An Arizona legislative committee on Tuesday narrowly approved a sweeping bill that would target illegal immigrants in public housing, public benefits and the workplace.
The Senate committee also approved a bill that would deny automatic citizenship to the children of illegal immigrants, a measure designed to set up a possible U.S. Supreme Court case on the issue.
Republican state Sen. Russell Pearce, who authored Arizona's controversial illegal immigration law last year that touched off a nationwide debate on whether states can enforce federal immigration laws, sponsored the latest measure.
"If you're in the country illegally, you don't have a right to public benefits, period," he said.
Passing the bill would place a "dark cloud over Arizona that will make SB1070 tame in comparison," said Jaime Farrant of the Border Action Network, an advocacy group, referring to last year's controversial law.
The new sweeping measure, approved on a 7-6 vote, advances to the full Senate after a legal review and discussions by party caucuses. Democrats by themselves don't have the votes to block Pearce's bill.
The measure toughens requirements for employers checking work eligibility of new hires, allowing for their business licenses to be suspended if they don't use the federal E-Verify system. Workers caught using a false identity to get a job would face mandatory six-month jail sentences.
It also requires schools to collect information on the legal status of students and report them to law enforcement if their parents don't provide the necessary documents or the documents appear false.
The bill also seeks a 30-day minimum jail sentence and the seizure of vehicles belonging to any illegal immigrant convicted of driving in the state.
In housing, it requires public agencies to verify the immigration status of renters and to evict everyone living in a unit if one is found to be an illegal immigrant. For health care, the bill changes some of the document requirements for the state's Medicaid program.
The bill turns public officials into immigration officers and "launches an unprecedented attack on minorities and people of color," Farrant said.
But the chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Republican Sen. Andy Biggs, said the bill was a response "to economic and social costs that we face with the onslaught of illegal aliens in our state."
"We need to have the moral courage to deal with this issue when there is a vacuum at the federal," he said.
The bill drew vocal opposition from Democrats who said Pearce — the Senate's president — isn't focused on Republicans' stated top priority: the economy.
"This is totally the wrong time for the leader of our Senate to throw our state into another state of chaos," said Democratic Sen. Paula Aboud of Tucson.
The topic brought protesters to the state Capitol, where about a dozen uniformed police officers were stationed in and around the building. Police said four people were arrested and cited for disorderly conduct after disrupting a Democratic senator's news conference about her bill stiffening penalties for a human smuggling crime.
Sponsors of the automatic citizenship bill approved by the Senate panel hope it will prompt a court interpretation on an element of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees citizenship to people born in the country or who are "subject to the jurisdiction" of the U.S.
Bill proponents said the amendment shouldn't apply to the children of illegal immigrants because such families don't owe sole allegiance to the U.S.
An hours-long debate centered on whether the measure would save Arizona money by keeping children of illegal immigrants from potentially burdening the state with the costs of benefits that go to citizens.
"Constantly I'm asked by my constituents, 'Why is it that when illegal aliens sneak into this country their children are automatically citizens?'" said the bill's Republican sponsor, Sen. Ron Gould of Lake Havasu City.
But the leader of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce said lawmakers should focus their efforts on measures similar to the jobs bill they recently approved.
"We believe this case is one which would not get very far, and we are very, very, concerned about the economic consequences of this measure," said Glenn Hamer, the Chamber's chief executive.
An accompanying proposal was also approved by the committee that would establish an interstate compact that defines who is a U.S. citizen and asks states to issue separate birth certificates for those who are citizens and those who are designated as not citizens.
Similar proposals defining who would get automatic citizenship have been introduced by lawmakers in Indiana, Mississippi, Texas, Oklahoma and South Dakota. Backers expect another dozen states will take up the issue this year.
The committee also approved a bill to require hospitals to report to law enforcement any patients who lack valid health insurance and who cannot show they're in the country legally.
The bill originally barred non-emergency treatment without proof of legal status but was amended to only require reporting.
Supporters said it still would help reduce health care costs and burdens on taxpayers. Critics said it could deter some people from seeking needed care.
