Congress must address immigration

Recently Santa Fe’s new mayor directed city employees not to cooperate with federal immigration officers in an effort “to safeguard the human and civil rights of immigrants and refugees within the city.”

This is an emotional issue on all sides. A balanced view – as opposed to a narrow political stance – considers the rights of individuals alongside the collective rights of society.

America is an ongoing experiment in aligning the rights of the individual and society. We value personal liberty, but our country is founded on the rule of law. It’s my view that only when laws are obeyed can individuals live safely and freely.

The immigration issue is a prime symptom of Washington’s dysfunction. We have a federal immigration policy that is supposed to be the law of the land. But the law is so badly drawn that cities such as Santa Fe and states such as California have declared themselves above and apart from federal law.

The answer to bad or confusing laws is not to defiantly break the law; it’s legislation to change the law. When will Congress finally deal with the immigration issue?

Until it does, this legal confusion impacts society as well as immigrants. As the Journal reported, 63 New Mexico businesses recently were given audit notices because they are suspected of employing undocumented workers. This mars our economy and is part of what delays our recovery from the Great Recession.

As a border state with the second-highest unemployment rate, New Mexico is more affected by the immigration issue than most states. We need congressional representatives who will take the lead in reforming immigration law so that both individuals and society are protected. MICK RICH Republican nominee, U.S. Senate