Editorial: Law should not be enforced selectively

Friday, Feb. 8, 2002 | 4:57 a.m.

The undocumented immigrants indicted Wednesday for giving their employers at McCarran International Airport false statements and documents should not be punished more severely than if they had been found working at a hotel or construction site. Among the 27 people indicted were two women who for the past year have received praise for how hard and well they worked in cleaning planes for United Airlines. There is no evidence to suggest they did anything more wrong than any of the other tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants in Southern Nevada. Yet they are facing up to five years in prison or deportation.

Airport security needs tightening and that means the paperwork on all employees needs to check out. Taking away their airport jobs is acceptable. Imposing punishment not imposed on all other undocumented immigrants is unacceptable.

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