Immigration arrests are just first steps

As expected, Gov. Matt Blunt's increasing crackdown on illegal immigration in Missouri is starting to create complaints and confusion. Neither the complaints nor the confusion should deter state officials from maintaining their stand on the problem in Missouri. Everyone from business owners to legal guest workers must remember - this program is designed for one single purpose and that is to remove ILLEGAL workers from Missouri. The mechanics of the program are relatively unimportant. What's important is that these law-

breakers know they are illegally working here and, if I'm not incorrect, breaking the law is still breaking the law.

First to complain was the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in St. Louis. They said the crackdown would have a "chilling effect" on business owners who "are not going to hire a Hispanic because they don't want to run any risk of going afoul of the government."

Not true. It's the responsibility of the business owner to obtain proper documentation from the workers. If those documents are fraudulent, then it's the illegal workers who will pay the price.

The latest fallout over this newer and tougher immigration policy in Missouri hit last week when officials raided a work site in Hannibal. Word had reached law enforcement officials that a subcontractor was employing illegals. Nineteen Hispanics were questioned but only one was found to be here illegally. But here's the kicker. Fifteen of the workers were not in the immigration database which means they were either legally here or had never been arrested. All of those were allowed to continue work. In other words, the policy is not as draconian as some would have you believe. It is designed solely to remove those who have entered this country illegally and have broken the law.

I have long held the belief that the quickest way to reduce illegal immigration is to target those who employ these workers. The notion of a fence along our southern border seems silly to me and it always has. And my intention has never been to punish those employers who work within the law. It's to send a clear signal and message that illegal hiring practices will no longer be tolerated. It starts and ends there.

I don't understand why the true message of illegal immigration is so very lost in the political rhetoric of the times. There is a fairly simple process available for foreign workers to enter this country and make a living. That process is available regardless of the country of origin. And, as we all know, jobs here are dependent on those workers. We understand all of that.

So why are we even discussing illegal immigration? If everyone agrees that we have a legal process and those who fail to follow the rules are in fact illegal, shouldn't that end the discussion? You would think so.

Gov. Blunt and his administration are taking the right approach on this issue. You can argue over the details of the new policy and you can make adjustments where needed. But in the end, this nation must have some control over those who cross our borders for whatever purpose. It's not too much to ask those coming here to follow our laws. And if we ever fully abandon that policy, pity us and future generations.