Congress Passed an Arizona-Like Immigration Law in 1996

Reader Comments

Back to blog

Actually, with just a cursory inspection of 287(g) you can see that the act only authorizes the Feds to enter into partnerships with local law enforcement and authorizes those local agents to act if they've been specifically trained by ICE.

In this case, no such partnership was arranged and no such broad training of local law enforcement was done, so it doesn't really reflect on the challenge from the Administration.

Dan of CA 4:37PM April 04, 2012

What bothered me about the Arizona law was that it seemed to authorize indefinite detention without trial.

Arizona law enforcement would either be required to, or allowed to (it doesn't really matter which in this case) detain suspicious persons while their immigration status was being checked. But suppose the feds want to sabotage Arizona's efforts. Suppose the feds simply never get around to responding to Arizona's request for clarification of a suspect's immigration status. This is not a far-fetched scenario; the feds can simply claim to be overworked. Can the suspects then be detained (ie, kept under arrest) indefinitely?

Perhaps the law was poorly drafted. Perhaps I misread it. But indefinite detention of anyone without charge or trial seems like a poor idea.

tom swift of MA 1:15AM August 20, 2010

In general, you only push foward useless govspeak and rarely if ever tell the truth.

The current administration is only interested in perverting the Constitution, lining the pockets of a chosen few, and using illegal aliens as another form of voter fraud. The immigration law on the books 287g should be Strictly enforced - this is a situation of a select few misguided(being polite) idiots called congress, senate, president, etc. who want control and power at the detriment of the American citizen. They have no interest in the damage to State Governments and the expense their negligence causes. The influx is already spreading disease, contaminating large areas with the throw off and deficate of the illegals. Enough already - INFORCE the Current Law.

Tony of NJ 5:25PM August 05, 2010

Why is it relevant WHO was President during the Bologna murders? That has jack crap to do with the ISSUE. You seem otherwise sensible but all we hear is Democratic talking points - "Republicans are obstructionists"... The problem goes back DECADES through both Bushes, Clinton, Carter, Reagan. Suing AZ is obstructionist. As is taking our employer sanctions law to the Supreme Court for review when it has already been upheld at the uber liberal 9th Circuit. Opponents of 1070 talk out of both sides of their mouth when they say employer sanctions laws are PRIMARY in any comprehensive reform then seek to strike ours.

Unions are still withholding support of any current comprehensive reform if it contains guest worker provisions. HI-B is but one guest worker program. A main advantage of the H1B is that it is a 'dual intent' visa which means you can apply for a Green Card (Legal Permanent Residency). Unions especially dislike that. Can we not quibble? Fact is unions oppose it as part of immigration reform. I can't imagine a good policy WITHOUT it!

San Francisco only changed the policy about turning over the more violent juvenile offenders to ICE - it is STILL a sanctuary city.

Yes, numbers vary. AZ cost is $1.2B - $2B per year. We had 8 officers killed by illegals (since 2005 ?). In our COUNTY, 2200 of those in our jails are violent ILLEGALS. Sure our crime rate is down as it is everywhere due to the recession. AZ is particularly hard hit. Many illegals left the state due to our employer sanctions law. In May, 40-50 illegals died in the desert. Rapes, robberies, and kidnappings go unreported. Are these numbers high enough to be relevant? I live here so don't parse statements and the ISSUES. THE COST IS TOO DANGED HIGH and WE are tired of it!

You are totally misinformed about the medical and educational costs. Laws and/or policy varies from state-to-state. ER's are required to treat. Some states play games and get money from the Feds by characterizing it as an emergency. Some states pay for in-state tuition of illegals; some don't. Some states use Medicaid funds. This is a little known option: If U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services is notified that he/she is in the country illegally, some state health officials might grant full Medicaid coverage. Some states just pay for dialysis, e.g. or kidney transplants because ER costs are higher over time. In CA, e.g., illegals account for about 1,350 of the 61,000 people on dialysis. Their treatment cost taxpayers $51 million last year.

Excerpted from http://www.alipac.us/article3708.html

Roughly 2,000 times over the past 17 years, (XXX), an illegal from Mexico, has climbed into a recliner for her 3 hr dialysis treatment that keeps her alive. U.S. taxpayers have covered the entire cost of her treatment in CA: > $500K and rising, not including a kidney transplant in 1993. She has never seen a bill.

Issues, not politics please.

Regards

juan of AZ 1:36AM August 02, 2010

Not discussed here (yet) are the Third World diseased that are brought into America every day by illegal aliens. In the normal course of legal immigration, health checks are made; illegal aliens carry diseases with them, some without seeming to be sick. Here are some of the illnesses/diseases the illegal aliens carry: Malaria, Dengue, Leprosy, Hepatitis A-E, Tuberculosis, Chagas Disease, HIV, and others, including Whooping Cough and Bedbugs. Would you like your children going to school with illegal aliens' children who are carrying these diseases?

http://www.usillegalaliens.com/impacts_of_illegal_immigration_diseases.html

KarlinPhoenix of AZ 11:35PM August 01, 2010

Not discussed here (yet) are the Third World diseased that are brought into America every day by illegal aliens. In the normal course of legal immigration, health checks are made; illegal aliens carry diseases with them, some without seeming to be sick. Here are some of the illnesses/diseases the illegal aliens carry: Malaria, Dengue, Leprosy, Hepatitis A-E, Tuberculosis, Chagas Disease, HIV, and others, including Whooping Cough and Bedbugs. Would you like your children going to school with illegal aliens' children who are carrying these diseases?

