Mass. Senate Passes Toughest Anti-Immigrant Law in Country

The Viking is back in the house after being gone for several days!


Way to go Massachusetts!!! Finally a state that is getting it right!!

The measure, which passed on a 28-10 vote as an amendment to the budget, would bar the state from doing business with any company found to break federal laws barring illegal immigrant hiring. It would also toughen penalties for creating or using fake identification documents, and explicitly deny in-state college tuition for illegal immigrants.

The amendment would also require the state’s public health insurance program to verify residency through the Department of Homeland Security, and would require the state to give legal residents priority for subsidized housing.


http://www.varight.com/news/mass-senate ... n-country/

Now I wonder since this is a lot tougher on illegal immigrants than Arizona but it is in a pretty blue state, if Obama and Holden will go after them too? And I wonder if Los Angeles and other protesters around the country will protest and call for a boycott of that state? It will be interesting to see if there is a double standard here.

I don't want to see a mis-mash of state immigration laws, but I hope the federal government will finally get the idea that something HAS to be done, and will get off their butts and actually work on it.

It should not be a political football, it should be approached so as to be fair and reasonable for all.

Is our country still capable of doing that?

I hope (and believe) that it is.

The mass law is quite different from the arizona law.....more directed at those who hire or provide services to illegals, including the government, and less directed at rooting out illegals by profiling them on the street. I believe that is the better way to approach the issue. Put the burden on those who facilitate illegal immigration and not on the local police to pick up "suspected" illegals off the streets.

The issue with the Arizona law has never really been that those who oppose it are fighting for the rights of the illegals, for the most part they are not, what they are fighting for are the rights of those who, by nature of their ethnicity, look like illegals even when they are not.

archer wrote: The mass law is quite different from the arizona law.....more directed at those who hire or provide services to illegals, including the government, and less directed at rooting out illegals by profiling them on the street. I believe that is the better way to approach the issue. Put the burden on those who facilitate illegal immigration and not on the local police to pick up "suspected" illegals off the streets.

The issue with the Arizona law has never really been that those who oppose it are fighting for the rights of the illegals, for the most part they are not, what they are fighting for are the rights of those who, by nature of their ethnicity, look like illegals even when they are not.

I agree with you that this is a much better approach and I think all states should go after companies who hire illegals. And it looks pretty severe. Pretty much if you are caught hiring illegals, you might as well close up shop. That is what was needed for decades.

But they still will be checking ID's and finding out if they are in this country legally. And they will check them at hospitals before treating them. I am sure if it is life threatening they will still take care of them but they now get a lower priority than legal citizens. If they don't like that they should come here legally and get the papers like all law abiding immigrants do.

But you are wrong on the second point. Many lawyers and legal analysts have actually read the Arizona Law which is only 10 pages for cryig out loud. (Which Obama, and Holden didn't do before saying it was a bad law). No where in there does it say that you can stop someone because of the color of their skin. In fact the Federal law that is on the books actually states something a lot closer to that.

Arizona is more lenient than the Federal law that we have had for quite a while. It states that a person can be stopped for any reason just to ask for proof of citizenship. So if this administration and congress and all the protesters would actually read Arizona's law and find out what is in it compared to our Federal law they would have nothing to be upset about. If people are upset about the Arizona law, then they should be screaming mad and protesting for decades over the Federal law that is already on the books that actually could promote racism.

jf1acai wrote: I don't want to see a mis-mash of state immigration laws, but I hope the federal government will finally get the idea that something HAS to be done, and will get off their butts and actually work on it.

It should not be a political football, it should be approached so as to be fair and reasonable for all.

Is our country still capable of doing that?

I hope (and believe) that it is.

Actually I like that the states are taking initiatives. If the goervnment won't do anything about it and the flow of illegal immigrants are bankrupting states, they should have every right to make laws to protect their states and it's citizens. I guarantee if this law goes into effect up there, there will be a huge flow of illegal immigrants into the neighboring states and more legal Americans moving in to take those jobs. Unemployment will drop a lot! Then the other states around them will have to make similar laws. I hope this spreads like a virus throughout the country! Because all Presidents inclucing Clinton, Bush, and Obama are too afraid too do anything or they will lose a huge voting block.

