RICHMOND
Republicans in the General Assembly who have identified combating illegal immigration as one of the GOP's top priorities are whittling down their proposals, throwing support behind a handful of law-and-order-type bills but shying away from the more ideologically charged measures.
Bills heavy on symbolism, such as making English the official language of Virginia, prohibiting driver's license exams in any language other than English, and making it against the law to assist people who are in the country illegally, have yet to gain traction.
"A lot of them are unconstitutional, and we didn't want to pass unconstitutional bills," said David Albo, R-Springfield, chairman of the House Courts of Justice Committee.
Instead, Republicans are focusing on bills they say would make a difference curbing illegal immigration by targeting people who commit crimes.
For example, bills cleared the House Rules Committee this week that would deny bail to illegal immigrants, require jail officials to determine a person's legal status and give more power to state and local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration laws. In addition, the committee passed a proposal to bar illegal immigrants from attending public universities.
Republicans are also backing bills that would require public contractors to verify the legal status of their workers through an electronic database and would punish employers who hire illegal immigrants.
"These are the ones we thought would actually do something," Albo said of the streamlined list of bills.
Democrats said they're relieved that perceived hard-line bills appear stagnant, as they have in past years.
"There was a lot of harsh rhetoric, and I'm glad cooler heads have prevailed," said Del. Brian Moran, D-Alexandria, House Democratic Caucus chairman.
Symbolic bills aside, Democrats, who control the Senate, are reacting to the remaining Republican proposals with caution. For example, a Senate subcommittee has already killed a bill to make illegal immigrants ineligible for in-state college tuition.
"The question of coming down on these people like a ton of bricks - some who have been here five or six years - gives me pause," Senate Majority Leader Richard Saslaw, D-Springfield, said during a subcommittee meeting last week.
Saslaw is also chairman of a special Senate panel on immigration.
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, a Democrat, opposes some of the Republican proposals and is cautious about the implications of others, said Gordon Hickey, a Kaine spokesman.
For example, the governor is against the bill to give state and local law enforcement officials power to enforce federal immigration laws through what is commonly known as the 287(g) program.
"That would take the State Police off the streets and put them in the office doing the federal government's paperwork," Hickey said.
One Republican-backed immigration bill that appears to have bipartisanship support would deny bail to illegal immigrants who have committed crimes, because they could be a flight risk.
The most contentious bill could prove to be the one denying illegal immigrants higher education.
"That's an answer in search of a problem," Moran said. "Denying them access to education may not serve us in the long run."
Republicans counter that illegal immigrants are taking education slots from legal residents.
An estimated 500 to 1,000 students out of the 370,000 people enrolled in public universities are illegal immigrants, according to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.
Aaron Applegate, (757) 222-5122. aaron.applegate@pilotonline.com
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Help me understand this.
So, in short, Governor Kaine says these laws will have police doing more paperwork. And I see the anti-smoking in public bill just moved further along. I guess my question is this; It is okay for police to do more paperwork when they bust people for smoking in public, but not okay for them to do more paperwork taking illegal aliens off the street? Which one of these scenarios would make YOU feel safer if passed into law? I would rather have the occasional second hand smoke in my face than illegal aliens in my face any day of the week. Am I wrong? Anyone?
he said she said
If the government actually cared about getting illegals out, they would make some sort of temporary visa program, let them come for a certain time period and charge them a non-refundable 15-25% on wages. The fact is that the immigrants are usually working and not hanging around airports in Minneapolis (that was about the dumbest thing I have ever read in my life btw). Many of the illegals in college are the children of immigrants who came here with parents.
The GOP is desperate to drum up votes from the right wing as VA moves towards being more blue. The Dems are trying to grab hold of the immigrant vote in NoVa. And neither really care about a realistic solution for something that is obviously not a real problem for the government. If it was, shouldn't we be spending billions of trillions of dollars investing in our own youth's education rather than using it to blow up Iraq?
dems and liberals?
