http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?S=5659692&nav=14RT

Anti-Illegal Immigration Propositions Get Thumbs-Up

Nov 10, 2006 08:52 AM

By J.D. Wallace, KOLD News 13 Reporter

Our physical border might not be the toughest, but Arizona voters have approved more legal barriers to those who cross illegally.

"It's a disaster. I think it's shameful," said Isabel Garcia, with Derechos Humanos.

"I think it shows you (they want) to have this done, wants to go in the right direction," said Minuteman Civil Defense Corps vice president Carmen Mercer.

The first proposition on the ballot, proposition 100, denies bail to illegal immigrants who are charged with serious felonies. Being an illegal immigrant is a felony, which means more could show up at the Pima County Jail.

"If you're here illegally, you don't have that right to get bail," Mercer said.

"There's so many issues and this proposition makes it sound like you're either documented or you're not," Garcia said.

Prop 102 denies anyone here illegally from receiving punitive damages in a lawsuit, whether hurt on someone's property, or hit by a drunk driver.

"Why should they be entitled if they're here illegally, well, it's really easy for us to say they're here illegally, when, again, we have created this phenomenon," Garcia said.

"If you're here illegally, then you don't have any rights, and if anything happens to you in an accident, no, you shouldn't be able to sue," Mercer said.

Prop 103 makes English the official language of the state of Arizona, meaning all official business must be conducted in English. There are a few exceptions, but immigrant rights activists say it is open to discrimination.

"When I deal with the public, deal in this state, deal in this country, English is the language I have to understand," Mercer said.

"It's really interesting that they argue that English will unify us more while in other propositions they deny access to classes to learn English," Garcia said.

Prop 300 not only denies illegal immigrants access to adult literacy programs and other publicly funded social services, but if someone goes to high school here without legal documentation and wins a scholarship, or wants in-state tuition to a state university or college, forget it.

"I thought that education was not something that somebody's trying to steal, like a prize. I always thought that education was something that we as a country prized," Garcia said.

"I firmly believe if you come into this country legally, you should have all the help you can get, and then benefit from these programs, but only once you're legal," Mercer said.

What the Minutemen really want is a secure border.

Those opposing these propositions, such as Derechos Humanos, say they'll challenge the measures not only in the courts, since that didn't change Prop 200, but they also want to educate the public more about what they will do, and also hope to add political pressure that way.