We hope Gov. John Hickenlooper's pledge to evaluate the operation of a federal immigration program in Colorado isn't the opening note of a song that other Democratic governors have begun to sing
...It would be very disappointing if Hickenlooper's efforts to get the "real facts" on Secure Communities were to turn into a declaration that the state wouldn't participate, as has been the case recently in Massachusetts, Illinois and New York.
...It's not a state's choice whether the federal government enforces immigration laws, and the governors who have declared they are "opting out" of the program are pandering to vocal constituencies and not considering the big picture.
... Critics...say the government has, in practice, deported too many people whose only transgression is being in the country illegally.
We don't object to Gov. Hickenlooper taking a closer look at the operation of Secure Communities in Colorado. However, we hope this isn't a harbinger of a misguided attempt to put up a roadblock to federal enforcement of federal immigration laws.