So funny to see the right wingers try to blame the 'dems' and 'liberals' when the republicans had a majority in both houses of the VA legislature for eight years during the Gilmore, Warner and Kaine administrations and refused to do anything about these issues. The repubs talk tough on illegal immigration but that's all it is; just talk because they want the votes.
What does the GA not understand
Why doesn't Mr. Saslaw understand that if an illegal has been here five to six years, the chances of the illegal following the guidelines to become a legal visitor or citizen is very slim to none at all. Why should my hard-earned money be taken away from me in the form of taxes and redistributed to illegals who scam the system for a free education and free healthcare for that matter. I have two small children who I hope someday would like to go to college. Why should my children have to compete with illegals?
Hey, you voted for them!
We get the government we deserve! As we rapidly move towards a total socialist society, this weak VA General Assembly is no surprise. Their #1 job is to protect us first, period. Not help illegal invaders get an education. Northern Virginia values have taken over the whole state. We are sleeping in the bed we made. I can't wait to hear the moaning from the results of the 2008 Presidential election. Ron Paul is vilified as a kook, but the best we have from either party is Hillary and McCain?! Oh please. We have to choose between a Socialist and a Socialist. Just great. We are heading down the same path as Rome, just much quicker. Hopefully Ron Paul will break his promise to not run as a 3rd party candidate. God help us all.
Higher Education for illegals?
It boggles my mind that liberals think it is OK to provide an education for illegal aliens...and to let them pay tuition as a resident. I have lived here for 20+ years, a retired Navy Warrant Officer and while on active duty, claimed another state for my home of record. I had to pay out-of-state tuition to complete my grad degree. These idiots have the audacity and the unmitigated gall to say its "not fair" if we don't provide illegal aliens an education? What about those who served and are still serving (and some paid an awful price) who claim a different home of record than VA? All we want is a fair shake to further our education without undue financial burden. When did it become OK to treat service members as though they were less deserving than illegal aliens? I don't care HOW long you have been here...you want the benefit of what the USA has to offer? BECOME A CITIZEN; LEARN THE LANGUAGE! And any of those politicians that can't understand this simple logic, get out of office and live someplace else...we don't need you!
Very tired...
As an American, I have worked from the time I was 13....I am still working 41 years later....I pay my taxes, spend my shortened paycheck because of the frills the government loves handing out to illegals, lazy bums, fake disabilty people, multi pro creators and what not and all of a sudden, I feel very, very tired. No where on earth has anyone or anything ever been GIVEN to me or my family. We did without if we couldn't pay for it and still doing without unlike many of these people. Isn't it time to give back to the ones paying for this free ride? Isn't it time to remove each and every one of these freeloader givaway's (lawmakers)from office all the way down to the city level? I am truly tired.....I am all for helping people for a short time but this abuse of our land has got to stop!
What part of illegal do they not understand!!!
"A lot of them are unconstitutional, and we didn't want to pass unconstitutional bills," said David Albo, R-Springfield.
These people are here illegally. They have NO RIGHTS!!! PERIOD!!!!. Become a US Citizen then you can state constitutional rights are being violated. The US Constitution applies ONLY TO US CITIZENS!!!!
Why should I press "1" for English? English should be the official language. Try to go to Mexico and get tell them they have to learn English to speak with you. Also if you enter Mexico illegally, they throw you in jail. Only Mexican Citizens can be employed by the police/fire departments.
I do not care how you came here, or how long you have been here, if you are illegal, you have no rights to do anything, demand anything, or change anything. If you break the law and get caught, you should be deported!
Harsh, sure is! Life is not fair! This is a slap in the face to all of the immigrants that came over and became citizens, learned the language, and contributed to the make the USA better.
Wonderful silcnlayc!!
