More immigration reform possible this session



Chris Casey, (Bio) ccasey@greeleytrib.com
January 6, 2008

With immigration shaping up as a presidential election-year football -- one that's been fumbled about for years on the national stage -- the Colorado legislature will again join the scrum to some degree.

Northern Colorado legislators acknowledge the importance of the issue to their constituency, and most express frustration that it hasn't been dealt with at the federal level.

"Illegal immigration is the most important issue for many constituents that I have talked with," said Rep. Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud. "I expect to be supporting most of the bills that support those who obey our immigration laws and discourage those who defy our immigration laws."

Sen. Scott Renfroe, R-Greeley, said the federal government "is not stepping up" on the issue. He noted that states such as Arizona, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania have passed immigration reform measures and "eventually, hopefully, something could be done at the larger level. But we can't wait until (the federal government) address it," he said. "We need to do things, if at all possible, at our level for our state."

Renfroe said he planned to either carry a bill, or work with other lawmakers, on immigration-related legislation this session. He wanted to clarify his role, and continue gathering more information, before commenting specifically about the bills.

Rep. Jim Riesberg, D-Greeley, said Colorado has already passed significant immigration reform laws, including several in 2006.

Many reforms placed added pressure on state agencies to strengthen procedures in checking the legal status of people they serve. For revenue agencies, this narrowed what was acceptable to renew or apply for identification cards and driver's licenses. The 2006 laws also held employers who hired illegal workers more accountable and denied state services to illegal residents.

"A number of people think illegal immigrants are getting public money," Riesberg said. "We said they can't. And if they are, they are getting it outside the law."

He said the legislature-created Immigration Enforcement Unit, which began operations last September, puts a couple dozen more officers on the highways and in close cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement agents. While a main goal is to reduce human smuggling through traffic enforcement, the officers also have been trained to assist on ICE worksite investigations.

"They now have a lot more teeth to work with," Riesberg said of the unit.

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