The issue: Gov. Bob Riley wants more state troopers to nab illegal immigrants.

Our position:

This opens the state police force to charges of abuse.

Interesting that Gov. Bob Riley wants more Alabama State troopers to become trained in the ways of curbing illegal immigrants.

We wonder, though, if he hasn’t jumped a little far too quickly.

Sure, the troopers already on the force who deal with illegal immigrants are trained by Homeland Security. Basically, these troopers are enforcing federal laws.

Riley wants a fourth class. The stat has sent troopers to three others.

Certainly, people who come into this country illegally are in violation of U.S. law. There’s no argument about that.

But there’s something disturbing about a state police force examining documents and making decisions that immigration officers working for the U.S. government should make.

Perhaps a stronger message to send would be for the state to crack down on the employers that bring in illegal immigrants to work for next-to-nothing and live on pennies a day.

If the state troopers cracked down on those folks, then the state would see a difference.

A big difference.