KarlinPhoenix of AZ 11:33PM August 01, 2010

Here is a partial part from link that disproves much of your statements:

“The High Cost of Cheap Labor”

“Illegal Immigration and the Federal Budget”

“A Complex Fiscal Picture”

“Welfare use. Our findings show that many of the preconceived notions about the fiscal impact of illegal households turn out to be inaccurate. In terms of welfare use, receipt of cash assistance programs tends to be very low, while Medicaid use, though significant, is still less than for other households. Only use of food assistance programs is significantly higher than that of the rest of the population. Also, contrary to the perceptions that illegal aliens don't pay payroll taxes, we estimate that more than half of illegals work "on the books." On average, illegal households pay more than $4,200 a year in all forms of federal taxes. Unfortunately, they impose costs of $6,950 per household.”

http://cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html

Steve says:

“Those who receive these payments do so fraudulently“.

And the redeeming value of your point is ? Real point is they are stealing government money and doing so by illegally being here.

Bill Hedges of MO 7:16PM August 01, 2010

Have you read AZ1070? If you are pulled-over for a traffic violation, don't you think that you will be asked for your DL and vehicle registration and proof of insurance? If you had none of the above and could not understand the English language, don't you think that is probable cause to investigate whether this driver may be an illegal alien? Next question is "Do you have a Passport or other immigration documents?" People who are legally in America have travel documents, 'Green Card', a Passport or Visa, AS REQUIRED BY LAW, and these 'papers' MUST be carried at all times. There is nothing about race, color of skin or anything else. Why is this so hard for you to understand? Police officers are highly trained in asking these simple questions.

KarlinPhoenix of AZ 6:43PM August 01, 2010

Juan of AZ,

Many thanks for that fact-filled comment.

KarlinPhoenix of AZ 6:34PM August 01, 2010

Juan, I never said I supported the SF policy of "sanctuary" which was immediately lifted after the murders. I knew very little about this policy and never expressed support for it because I think it is both illegal and insane. State and local governments cannot willingly defy Federal demands for cooperation in criminal cases. Ramos is still in custody and faces life in prison if convicted which he very well may be.

This incident, by the way, in which ICE turned down a SF Sheriffs' Department request that Ramos be taken into custody and deported after an arrest leading to an illegal weapons possession charge occurred during the Bush Administration. This decision made by ICE had nothing to do with Obama. High feeling about the case, which is certainly understandable, is being unfairly used to drum up hostility to Obama who has nothing to do with the initial handling of the Ramos case.

It has also been shown that crime rates in Southwestern states are below the national average and that the crime rate among illegals isn't higher than the overall average. Violent criminals that cross the border and those who come strictly for work are different groups. Furthermore, although estimates of what illegals cost the government each year once they're here differ widely, most estimates show that the costs and the contributions in taxes paid, purchasing power, productivity and the overall boost to the economy cancels out the cost. In addition, current laws make it illegal for the government to pay illegals any social benefits such as Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, Unemployment Insurance,Welfare or Foodstamps. Those who receive these payments do so fraudulently. This too should be punished. The level of fraud by illegals is not agreed upon but it is probably not as high as most people think. I do agree that the situation in the hospital ERs is intolerable.

I agree that illegal immigration should be stopped. In the first place it is ILLEGAL. I support a 2,000 mile fence and increased border patrols. Bush has the money and the opportunity to do this with Operation Jump Start which went into effect in 2006. After two years of an improved interdiction rate despite building very little of the fence and supplying only 15,000 of the recommended 36,000 border patrol personnel(18 border guards per mile), the plan was scrapped and the money spent ended up being used cost ineffectively. I support renewed efforts in this regard if it is part of comprehensive immigration reform.

The AFL-CIO opposed the 2007 immigration reform bill over the H-1b visa programs but have since dropped their opposition in the wake of the AZ law SB 1070 in order to get a law passed. They are not the obsticle to reform; the GOP is. I don't know where you got this nonsense about organized labor killing the immigration reform bill over green cards. It isn't true. I wouldn't believe these right wing blogs. They spew lies.

The amnesty would work with better border security.

steve of IL 5:45PM August 01, 2010

Add Your Thoughts
Your comment will be posted immediately, unless it is spam or contains profanity. For more information, please see our Comments FAQ.

Back to blog

Chris Battle

Chris Battle

Chris Battle is a partner at Adfero Group, a public relations firm in Washington, D.C. He was a former political reporter and editorial writer at daily newspapers before entering politics and government. He has worked as a campaign manager, communications strategist, and chief of staff on Capitol Hill. Off the Hill, Battle has served as chief of staff at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and head of congressional and public affairs at the DEA. He is also the editor of Security Debrief, a blog focused on homeland and national security issues.

advertisement

Robert Schlesinger

Get God Out of the Gay Marriage Debate

The government shouldn't tell churches who they should marry, but neither should churches tell the government which marriages it can recognize.

Mary Kate Cary

Obama Attacks as Economic Cliff Looms

The president can't afford to talk about the economy, but with a 2013 fiscal time bomb approaching, the rest of us can't afford not to.

Latest Video

advertisement