Thread: PA - Lawmaker wants curbs on illegal immigrants

Lawmaker wants curbs on illegal immigrants
Friday, April 06, 2007

By Tom Barnes, Post-Gazette Harrisburg Bureau



HARRISBURG -- State Rep. Mark Mustio sees the recent arrests of eight illegal Mexican immigrants in Moon as a reason why the House should quickly move ahead with a package of five bills promoting national security.

The Moon Republican said yesterday that the eight illegal immigrants were arrested after a raid at a Moon apartment March 23. They were charged with being in the country illegally and then additional charges of drug trafficking were tacked on when 6 ounces of "black tar heroin," drug money and other drug records were found.

State authorities said their investigation of the men's actions related to heroin dealing extends to Allegheny and Beaver counties and as far west as Columbus, Ohio.

In a news release, Mr. Mustio said black tar heroin has been produced and distributed by Mexican drug syndicates since the mid-1980s. The substance has a gummy, latex-like consistency and is usually injected or smoked, he said. It can cause a severe form of cellulitus where infected tissues and muscles rapidly deteriorate and cause a person to die from kidney failure.

"Without question," Mr. Mustio said, "illegal immigration is no longer just an issue for U.S. border states, but a very real problem that is negatively impacting communities like Moon Township."

He said the arrests show the need for a package of five "national security" bills, which he, Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-Cranberry, and other lawmakers introduced last month.

One bill would terminate any state-issued professional license of an employer who knowingly hires an illegal alien. Another would require employers to verify the Social Security number of a prospective employee. Another bill would eliminate all public benefits for nonmedical emergencies for illegal aliens, including welfare, education and unemployment benefits.

Mr. Metcalfe has said the federal government isn't doing its job in keeping illegal immigrants out of the United States, and so states must take action.


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(Harrisburg Bureau chief Tom Barnes can be reached at tbarnes@post-gazette.com or 1-717-787-4254. )

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Copyright ? PG Publishing Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07096/775572-85.stm

Immigration issue reaches airport area

Vince Townley
Editor
Thursday, April 12, 2007


Given the distance between the U.S. - Mexico border and western Pennsylvania, you may think that illegal immigration would rate fairly low on the region's list of concerns.

You may want to think again.

The arrest last month of eight illegal Mexican immigrants in Moon is the latest indication that illegal immigration is a growing problem in the region, and one that must be addressed,



The eight men, apprehended in a raid on a Moon apartment on March 23, face charges of running an extensive heroin trafficking ring that stretched from Allegheny and Beaver counties in Pennsylvania to Columbus, Ohio.

The incident, as well as others in Moon over the past several months, have prompted state Rep. Mark Mustio to renew his call for the state Legislature to pass a group of five bills that have been designated the National Security Begins at Home package.

One of the bills, sponsored by Mustio, would call for the termination of the professional license of any employer who knowingly hires an illegal alien.

Another would require employers to enroll in the Federal Social Security New Employee Verification Program, and two would improve Pennsylvania State Police's ability to enforce federal immigration laws and include immigration status in the criminal histories of those arrested.

The final, and perhaps most dramatic, bill would eliminate all public benefits, aside from emergency medical treatment, for illegal aliens. That would prevent them from collecting welfare, unemployment or education benefits.

The tone of the bills may seem harsh, but it is entirely appropriate.

The new measures would in no way punish immigrants who have come to this country legally and are striving to both improve their lives and to become contributing members of the airport-area community.

But they would send a strong message to those who have come to the region illegally, especially those who have done so in the hope of conducting or expanding their illicit activities.

They would also give state and local law enforcement more resources to track illegal immigrants and more authority to act swiftly and decisively to prosecute those who are caught.

There is no telling if or when the federal government will take substantial steps to address the problem of illegal immigration.

But that does not mean that Pennsylvania lawmakers can not step to the plate now and do what they can to ensure the safety of their constituents and the economic well being of the Commonwealth.

http://www.yourmoontownship.com/newspap ... port-area/

One bill would terminate any state-issued professional license of an employer who knowingly hires an illegal alien. Another would require employers to verify the Social Security number of a prospective employee. Another bill would eliminate all public benefits for nonmedical emergencies for illegal aliens, including welfare, education and unemployment benefits.

This is just such basic common sense. A shame Bush doesn't have any.

