http://washtimes.com/metro/20060201-111859-6218r.htm

House approves tougher alien bills
By Christina Bellantoni
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
February 2, 2006


RICHMOND -- Hispanic leaders, immigrants and illegal aliens yesterday lobbied the General Assembly to oppose pending measures that they say would scare people and hurt the state's economy, as the House of Delegates overwhelmingly approved bills that would toughen Virginia's immigration laws.
The House yesterday approved on a 77-22 vote a measure that would give 50 state troopers the authority to detain illegal aliens.
Also, delegates today are expected to pass a bill that denies illegal aliens college admission and a measure that requires students who cannot prove their legal presence to pay out-of-state tuition rates, even if they graduated from a Virginia high school.
The approval of the trooper bill comes a day after Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, a Democrat, told The Washington Times that he thinks immigration ranks low on the list of priorities among Virginians.
"It does matter to a number of people, but compared to jobs, education, health care, transportation, it's pretty far down," he said.
Yesterday, leaders who attended the Latino Lobby Day said they oppose the measures pending in the Republican-controlled legislature as "anti-immigrant."
J. Walter Tejada, an Arlington County Board member and an immigration activist, said the trooper measure would scare people from reporting crimes for fear of deportation.
"We cannot afford to be squandering money on unfunded mandates that essentially are alienating our hardworking immigrant community, because that's what would happen," said Mr. Tejada, a Democrat. "People are fed up with this anti-immigrant sentiment."
Under the trooper bill, Mr. Kaine would have the authority to enter into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on immigration laws.
The bill faces an uncertain future in the Senate. If it passes the Senate, Virginia would be one of three states to give local police such power.
The groups lobbying against the measures yesterday included the Virginia Coalition of Latino Organizations, the American Jewish Committee and the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Most of the protesters came from Northern Virginia, and several said privately that they were illegals.

Michel Zajur, president of the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, said the House's actions will hurt the state's businesses.
"We have a growing, thriving economy, and a lot of this is because of the Hispanic community," he said. "The immigration system is broken, and we can't fix it on a state-by-state level because it puts Virginia at a disadvantage."
The higher-education bills, favored to pass the House today, are expected to be killed by a Senate panel, as they have been in the past.
Romero Emiliano, a truck driver from Leesburg who originally is from El Salvador, said in Spanish that he worries that his infant son will be denied a college education even though his son was born in the U.S. Mr. Emiliano declined to say whether he was in the country illegally.
Beatriz Amberman, a member of the state's Latino Advisory Commission, said denying students an education would amount to "enslaving" youngsters to lives of low-paying jobs.
Supporters of the measures argued that illegals take coveted spots from legal Virginia residents at public colleges and universities.
"Our public colleges and universities are ... there for citizens of the commonwealth and people who are documented to be here legally," said Delegate Frank D. Hargrove Sr., Hanover Republican.
Delegate Adam P. Ebbin, Arlington Democrat, said Virginia should not be taking on immigration matters.
"The federal government has not addressed the issue properly, and that's where it belongs," he said.
Mr. Tejada said denying an education to illegal aliens is unfair because illegals pay taxes that contribute to the state's education system. They also pay Social Security that they cannot legally collect when they retire, he said.
The groups also oppose a bill that would require motorists to pass a driving test in English, without a translator. The bill, which is pending in a House subcommittee, would affect only legal immigrants because illegals are barred from obtaining driver's licenses in Virginia.