants in the national political reality series called the illegal immigration game.
However, this reality series cannot be seen on television. It is a dubious game of selective law enforcement that both political parties in the United States have played for political advantage for the last few decades.
Appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union” last Sunday, Napolitano spoke about illegal immigration. It quickly became obvious that the person responsible for the Homeland Security of the United States either is ignorant of current immigration law or has chosen to rewrite its meaning in her own mind.
Here is what the Homeland Secretary said to Larry King on CNN: "What we have to do is target the real evil-doers in this business, the employers who consistently hire illegal labor, the human traffickers who are exploiting human misery. And yes, when we find illegal workers, yes, appropriate action, some of which is criminal, most of that is civil, because crossing the border is not a crime per se."
So, border crossing is not a crime? The United States of America now provides open borders for everyone to enter? Who knew. Exactly what day did the immigration law of this country change? Of course crossing the border illegally is still on the books as a crime. The law states that it is a misdemeanor for the first offense which becomes a felony for the second and subsequent offenses.
However, its become very clear that the enforcement of current immigration law will not be a high priority in this administration. As a result, this will be the third consecutive administration that has not acted to properly enforce immigration law. Indeed, in a world of pandering politicians looking for power and future votes, illegal immigration is a crime that is not really a crime.
Already, Janet Napolitano has taken action to halt all workplace enforcement raids. Her intent is to only hold employers accountable for the hiring of (in her words) illegal but non criminal workers. She ordered a complete review of the last enforcement raid in March by the U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement that since has completely stopped the process.
Still, a review of that raid would show how absurd her new illegal immigration law enforcement policy really is. The raid resulted in the arrest of twenty eight men. Twenty five were Mexican nationals and there was one person each from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala.
The raid was done with the cooperation of the hiring company since the firm does support hiring illegal immigrants. The company was really a victim in the process since many of the illegal immigrants were hired for their jobs through the use of fake Social Security numbers and other counterfeit documents. Unless something has changed, identity theft like illegally crossing the border is still a crime. Therefore the criminals were the illegal immigrants not the employer. A review of this raid should have led to more workplace raids not less.
Of course, having as many illegal immigrants as possible in this country is fine with the Democratic party since they will soon be counted in the 2010 census. That once in a decade headcount could well shift Congressional seats, federal money and political power to the benefit of the party next year.
Perhaps, Pastor Robin Hoover of Humane Borders may have put it best many years ago when he said about U.S. immigration policy : "Our nation virtually puts two signs on its borders: "'Help Wanted: Inquire Within' and 'Do Not Trespass.'"
The politics of illegal immigration has not changed very much over the last few decades. The political expediency of the issue is something that career politicians hold dear. Its just more of the same as illegal immigration, the crime that is not a crime according to the Homeland Security Secretary compromises our national security for yet another year.
Reader Comments (1)
Those risking life and limb to enter the US and give their families a better lives should be punished. Never mind those who underpay them and keep them from going through the official immigration system; let's mount machine guns on guard towers at the border so we can mow down these vermin! U S A HU-AH!