Lawmakers at odds over illegal immigration fixes

By Tim Hoover
The Denver Post

Posted: 11/29/2010 05:49:11 PM MST
Updated: 11/29/2010 05:51:43 PM MST


Illegal immigrants cost Colorado taxpayers as much as $1.5 billion a year, put downward pressure on wages and hurt employers that comply with the law.

That, at least, was the view presented today by advocates for stronger immigration laws at a summit held by the Republican Study Committee of Colorado, a group representing the most conservative GOP lawmakers.

The summit came as Sen.-elect Kent Lambert, R-Colorado Springs, has said he will sponsor a tough new immigration law.

"It'll be, let's say, very similar to the Arizona (Senate Bill) 1070 law," Lambert said.

That law, which President Barack Obama's administration is fighting in court, would require Arizona police to question the immigration status of people they suspect are in the country illegally, require immigrants carry registration papers, ban illegal immigrants from looking for work in public places and allow for warrantless arrests for crimes that could result in deportation.

A federal judge has put those provisions on hold while the legal challenge is decided.

Such a law could face tough sledding in Colorado, where Republicans next year will control the state House while Democrats control the Senate and the governor's office.

Democrats and immigration rights groups called Monday's gathering "extremist" and said an Arizona-style immigration law is not what Colorado needs.

"I am open to thoughtful, cost-effective proposals that reflect the values of our citizens," said House Minority Leader Sal Pace, D-Pueblo, "but foisting a one-size-fits-all law such as Arizona's 1070 onto our unique state isn't the thoughtful answer Coloradans deserve."

Gov.-elect John Hickenlooper, the Democratic mayor of Denver, has expressed concerns about such a law.

"Arizona's law is troubling, but I am not surprised states are trying to address immigration policy because Congress hasn't," Hickenlooper said previously. "People throughout the country are justified in feeling angry over the failure of the federal government to deal with this issue."

Republicans also have called upon outgoing Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter to sign on to the federal "Secure Communities" program. Under the system, the fingerprints of people booked into jail are automatically matched against a database of prints maintained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, identifying those who have been detained or deported before or who have had other contact with immigration authorities.

Ritter has said he wants to sign on to the program but only if ICE tailors an agreement for Colorado that addresses concerns about civil liberties. So far, such an agreement has not been signed.

Hickenlooper "supports Gov. Ritter's efforts to negotiate an (agreement) with the federal government," said Eric Brown, his spokesman. "It's too early to say what happens if an agreement is not reached by Jan. 11."

Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies for the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Immigration Studies — a group that backs stronger laws against illegal immigration — said immigration to the United States was at an all-time high, with 13 million legal and illegal immigrants coming over the last decade. She estimated there were approximately 170,000 illegal immigrants in Colorado.

Jack Martin, director of special projects for the Federation for American Immigration Reform - which calls for improving border security, stopping illegal immigration and reducing legal immigration - estimated the cost of illegal immigrants to state and local governments in Colorado was about $1.5 billion a year.

Of that cost, Martin said, an estimated 55 percent is spent to educate the children of illegal immigrants and another 11 percent is spent on English proficiency programs.

Rep. Spencer Swalm, R-Centennial, wanted a breakdown of where immigrants come from by country.

"I'm concerned about countries that are primarily Muslim," Swalm said.

A speaker later in the day was scheduled to talk about the "history and current status of gang ties to drug cartels and Al Qaida."

The Republican summit Monday did not feature testimony from immigrant rights groups or from individuals about economic benefits of illegal immigration, a fact critics said showed it was an echo chamber hearing.


http://www.denverpost.com/legislature/ci_16736807