Thread: Kansas Not eager for state immigration fight

Wichita Eagle Editorials
Posted on Wed, Aug. 22, 2007
Not eager for state immigration fight
http://www.kansas.com/611/story/154284.html

Isn't immigration strictly a federal issue? Not anymore, judging from the 170 immigration-related laws passed by states this year (double the number in 2006) and the legislation in the works for the 2008 Kansas Legislature. Kansans are fed up, the thinking goes, and the state budget is creaking under the costs of the undocumented population to schools, social services, health care and the justice system.

"We've waited and we've watched for Congress to do something, and it appears they can't get anything done," state Rep. Brenda Landwehr, R-Wichita, told The Eagle editorial board this week.

She's right about that. Many voters will be glad somebody is doing something. Colorado and Oklahoma laws have raised the stakes for Kansas. And there should be ample bipartisan support for getting tougher with employers that knowingly hire undocumented workers, perhaps by revoking business licenses and fining them.

But Kansans should be wary of a Statehouse version of the nasty national debate over illegal immigrants -- one hitting all the closer to those living and working and learning in our communities. The legal and jurisdictional issues also can be complex, as in the new Kansas Court of Appeals ruling that being in the country after having entered it illegally is not necessarily a crime.
(See: http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=F ... highlight= )

In addition to cracking down on private employers, the legislation might penalize state employees who allow undocumented immigrants to apply for and receive benefits, and punish illegal residents who try to vote. Lawmakers also might act against those who "harbor" illegals -- a measure targeting landlords that is sure to draw opposition from Catholic groups. Landwehr thinks that last measure could affect the state colleges at which some eligible illegal residents are paying in-state tuition under a 2004 state law she opposed. More direct repeal attempts of that law could be coming, too.

Landwehr said legislators also are "figuring out what we can do for law enforcement, to give them the ability and possible funding to enforce the law and prohibit sanctuary cities" -- Kansas communities that might try to opt out of the tough measures.

House Speaker Melvin Neufeld, R-Ingalls, has stated his support for tackling the issue. And Gov. Kathleen Sebelius recently said she welcomes "having the Legislature join the effort to secure our state."

So all signs point to legislative action next year. "In talking to people in my district and around," Landwehr said, "this is definitely an issue that upsets them. They're tired of it. If you want to be here, then be here legally."

Caution is due, though. Landwehr said "this isn't just about one nationality," but Hispanics understandably may think otherwise.

Plus, as recent state-level changes affecting driver's license renewals and state health benefits already have shown, stiffer enforcement creates delays and carries a cost. An election year won't create ideal conditions for reasoned debate on such an emotional issue. And unfortunately, anything state lawmakers do will only affect the margins of a growing crisis that still demands comprehensive reform at the federal level.

For the editorial board, Rhonda Holman
© 2007 Wichita Eagle and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. http://www.kansas.com

Caution is due, though. Landwehr said "this isn't just about one nationality," but Hispanics understandably may think otherwise.

Since when is 'Hispanic' a nationality???