California must stem the flow of illegal immigrants
The state should go after employers who hire them, curb taxpayer-funded benefits, deploy the National Guard to help the feds at the border and penalize 'sanctuary' cities.
By Steve Poizner
The United States, and California in particular, has been built by immigrants who legally crossed our borders in search of a brighter future. For generations, these legal immigrants have made immeasurable contributions to creating a unique and vibrant California. As Americans and Californians, we are right to welcome people from all over the globe when they obey our laws and are willing to play by the rules.
Illegal immigration is another matter entirely. With the state budget in tatters, millions of residents out of work and a state prison system strained by massive overcrowding, California simply cannot continue to ignore the strain that illegal immigration puts on our budget and economy. Illegal aliens cost taxpayers in our state billions of dollars each year. As economist Philip J. Romero concluded in a 2007 study, "illegal immigrants impose a 'tax' on legal California residents in the tens of billions of dollars."
Some have said that illegal immigration is an issue for the federal government, not the states, and that there's little a governor can do to fix the problem. Those people are wrong.
In government at any level, federal or state, a chief executive's duty is to preserve the rule of law. This also means confronting those who flout it, including illegal immigrants and those who shield them.
I believe there are many ways our state can stem the flow of illegal immigration, including social services reform and beefed-up border security. The state needs to confront the problem in a way that is fair and decent but also unapologetically aggressive.
Above all, California has too many policies that reward illegal aliens and act like magnets, drawing them to and keeping them in our cities and communities. We have to change those policies.
Ten other states, including neighboring Arizona, have passed laws to cut taxpayer-funded benefits for illegal immigrants. We need such legislation too. In this time of fiscal crisis, we can't afford to subsidize the presence of illegal aliens.
One taxpayer-funded benefit for illegal aliens that should be stopped is in-state tuition at our public colleges and universities. Today, California is one of just 10 states that allow illegal immigrants access to reduced college tuition at taxpayer expense.
California must also do its part to help secure the border by deploying the state's National Guard to assist federal authorities. We should also work with other border states to create a multi-state partnership for sharing information, resources and manpower.
Confronting illegal immigration also means confronting those who offer assistance to those who are flouting the law. We need to end "sanctuary city" policies, in which communities (San Francisco, for example) openly offer haven to illegal aliens. Counties, cities and towns that put in place sanctuary policies should lose state funds.
Why? We have seen the tragic consequences that can stem from offering sanctuary to protect criminals who are in our country illegally. Consider, for example, the case of Edwin Ramos. An illegal alien from El Salvador, Ramos was twice convicted of felonies as a juvenile but was shielded from deportation by San Francisco's sanctuary policy. Subsequently, he was charged with murdering three people and is now awaiting trial. Ramos should have been sent back to his country of origin when he was first arrested. And the same should be true of any illegal alien arrested for committing a crime.
Businesses that knowingly employ illegal aliens also undermine the rule of law. Jobs are a major reason people immigrate to California. We need to be tough on employers who hire -- and at times prey on -- an illegal workforce. We must require employers to verify the immigration status of their workers, and we should revoke the state-issued licenses of businesses that make a practice of knowingly employing people who aren't authorized to work in this country.
Legal immigration is a great thing for California, but we can no longer afford illegal immigration. If we eliminate the public benefit magnets, step up border enforcement and crack down on the cities and businesses that shield illegal aliens who are already here, we can go a long way toward stemming the tide of illegal immigration.
Immigration law is defined by the federal government. But the consequences and costs of illegal immigration fall on the states. That is why California must do everything possible to address this pressing problem. And in any debate on the future of immigration policy, state officials should voice the interests of their constituents.
To those currently debating a new immigration bill in Washington, I have just two words: no amnesty.
Steve Poizner is California's insurance commissioner and a Republican candidate for governor.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/...,5816792.story
Meg Whitman: immigration reform, with respect
It's an issue vital to California, but we must debate it without becoming divisive.
California has the most to gain from sensible immigration reform, and the most to lose from the failed status quo. We need common-sense solutions to the problem of illegal immigration while preserving the many benefits our state derives from legal immigration.
Too often, the rhetoric surrounding this issue has been overly divisive and disrespectful to Latino American citizens. The country needs to have a thoughtful debate about how we stop the tide of illegal immigration that strains budgets and angers taxpayers. But the immigration debate must take place in a measured way that reflects our national aspirations toward tolerance, hope and opportunity.
As a Republican, I believe it's important to both continue our rich tradition of protecting the rule of law while diligently reaching out to the millions of Latinos who share our values.
While I am a strong proponent of legal immigration, I am 100% opposed to granting amnesty to immigrants who entered the country illegally. It is the wrong policy for California, it is the wrong policy for America, and it is grossly unfair to those immigrants who have followed the law to obtain legal status.
The truth is we are always going to have a problem with illegal immigration as long as there is a demand for undocumented labor. We need to build an "economic fence" with a strong e-verification system that holds employers accountable for only hiring documented workers. The lure of well-paying jobs is the ultimate magnet attracting illegal immigrants to our state. To remove it, we have to give employers the tools they need to do the right thing, and then we must strictly enforce the law.
We also need to crack down through legislation on sanctuary cities like San Francisco that shield illegal immigrants from federal immigration laws.
But the real key to this issue rests in the hands of Congress and the president. The bottom line is we need more federal Border Patrol resources at the Mexican border. The California congressional delegation needs to work together with other border-state representatives to get something done on border security once and for all.
California's governor must also work hard to ensure that the state is reimbursed for the costs of incarcerating illegal immigrants in our prisons. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and our powerful congressional delegation need to be pushed to use the purse strings they control to repay California for what it is owed.
Taken together, these steps would make a significant difference in reducing the burdens of illegal immigration without casting unneeded and discourteous aspersions on Latino American citizens and driving them away from the Republican Party.
I have been criticized for opposing Proposition 187, which was on the California ballot in 1994. It is true that I am opposed to cutting off public education and healthcare services to immigrant children. I do not believe that kids should be punished for the sins of their parents.
But I do understand the frustration in California that led to the passage of Proposition 187. Our schools have class sizes that are too big. We need comprehensive reform of our K-12 education system to drive money out of Sacramento and down to local school districts. Our education resources must be dedicated to the advancement of our children, not wasted on bureaucracy.
We must ensure that our children receive a world-class education so they can compete for jobs in the high-growth sectors of the economy, and that means standing up to the education establishment and elevating performance standards. And we must ensure that English is taught to all children in our schools.
The immigration issue touches many of California's core priorities, and it must be a priority of the state's governor.
Meg Whitman is the former president and chief executive of EBay and a Republican candidate for governor.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/...,7923131.story