My gripe and ultimate question is why is it unconstitutional to make it law for English to be the official language and all DMV tests be in English. Do these POLITICIANS (yes I use all caps to signify seething) realize anyone hear legally has to SPEAK ENGLISH? So how does this apply to illegal aliens (YES ALIENS)? If you can't speak English as a licensed driver, how do you find you way around a city with streets, directions and signs in English?
Not to mention, do these POLITICIANS know the final immigration test is in...wait for it... ENGLISH!
Then again, I wonder how many of our politicians could pass this test?
Illegal
What part of ILLEGAL does Richmond not understand? DEPORT them all. The ones who came here legally, I have no problems with. If you came here ILLEGALLY, get out now. You have NO RIGHTS at all! Don't care how long you been here...don't care about your children's education. GET OUT! Yes, this is harsh. I have no respect for illegal aliens. If you came here legally, then I have no problems with you.
Illegal's
sounds like another case where the elected officials are not listening to the people that pay there taxes and obide by the laws. How many more times are the corrupt politicians going to be reelected to do as they please and not what the voters want. The days of being politically correct and being the nice guy for everyone are gone. The ILLEGALS have broken the LAWS of this country and should not be given any consideration beacuse they have been here for years. It just means they have been Law Breakesrs for Years. No Foreign Country in the world gives drivers license to ILLEGALS>. Maybe the Politician's that want to give them everything should become an ILLEGAL themselves. Of course they would not accept them in there Private Clubs, or want them to run for there JOBS!.
OUT OF TOUCH!!!!
The Democrats are TOTALLY out of touch with the rest of Virginians on the issue of illegal immigration...mainly to capture the latino vote.
Many jobs I used to see African Americans working in in Norfolk, are not held by obvious illegal immigrants. Illegal immigration is running rampant in Northern Virginia, basically being FLAUNTED in everyones face.
Nothing seems to be sacred to democrats...not even citizenship and I will make sure I dont vote for them again. They talked tough on immigration before the election.
Remainder of Story
A man from Somalia arrives in Minneapolis as a new immigrant to the United States.
He stops the first person he sees walking down the
street and says, "Thank you Mr. American for letting me in this
country, giving me housing, food stamps, free medical care, and
free education!" The passerby says, "You are mistaken, I am Mexican."
The man goes on and encounters another passerby. "Thank you for having such a beautiful country here in America!" The person says, "I not American, I Vietnamese."
The new arrival walks further, and the next person he sees he stops, shakes his hand and says, "Thank you for the wonderful America!" That person puts up his hand and says, "I am from Middle East, I am not American!"
He finally sees a nice lady and asks, "Are you an American?" She says, "No, I am from Africa!" Puzzled, he asks her, "Where are all the Americans?" The African lady checks her watch and says..."Probably at work."
Why?
I came to America with my parents and we went through the channels to become naturalized citizens. I am amazed that anything other than deportation would be agreed upon. Just because one is here ILLEGALLY for years does not give them entitlement to anything. I think the lawmakers are overlooking this aspect totally. I am appalled at the way in which they are waffling on an issue as important as this. It reminds of a story I read in which A man from Somalia arrives in Minneapolis as a new immigrant to the United States.He stops the first person he sees walking down the street and says, "Thank you Mr. American for letting me in this
country, giving me housing, food stamps, free medical care, and
free education!" The passerby says, "You are mistaken, I am Mexican."
The man goes on and encounters another passerby. "Thank you for having such a beautiful country here in America!" The person says, "I not American, I Vietnamese." The new arrival walks further, and the next person he sees he stops, shakes his hand and says, "Thank you for the wonderful America!" That person puts up his hand and says, "I am from Middle East, I am not American!" He finally sees a nice lady and asks, "A
GOP Needs "Stones"
As Bill O'Reilley would say, you GOP reps better get some "stones" and fix our immigration problem or find another part-time job...I'm sick of hearing how my money is supporting illegals every day after I've had to go back to work after retiring from my first (professional) 30+ year career. If you Dems/Libs feel so generous and want to support illegals, set up an account at your local bank and contribute as much and as often as you want.