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Obama to Meet With Arizona Governor Today

President Obama will meet with Arizona Governor Jan Brewer today. Brewer intends to ask Obama for more federal assistance in securing the border.

Obama should insist on immigration law reform before throwing more money at the border. Putting enforcement first is the wrong approach. [More...]

Why should we throw more money at efforts like this?

This undated picture provided by the US Customs and Border Protection shows a prototype of a tower for a virtual fence along the border at a test facility in Playas, N.M. An ambitious, $6.7 billion government project to secure nearly the entire Mexican border with a 'virtual fence' of cameras, ground sensors and radar is in jeopardy after a string of technical glitches and delays.

Obama should tell Brewer the U.S. will see her in court and instruct the Justice Department to proceed with a lawsuit challenging the Arizona immigration law.

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  • Display: Sort:
    Obama should not even meet (5.00 / 2) (#1)
    by MKS on Thu Jun 03, 2010 at 02:54:54 PM EST
    with Brewer at all.  

    She has signed not only the papers please law, but also the companion law barring Latino Studies classesin all Arizona public schools--a thoroughly bigotted statute if ever there was one.  The agenda is clear.  That it will blow up in their faces over time is small consolation.

    Papers please has existed since 1952 (none / 0) (#3)
    by MyLeftMind on Fri Jun 04, 2010 at 11:49:40 AM EST
    I know that a lot of progressives are unhappy with this law, but what is a state supposed to do when the federal government refuses to enforce its own laws? Liberals say it's not OK for Arizona to require aliens to carry documentation. But United States law already defines the act of an alien's standing on its soil without papers as a criminal act. What's wrong with a state stepping in to enforce its own identical copy of a federal law that the feds refuse to enforce? Especially since one of the reasons they don't enforce it is because rich agribusinesses want to take advantage of illegal immigrants, and those giant corporations have bought off our government. Aren't we better off if we prevent the abuse of immigrants by ensuring their legal status doesn't prevent them from reporting abusive employers?

    I wish good intentioned liberals would spend some time thinking these issues through instead of having such knee-jerk responses to complex problems. This isn't about race or racism, and it's not about picking on any group of people. It's about doing what's right by our country and the people who live here legally, including our immigrant population. In spite of the racial tensions in states bordering Mexico, the law is applied to ALL aliens, include white Canadians and Europeans. Pretending this is all about racism is as stupid as Obama supporters crying racism every time someone criticizes Obama's corporatist policies. Of course racism exists, and of course cops can be abusive, but this law specifically prohibits racial profiling. Those who are detained illegally will win huge sums in court for their troubles. These issues are complex, and we're not going to find good solutions while lefties are jumping on the bandwagon of false cries of racism. If you can think of other ways to prevent racial profiling, go ahead, make some suggestions. But simply not enforcing the law is NOT reasonable solution, nor should progressives be pushing for such silly responses.

    The real question we need to ask ourselves is why are we so obsessed with helping the people who come here illegally over those who are waiting their turn? If you care about poor Mexicans, then let's provide support to the Mexicans that are still in Mexico suffering under their government's policies that perpetuate abject poverty. Why are those starving children less important than the kids whose parents snuck across the border to have their babies here?

    Let's stop being so naïve about how we're used by those who want to increase their political and economic power. It's in our best interests and it's even better for our immigrant populations if we enforce immigration policy, not just ignore the lawbreakers so the right wing can use it as a wedge issue.

    Parent

    Here's what Brewer had to say (none / 0) (#2)
    by jbindc on Thu Jun 03, 2010 at 03:12:30 PM EST
    Emerging from a meeting with President Barack Obama Thursday, embattled Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer restated her support for the state's controversial new immigration law.

    "I feel very confident about what we have done in the past," Brewer told reporters at the White House after a meeting she had requested with Obama. "It was the right thing to do. I believe we are protecting the people of Arizona. And beyond that I believe we are protecting the people of America."

    But Brewer did signal Arizona would work more closely with the federal government on immigration issues. She said that within the next two weeks the White House will be sending staff to Arizona to brief state officials on the deployment of 1,200 National Guard troops and the $500 million the Obama administration has proposed spending to secure the Mexican border.

    "I am encouraged there is going to be much better dialogue between the federal government and state of Arizona," she said. "I hope that's not wishful thinking."

    Politico