Sunday, August 8, 2010

Ohio will do what it can until federal government tackles immigration reform (Ohio - August 6, 2010)

Across the nation, a fierce debate is raging over illegal immigration, fueled by the recent passage of a law in Arizona which says that if a person is stopped by the police for committing an offense, a law enforcement officer can ask for proof of citizenship if they have reason to believe the person is in the country illegally.

The controversy over this proposal has led to clashes between activists and police in the southwest, sparked heated rhetoric among public officials and other interest groups and incited calls by some for a boycott against travel to Arizona.

This past week, hours before Arizona's new immigration rules were scheduled to officially become law, a U.S. District Court judge blocked a number of key provisions in the bill from taking effect. It is anticipated that the legal battle will not end there, however, and the case could eventually end up before the Supreme Court to decide.

Federal officials maintain it is the federal government's role to govern immigration, not the states. Supporters of Arizona's statute, on the other hand, say these new rules do not subvert federal law, but support it.

Most Americans, including myself, support legal immigration but are concerned about the flood of illegal aliens entering the country on our southern border and its impact on the stability of taxpayer resources and our national security...

[Full Article]