http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/08 ... 8_1_06.txt

Wednesday, August 2, 2006
Last modified Tuesday, August 1, 2006 10:44 PM PDT

Fewer protesters expected at immigration hearings

By: EDWARD SIFUENTES - Staff Writer

Immigration hearings that drew hundreds of protesters last month are expected to attract smaller crowds today in San Diego, some advocates said.

Republican congressional leaders are scheduled to stage two hearings in San Diego County this week. The House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing today at 2 p.m. on the costs of illegal immigration. The discussion, taking place at Bayview Restaurant, 3800 Chosen Ave., Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, will include education, law enforcement, health care and other costs.

The House Resources Committee will host a separate hearing Saturday at 10 a.m. at West Hills High School in Santee. Its hearing will focus on harm to public lands from illegal immigrant pathways.

A group of immigrant rights activists will hold a press conference emphasizing the positive effects illegal immigrants have on the economy. The speakers include, Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers, and David Rodriguez, vice president of the League of United Latin American Citizens.

House Republican leaders say the hearings were designed to bring to light flaws in the Senate version of the bill and are a way to educate the public on differences between the two bills.

Immigrant rights groups and Democrats have criticized the field hearings as political show aimed at publicizing a House-backed reform bill that would focus almost exclusively on immigration enforcement measures. The Senate version of the immigration bill would toughen enforcement while also creating a guest worker program and a path to legalize millions of illegal immigrants.

Pedro Rios, an advocate with the human rights group American Friends Service Committee in San Diego, said his group would not attend the hearing or participate in protests as it did in July.

Rios said attending the hearing would give it more attention, and "it would be validating" the hearings.

Anti-illegal immigration groups also gave mixed signals about their attendance. Mike Spencer, who heads the Vista Citizens Brigade, said he would not attend due to other commitments, but added that members of his group and others would attend individually.

Save Our License, a group that seeks to bar most public services for illegal immigrants including driver's licenses, released a statement via e-mail urging members to "make every effort to attend."

Enrique Morones, whose group the Border Angels provides water for illegal immigrants traveling across the border, said he plans to attend a press conference held by Auxiliary Bishop Gilbert Chavez of the Diocese of San Diego at St. Joseph Cathedral in San Diego.

Morones said he may also bring small wooden crosses representing illegal immigrants who die attempting to cross the border to protest outside the hearing.

Today's hearing will include panelists: Michael Antonovich, a Los Angeles County supervisor; Kevin Burns, chief financial officer of the University Medical Center in Tucson; Robert Rector, a senior policy analyst with The Heritage Foundation; Leroy Baca, Los Angeles County Sheriff; and Wayne Cornelius, director of the Center for Comparative Immigration Studies at UC San Diego.

For more information visit, www.gop.gov/bordersecurity.