http://www.longmontfyi.com/Local-Story.asp?id=6023

Publish Date: 2/4/2006

Immigration staffer starts job
Longmont resident will try to find common ground

By Trevor Hughes
The Daily Times-Call

LONGMONT — As the state and federal governments wrestle with a major influx of Hispanic immigrants, local governments and civic institutions have largely been left to chart their own course in dealing with the situation.

The data show the number of immigrants, particularly from Mexico, has risen rapidly in the past decade. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of foreign-born people living in Colorado jumped 160 percent from 1990 to 2000, accounting for about 430,000 people, according to some studies.

To some people, the influx is tantamount to an invasion, particularly concerning illegal immigrants.

To others, it’s simply the latest addition to a nation of immigrants in a land that has had open borders for longer than it has regulated immigration. Immigration advocates say people seeking a better life shouldn’t be punished for doing so.

Trying to find local common ground is Leslie Irwin. She has just been hired by a consortium of nonprofits and local governments to serve as Boulder County’s immigration integration coordinator.

Her job is to help reach out to what her backers say is the vast majority of people who don’t yet have a strong opinion about immigration, legal or otherwise. Then, her job is to bring them together, share views and come to some sort of understanding and appreciation for each other.

“I guess it comes down to understanding and breaking down barriers,â€