Opinion
Chuck Robinson, Assistant Copy Chief A day of reckoning seems headed our way on immigration.
I worry about how hardened the anti-immigrant attitudes are becoming.
That fear grew while I listened to “This American Life” on my local public radio station in late January.
The story was about Alabama’s strict anti-immigration law passed last summer that effectively turned every encounter between a citizen and any government official into a checkpoint for illegal immigrants.
Not just law enforcement officers, but all state and local bureaucrats.
The bill legislated a strategy called “attrition through enforcement” or “self-deportation” — making life so hard on undocumented immigrants that they choose to leave the country.
Hitherto, Arizona had in 2010 passed the broadest and strictest anti-illegal immigration measure in recent U.S. history.
The Supreme Court is expected to rule on the constitutionality of Arizona’s law this year. The justices are expected to hear arguments in the case in April and make a ruling this summer.
That ruling could alter Alabama’s law, as well as others that may be in the offing.
In the meantime, Alabama’s legislature went back to work in the first full week of February, and the lawmakers are considering how to tweak the immigration law.
Not throw it out. Just tweak it.
What to do about workers?
This rancor puts the fresh produce industry in a real bind because it relies so much on immigrant labor. Irvine, Calif.-based Western Growers surveyed growers in California and Arizona in September.
Most growers reported they had experienced challenges in finding workers last year.
This year, Western Growers and the Arizona Farm Bureau have joined a coalition called the Arizona Accord, which is focused on easing Arizona’s immigrant law, encouraging law enforcement officers to focus on criminal violations instead of immigration enforcement.
Good luck. The coalition will need it, what with politicians baiting crowds with the red meat of anti-immigration alarm.
One of the points made in the public radio segment was that Alabama was not facing the problems or the rancor of residents that Arizona has faced.
In fact, only about 4% of Alabamians are Latino, compared to more than a third of Arizona’s population, according to the broadcast.
However, Republican Party strategists seized upon immigration as a wedge issue for racking up political victories.
Alabama’s law is noteworthy for its effect on citizens’ interaction with all levels of government, but that is not the extent of its effect.
“What I found most surprising was that amid the chaos, regular Alabamians here and there were taking the law to heart, pursuing ad hoc immigration justice on their own,” reporter Jack Hitt said.
Hitt interviewed a Latino woman whose credit card was not accepted at an Alabama Walmart store even though she had ID because she couldn’t prove her immigration status.
Another woman was mailed a MoneyGram for her birthday from her mother in Mexico.
Clerks at three Walmart stores refused to cash the MoneyGram, even though Wal-Mart corporate says there is no policy requiring clerks to check residency (nor does Alabama’s law go that far).
Change of tone
In 2010, the Grand Old Party was able to take over the Alabama Legislature on the strength of a strategy developed by national party operatives.
Voters were offered a five-point call to action billed as the Republican Handshake. It included stopping illegal immigration in addition to controlling spending, stopping corruption in the state capitol, blocking Obamacare and creating economic opportunities for businesses.
The anti-immigration law was created by Kris Kobach, who has been leading the charge for stricter immigration law enforcement and is Kansas secretary of state.
Kobach has shown up at Mitt Romney’s side, coaching the front-runner presidential candidate on the merits of encouraging self-deportation for the South Carolina debate.
Also at Romney’s side is John McCain, the Arizona senator who once offered a reasonable compromise on immigration but has since seen the error of his way as far as political strategy, especially with a challenge from the right in 2010’s spring primary.
Remember the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007?
It provided a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, increased border enforcement and a 300-mile fence to keep would-be illegal immigrants in Mexico.
Five years later, that is ancient history. McCain has been spooked by his state’s xenophobia.
He even blames the state’s wildfires over the summer on illegal immigrants.
The prospect of a reasoned approach to immigration reform has me disheartened.
I fear that formerly pragmatic leaders now have to prove that their anti-immigrant beliefs are anti-immigrant enough. If there is no room for compromise, we seem headed straight into a solid wall, and we have no brakes, and no where to turn.
This is going to hurt.
What's your take? Leave a comment and tell us your opinion.
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Comments (13)
Leave a commentforumsforjustice
Report AbuseIntuitive Illegal Immigration 101 http://bit.ly/fVo2Tz
Michael
Report AbuseI like your spin on things. Yes McCain did blame the wildfires in Arizona on Illegal Aliens and drug runners. This was proved to be true after the fact, but it did not get the headlines. I would like to see your proof on the Walmart stories.
catt
Report AbuseYou don't get it Americans are tired of supporting illegal criminals, and if the cost of deportation is higher food cost so be it.
