Porous borders exact a high price. Ineffective immigration enforcement undermines respect for law and threatens national security. The steady flow of illegal immigration also passes unpredictable and largely un-reimbursed costs onto states and counties already struggling to maintain safe, healthy and prosperous communities. That de facto unfunded mandate is draining local law enforcement, health care and education budgets. Any serious immigration reform must take account of those intergovernmental impacts and protect states and localities from the fiscal shocks generated by federal policy failures.
That is why effective border security and internal enforcement programs are essential prerequisites to broader immigration reforms. Otherwise, any new immigration law will suffer the fate of the last effort 20 years ago, when good intentions were overwhelmed by weak follow-through. The status quo is not sustainable. Reform is clearly needed. But rushing into simultaneous adoption of so-called “comprehensive” immigration changes before securing the borders would be a comprehensive mistake.
When Washington fails to exercise control over what is pouring into the national melting pot, states, counties and cities feel the heat. Decades-long neglect of the sovereign responsibility to adequately police national boundaries and enforce national laws has transferred immense burdens downstream to local taxpayers. Although difficult to quantify precisely, the impact of illegal immigration on state, county and city budgets is undeniable, and growing. According to one estimate, those without a legal right to be here generate net fiscal costs approaching ten billion dollars nationally.
The State of California is reported to have spent almost $3 billion in a single year providing services to illegal immigrants. Federal reimbursements cover only a fraction of the cost state and local law enforcement agencies spend to arrest and detain undocumented aliens. Federal law requires emergency medical departments to treat everyone, including illegal aliens. The national cost of such mandated free health services exceeds $1 billion annually. This year, federal reimbursements will cover only one-quarter of that total. States, counties and cities have a right to expect the fiscal security that will only come when the federal government focuses on effective border security.
Controlling our borders will require unprecedented effort at all levelsof government. No program to harden or patrol the international boundary will ever be 100 percent effective.
Fences and checkpoints have to be accompanied by strengthened enforcement at what is called the “internal border” where undocumented aliens apply for work, official documents and public benefits. And those who enter legally, but subsequently violate the terms of their visas, should be pursued and detained by vigilant internal enforcement systems. But securing the internal border, particularly at the magnet of illegal immigration — the workplace — has not been a post-Sept. 11 priority. In fact, criminal prosecutions and fines under current laws have been declining steadily since 1999.
That failure of enforcement is being felt throughout the nation, as the tide of undocumented aliens swells well beyond the six traditional settlement states of California, New York, Texas, Florida, Illinois and New Jersey. As of last April, legislatures in 43 states considered bills on immigration issues.
Attempting to fill the vacuum left by earnest but hopelessly understaffed federal efforts, states sought to control access to education and other public benefits, strengthen employment verification, punish human trafficking, strengthen eligibility requirements for identification documents and voting, and coordinate law enforcement.
County governments and mayors have similarly taken steps to regain some control over their fiscal fate.
When your basement is flooding, you plug the leaks first, then start the remodeling job.
Plugging our porous immigration system will free states and counties to focus on their core responsibilities to protect the health and safety of all those seeking to build a better community.
Congressman Davis represents Virginia’s 11th District.
