http://www.longmontfyi.com/Local-Story.asp?ID=14723

Publish Date: 2/18/2007

Illegal-immigration options are limited, constituents told


By John Fryar
The Daily Times-Call

LONGMONT — There’s probably very little more the state can do to crack down on illegal immigrants’ presence in Colorado, lawmakers told Longmont-area constituents during a Saturday town hall meeting.

There are even questions now about the effectiveness of several of the anti-illegal-immigration laws the Legislature adopted last year, Louisville Democratic Rep. Paul Weissmann said.

During Saturday’s meeting at the Longmont Public Library, Weissmann noted that state departments have reported it could wind up costing more than $2 million to implement those new laws, particularly those requiring that applicants be checked for citizenship before getting certain state services or benefits.

Meanwhile, those same agencies have not reported any savings resulting from imposition of those those new proof-of-eligibility requirements, Weissmann said.


The reality, he said, is that federal immigration-policy reforms are needed because the state itself “cannot control the Colorado borders.”

Until Congress acts on such reforms as creating a more practical set of visa quotas for guest workers from other countries, Weissmann said, he doesn’t want “to continue to spend millions of (state) dollars for zero benefit.”

Sen. Brandon Shaffer, D-Longmont, said the federal government has not provided its own agencies with the resources to address any problems stemming from illegal immigrants’ presence in Colorado.

Shaffer said Colorado State Patrol officials, who are creating a special unit to catch smugglers of illegal immigrants, have estimated that troopers come into contact with as many as 400 illegal immigrants each week on this state’s highways.


However, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency has only enough bed space to house 500 suspected illegal immigrants in its Colorado facility, which also serves several other Western states, Shaffer said.

Rep. Jack Pommer, D-Boulder, said the proof-of-citizenship requirements enacted by the Legislature last year have been complicated by stricter Department of Revenue requirements for getting a Colorado driver’s license or state-issued photo ID.

That, Pommer said, has presented some otherwise legally present people with a dilemma, when they’re unable to produce certain documents to get those licenses or IDs: “How do you prove that you’re yourself?”

The situation is further aggravated by an unfunded federal mandate, Pommer said, the “Real ID Act.” That law will require Colorado and other states to implement even stricter driver’s licensing standards by May 2008.

Judy Pease, one of those attending Saturday’s meeting, complained about her inability to find out how many children from illegal-immigrant families are attending local schools.

The lawmakers said the federal government, which requires that local and state governments pay to educate undocumented children in public schools, also prohibits school officials from demanding citizenship information from those students or their families.

But Pease said she wants such information before voting for any proposal for a local tax increase by the schools or other local governments.

“How can anybody make a decision,” Pease asked of such ballot issues, “if you can’t get the information?”