Immigration debate heads to Schuyler
By JEAN ORTIZ / The Associated Press
Thursday, Oct 16, 2008 - 07:07:45 pm CDT

OMAHA — A former U.S. Senate hopeful is again entering the debate over illegal immigration, though this time off the campaign trail.

“It’s not fun talking about illegal immigration,’’ Schuyler businessman Pat Flynn said Thursday. “It’s a tough, tough issue.’’

But Flynn said he can’t just sit idle when his community needs to work toward a resolution. That’s why he organized a public meeting held Wednesday night in Schuyler. He said it drew about 90 people on both sides of the issue.

“I don’t think it’s smart not to act,’’ he said.

Earlier this year Flynn sought the Republican nomination for the Senate seat that will be vacated by Sen. Chuck Hagel. He lost to Mike Johanns in the May primary.

During his campaign, he stressed the need for enforcement of federal immigration laws and that employers need to be held accountable.

Flynn said the Wednesday night meeting was in response to a visit earlier that day from state Sen. Brad Ashford of Omaha, who was wrapping a multi-city tour that’s part of an interim legislative study on illegal immigration.

Ashford, who chairs the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee, held meetings with community leaders in Grand Island, North Platte, Scottsbluff, Lexington and Schuyler as he works to formulate policy addressing employment, educational and social services issues tied to illegal immigration.

But, Flynn said, those meetings didn’t give others in the community a chance to weigh in, and they deserve that. Attendees of Wednesday’s meeting addressed points ranging from problems created by language barriers and illegal activity to the value of immigrants, regardless of legal status, to the work force, he said.

The crowd present was overwhelmingly in favor of comprehensive federal immigration reform to give people pathways to citizenship, said Norm Pflanz, an attorney with the Nebraska Appleseed Center for Law in the Public Interest.

Pflanz, who attended, said the meeting was a step forward largely because it focused on integration rather than division.

“Anything that opens up dialogue in local communities and gets people talking in a positive manner is definitely a good thing,’’ Pflanz said. “That’s where a lot of the solutions can come from.’’

Flynn intends to deliver his own report to the Judiciary Committee.

Beyond that, Flynn said he’s unsure where the effort was headed, including whether he could organize a group to continue addressing the issue.

Ashford declined to comment on Flynn’s efforts, but said that with his tour concluded, he expects to be addressing his policy plans next week.

He also has a public hearing planned for Dec. 12 in Lincoln to discuss his report.

Ashford noted that Hispanic people, though invited, did not attend his meeting in Schuyler. He said he was told by others in the community that they were afraid to attend. Ashford said that was sad and contrary to Nebraska’s way of life.

“If people of our state knew that was the kind of fear people live in, they would be disheartened,’’ he said.

“I’m going to do everything within my power to change that.’’

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