Illegal immigration debate at the Capitol could be a real education for John Hickenlooper

Thumbnail image for immigration and customs enforcement ice arrest photo.JPG
Illegal immigrants took over the State Capitol yesterday -- figuratively speaking, at least -- when Senate Bill 54 was introduced by Senator Kent Lambert. It's essentially a copycat of Arizona's controversial (and constitutionally challenged) law, and a major waste of time. Until Arizona passed its measure, Colorado had the toughest anti-illegal immigration law, passed in 2006, and it's been almost impossible to enforce.

After all, when it comes to immigration, the power lies with the feds, not the states.

But if SB 54 doesn't go anywhere, another measure is sure to stir up dust::Two Democratic senators, including education whiz Michael Johnston, are planning to introduce a bill that would allow undocumented students who've graduated from Colorado high schools to enroll at Colorado's public colleges and get in-state tuition. A similar proposal failed in 2009 -- but this time, the debate should be particularly interesting.

At a gubernatorial debate at the Denver Botanic Gardens in October, now-Governor John Hickenlooper said that he would not support such a measure. But there are a lot of persuasive details that might help him change his mind.

For starters, there's this Westword cover story about Pablo, an amazing student at West High School with a bright future -- dimmed by the fact that as a child, his parents brought him to this country illegally. It was a real mind-changer for me on this issue.

The author? Helen Thorpe, wife of Colorado's new governor.

Let the debate begin.

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13 comments
anevile
anevile

AND to ALL ILLEGAL ALIENS, I SAYASK NOT WHAT AMERICA CAN DO FOR YOU; ASK WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR AMERICA..........LEAVE

anevile
anevile

hispanics are working very hard to make this about race because they are the biggest offenders. We have illegal aliens from all over the globe. We do not have to press 2 for any other language, Russia ( we purchased Alaska), French (we purchased Lousiana), only Spanish (we purchased the states they claim as theirs in the Guadalupe_Hidalgo Treaty). The constitution, English as the native language were here before the invaders. The native Americans came across the Bering Strait. Eurpoean Ancestors came through Ellis Island, were sent home if they were considered unhealthy, had no entitlements, established schools etc. Illegals don't have the same immunizations and bring many diseases denuge, from mosquito breading tropical climates. In Illinois, we have 4 sanctuary cities and the governor raised the state income tax by 66%. It';s NOT RACIST but SURVIVAL. Eliminate all illegal alien entitlements including those for anchor babies and maybe they would work to fix their own country instead of stealing ours. And to the politicians..DEFEND the constitition, including the intent of the 14th Amendment or start writing your resume.

anevile
anevile

It's all about personal responsibility.Responsibility of elected officials to defend the constitutionResponsibility of illegal aliens to not procreate if they don't want their family split when the illegal aliens are sent packingRepsonsibility of Mexico to have a country it's citizens want to live in and be proud ofResponsibility of American citizens to vote out any politician who forgets what his/her job really is.... defend the constitution and protect the American people

Dave Francis
Dave Francis

FIRST BUILD THE--REAL--BORDER FENCE.

America is sinking under a massive fiscal support burden for not addressing the illegal alien invasion. If you cannot imagine the expenditure in just the health care system alone, then you should read the report by the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, spring 2005 http://www.jpands.org/vol10no1... After reading this numbing revelation, you probably will need a good dose of Milk of Magnesia. You can ignore the massive issue that illegal alien settlement has become. Or you can make your vote known and add your wrath to millions by contacting Washington Congressional leaders at 202-224-3121. You can also address this disgusting situation to your local state Congressman as well, even start a conversation on your local radio or TV station. INCREASINGLY A VOLUME OF AMERICAN STATES ARE PASSING THEIR OWN BILLS, BECAUSE OF THIS ADMINISTRATION OR PAST GOVERNMENT FAILURE TO STOP THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ONSLAUGHT.

Stopping illegal immigration in the interior is of urgent importance, and the magnet from less than honest business must be held accountable. The attitude of businesses is indifferent, specially local contractors and sub-contractors who should be painfully fined with confiscation of business assets, with a prison sentence held over their head for a second offense .Some of this money paid in fines could be awarded to Whistle blowers, who are convinced that the company owner is hiring illegal aliens and not using a permanent E-Verify verification programs. Once the border barrier can be seen to hold back the deluge of the impoverished migrants, then a Guest Worker program could be introduced to relieve the labor shortage in agriculture. However it must be overseen for fraud, as viewed after the 1986 Immigration Reform. Every contract signed must indicate that the said person cannot change jobs, cannot bring in any family members as they are classed as a temporary labor.

