Irondale Acts: Making Sense of Immigration

Immigration has been in the national news a lot in recent weeks. President Obama recently made a speech calling for immigration reform while offering few specifics, and the Justice Department run by Eric Holder announced its intention to challenge the constitutionality of the Arizona immigration law which made national headlines throughout the spring. On national news programs, those who oppose immigration 'reform' are cast as nativists, racists, and jingoists, referring to the early 1900s. This week, Irondale, a Birmingham suburb, waded into the issue when the city council there passed 4-2 a resolution allowing officers to look into the immigration status of individuals who are stopped by the police or are under investigation. All of these situations, taken together, pose questions on immigration and state's rights.

There is a very simple question: can conservatives oppose illegal immigration without being racists, nativists, or 'uncivilized' in the face of our changing world? My answer is a resounding yes, and it is time to separate the emotion from this issue and look at both difficult moral questions and questions of national security. Those who listen to many so-called 'Republicans' who support immigration reform will lament that the party has been hijacked by angry racists, and it is true, there are people in the world who have backward views on race and class. That does not mean that all (or even most) people who oppose immigration reform are doing so out of racism.

Considering the immigration bills recently debated in Washington, there have been plenty of concerns. Several years ago when the Senate became embroiled in a bitter debate over immigration, there were questions over whether an amnesty proposal would actually work. The Senate bill at the time was projected to stop at most 13% of illegal crossings over the border while providing amnesty for those already here. Thus, there was little guarantee that the Senate plan would actually address the border-crossing crisis and prevent the need for another amnesty in 10 to 20 years. That was the case after the 1986 amnesty which ultimately failed to solve the border problem.

Let's face it, the border in our country is a major problem. It is a human rights issue because Hispanic laborers seeking a better life in the US risk their lives attempting to cross through miles of hot desert or in the backs of trucks. At the very least, American and Mexican officials should have a shared interest in shutting down this risky, dangerous, and illegal form of human movement. Additionally, it is a security issue in a number of ways. The border is a major passage point for drugs and other unsavory sorts of criminal activities, and this should be shut down. Finally, it's also a highly dangerous national security issue. If al qaeda and those who wish to do Americans harm see a weakness in this country, it's naive to believe they won't try to exploit that weakness. It is past time for America's leaders to devote significant resources to protecting Americans at home instead of just fighting them overseas.

Finally, there are other aspects of recent immigration 'reforms' which should cause concern, beginning with the idea of the 'guest worker program.' The term sounds benign, but it has some significant potential consequences worth considering. Most of us could not begin to count the times we have been called a 'nation of immigrants' in recent years, and that is very much true. Most Americans have arrived from other nations and brought skills, cultures, and dreams to the United States. However, those who came to America often sought citizenship. They came with their families and over the course of decades became permanently integrated into American society and culture. They voted in elections, ran for office, founded corporations, attended churches, and invigorated American civil society in dynamic ways. Under a 'guest worker program,' though, America's new immigrants would be temporary workers whose families would stay at home. They would work in the most menial jobs to send money home and then leave in several years. In essence, many Americans would support an 'imported underclass' to perform the jobs they do not want to do themselves. Perhaps this is simply an adaptation to changing circumstances, but it is worth of significant debate. Should America be comfortable with temporary workers, and could these workers exist without the sorts of unrest we find in European countries like France?

For a variety of reasons, the federal government has failed to solve the immigration policy, and now states have gotten desperate enough to try their own hand. Back when I was in grade school, I learned that the role of the president is to enforce the law. For President Obama, he is not enforcing the law, and he is actually attempting to prevent others from enforcing the law. He is shirking the law. Perhaps the Irondale resolution is not the perfect step, but it is a step toward enforcement of the law. The next step is to send lawmakers to Washington this November who will get this issue resolved and allow America to remain a nation of immigrants while also protecting those who are here and the dreams of those who wish to come here.