Sheriff, state rep. seek immigration bill similar to Arizona plan (Ohio)

Middletown Journal ^ | April 27, 2010 | Lauren Pack and Josh Sweigart

[mdittmar]

HAMILTON — A local lawmaker and Butler County’s sheriff are urging the state to move ahead with immigration reforms that “mirror” a controversial new law in Arizona that critics say creates a “police state.”

In a letter sent Tuesday, April 27, state Rep. Courtney Combs, R-Hamilton, and Sheriff Richard K. Jones urged the governor and leaders of the General Assembly to move ahead with stalled state immigration legislation.

Bills pending in Ohio include one, sponsored by Combs, which requires employers to check a prospective hire’s legal status or risk noncompliance with tax law. Others would allow local law enforcement more ability to assist federal immigration officials.

“We have illegals who are taking jobs away from Americans in this bad economy; they are scamming the welfare system and bringing drugs and the violence that goes with it into this country,” Jones said. “We have to be able to stop it.”

All of the proposals in Columbus fall short of a controversial Arizona bill signed into law Friday, which makes it a crime under state law to be in the U.S. illegally.

The measure — set to take effect in late July or early August — directs state and local police to question people about their immigration status if there is reason to suspect they are illegal.

Combs said the Arizona law works for Arizona. But before Ohio follows suit — which some lawmakers are considering — it should work on measures already in the making.

“We don’t need an Arizona bill, that’s not what we’re after,” Combs said. “We do need some checks and balances in Ohio. Lets get those done and then we’ll have some success.”

Others worry, though, about the role of racism and racial profiling in immigration measures that allow cops to stop people in the street and demand they show proof of citizenship.

“There’s no logical way, no lawful way, to determine reasonable suspicion of immigration law violation,” said Cleveland attorney David Leopold, president-elect of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

“It opens the door effectively to a mandate to racially profile,” said . “What Arizona has essentially done is tantamount to a police state creation.”

The Associate Press contributed to this report.

[Traveler59]

If you are in FL you have to show proof of legal status and your DL is only good for the duration of your I-94 or Greencard (depending)

True, if you go and apply in person. But as I and several co-workers have found out, if you apply online before your DL expires you aren't require to show proof. The photo used is the one they have on file (digital). Shaved 15 years off of my looks. ;)

- Traveler

[HiJinx]

Ping!

[444Flyer]

I would’ve thought Texas would be next. Actually, I thought they’d be first. Is Arizona the new Texas?

[SloopJohnB]

¡Visite Arizona - Boicot México!

...in other words…

Visit Arizona - Boycott Mexico!

Thanx to OB1kNOb

Arizona woke up! Is Ohio next? The rest better or this will worsen for them!

As bad as this is, it is outdated!

In Los Angeles, 95 percent of all outstanding warrants for homicide target
illegal aliens, as do approximately two-thirds of all fugitive felony
warrants.
More than 60 percent of the Hispanic gangs in Southern California—
whose membership is in the tens of thousands—is illegal. These gangs
involved withdrug-distribution schemes, extortion, drive-by
assassinations, assaults, and robberies.

In a 2006 study, Deborah Schurman-Kauflin of the Violent Crimes
Institute in Atlanta estimated, conservatively, that from January 1999
through April 2006 approximately 240,000 illegal aliens had committed
about 960,000 sex offenses in the United States.

The fiscal costs of illegal immigration are also very high. According to the
Center for Immigration Studies, in 2002 illegal-alien households imposed,
in aggregate, costs exceeding $26 billion on the federal government while
they paid $16 billion in federal taxes -- thereby creating a net fiscal deficit
of $10.4 billion per year at the federal level, or $2,700 per household.
Among the largest components of this deficit were Medicaid ($2.5 billion);
medical treatment for the uninsured ($2.2 billion); food-assistance
programs such as food stamps, WIC, and free school lunches ($1.9
billion); the federal prison and court systems ($1.6 billion); and federal aid
to schools ($1.4 billion). A major reason why illegal aliens are, on balance,
such a drain on the American Treasury is because approximately 60
percent of them lack a high-school degree.

The National Academy of Sciences has estimated that the average
immigrant without a high-school degree will, over the course of his or her
lifetime, impose a net cost -- above and beyond any taxes he or she pays --
of nearly $100,000 on U.S. taxpayers; this cost does not include the cost
of educating the immigrant’s children. Based on that figure, the estimated
6 million legal immigrants lacking a high-school diploma and residing in
the U.S. today, will cost taxpayers more than a half trillion dollars over
their lifetimes.

[SloopJohnB]

¡Visite Arizona - Boicot México!

