Immigration laws under fire at Colorado forum

[Brian503a]

http://www.longmontfyi.com/Local-Story.asp?id=10144

Publish Date: 10/1/2006

Immigration laws under fire at forum


By Douglas Crowl
The Daily Times-Call

LONGMONT — Criticism and concerns about Colorado’s new tough immigration laws arose as a top issue during a panel discussion Saturday.

The discussion concluded a daylong Lay Clergy Institute forum, called Bridging the Immigration Divide, that left panelist Sen. Brandon Shaffer, D-Longmont, defending his support for the laws.

While speaking from the audience, keynote speaker the Rev. Stan Perea told Shaffer that all the state leaders should be voted out of office for passing the legislation.

Shaffer said to be careful what you wish for because there were even stricter proposals that were diffused.

“There are some unintended consequences,” Shaffer explained earlier, speaking about House Bill 1023, which requires state services be given only to those with proof of legal residence.

Questions remain on whether the law also restricts nonprofit agencies that receive state grants, such as the OUR Center in Longmont, he said.

Shaffer said he knows of people who can’t get a Colorado driver’s license because they can’t produce a birth certificate, even though they are clearly American citizens.

“We might have to take a step back from the legislation and see how it really works,” Shaffer said, though he still stands by it.

Longmont Police Chief Mike Butler, also a panelist, was concerned about new laws requiring officers to report suspected illegal immigrants to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

He said the new laws could result in illegal immigrants not reporting domestic violence because of fears that the victim could be deported.

Meanwhile, ICE agents typically don’t respond to reports regarding minor crimes, Butler said.

“They have the potential chance of becoming more harmful that the intended consequence,” Butler said of the laws.

He added that illegal immigrants don’t commit many serious crimes in Longmont, including gang-related violence.

Panelist and Pakistani immigrant Tahir Aziz said local police shouldn’t have the burden of enforcing immigration laws, while undocumented immigrants need to be able to trust officers.

“The policeman’s job is to provide law and order,” he said. “If you go to the police, you go for help,” and people shouldn’t fear being deported.

Boulder immigration lawyer Laurel Herndon said illegal immigrants are not criminals but rather victims of a failed immigration system that makes it nearly impossible to gain legal status.

She said that most Mexican immigrants wishing to obtain legal status need to be rich or able to go back in time to be born to different parents.

“The people who are the victim of the system have no voice and depend on people who do have a voice to stand up and speak out,” Herndon said.

She said the forum Saturday was an opportunity to speak out.


Douglas Crowl can be reached at 303-684-5253, or by e-mail at dcrowl@times-call.com.

[Newmexican]

Boulder immigration lawyer Laurel Herndon said illegal immigrants are not criminals but rather victims of a failed immigration system that makes it nearly impossible to gain legal status.

They are the victims of a failed Mexican Government.