Obama Threatens State And Local Governments

From FAIR:

In his speech at American University just days ago, President Obama called our immigration laws "unenforceable."




You heard me right.



President Obama said that Arizona's new immigration enforcement law, SB 1070, is "ill conceived" because it puts huge pressures on local law enforcement agencies to enforce laws that "ultimately are unenforceable."



These amazing words, spoken by the President of the United States no less, demonstrate all too clearly the arrogance that prevails in Washington when it comes to U.S. immigration policy.



Despite the fact that Congress has laid down the law on who can come into the country and under what circumstances, President Obama has unilaterally declared that these laws are worthless and has refused to enforce them.



But Arizonans think differently. They refuse to accept illegal immigration as a way of life. And through the passage of SB 1070, Arizonans - supported by Americans across the country - have declared that they will enforce the laws that the Administration won't.



So how does the Obama Administration react?



It sues the state of Arizona to ensure that no one can enforce these "unenforceable" laws. This latest lawsuit to derail SB1070 not only endangers the people of Arizona. It endangers you and me, our loved ones and our communities. In my recent op-ed in The Washington Times, I offered readers a more detailed analysis:



In filing suit against Arizona, the administration is delivering an only slightly veiled and deeply troubling message to other states: Enforcing immigration laws locally may be right for your state; it may be popular with the voters; you even may prevail in the end. But we would rather fight you - American citizens - than fight illegal immigration.



Upping the ante appears to be the latest strategy not only of the Obama administration, but also of others who want to prevent enforcement of immigration laws. In the case of the illegal-alien advocacy network, the threat is explicit, not implicit. "Local legislation is going to end up costing taxpayers millions of dollars," warned Ali Noorani, who runs the National Immigration Forum, an amnesty advocacy group.



In the end, many local governments will have little choice but to endure the expense of a court battle as the costs of providing basic services to illegal aliens escalate. The decision of the Obama administration to bleed the taxpayers of Arizona signals that before Americans can protect themselves against the harmful effects of mass illegal immigration, they will have to fight a very costly battle with their own government.



At every turning point in this battle, FAIR has been the major force helping state and local agencies enforce our immigration laws. What are FAIR and its legal affiliate IRLI doing to help Arizona fight back? We are:



•Providing legal support to key players in the legal action;





•Providing media support to educate Americans about effective state and local enforcement laws;





•Developing critical research and expert analyses on the impacts of illegal immigration; and





•Serving as watchdogs for all Americans who want our immigration laws enforced.