Times Editorial : Kindness counts
Posted on Sunday, April 15, 2007
Is immigration reform the issue ?
By “ the issue, ” what we mean to ask is, “ Is
immigration reform the No. 1 issues facing cities and counties across Northwest Arkansas ? Obviously not. If you read the newspaper often enough, then you already know that localities generally keep themselves busy making sure traffic is flowing, utilities are working, law enforcement is getting the job done, the public library is open for public — all the usual suspects. Of course, it’s also true that media headlines these last several years have highlighted the growth of the area’s Hispanic population during the previous two decades. Besides the boom times Northwest Arkansas residents have experienced, this cultural shift is the top story taking place here — regardless of whether residents like it or not. Another good question to ask is, “ Where do local priorities end and where do federal obligations begin ? ” Much is made of the idea (nobody has exact figures ) that much of the region’s Hispanic influx are illegal immigrants, which seems to imply that something ought to be done about them. The federal government’s total failure to act decisively on immigration reform — arguably the most pressing domestic policy crisis facing the nation today — has left localities Northwest Arkansas feeling the crunch, and frustrated. From birth we’re told that different levels of government have different priorities. Most people would assume the task of dealing with illegal aliens falls to the federal government. Except the feds aren’t doing enough about it. Which has left folks across America (including here in Northwest Arkansas ) anxious to do something about it. And the facts aren’t helping the federal government’s case any. According to a recent analysis by The Associated Press, 98 percent of the illegal immigrants arrested between Oct. 1, 2000, and Sept. 30, 2005, were never prosecuted. Instead, a total of 5. 2 million aliens were escorted back to Mexico, free to try crossing illegally yet again. And probably quite successful at doing it. We needn’t tell you that a lot of people in our neck of the woods grew tired of reports like that one a long time ago. Increasingly, local officials have taken steps to deal with a massive headache deserving of a better federal response. Following are two recent examples: • On Tuesday, Benton County Justice of the Peace Burt Schindler introduced a resolution that would require suppliers of goods and services to the county to sign an affidavit stating that their employees are legal residents of the United States. In the end the resolution didn’t pass, as the county asked for more time to consider the matter. Afterwards, Schindler acted confident his proposal would ultimately pass. • That same day the Springdale City Council gave its support for Police Chief Kathy O’Kelley’s application to a federal program that gives local officers the authority to enforce immigration laws. Aldermen agreed they would pay to start the program, which won’t be cheap. Ironically, the Hispanic community praised the decision by Springdale leaders — though they came down heavily on a similar effort by Rogers authorities last fall. Probably that’s because Springdale’s efforts would be based out of the Washington County jail, checking the legal status of people who have already had a run-in with the law on other matters; Rogers’ idea was to have officers trained to actually enforce immigration laws while on patrol. No doubt local efforts to crack down on illegal immigration will prove popular with a lot of voters, and one can’t be too harsh on local leaders wanting to have an impact on an issue that clearly has local implications. Americans are desperate for immigration reform. They say a system that’s broken and unfair to those who immigrate legally. The problem is cities and counties have their hands full with providing traditional municipal services, and we’re pretty sick of the trend at the federal and state levels of letting local governments pick up the tab on issues they’re failing to deal with. It’s bad public policy for municipalities to adopt federal responsibilities. Lobby Congress. Vote for new representation if necessary. But don’t use the limited resources of municipal government for purposes cities ultimately can have little lasting effect on.
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