Immigration Laws Must Be Enforced – Both Parties Fail

It would be fine with me if the United States deported everyone in the United States that is here illegally.  I know that I will be called heartless and a destroyer of families.  The truth is that the law is the law and it has to be either enforced or changed – until it is changed, it should be strictly and consistently enforced.  I would be equally fine if the laws were changed and all of those in the country illegally were declared legal and comprehensive new laws were adopted that are enforced going forward.  My conservative friends will have a heart attack, but until the United States stops ignoring and starts enforcing immigration laws we remain the joke of the world and the GOP will remain the enemy of Latinos.

Both Democrats and Republicans are equally to blame for this mess.  On the Republican side, business interests have convinced conservative law makers to ignore the issue to maintain an inexpensive workforce.  Consistently enforced immigration laws and policies would increase labor costs in many industries.  Conservatives have used many excuses claiming that it is impossible to close the borders, that amnesty would be un-American or that it is the Democrats fault.  The truth is that they simply want the status quo to go on forever even though the price of this obstinance was the Presidency and control of the Senate.

Democrats are equally at fault.  By refusing to enforce immigration laws or to adopt any meaningful immigration reform Democrats have kept a burgeoning latino population beholden to them and they can demonize the Republicans as the evil “opponents” of the latino community.  Univision rightfully took President Obama to task for failing to adopt any meaningful reform (Univision Interview), and even other Democratic measures like the “Dream Act” are not real reform but simply a band-aid meant to perpetuate the existing system to maintain a huge advantage with this huge and growing demographic.

It is simply unacceptable to have laws on the books that neither party has any interest in enforcing.  Ignoring these laws continually weakens the Rule of Law and contributes to growing perception of political incompetence, corruption and powerlessness.  This problem is not insurmountable, there are numerous simple solutions ranging from regular and consistent enforcement of existing laws to the complete revamp of our immigration laws.  Either way it is simply unacceptable to ignore the Rule of Law in America.