Lawmakers Flood State Chambers with Over 100 Bills Attacking Undocumented Immigrants
Alex Meneses Miyashita

State legislatures have seen a surge of proposals this year that negatively target undocumented immigrants, while the number of new bills addressing the needs of our immigrant and Hispanic populations has paled in comparison.

This has occurred as more than half of the nation’s state legislatures have adjourned for the year, with eight others ending their sessions this month.

Common issues across the states focused on limiting health and social services to undocumented immigrants, denying them driver's licenses, and deputizing state and local police to enforce immigration law. Some bills banned children of undocumented immigrants from paying in-state college tuition rates, even if they grew up in that state.

Gabriela Lemus, director of policy and legislation for the League of United Latin American Citizens, expresses a concern shared by Hispanic advocates. "With all the strides we have made in civil rights today, to have this happen is very alarming," she says.

In 13 states whose legislative actions were profiled by Hispanic Link Weekly Report this year, a total of 55 bills were introduced. All but six penalized undocumented immigrants.

Most of the other 37 states had at least one or two bills introduced. Georgia had seven, South Carolina four. Altogether, the total exceeds 100.

Raúl Yzaguirre, founder and immediate past president of the National Council of La Raza, says that so long as there are people like CNN TV personality Lou Dobbs spilling out anti-immigrant rhetoric and as long as Hispanics fall short of state-level political clout, such legislative actions will likely continue.

In Arizona, which entertained 30 bills targeting immigrants this session, Hispanic legislators, who once occupied majority leadership positions in both chambers, are now not even consulted when anti-immigrant legislation is pursued, he adds.

Of the 7,382 seats in state legislatures, less than 650 are occupied by Hispanics.

Of all the bills that were introduced, only seven have become law so far.

In March, Virginia approved cutting Medicaid and other health and welfare benefits to undocumented immigrants.

A West Virginia legislative resolution declaring English its official language became law last month.

In Arizona, Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano signed three immigration-related bills into law, including one that prohibits the construction of centers for day laborers to assemble and look for work. However, she did veto four other bills that would have imposed additional restrictions on undocumented immigrants.

Among the two beneficial bills, New Mexico Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson signed one in April allowing undocumented residents to qualify for in-state college tuition status. New Mexico became the ninth state to pass such a law since 2002.

Kansas approved a similar bill, which is now the subject of a lawsuit to block its implementation.

Additionally, in February Colorado passed a bill that restores Medicaid benefits for legal immigrants after having withdrawn such rights in 2003.

The California legislature was able to pass a bill allowing some individuals to apply for driver’s licenses without firm proof of citizenship, but it’s a near certainty that it will be rejected by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Ann Morse, immigrant policy project director for the National Conference of State Legislatures, says that although the majority of bills usually do not pass, "It's one way to draw attention to (the issue) and say to Congress, 'You need to act,' with the expectation that there wouldn't be a state result but there would be a federal result."

University of California at Irvine Latino studies professor Louis DeSipio adds that such bills have a symbolic impact that "demonstrates the magnitude of the unauthorized migration issue in the United States."

The growth of undocumented immigrant populations in states that have traditionally not had high concentrations of them has definitely contributed to this surge of state legislation, they concur.

(Alex Meneses Miyashita is a correspondent with Hispanic Link News Service in Washington, D.C. He may be contacted by e-mail at Alex@HispanicLink.org.)

© 2005, Hispanic Link News Service
06/12/05
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