SC Immigration Battles Heat Up

By - John Boyanoski
(October 9, 2007)

There are few political debates in South Carolina that require constant calls for civility.

Illegal immigration is one of them.

A town hall meeting in Greer Monday night broke down into yelling and screaming insults anytime a pro-immigration stance was put forth, and loud cheers and whoops from most of the crowd of 150 people when pro-reform comments were made.

The meeting was held to get comments on the state's proposed immigration reform act that would create penalties for businesses that knowingly hire undocumented workers, mandate citizenship verification for people seeking public assistance and give law enforcement in the state the ability to arrest people here illegally.

The bill passed the state Senate in the spring, but was held up in the state House Judiciary Committee. Gov. Mark Sanford said Tuesday he hopes that the immigration reform bill becomes the top priority when state lawmakers reconvene in January.

State Sen. Jim Ritchie, R-Spartanburg, who chaired the meeting in Greer Monday, said he believes it will make headway in January.

However, many of the people at the meeting Monday said they would seek new legislators in the next election if the bill was not passed.

"Let's not put them back in office," said Joyce Worthington, one of the attendees at the forum.

David Woodard, a Clemson University political professor, said immigration is a key issue for Republican voters, but not so much for Democrats.

Any challengers to an incumbent would have to decide to run by January, so this issue could be controversial enough to spark a contest if they fail to act, he said.

"The state legislature cannot afford to ignore this important issue," Woodard said.

Anti-illegal immigration sentiment has been a hot-button issue in South Carolina on a local, state and federal level since the spring. It has led to calls to oust U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., as well as signs being put up in major metro areas calling for ending illegal immigration and attaching the state Republican Party's number to it.

Various town councils such as Clemson and Easley have looked at creating immigration legislation.

Ritchie said lawmakers want to hear more from the state's populace about what they want done. On Monday, though, it was more about complaints and threats as opposed to questions about the bill. It was standing room in the humid meeting room where one man sold red stickers with anti-illegal immigration slogans on them.

Several times Ritchie had to call for calm as people booed and hissed at one man, who tried to make a plea on behalf of illegal immigrants.

Some wondered why South Carolina was waiting so long when neighboring Georgia had already passed a reform act. Others called illegal immigration a new form of slavery because of the low wages used to attract workers from other borders.

Still others blamed "selfish, greedy businessmen" for the problem.

"We need a solution now," said Mike Griffin, one of the people who spoke Monday.

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