Thread: MT - Lawmaker says cities should be forced to help feds enforce illegal immigration l

By MATT GOURAS Associated Press
January 14, 2013 - 1:49 pm EST

HELENA, Montana — Montana lawmakers are looking at a proposal that would require cities to help enforce anti-immigration laws.

The measure from Republican David Howard of Park City would prohibit cities from establishing policies that they won't enforce illegal immigration. He told the House Judiciary Committee on Monday that it ensures local governments will enforce federal law.

Opponents argue it forces local police forces to pay for the extra job of enforcing federal immigration, and perhaps imposes on the Montana constitutional right to privacy.

It is just one of two anti-immigration bills proposed so far at the Legislature. Lawmakers in 2011 pitched many more such bills.

One of them was placed directly on the ballot and requires proof of citizenship in order to receive state services. Voters overwhelmingly approved it November.

Lawmaker says cities should be forced to help feds enforce illegal immigration laws

Same author and source, slightly different wording.
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By MATT GOURAS, Associated Press
Updated 1:39 pm, Monday, January 14, 2013

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Montana lawmakers on Monday looked at a proposal that would require cities to help enforce anti-immigration laws, which supporters argue is necessary to prevent what has happened in other states.

The measure from Republican David Howard of Park City would prohibit cities from establishing policies that they won't enforce illegal immigration. He told the House Judiciary Committee on Monday that House Bill 50 ensures local governments will enforce federal law.

Howard said that cities elsewhere have made it a policy for their police officers not to inquire about immigration statues or to report illegal immigrants to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He argued a statewide ban is needed before any cities in the state try to adopt such a policy.

Howard, a retired agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, said illegal immigrants know which cites set up such policies.

City enforcement of immigration laws before panel - seattlepi.com