2010 July

Disappointing.

The overall law will still take effect Thursday, but without the provisions that angered opponents — including sections that required officers to check a person’s immigration status while enforcing other laws.

The judge also put on hold parts of the law that required immigrants to carry their papers at all times, and made it illegal for undocumented workers to solicit employment in public places.

U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton ruled that the controversial sections should be put on hold until the courts resolve the issues.

Don’t bother emphasizing that the judge blocked only parts of the law. She blocked the parts that matter, so the law basically is impotent.

Do states have inherent authority to enforce federal immigration law?

Update: A nice summary from Heritage.

I’ve blogged about immigration enforcement from a Christian perspective several times. In fact, I was working on an article I planned to submit to Christianity Today in response to this article. About an hour ago, someone pointed me to this article, similar to my own. If I finish the piece, I may submit elsewhere or post it on the blog.

An excerpt of “Immigration Reform: Another Christian View”:

“With so many Christian leaders on one side of immigration reform, how could there be any doubt? But there is doubt. Polls show church members with deeply divided opinions. The issue is far more complicated than the rhetoric used by many who favor liberalizing current immigration law.

“Here are some of the complexities:

“1. The United States is not analogous to ancient Israel. Biblical “sojourners” are not easily comparable to modern-era illegal immigrants. The “foreigners” in ancient Israel were non-Israelites who were permitted to pass through or reside in Israel. They were required to comply with Israel’s laws and respect its customs.

“2. The oft-quoted command in Leviticus 19 that “you shall not oppress the alien” should indeed inform our attitudes. But this passage provides no clear guidance on how the United States should set limitations on immigration. It does not indicate whether 1 million “green cards” granted every year are too few, too many, or just the right number.

“3. Alongside the biblical teachings about hospitality to strangers also stand the teachings about the rule of law. The Christian point of view on immigration reform should also look at passages such as Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2. They stress a clear responsibility to obey properly constituted human authorities when their demands do not violate conscience. U.S. authorities are well within their proper powers in controlling immigration. Christians on all sides acknowledge that power, but the question is how to balance justice against mercy toward those who have broken the law.

“4. It is important to distinguish the callings of church and state. The church is called by God to welcome all with the grace of Jesus Christ. It does not make distinctions according to nationality or immigration status. The state is called by God to enforce justice. It properly makes distinctions between those who obey and those who break the laws. It properly looks first to the interests of the citizens for whom God holds it responsible.”