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Immigration reform -- or enforcement
By ROBERT WRENThe Utah Legislature's Interim Immigration Committee will finish its series of hearings designed to discuss and consider issues concerning unauthorized or illegal immigrants in the State of Utah. Apparently efforts are being launched to further weaken, or repeal, the omnibus immigration bill SB 81, which offers some reasonable solutions toward enforcement of existing federal immigration law.
Let's review a few recent happenings in the immigration news. Last week, a study was released by FAIR on the cost to taxpayers for our neighbors in Colorado. That cost is estimated at approximately $1.1 billion annually.
The Texas Legislature also issued a report declaring that health care, alone, of illegal residents of Texas "cost the Texas government (meaning taxpayers) and local hospital districts $678 million in a year." (Fort Worth Star Telegram).
Locally, Kraftmaid laid off 813 in Utah, Bally's closed, Rio Tinto (Kennecott) announced layoffs, construction employment is reported down in Utah by the thousands. Nationally, unemployment claims are increasing.
On the legal front, an appeals court in California declared instate tuition for illegal aliens unconstitutional and decreed all U.S. citizens paying non-resident tuition should have the difference refunded. Based on residency/school attendance, the California law is similar to the Utah law. There were many warnings given that this concept was in violation of federal law.
Utah will continue to be subject to tremendous potential liability for millions of tax (education) dollars to those paying non-resident tuition.
The crux of that federal law is "an alien who is not lawfully present in the United States shall not be eligible on the basis of residence within a state (or a political subdivision) for any postsecondary education benefit unless a citizen or national of the United States is eligible for such a benefit (in no less an amount, duration, and scope) without regard to whether the citizen or national is such a resident."
From Arizona, in October, the Maricopa County Attorney released a report which stated "an analysis of all defendants sentenced for felonies in 2007 in Maricopa County Superior Court shows 18.7 percent to be in the United states illegally." It further reports that illegal immigrants account for 9 percent of the total population but 16 percent of violent crimes, 18 percent of property crimes, 33 percent of drug crimes and 85 percent of criminal impersonation or false ID and 96 percent of human smuggling.
There are effectively two predominant federal laws concerning immigration that Utah has trouble complying with. First, it is unlawful to EMPLOY an illegal alien. (US Code Title 8, sec 1324a) Second, it is unlawful to aid, abet or encourage an alien to reside on this country (US Code Title 8, sec 1324).
Immigration Reform (amnesty) may be forthcoming from the federal government. Hopefully, enforcement and economics may cause some reduction in numbers before that happens. If we choose to attempt the guest worker route, we should at least encourage a resolution of the birthright citizenship fallacy. Most countries require at least one citizen parent.
A national guest worker program for new workers may a better choice than amnesty (or sale of U.S. citizenship to those who have successfully evaded the law) but it, too, could reward illegal action and behavior. A timely implementation of a strengthened SB 81 will assist in attrition through enforcement and help to balance Utah's budget and lower tax burdens.
Robert Wren, who lives in Heber City, is chairman of UFIRE, Utahns for Immigration Reform and Enforcement.
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Oh, and Pancho is right. E-Verify IS discriminatory against illegal immigrants. That's what it was designed for.
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