The reason for the lawsuit
The Obama administration is suing Arizona, but Rhode Island has already been enforcing federal immigration law by an executive order from the governor since 2008. Rhode Island law enforcement has done what Arizona wants its law enforcement officers to do…stop illegal immigration. Rhode Island’s law has been in effect since 2008.
Hey Obama…you gonna get Eric Holder to sue Rhode Island?
The Boston Globe reports (H/T to HotAir.com):
Rhode Island State Trooper Nuno Vasconcelos was patrolling Interstate 95 a few months ago when he came upon a two-car accident in heavy traffic. The trooper pulled up, stepped out of his cruiser, and asked one of the drivers for his license.
The man said he did not have a license, and under questioning, confessed that he was here illegally from Guatemala.
If the accident had happened 15 miles north in Massachusetts, the man would probably have been arrested for driving without a license, which carries a fine of up to $1,000 and 10 days in jail, then released pending an appearance in district court.
But in Rhode Island, illegal immigrants face a far greater penalty: deportation.
“There are police chiefs throughout New England who hide from the issue . . . and I’m not hiding from it,’’ said Colonel Brendan P. Doherty, the towering commander of the Rhode Island State Police. “I would feel that I’m derelict in my duties to look the other way.’’
This is what Obama is doing…looking the other way to gather the Hispanic vote.
From Woonsocket to Westerly, the troopers patrolling the nation’s smallest state are reporting all illegal immigrants they encounter, even on routine stops such as speeding, to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE.
Rhode Island’s collaboration with federal immigration authorities is controversial; critics say the practice increases racial profiling and makes immigrants afraid to help police solve crimes.
Want to know the irony of the Obama administration suing Arizona? Nowhere in the suit is racial discrimination or profiling mentioned. Basically the Department of Justice is suing Arizona for wanting to do what Rhode Island has been doing since 2008.
Yes, Obama wants to sue a state for wanting to enforce laws that protect Americans. On the other hand, Demcrats want to ease these immigration laws to help the criminals sneaking across the border. This adds up to 12 million plus undocumented Democrats committing crimes and voting in elections. A win-win for Obama and the Democrats.
Will Rhode Island face the same scrutiny Obama put on Arizona? The states of Oklahoma, South Carolina and Utah are about to pass immigration laws similiar to those of Rhode Island and Arizona. Will Obama sue these states as well?
Maybe Obama should concentrate on the economy, reducing unemployment and plugging the damn hole in the oil well instead of concentrating on states who want to enforce laws that his administration refuses to enforce. Claiming the Arizona law ‘unsurps’ federal authority wouldn’t be an issue if the federal authorites were doing their job.
Obama, do you damn job!
