As we have said many times before in this space, until our “leaders” in Washington, D.C., commit to constructive, bipartisan discussion of comprehensive immigration reform (something more unlikely the deeper into the 2020 election campaign we go), our country will lurch from one related crisis and unconstructive, partisan argument to another. No problem will be solved.

Now, the fight is about whether the Trump administration should or can under the law move immigrants detained at the U.S.-Mexico border to so-called “sanctuary” cities.

Instead of studying the idea or offering an alternative solution to this challenge, House Democrats want an investigation of President Trump. Of course they do. Add it to the list.

Therein lies the problem. We hear a lot of “you can’t” or “you shouldn’t” directed by one side at the other in the nation’s capital with respect to the border and illegal immigration, but we hear little to no “we can and we should.”

As for the idea first floated by the Trump administration last week, we have these thoughts:

• Isn’t it hypocritical for “sanctuary” supporters to question President Trump’s adherence to law when the definition of “sanctuary” involves thumbing your nose at the law?

• We do not reject the Trump administration’s idea for transfer of border detainees outright because we believe by contributing to illegal immigration challenges through embrace of “sanctuary” status, these cities bear some responsibility for responding to the problem of what to do with those men, women and children who have been detained at the border. This responsibility shouldn’t fall on the shoulders of only border cities or border states.

• Finally, while we haven’t agreed with every decision or proposal of President Trump on this issue, we do give his administration credit for continuing to focus attention on and give priority to the border and illegal immigration. Congress needs to adopt a similar sense of urgency.

Regardless of how the present dispute over transfer of those detained at the border to “sanctuary” cities ends, it appears the systemic changes necessary to fix the border and illegal immigration for the long term will remain undone and chaos will continue to reign.

After all, it’s much easier for decision-makers to simply point fingers at one another.

Sioux City Journal,

April 17, 2019