Friday, February 18, 2011
Immigration Immigration bill puts government on everyone's back
Posted by Max Brantley on Fri, Feb 18, 2011 at 6:32 AM
The legislature next week is expected to take up HB 1292, which would prohibit all state services, except emergency or life-saving care, to "illegal aliens." And how will they do this? Every single state agency will have to demand a notarized affidavit of citizenship from every person who seeks state services. Racial profiling not allowed. All must sign. All must be notarized. Dreadfully sick and at a UAMS facility seeking an antibiotic or other relief? This is no emergency. Please stand in line at our notary window first, thank you.
Mean, time-consuming and expensive stuff in the interest of rooting out the occasional balm of state/Christian charity extended to the strangers among us.
Arkansas Times publisher Alan Leveritt, long an advocate for the state's immigrant community, has written to legislators in opposition to the legislation. His letter follows.
LETTER FROM ALAN LEVERITT
I publish Arkansas Times along with El Latino, the Spanish language weekly here in Little Rock. I am really concerned about a bill you will be voting on next week.
I understand the Alien Benefits bill will be coming up. While pretty much everything in the bill is already prohibited by state or federal law (in-state tuition, Medicaid, etc.), there are a couple of provisions that are going to cost the state a fortune and cripple the distribution of state benefits to regular Arkansans.
Under this bill, every time someone receives a state benefit, they will need to sign a notarized affidavit that they are here legally. State employees will not be able to ‘profile’ people by color, accent, etc. Everyone will need to sign. According to the head of DHS, his agency serves 1.5 million Arkansans a year and under this law, he will need 1.5 million affidavits and an army of notary publics. This bill could be renamed the Notary Public Full Employment Act. According to the bill, the state must provide the notary public service free to the citizens. In addition, much of the paperwork for these benefits is done on-line or by mail. I cannot imagine how we will notarize something on-line. People will have to leave home and drive to their nearest DHS office, a problematic situation for elderly or disabled Arkansans. DHS plans to testify against this bill.
DHS is just the beginning. Think of the driver’s license process—more millions of affidavits…and the lists of state agencies goes on.
There is another provision that prohibits any health-care benefit to undocumented aliens except for emergency or a life threatening condition. I am not a lawyer but this would appear to prohibit free treatment for non-life threatening but communicable diseases such measles, chicken pox, syphilis, etc.
I have read the bill and cannot find anything in it that is not already covered by state or federal law. In-state tuition is specifically prohibited both by an attorney general’s opinion and instruction to the Dept. of Higher Ed by the governor. Everyone has to produce a birth certificate to get a driver’s license and if it is a foreign certificate, they have to show how they are here legally.
In essence, this bill is intended to let 6% of our population know they are not welcome here. What is unintended is that it will cost millions of dollars in state salaries and printing. Not to mention the long lines and delays it will create for citizens waiting to do their business with the state.
Please oppose this poorly written and mean spirited piece of legislation.
Comments (25)
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What about those here who utilize the public defender system? The United States Constitution guarantees the right to counsel. What about confidentiality? What is told to one's attorney (with few exceptions) is confidential. This should include immigration status. I guess the right to counsel would count as an exemption b/c of federal law. Even if that is the case, will the public defenders still be required to calculate how much money is spent on those who are undocumented (as the bill requires)? Who will do that? This will take a ridiculous amount of resources and time.
What if an undocumented person is the victim of a crime? Most prosecutor offices have victim coordinators to help the victims during the time leading up to and during a trial. Will those without the proper papers be left on their own with no support during this stressful time? Will only victims who are here legally have this service? I don't believe the victim assistance most prosecutors provide is required by the federal gov't, so it would seem to be included in what this bill would forbid. Am I wrong?
This bill is very mean spirited and obviously proposed by legislators who know very little about the day to day operations of government.
The "christians" in our legislator have the same relationship to real "Christianity" as the Taliban has to Islam. Or maybe, the Arkansas brand of christianity, except for a few lesser brands, is the "Christian Taliban". Both do all they can to subject women, try to force their brand down others throats through legislative means, and like the Taliban, can't think on their own but must be told what they think!
