Arizona, Immigration, and Common Sense

Arizona's recently enacted immigration law seems to have really stirred up lots of people.  Consider:

• AP: MEXICO CITY -- Mexico's government is warning its citizens about travel to Arizona because of a tough new immigration law there.
  
  The travel alert from the Foreign Relations Department urges Mexicans in Arizona to "act with prudence and respect the framework of local laws."
  
  It says that the law's passage shows "an adverse political atmosphere for migrant communities and for all Mexican visitors." 
  
  This from the same Mexico that published a pamphlet showing how to enter the United States illegally never mind that the law concerns illegal immigrants not US citizens or legal visitors.  But hey, if you're exporting hundreds of thousands of your own illegally why not!

• April 27 (Bloomberg) -- Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told U.S. lawmakers her agency has “deep concerns,” about a new immigration law in Arizona and said the U.S. should pursue a comprehensive overhaul of its immigration policies.
  
  
  Attorney General Eric Holder, at a news conference in Washington, said he also has concerns and said the Justice Department is considering going to court to challenge the Arizona statute.
  
  
  The new Arizona law “will detract from and siphon resources that we need to focus on those in the country illegally who are committing serious crimes, in addition to violating our nation’s immigration laws,” Napolitano told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee today.
  
  
  This bit of nonsense by Ms Napolitano is really priceless.  She suggests that we a) "pursue a comprehensive overhaul of immigration policy."  Lets not wonder that having had several serial amnesties over the years in the name of immigration reform and consistently not enforcing the immigration laws hasn't worked.  No.  Instead lets do it again!  She goes on to suggest b) that we "focus" on those committing serious crimes.  Perhaps it's just me bit isn't illegal immigration a crime, isn't the Federal Government responsible for border security, hasn't the Federal Government failed in that responsibility, isn't Ms Napolitano's agency responsible for border security, didn't Ms Napolitano while governor of Arizona not only not deal with the problem but twice veto similar bills?  Perhaps Ms Napolitano needs to go to common sense camp.  As to Mr Holder, I wonder if he understands that the Federal Government failed in its responsibility.

Common sense suggests that notwithstanding the dangers inherent in the Arizona law, illegal immigration is a serious problem and the Federal Government has utterly failed in it's duty.  It would of course be better if stated didn't have to resort to state law in this matter.  But given that Arizona and many other states have been invaded by hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants and the Federal Government has failed to act, common sense requires that something be done.