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Tuesday, March 7, 2006

Panel's immigration debate gets tense
Attorney dislikes senator's bill targeting illegal immigrants
By HARRIS BLACKWOOD
The Times


A Monday night forum on illegal immigration turned into an often-tense debate between a state senator and an attorney for a Mexican defense group.

The town hall meeting drew a standing-room-only crowd at Gainesville State College. The audience included a significant number of Hispanic students at the school.

State Sen. Chip Rogers, R-Woodstock, is the author of an immigration bill that likely will pass the Senate on Wednesday.

Rogers' bill would penalize employers who knowingly hire undocumented immigrants and tighten restrictions on state services provided to people in the state illegally. The bill also would make it a crime for people who trade or broker illegal immigrants.

Tisha Tallman, regional counsel for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said Congress should address immigration and that a similar law in California was found unconstitutional.

"Anything the state tries to do in regards to regulation of immigration is unconstitutionally treading on the duties of Congress," Tallman said.

She said her organization fears a patchwork of state immigration laws, which would vary from state to state.

Rogers contends that Congress has tried and failed at immigration reform.

"Congress did something in 1986, and we didn't like that, so we don't follow that," Rogers said. "Congress passed laws in 1996, and we didn't like that, so we ignore those laws.

"We don't get to say, 'Let's wait on Congress.' And if Congress passes something we don't like, we just wait until the next time."

Tallman, who was 90 minutes late to the event, made an opening statement that was highly critical of Rogers' bill. Her comments drew a rebuke from local radio talk show host Martha Zoller, a panelist at the forum.

Moderator Belinda Sauret asked the panel to refrain from a dialog with other panelists, which prompted Zoller to walk out of the event.

The other panelists, Gainesville City Councilwoman Myrtle Figueras and the Rev. Aquiles Martinez of Reinhardt College in Waleska, left the verbal sparring to Rogers and Tillman, who have appeared together at other forums on the legislation.

"I choose to look at this situation as an opportunity to seek ways for all of us to live together as human beings," Figueras said.

Tillman told the audience that she remains confident the bill will not pass.

Rogers, however, said the bill has bipartisan support in the Senate and predicted easy passage.

"A black female Democrat voted for my bill in committee and we'll pick up support on both sides," Rogers said. "Some people in this country are moderate, understand logic and are not fringe groups."

Tillman said the bill would be challenged if it becomes law.

"Certainly, we have already considered our options, depending on what type of bill is passed," she said, adding the likely venue would be in federal court.

Contact hblackwood@gainesvilletimes.com, (770) 718-3423