Thread: MD: Delegate Wants to Restrict Illegal Immigrants from Enter

Delegate Wants to Restrict Illegal Immigrants from Entering Government Buildings
by Bryan P. Sears

January 11, 2011

Delegate said illegal immigrants should not be allowed to enter without documentation.
(4 comments )

Republican state Del. Pat McDonough said Maryland officials should do more to bar access to government buildings in Annapolis during the 90-day General Assembly session by people without identification or proper documentation—particularly illegal immigrants.

McDonough said he sent a letter Tuesday afternoon to the Maryland State Police and the Department of General Services asking for an explanation of current policy.

"There's a lot to be concerned about," said McDonough, who represents the 7th District including Middle River, Cockeysville and part of Harford County. "There's a lot of crazy people out there."

McDonough said he made the request because of the two incendiary packages that ignited inside state government mail rooms in the Jeffrey Building in Annapolis and the state Department of Transportation headquarters in Hanover, and because of the shooting of Arizona Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords on Saturday.

"We've got a lot of illegal immigrants coming in and out of the State House without ID or documentation," said McDonough.

"I want a response," he added. "I want to know what the policy is going to be."

McDonough is no stranger to the illegal immigration issue.

Last month he said he planned to introduce up to 16 bills focused on various illegal immigration issues.

He plans to call on state officials during a Wednesday news conference to institute a new policy.

"I want the standard to be proper ID and documentation," McDonough said.

The delegate said he and his wife have been the subject of threatening letters and their cars "have been broken into and my house has been egged."

He said recent local and national events have caused him to become concerned for the safety of his staff as well as his own.

"It could happen here in the state office building," McDonough said.

http://oneoldvet.com/

http://dundalk.patch.com

Illegal Immigration a Top Priority for Baltimore County Delegate
Immigration issues highlighted as legislative session kicks off in Annapolis.
7:30pm


By Maggie Clark
Capital News Service

ANNAPOLIS — Before the Maryland legislative session was even an hour old, Delegate Pat McDonough, R-Baltimore County, announced plans to introduce 16 bills cracking down on illegal immigration in the state.

McDonough sees the issue as essential to promote security and economic stability in a state that he says has often acted as "a sanctuary state" for illegal immigrants.

"The General Assembly is basically a sanctuary assembly," McDonough said. "It's a body of lawmakers who support lawbreakers. I've introduced 11 bills in the past, and every one of them has passed in other states. So it's not the bill, it's not me, it's the General Assembly and the fact that this is a sanctuary state. By being a sanctuary state (for illegal immigrants), you are hurting the citizens of the state."

McDonough, one of 43 Republicans in the 141-member House, said the immigration issue is not personal, but economic.

"My whole program is about money and jobs. It's not about emotion. It's not about who is a racist. It's not about who doesn't like foreigners; that's all pathetic rhetoric by the left. It is about money and jobs."

McDonough plans to introduce approximately three bills each week this session, including a bill to require employers to use E-Verify, the federal electronic system to verify a person's work eligibility, and an Arizona-style bill to require local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration laws.

These bills are part of a national trend among state legislatures looking to crack down on illegal immigration.

The Pennsylvania legislature is considering a bill that would deny citizenship to American-born children of illegal immigrants. And Virginia legislators are proposing cutting off access to public higher education for undocumented students.

McDonough also announced his opposition to the Maryland Dream Act, a bill that would give in-state tuition to undocumented students who have graduated from Maryland public schools and been accepted to a Maryland state university. Undocumented students are currently eligible to attend Maryland public universities, but must pay out-of-state tuition.

The bill will be sponsored by Sen. Victor Ramirez, D-Prince George's, and Sen. Richard Madaleno Jr., D-Montgomery, who believe that undocumented students who graduate from Maryland's schools don't deserve to be punished for their parents' illegal entry.

"If you live in our community, graduate from our high schools and defend our nation, you deserve the promise of a more affordable higher education," said Madaleno, in a press release.

"The senator believes it's an issue of fairness," said Adam Fogel, chief of staff for Madaleno. "A young person who came to the country with their parents through no fault of their own, did well in Maryland schools and are admitted to a state university — it's only fair to give them the opportunity to continue their education and become productive members of society."

McDonough argues that if passed, the Maryland Dream Act would put taxpayers on the hook to subsidize in-state tuition for illegal immigrant students. Fogel says that the financial impact of the bill has not been worked out yet, as the bill has not been formally filed.

http://bethesda.patch.com