Georgia and Arizona Take Different Paths on Illegal Immigration

One of the strengths of a federal system is the ability of the subsidiary governments to tackle problems the central government can’t or won’t. So, it is with illegal immigration in the US. With the federal government unable to find a formula that will pass Congress, the State of Georgia has passed its own measure. Meanwhile, the governor of Arizona has vetoed an immigration bill. Time will tell who is right.

The states aren’t equal on the subject of illegal immigration. Georgia, pure and simple, has fewer immigrants legal or otherwise than Arizona. It is likely less of a real problem and more of a grandstanding opportunity for politicians. However, Atlanta is a major city, and as such, attracts immigrants with or without papers. It could well be that what works in Georgia can work in Arizona, but a betting man would want substantial odds.

The Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act denies state benefits to any immigrant who can’t prove they are legally in the US. Police must inform immigration officials if a person charged with a crime is an illegal alien. Also the law requires contractors doing business with the state to verify the legal status of all its new workers. Employers won’t be able to deduct wages of more than $600 for undocumented workers, and human trafficking will result in jail time. “It’s our responsibility to ensure that our famous Georgia hospitality is not abused, that our taxpayers are not taken advantage of and that our citizens are protected,” Governor Sonny Perdue, a Republican, said as he signed the bill. “It’s a punitive bill,” according to Sara Gonzalez, president and chief executive of the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. “This is a very complicated issue, and I don't see any good coming out of this.”

To the west, Democratic Governor Janet Napolitano of Arizona vetoed a bill that would have made all illegal immigrants criminals and provided the state the ability to prosecute them for criminal trespass, in addition to other provisions. Of the state’s 6 million residents, 500,000 are presumed to be illegal immigrants. Rounding up 500,000 and throwing them in jail before deporting them is, quite simply, beyond the economic resources of the state. “It is unfortunate that the Legislature has once again ignored the officials who are most directly affected by illegal immigration, and instead has passed yet another bill that will have no effect on the problem but that will impose an unfunded burden on law enforcement,” Governor Napolitano wrote.

So, Georgia has passed a law that may, at best, move illegal immigrants to another state. It won’t remove them from the US, legalize them or otherwise solve the problem. Meanwhile, Arizona has done nothing at all, preferring that the feds continue to fail to deal with the matter. The unfortunate truth is that there are a lot of votes available for anyone who offers a solution, and the simplest solutions to explain are the most ineffective and draconian ones. This is going to get worse before it ever gets better.

© Copyright 2006 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

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