Virginia action reflects growing state-federal tension on immigration

A federal judge’s ruling might have given President Obama a temporary
victory in his administration’s suit against Arizona over its
controversial immigration law, but a flurry of activity in other states
suggests a much larger battle over immigration is in the works.

Last week, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli issued
an opinion authorizing state and local police to check the immigration
status of individuals stopped by police for any reason, echoing a
provision in the Arizona law.

{mosads}The state’s governor, Bob McDonnell (R), has been working for
months to reach an agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement to train state troopers to enforce federal immigration laws.

Observers
on both sides of the issue said Cuccinelli’s ruling is unlikely to have
significant implications for immigration enforcement, at least in the
short term.

But it is the latest in a series of developments to reflect the
growing tension between state governments and the administration over
immigration.

Virginia is one of nine states formally backing Arizona’s immigration law.

Just days after the Obama administration filed suit to block the
Arizona law, Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox filed a brief in
federal court supporting the law on behalf of Alabama, Florida,
Nebraska, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas and
Virginia.

“It is appalling to see President Obama use taxpayer dollars to
stop a state’s efforts to protect its own borders,” Cox said in a
statement.

The controversy surrounding Arizona’s law has not deterred other states from trying to pass nearly identical legislation.

Ira Mehlman, spokesman for the Federation of American Immigration
Reform, said the recent uproar has forced some states to take action.

“The
American public has reached a point with the administration’s refusal
to [enforce immigration laws] and are demanding that state and local
governments do something,” Mehlman said.

As of June 30, five state legislatures — South Carolina,
Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Rhode Island and Michigan — have introduced
immigration legislation similar to Arizona’s, according to the National
Conference on State Legislatures. Bills in Utah, Florida and Texas are
expected shortly.

Supporters of the Arizona law say this kind of activity at the
state level reflects the American people’s growing frustration with the
Obama administration’s approach to immigration enforcement.

The
administration argues the Arizona law usurps the federal
government’s authority on immigration matters and has called for
comprehensive reform at the national level. 

Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) told The Hill he shares the national
frustration over immigration enforcement, but said legislative action
by states was not the answer.

“The American people want one set of national rules that govern immigration and enforcement,” Gutierrez said.

The latest poll numbers favor the Arizona law’s supporters.

According to a Washington Post-ABC News survey, nearly 60 percent of Americans nationwide approve of the Arizona law. 

A
recent Quinnipiac University Poll showed that voters want an
immigration law like Arizona’s in their home state, by a 48-35
percent margin.

Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration
Studies, said this puts the president in an “unenviable” position
politically, between satisfying a liberal base that hates the Arizona
law and the growing number of conservative Democrats and independents
who support it.

“President Obama would much rather the whole thing just go away, but the issue just keeps boiling,” Krikorian said.

As
more states take immigration matters into their own hands, the pressure
on Congress and the administration to act is growing.

“It’s going to be impossible to duck the issue,” Krikorian said.

Senate
Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has promised several times to bring
a comprehensive immigration reform bill to the floor, but efforts have
stalled due to stiff Republican opposition and unease among some
moderate Democrats.

Immigration is certainly high on the minds of voters going into midterm elections this November.

Ten
percent of respondents in a recent Gallup survey listed immigration or
illegal immigration as the nation’s most pressing problem, the highest
percentage in more than two years, according to the polling agency.

That might be good news for the GOP, though some Democrats have
accused Republicans in Congress, and state officials like Cuccinelli,
of sensationalizing the immigration issue for political purposes.

“This
all seems like another GOP immigrant hysteria tactic cooked up in the
back room of Fox News Channel or wherever they gather to compare
notes,” Gutierrez said.