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Historically, most law enforcement is accomplished at the most local level possible. The town cop or county sheriff who knows most of the locals is preferred over some higher authority, as long as the local enforcement hasn't been corrupted by bigotry or an imbalance of power. State police have historically focused mostly on highway safety and the FBI generally stays out of enforcement unless it involves interstate flight or a specific violation of federal law. Ideally, the laws being enforced were set in place by a legislature subject to the will of the people. With immigration issues these assumptions break down.

What is the crime of an illegal immigrant? Being born in the wrong place should not be considered criminal behavior. Is it wrong to want to live in another land? To whom do we grant authority to deny that urge? How draconian will we allow enforcement to become? Most of the inhabitants of North America are descendants of immigrants. Who has the right to say no more may enter? What litmus test imbues legitimacy upon immigrants?

Inherent human rights are not altered by citizenship. If you read the Bill of Rights, you will discover that our Constitution does not grant rights to citizens or anyone else. It limits government from interfering with the natural rights that all humans have from birth. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights expands upon this concept to assert the sanctity of dignity to all people everywhere.

To restate the original question, is there a role for state and local government in dealing with immigrants? Yes, most certainly. We should each use whatever authority we have to protect the dignity and equal liberty of every human being. State governments should resist authoritarian maneuvers by the federal government. This is a representative democracy, not a police state.

I'm proud to have lived in Mukilteo, Washington. During World War Two, the citizens of this seaside village came to the aid of local residents of Japanese ancestry. When federal authorities came to arrest them and lock them away in concentration camps, they found nobody home. Nobody was able to give any clues where the Asian immigrants might be hiding, though they were protected by their neighbors for the remainder of the war.

May we all be bold enough to insist that humanity supersedes nationality. No human is illegal. Immigration laws must be changed when they make it difficult for humble people to live healthy lives. Don't ask us to enforce rules that fall short of our values.

Learn more about this author, Vernon Huffman.
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