Anjeanette Damon (ADAMON@RGJ.COM)
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
September 30, 2007
The unsettled debate over immigration that has rent the nation stormed into Northern Nevada last week with the raid of 11 local McDonald’s restaurants that allegedly were relying on a workforce of illegal immigrants.
The raid, which netted 54 workers suspected of being in the country illegally, shocked the community, prompting outcries for national immigration reform from one side and plaudits for a crackdown on scofflaws flouting border security from the other.
Since 2006, and in the wake of the U.S. Senate’s failure to pass an immigration reform bill last summer, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency has stepped up its raids on employers who turn a blind eye to their employees’ immigration status. The raid in Reno mirrored recent operations across the nation.
Those who support the strategy of escalating enforcement argue that America’s problems with illegal immigration stem from its lax enforcement of existing immigration laws.
Those who oppose an “enforcement only” response to illegal immigration argue it disrupts local economies, creates fear and distrust in the immigrant community and fails to address the larger issues confronting policymakers.
Both sides responded in the discourse that has followed the Northern Nevada raids.
“We’re doing something we should’ve been doing five years ago and that is enforcing the laws on the books,” said U.S. Rep. Dean Heller, R-Carson City. “What’s critical is there are bad people doing bad things. We’ve finally got the United States to crack down and enforce the laws we have.”
But Mayor Bob Cashell, who reacted with frustration to the raids, said enforcement alone may do more harm than good to his city. He said he will talk with council members and other community leaders about pressuring Nevada’s congressional delegation to work toward better immigration reform. Click here for full article
WASHOE COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY PLATFORM ON IMMIGRATION
Following is the adopted platform of the Washoe County Republican Party. We applaud US Representative Dean Heller for his hard work to see that existing immigration laws are enforced. We also applaud Senator John Ensign for his vote against the disastrous comprehensive immigration bill in the Senate.
5. Immigration
We welcome all people from all nations, races and cultures who enter our country legally and support the freedoms and principles of the United States of America.
We strongly support securing the borders for purposes of improving national security and preventing illegal immigration and criminal activity.
Federal, state and local agencies must be empowered and required to enforce immigration laws.
We do not support amnesty for aliens who enter the United States illegally.
We do not support citizenship for children born in the United States to illegal aliens, illegal residents or foreign visitors.
We support improved identification systems for non-citizens.
We believe that if a form of guest worker program is adopted, it should not lead to any type of amnesty.
We do not believe in offering government benefits to people who are in this country illegally.
