Immigration 'compact' offered in Utah (alternative to AZ's SB 1070)

[pinboy3niner]

Immigration 'compact' offered in Utah
By SCOTT WONG | 11/12/10 2:55 PM EST


A coalition of conservative Utah leaders says the state shouldn't share its neighbor's tough approach to illegal immigration.

An Arizona-style immigration bill has already been introduced in the Utah Legislature that would require police to enforce federal immigration laws. But political, religious and community leaders are offering "The Utah Compact," as an alternative, calling for a federal rather than a state or local solution to the nation's broken immigration system.

The compact supports policies that preserve the state's free-market tradition and don't split up immigrant families.

"We could do an Arizona-style approach, a round 'em up approach, an approach of starving them out," Paul Mero, president of the conservative think tank Sutherland Institute, said Friday on a conference call with reporters. "But as a conservative and believer in freedom, there is no way in hell I will be part of rounding up innocent people. And as an ethical and moral person ... I'm not going to be part of starving them out. That leaves one option: helping them."


Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1110/45048.html#ixzz159aRbo9R

(Ed. to fix hotlink.)

[w8liftinglady]

1. He sounds like a humane person who may have actually put thought into it.

When I had a discussion with a local "Christian" about the 6 million uninsured in Texas..."well-how many of them are wetbacks.Give me the number of legals vs. illegals"
I explained to him that 46 million Americans are uninsured,10 million of which are undocumented workers.Which ones do we let die?
He wants a stronger border.i said "Fine-bring the National Guard home from Iraq/Afghanistan and assign them to border patrol...but that would involve bringing 50% of the troops home.
I then asked him what companies were willing to give a living wage in the US instead of the slave wages they were paying the undocumented workers....no reply yet(Although I KNOW my friend reads DU anonymously now)

It affects me directly because I care for these people and their families.My partner teaches their children.We have always prided ourselves on being "above" the barbaric ways of some third-world countries where the residents are starving to death.We MUST be humane in dealing with these HUMANS,our peers.Strengthen the borders...but don't crucify those who tried to get here for a better life.hell,that was my family in 1901

[pinboy3niner]

2. We've been strengthening the border for years

In the last five years, the number of border agents doubled--to more than 20,000--and NG troops also have been added. Illegal border-crossing has dropped dramatically. Of course, you never hear about that from the "Secure the border first" crowd.