News

CNS News reports that President Obama will take part in an Oct. 8 ceremony establishing a national monument honoring the late Cesar Chavez, the founder of the United Farm Workers union. What’s ironic about Obama’s gesture is that he will likely compare Chavez’ struggle for farm worker rights to the movement to bestow rights (and citizenship) on illegal aliens when Chavez was, in fact, an adamant opponent of illegal immigration.

A number of state and local jurisdictions enacted immigration-enforcement measures in 2012 or fended off attempts to accommodate illegal aliens. Alabama revised its enforcement law without significantly weakening it while Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and three local governments enacted enforcement laws. Colorado, Delaware, Indiana, Hawaii, Washington State and, so far, California denied illegal aliens the public benefits advocates demanded.

On May 18th Governor Robert Bentley signed HB 658, a bill that amends Alabama’s 2011 immigration enforcement law. Although marketed as a “tweak” of existing law, HB 658 as passed by the House would have seriously undermined it before courts had a chance to rule on pending lawsuits. Fortunately, NumbersUSA members were able to convince the Senate to delete many harmful provisions and persuade House members to accept the changes.

2011 was a great year for enacting state-level Attrition Though Enforcement legislation and 2012 may well follow suit. State legislators seem to set records each year for the number of immigration-related bills introduced – the vast majority of which are enforcement-oriented – and the enforcement laws enacted have become increasingly comprehensive. These trends may continue in 2012 because the demand for enforcement solutions remains high.