Napolitano to Head DHS?
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Within the last hour or so word has leaked out that Gov. Janet Napolitano (D-AZ) may be President-Elect Barack Obama's pick to head the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). I don't think I can stress the degree to which Gov. Napolitano would be a phenomenal pick to head this agency.
DHS is the overarching administrative agency that controls and has jurisdiction over all matters of immigration policy in the United States. Both the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are sub-agencies under DHS. As a consequence, whomever Obama picks to head DHS is going to play an integral role in trying to foster a comprehensive immigration reform legislative package. And as I said earlier, I can hardly think of a better pick than Gov. Janet Napolitano.
First off, as Governor of the border-state Arizona, Napolitano has had a first-hand, acute experience with the immigration problems plaguing our country. She understands the realities of the challenges caused by thousands of people crossing over her border from Mexico into the United States. She knows the strains this places on infrastructure and, I think, she understands the great human toll border-crossing places upon the people who try to make the treacherous walk across into the U.S. She was the first governor to call for National Guard troops to secure the U.S. Mexico-border.
Back in June of 2007 Napolitano penned an Op-Ed piece in the New York Times that really gives insight into how she thinks about comprehensive immigration reform. In short, she gets it. While she strongly supports border security, she also believes that a functional guest worker program needs to be implemented in advance of fences being built. She's against the unworkable "touch back" provisions. And while I know this may sound pie-in-the-sky, my sincere hope is that she'll be able to marshal the resources necessary to make USCIS an efficient and functioning governmental agency. Gov. Napolitano, hire the people necessary to bring those priority dates current!
All in all, if this appointment comes through, it signals that the Obama administration is very serious about addressing the sticky thicket that is immigration in the United States. It's extremely encouraging.
