Immigration Reform Among Topics For LULAC Convention
Apr 16, 2009

By Rob Moritz
THE MORNING NEWS

LITTLE ROCK — Immigration reform is expected to be a major topic during the two-day state convention of the League of United Latin American Citizens, which begins here today.

A reception for is scheduled for tonight at Baptist Health Center in Little Rock, and forums, including those on the civil rights of undocumented immigrants and possible changes in immigration laws, are scheduled for Saturday, said Michel Leidermann, communications director of LULAC in Arkansas.

Among the other topic are domestic violence against women, public education of Latino students, discrepancies in health care and Catholic Charities outreach in the state.

Sen. Joyce Elliott, D-Little Rock, who unsuccessfully sponsored a bill during the recent legislative session that would have allowed children of undocumented immigrants to pay in-state college tuition, is expected to be among the speakers.

During the recently completed session, a comprehensive immigration reform package was filed but the sponsor, Rep. Bill Sample, R-Hot Springs, later separated the proposal into two bills.

One of those bills passed and was signed into law, requiring that a state driver's license or identification card issued to a person who is not a U.S. citizen expire on its printed expiration date or when the person's permission to be in the country ends, whichever comes sooner.

The other bill, which would have enacted sweeping changes aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration, never got out of committee.

Separate legislation by Rep. Jim Nickels, D-Sherwood, that would have allowed the state Contractors Licensing Board to penalize contractors who knowingly hire illegal immigrants failed in a House committee.

Leidermann said the failure of legislation aimed at curbing illegal immigration is "a reality check" for people who assume immigration reform that is filed and discussed will get passed.

He also noted recent studies that suggest the economic benefit to the United States to ease the path to legalization would greatly outweigh efforts to round up and deport illegal immigrants.

"It is much less expensive to be legal," he said, adding that federal laws should be changed to make it easier and faster for people to become U.S. citizens.

Either way, "It's really going to take some time before any real immigration reform happens," Leidermann said.

Sample agreed that it may take some time before immigration reform is enacted by the state Legislature, but he said he will continue trying.

"We're going to keep chipping away at it every year until the administration, both state and federal, change their thinking," he said.

The Hot Springs lawmaker also acknowledged it would probably be less expensive to make it easier for illegals to become U.S. citizens.

"That would probably be cheaper, but we're a sovereign nation and we should have the right to say who comes and who stays in our country," Sample said. "I don't think a blanket amnesty for all the people that have come here would be wise. You know some of these people do not like us and we're just promoting terrorists to come into our country by not protecting our borders."

Saturday's forums will be followed by selection of Arkansas LULAC's board of directors for the next year, Leidermann said.

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