National immigration policy cannot be put off any longer

President Barack Obama’s decision not to push for a comprehensive immigration reform bill this year is ill-advised. Lack of a national policy will only result in Arizona’s controversial law targeting illegal immigrants being replicated around the country.

Indeed, last week, a reform bill stalled in the Ohio General Assembly was dusted off by a state legislator who wants the state to crack down on illegals.

“We should not be going down this path in Ohio. The Congress and the president need to take action now to pass comprehensive immigration reform,” said the Rev. Jorge Ochoa, pastor of St. Charles Borromeo parish in Cincinnati.

Father Ochoa, along with Debbie Kline, executive director of Cleveland Jobs with Justice, were joined by two Arizona business leaders in condemning the legislative initiative.

They said the bill would enshrine racial profiling in Ohio’s lawbooks.

“To follow in Arizona’s footsteps would drag Ohio back to the 1950s, trampling on its rich abolitionist history of justice for all people,” the parish priest said. “It is an affront to people of conscience. Senators [Sherrod] Brown and [George] Voinovich need to stand up and state that Congress must act now.”

Three Democratic senators last week unveiled a proposal that calls for more federal enforcement agents and other border security-tightening benchmarks before illegal immigrants could become legal U.S. residents.

It’s a good strategy considering that the overwhelming support in Arizona for the new law reflects anger with the federal government for not dealing with the border problem. It’s anger borne out of desperation. Crime, including murder and robbery, is rampant in communities along the border. In addition, destruction of private property is commonplace.

The people of Arizona are justified in demanding a strict laws to not only stop the influx of illegal aliens, but to deal with the 12 million illegal immigrants already in this country.

However, addressing what is national problem on a state-by-state basis is a prescription for disaster.

Three years ago, we strongly supported the immigration reform bill pushed by then Republican President George W. Bush and supported by most Democrats in Congress. However, Republicans and enough Democrats opposed the bill and it died.

Securing our borders

Had the bill become law, there would have been $4.4 billion in immediate additional funding for securing our borders and enforcing our laws at work sites.

However, opponents succeeded in characterizing the initiative as an “amnesty bill” and were able to block passage.

But congressional inaction then should not stop a bill from being introduced this year.

President Obama must follow the lead of his predecessor and help proponents of reform secure the necessary votes. Obama said last week that members of Congress may not have the stomach to take on such a controversial issue in the midst of the debate over climate change legislation.

But doing nothing will result in states adopting the same kind of hard line law that will go into effect in Arizona this summer.

The constitutionality of the law will be challenged because it requires racial profiling by law enforcement, but that won’t stop anti-immigrant forces from nationalizing the issue.

National immigration policy is demanded.