Back in July I said, “the immigration laws need to be updated, but simply resisting enforcement of existing law with endless conversations, waving signs, yelling and screaming, harassing enforcement officers, burning public property, and stopping traffic isn’t helpful and produces no meaningful results,” (Start assisting in immigration issues,” July 10).
And “legislators could start with guest worker programs that are structured to support the ebb and flow agricultural labor needs. Once vetted for the guest worker program, these workers could enter the ‘fast lane’ when they return next season; new workers would still require proper vetting prior to entry. Once on the job for a couple of seasons or those employed in year-around operations could be assisted to become naturalized citizens with educational programs provided by the employer.”
Considering the time it takes to prepare new legislation, I doubt that my suggestion prompted Congressman Salud Carbajal and two of his colleagues to initiate an immigration reform package in Congress. Their proposal, The Dignity Act of 2025, is a good start and hopefully Congress will take this effort seriously.
The positive parts of this proposal include improved border security, asylum reform, mandatory E-Verify to establish legal status, increases in criminal penalties for unlawfully reentering the country, allowing children of undocumented aliens to become citizens, allowing undocumented immigrants in the U.S. to earn legal status if they pass a criminal background check, paying back any taxes owed, and completing the naturalization process.
However, there are some controversial provisions, such as establishing “a presumption that family separation constitutes hardship, and international students would no longer be required to demonstrate their intention to go back to their home countries after completing their studies.”
This new proposal is only a start; some in Congress may agree with these ideas, others will likely oppose it. Since this is being proposed jointly by Democrat and Republican Congress members, hopefully the debate won’t result in lengthy partisan bickering. Making public policy is a lot like making sausage; you throw in a lot of parts, grind it up with endless discussion, and even though you wanted sausage you may get liver and onions instead.
And even if the new law passes and is signed by the current president, a future administration, like the Biden administration, could simply not enforce parts of the law it doesn’t like.
The news of the new proposal was published in Noozhawk (July 26) the same day that Congressman Carbajal authored a scathing letter, signed by many Democrat politicians, demanding that Sheriff Bill Brown, who is the president of the Major County Sheriffs of America, “do everything within his power as the leader of this national law enforcement advocacy organization to publicly stand up against the Trump administration’s dangerous immigration enforcement campaign that is putting our constituents in harm’s way.”
Public officials took an oath of office when they were elected to serve. That oath states in part that “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States.” Current laws, enacted by Congress, regulate entry into the United States and deportation therefrom.
Asking the sheriff to ignore federal law seems to conflict with the oath he and his fellow law enforcement officials took when elected.
And, if we truly want to deport “the worst first,” opening the jails for ICE agents would help satisfy that goal. Why? Because that’s where the worst are; charged with crimes, tried by jury, and convicted. Instead of protecting criminals, why not remove them so they can no longer prey on innocent people.
Congressman Carbajal had a good idea; he should have stayed in his lane initiating immigration reform instead of demanding that Sheriff Brown “publicly stand up against the Trump administration’s dangerous immigration enforcement campaign.”
Ron Fink writes to the Sun from Lompoc. Send a letter for publication to letters@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Aug 7-17, 2025.
