Thread: Immigration panelists offer viewpoints on divisive issue

Immigration panelists offer viewpoints on divisive issue
Wednesday, Nov 7, 2007
Posted on Tue, Nov. 06, 2007

By CYNTHIA NEFF

Star-Telegram staff writer
Undocumented immigrant children. The guest worker program. Debunking myths about immigrants, legal or not.

Those were some of the issues discussed by five panelists Monday evening at an immigration forum held by the Arlington League of Women Voters.

Comments from the panelists and questions directed to them largely focused on national and statewide immigration issues rather than immigration issues specifically facing Arlington.

Several dozen people attended the forum, which is part of a two-year study the national League of Women Voters began late last year. The national organization sends local leagues a series of briefings about immigration, then each league gathers information locally and forms a consensus viewpoint on several questions.

Those queries deal with federal immigration law and its enforcement.

Ultimately, the national League of Women Voters will adopt a position based on the local viewpoints and share it with policymakers and legislators.

What they said

On legal and illegal immigrants:

"Myth number one: Most immigrants are a draw on the economy. Fact: All individuals who work in the United States are required to pay taxes. The economy here has shown that immigration is good for the country's economic health. Immigrants do not increase unemployment among natives. They contribute to the economy. Immigrants want to be part of America." -- Richard Gonzales, president of the Arlington League of United Latin American Citizens Council 4353

"Illegals are folks who not only enter illegally but stay beyond their visa. In the short run, consumers benefit because they supposedly get lower prices. The healthcare system is penalized. The education system is overburdened by illegals. The criminal justice system is overburdened. Cheap labor keeps technology from advancing." -- Dave McElwee, president, Tarrant Alliance for Responsible Government

On illegal immigrant children:

"We can't ask immigrant status. The definition we use in the school district is basically individuals ages 3 to 21 not born in the United States and not attending [U.S.] schools for three full academic years. There are 1,400 students in [the Arlington school district] under that definition. We meet the needs of students ... without regard to immigration status. I think as a community we should have a clear focus for providing the best education for all students, regardless." -- Dr. Marcelo Cavazos, associate superintendent of the school district

On the DREAM Act, which recently failed in the Senate:

"[It would have] allowed undocumented children who graduated from high school [and attended two years of college or served in the military] to apply for green cards independent of their parents. I think the reason there was a lot of support is there are a lot of children who do well in school and after that they can't go on to college. This was to provide them a way to further their education." -- Mary Beth Garcia, immigration attorney at Justice for Our Neighbors in Fort Worth and Dallas

This report includes material from the Star-Telegram archives.

This is a sham!!!!!!!!

Two of these meetings, that I know about have been packed with pro-illegal supporters. The first one didn't have a pannelist against illegal immigration, and none of them had one bad word about the illegals. Also, the moderator called the people of Farmers Branch racist. This meeting actually had one pannelist against illegal immigration.

The League of Women Voters(LWV) are not gonig to be fair and unbiased in this study that they are going to share with your legislators. Just to let you know, members of LUAC and La Raza are also members of the LWV. Same problem MADD has.

The League of Women Voters, two-year study on immigration is going to come out pro-illegal alien because that all the input they are receiving in order to "adopt a position based on the local viewpoints".

Dixie