Advocate groups are pressuring the governor to sign a bad executive order.

Take a deep breath and think

Advocates for illegal immigrants are lobbying Gov. John Baldacci to sign an executive order prohibiting all state officials from asking immigrants to prove their legal status.

Responding to the same coalition of professional advocates, Portland City Council passed a similar sanctuary ordinance last year, a sweeping measure that prohibits all city officials from asking any immigrant to show his or her green card.

Now these same advocates are claiming that a recent action by Border Patrol agents to pick up illegal immigrants in Portland “terrorized” the immigrant community. Forty-seven state legislators have rashly jumped to sign a petition urging Baldacci to endorse the proposed ban.

But do we really want to take the state of Maine in this radical new direction?

First, there is no logical connection between the alleged overzealousness of a few federal Border Patrol officers and a decision to prevent state employees from asking immigrants to show their green card.

Second, we can understand why illegal immigrants would be distressed when immigration agents began asking to see their documents, (especially since the Border Patrol is rarely visible), but there is absolutely no reason that legal immigrants should feel threatened. When legal immigrants receive visas or green cards, they are required to keep those documents with them at all times, just as we are when we travel abroad.

Immigrant advocates would create a much more compassionate outcome for everyone if they focused on educating immigrants about their rights and calming fears, rather than using immigrant terror to emasculate legitimate efforts to enforce our laws.

Third, had Portland not passed their own sanctuary proposal, refusing to cooperate with the federal government, then Portland officers would probably have been participants in the recent INS sweep and might have served as a moderating influence. By removing state and local participation, we lose that control. Protecting the rights of Maine residents mandates more, not less, cooperation with federal agencies.

Fourth, the legality of sanctuary laws is doubtful. New York City has fought the federal government for years over their sanctuary law and has lost at both the District and Circuit Court level. If Maine decides to make itself the first sanctuary state in the nation, then it is likely that a lawsuit with follow. Do we really want to commit scarce state resources to that defense at this time?

Fifth, America has a massive problem with illegal immigration. The latest INS statistics indicate that 800,000 new illegals are arriving every year, and at least 10 million have settled in the past decade. According to a recent CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll, 75 percent of Americans oppose making it easier for illegal immigrants to obtain citizenship. How many Mainers really want to make their state a sanctuary for illegal immigrants? The gift of American citizenship is a tremendous blessing, and it is not unreasonable to expect immigrant communities in Maine to help us solve the problem of illegal immigration by cooperating with law enforcement. Showing a green card when asked is hardly an onerous burden.

Finally, let’s consider the goals and the values that all of us want for Maine. We want immigrants to feel welcome and fairly treated. But respect is a two way street. Passing an ordinance to prohibit state officials from asking immigrants to prove their legal status, confers upon immigrants a special privilege. There exists no right to be in Maine illegally, and there is no right not to be asked to prove legal residency.

In Maine, everyone plays by the same rules. And if the advocates don’t like the rules, then they can work to change the laws. When we allow special groups to lobby politicians and demand that an existing law not be enforced, we corrupt the democratic process. Our immigration laws were passed by Congress, through elected representatives and by the will of the people. They were intended to be enforced. If we can’t request an immigrant to prove legal residence, then we can’t enforce the law.

Jonette Christian is a member of Mainers for Sensible Immigration Policy. She lives in Holden.

Copy the Story Link