Posted on 01/08/2008 8:22:18 AM PST by Son House
Governor Tim Pawlenty Monday unveiled his newest plan to slow illegal immigration into Minnesota, which will include a citizenship test for new state workers.
"We can't have a system, a secure system of identity and drivers licenses and other things, that is rampant with fraud," the Governor said flanked by law enforcement officers and Republican lawmakers.
The plan features computerized drivers license photo cross checks to guard against multiple persons sharing the same legal names and identities.
"Either in terms of the current drivers license, former drivers license version, social security cards that turn out to be fraudulent and there's an industry as you probably know which exploits immigrants and others."
State Senator Patricia Torres Ray, a Democrat from Minneapolis, criticized the Governor for politicizing a complex issue.
"This is the same proposal from two years ago and once again it's an election year," Torres Ray told reporters at the Capitol, "This is an election cycle and I am very disappointed that our Governor has chosen to use this issue as a way to further his political agenda."
She said she and other lawmakers in touch with the immigrant communities in Minnesota have been invited to a meeting with the Governor Wednesday, and she's surprised Pawlenty shared his plan with the media prior to that discussion.
"We take immigration issue very seriously. We are working with mayors, superintendents, hospitals and other major players to address these very same problems."
For those who suggest the Governor is playing the immigration card to score points, the Governor said it's simply not true.
"I think anybody who would suggest that illegal immigration is not a real concern in the United States isn't a very candid observer of what's taking place."
The Governor signed an order directing all state agencies to work with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, known as I.C.E., to enforce immigration laws. This act would clarify that State Troopers have the power and obligation to detain drivers of questionable immigration status.
Some cities, including Minneapolis and Saint Paul, do not arrest suspects solely for being in the United States without permission. If an undocumented immigrant is arrested for another crime they will be referred to federal authorities when their local criminal case is completely.
Pawlenty said he'll ask the legislature to penalize cities that enact so-called sanctuary laws. He's also seeking to have state officers take special training from Immigrations and Customs so that they could eventually be deputized to arrest and hold undocumented immigrants they encounter.
"He's asking state agencies to do the job of the federal government," Torres Ray said, "That is not the work of our law enforcement. He's asking local communities to take on the burden of immigration enforcement at the same time he's already cutting aid to those cities."
Saint Paul Police Chief John Harrington has testified in the past that cooperation from potential witnesses and crime victims in certain areas of the city would be harder to come by if those individuals thought local police were working on behalf of federal immigration authorities.
He also testified that police do work hand in hand with immigration authorities on human trafficking and other major criminal investigations.
Other executive actions, which can be enforced without any action by lawmakers, includes a requirement that all new state verify citizenship or legal residency. Their names would be checked against a computerized federal database known as E-Verify.
When asked if any undocumented immigrants have been discovered in the ranks of state employees, Pawlenty answered that it was more a matter of the state setting a good example.
Private companies looking to defend themselves against hiring illegal immigrants could voluntarily use the E-Verify system as a means of proving they tried to check on their applicants.
The Governor would also require any contractors working for the state to verify their United States citizenship or legal immigration status.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/12/28/minn_gov_pawlenty_to_campaign_in_nh_for_mccain/
Pawlenty is the co-chair of McCain's presidential committee. He has campaigned on the Arizona senator's behalf in Iowa, Michigan and New Hampshire.
This means that they know that they already have illegal aliens working for their state!
Guy should be run out of town on a rail, tarred and featherd first!
Your right, almost forgot about the Global Warming Sirens coming from his office. Speaking of which, had a Geo Metro, rusted out in 11 years of Mn salt and sand, Prediction, Toyota Prius will also rust out fast because the metal is so thin.
Yes, Jesse Ventura, also wrote in his book he favored a ‘fair’ tax, yet as Governor, held onto the high rates left by Democrats. Funny thing about the ‘mind’ too, said he was a fiscal conservative and a social liberal, turned out to be just the opposite, like Democrat tax rates, and told the college student who was a single mother something like it was her responsibility for the situation she was in. Maybe someone else has a better recollection of that incident?
Tim Pawlenty has been a HUGE disappointment in his second term.
Don’t worry Ms. Torres Ray, as soon as mckennedy is done which will be in a few weeks, this “get tough” plan will disappear. They don’t really mean it.
And now Pawlenty wants to be a VP on what I would consider a losing ticket with McCain, not that I would sit and let Democrats ruin American opportunity by raising taxes, but Matthews and Blitzer would kick into high gear to cover for their Democrats liberal totality, as they ‘Dole’ McCain OUT, and ignorants repeat ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’ ‘change’. (Beavis and Butthead moment)
Somebody should tell Torres Ray Ortega Castillo Juarez that
LOCALS help enforce federal DUI laws, help with local(federal) bank robberies, enforce federal speed limits and federal drug laws...
Poor Nick Coleman is wetting his sundress about this over at the Star & Sickle.
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