Kentucky lawmakers diverge on illegal immigration
By ROGER ALFORD - Dec 30, 2010 4:00 PM ET By The Associated Press

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — House and Senate lawmakers don't agree on how to deal with illegal immigrants living in Kentucky.

Republican Senate President David Williams is pushing a proposal that would allow police to arrest illegal immigrants on trespassing charges for setting foot in Kentucky. Democratic House Speaker Greg Stumbo is endorsing legislation that would require employers to check the citizenship status of people before making hiring decisions, saying if illegal immigrants won't stay in Kentucky if they can't get jobs. Illegal immigration is being billed as one of the top issues Kentucky lawmakers will confront during the 2011 legislative session that begins Tuesday.

Williams, who is seeking his party's nomination to run for governor, said the immigration proposal Senate Republicans are pushing would be similar to a law passed in Arizona that allows police to determine the immigration status of people they detain. It also would allow illegal immigrants to be charged with criminal trespass if found on public or private property in the state. And it would make it illegal to harbor or transport illegal immigrants.

The Rev. Patrick Delahanty, head of the Catholic Conference of Kentucky, questioned Thursday why Kentucky would want to "clone" the controversial Arizona measure that is being challenged in court and that could cause Kentucky's already crowded jails to overflow. "It's not needed at all," Delahanty said. "There's no pressing problem here."

The Kentucky Long-Term Policy Research Center estimated last year that Kentucky has about 30,000 illegal immigrants. People involved in the debate, however, say the estimate is conservative, suggesting the actual number is at least twice that. Delahanty complained that the federal government has failed states by not adequately dealing with immigration. As a result, state lawmakers across the country have been taking on the problem.

Stumbo told reporters earlier this week that police already are authorized to check a person's citizenship status and take appropriate action. He said he would prefer legislation that holds companies accountable if they hire illegal immigrants. "If you really want to solve the immigration issue, then you make the burden on the employers, because if the jobs aren't here, neither would the illegal immigrants be here," Stumbo said.

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