House immigration bill crosses line

Another opinion piece showing why the House plan on Illegal Immigration Control won't work. The only thing it does is make the people who are against immigration feel that they are winning the battle, even though it will do nothing. It will not solve the problem. DP

Legislation's punitive measures have no place in U.S. law; its drawbacks far outweigh benefits

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: The punitive immigration and border security bill approved this month by the U.S. House of Representatives is a frightening and largely useless piece of legislation. Its mean spirit — and its failure to provide a constructive solution to the very real problem of illegal immigration — should effectively bar the bill from becoming law.

The House should discard most of the "Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005" and start over.

The most troublesome of the provisions in the House bill sponsored by U.S. Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) would turn illegal immigrants in the United States into criminals, subject to a prison sentence of a year or more. (Illegal immigration is currently a civil violation, not a crime.)

In and of itself, Sensenbrenner's proposal is a meaningless gesture. The United States is not about to prosecute and imprison 11 million immigrant men, women and children. Such a step is neither possible nor practical, even if it were desirable, which it is not.

Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.