Sovereign Commentary: Some of the most important news stories on the web with accompanying comment. Special attention to China, Illegal Immigration, the growing Police State, and the slow death of the Constitution for the United States of America with special focus on First Amendment and Second Amendment issues.

Congress Considers Empowering Local Police to Enforce Immigration Laws

A bill has been introduced in the House and the Senate this month called the Scott Gardner Act. In short, it allows state and local law enforcement agencies to enforce immigration laws. In addition, the Senate version specifically compels state agencies receiving federal money to actively share information with the federal government in the interests of enforcing immigration law. The title is "To improve sharing of immigration information among Federal, State, and local law enforcement officials, to improve State and local enforcement of immigration laws, and for other purposes."(1)

Ordinarily, I am not in favor of enhancing federal power, but immigration is clearly within the enumerated powers on Congress, this is permissible.(2).

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(1) H.R. 1355 I.H.; S. 850 I.S. 110th Cong. (2007)
(2) U.S. Const. art. I sect. 8

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News Politics News and Politics Congress Illegal Immigration Law Enforcement Local Police H.R. 1355 HR 1355 S. 850 S 850 Scott Gardner Act

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2 Comments:

BadTux said...: In my opinion, you are giving this bill too much credit. It is yet another Statist imposition upon local governments, local governments who are the closest to the People and thus reflect the desires of their communities most closely. These governments already do have the right to enforce any Federal laws that they wish to enforce. That they currently (mostly) choose not to do so in the case of immigration laws is largely the will of the local populance, which is more concerned about violent crime than about simple trespass, and which prefers to have immigrants come forward to name murderers rather than hide in fear of being deported if they come forward to name a violent criminal.

While I am concerned about immigration because illegal immigrants are being used as slaves to deprive American citizens as jobs (I can compete with anyone, anywhere, if on an equal basis, but how do I compete with a slave?), that is a far more aabstract concern than the reality of a murderer in my community who may not be caught if the local police are required to inquire about immigration status. A murderer can kill me. An illegal immigrant merely drives down my wages. Which one, I ask, should I place highest priority upon -- catching murderers, or catching trespassers? If I receive a higher wage but am dead because a murderer escaped justice due to this law, it is a Pyhrric victory indeed...

-BT; 3/20/2007 3:36 AM
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Anonymous said...: I don't know if you even still read this or not, but I was re-reading your article on Trason Brooks being falsely accused and arrested for attempted murder. Just to give you an update on the case: (he is a friend of mine): Trason is finally moving on with his life, having this behind him, but as for Beate, she has fled the country and of course is hiding out in Norway, refusing to come back to the USA because she knows if she does, she'll be arrested. Crazy thing is: on the last court date she was supposed to be in regarding Trason's civil suit against her, SHE didn't show up but her parents did. When asked why she wasn't there, the mother replied to the judge that Beate didn't know she had a courtdate, when in fact she was already back in Norway. It burns my ass that some girl who nearly ruined TWO people's lives with charges as serious as hers was even able to get out of the country. I hope she returns one day and when she does, I hope her ass goes to jail for a very long time!; 7/10/2007 12:08 AM
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