|
May 26, 2006 – The Massachusetts state Senate unanimously approved amendments during debate on the FY 2007 state budget that respond to voter concerns regarding illegal aliens living in the state. The bi-partisan action came as lawmakers say they are hearing more and more from residents and officials concerned about problems created by years of federal inaction on immigration.
“The federal government has done a very shoddy job enforcing border security,” said state Sen. Richard T. Moore (D-Uxbridge). “This has gone on for so long that most people have just had it,” he said, adding, “The public is really paying attention to this issue, and so are the legislators.” House members have also passed provisions to take a tougher stance on illegal aliens.
The measures that have been approved by the Senate must now to be considered in a state House-Senate conference committee.
The Senate plan would create a 24 hour phone tip hotline to report employers who hire illegal aliens to the attorney general. Under the measure, phone calls would be taken by the state Attorney General’s office then forwarded to the U.S. Attorney, which has a similar system in place. “The system will help to bring pressure on the federal authorities to do their job, and it will supplement the existing federal efforts,” Senator Moore explained.
Another part of the plan would force courts to consider immigration status of defendants at arraignments. Currently, courts only ask such status before sentencing.
The Senate action would also empower local housing authorities to verify legal immigration status of applicants for public housing. The new rules would direct housing officials to provide priority on their waiting lists for citizens and legal immigrants over any undocumented immigrants. The plan preserves the existing public housing preferences for veterans, persons who are homeless due to natural disasters, and persons with emergency needs such as domestic violence victims.
“With a shortage of affordable housing in our state, it is a simple matter of fairness that citizens and legal immigrants should have priority when applying for state-subsidized public housing,” said Senator Moore who noted that many communities currently have a 2-year waiting list for a 2-bedroom apartment.
Senator Moore said he also agrees with Milford Police Chief Thomas F. O’Loughlin that the loophole, which grants special vehicle registration numbers to people without licenses, leads to risky conditions on the roadways as more and more illegal immigrants seek to drive without training or authority. “This problem needs to be resolved, and I plan to work with the police chiefs to force a change by the Registry in how it handles such matters,” Senator Moore stated.
For more information on the FY 2007 Senate budget, log onto Senator Moore’s website at
www.senatormoore.com/budget
|
