by Anne Wakefield
An influential new force has joined the expanding lineup of frustrated and angry critics of the federal government for its repeated failures to undo this nation’s widening immigration mess.
After digesting an extensive study covering the impact of federal inaction on local government entities, which it ordered last year, and conferring with a cross-section of its membership and officers, the International City/County Management Association is circulating its findings and recommendations to the Obama administration and Congress.
ICMA serves 9,000 municipal and county jurisdictions throughout the world. Its management decisions, it maintains, “affect 185 million individuals living in thousands of communities, from small villages and towns to large metropolitan areas.”
The Washington, D.C.-based organization is calling on U.S. political powerbrokers to heed the findings of its report by incorporating four principles into a comprehensive U.S. immigration strategy:
- Overhaul U.S. policy to reflect current economic and social realities, including appropriate enforcement.
- Place control at the national level and immigrant integration at the local level.
- Conduct federal enforcement activities that consider the impact on communities and local governments and promote human rights.
- Redistribute resources equitably that are generated by immigrants.
ICMA deputy executive director Elizabeth Kellar told Hispanic Link News Service and other participating media during a March 5 teleconference, “The absence of a comprehensive approach creates public health and safety issues for our country. Local government managers see the consequences of a patchwork approach to immigration in their communities every day.”
The report, “Immigration Reform: An Intergovernmental Imperative,” stated that the current piecemeal efforts jeopardize the safety and security of citizens and immigrants alike, while imposing significant burdens on the economic and social fabric of localities.
Additionally, it said, the confusion creates intergovernmental tensions that may impede effective working relations on other issues.
Nadia Rubaii-Barrett, the report’s author, elaborated during the teleconference, “To be competitive in an increasingly interdependent and connected world, the United States needs to articulate and implement a comprehensive and coordinated intergovernmental strategy to maximize the benefits of immigrants and minimize the dangers and costs of uncontrolled immigration.”
Two affected local officials also spoke, sharing their “on-the-ground” experiences.
Ron Carlee, county manager of Arlington County, Virginia, emphasized that local governments “must set the tone for a welcoming, tolerant and inclusive environment. Otherwise, there is a danger of unintended consequences from exclusion. Creating a culture of fear and distrust of law enforcement makes a community less safe. Denying educational opportunities to students who may continue to live in this county makes a community less safe. Denying such basic services as well baby care, immunizations and treatment of communicable diseases makes a community less safe.”
Michael (Dave) O’Leary, city administrator of Shelton, Washington, added, “The idea is to build trust so we can get people to report crimes and then bring violators to justice. This is hard work. Many immigrants have come from places where law enforcement is to be feared. Over time, we have madeprogress. Occasionally, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel come to town and conduct surprise arrests. Our city is caught between the goals of our national government enforcing immigration laws and those of our local government protecting people. Immigrants tend to see law enforcement as one entity. When ICE does its work, it undermines ours.”
Concluded report author Rubaii-Barrett, who chairs the Department of Public Administration at Binghamton University’s College of Community and Public Affairs, “Professional local government administrators, who see on a daily basis the potential for positive immigrant contributions to their communities and the negative economic and social consequences of the current failed policies, understand that a comprehensive immigration strategy must begin with a clearly articulated division of responsibilities and the establishment and enforcement of sensible immigration policies that meet the economic and social needs of the 21st century without sacrificing security.”
To access the ICMA report, visit icma.org/immigrationwhitepaper.
(Anne Wakefield is a reporter with Hispanic Link News Service in Washington, D.C. Email: anneleew@aol.com). ©2009
