A half-dozen traffic accidents on icy Colorado roads this week peeled the lid – again – off one of this country’s secrets: Thousands of illegals are trafficked up and down our highways each day, and little is done about it.
A bill before the state legislature would make “the smuggling of humans” a felony, which is a useful step. But to truly tackle the growing problem, the country needs more than a law. It needs the will to enforce laws – new and existing.
More than 80 undocumented people were jammed into the trucks, likely headed to jobs as spring growing season begins. The accidents netted headlines and some dropped jaws at the statehouse, but it was practically business as usual for state troopers.
About 500 suspected illegal immigrants a week are rounded up by the state patrol. If they’re not eventually picked up by federal authorities – and they’re often not – they’re simply released.
And many Americans – business owners and the customers who benefit from the cheap labor – look the other way.
Most of the illegals will voluntarily return to their country with no penalty. If they’re formally deported, they risk a federal prison term if they’re caught re-entering. That is, if they’re caught and if their ID matches the one under which they were deported.
Sen. Peter Groff, D-Denver, has introduced a bill that would make it a felony to smuggle illegals. It’s a useful tool for punishing “coyotes,” as they’re called.
Under state law, the drivers now can only be cited for careless driving or some other misdemeanor statute, if applicable. Otherwise, they’re just turned over to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
Groff’s bill, however, won’t stop the hundreds of illegals trucked across Colorado each day. Really, there’s little state lawmakers can do. (However, Groff and Sen. Brandon Shaffer on Wednesday called for creating a special immigration unit within the Colorado State Patrol.)
Illegal immigration is a serious problem that needs to be fully addressed by the federal government.
About 12 million people are in this country illegally. They can’t all be rounded up and shipped out. Not only is it physically impossible, our economy depends on those workers.
Congress needs to find some way to normalize the status of those illegal workers, while beefing up security at the border. A guest-worker program that allows properly documented workers to easily cross the border might ease the problem.
Groff’s bill is something the state can do to help, but illegal immigration needs bigger fixes from Washington, sooner rather than later.
