Idaho Could Crack Down On Illegal Immigration
Sweeping legislation introduced in the Idaho House Monday could have the state cracking down on anyone hiring or harboring illegal immigrants.
One of the sponsors, Senator Mike Jorgenson of Hayden Lake said Monday "money was driving the bills." The Republican lawmaker said illegal immigration costs Idaho about $200 million a year.
"(Idaho is) spending over $10 million a year for foreign national prisoners so I'm driven strictly by the fiscal side of this," said Sen. Jorgenson.
If passed, the three bills would require employers to verify legal U.S. citizenship through an E-Verify system online. Sen. Jorgenson said the program is "essentially free." He added that implementation costs would be minimal, however litigation and investigation costs would increase the price tag. He believes the crackdown would save the state millions of dollars of unpaid services and resources.
A coalition protesting the bills included Catholic Charities of Idaho and the Idaho Community Action Network. Coalition organizer Leo Morales said the federal government should continue handling immigration issues. He believes the proposals would cost the state more than leaving the immigration issues alone. Morales said studies have shown Arizona and Colorado adapted similar legislation and spent millions of dollars implementing it.
"In the state of Idaho, we're seeing millions in deficits and it doesn't make sense to pass legislation that would only cost Idaho more money," said Morales.
Morales said he wants to work toward helping illegal immigrants learn English, obtaining U.S. citizenship, and paying taxes.
If the bills pass, employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants could have their business license suspended anywhere from a year to permanently. Sen. Jorgenson said everyone would be prosecuted through the Attorney General's office and must be found guilty by a judge.
www.kivitv.com/global/story.asp
Feb. 17, 2010