http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2007/ ... reform.txt

Coalition calls for immigration reform

By John Lyon
The Morning News
LITTLE ROCK -- A coalition promoting immigration reform urged Arkansas' congressional delegation Friday to push for a fix of the country's immigration system "consistent with humanitarian values."

Speaking at a news conference on the state Capitol steps, members of the Arkansas Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform said as a new session of Congress gets under way, they wanted to remind Arkansas' federal legislators of the need for immigration reform that is both realistic and humane.

Tom Navin, director of the Catholic Diocese of Little Rock, said there was a lot of talk about immigration reform six months ago, but lately the topic has received less attention.

"It's dropped down on the priority list tremendously. Our purpose today is to try to encourage our federal legislators to increase that priority and give it the attention that it needs," Navin said.

He said the country needs policies reducing waiting times for immigrant families to be reunited and give undocumented immigrants an earned path to legalization.

"What we are interested in in this coalition is an opportunity for hard-working illegal immigrants, who are already contributing to this country, to come out of the shadows, regularize their status upon satisfaction of reasonable criteria, and over time pursue an option to become lawful, permanent residents and even citizens of the United States," he said.

Jean Towell, president for Citizens for Immigration Reform in Dallas, said in a phone interview that she disagrees with the coalition's view of how immigration should be reformed.

Towell said her organization favors legal immigration but wants tougher measures to stop illegal immigration, such as increasing border patrols and building a wall along the border with Mexico.

"I don't agree with rewarding people for breaking the law," she said.

In Little Rock, Luis Gutierrez, a staff member of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN, said immigrant workers need to be protected from abuse.

"Border enforcement is not going to work, period. Our tax dollars can be spent in a more intelligent, constructive manner," he said.

No representatives of the business community took part in the news conference. ACORN staff member Neil Sealy said the coalition has spoken to business leaders.

"We found so far they're not willing to come out and to be open, but we're going to continue to have conversations," he said.

Asked about a bill by Rep. Rick Green, R-Van Buren, prohibiting state contracts from being awarded to companies employing illegal immigrants, Sealy said he did not believe it would be the best way to ensure that state tax dollars are used to fund good jobs in Arkansas.

"I think a better way to do that would be requiring contractors to pay a living wage, to provide benefits to all employees and to have a union neutrality clause," he said.

Green's bill was defeated in committee Tuesday. Green has said he would rerun the bill later.

Other organizations part of the coalition include La Casa, the Democratic Hispanic Caucus, the Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice and Service Employees International Union Local 100.