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Publication:The Gazette; Date:Aug 2, 2006; Section:Metro; Page Number:15

Immigration law, waivers cause confusion

By KYLE HENLEY THE GAZETTE


DENVER c Critics from both sides of the immigration debate expressed concern about Colorado’s new anti-illegal immigration law that went into effect Tuesday.

The law — hyped as the toughest in the country — requires people seeking government services to prove they are American citizens or that they are here legally.

Mexican Consul General Juan Marcos Gutierrez-Gonzalez worried that the law will hurt Mexican citizens who are in Colorado legally and illegally.

“There is a lot of confusion,” he said. “So far, there is a lot of misunderstanding.” The consul’s office in Denver has been receiving 30-40 calls a day on the issue from Mexican citizens.

Critics who want to crack down on illegal immigrants are concerned that a system granting waivers from the law’s stringent identification requirements will become a loophole to exploit the system.

“It is an immediate weakening of the intent of the law when you start providing waivers,” said Rep. Dave Schultheis, R-Colorado Springs.

The law requires anyone seeking government services — welfare, government loans, business licenses and more — to show a valid Colorado driver’s license or another form of government identification.

The waiver process will run until March 1. It was originally aimed at making sure nursing home residents and the homeless were not impacted by the law.

Under the waiver system, those seeking services can produce a driver’s license or ID from one of 34 states as proof of citizenship. They also can bring in a foreign passport, valid immigration documents or a birth certificate.

Gov. Bill Owens walked a tightrope when faced with the concerns from both camps. To assuage the Mexican government, he vowed earlier this week that the law will be implemented in a respectful and humane manner.

“I want to be humane,” Owens said. “I want to be very clear that most people who have come here from other countries, whether legally or illegally, are good people. I just want them to come here legally.”

Owens tried to downplay the waiver system. More than 1 million people in Colorado receive some kind of government assistance. The governor’s office estimates that 2,000 to 4,000 people will seek waivers.

“The vast majority . . . will not be eligible for a waiver,” he said.

It’s still too soon to see whether the fears and concerns expressed by folks on either side pan out. Tuesday was the first day the law was in effect.

Officials at the Department of Revenue, which is in charge of granting waivers, said Tuesday was much slower than expected. They had planned to see thousands of people across the state flooding driver’s license offices to get a waiver.