<link /> <description /> <docs>http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification</docs> <generator>mojoPortal Forum module</generator> <item> <title>Enforce the law. Don't take my privacy.

August 4, 2010


Dear Friend of South Carolina,

The cost of illegal immigration in South Carolina continues to rise.

Not only does it take hours to see a doctor in our emergency rooms…

and we are paying for their welfare with our tax dollars…

but now we are being asked to surrender our state sovereignty and to help build a National ID database because of these illegal immigrants.

In a recent news article, Senator Glen McConnell swore to pass Arizona-like legislation in South Carolina.

The idea behind the Arizona law, that a state should have the ability to resolve its own illegal immigration problems, is right.   I fully agree with the concept of state sovereignty.

But, as they say, the devil is in the details.

The problem is the bill McConnell is promoting in South Carolina, S1446 (link here), which was introduced by Senator Grooms, will surrender state sovereignty in the name of fighting illegal immigration.

S1446, if implemented, would require South Carolina to implement all federal immigration laws, even laws that require amnesty, or unconstitutional searches, or National ID cards - further weakening our state’s sovereignty.

Even worse, S1446, if implemented, will force all state, county, and local governments to cooperate with the federal government’s creation of a national identification systemby sharing data with any government agency that asks for it.

The good thing is that S1446 died at the end of the last legislative session.

The bad thing is that it is most surely going to be re-introduced at the beginning of the next legislative session.

So, we need to take some preemptive measures to make sure we don’t perpetuate the problems.

The bill starts out on the wrong foot.  The very first thing S1446 declares is, “No official or agency of this State or any political subdivision of this State may limit or restrict the enforcement of federal immigration laws.”

So much for state sovereignty; this bill just chucks it right out the window in one sentence.

Remember, a federal law that grants amnesty is an “immigration law.”  Not all immigration laws deserve enforcement.

Our state should always reserve the right to decide the constitutionality of any federal law before we enforce it.

To further quote the bill, “…officers and agencies of this State and any political subdivision of this State may not be prohibited or restricted from sending, receiving, or maintaining information relating to the immigration status of any individual or exchanging that information with any other federal, state, or local government entity…”

Sound like a National ID database?

As if that weren’t enough, the bill also incorporates a federal law (8 USC 1373) into state law with this language, “…a Federal, State, or local government entity or official may not prohibit, or in any way restrict, any government entity or official from sending to, or receiving from, the Immigration and Naturalization Service information regarding the citizenship or immigration status, lawful or unlawful, of any individual…”

Did you catch that?

Every person, without restriction, would go into a National ID database.  That includes you!  In other words, it implements REAL ID.

That is why you need to call and insist these new provisions not be included in any new immigration law.

Here is the real rub:  South Carolina already has one of the strongest illegal immigration laws in the country.

H4400, which amended SC Code of Laws, Title 41 Chapter 8, was passed three years ago.  This new law was phased in over three years, with the final phase being implemented July 1, 2010.

This law, with a few minor adjustments, will eliminate South Carolina’s illegal immigration problem.

It requires all employers in South Carolina to verify the immigration status of all their employees.  The penalty for an employer who does not verify the legal status of his employees is the revocation of his business license.

Not just a slap on the wrist, not just the arrest and deportation of the illegal immigrant, but the revocation of the employer’s business license.

That is an extremely strong incentive for employers to comply with the law.  Losing their license means they are no longer in business.

The current law, as implemented by H4400, addresses the reason immigrants come here illegally… to make money.  It goes after the “root cause” of the problem.

S1446 only addresses the symptom of the problem - the fact that we have illegal immigrants here.  And it has these two glaring problems regarding state sovereignty and National ID.

So make sure you call Senator Larry Grooms, Senator McConnell, and your own senator and tell them you don’t like these provisions of S1446.

H4400 did not create any new database.  It did not require South Carolina to enforce unconstitutional immigration laws.

H4400 is a good law that is already enacted.  S1446 is bad legislation that will subvert our state sovereignty and assist the federal government in creating a National ID database.

South Carolina fought long and hard only a few years ago to nullify the Real ID Act of 2005.  Let’s not now implement the most offensive part of that Real ID act, the National ID database, by enacting this new immigration bill, S1446.

Just last year, South Carolinians won a hard fought battle to pass the Sovereignty Resolution.  Let’s not now voluntarily subvert our own sovereignty with S1446.

H4400 is a good law, and with a few minor adjustments, it will eliminate our illegal immigration problem in South Carolina.  We only need to give this law time to work, while keeping its enforcement fully funded.

I predict it won’t be long before most illegal immigrants who live in South Carolina will move out of state because they will not be able to make any money.

So please, call and email Senator Larry Grooms, the bill’s sponsor,  and Senator Glen McConnell, President Pro Temp of the Senate, as well as your own senator and tell them we don’t need the problems S1446 would create.  We already have one of the strongest laws in the country for dealing with illegal immigrants.

Senator Larry Grooms
STR@scsenate.org
(803) 212 – 6400

Senator Glen McConnell
SJU@scsenate.org
(803) 212 – 6610

You can find your senator and his contact information by clicking here and entering your zip code.

Also, please donate now to help keep our state government accountable to the people.


Best regards,

Talbert Black, Jr.
Interim State Coordinator
South Carolina Campaign for Liberty
http://twitter.com/talbertjr1

GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY
STATE SOVEREIGNTY


P. S.  Don’t forget to call and email Senator Larry Grooms, the bill’s sponsor,  and Senator Glen McConnell, President Pro Temp of the Senate, as well as your own senator and tell them that we don’t need the problems S1446 would create.  We already have one of the strongest laws in the country for dealing with illegal immigrants.

Senator Larry Grooms
STR@scsenate.org
(803) 212 – 6400

Senator Glen McConnell
SJU@scsenate.org
(803) 212 – 6610 

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http://scmra.org/Forums/Thread.aspx?pageid=3&t=9~-1#post9 BillBrews http://scmra.org/Forums/Thread.aspx?pageid= Sun, 05 Sep 2010 15:03:29 GMT