LET REIN REMAIN: GOVERNMENT SHOULD ABANDON DEPORTATION EFFORT

Of all the pleas for pardon that Gov. Ted Kulongoski has considered, it's
doubtful that any has been as convincing or compelling as that of Kari
Rein. Rein, a 42-year-old mother of two, was convicted more than a decade
ago of growing a grand total of six marijuana plants for her personal use.
Because of that relatively minor offense, she faces deportation and
possible separation from her family under the federal government's
hard-nosed post-9/11 approach to enforcing immigration law.

Kulongoski's decision to pardon Rein on Monday should bring an end to the
government's misguided effort to deport the Grants Pass woman, who is
scheduled to appear today at a deportation hearing before an immigration judge.

At a time when federal officials surely have more pressing business - for
example, protecting the nation from attacks by actual terrorists - the
government shouldn't waste another minute or taxpayer dollar pushing for
the deportation of Rein and others like her.

Rein and her husband, a U.S. citizen, were returning home last January with
her family after a vacation to her native Norway. Federal immigration
officials jailed Rein after a routine records check flagged her immigration
green card.

Under the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of
1996, immigrants arrested for crimes, even minor drug offenses such as
Rein's, can be deported. Airport security began running travelers' green
cards through the law enforcement database after the Sept. 11, 2001,
terrorist attacks.

Rein, to put it mildly, does not pose a terrorist threat - or any threat at
all. She and her husband own and operate a mail-order business that sells
herbs and seafoods, and Rein is an active, respected member of her community.

If Rein had once been convicted of a more serious offense - say, kidnapping
or murder - or even if she had failed to complete the terms of her
sentence, then the government's targeting of her might make sense. But
Rein's offense was a minor blip on a local crime scene, and she
satisfactorily completed her sentence - three years of probation, 240 hours
of community service and a $1,200 fine. The case for deportation would have
been weak at the time of her conviction; it is plainly far weaker now.

The governor took an appropriately cautious approach to appeals on Rein's
behalf, assigning his legal staff to investigate before making his
decision. As the governor's spokeswoman, Mary Ellen Glynn, noted, Rein "met
all the qualifications" by having expressed remorse for her crime, posing
no threat to public safety and having been a model citizen since her
conviction.

Immigration authorities should abandon their efforts to deport Rein and
allow her to remain in this country with her family - or, failing that, the
judge should tell the government to take a hike.