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Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 10:52 am Post subject: Libidiot MN politician says give worker ID cards to illegals
Lawmaker says give worker ID cards to state’s illegal immigrants
Carolyn Lange, Forum Communications Company
Published Monday, October 29, 2007
WILLMAR — Sen. Joe Gimse, R-Wilmar, said he’d like to see Minnesota offer worker ID cards to illegal immigrants.
Doing so would allow “hard-working” undocumented immigrants who are already living here to get “out of the shadows” and work at businesses that need, and want, them.
The Willmar Republican said employer-sponsored identification cards would remove the “criminal aspect” of being here to work.
It would also reduce identity theft because illegal immigrants could use their own identity to get a job legitimately while they work toward becoming legal citizens.
“They’re working hard in our state and we need them here,” Gimse said. “My hope is that this eliminates a lot of the need for illegal activity.”
Gimse, who met privately with community leaders last month in Willmar to discuss immigration issues, said he was shocked with the amount of identity theft that happens when illegal immigrants try to get jobs here.
Making worker IDs available would “stop the aggravated forgery, the ID theft and the related problems that go along with it because these people just want to come here work,” Gimse said.
He said businesses are “doing everything they can to make good hiring decisions” but forged documents are “so sophisticated” that it’s difficult to tell the fake ones from the real ones.
Gimse said if employers question documents, or don’t hire someone because they question the legitimacy of documents, they can be scrutinized for racial profiling. “They’re between a rock and a hard spot.”
Under his plan, undocumented workers could use the IDs to get a job, obtain a driver’s license and be given two years to become legal citizens. If the state had worker IDs, Gimse said he would support the Dream Act that would allow illegal immigrants to pay in-state rates to attend state colleges and universities.
In response to critics who say illegal immigrants should be deported, Gimse said there is “no practical method of rounding them up and sending them back.” And besides, said Gimse, immigrants are a “valuable asset and a valuable part of our community.”
Gimse said the worker ID plan will be one of the proposals he would like to put in the hopper when the Legislature convenes in February. He said other document security options, like driver’s licenses that incorporate digital biometric features such as fingerprints, would be another document security measure to consider.
Gimse will also propose that a working group, called the Minnesota Legislative Caucus on Immigration, be created to gather information and help resolve issues with illegal immigration.
He also wants the House and Senate to create standing committees on immigration.
The Legislature “must become engaged in the immigration debate immediately,” he said. “We need to stop burying our head in the sand and start taking some action on this front.”
He said the Legislature currently has “no platform” to discuss immigration issues. Having a standing committee would provide that venue for discussion and action. The committee could also advocate for immigrants, Gimse said.
Joined: May 22, 2006 Posts: 28640 Location: Mexifornia
Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2007 4:26 pm Post subject:
Commentary: Gimse seeks to clarify his position on immigrants
Sen. Joe Gimse, District 13, Willmar
West Central Tribune - 11/09/2007
Since the publication of the article “Gimse says give worker ID cards to state’s illegal immigrants” in the West Central Tribune and other Forum Communications newspapers across the state, there has been considerable speculation and faulty conclusions drawn.
This demands that I explain myself to constituents.
To clarify: I am not supporting amnesty for illegal immigrants, but rather tighter restrictions for identification that will guard against identity theft. My goal is to look for real solutions to the ever-growing problem of illegal immigrants and their effect on the Minnesota economy, jobs and crime.
Unfortunately, I feel my good ideas and plan have fallen by the wayside due to the direction of the West Central Tribune article. This in turn has created a firestorm of responses from individuals.
One Twin Cities media outlet that picked up on the story even told readers that I want to give voter ID cards to illegals. Nothing is further from the truth.
I have been concerned about illegal immigration since before I took office as the state senator for District 13. In September, several Senate colleagues and I took the initiative to visit human services officials, law enforcement and employers in the Willmar area. We weren’t surprised to find out the level of concern about issues surrounding illegals, especially in the area of identity theft.
The real focus of my legislative proposal is to stop identity theft — what we see as the crux of the problem — by working closely with employers, and by developing better methods to verify birth certificates, Social Security numbers and driver’s licenses.
The idea of giving worker identification cards to illegal immigrants is one proposal that is being put forward in our effort to explore every possible way to resolve this problem.
My approach to this issue is not simple. We will first lay a legislative foundation for fully exploring this complex and difficult issue by bringing in experts in identity security, talking with state agencies that grant documentation to individuals, and hearing the opinions of Minnesota employers and residents.
I have opened some doors at the Capitol to finally provide a forum for this discussion. I am proud of this accomplishment and look forward to the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Minnesotans’ opinions have and will continue to be heard on this issue.
I encourage everyone to continue to be involved over the next several months as the Legislature develops a more comprehensive strategy to deal with these problems.
I appreciate the West Central Tribune allowing me to comment on the article and clarify my position on this issue.
Joe Gimse is the District 13 State Senator. He is from Willmar.
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