National politicians are behind the curve regarding illegal immigration issues in America. Too many of them seem to think it's more important to provide cheap labor for business interests than to provide security for the American people.
Fortunately, leadership is coming at the local and state levels. Worthington -- and Minnesota -- is ground zero in the effort to change our laws so that law enforcement and economic problems associated with illegal immigration are addressed in a fair and reasonable way. We don't want to make minorities feel unwelcome or second-class citizens; we want to clean up the process so that immigrants are accounted for -- that they won't feel the need to carry false identification and to pass fake IDs around like candy.
We are pleased that governors throughout the nation say they plan to press President Bush on illegal immigration this week. Hopefully, both Bush and Congress will get beyond rhetoric and fashion bipartisan solutions to our ridiculously porous borders.
In Arizona, one report noted that 500,000 attempts to illegally cross the border were turned back last year. That's turned back. So many arrive illegally that it literally boggles the mind. And for all the talk that illegal immigrants contribute to our society by paying taxes, others have said they cost us more through social services costs.
Back in Minnesota, Gov. Tim Pawlenty has been criticized for talking about illegal immigration at a time when the political season is just now beginning to heat up. But illegal immigration is an important enough issue that there's no bad time to talk about it. Now, let's get together, get serious, and find solutions.