...in other words…

Visit Arizona - Boycott Mexico!

Thanx to OB1kNOb

Arizona woke up! Is Ohio next? The rest better or this will worsen for them!

As bad as this is, it is outdated!

In Los Angeles, 95 percent of all outstanding warrants for homicide target
illegal aliens, as do approximately two-thirds of all fugitive felony
warrants.
More than 60 percent of the Hispanic gangs in Southern California—
whose membership is in the tens of thousands—is illegal. These gangs
involved withdrug-distribution schemes, extortion, drive-by
assassinations, assaults, and robberies.

In a 2006 study, Deborah Schurman-Kauflin of the Violent Crimes
Institute in Atlanta estimated, conservatively, that from January 1999
through April 2006 approximately 240,000 illegal aliens had committed
about 960,000 sex offenses in the United States.

The fiscal costs of illegal immigration are also very high. According to the
Center for Immigration Studies, in 2002 illegal-alien households imposed,
in aggregate, costs exceeding $26 billion on the federal government while
they paid $16 billion in federal taxes -- thereby creating a net fiscal deficit
of $10.4 billion per year at the federal level, or $2,700 per household.
Among the largest components of this deficit were Medicaid ($2.5 billion);
medical treatment for the uninsured ($2.2 billion); food-assistance
programs such as food stamps, WIC, and free school lunches ($1.9
billion); the federal prison and court systems ($1.6 billion); and federal aid
to schools ($1.4 billion). A major reason why illegal aliens are, on balance,
such a drain on the American Treasury is because approximately 60
percent of them lack a high-school degree.

The National Academy of Sciences has estimated that the average
immigrant without a high-school degree will, over the course of his or her
lifetime, impose a net cost -- above and beyond any taxes he or she pays --
of nearly $100,000 on U.S. taxpayers; this cost does not include the cost
of educating the immigrant’s children. Based on that figure, the estimated
6 million legal immigrants lacking a high-school diploma and residing in
the U.S. today, will cost taxpayers more than a half trillion dollars over
their lifetimes.

[Tainan]

Hamiltucky with illegals problems?

Must be getting near election time.

[Man50D]

The flood gates are starting to close,Hopefully.

I meant in terms of other states considering similar legislation.

[rockinqsranch]

Good! Now let’s see Texas and New Mexico get on board. I wish there was hope for California, but that’s out of the question isn’t it.

[upchuck]

David Leopold, president-elect of the American Immigration Lawyers Association: “What Arizona has essentially done is tantamount to a police state creation.”

No Davie. What Arizona has essentially done is take existing federal law and apply it to their state.

There is no federal law (at least not yet) that creates a police state.

[NonValueAdded]

It seems preposterous to me that local police cannot make arrests for Federal crimes then turn them over to the appropriate authorities for processing. The alternative is to ramp up the FBI (or worse) as a Federal police force to the equivalent size of state and local law enforcement with street patrols, etc. Bottom line, if a cop catches a bad guy breaking a law that’s on the books, he should make the arrest. We don’t need or want layers of police each enforcing only their own piece of the puzzle.

[Bluestateredman]

Wrong! This is the message. Beat it!

Get your illegal keister off of our soil!

Feel free to apply for reentry!

[metmom]

“We have illegals who are taking jobs away from Americans in this bad economy; they are scamming the welfare system and bringing drugs and the violence that goes with it into this country,” Jones said. “We have to be able to stop it.”

YES!!!!!

[McGavin999]

What it will end up doing is sending the illegals to those states that do NOT have an Arizona type law and all those illegals will swamp the state and drag it under. It will take less than a year and those liberal states will be screaming mad and passing the law themselves.

[matthew fuller]

"In fact many states were doing exactly that until somehow Obama stopped them. "

I think it was at least as far back as Clinton that illegally started ignoring the immigration laws, and GWB followed right along behind.

[IPWGOP]

 

come on, Ohio!!

 

[matthew fuller]

"I would’ve thought Texas would be next."

We only let the legislature meet for 90 days, every other year. They're not in session now.

[matthew fuller]

TX legislature meets again Jan 11, 2011.

[Just A Nobody]

Thanks for this most excellent ping!

[CriticalJ]

“ah son of a bitch....Now the wets are gonna come more and more to PA.”

Not a chance when NC invites them with open arms. At this time, there is no chance in hell NC will even consider this type of legistlation.

[itssme]

This is serious...not fun and games. There’s a time and place for humor...but not here, not now. Our country is under attack from every direction...our work is cut out for us and we need to be serious about what needs to be done, and how to do it.