Most Christians (capital "C") wouldn't want to be anything like them. Jesus wouldn't be caught hanging out with that crowd in this world and probably the next!
Thankfully, there are a few smaller religions in the state that actually practice the teachings in the New Testament.
Ah, the endless, endlessly divisive, endlessly distracting, endlessly hair-splitting, endlessly monomaniacal, endlessly boring arguments over who's a "real" Christian, "real" Muslim, "real" Jew, etc.
The raison d'être for theocracies: utterly irrelevant in secular laws and societies.
Utterly irrational in ANY case.
Isn't this an unfunded mandate on private and public institutions to make sure that there is a notary present whenever they might be needed which for any emergency medical facility would mean around the clock, 24/7. Sounds like a Republican jobs program without having to pay for it.
"Mean, time-consuming and expensive stuff..."
Fearful, bigoted stuff which is gonna cost ME MoMoney. I don't like it already.
Shame on representatives Hubbard, Deffenbaugh, Eubanks, Harris, Stubblefield.
One thing is for sure. If those with substantial lawns and homes (over 6,000 sq ft) in Washington and Benton County learn about this soon enough then a hit on Juan is a hit on all who enjoy the unfettered FREE market for domestic workers.
If these moronic legislators think our NWA elites are going to pay $12 hour for domestic and outdoor workers with pale skin then think again. Wealth maintenance requires containing costs whether it's at the factory or at home.
I'm calling the Chamber! They will fix this one.
I see the Evangelical Compassionate Conservatives are pissing off Jesus again.
The Natural Hate, indeed.
Then there is this:
"PROHIBIT ILLEGAL ALIENS FROM RECEIVING ANY STATE BENEFIT EXCEPT.."
The operative word in the title of the bill will prove to make it more problematic.
I'm not doing their work for them but for astute minds it should be obvious.
Democrats should be proposing an alternative of some kind (HA!)... Arkansas citizenship for.. i dunno, say everyone who lived here a year or more. Works for schools.
When wingnuts demand jailing illegal employers.. i will consider begining to take them somewhat seriously.
Denying health care or even making access more difficult for anyone is just pure evil.
On the other hand it will be entertaining once the "I want my country back" type Grandmas can't get the state funded old folks van to come pick them up and take them to the local (state provided)TEA Party meeting at the elderly daycare center until they prove they are Americans
All of you who think this bill is wrong and that these conservatives are 'pissing off Jesus' should be ashamed of yourselves. Do you ever bring the name of Jesus into a conversation unless it benefits you? If you think it's okay to give ILLEGAL ALIENS free health care I have an idea. Start your own non-profit organization, have like minded people contribute along with you taking your own money and start paying for it yourself; let those of us who need our hard earned money choose where our tax dollars go, that is until you liberals find a way to spend it for us.
Will some please explain to me what is wrong with this bill? These people are here illegally and are not entitled to any of the free social services such as free health and or housing, foodstamps or anything that is set aside by our local, state and federal gov. And there is no biblical proof to the contrary.
This is not a hate bill. You do not feed a thief that sneak into your home, you run him out. This is a basic common sense rule.
They pay taxes just like citizens (unless you've figured out a way that someone, anyone, anywhere, can escape taxes). Property taxes in the rent. Payroll taxes deducted from the paycheck. Sales taxes when they buy anything.
Denying people services they have paid for is theft. Stealing from the poor, just because you can. Nice. Jesus would like that, a lot.
Especially when we've got perhaps millions of Americans cheating on their taxes through the cash economy. They're getting services they haven't paid for. Stealing from everyone.
Thieves, excusing themselves because they're citizens. Remember what God did to Pharoah for mistreating aliens.
"The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God."
Will there be a bureaucracy to ensure that state agencies comply in a way that is race- and ethnicity-neutral, as the bill requires? As written, no state agency representative will be able to just look at me, and listen to me and say, "Aw, you look and sound like a regular old Arkansas black guy, probably with roots in Mississippi. Here you go." (Or give a similar pass to a white person.) That is good. It's appropriate that the bill prohibits profiling.
