Pridemore's Immigration Enforcement Measure Moves Forward As Wisconsin Assembly Bill 173

Anti-immigrant bill in Wisconsin moves forward as Assembly Bill 173

By H. Nelson Goodson
June 9, 2011

Madison - On Wednesday, Representative Donald Pridemore's (R-Hartford) state immigration enforcement measure moved forward as Assembly Bill 173. The state immigration bill AB 173 was officially referred to the Assembly Committee on Homeland Security and State Affairs chaired by Representative Karl Van Roy (R), the Office of Representative JoCasta Zamarripa (D) announced Thursday. AB 173 will remain in committee until Roy decides to address the issue and then debate the immigration enforcement bill.
The AB 173 bill, if approved by the Wisconsin controlled Republican legislature and signed into law by Governor Scott Walker (R) will authorize state and local enforcement officers to ask and dermine the legal status of people stopped for minor and civil violations. The bill will lead to racial profiling and will outlaw cities from becoming a sanctuary to undocumented immigrants, according to Voces de la Frontera, clergy and immigration rights activists who oppose the measure.
People who can't provide legal proof when stopped and questioned about their legal status will be detained up to 48 hours at their own cost and then turned over to the U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE), according to Pridemore's bill. ICE hasn't confirmed that if the bill passed, they would take undocumented immigrants arrested under AB 173. The bill relates to local ordinances determining the lawful presence of a person arrested for or charged with a crime or certain civil violations, and provides a penalty.
AB 173 is sponsored by state Republican Representatives, Pridemore (author), Evan Wynn, Daniel LeMahieu, Joel Kleefisch, Jim Steineke, Andre Jacque and one state Senate Republican Frank Lasee (co-author).
The Wisconsin immigration bill will most likely cost taxpayers an estimated $250 million to legally defend, including a state boycott keeping away tourist spending, lack of revenue in taxes and wages similar to Arizona's economic loss attributed to passing their immigration enforcement bill SB 1070. Arizona's bill hasn't been able to be implemented and major provisions of SB 1070 have been blocked in federal court.
Wisconsin is facing a $3.6 billion dollar deficit and the Pridemore immigration bill will add unwanted costs to taxpayers.

Copy of Pridemore's immigration enforcement bill AB 173 (PDF) at link: http://bit.ly/kXeaGX

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Pridemore, Wisconsin State Legislator Introduced Similar Arizona Immigration Bill

Representative Donald Pridemore

Wisconsin immigration bill will cost taxpayers an estimated $250 million to defend, including from a state boycott keeping away tourist spending, lack of revenue in taxes and wages.

