Doing the Right Thing

Arizona has decided to do what the government won't do: impose hefty sanctions on businesses who employ illegal aliens including possible revocation of their business license. The law just went into effect this January not without controversy from illegal aliens, friends of illegal aliens and of course Mexico.

The "Legal Arizona Workers Act" prohibits employers from knowingly employing unauthorized aliens. It requires the Attorney General and county Attorney to investigate complaints about employers who hire unauthorized aliens.It makes it unlawful for a person to file false and frivolous complaints against an employer. If an employer knowingly employs an unauthorized alien, the act requires that the employer's business license be permanently revoked. It requires employers to verify their employees through a free federal basic pilot program. the act makes it a crime to take the identity of another to obtain employment.

Michele Malkin has a post regarding a delegation of Mexican lawmakers from Sonora who went to Arizona to lobby against the law arguing their state cannot absorb all the Mexicans that would come home if they cannot find employment in Arizona.

While I know some of you disagree with Michele, I know I sometimes do, I have to agree with her on this and ask the Mexican delegation who's problem that is: theirs.

I applaud Arizona for daring to draft a law that at least looks good on paper, and goes to the extent of making a criminal act to steal someone's identity in order to work. I also applaud the federal courts so far upholding the law. What remains to be seen, however, is if - at this is quite a big if - Arizona will ENFORCE the law.

After all we got to where we are with the illegal immigration problem by not enforcing laws already on the books. So forgive me if I don't hold my breath waiting for this particular law to leave the paper and become actionable.