Actually Viking, I have read the AZ law....I live in AZ 6 mos a year and it is important to me to know what it says....and does not say. You are absolutely right that it does not approve racial profiling.....but, and this is a big BUT, racial profiling has been going on here in Phoenix for quite some time. People ARE being stopped on the street and asked to prove they are citizens, the excuses for stopping them can range from "loitering" to "jaywalking" to any host of non-issues that are used to stop an otherwise lawabiding person on the street. Before this law the cops needed a reason to put someone in jail, not being able to prove you were a citizen wasn't enough. What this law has done is give those cops the right to demand papers of those they stop, and that is what is causing the issue. An out of state driver's license is not considered adequate.....no papers? off to jail....it has the population here nervous, not just the illegals but everyone.

We have a major problem in Phoenix with violence....it escalates in the hot summer months.....and when the natives are restless, whatever the reason, it can get ugly. Sure the rest of the nation loves this law.....but they don't live here, and they don't have to deal with the fallout. We have no money for the enforcement of this law, we do not have enough police to pull from crime details put on illegal immigrant hunts....and mark my words, that is exactly what ol' Joe Arpaio is doing.

I want the illegal immigration stopped as much as anyone....but I want it done right. I think Mass is headed in the right direction, I only hope the feds catch on and do something sooner rather than later.

archer wrote: Actually Viking, I have read the AZ law....I live in AZ 6 mos a year and it is important to me to know what it says....and does not say. You are absolutely right that it does not approve racial profiling.....but, and this is a big BUT, racial profiling has been going on here in Phoenix for quite some time. People ARE being stopped on the street and asked to prove they are citizens, the excuses for stopping them can range from "loitering" to "jaywalking" to any host of non-issues that are used to stop an otherwise lawabiding person on the street. Before this law the cops needed a reason to put someone in jail, not being able to prove you were a citizen wasn't enough. What this law has done is give those cops the right to demand papers of those they stop, and that is what is causing the issue. An out of state driver's license is not considered adequate.....no papers? off to jail....it has the population here nervous, not just the illegals but everyone.

We have a major problem in Phoenix with violence....it escalates in the hot summer months.....and when the natives are restless, whatever the reason, it can get ugly. Sure the rest of the nation loves this law.....but they don't live here, and they don't have to deal with the fallout. We have no money for the enforcement of this law, we do not have enough police to pull from crime details put on illegal immigrant hunts....and mark my words, that is exactly what ol' Joe Arpaio is doing.

I want the illegal immigration stopped as much as anyone....but I want it done right. I think Mass is headed in the right direction, I only hope the feds catch on and do something sooner rather than later.

But according to the Federal law they have the right to stop anyone for any reason and ask for papers and detain and deport them if they can't prove citizenship. So this law isn't really adding anything to it is it? All it says is that it is going to enforce the law that is already on our books right?

And they don't have to go on illegal immigrant hunts. All they have to do is ask for papers when they are stopped. Same as they always do. Or am I missing something in the law?

you're not missing anything in the AZ law, I am not exactly sure what the Federal Law is, can ICE....or anyone....just stop a law abiding person on the street and ask for papers? I was unaware of that.....you are, however, missing the actuality of how things are run here by the sheriff's office. Racial profiling, the stopping of people because they have a specific ethnic look, is prohibited, but it is practiced on a regular basis anyway. The new law just gives them more excuses to do it....but of course it is never called that.

My advice to anyone of hispanic heritage who chooses to come to Phoenix, carry your passport. Now that may sound silly.....when was the last time you carried your passport Viking to go out to dinner, or walk the 16th street mall in Denver? But that, right now, is the reality in Phoenix.

Personally, I would much rather the burden be on employers and service providers to verify a person's status than on our already over-burdened law enforcement officers. Who, by the way, are none too fond of the new law. They feel that fighting crime, stopping drug dealers, and protecting citizens is a better use of their time and resources. As do the majority of shefiffs in AZ.....except, of course, for Joe.

What this law has done is give the citizens the false sense that something is actually going to be done about illegal immigration.....which it isn't. However many people are picked up will be a tiny drop in the bucket, and the border will continue to deliver new illegals every day because.....they can find work, they can get healthcare, their kids will go to school, and if they get cought and sent home....they will be back again in a few weeks or months. We have to stop the flow.....by better border control, and by reducing the reasons that make it so attractive for them to come here....

Hi, Archer...