By H. Nelson Goodson
May 24, 2011

Madison - On Monday, State Representative Donald Pride (R-Hartford) announced through a press release that he introduced a similar Arizona immigration bill in an Assembly committee. The immigration bill would have to pass the committee first before it proceeds to the whole state Assembly for its approval. The bill would then head for the full Senate to be approved, which both the Assembly and Senate are controlled by Republicans. Finally, the immigration bill would end up at Governor Scott Walker's desk for his signature to make it law. Walker has promised to sign such a bill into law.
On Tuesday, the Associated Press reported that spokesmen for Wisconsin Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald and Governor Walker said that Pridemore's immigration bill is a low priority and legislators will eventually discuss the bill in the near future. GOP leaders and Governor Walker are focusing on the budget and jobs creations for now.
Pridemore began working on the bill on August 2010 and has gone through four revisions to eliminate any racial profiling. The bill prevents local governments in Wisconsin from providing sanctuary to illegal immigrants and to keep them from getting any taxpayer funded benefits, which they are not entitled too, according to Pridemore.
Illegal immigrants and their children in Wisconsin are subject too and do pay taxes by law, but continue to be discriminated against benefiting from their own fruits. Currently, state Republicans are pushing to repeal in-state tuition for undocumented students attending universities and colleges in the state.
Pridemore's statement, “This is an action that should have begun long ago when the federal government and the current administration stopped efforts to secure our borders. Now that the illegal drug trade and human trafficking have put the lives and property of those along our borders in peril, we must do all we can to dissuade the criminal element from looking at Wisconsin as a safe haven,” Pridemore said. “The ‘status quo’ is unacceptable in terms of the costs of law enforcement, crime, taxes, and social benefits, along with a host of other social problems tied to the issue. To simply do nothing would sentence another generation of families to a life of hiding in car trunks, continuously looking over their shoulder and continuing to be slaves of their work environment,” Pridemore explained. Pridemore's reasons to introduce the immigration bill are very extreme and failed to inform taxpayers it will cost them millions of dollars to defend it, if legally challenged and about state economic boycotts his bill will ignite. Wisconsin is facing a $3.6 billion dollar deficit and the immigration bill will create more division among the population. The immigration bill will lead to racial profiling in the state regardless of Pridemore's intend to limit it.
“However,” Pridemore added, “we will take strong measures to ensure that the bill does not promote racial profiling.” Under the new bill, a law enforcement officer may not consider a person’s race, color, or national origin when conducting an investigation. Nor will local law enforcement be allowed to determine a person’s immigration status. Reasonable suspicion of breaking this law can only begin after the 48 hour period of not providing identification has passed.
An individual who has first broken the law, and then fails to prove his or her lawful presence in the U.S., may be held for up to 48 hours. During that time the person will be allowed to obtain appropriate documentation. If the person cannot produce the required documents, the matter will be referred to federal immigration services, according to Pridemore.
Two states, Arizona and Georgia have enacted immigration bills giving authority to local authorities to question the legal status of suspects stopped during traffic violations and domestic investigations, but they have become stalled through legal challenges by the ACLU, civil rights organizations and clergy groups. In contrary to both Arizona and Georgia, the state of Utah passed an immigration bill allowing illegal immigrants and their families to seek permits to reside and work in the state subject to federal government approval.
In Arizona where such a bill SB 1070 was first approved has cost taxpayers millions of dollars to defend it, after the U.S. Department of Justice challenged it in federal court. Arizona Governor Jan Brewer (R) plans to take the bill to the U.S. Supreme Court after a federal appeals court ruled that the lower court acted appropriately to block key provisions of SB 1070 making it useless.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Voces de la Frontera, the clergy and other groups have vowed to legally challenge the Wisconsin immigration bill once it is approved by Governor Walker. Voces de la Frontera plans to mobilize major protests against Pridemore's anti-immigrant bill.
Voces in a press release says, Representative Pridemore's bill requires law enforcement officers in Wisconsin to interrogate people they detain about their immigration status, if they have "reasonable suspicion" that the person is undocumented is a vague term. The vagueness of the term "reasonable suspicion" is exactly what gives cover to legalizing racial profiling.
"We will not tolerate this vicious bill, designed to lead directly to racial profiling and the criminalization of innocent people. Voces is prepared to mobilize widely in opposition." says Primitivo Torres, president of Voces de la Frontera.
The Center for American Progress estimates that boycotts agains Arizona in response to SB 1070 could also cost Wisconsin more than $250 million in taxes, tourist spending and wages. Pridemore's bill is designed to do the same to Wisconsin, a state already facing economic challenges.
This legislation also violates U.S. Constitutional rules, including the denial of Fourteenth Amendment equal protection guarantees, because it illegally encourages racial discrimination against Latinos and other people having foreign appearance or who sound foreign. By interfering with the federal government's authority to regulate and enforce immigration law, it also opposes the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

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Republicans Circulating Proposed HB 2011 Bill Requiring Police To Arrest Illegal Immigrants In Wisconsin

State Representative Donald Pridemore

Immigration bill contains a fiscal item, which will be stalled in the Senate, if introduced. 14 Senate Democrats are still in Illinois and the Senate lacks quorum to pass bills with fiscal items.

