Good News! There’s Some Executive Branch Action On Immigration — If You Know Where To Look

Juan Mann

09/14/2004

Asking the sobering question "Three Years After 9/11: Is The Tragedy Just Beginning?" Peter Brimelow analyzed the current state of the two possible answers to terror that he identified after 9/11:


Brimelow wrote:

"In contrast to the enormous national effort expended on the war abroad, there has been absolutely no statutory and essentially no executive branch action on immigration reform at home. And incredibly, President Bush’s Homeland Security Undersecretary Asa Hutchinson has just celebrated the 9/11 anniversary by telling reporters that it is 'not realistic' to reduce the 8-12 million illegal aliens now in the U.S. and that it is 'probably accurate' that no law enforcement officers are looking for them. ["Rounding up all illegals 'not realistic,'" by Jerry Seper, Washington Times, September 10, 2004.]

I’m not quite so pessimistic. Like scouring a forest for footprints and broken twigs, there are some signs out there of improved executive branch immigration enforcement — if you know where to look.

I'd give the executive branch a solid five (5) out of a possible 100.

And that’s progress.

Of course the legislative branch does get zero (0) out of a possible 100 — and Congress' potential influence on immigration policy is infinitely larger than that of the executive branch.

But, eventually, reality will reach Congress.

So into the woods we go!

By progress, I’m not talking about the massive Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reorganization, which was largely cosmetic. And it’s obvious that Asa Hutchinson is cut from the same mold as the Bush Administration’s first (and last) Immigration and Naturalization Service Commissioner, James Ziglar.

Just by opening their mouths, Hutchinson, Ziglar, and DHS Secretario Tom Ridge (the similarity in their statements is uncanny) have all served notice on society that they are unable and unwilling to enforce the immigration laws of the United States.

But the executive branch action hero for immigration law enforcement since 9/11 is Attorney General John Ashcroft in the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Here’s what has been done since 9/11:








Unfortunately, NSEERS was subsequently suspended by the DHS. There’s still a long way to go.

But, from an immigration enforcement standpoint, America is better off having John Ashcroft in the Attorney General’s office than in a U.S. Senate seat representing Missouri.

Juan Mann is a lawyer and the proprietor of DeportAliens.com.

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