Thursday, June 9, 2011

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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