Granted, August is sometimes considered a meaningless time for politics. However, as this long summer month ends, the immigration follies have entertained Utah, thanks to two prominent Utah pols.
The first is state Rep. Stephen Sandstrom, R-Orem, who is determined to become the Jan Brewer of the Intermountain West. A couple of weeks ago, Sandstrom wasted time touting his version of Arizona's bill for Utah. Sandstrom's Arizona imitation intends to make sure that all dark-skinned, Hispanic-looking people who are suspected of a crime provide proof of their citizenship when the cops ask. However, the Orem legislator also promises that there won't be the faintest hint of racial profiling in his bill. and he scoffs at suggestions that the bill might be unconstitutional.
One can perhaps admire Sandstrom's hubris, while wondering about his common sense. The fact is, enforcing immigration laws is a federal responsibility. Sandstrom's -- and Arizona's -- beef is with the federal government. It's a waste of time to follow -- pied piper style -- Sandstrom's bill to a legal defeat.
Those interested in border security or making sure that the border is secure and criminal illegals are deported need to get on the case of their U.S. representatives and senators. Congress can pass an immigration reform law. It hasn't because extremists on both sides of the issue have hijacked debate and won't allow a sensible law that would secure borders and allow guest-worker status for millions of law-abiding illegals to pass.
Call us cynical, but we suspect this immigration legislative failure is enjoyed by some pols who like to talk about immigration reform in heated terms but are reluctant to actually do anything substantial.
Our second prominent Utah pol who stars in this month's immigration follies is our Utah Gov. Gary Herbert. His recent musing that the 14th Amendment should maybe, or probably, be repealed to stop so-called "anchor born-in-the-USA babies" -- to illegals -- from gaining U.S. citizenship was an odd comment from a leader who has previously shown a lot of common sense. Repealing an amendment to the Constitution instead of reaching a sensible immigration reform solution is another example of the demagoguery that handicaps the immigration debate. The 14th Amendment is far, far less a cause of immigration chaos than the chirping of grandstanding pols.
Gov. Herbert added that he wants to hear more from both sides of the debate before taking a final stand on the silly 14th Amendment repeal issue. That leaves us hope that he will eventually realize how senseless his stance is and reconsider.
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