US politicians unclear about future of immigration laws
0 
The murder of six people including a federal judge in Tucson, Arizona on Jan. 8, coupled with the shooting of a U.S. congresswoman at the same gathering, has made unclear the future of immigration laws in the United States.
Although preliminary investigations of Jared Loughner, the alleged gunman now in custody, have so far indicated that his motive for the shooting is linked with mental derangement, it is also a fact that Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, the shot U.S. congresswoman, represents a district that lies in the southeastern region of Arizona that borders Mexico.
Giffords, who is recovering from being shot in the brain at Tucson's University Medical Center, "is, for a Democrat, pretty hawkish (i.e., conservative) on immigration," said Mark Krikorian, Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.
Regarding immigration, Giffords is a supporter of an increase in the number of security officers stationed along the Arizona- Mexico border. Yet she does not support many parts of Arizona's strict immigration law known as SB (for Senate Bill) 1070.
The law, or variations of it, are now being considered in a number of states including here in Florida. U.S. Congressman Tom Rooney, a Republican who represents eight counties, noted that " until the federal government acts to secure the (U.S.-Mexico) border and enact real immigration reform, I fully support the rights of states, including Florida, to take action to protect their borders and enforce the laws of the land."
That viewpoint -- that the federal government has not been proactive in regards to immigration -- was echoes by Martine Apodaca, Communications Director for the National Immigration Forum.
"Because the federal government hasn't taken firm action and leadership about immigration, there hasn't been much being done. As a result, you have states trying all different sorts of things, " commented Apodaca. He then presented some examples of his theory.
"In Pennsylvania, there's a Republican representative named Darren Metcalfe who has taken an interest in the issue and is pushing for an Arizona-like immigration law there."
"In the city of Fremont, in Nebraska, provisions have been passed that prevented any illegal immigrants from renting an apartment, the theory being that if illegal immigrants can't find any apartments to rent, or any other type of housing, that they will leave town."
This week, Florida Governor Rick Scott, a Republican who was elected to the job last November and who campaigned to bring an SB1070-like law to the state, was surprised to learn that the chief sponsor of the bill, State Senator Mike Bennett, may not even bring up the bill for debate in the Florida legislature.
While Bennett agrees that some sort of stricter immigration law must be passed in Florida, he has told reporters that he objects to a section of SB1070 that could conceivably lead to either ethnic or racial profiling.
Congressman Rooney has stronger views on the matter.
"Immigration fundamentally is a national security issue. An immigration bill at the federal or state level must secure our borders, uphold the law, and reward those who follow the rules. If Florida's state legislature can pass a law that will do that, I think that it will be successful," said Rooney.
Alessandra Soler Meetze, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Arizona, said: "I don't think that her (Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, who lobbied eagerly for the passing of SB1070) positions on immigration have changed due to the Tucson shootings (or the massive attention given to the state by the national media when SB1070 went into effect on April 23, 2010)."
Meetze said that "the polarization (by Arizona Democrat and Republican lawmakers) on immigration is still there, but we (the ACLU of Arizona) are hoping that the state's priorities have changed. There's a major fiscal crisis here and the state Speaker of the House, Kirk Adams, has said that he wants to focus on creating more jobs."
What is somewhat unusual about the topic of immigration, both in Florida and also the United States, is that since 2007, the illegal immigrant population has decreased. In Florida it has dropped by 25 percent, and nationally by 8 percent.
However, the number of illegal immigrants now in the United States in 2011 has tripled since 1990. This has led to more Internet websites, media, and press attention to the topic.
Local and national discussion on immigration has brought to the surface of the issue somewhat surprising opinions and actions by politicians. While Republicans are often believed to be quite conservative and stringent on immigration, those adjectives do not apply to all Republicans.
Case in point: Fl. U.S. Congressman Connie Mack IV, a Republican from Fort Myers, who issued the following statement on April 29, 2010 not long after SB1070 went into effect:
"...the new Arizona law strikes a severe blow to freedom and the principles that make our nation strong ... It shouldn't be against the law to not have proof of citizenship on you ..."
The mention of Mack reminded Apodaca that "what is interesting is the conspicuous silence of many nationally respected Republicans who live in Florida, like (former Governors) Jeb Bush, Charlie Crist, and (U.S. Congressman) Mack who could be real constructive leaders on immigration."
Go to Forum >>0 Comments