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More efforts are needed to force ‘illegals’ action

February 6, 2007

Illegal immigration is just as much an issue in South Carolina as it is in any other state, including those along our borders. That should encourage everyone to take a good look at any effort to solve the problem. It should add interest to a proposal by Rep. Mike Pitts, R-Greenwood, Abbeville, Laurens.

Rep. Pitts offered legislation the other day to turn illegal immigrants away from emergency rooms and public schools. He says the situation now is a burden to education and health care systems.
He’s right, without question, but there are those who disagree, which is not unexpected in a world where too many people can’t see - or won’t see - that illegal should mean illegal ..... but doesn’t, apparently.

REP. PITTS FREELY NOTES that his legislation violates federal immigration laws. He urges his fellow lawmakers, though, to approve it anyway and test states’ rights.

Anyone who knows Rep. Pitts knows he is not an uncaring individual. He may, in fact, be one of our state’s lawmakers who is second to none in really caring about the welfare of all of his constituents. Furthermore, he obviously is unafraid, politically or otherwise, to address problems that need addressing by state legislatures and Congress ..... both of which apparently are reluctant to put political capital on the line.

It’s long past time for states to indeed test their rights in issues such as illegal immigration.

HOWEVER, IF WINKING AT illegals continues in Washington, and that appears to be a constant non-approach to the problem, it’s very likely that in the absence of a definitive court ruling nobody else will do a thing.

Rep. Pitts deserves our support, and while states’ rights may indeed be worth exploring, there’s another possibility that ought to be considered. Maybe it’s going to take these kinds of challenges to convince lawmakers in general to make a conscious and honest effort to find a solution to the illegal immigration problem. It’s undeniable that a strain is placed on taxpayers in several respects, with two of them being in education and health care.

Somewhere along the way lawmakers also should stop tying the hands of authorities who are not allowed to even inquire whether illegals are illegal.