Aliens violate federal law when they illegally enter the United States. Right?
Right. And, if states, counties and cities are part of the United States, aren’t trespassing aliens also breaking local laws?
And, if local laws are being broken, shouldn’t state, county and city law-enforcement officers apprehend illegal aliens and hold them for the Immigration and Naturalization Service?
Not according to opponents of the U.S., Justice Dept.’s recent legal opinion that state and local governments have the “inherent authority” to enforce immigration law.
According to the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), “it’s just common sense (for local jurisdictions) to check the immigration status of suspected law violators in tandem with other checks during their normal law-enforcement duties.”
It’s not only fair, but a necessary part of America’s homeland-security effort. (14 APRIL 2002)
