House Tackles Immigration Reform

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The Republican Immigration Reform Caucus wants to attack illegal immigration at what they believe is the root of the problem.

The group- largely a collection of state Representatives- has filed nearly ten bills that go after employers, people who transport undocumented immigrants into the state and those immigrants, themselves.

Reform Caucus member, Representative Andy Renzullo, introduced his Caucuses agenda.

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2:!0 the five bills you will hear today...and two you will hear in the future....make up the many facets of the illegal immigration issue in NH...NH leads the nation in many things, and I think NH needs to lead the nation in this as well.

The House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee heard well over five hours of testimony on the various measures.

The first bill would prosecute anyone who brings an undocumented person across the border into New Hampshire.

'The bill is about coyotes, and I'm not talking about the grey ones,' deadpanned Prime sponsor Representative Jordan Ulery.

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1:04 I see a highway enforcement officer at a truck stop, stopping it, weighing it and in the process seeing perhaps a trickle of fluid coming out...and a particular odor and going 'hmmm, this isn't right.' And upon further investigation he finds the trailer is filled with human beings.

Ulery says if his bill passed, the state could arrest and fine those behind the operation.

The representative's testimony brought a dozen questions from lawmakers.

Which law enforcement agency would be responsible?

Didn't this trample over federal jurisdiction?

What would happen to the people being transported?

Ulery and other sponsors ultimately conceded the legislation needed work.

What Ulery's bill shares with the others, like the one to expand trespassing to include illegal immigrants, is the goal to give local law enforcement greater authority.

Supporters argue if local law enforcement can arrest and fine employers who hire undocumented workers, and deport the employees then the problem will disappear.

But critics worry the only way local police will target people is based on accents, style of dress, and skin color.

Representative Daniel Itse admits the legislation is trying to walk a fine line.

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7:35 I certainly don't want everybody walking down the street and asked for their papers. That's not my vision of America. At the same time, the idea of somebody breaking our laws, coming into our state, using our resources when they oughtn't be there isn't my vision of America either.

One constant theme throughout the hearings was fear.

People in support of the bills, like Peter Gat eee el told lawmakers this problem is one of life and death.

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1:08 every illegal alien is a person who's true identity is unknown, any illegal alien can be a violent felon or a terrorist. There is no way of knowing.

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6:55 I see a flood of legislation like this as not helping, it's adding fear, not eliminating fear.

That's immigrants rights activist Nabil Mgali.

What he fears, he says, is the effort to have New Hampshire pioneer anti-immigrant legislation.

3:08 we don't have a big issue of undocumented immigrants in NH, there are some yes. But we don't have a flood of them, we don't have gangs of them...federal laws are enough to take care of our security.

Both sides offered legal analysis on the question of the state's ability to regulate immigration.

But maybe the testimony valued by lawmakers most came from the Attorney General's Office.

Assistant AG Ann Rice told House members her office was not taking a stand on the bills.

But she did give them a piece of advice.

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:10 ...Issues of illegal immigration are ones that are very much of federal enforcement. Congress has really occupied the field there...what the state is attempting to do is establish laws that are really governed by federal law.

The House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee is expected to decide on the bills in the coming weeks.

For NHPR News, I'm DG.