IMMIGRATION REFORM ADVANCES EVEN AS IT STALLS

As of now, immigration reform lies in the hands of a House / Senate conference committee. But the chance of any meaningful legislation being passed any time soon is doubtful since the House is opposed to the Senate plan which is heavy on guest-worker programs and light on border enforcement.

So in the absence of federal action, states and even municipalities have taken matters into their own hands.

Just this week, Colorado passed new immigration legislation, and the state's lawmakers claim that Colorado now has the toughest immigration laws of any state in the nation. The new measures will deny public benefits to illegal immigrants and punish employers who knowingly break the law. From this point forward, residents who apply for services such as food stamps will have to show proper identification to prove their eligibility. And they'll also have to sign an affidavit when they apply, or renew eligibility, for Medicaid and a whole host of government services.

Maryland and other states are interested in similar legislation.

And also this week, the city of Hazleton, Pennsylvania made national headlines as Mayor Lou Barletta enacted a measure that would punish businesses that hire, and landlords who rent to, illegal immigrants. The law would also make English Hazleton's official language.

Barletta said the impetus for the new law was simple. "We have used hundred of hours of overtime, thousands of dollars of hardworking taxpayers' money -- valuable resources that are meant to provide services to the legal citizens of Hazleton."

Unfortunately, cities and states have had to take on a problem that should have been, and inevitably must be, solved by Congress.

But a positive step forward has quietly taken effect.

As of July 1, all U.S. residents must show proof of US citizenship to continue getting government funded medical care.

The little-noticed federal law is part of a federal effort to curb illegal immigration and to limit the skyrocketing growth of federal entitlement programs. The new federal requirement requires anyone seeking Medicaid coverage to provide a birth certificate, a passport, or another form of identification in order to sign up for benefits or renew them.

Prior to the start of the month, such proof was not required.

Tucked into the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, which President Bush signed into law earlier this year, the new federal law is compulsory for all states.

The law was initiated to prevent undocumented immigrants from posing as citizens and taking advantage of taxpayer-funded healthcare benefits that are meant solely for legal residents.

So steps are being taken in the public interest to curb the problem of illegal immigration. The American public has consistently and overwhelmingly voiced its opposition to illegal immigration, and U.S. lawmakers will eventually have to act. At the least, the government should encourage legal immigration and not reward those who have broken existing U.S. law by entering illegally.

Copyright © 2006 Sean M. Kennedy. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the author's consent.