By H. Nelson Goodson
March 8, 2011

Madison - On Tuesday afternoon, Wisconsin State Representative Donald Pridemore (R-Hartford) began to circulate his proposed HB 2011 version of an immigration enforcement bill at the House chamber to get co-sponsors and support for it. The 6-page 2011 Bill contains a fiscal item and would have to be introduced and pass the House first, before it heads to the Senate. The bill would require law enforcement officers to ask for the legal status of people they come into contact and suspect are illegally in state.
Just after 4:10 p.m., Representative Pridemore began to circulate his version of the Arizona immigration enforcement bill for the state, according to Representative JoCasta Zamarripa (D-Milwaukee) on Twitter. Zamarripa twitted, "Rep. Pridemore is circulating a bill proposing an Arizona-like, anti-immigrant, anti-Latino law in Wisconsin! Contact your legislators now!"
Pridemore's HB 2011 bill will allow local law enforcement officers to detain suspects for 48 hours when they come into contact with them in minor or serious infractions of the law, if officers suspect they are in Wisconsin and in the country illegally. If illegal, then undocumented immigrants can be turned in to ICE, before a court proceeding or after being convicted of a crime and have served their prison sentence. The illegal immigrant will be require to reimburse any jail costs to counties for their detention.
The bill would prevent city, village, town and county governments from enacting policies to prevent employees from asking the legal status of those seeking services and benefits. Private citizens are allowed to file a legal challenge in court for noncompliance with a "writ of mandamus" against local governments who prevent their employees from asking the legal status of people receiving public services. Localities will be fined up to $500 a day for noncompliance.
Governor Scott Walker (R) has vowed to sign a similar Arizona immigration enforcement law, if passed by the state legislature.
U.S. Hispanics in Wisconsin, civil rights and immigration rights groups have also vowed to filed lawsuits against Walker and the state, if the law is deemed discriminatory and will lead to racial profiling by law enforcement officers.

Copy of Pridemore's Wisconsin illegal immigration bill (PDF) at link: http://bit.ly/eyjCGo

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Hispanics To Protest Governor Walker's Inauguration At Wisconsin State Capitol

Governor Scott Walker

Numerous Latinos and organizations from throughout the state will protest outside the Capitol while Governor Walker gets sworn in at ceremonial inauguration.

January 3, 2011

Madison (HNNUSA) - On Monday, Latinos, supporters and a coalition of organizations, including Voces de la Fronteras from Milwaukee will gather outside the Wisconsin State Capitol to protest Governor Scott Walker's Inauguration at noon.
Walker was sworn in last Thursday, because government state offices were closed over the weekend. Walker who became one of few governors in the U.S. elected without a college degree, actually became governor one minute past midnight today. He will have a ceremonial inauguration on Monday at noon.
Hispanics from throughout the state will be at the Capitol to let Walker know that they oppose his promise to sign into law a similar Arizona SB 1070 law, if the legislature approves such a law.
The protesters also condemn Walker's decision to oppose the $810 million dollar high speed train project, which later the federal government decided to take back the funds and allocated to other states. At least 5,000 would be jobs were lost, according to protesters.
Several state representatives are planning to introduce a similar Arizona immigration enforcement law (Wisconsin Immigration Enforcement Law) in the session beginning this year. The bill is being introduced by Wisconsin State Representative Donald Pridemore (R-Hartford) who vowed to introduce a similar Arizona SB 1070 law in the January session.
Pridemore's Wisconsin's version of SB 1070 will allow local law enforcement officers to detain suspects for 48 hours when they come into contact with them in minor or serious infractions of the law, if officers suspect they are in Wisconsin and in the country illegally.
In a prior statement, “The legislation I will be introducing (1) requires law enforcement to act when they suspect a law has been broken and the perpetrator may be here illegally. (2 Prevent local governments in Wisconsin from providing sanctuary to illegal immigrants and, (3) make it harder for illegal immigrants to get benefits that they are not entitled to,” Pridemore said, “However we will take strong measures to ensure that the bill does not promote racial profiling.”
On the contrary, H. Nelson Goodson said, "Pridemore's bill will eventually lead to racial profiling, discrimination and Civil Rights violations of U.S. Hispanics once it's passed in Wisconsin." Nationally, Goodson is one of the foremost respected immigration rights and reform journalist.

