The Border Battle For '08 Begins

Michelle Malkin

"...Giuliani's newfound border-security zeal is intended to blunt criticism by GOP rival Mitt Romney of Rudy's pro-sanctuary record as New York mayor. Giuliani has issued Clintonian denials that he supported sanctuary. But the record is clear.

New York City's sanctuary policy was created in 1989 by Democrat Mayor Ed Koch and upheld by every mayor succeeding him. When Congress enacted immigration reform laws that forbade local governments from barring employees from cooperating with the old Immigration and Naturalization Service, Giuliani filed suit against the feds in 1997.

He was rebuffed by two lower courts, which ruled that the sanctuary order amounted to special treatment for illegal aliens and was nothing more than an effort to flaunt federal enforcement efforts against illegal aliens. In January 2000, the Supreme Court rejected his appeal, but Giuliani vowed to ignore the law.

To this day, the city's policy of safe harbors for illegal immigrants stands. Giuliani successor Michael Bloomberg defiantly reiterated the official sanctuary posture of NYC this week: "Let 'em come." Could he be more cavalier and out of touch in a post-9/11 world?

From New York to Newark to Seattle to Portland to San Francisco to Los Angeles to San Diego to Houston to Miami, lawmakers have taken this go-with-the-flow attitude toward illegal border-crossers and visa overstayers and deportation fugitives. "Let 'em come."

What is referred to as Greater-NY encompasses parts of northern New Jersey and southern Connecticut. On any given day when the sun is shining and the temp is anywhere near shirtsleeve, 14 million people make their way in and out of New York City. Perspective? We're talking a population greater than 45 states. NYC is the magnet for all that is good, bad, or ugly, and mayor after mayor, governor after governor, has come to the conclusion that there must be a certain degree of wink-wink, nudge-nudge, don't ask, don't tell, policy regarding illegal immigrants. And during the summer months, how about 16 million people in and out of the 5 boroughs. Beaches, parks, shopping, theater, culture. No where in the world can one find as much to do in a single place so but of course illegal immigrants are going to flock while the flocking is good.

When confronted with reality, even Mr. Law & Order himself believed removing illegals to be an impossible dream. Its nice for Michelle to think otherwise, but until someone comes along with a real plan, and the billions of bucks and thousands of enforcers to implement it, nothing is going to change.

And know why Bloomy thinks illegals contribute more than they get? Federal money. Your money, my money. Take THAT away, impose stiff financial penalties for harboring illegal immigrants, and then you'll begin to put a dent in the flow, because throwing MORE money into the pot without strict beancounting will only make matters far worse.