Were you a referee in a boxing ring, in this corner would be the U.S. Department of Justice informing local municipalities that they must help Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) round up illegal immigrants or lose federal grants, and in the other corner, cities like Providence and Central Falls who refuse to be coerced into doing what they say are federal duties. Exacerbating the debate is the ham-handedness approach of President Donald Trump whose separation of families at the border and over-expansiveness of the definition of criminal behavior which should precipitate referral to the feds. Obviously, there is a middle ground, i.e. that law enforcement should cooperate where there is a felony involved as opposed to something like littering, as much as I hate that! This serious crime focus mitigates the burden on overextension of limited law enforcement assets at the local level and focuses the heave-ho on whom should be sent packing.

Nonetheless, this bout where local and federal authorities TKO each other senselessly is a total distraction from the real solution and the culprits who created this quagmire, namely Congress.

U.S. Senators and Congressional members have been dithering over immigration reform since the days of Ronald Reagan. Historians will realize that then President Reagan extended amnesty amid a congressional pledge to straighten out our immigration policies in 1986. Fast forward to 30-plus years. The phonies who populate Congress are still wringing their hands in order to advance their own political fortunes. Nothing is more sickening than witnessing the ranting and ravings emanating from Capitol Hill on either side of this issue since the mopes are solely acting for their own benefit.

The whole sorry lot of politicians actually exploits the weaknesses in the immigration rules. Republicans really don’t want immigration reform since they want cheap labor for their agricultural mega-business supporters in their respective states. Democrats make political capital by exploiting immigrants, promising them Nirvana as long as they support them at reelection time. Meanwhile, good hearted citizens, filled with frustration, are screaming and shouting against resettlement even when there are true cases of asylum. Their anger is in direct proportion to the do-nothings in D.C. Regrettably, this country is slipping toward the rebuttal of such values of protection for asylum seekers and for those immigrants who will come here as our forebears did and who made the United States truly the land of the free and opportunity.

I, for one, can’t stand to even look at these politicians who, with furrowed brows and feigned concern, continue to wring their hands notwithstanding the fact that they could act forthwith and end this debacle. When they are around and about this summer and fall looking for your votes, ask them to send to you a detailed piece of legislation that they have signed on to and ask them what they have done to move it forward. Rhode Island’s congressional delegation is comprised of all democrats. No doubt, they will say they need one or more of the houses in Congress to go to the democrats. Follow-up by asking what precisely they will do if that happens or, if the Republicans continue to control Congress what are they prepared to compromise?

Unless you get a satisfactory answer, perhaps you should knock them out.

Arlene Violet is an attorney and former Rhode Island Attorney General.