Do No Harm on Immigration Reform

By Greg Chen, Director of Advocacy, AILA Advocacy Department

Last week the Department of Justice filed a long-expected lawsuit challenging the newly enacted Arizona law SB 1070. AILA applauded DOJ’s suit both on its principal legal ground (that federal law preempts state law) and for the broader message it sends to the American public (that the federal government will not let stand a state law that sanctions racial profiling and the targeting of those with dark skin or who speak with an accent).

The DOJ lawsuit is a much needed check on states and localities that are likely to do more harm than good by legislating on immigration. Apparently the federal message is not being heard in many states including Utah, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Florida where the 2011 legislative sessions will likely see Arizona copycats. Florida’s Republican candidates for governor are tripping over themselves to show their support for Arizona’s law. Recently, several Utah Republican state representatives even conducted a “fact-finding” trip to Arizona to build support for their forthcoming bill.

Defenders of the Arizona law often cite polls like a June survey done by the Washington Post and ABC showing that 58 percent expressed support for the Arizona law. What many fail to note is that similarly high numbers (57 percent in the same Post/ABC poll) support allowing illegal immigrants to stay in the country if they pay a fine and meet other citizenship requirements.

How do we reconcile these apparently contradictory viewpoints? The answer is simple: Americans are frustrated that the nation’s leaders have not solved the problems with our immigration system. In the absence of comprehensive immigration reform, people are willing to accept unsound, even extreme, measures. I bet Americans would poll very differently if asked whether the Arizona law is good policy.

“Do no harm” is the first principle governing doctors and health care professionals. Unfortunately, there is no Hippocratic Oath for lawmakers and we desperately need one. As we near the November elections, lawmakers and all Americans should fight the urge to use immigration as a sword to divide communities and scapegoat immigrants. Democrats and Republicans will be pointing fingers at each other, and the temptation will be there to blame someone else for the lack of a solution. As the temperatures heat up, we must remind ourselves that real immigration reform will only happen if leaders from both sides of the aisle contribute to a final bill.

Today, AILA released a new video and website (www.multivu.prnewswire.com/player/41787-comprehensive-immigration-reform/) as part of our Solutions Campaign. The video, a complement to our Policy Manual (www.aila.org/solutions), sets forth AILA’s basic components for smart immigration reform. This new multi-media tool was created to be shared – you can actually embed it on your website and into your blog! Scroll down to Take Action to learn more!

Rolling the boulder of immigration reform up Capitol Hill has never been an easy task but it must begin with sound ideas. Only then can we do good on immigration.

Stay tuned. Same Pulse Time. Same Pulse Channel.