Re: “Is immigration lawsuit a joke?” July 8 editorial.
The partial injunction of Arizona’s new immigration law provides an important opportunity for our state and nation to pause and reflect on the direction we are heading with regards to immigration policy. On the constitutional front, the injunction sends a strong reminder that immigration is the federal responsibility of Congress and the Executive Branch, and that laws requiring state and local immigration enforcement run the risk of violating the civil liberties of all Americans.
In the July 8th Editorial, “Is Immigration Lawsuit a Joke?” the Denver Post raises two additional public policy points that complement the legal arguments of the Arizona injunction. First, the public safety consequences of turning local and state police into federal immigration cops, which drives “a wedge between police and immigrant communities.” Second, the necessity of federal comprehensive immigration reform as a solution to the broken system, over patchwork state and local laws such as Arizona.
With the first point, community policing is a strategy that relies on collaborative partnerships and relations to increase trust in police and ensure that victims, witnesses, and communities cooperate with police. This is the only strategy that works in immigrant and refugee communities. Not only are immigrants our newest neighbors, they are often targeted for robbery, fraud, and exploitation. As the Post correctly states, victims are less likely to report crimes or serve as witnesses if they fear being deported, making everyone less safe.
In Colorado, Governor Ritter is currently considering another local immigration enforcement policy, Secure Communities, and the Denver City Council is considering an expansion of E-Verify for city construction contracts. While seeming to be harmless databases, these programs are in fact so broad in their mandate that they perpetuate the same climate of fear and misunderstanding as the Arizona law—and could leave the door open for similar legal challenges. On the heels of the federal injunction, Colorado should reconsider the wisdom of ‘Arizona Light’ policies that mandate local and state enforcement of federal immigration law.
Bipartisan federal immigration reform—as outlined by Senators Schumer and Graham and supported by President Obama—would create pathways for qualified immigrants who are here to contribute to society, to do so legally, and not in fear of deportation. This legal option currently doesn’t exist, and it needs to be there if we ever want to realistically solve the issue. Through such a reform, precious enforcement resources could then be focused on real threats to our society, and not on workers, students and families.
National polls show that a majority of Americans support both the enforcement-only Arizona law, as well as, the broader bipartisan comprehensive reform proposal in which illegal immigrants that register with the government, work or study, pay taxes, pay a fine, and learn English, can obtain legal status!
This irony in polling makes one thing clear: Americans are frustrated and want action and solutions, not the status quo. The Post accurately describes the dangerous and unrealistic shortcomings of the local enforcement-only approach.
The Arizona injunction should slow the momentum of patchwork laws and agreements that create fear in immigrant communities, risk violating the civil liberties of legal permanent residents and citizens, and do little to fix the broken and outdated immigration system.
Comprehensive federal reform is the only workable solution that will uphold our constitutional values, strengthen our economy, and promote public safety. The alternative is the chaos of local laws and waste of taxpayer dollars bogged down in court challenges. The time is now for Congress to put politics and elections aside and get to work on the type of real reform all of America demands.”
Julien Ross is the executive director of the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, a statewide coalition of 67 organizations founded in 2002, to build a unified statewide voice to improve the lives of immigrants and refugees in Colorado. ). EDITOR’S NOTE: This is an online-only column and has not been edited.
