I’m a news junkie, so not much shocks me…
But as I was setting the dinner table, I heard a television report that California’s Gove
rnor Jerry Brown was slated to sign into law a bill allowing illegal aliens to become attorneys in the United States. Officers of the court. Defenders of the Constitution.
Dinner had to be reheated… I couldn’t miss this one.
The case involves Sergio Garcia, a 36-year-old undocumented U.S. resident living in California. Garcia came to America with his parents when he was a baby, went back to Mexico at age nine, and returned to the States at age 17.
Since his return, Garcia’s father has become a U.S. citizen, and his mother is a permanent legal resident.
But while Garcia graduated from law school at Cal State Chico and earned his JD at Cal Northern School of Law, he never obtained citizenship. According to reports, Garcia was included on his father’s green card in 1995, but has been waiting ever since for his own.
Regardless, allowing someone to become an attorney in the U.S. before they obtain citizenship is putting the cart before the horse.
California’s Governor Jerry Brown signed SB1024 into law on Saturday, allowing illegal immigrants to become attorneys — with Sergio Garcia as the legislation’s inspiration.
This is a “Twilight Zone moment” for me, when I doubt my senses and ability to objectively understand reality, because it all seems so ludicrous…
If you are not a U.S. citizen, why would you pledge to uphold our laws, while simultaneously grandstanding on the fact you feel especially exempt from the rule of law?
And if you have no reverence for process, why should you be afforded the privilege of being an officer of the court?
I will say this: I applaud Garcia for his hard work and dedication in obtaining a law degree, especially since English is likely his second language. It sounds like Garcia would be a great addition to our legal workforce and country in general, since he clearly has work ethic and determination, unlike a lot of Americans.
Make no mistake; this staunch conservative has lots of empathy.
But this really isn’t about any one person or situation…
I can’t put myself in Sergio Garcia’s shoes. He has applied for a green card, and in the meantime he has worked hard to obtain a law degree.
However, to allow an undocumented immigrant to be a defender of U.S. law in court is setting a precedent that citizenship doesn’t matter.
It also sends a message that our laws don’t demand enforcement.
I have known people from Russia, Israel, Germany, and other places who wait in desperation to hear if they can stay here legally. But they are overlooked and hounded, while the plight of illegal Mexicans is treated like a civil rights issue. Enough already.
Garcia’s story has inspirational elements and, frankly, his success and hard work could be an inspiration to immigrants and U.S. born citizens alike. Instead, Garcia’s glorification of illegal immigration will be his claim to fame.
Thanks to California, Sergio Garcia and illegal immigrants will be able to practice law.
There’s just one problem: It’s illegal to hire an undocumented worker.
So while they may practice law, they won’t get paid.
I guess that’s the next law California will need to change.
