Thread: La. House OKs ban on transport of illegals

La. House OKs ban on transport of illegals


Associated Press - May 13, 2008 4:54 PM ET

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - The House has voted to approve a proposal to criminalize the practice of knowingly transporting illegal immigrants.

The transport of illegal immigrants inside the country is already a federal crime, but the state House on Tuesday approved a bill by Representative Brett Geymann (GUY-man) that would set up additional state penalties. The Lake Charles Republican says the proposal is aimed at cracking down on so-called "coyotes," or people who move illegal workers or captives inside the U.S.

The House voted 70-17 to send the bill to the Senate.

www.wxvt.com

Illegal immigrant bills OK'd by House
Harbor, transport are the acts targeted
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
By Ed Anderson
Capital bureau

BATON ROUGE -- A three-bill package aimed at cracking down on illegal immigrants by making it a crime to shelter or transport them swept through the House on Tuesday with little opposition. It now heads to the Senate.


In rapid-fire order, the House approved the bills by Rep. Brett Geymann, R-Lake Charles, all passing by at least a 53-vote margin.

Geymann said the bills are needed to give state law enforcement "an extra tool to keep them (illegal immigrants) under control at the state level" when federal officials fail to enforce federal immigration laws.

House debate centered on Geymann's House Bill 1358 to prohibit anyone from knowingly transporting an illegal immigrant. Nonprofit organizations, the immigrant's attorney or someone taking the person to court or to the doctor, could argue their humanitarian intentions as a defense at a trial.

Despite objections from Rep. Damon Baldone, D-Houma, who wanted to include individuals performing humanitarian acts as well as nonprofit groups, the House passed the bill 70-17, the closest of the three votes. Baldone's amendment failed, 43-52.

"You don't have a DA in this state who is going to put his grandmother in jail for taking someone to church," said Rep. Ernest Wooton, R-Belle Chasse, a backer of Geymann's bill and an opponent of Baldone's amendment.

The bills were opposed by the state's Roman Catholic bishops and the Catholic church's social outreach agencies.

Geymann said the bill making it a crime to transport illegal immigrants is aimed at those who attempt to smuggle illegal immigrants into the state, not those who are trying to help them while they are here. It calls for a penalty of up to a $1,000 fine, six months in jail or both for a first conviction; subsequent violations could be punished by a maximum $2,000 fine, up to a year in jail or both.

"I would prefer the federal government to take care of that," said Rep. Juan LaFonta, D-New Orleans, an opponent of the bill.

"We are criminalizing moral acts," Baldone said, urging defeat of the bill.

Geymann also got the House to pass his House Bill 1357, making it a crime to knowingly and willfully harbor an illegal immigrant or assist an illegal immigrant in escaping from police, trial or court hearing. The bill allows an attorney or an attorney's employee or a worker for a nonprofit group to use a defense of performing a humanitarian act. That bill passed 77-18.

Rep. Chris Roy Jr., D-Alexandria, said it would make more sense to prohibit an employer from hiring an illegal immigrant, but Geymann said that was not his intent.

Geymann also got the House to pass, 83-11, his House Bill 25 to require police officers who arrest suspects to "attempt to determine the citizenship or immigration status" of those taken into custody. If the person is a foreign national, the police officer must make "a reasonable effort" to verify if the person is in the country legally.

If the verification of the person's status cannot be made, the bill says the officer must try to notify the federal Department of Homeland Security "as soon as practicable" but did not spell out a time period.

www.nola.com

Great news thanks for the update Jean!

Wonderful news! The states are taking action!

"We are criminalizing moral acts," Baldone said, urging defeat of the bill.

No, they are criminalizing the INVASION!

Awesome! I will redirect our national activist to the LA Senate!

W

Help needed for the action alert ! Please join in! It won't take long but it will make a big difference!

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-115317.html

Let's hope it sails through and the Governor signs it.

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