Thread: IN-Bill seeks to rid state of illegal immigrants

Bill seeks to rid state of illegal immigrants
By ERIC WEDDLE • eweddle@jconline.com • January 19, 2011

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Get ready for a statewide debate over immigration.

State Sen. Mike Delph on Tuesday filed legislation similar to the controversial law in Arizona that gives law enforcement the authority to ask for proof of residence on occasion during routine traffic stops.
Delph's Senate Bill 590 would create numerous state policies and procedures aimed at stopping illegal immigration.
In addition to giving law enforcement new tools, it would require most state and local governmental units to use English in correspondence. It also would prohibit state colleges or universities from charging in-state tuition for students who can't show proof of U.S. residence.

The bill is scheduled to be heard Feb. 2 by the Senate Committee on Pensions and Labor at the Indianapolis Statehouse.
"To sum up the bill, the goal is to solve the problem of illegal immigration in the state of Indiana once and for all," said Delph, a Republican from Carmel. "So we have 100 percent confidence that people in the state are here lawfully."
Opinions on whether Delph has the correct solution on how to deal with immigration differ.
Some in Greater Lafayette agree new immigration policy is needed but should be left to the federal government. Others see Delph's bill targeting the state's Hispanics and having a negative impact for businesses, community relations and the state's reputation.
Hector Avila, a sophomore at Ivy Tech Community College, said the proposed legislation is coming at the wrong time.
"I think this bill is very divisive as far as the community. You will have pretty much two viewpoints of this bill, for or against it," he said. "I don't think there are people who will be on the edge deciding if they will support it."
A significant worry for Avila, who is also president of the school's Latino Student Union, is Delph's intent make illegal immigrants ineligible for financial aid, grants or scholarships and in-state tuition. Currently Ivy Tech is the only state school that does not ask for proof U.S. citizenship for in-state tuition.

"That would impact students at Ivy Tech immensely," Avila said. "This is the primary option for them to afford college, to afford classes and then possibly getting private scholarships to move on to Purdue for the remaining two years."

Yet Lafayette resident Patrick J. Hughes see those changes as a step in the right direction.
"I am all for it," the retiree said of Senate Bill 590. "I think our folks in Washington as well as Indiana have lost the meaning of illegal. We got the laws on the books, and we can't just decide which ones to follow and not follow."
Hughes worries that the undocumented are taking jobs away from Americans and feel this bill could help end that. He favors the tough stance that Arizona took on immigration.

"The federal government isn't doing anything about this," he said.
Delph's proposal would prohibit employers from knowingly hiring illegal immigrants. It would place violators on three-year probation and require them to file quarterly reports concerning all new hires to the Indiana Attorney General's Office. Further violations could result in the permanent loss of state business licenses.
An employer who verifies the work status of an employee using the federal E-Verify System would be immune from penalties under the legislation.
Another part of the bill would require the Indiana Office of Management and Budget to calculate an estimate of the total cost of illegal immigration and then request U.S. Congress for reimbursement of those costs.
"We need to get a handle on the cost," Delph said. "I want to get the numbers, accurately, from state and local governments."
Patricia Hart, a Purdue University professor of Spanish who studies immigration issues, thinks Delph should also factor in the benefits of undocumented works, such as amount of income, sales, and property taxes take from paychecks.
"Undocumented workers also have money withheld from their paychecks that they seldom reclaim," she said. "Rep. Delph might also consider that, if we could magically eliminate today all undocumented workers today, it would inevitably force a great increase in price of all the meat, fruits, and vegetables we buy at the grocery store."

Tony Del Real, a Lafayette-area business owner and organizer of United Businesses Serving the Community, is troubled by the similarities between Delph's bill and the Arizona law that passed last year.

Most provisions of that bill, which drew national attention to the Southwest state, is under a preliminary injunction from a federal judge.
"Immigration needs to be dealt with in a responsible manner," he said. "I think it is counter productive, and we have not learned from what happened to the economy in Arizona and all the negatives that came when corporations and municipalities boycotted the state.
"I agree 100 percent that immigration needs to be dealt with," he said. "But immigration doesn't need to be dealt with this way."

Delph is well aware of the controversial and angry debates caused by the Arizona legislation. He is asking all sides to be respectful as his bill is discussed.
"I will not tolerate a debate that is anything but constructive," he said. "I will engage in a legitimate public policy debate."
Delph said it was difficult to speculate about the bill's chances in a legislative session dominated by budget and fiscal concerns. He anticipates it will pass the Senate. This is the fourth time he has introduced an immigration bill.
"I think we need to let the process work and people weigh in on this issue," he said.


http://www.jconline.com/article/2011011 ... immigrants

A significant worry for Avila, who is also president of the school's Latino Student Union, is Delph's intent make illegal immigrants ineligible for financial aid, grants or scholarships and in-state tuition. Currently Ivy Tech is the only state school that does not ask for proof U.S. citizenship for in-state tuition.

Well DUH! That's the point! Illegal aliens are not and should not be eligible for any taxpayer funded financial aid, grants or scholarships! They should be paying international student tuition, not be subsidized by taxpayers. College is not for everyone, especially people who should not even be here.

Originally Posted by miguelina

A significant worry for Avila, who is also president of the school's Latino Student Union, is Delph's intent make illegal immigrants ineligible for financial aid, grants or scholarships and in-state tuition. Currently Ivy Tech is the only state school that does not ask for proof U.S. citizenship for in-state tuition.

Well DUH! That's the point! Illegal aliens are not and should not be eligible for any taxpayer funded financial aid, grants or scholarships! They should be paying international student tuition, not be subsidized by taxpayers. College is not for everyone, especially people who should not even be here.

you are 100 % rght
no amnesty

If any agency in the state or any school enrolls an illegal then whoever is running the facility should be arrested and charged with aiding and encouraging criminal activity. Cut off all funding to any school knowingly enrolling illegals, cut off funding to any clinic or medical facility who continues to treat illegals. Charge any contractor or company who knowingly hires illegals, and arrest anyone housing illegals and charge them with aiding and harboring criminals.