California Rejects Anti-Immigrant Amendments

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California Rejects "Anti-Immigrant" Amendments

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Valle, News Report, Esparza Loera, Jul 14, 2005

The days when anti-immigration proposals were used

to create a divided California are over, said Assembly Speaker Fabián

Núñez last Tuesday after the state Assembly's Judiciary Committee

rejected proposed constitutional amendments that would have denied some

benefits to undocumented immigrants and created a state border police.

"What we're seeing in Sacramento is a minority group that is trying to

use the immigration issue as a scapegoat," said Núñez during a

telephone press conference. "We will not allow that to happen in

California."

The committee voted 5-2 against a proposal by Assemblymember Ray

Haynes, R-Murrieta, that would have given the state’s Division of

Homeland Security a California Border Patrol to help federal agents

enforce immigration laws. Among the bill's co-authors is Assemblymember

Dave Cogdill, R-Modesto.

By a 4-2 vote, the committee rejected a plan by Assemblymember Mark

Wyland, R-Del Mar, that would have prohibited undocumented residents

from receiving any health care or social services not required by the

federal government. It would have eliminated the lower in-state tuition

rates for undocumented students and would have required people to show

identification when they vote.

Haynes and Wyland said the state is paying up to $10 billion a year on

undocumented immigration costs without getting full reimbursement from

the federal government.

"The federal government has just abandoned state and local governments

and is doing a terrible job on (immigration)," Assemblymember Tom

Harman, R-Huntington Beach, told the Associated Press. “Something needs

to be done. This is the right step in the right direction."

Not so, said Núñez.

"I think they have wrong information," said Núñez, "because they don't

take into account what (undocumented immigrants) contribute."

Núñez said undocumented workers help keep jobs like those in the

textile industry in the state. They also take jobs that others refuse

to do, he added.

"We should be looking at ways we can compete in a global economy and

utilize immigrants in ways we can control to strengthen our ability to

be competitive on a global level," said Núñez.

Measures like those by Wyland and Haynes, said Núñez, do nothing to

help the state.

"It's a false strategy that does nothing to help California," said

Núñez. "I don't think the politics of Pete from 1994 have a

place in California in 2005."

"What it all comes down to is whether or not we look at the ills of

immigration, or we look at the contributions of immigration," said

Núñez. "We complain about the ills, but we take advantage of their

cheap labor."

Wyland and Haynes said they will try to get signatures to put their

proposals before voters next year. Voters, said Núñez, are too smart to

support either bill once they "know all the facts."

"In Mr. Haynes' case, we are basically talking about taking money away

from schools, from public services, from police and fire and using that

money to patrol the border. That is a federal obligation, not the

state's," said Núñez.

"I don't think we ought to be blaming children for the ills and

mistakes of adults," said Núñez about the Wyland proposal. "I don't

think the Republican Party will take on these issues."

Asked if Gov. Schwarzenegger has taken a stance, Núñez said the

governor has been silent.

"My hope is that he either stays away or opposes them because they

don't address the root of the problem," said Núñez. "I would be

surprised, to be honest with you, if the governor came out (in

support)."