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WI State Representative Pridemore (R) Set To Introduce Similar Arizona SB 1070 Law Requiring 48 Hours Detention To Prove Legal Status

Donald Pridemore, re-elected State Representative

Governor elect Scott Walker in support of similar SB 1070 measure, which could lead to racially motivated stops in Wisconsin

By H. Nelson Goodson
November 10, 2010

Hartford, Wisconsin - On Wednesday in a Wisconsin Eye Newsmakers interview State Representative Donald Pridemore (R-Hartford) confirmed when the Wisconsin state assembly meets in the January session as a Republican majority control legislature, Pridemore will introduce a similar Arizona SB 1070 law. The bill will allow state and local enforcement agencies on "reasonable suspicion" to require legal status from people they suspect are in the country and state illegally. The suspects will automatically be detained for 48 hours, until they can prove their legal status. If they can't, police will then call Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Pridemore's Arizona type immigration state enforcement bill will eliminate the City of Madison's "Sanctuary" ordinace and allow county governments to charge detainees in jails for their care.
Pridemore will have the support of Newly elected Governor Scott Walker (R) who vowed to sign a similar Arizona law. The Pridemore bill will most likely pass in the Republican control legislature. Also, re-elected Wisconsin Congressman F. James (Jim) Sensenbrenner Jr. (R) is expected to support Pridemore and could follow with his version in the House. 
The Hispanic Republican group in the Wisconsin's GOP has failed to make a stand when asked, whether they would support Walker and Pridemore's similar Arizona law. One thing for sure about this Republican Latino group, they expect for Walker to fullfill his promises, which includes signing a similar Arizona SB 1070 measure.
In January, ICE Secure Communities program will also be adopted by some county jails in Wisconsin. The program allows ICE to tap into the fingerprinting of illegal detainees and legal residents when they are processed and jailed for a minor or a felony violation.
In Madison, Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney (D) was re-elected and will continue his policy to check with ICE, if suspected undocumented immigrants jailed in the Dane County jail are wanted in another country. Illegal inmates in Dane County are turned in to ICE.
In Milwaukee, Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke (D) was also re-elected and is operating under an agreement to house illegal detainees and gets more than $350,000 a year from ICE. Under the agreement with ICE, by federal law Milwaukee County Jail has to check on the legal status of all inmates and those processed and booked for minor or felony violations in jail.
In July, Phoenix, Arizona - U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton ruled to block major controversial parts of Arizona's SB 1070 making the state law useless. Bolton's ruling gave a big blow and setback to Governor Jan Brewer's anti immigration law, which required state and local police officers to ask for legal status, if they suspected someone was illegally in the country during investigations. The U.S. Department of Justice, Latino and civil rights organizations challenged SB 1070 because it's unconstitutional and infringes in the federal government's right to enforce immigration laws and the law leads to racial profiling.  The State of Arizona has spent nearly $1 million in state and donations to defend SB 1070, which in the end will have spent millions on a failed piece of racially motivated bill.
On June 26, Pridemore in his campaign website to get re-elected a seventh term vowed to introduce such a measure. He wrote, that he "sees no reason to back down on his plans to author a bill on illegal immigration, despite the threat of a legal challenge by the Federal Government to a similar Arizona law which asks the Federal government to enforce its own laws."
“This is a conversation that should have begun long ago before the illegal drug trade exacerbated the issue and now needs to be addressed ASAP,” Pridemore said, “The “status quo” is unacceptable in terms of law enforcement, crime, taxes and social benefits, along with a host of other social problems tied to the issue. To do nothing would simply sentence another generation of families to a life of hiding in car trunks, continuously looking over their shoulder and continuing to be slaves of their work environment,” Pridemore added.
“The legislation I will be introducing (1) requires law enforcement to act when they suspect a law has been broken and the perpetrator may be here illegally. (2) Prevent local governments in Wisconsin from providing sanctuary to illegal immigrants and, (3) make it harder for illegal immigrants to get benefits that they are not entitled to.” Pridemore continued, “However we will take strong measures to ensure that the bill does not promote racial profiling.” 

Update: Copy of Pridemore's Wisconsin illegal immigration bill (PDF) at link: http://bit.ly/eyjCGo

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