Now Chertoff chimes in

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff spoke to reporters last week. His remarks were picked up by the AP and the story showed up here in Illinois with the headline: “Chertoff: Hiring illegal immigrants will cost until law changes”.

It really isn’t a change of position. Essentially he is telling them what he has been saying all along.
1) Personally, he wants a guest worker program that will allow these people to work legally. He also sees no way to send home 12 million people who are here illegally.
2) Congress has not changed the laws, despite his personal efforts to lobby for comprehensive immigration reform.
3) Homeland Security must enforce the law.
4) What is lacking is proof that we can enforce the law, something the American people are clamoring for.

But that position, logical as it is, does not let him (or Bush) off the hook. The statistics clearly show that this administration has done LESS to enforce immigration laws than Bill Clinton did; significantly less.

This recent flurry of enforcement activity is simply a demonstration to the people since their political plan didn’t work.

September 11th taught them nothing.

Chertoff’s enforcement will be high profile, headline-grabbing, irritating stuff. That’s the maximum bang for the buck.

And his statements now are calculated to send a message to the protesters: Don’t give up. Take to the streets. We need you to put pressure on for amnesty.

As I said yesterday, there is a big problem when Homeland Security doesn’t have their heart in enforcement. They are going through the motions here and we all know it.