NEVER-ENDING WAR
Those States that are still catering to the illegal alien invasion will not get any sympathy from the majority of Americans. By now all States have seen the developing costs associated with people stealing across our national border and entering into this country under the pretext of being a tourist or student. Every year from every corner of the world, thousands come to the US, to have their children fully aware that this child will have dual citizenship and can take financial advantage of the 14th Amendment provisions. Many States-- like the illegal alien popular State of California and now Nevada is bearing towards disaster with their unregulated use of tax dollars to pay for the education for their offspring, and the need for the uninsured--medical care. Arizona was so close the border fence that it accumulated hundreds of thousands of uninvited guests, lowering job opportunities for less educated citizens and yet hardly aiding the tax base.
Documentation from the GAO (General Accounting Office) has disclosed finally, that for every one dollar spent by illegal nationals; they get a return of between three and four dollars. But this problem is beyond credibility as the taxpayer’s bill, keeps on mounting rapidly. All politicians had better care that's happening here, because American people have finally begun to wake and learning why their taxes keep rising. As the Federal management has failed to pay attention, so the States are trying to defend their own inhabitants from illegal labor occupation. A reasonable question to ask all the leadership in Washington and all State lawmakers is where are thousands of illegal immigrants whose lives were disrupted by Arizona's policing provisions--flew to places unknown? My guess is they didn't go far?
Documentation from the GAO (General Accounting Office) has disclosed finally, that for every one dollar spent by illegal nationals; they get a return of between three and four dollars. But this problem is beyond credibility as the taxpayer’s bill, keeps on mounting rapidly. All politicians had better care that's happening here, because American people have finally begun to wake and learning why their taxes keep rising. As the Federal management has failed to pay attention, so the States are trying to defend their own inhabitants from illegal labor occupation. A reasonable question to ask all the leadership in Washington and all State lawmakers is where are thousands of illegal immigrants whose lives were disrupted by Arizona's policing provisions--flew to places unknown? My guess is they didn't go far?
As more State legislators are fighting for their own survival and they enact tough illegal alien restraining enforcement the likely destination is California, Nevada, Colorado, Texas, perhaps Utah and anywhere further afield that panders to the large ethnic blocs and illegal immigrant and migrant families. One only can imagine the chaos as hundreds of thousands of these people end up in welfare lines, hospital waiting rooms and adding to even higher expenditures to join the millions already there. Countless thousands will join the already clogged neighborhoods in the social service State of California, others will go elsewhere. California is already burdened with a 24 billion dollar deficit meltdown, Nevada will be looking for another $3.billion to cover its debt as Carson City is investigating another tax hike. An estimated $113 billion dollars goes to support illegal aliens yearly and these dollars are also climbing throughout America. Many States that includes Indiana, Utah are still meandering around any no tolerance laws, which will also attract multitudes of illegal aliens looking for jobs and yet another welfare office.
Now is the time to shield this nation from foreign invaders, from drug dealers, criminals and those who come and expect citizens and legally authorized residents to keep paying for the rest of the world’s poor. This is why the Tea Party was organized on a grand scale and that's why hundreds of pro-sovereignty groups are recruiting people who have just had enough of the games played by our politicians. One amnesty was enough that turned into a travesty and burned every taxpaying American. ICE should go into every Sanctuary City in force and arrest every Mayor, Elected officer who has engineered these provisions. NumbersUSA has a million regular citizens who want to prevent further exploitation of this nation by foreign countries, to elevate their pressure valve of growing impoverished, wanting populations.
Considering this Administration didn't carry on the construction of the 2006 Secure Fence Act as designed, it's no wonder the fence was mismanaged. It is supposed to be a two layer fence, electrified and topped with concertina razor wire. The border fence has not even been half completed?
Donald Trump for President? He would stop the unfair trade practices of Communist China's commerce and the billions of dollars owed that country in cheap inferior goods.
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Posted by: Brittanicus | 02/23/2011 at 02:27 PM