But how will the state make sure there is no profiling? Will it require "x" affidavits for every "x" unique acts of service provided?
Can -- better yet, make that *should* -- the state create untold racial profiling opportunities without lifting a finger to see that it isn't occurring? Other than saying in the law, "Don't do it."
I didn't see a penalty for profiling; it would be nice to have one if we want to build in defenses against lawsuits. And there probably ought to be some kind of audit trial by which the state can show that nobody, say me for example (no matter how "un-illegal-alien looking"* I may think I am) gets a moment of service or speck of benefit without the affidavit.
*My point is that you can't tell an undocumented alien by looking.
Cockroach; prove to me that they pay their taxes. Find a tax from of any illegal that you know of and give us the proof. You made this statement, now please back it up. As I have said before, I have been out in their communities and listened to them as they will laugh about how they can get around our tax system.
Remember what GOD did to pharoah for mistreating aliens. Pharoah gave the Israelites permission to be in Egypt; cockroach. They did not sneak in, Pharoah invited them in and even provided wagons to help bring them to Egypt; go back and read it again.
Jesus' own words made it clear that if they were to come in by any other means other than the door, they were to be concidered nothing less than a thief and a robber (John 10v1). No, He would not be angry if we were to run them out of our home. The alien living with you, denotes someone that is there by permission, otherwise they would be called spies and hunted down and killed. Why do you think Joseph's brothers were so fearful when Joseph called them spies? Look at the reference to being aliens in Egypt (again) by permission. All this bill is doing is asking for proof that these people have permission to be here.
No; I agree with you Tap, you can't tell just by looking at anyone whether or not they are undocumented; that is why they are supposed to ask for proof.
I understand, Stiffnecked. And I sure that you and I are prepared to sign an affidavit anytime we access state benefits, because we want the law applied fairly.
I'm just wondering whether, if DHS provides, say, 127 unique mental health consultations on month, it will have to keep on file documentation of 127 affidavits.
And I'm wondering whether anyone will keep up with that and cross-check. Because if it comes out that DHS only had 93 affidavits that month, someone will be asking in a law suit who the other 34 people were who got benefits -- and what they look and sound like.
And that would explain the reason I was told by a person working in our local revenue;
Don't ask and Don't tell.
I am an undocumented student. And as such I can honestly tell you that I pay taxes of whatever little money I am able to make. For one, I get my wages stolen every now and then from my waitress job by my employer. Out of the money that is not stolen from me I try to keep record of it and with my ITIN ( Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) file taxes. Have filed taxes this year. Of course, I did not get any money back, instead I'm paying the Federal government 758 and the state government about 230. I don't receive any benefits from the state, I can only pay for one class a semester at the community college, when I'm lucky. To learn that from this bill I would only be able to get attended at a hospital if I am about to die is very heartbreaking. I have lived in Northwest Arkansas since I was 6 years old and its the only home I know. I am a good citizen with no criminal record, every now and then I try to volunteer at the animal shelter or with the Habitat for Humanities organization. It is heartbreaking for me to learn that the state that I have considered my home is treating me like a contagious stray animal. By the way, I buy various things from local business, obviously food and groceries, thus paying sales tax. As for property tax, I live with my parents and I know my dad pays his property tax every year, if we didn't, we wouldn't have anywhere to live. Before making rash assumptions, please put yourselves in other people's shoes first. You never know what they are made of until you see it for yourselves. Not many undocumented immigrants are criminals, actually the majority of us contribute more to your social security funds than regular citizens. also, NO HUMAN BEING IS ILLEGAL only their actions are considered to be illegal.
And you have been here since you were six years old, and now, you are going to community college and still you have not asked for permission to be here? Now tell me, who's fault is that? I am not making any rash decisions, but you are wrong about not being illegal and because of this you are forcing your self to submit to an unscrupulous employer. But that is your choice. Tell us, what is there that is keeping you from applying for a student visa, or a work visa.
