Vast majority of states passing immigration enforcement bills!
Posted on Thursday, May 08 @ 06:25:09 EDT
Topic: State Laws Immigration illegal legal
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 ALIPAC Note: The fact that the vast majority of states are passing immigration enforcement bills and that Congress is afraid to touch "Comprehensive Immigration Enforcement" amnesty proves our contention that the majority of Americans want enforcement and not a path to citizenship for illegals currently in the US!
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States have considered more than 1,100 bills that deal with aspects of
immigration this year, while a member of the Congressional Hispanic
Caucus April 23 called the Democratic leadership "spineless" for not
taking up comprehensive immigration reform.
Meanwhile, the House passed a bill to extend a visa program for
religious workers, and the governors in three border states asked
Congress to extend an operation that has placed National Guard troops
along the U.S.-Mexican border.
And Catholic organizations and religious orders joined with other
church groups in signing a letter protesting a bill introduced in
Congress that would force immigrant families to live in a detention
center until their immigration cases are resolved.
The National Conference of State Legislatures in a report released
April 24 said that, as of the end of March, 26 states had enacted 44
laws and adopted 38 resolutions on immigration topics.
In 35 states, 198 pieces of legislation were introduced dealing
with law enforcement. They included bills authorizing local police
agencies to enforce federal immigration laws; penalizing those who
transport or harbor illegal immigrants; and requiring agencies to
determine the immigration status of arrested or jailed noncitizens.
Topics: illegal immigration, states, state laws, legislation, bills, laws, local enforcement, battle of the states, ALIPAC, No Amnesty, police
The report said some bills would change bail regulations for people who
are in the country without authorization or require property forfeiture
of those who violate immigration laws. Other bills would financially
penalize communities that pass laws creating "sanctuary cities," where
local governments prohibit actions against people just on the basis of
their immigration status.
Also in 35 states, 192 pieces of legislation dealt with driver's
licenses and other identification or documentation requirements. Most
of the license bills would create stricter proof of legal residency to
get an ID or license. A handful, however, would permit some immigrants
without legal residency status to get driver's licenses.
Other bills called for people to have stricter proof of
identification and immigration status to receive public benefits;
employer sanctions for hiring workers without permits; and limits on
tuition benefits, grants or scholarships for immigrants without legal
residency. Some bills would exclude immigrants without legal resident
status from attending state-funded colleges or universities.
A handful of states are considering laws dealing with human
trafficking or intended to protect immigrants' rights and access to
services regardless of their legal status, the report said.
Ten legislatures were considering bills to help immigrants deal
with the legal system, including efforts to establish criteria for
being allowed to give legal advice to immigrants. Other bills would
provide funding to help legal permanent residents become citizens, the
report said.
In Washington, members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, all
Democrats, expressed frustration at lawmakers' inability to deal with
immigration legislation at the federal level.
At an April 23 press conference, Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona
called the Democratic leadership "spineless" because of its
unwillingness to bring a comprehensive immigration reform bill to the
floor.
The Senate last year spent weeks trying to pass a comprehensive bill that had bipartisan support, but the effort collapsed.
The House dropped its parallel legislation and has only considered
less-ambitious bills such as the extension for religious-worker visas
passed on a voice vote April 15, the day Pope Benedict XVI arrived in
Washington. The Senate has yet to vote on that bill.
Hispanic caucus members complained about hearings scheduled for a
bill on immigration enforcement requested by first-term Rep. Heath
Shuler, D-N.C.
The Democratic leadership scheduling such a hearing means "we are
no better than the Republican majority we replaced," said Rep. Luis
Gutierrez of Illinois. He also criticized Democratic efforts to pass
bills that would aid only certain classes of would-be immigrants who
lack sufficient visas but whose skills are in demand, such as high-tech
workers.
"Today my party wants to do what is easy, not exactly what is
right," said Gutierrez. "The leaders in our party who are arguing for
consideration of helping just a few immigrants are risking the future
of all immigrants."
Rep. Joe Baca, D-Calif., who chairs the Hispanic caucus, said the
visa efforts and other bills under consideration were "nothing more
than a Band-Aid being used to cover up a gaping wound."
Govs. Arnold Schwarzenegger, R-Calif., Janet Napolitano, D-Ariz.,
and Bill Richardson, D-N.M., meanwhile, asked congressional leaders to
extend and fully fund Operation Jump Start, which has placed National
Guard troops on the U.S.-Mexican border.
They said in an April 22 letter: "Operation Jump Start should not
be a placeholder for comprehensive immigration reform. It is, however,
a necessary and temporary step in fulfilling the federal government's
responsibility to secure our country's borders."
The governors noted that the Department of Homeland Security has
not hired and trained enough Border Patrol agents to meet its objective
for staff on the border. The agency also recently announced another
delay in implementing its "virtual fence" on the border.
The Associated Press reported April 22 the agency is scrapping a
brand-new $20 million "virtual fence" along the Arizona-Mexican border
because it doesn't work right.
Another letter April 21 to members of Congress signed by 80
national, state and local organizations expressed opposition to the
Secure America through Verification and Enforcement Act, H.R. 4088,
because of "its significant negative impact on children."
The bill, sponsored by Shuler and Reps. Brian Bilbray, R-Calif.,
and Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., calls for the creation of a detention center
for immigrant families modeled after the Don Hutto Family Residential
Facility in Texas, which, the letter said, "leads to the
'incarceration' of innocent children."
The Hutto Center was the subject of a lawsuit over its conditions
for children and families, resulting in a settlement between the
American Civil Liberties Union and federal Immigration and Customs
Enforcement that led to some improvements, the letter noted.
Nevertheless, it said, Hutto and other family detention centers,
built as adult prisons, are inappropriate for detaining families with
children who are awaiting decisions on their immigration cases.
Among organizations signing the letter were Network, a Catholic
social justice lobby; the Xaverian Brothers USA; divisions of the
United Church of Christ and the Lutheran, Mennonite, Evangelical
Lutheran and Episcopal churches; Catholic Charities of Houston and
Syracuse, N.Y.; groups of Maryknoll, Dominican and Immaculate Heart of
Mary sisters; Pax Christi affiliates; and community and national
immigrant and legal rights groups.
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