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Danbury and New York official start immigration coalition

By JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN
Associated Press Writer

December 8, 2005, 4:43 PM EST



Connecticut and New York officials whose communities have become flash points in the debate over illegal immigration said Thursday they will create a grass-roots coalition to push for federal reforms.

Mark Boughton, Republican mayor of Danbury, Conn., and Democrat Steve Levy, county executive of Suffolk County, N.Y., say they hope to organize hundreds of local officials from around the country for a February summit in Washington, D.C.

They want federal aid for costs related to an influx of immigrants in recent years and stronger border enforcement to curb illegal immigration.

"The present lack of enforcement has left it to the local governments to shoulder the financial burdens that come with illegal immigration," Levy said. "We have burdens on our hospitals, our schools and our local housing."

The new bipartisan group, called Mayors and Executives for Immigration Reform, will invite more than 3,000 local officials to the summit.

Officials will lobby for reforms and share their best practices to deal with the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the U.S.

"What we're saying is your inability to address this issue has a local impact," Boughton said.

The effort comes as local officials cope with a rising population of illegal immigrants in suburbs.

The number of immigrants living in suburbs surpassed the number in cities, 52 percent to 48 percent, in 2000, according to Audrey Singer, immigration fellow at the Washington-based Brookings Institution.

"Immigrants tend to follow jobs and increasingly the growth is taking place in the suburbs," said Deborah Meyers, a senior policy analyst for the Migration Policy Institute. "If it's a new receiving community, there may be little experience in dealing with these issues."

Danbury has been transformed in recent years with waves of new immigrants from Brazil, Ecuador and other countries. The influx has strained schools, created overcrowded housing and led to other problems such as unlicensed and unregistered drivers, according to Boughton.

If the economy weakens, the problems will only grow worse because illegal immigrants are not eligible for social services if they lose their jobs, he said.

Boughton sparked controversy earlier this year when he proposed deputizing state police as federal immigration agents, but Connecticut's public safety commissioner rejected the request.

The mayor also has tried to curb large-scale home volleyball games that are a staple in Ecuadorean communities.

In New York, immigrants from Mexico and Central America have been drawn to Long Island by the prospect of jobs.

The immigrants, many believed to have entered the country illegally, have been a source of tension among longtime residents since at least the late 1990s. The troubles increased this past summer with incidents of Hispanics being beaten, harassed and evicted.

Suffolk County police began evicting men from overcrowded houses, citing health and safety violations. Advocates claimed the immigrants have been thrown into the streets without warning.

Levy is among those who have advocated cracking down on illegal housing and contractors who hire undocumented workers.

Nadia Marin-Molina, executive director of the Workplace Project, an immigrant advocacy group in New York, said the moves have been divisive and leave her skeptical about the new campaign.

"Unfortunately because of the history Levy has I don't know if they're really looking for meaningful immigration reform or just votes," Marin-Molina said.

Levy said he is not opposed to immigrants, only illegal immigration.