This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The editorial "Immigration law: Feds sue Utah for good reasons" (Our View, Nov. 27) opines: "The U. S. Constitution grants the federal government supreme authority to regulate naturalization, immigration and foreign policy." "Supreme authority" sounds like kings and dictators unworthy of sovereign citizens.
The federal government has only limited and delegated authority, including "To establish a uniform Rule of Naturalization." That is, Congress provides legislative uniformity in the naturalization process of becoming citizens.
Lawful immigration is part of the naturalization process. Illegal immigration is not. It cannot be regulated; it is against the law.
The states are compelled to absorb and pay for the problems created by illegal immigration. To deny that they can deal with illegal immigration is absurd.
Foreign policy has nothing to do with illegal immigration. It is a domestic problem requiring a local domestic solution — enforcement of the law. The states have the right to enforce the law.
The true foreign policy failure is that, as the Constitution says, "The United States shall … protect each" state "against invasion."
The federal lawsuit against Utah is outrageous harassment and intimidation. It's an excellent reason to impeach Attorney General Eric Holder.
Leonard S. Brown
Richfield