What would Martin Niemoller think about Arizona?

[Urbane Guerrilla]

And, from Ruben Navarrette, who's made a business of being "all inmigrantes all the time," weighs in with another of his rather strained columns, viz.,

• The scope and intent of the law have always been clear. Truth: Supporters like to forget that there have been two versions of the law. The first was defective and had to be fixed one week after it was signed by Gov. Jan Brewer.

IOW, the problem was noted and the patch was applied well before the law went into effect. No point for Mr. Navarrette here.

• Arizona is being invaded. The law is a cry for help. Truth: No, it’s a claim to victimhood. Our society is full of people who duck responsibility for their actions by playing the victim. Now states are doing it. Arizona has illegal immigrants because Arizonans hire them. Take away the “help wanted” sign, and they won’t come.

As if that were anything like a realistic option. I'd call this shot a two-cent special. When México has a middle class visible to the naked eye, the immigration problem will dry up. It's an economic problem with an economic solution; it will not be tractable by remedies of law nor of fortification.

. . . Under existing federal statutes, immigrants may have their citizenship questioned but only by federal agents. Under the Arizona law, that power is extended to local police. Many legal scholars believe this to be clearly unconstitutional because immigration policy is a federal responsibility and not something that can be done piecemeal by individual states.

And he would -- what? Continue the present ineffectuality? Federal agencies not getting the job done they say should be done, while doing something...? A state is indicting the Fed for not doing something assigned it by the Constitution; of course the Fed deserves to be embarrassed at this. Complaining about it isn't going to help anyone.

And finally, this straining at a gnat while clearly not recognizing he's doing so:

• This law makes Arizonans safer. Truth: Quite the opposite. By sending illegal immigrants underground, Arizona has created a pool of ready-made victims who can be preyed upon at will because they won’t report crimes to police. Scoundrels, thieves and predators will pounce.

That's the present situation, Ruben carito. What's this "if this goes on" scenario of yours? Oh, right -- this is the kind of strained thinking that's all through your columns any time inmigrantes come up.