Janet Napolitano: no to "silent amnesty", yes to immigration "reform"

Arizona governor Janet Napolitano offers the guest editorial "The Myth of Amnesty/The Senate Immigration Bill vs. a Disastrous Status Quo". She has a "plea" to Congress:

You can't quit now. Last week the Senate was on the verge of addressing our broken immigration system. No, the compromise bill wasn't perfect. But our current system is a disaster. I implore lawmakers to go back to the table, iron out their differences and give us an immigration system that is enforceable, and the resources to enforce it...

Echoing the Wall Street Journal editorial board, she says that opponents 'merely yelled "amnesty" in place of reasoned opposition. They were -- and are -- just plain wrong.'. While the first part is certainly true of some, it's certainly not true of most. And, it's also false that the Senate bill isn't amnesty. Illegal aliens will be given immediate legal status, and the government will only have 24 (or 48?) hours to disapprove their applications. And, both that and the bill in general will be perceived as a massive amnesty by millions around the world. So, it pretty clearly is amnesty.

Then, she says: "No one favors illegal immigration." That's also obviously wrong. Many businesses prefer illegal aliens. And, many people - including Janet Napolitano herself - take steps to ensure that illegal immigration continues unabated. And, there are others who don't really favor illegal immigration per se, they just support massive immigration of any kind, including from specific countries such as Mexico.

She also accuses opponents of supporting a "silent amnesty", a phrase she uses no less than four times.

But, wait, there are more questionable statements:

Don't label me soft on illegal immigration. As a U.S. attorney (predating the Gonzales Justice Department), I supervised the prosecution of more than 6,000 immigration felonies. I govern a state where, in 2005, there were 550,000 apprehensions of illegal immigrants. I declared a state of emergency at our border that year, and I was the first governor in the nation to call for assistance from the National Guard. I have also established task forces on vehicle theft and the manufacture of fraudulent identification to complement federal law enforcement efforts.

She's also taken steps to encourage illegal aliens to live in her state, so her record is mixed at best.

Comments

She is another fraud that talks the talk and then battles valiantly to keep the flow coming. Another detestable creature unworthy of the office she holds.

Agreed. Janet should swing from a gallows for her treasonous behavior and actions.