Posted on 05/10/2008 1:44:48 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch
McALLEN - U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar told the Texas Legislature to stay away from enacting immigration reform.
"This is a federal matter," said Cuellar, D-Laredo. "If the state gets involved you're liable to have a patchwork of laws."
The congressman made his comments Friday to a roomful of Texas businesspeople at the McAllen Convention Center during a forum on the effects increasing immigration enforcement have on the business sector.
During the last legislative session, a Republican-led coalition pushed for the creation of a system of fines and other punitive measures for Texas businesses caught hiring illegal immigrants, as well as other anti-immigration measures.
The proposal never made it to the assembly for a vote, but the effort will be renewed when the Legislature convenes in January, said state Rep. Leo Berman, R-Tyler, who was at Friday's meeting.
"(The federal government) has done nothing about illegal immigration, and as a state representative my oath says I will protect the Constitution and the laws of the state of Texas," he said. "We're playing this a lot smarter this time."
Berman said "almost every Republican" is expected to support the legislation.
Even opponents admit they have a tough fight ahead of them, though.
"We haven't had anything done (at the federal level) the last two years, so the pressure will be increased," said Bill Hammond, president of the Texas Association of Business and a former Republican state representative for Dallas.
Laws targeting businesses that hire illegal immigrants already have passed in Arizona, Oklahoma and other states.
According to Texas Employers for Immigration Reform, a pro-business and pro-immigrant group, the industries that would be most affected by tougher immigration enforcement are farming, construction and the service industry.
"These laws could be very harmful to Texas businesses," Hammond said. "It's shortsighted and we'll likely end up with a lot of lawsuits being filed."
Wonder how he feels about the abduction of over 400 children (American citizens) in Texas by the state of Texas.
“’This is a federal matter,’ said Cuellar, D-Laredo.”
It’s a local matter — a very local matter — if one of these scumbags tries breaking into my house.
Quisling Ping!
If you want on, or off this S. Texas/Mexico ping list, please FReepMail me.
Hey Henry, a patchwork of ENFORCED laws is a million time better than the Feds standing around with their thumb up their a$$.
Geeze Louise, stupid, ignorant stuff like this just pisses me off to no end.
Sorry for the rant. Damn!
There that corrected the statement.
“If the state gets involved you’re liable to have a patchwork of laws.” I thought the libs loved diversity.
Gee, anyone think this slipknot has an agenda?
That whole statement is nothing but an out right lie and Bull Sh**.
“If the state gets involved you’re liable to have a patchwork of laws.”
I’m tired of this worn out excuse! (along with the one about hurting Texas businesses)
Fact of the matter, if the state does get involved, the Feds tend to address more of their duties. Seen it happen right here in the central Texas. Works with the Local authorities applying pressure as well.
Patchwork?? Don’t we have a patchwork of speed limits from state to state or gun laws that are different from state to state or voter’s ID from state to state? It’s nothing more than the usual argument liberals use to do nothing claiming it’s the feds job to enforce immigration.
It sounds like the Texas legislature is telling Cuellar to get lost.
And when the feds actually enforce the law as they're finally starting to do we get nothing but sob stories in the media demanding that it end. Cuellar wants no enforcement at all.
I had faith!! I had a lot of faith!! I was in it for the long haul, but I had faith that someone at some time here would post something like that eventually! I knew it... I had faith and I wasn't let down!
Excuses, excuses.
When some city/county/state tries to actually do something... the ACLU, La Raza, etc. creep out from under some rock to throw a wrench in the works.
I cannot wait until the TX legislature convenes again... the R's will bring back up for debate the voter ID bill (to make sure one is a citizen of the Lone Star state/U.S.A. before they can vote). This will set the fireworks off in Austin... it'll pass... that is if the cry-baby democrats are prevented from fleeing north of the TX state line [AGAIN] preventing a legislative quorum.
And that's the way you'd prefer it to remain because you know as we do that the federal government has no intention of resolving the matter. Sorry Pedro, err Cuellar, no can do.
Yep... the great Tom Delay’s actions helped the world realize that the dimocraps are “kings” of taking someone else’s ball and running to/hiding in Oklahoma and New Mexico (dimocraps were in the minority and didn’t like that the Republicans finally had enough of the dim’s YEARS of gerrymandering... Republicans were finally drawing U.S. congressional districts accurately representing the voting patterns of Texas’ citizens).
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