"There is no telling if or when the federal government will take substantial steps to address the problem of illegal immigration. "

I can tell when; When we get a good President like Tom. But as long as BOOSH is in you can forget laws being upheld and enforced.

Officials push bills to control immigration
Measures would add new rules for employers, get rid of public benefits for illegal aliens.
By RICHARD FELLINGER
Harrisburg bureau
Article Launched: 05/09/2007 07:48:16 AM EDT


May 9, 2007 — A group of Republican state lawmakers is pushing a package of bills to control immigration in Pennsylvania with new mandates on employers and tougher rules for public benefits.
Dubbed the "National Security Begins at Home" package, the five bills are not backed by Gov. Ed Rendell and face an uphill battle in the Legislature.

Supporters say the package is needed because the federal government has failed to stop the flow of illegal immigrants who, they say, drain public resources and often commit crimes.

Critics say the matter should be left to the federal government to avoid a patchwork of immigration laws, and they say the state economy would suffer if farms and other businesses can't rely on workers who want to become citizens.

Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-Butler, lead supporter of the package, said in a news release that "confronting the epidemic of illegal immigration head-on in the Keystone State involves shutting off the economic faucets of jobs and public benefits that are luring illegal aliens across the border."

Rep. Scott Perry, R-Carroll Township, another supporter, said the package shows people that "we are committed to protecting their tax dollars by providing benefits only to those people who are lawful citizens of the United States."

The bills would:

· Require employers to verify the Social Security numbers of all prospective employees before hiring them. Metcalfe is the bill's sponsor.

· Eliminate public benefits for illegal immigrants, except in medical emergencies. Perry is the bill's sponsor. Metcalfe said Perry's bill is needed to ensure that illegal immigrants do not fraudulently sign up for welfare benefits. The bill calls for a new verification system to ensure illegal immigrants are not approved, he said.

· Revoke the professional licenses of businesses that knowingly employ illegal immigrants. That bill is sponsored by Rep. Mark Mustio, R-Allegheny.

· Require police to report the citizenship status of criminal suspects. That bill is sponsored by Rep. Tom Creighton, R-Lancaster.

· Call on state police to seek an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice to enforce federal immigration and customs laws. Creighton is the bill's sponsor.

Rep. Dan Moul, R-Adams, said he backs several of the bills in the package but has some concerns about Mustio's plan to revoke business licenses. Moul said he doesn't want to shut down a business because of hiring mistakes.

Rep. Steven Nickol, R-Hanover, said introduction of the package might put more pressure on the federal government to act on immigration reform, but he also cited concerns with sanctions against employers.

Nickol said some employers might not be able to discern when a job applicant presents fake identification. Employers also might fear that turning away certain applicants could lead to charges of discrimination, Nickol said.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania is a leading critic of the package, while the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau is also wary of it.

Farm Bureau spokesman Gary Swan said the package falls short because it doesn't include a process for a guest-worker program in agriculture.

Swan said many farm families believe immigrants should go through a legal process, but he argued the federal government is better positioned to enact immigration solutions to guarantee a reliable supply of farmworkers nationwide.

"It's just such an imperative that this happens," Swan said.

Larry Frankel of the ACLU said the state should not be meddling in a matter better left to the federal government, and said the package would threaten Pennsylvania's economy if enacted.

Frankel said some industries need people who can come here and work while on the path to becoming citizens.

"We have an aging population with considerable needs, and this sends the message, 'Don't come here,'" Frankel said.

Rendell, a Democrat, has shown no interest in supporting the bills and does not expect them to clear the Legislature, spokesman Chuck Ardo said. Rendell has also accused lawmakers who focus on the issue of encouraging divisiveness.


http://www.ydr.com/politics/ci_5853686

"National Security Begins at Home"

I love the name.

We already have laws on the books regarding immigrations, why don't we just enforce them?

The invasion is everywhere. Two years ago I drove across the US from Atlantic City to Colorada to California. I could have listened to Spanish radio the entire way if I had wanted to.

Bowman wrote:

The invasion is everywhere. Two years ago I drove across the US from Atlantic City to Colorada to California. I could have listened to Spanish radio the entire way if I had wanted to.

This shows why the 11 million illegal immigrant number Bush throws out is a bunch of crap. We know damn well the true figure is 30 million at least....and that's just the hispanics. There are people here illegally from every country in the world and we have no way to trace them. We must be crawling with terrorist cells all across the country.