The Quote Below—More Misinformation from the Media’
“As the nation grapples with the very real problem of border enforcement, Sen. Josh Hawley, as usual, offers not viable solutions but a self-serving stunt. The Missouri Republican has filed legislation that would give state and local officials the authority to patrol the border and enforce federal immigration law.
“The bill has no chance of passage because, among other problems, it is unconstitutional. Hawley surely knows this, but his intent, as always, is the headline. Hesitant as we are to give that to him, it’s important to highlight this latest example of Hawley’s unfitness for office.
“America’s broken immigration system is a bipartisan fiasco decades in the making, with congressional gridlock being the main culprit and plenty of blame to go around through decades of punting the problem from one administration to the next. Republicans and Democrats in Congress have proven inept at negotiating legislative solutions. The Biden administration has defaulted to a status quo that doesn’t work. Republican governors in Florida, Texas and Arizona have opportunistically used that genuine policy failure as an excuse for antics such as shipping migrants to politically liberal regions.
“This would be a perfect time for cooler heads in both parties to lower the temperature and work toward real solutions. Instead, Hawley proposes tossing more gasoline onto the topic. His legislation would allow states to authorize local law enforcement to address immigration and border enforcement, which under the Constitution and court precedent have always been an exclusive federal domain. . . .
“Hawley, who is said to have presidential aspirations, no doubt has chafed at watching DeSantis and other big-name Republicans so effectively politicize what limited immigration influence they have. His bill is an embarrassingly obvious attempt to get in on some of that red meat. In an accompanying statement, Hawley describes it as a way for states to ‘fight back’ at the administration regarding the border. That’s not exactly a blueprint for the cooperation that is ultimately needed. . . . “ – Sen. Hawley’s Immigration Bill Is Doomed But Is a Telling Example of His Cynicism, St. Louis Post-Dispatch Editorial Board, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 9/29/22 [Link]
Fact Check of Above Quote: When someone proposes effective steps to control illegal immigration, illegal alien advocates usually cry—as this editorial does—that the suggested remedies are unlawful. The irony of such claims is overwhelming, coming as it does from people who are totally indifferent to the lawlessness of uncontrolled illegal immigration. If they believe immigration law enforcement is “an exclusive federal domain,” then why don’t these sticklers for legality encourage the feds to do what they are supposed to do? Instead, they try to hamstring federal enforcement in every possible way. These activists, in and out of the Biden Administration, have guttled immigration law enforcement and opened our gates to a record-level surge of illegal immigration.
Contrary to the claim of this editorial, localities and states can participate in enforcement. One specific example is under Section 287 (g) of the 1996 immigration act. It allows local and state authorities to participate if they receive specified training from the federal government. Over the years, 287(g) has successfully enhanced enforcement—which is why illegal alien advocates have stridently attacked the program. It’s clear that they don’t want anyone at any level of government to enforce immigration laws.
Another indicator of their hypocrisy is that many of these same “progressive” people have little to say about usurpation of federal authority when the cause is one that they support. A prime example is legalization of marijuana usage by some states—which clearly violates federal law.
The frustration that many state and local leaders feel about immigration law enforcement (or rather the lack thereof) is perfectly understandable. This editorial correctly states that our immigration system is “broken.” Sadly, there are many subversive interests, along with their friends in the media, who want it to stay broken. The “real solutions” they propose are no solutions at all.