Thread: States fight illegal migration

States fight illegal migration
Dozens of measures limit access to jobs, benefits

Daniel González
The Arizona Republic
Aug. 2, 2006 12:00 AM

More than half of the states in the nation have passed immigration measures this year aimed at denying undocumented immigrants access to jobs and benefits, following Arizona's lead and tackling the issue themselves.

The states and some cities are responding to mounting public pressure for stricter immigration enforcement.

Enforcing and passing immigration laws is usually the job of the federal government. But, so far, Congress has failed to pass immigration reform, with the House and Senate unable to strike a compromise over two competing bills passed earlier this year.


"Ultimately, the federal government has the responsibility to both determine and enforce our nation's immigration laws. But in light of federal inaction, state lawmakers are trying to use the tools at their disposable," said Sheri Steisel, who tracks immigration measures for the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The gridlock has left local communities and states to foot much of the bill for emergency health care, education and other services for undocumented immigrants while grappling with crime and other ills associated with illegal immigration, experts say.


Hundreds of anti-illegal immigration bills have been introduced in states across the country and dozens adopted.

"That's where the impact is most directly felt, so it's logical that you would get that kind of response from local governments," said Ira Mehlman, spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, an organization that favors tightening the border with Mexico and reducing the number of immigrants allowed in the country.

Increase in bills
In 2006, more than 540 immigration-related bills have been introduced in legislatures around the country, compared with 300 introduced the year before, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Twenty-seven states so far have enacted more than 60 immigration bills, outpacing the 37 measures passed by 25 states last year, the conference said.

The state measures, sponsored by Republicans and Democrats, range widely. They include laws that stiffen penalties for employers of undocumented workers, ensure that undocumented immigrants don't receive public benefits and crack down on human smugglers. Many of the new laws come from states far from the border that have gained large numbers of immigrants, many of them undocumented.

"It used to be immigration was a border-state issue," Steisel added. "Now, it's a 50-state issue."

Not all states are taking a hard line toward illegal immigration. A few have passed laws that are more welcoming to undocumented immigrants.

For example, in Nebraska, lawmakers this year passed a bill that allows undocumented students to pay in-state college tuition. Immigrants make up the backbone of Nebraska's meatpacking industry, and the state is struggling to attract more people to offset a population drain.

Overall, the recent trend has turned more toward a get-tough approach that started in Arizona, the nation's main entry point for illegal immigration from Mexico and home to the largest proportion of undocumented immigrants of any state.

Arizona in spotlight
Arizona first tried to put the brakes on illegal immigration when voters passed Proposition 200 in 2004. Since then, some states have passed measures that are more comprehensive than those passed in Arizona.

"It used to be California. Now, people are looking at how we are handling the immigration issue," said state Rep. Steve Gallardo, D-Phoenix, who has opposed many of the enforcement measures.

Arizona's Proposition 200, modeled after California's Proposition 187, was aimed at ensuring undocumented immigrants didn't receive public benefits or vote.

Since then, state lawmakers have introduced dozens of immigration measures in an effort to further block illegal immigration, but only a few have passed. Gov. Janet Napolitano has signed some and vetoed others.

Arizona lawmakers are responding to growing complaints from constituents about illegal immigration, said state Rep. John Allen, R-Scottsdale.

He sponsored a bill to allocate $10 million to deploy National Guard troops along the border. Napolitano vetoed the bill. President Bush later ordered 6,000 National Guard troops to support the Border Patrol.

"Every door you knock on, Republicans, Democrats, independents, Libertarians, they all say, 'What are you going to do about illegal immigration?' " Allen said.

More states follow
Georgia and Colorado have passed immigration packages that take a broad approach toward stemming illegal immigration.

In April, Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue signed the Security and Immigration Compliance Act, the first comprehensive immigration bill to become law in any state. The law requires the state to verify that adults seeking many state-administered benefits are in the country legally, sanctions employers who knowingly hire undocumented immigrants, and mandates that companies with state contracts check the immigration status of their employees. It also requires police to check the immigration status of people they arrest to see if they face deportation orders.

Then in July, Colorado Gov. Bill Owens signed a package of immigration laws that force people to prove their citizenship or legal residency when applying for benefits or renewing their eligibility. It also ensures undocumented students don't have access to state scholarships and creates penalties for employers who disregard federal practices against illegal hiring.

"The bottom line is to discourage illegal aliens from coming to Colorado and encouraging those already here to come home and reunite with their families," said Fred Elbel, co-chairman of Defend Colorado Now, a grass-roots group that pushed for a ballot measure that triggered the tough new Colorado immigration laws.

Effects mixed
Critics, however, say the state measures won't solve illegal immigration.

"These bills are not achieving the goal of controlling illegal immigration." said Michele Waslin, immigration policy director for the National Council of La Raza, a Latino advocacy organization in Washington, D.C. "As long as the conditions in their own country are miserable and there are jobs in the U.S., they are going to keep coming."

The measures also have a negative impact on communities by making immigrants fearful of reporting crimes to police, she said.

In the meantime, experts say states will continue passing more immigration measures.

"The reason you have illegal immigration in the country is the failure of the federal government to control the borders and prosecute employers who hire illegal aliens," said Mehlman, of the Federation for American Immigration Reform. "But that doesn't absolve local governments from doing what they can do protect local communities."

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articl...statelaws.html[/url]

The measures also have a negative impact on communities by making immigrants fearful of reporting crimes to police, she said.

Why do these illegals need to call the police and why would they? They are the ones breaking the law by being here illegally and bringing all the crime and violence with them

"The reason you have illegal immigration in the country is the failure of the federal government to control the borders and prosecute employers who hire illegal aliens," said Mehlman, of the Federation for American Immigration Reform. "But that doesn't absolve local governments from doing what they can do protect local communities."

Exactly!

pandabear, Illegals are also victims of crime, here, because criminals KNOW they are reluctant to call the police. No one should be a victim. Not even the USA. Illegals should self-deport.