Even when the majority of Americans have expressed they are against any amnesty, legal importation of non-citizens there have been quietly ushered into this country in seven small amnesties, outside of the roughly 1.5 million medium-skilled workers who enter the workforce yearly. Much of the fraudulent import of immigrants is perpetrated on the labor department by unscrupulous lawyers. Each visa program has its erroneous applications for entry, from countries with high populations of moderate technical workers, instead of training large pools of US citizens and green card possessors. Companies that are involved in these hiring travesties are not obligated to furnish any benefits including health care. If the businesses downsizes the first to go are the newcomers, who then are limited to resources and must depend on federal entitlements.

Join a local chapter of the Tea Party, who have their own candidates in Congress and give them the support they need. There are hundreds of reliable reports on the foreign occupation of our country and you should become part of the battle lines or you can remain indifferent to the whole whole thing? You can take the Liberal extremists at their word that the poor and desperate are a good money maker for our economy, or you can swallow the ugly truth that for every dollar spent, they are reimbursed 3 dollars of your money.You can take Senator Harry Reid at his word about immigration reform or say no to any form of Amnesty including the birthright baby citizenship law. Taxpayers can remain being a philanthropist for every illegal alien who slips over the border or drops in by jet plane, or join the growing discontent of millions of unemployed Americans.

We must build the real, original double layer fence (2006 Secure Fence Act), then station the armed military to ward off the unceasing rush of illegal invaders or you can sit back and watch as our bleeding United States GDP escalates past 14 Trillion dollars. If you are Interested where your taxes are going, then read about the immigration corruption articles at NumbersUSA and JudicialWatch.

No copyright. Distribute freely.

Robert
Robert

Alarum! Alarum! I read some vaguely similar, freaky Arizona militia nonsense just after Loughner shot Rep. Giffords -- you make no mention though of the imminent mobilization of the ten million man army which is supposed to invest the border soon -- I wonder why.

panola
panola

Dear President Obama,

"Your Administration's decision to drop deportation proceedings against "non-violent" illegal aliens shows a profound lack of respect for those Americans and legal immigrants unable to find jobs. For the sake of all Americans, I expect you to allow ICE to do its job and is allowed to arrest and deport all illegal aliens they arrest.

The White House's recent decision to force ICE to release illegal aliens who have committed identity fraud and other "non-violent" crimes is outlandish. Not only have these individuals come to this country illegally, they have also committed serious criminal offenses. However, because they have not committed "violent" crimes and are not deemed to be terrorists, you believe they deserve to stay in the country. How sickening."

Go to NumbersUSA.com to send Obama a fax similar to this. . .

Robert
Robert

Swine, take responsibility for decades of US policy on immigration! Moronic, racist haters that you are, you probably never even graduated from a Colorado high school (or studied modern American history if you did). The depths of your depravity are laid bare by opposition to educating people American in every sense other than the legalistic -- would you deport honor students brought here as infants too?

Hickenlooper's administration can already be summed up: Hickenlooper won't -- he won't support Lambert's Fascist Party initiative, but he won't support in-state tuition either (these are both controversial). He wouldn't confront an out-of-control police administration, not to take the side of the people who elected him when they made it no longer illegal to possess cannabis, not in the face of a mountain of police abuse cases -- Hickenlooper won't respect the will of the People of Colorado, who want to stop throwing away taxes arresting people for cannabis. Hickenlooper won't.

P.S. If you read the NYT, you might believe of Hick that "He got tough on police brutality" (apparently because he fired Ron Perea -- that was enough for reporter Frank Bruni).

P.P.S. Even Bruni balks at describing B-cycle as "bike-sharing"; he says that Hick also "installed a fleet of hundreds of pay-as-you-go public bicycles" -- this doesn't redeem the part about getting tough on police brutality, but it is more accurate regarding B-cycle than any local coverage.

STINGER
STINGER

GRAD U OF MINN. HISTORY MAJOR, WIFE HISPANIC "LEGAL" NUFF SAID SWINE ? MORONIC ? RACIST HATERS ?

Robert
Robert

No one who opines on the subject of illegal immigrants or immigration does so responsibly who does not assign at least a little onus to our government's tacit acceptance of it for decades, or who fails to note Ronald Reagan's solution to the same problem (not that I endorse the judgment of Ronald Reagan, but contrast that rabid right-winger's amnesty with the position of anti-(illegal)-immigrant extremists now).

JRWOLFE
JRWOLFE

What part of the word ILLEGAL does anyone not get ? Why can't all immigrants simply fill out the proper paperwork ?

STINGER
STINGER

WOULD THOSE FORMS BE IN MEXICAN ?

Druid0621
Druid0621

There will be no surprise. You cannot teach an old dog new tricks, and we know well that Hickenboober loves illegals and provided sanctuary in Denver. On one hand, we have some boneheaded first-term Hispanic Democrat Senator proposing (again, yawn) that illegals get in-state tuition to our universities. On the other, we have an initiative to finally treat illegals like the criminals they are. This should be lots of fun.

STINGER
STINGER

WHY ARE THEY DEBATING THIS CRAP ILLEGAL = ILLEGAL = CRIMINAL

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