Deport Deport
Report AbuseOnce again an illegal loving Lib misstating facts. Americans are not anti-immigrant, we are anit-ILLEGAL Immigrant. There is a difference. But on the other hand, Americans are getting really fed up with the constant whining and complaining by the Mexicans, like we OWE them something, as they steal so many benefits they are NOT entitled too. Hispanics have to be the biggest cry babies ever. We are sick of them thinking they mean something to this country. They never have and never will gain the respect they "Think" they deserve. I can't wait until O'Bummer gets kicked out of office and the new Prez can rescind all the amnesty "executive orders" that were instituted. Deport AL illegals !!
mark
Report Abusei don't think you or your liberal media cohorts or the politicans in washington on both sides of the isle realize how angry the citizens in this country are about issue we are tired of having this amnesty crap cramed down our throuts by obama or people on the right like the fat ilmoral slob newt
Chuck Robinson
Report AbuseFor those people ticked off by the "lib-tard" stance on immigration —
1) If you consider the president a lib-tard, Obama administration’s been tougher on illegal immigrants, if the number of deportees is the factor.
2) Most ag business owners are Republican, and favor immigration reform of some sort.
rked
Report AbuseDude, You just don't get it...None of the Lib's "get it" & I'm beginning to believe that they DO get it, but they Like to "Play" stupid as a way to Absolve Themselves from doing the right thing For Our Country & For Her Citizens...!!!--These republican, presidential candidates did NOT use immigration as a Wedge Issue (You Fool !!!)...We Kicked AND Screamed untill We, The People Made IT an Issue...We have had quite enough "Comprehensive Immigration Reform"...Say What YOU Mean, It IS amnesty You Cowards...!!!--Just another FYI, We ARE a Nation Of Laws, So What Is Soooo Wrong with Enforcing those LAWS, You Liberal, Lying Panty-Waisted Weasels, IF Anyone is Driving this Country "into a Wall" then It IS You, Low-Slinkin, Lying to Our Faces Lib-tards, Take A Bow, YOU have NoOne to Blame but YOURSELF!!!
wigglwagon
Report Abuserked said, "-These republican, presidential candidates did NOT use immigration as a Wedge Issue (You Fool !!!)...We Kicked AND Screamed untill We, The People Made IT an Issue...We have had quite enough "Comprehensive Immigration Reform"...Say What YOU Mean, It IS amnesty You Cowards...!!!--"
That is precisely right.
Supply and Demand
Report AbuseHey, maybe now we'll have to pay citizens (including latinos) a living wage for their work, improve working conditions, etc... I'm also for automating more and more "manual" labor jobs - but that's still a bit down the road, since those jobs do require certain skills (which is why we still rely on human labor for things like picking).
wigglwagon
Report Abuse"I fear that formerly pragmatic leaders now have to prove that their anti-immigrant beliefs are anti-immigrant enough. If there is no room for compromise, we seem headed straight into a solid wall, and we have no brakes, and no where to turn.
This is going to hurt."
That was spoken exactly like an exploitive employer. It will dearly hurt their feelings and their pocket books when they are forced to pay competitive wages and BENEFITS.
PaulC1958
Report AbuseIt's hard to believe that Mr. Robinson is knowledgable enough to write an article about Alabama's HR 56 law and still not know about the H2B visa program that permits produce growers to contract for as many foreign guest workers as they need. The growers don't like the H2B program because it requires them to pay a fair wage and provide minimum health and safety conditions. These things cut into growers' profits as they do not provide any of these things for illegal aliens. Mr. Robinson need to go back and review the cannons of journalism and comport his writing thereto.
Mark
Report AbuseWhy do you leave out the work "illegal"?? They are criminals who broke the law and should be forced out. What a piece of trash this article is and what a shill the author is for the "open boarders" crowd.
Doug
Report AbuseGreat comments, all. Mr. Robinson certainly had it coming, based on all the pro-illegal immigration language he packed into his editorial. But here was the line of his that struck me: "2) Most ag business owners are Republican, and favor immigration reform of some sort." Mr. Robinson, most ag business owners are 'business owners' BEFORE they are Republicans, and they tend to check their balance sheets first. It is clear that most business owners want to keep the flow of cheap, illegal labor coming so that they don't have to raise their production costs.
Before building a fence, before deporting millions of illegals, the U.S. must FIRST stop employers who are encouraging law breaking in order to attract cheap labor.