Rule of law now an election issue

American Thinker

The  Obama administration’s response to yesterday’s Supreme Court decision affirming  the right of authorities to seek proof of legal residency when otherwise engaged  with suspects has now made manifest Barack Obama’s contempt for the rule of law.  This is a legitimate election issue that the Romney camp should take up. It far  transcends immigration and ethnic  politics. Stephen Dinan of the Washington Times explains the response:

The Obama administration said Monday it is suspending existing  agreements with Arizona police over enforcement of federal immigration laws,  and said it has issued a directive telling federal authorities to decline many  of the calls reporting illegal immigrants that the Homeland Security Department may get from Arizona police.

Administration  officials, speaking on condition they not be named, told reporters they expect  to see an increase in the number of calls they get fromArizona police – but that won’t change President Obama’s  decision to limit whom the government actually tries to detain and  deport.

“We  will not be issuing detainers on individuals unless they clearly meet our  defined priorities,” one official said in a telephone  briefing.

The  official said that despite the increased number of calls, which presumably means  more illegal immigrants being reported, the Homeland Security Department is unlikely to detain a significantly higher  number of people and won’t be boosting personnel to handle the new  calls.

“We  do not plan on putting additional staff on the ground in Arizona,” the official  said. (snip)

On  Monday the administration officials also said they are ending the seven 287(g)  task force agreements with Arizona law enforcement officials, which proactively  had granted some local police the powers to enforce immigration  laws.

Needless  to say, ICE is about to be very busy processing claims for residence permits on  the part of people who claim to have met the conditions for  President  Obama’s suspension of the rule of law for younger illegal immigrants. In other  words, law enforcement is too burdened to enforce the law because it is enabling  the president’s refusal to enforce the law.

Arizona  Governor Jan Brewer has got it right. Via Fox Nation (Hat tip Gateway Pundit) :

“As  though we needed any more evidence, President Obama has demonstrated anew his  utter disregard for the safety and security of the Arizona people. Within the  last two hours, I have been notified the Obama administration has revoked the  287(g) agreement under the authority of which Arizona law enforcement officers  have partnered with the federal government in the enforcement of immigration  law.

“Of  course, it is no coincidence that this announcement comes immediately on the  heels of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling upholding the constitutionality of the  heart of Arizona’s anti-illegal immigration law: SB 1070. It’s worth noting that  68 law enforcement entities in 24 states have functioning 287(g) agreements with  the federal government. But it appears the only agreements eliminated today were  those in Arizona, the state that happens to be on the front lines of America’s  fight against illegal immigration. We are on our own,  apparently.

“I  suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. The Obama administration has fought the people  of Arizona at every turn – downplaying the threat that a porous border poses to  our citizens, filing suit in order to block our State from protecting itself,  unilaterally granting immunity to tens of thousands of illegal aliens living in  our midst, and now this. Still, the disarmament of Arizona’s 287(g) agreements  is a new low, even for this administration.

“Since  2006, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security credits the 287(g) program with  identifying nearly 300,000 potentially-removable aliens nationwide. Immigration  and Customs Enforcement has trained and certified more than 1,500 state and  local officers to assist in the enforcement of immigration law, including many  in Arizona. In fact, even as the President was wiping out Arizona’s 287(g)  agreements, the ICE website itself continued to herald the collaborative  approach of the 287(g) program, noting, ‘Terrorism and criminal activity are  most effectively combated through  a multi-agency/multi-authority approach  that encompasses federal, state and local resources, skills and  expertise.’

“The  President’s action should be of concern to all Americans. This fight is not  over. President Obama may disregard Congress. He may target individual states  like Arizona. He may generally act with impunity. But he is not above judgment –  and the American people will have theirs very  soon.”

I  do not believe for a moment that the American people approve of a de facto  presidential veto over enforcing the law. There have already been far too many  instances of the Obama adminsitration ignoring laws it doesn’t like, as for  instance in the bankruptcy of Chrysler.  Voters don’t care much for the rights of  bond holders, but they do care about letting illegals who anve come under  suspicion for law breaking remain in this country.

C’mon  Romney! man up and make the rule of law a campiagn issue.

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