Much Ado About Nothing

The most recent news about immigration enforcement comes from Chipotle outlets in Minnesota.  Immigrations & Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel recently performed an audit and found reason to believe that hundreds of workers who prepare burritos and other Mexican fare for the above-mentioned franchise are, in fact, illegal aliens.  In response, Chipotle fired these employees, if they were unable to provide proof of legal residency and authorization to work.

Millions of Americans have expressed elation that the federal government finally did something (anything!) to enforce our nation's employment and residency laws, and there are also lots of folks who are furious that "hard working immigrants" have been displaced from their employment.

The truth, however, is that anyone who reacted with something more than a yawn to this story is getting needlessly excited.  Nothing has transpired in the "Land of 1000 Lakes" to suggest that we're getting anything other than the "same-old-same-old."

More specifically, this "crack-down" is a farce.  No illegal alien is being taken into custody.  No undocumented worker or employer is being prosecuted.  No Chipotle employee unlawfully here is being ushered into deportation proceedings.  The sum total consequence of this "immigration audit" is that the illegals who were rolling and stuffing burritos for Chipotle, will now have to apply for jobs at the Qdoba or Del Taco a few blocks away.

In short, this is a show.  And it is a show that produces not much.  No one's tossed out of the country, no one's fined, and no one will face criminal charges.  What the show is intended to accomplish, is to give the American public the impression that out-of-control illegal immigration is finally being addressed by government authorities.  This is it!  Now Obama, Napolitano and the USCIS have gotten serious!

Which, of course, they haven't.  And any party that does get serious, like the State of Arizona, will discover the true sentiments of our Chief Executive and his loyalists, when it finds itself on the receiving end of lawsuits and endless insinuations of racism.

The evidence shows that the only thing they're serious about in regard to illegal aliens, is providing most of them with an amnesty.  Just like the tough talk a few years ago about a border fence (the fence that never came close to being finished), or the more recent chirping about the newly acquired unmanned drones that are patrolling the southern border (which have succeeded in leading to the apprehension of essentially no one), the entire purpose of the Chipotle measure was to build an argument that now is the time for "comprehensive immigration reform," because "serious efforts" are being made in the area of immigration enforcement.

Don't be fooled.  Like the cool-looking drone planes, the Chipotle event is splashy, featured in news stories, and designed to grab attention.  What was actually achieved by the audit, however, tells the observer everything he needs to know about our President's true intentions -- No one's leaving, facing serious consequences or even paying a small fine.