No, Eli, I feel pitty for you because of the choices you are making. But that does not shake my confidence that this bill is and will be good for those of us that do have a valid right to be here. You may be one of the few that actually do contribute monitarily to this country and that is commendable. But money is not the only issue here. By your own words you have admitted to the fact that even though you have called this your home since you were six, you have no intention on giving up your old nationality and taking up a new one. How do you think your husband would feel if you said that you wanted to be a part of his life but you had no intention of taking on his name? Oh, you may not be married at this time, but think about it. Go to Isaiah 4v1. The only difference in this case is you don't even want the name to take away your reproach.
"I am a good citizen" who is breaking the law just by being here without permission. You have no criminal record; now, what do you think would happen if you were picked up and they found that you were undocumented.
I have no doubt that you are a good "person", and I am sure that there are people that are willing to help if you should choose to become legal. The only help I can give is to help you find the information you may need, but the ball is in your hands now.
These are some of the other issues concerning your ITIN:
Through its issuance of Individual Tax Identification Numbers (ITINs), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) appears to be blind or indifferent to the reality that it has:
created an official U.S. tax number that illegal aliens are using as identification, thereby making it easier for them to meld unnoticed into our society;
endangered homeland security by issuing ITINs to illegal aliens, without adequately ensuring that they are denied to terrorists, criminals on the FBI database, and those under deportation notices;
exceeded its traditional role as a tax receiver and processor by marketing the ITIN to illegal immigrant communities;
failed to provide adequate safeguards to prevent illegal aliens from receiving tax benefits to which they are not entitled;
subverted U.S. immigration laws by withholding information from the INS and SSA about fraudulent activity of illegal aliens;
provided an ID vehicle that advocates hope will be used to "regularize" illegal aliens; and
withheld from public review data that is relevant to determining the economic contribution of illegal aliens to U.S. society.
The events of September 11, 2001, were a wake-up call to the American people that something must be done to protect our core identity documents. They were shocked to learn that 18 of the 19 terrorists possessed either state-issued or counterfeit driver�s licenses or ID cards and all 19 had obtained Social Security numbers (SSNs) � some real, some fake. The hijackers simply tapped into an enormous market for fraudulent documents that exists because nine million people have successfully breached our borders and now reside here illegally. Their presence has spawned widespread document and identity fraud that threatens our ability to distinguish illegal aliens from U.S. citizens and legal foreign residents
The ITINs were never meant to be issued to "undocumented" aliens and therefore are not legally a valid form of ID.
The fact that I am undocumented does not mean that I don't wish to belong to this country. I Never said that I would never give up my nationality..And Trust me, If becoming a legal resident was as easy as you may think it is, it wouldn't take me more than 15 years to look for a pathway. The majority of undocumented immigrants have waited for more than 20 years for their chance to finally legalize due to the fact that the immigration system is broken. Do you honestly thing they would wait all those years while being in an endangered situation in their country of origin? I'm sure if it were you, you would take your chances in living in an unfavorable situation rather than being dead. You are right on one thing though, I do make my own decisions, my decision to stay in the country that I love and will never do anything to endanger its citizens. You try to bring up the 9/11 events like if it were undocumented immigrants who attacked this country, when In fact, it was its own citizens, which, the majority of those 19 hijackers were. SO please, go do more research on facts you may think you know. As for my ITIN, it actually is a legal form of ID. I may not be able to use it for many things, but It very well serves its purpose. I can legally process my taxes, that way citizens like you can't make the argument that I steal from the government, when I actually pay it. I don't seek any pity from you, I stay here because I know no other home. I have no legal way of applying for any kind of visa and even if I did, it would take years for that process to go through, you should first explore this country's immigration system before you begin thinking that its really that easy to become a resident. People don't just wake up one day and say, " I think today, I'll be tired of being here undocumented. I think I'll go and get myself a visa" if it were like that, there wouldn't be any undocumented immigrants in this nation..
I just paid my real estate and personal property taxes. I was shocked to see how much of it was going to the school district. What is happening to this money?? I have sympathy for the illegals but our tax dollars should be used to education children of the citizens paying the taxes. We will never see our education system improve at this rate. And Mexico will never get its act together if we keep being their welfare program. This is a growing problem that must be addressed.
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