Tuesday, January 18, 2011

KENTUCKY SENATE MAKES FIRST MOVE IN IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN - Will Obama Sue?

FAIRUS.org


Kentucky Senate Makes First Move in Immigration Crackdown


Wasting no time in the new legislative session, the Kentucky Senate has already acted on the issue of illegal immigration. The Kentucky Legislature convened on January 4, 2011, and within four days, the state Senate had already approved an immigration enforcement bill. The bill is modeled after Arizona’s new immigration enforcement law, SB 1070.



The Kentucky immigration enforcement bill (SB 6) requires local law enforcement to make a reasonable attempt check the immigration status of an individual during lawful contact, when there is reasonable suspicion the individual is an illegal alien. It also prohibits local governments from adopting a policy, ordinance, resolution, administrative regulation, or law “that limits or restricts the enforcement of federal immigration laws to less than the full extent permitted by federal law.” SB 6 also creates new crimes for smuggling and aiding and abetting illegal aliens. (Id.)



State Senator John Schickel (R) said the bill was “designed to put heat on the feds” into taking action on enforcing immigration laws. (Blue Grass Politics, Jan. 7, 2011) Although many state democrats voiced concern about the unknown costs of the bill as their reason for voting against the measure, Schickel asserted that Kentucky cannot afford not to implement the law. He said that Kentuckians are already paying an unknown amount of money to educate illegal immigrants and pay for hospital room visits. (Id.) According to FAIR’s research, illegal immigration cost the state of Kentucky $326 million in 2010. This number includes the cost of education, welfare services, child healthcare provisions and justice system costs. (See FAIR, The Fiscal Burden of Illegal Immigration on United States Taxpayers, p. 70)



As FAIR reported last week, Kentucky is one of many state legislatures who plan to pass immigration enforcement legislation this session. (See FAIR Legislative Update, Jan. 10, 2010) Led in part by State Legislatures for Legal Immigration (LSSI), state representatives nationwide hope to initiate immigration legislation that will result in federal action. Kentucky’s immigration bill will now move to the Democratic-controlled state House of Representatives.

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