Idaho needs to take charge of immigration woes

By State Sen. John McGee
Wednesday, February 21, 2007 4:26 PM CST

We are a nation of immigrants. Legal immigrants have played, and continue to play, an integral and welcome role in our country’s growth and development.

But the key word is “legal.”

In the last 15 years, “illegal immigration” has become a baffling problem that puts enormous financial and social pressure on states all over the nation, including Idaho.

Our systems of welfare, education, law enforcement, health care, and employment benefits are being stretched not only to provide help for tax-paying citizens, but also to absorb the demands of people who have broken the law to enter the country, and then break the law again by accessing support programs to which they have no legal entitlement.

The federal government has had little success in stopping the flood of illegal immigrants into this country. But once the illegal immigrants have broken the law and entered the country, the states n not the federal government n must pay for benefits like welfare education, health care, and law enforcement.

This federal failure to solve the illegal immigration problem thus has imposed a de facto “unfunded federal mandate” on states.

It’s time for states to address the illegal immigration problem on their own level. In fact, many already are doing that. Last year, 30 states passed some 57 laws to crack down on illegal immigrants, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. That flurry of legislation reflects states’ mounting frustration with federal inaction.

Last December, then-Gov. Jim Risch issued an executive order directing state agencies to provide their services only to people who are lawfully entitled to work in Idaho. Gov. Butch Otter also supports this state-level action, and I have introduced a bill this session (Senate Bill 1157) that will write that same requirement into state law.

There are opponents to this legislative approach, although it’s difficult to see what part of the word “illegal” they don’t understand.

Some scoff at claims that illegal immigrants are a drain on our financial resources, pointing out n correctly n that no one has estimated what it costs Idaho to provide program benefits to illegal immigrants. But it’s undeniable that illegal aliens are receiving taxpayer-supported benefits in Idaho, and taxpayers should not be saddled with any of those costs n whether $1 million, $1,000, or $1.

Meanwhile, the Center for Immigration Studies reports that California n which shares the problem on a much larger scale n has estimated its cost of providing services to illegal immigrants recently approached $3 billion during a single fiscal year.

The federal government requires states to provide services like education and emergency medical care, regardless of residency questions, and Idaho will continue to meet those needs. But there is no federal requirement that states must let illegal immigrants take advantage of other services, such as employment benefits, welfare, food, and routine health care.

My legislative proposal will build on the federal standard known as “Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements” (SAVE). The SAVE program gives local/state governments and businesses the tools to verify that applicants are lawfully present in the United States before granting a variety of tax-supported benefits.

Simply put, if people can show proof of legal residency (such as an Idaho driver’s license, a U.S. military ID, a passport, or a valid Social Security number), they can access the services they need.

Waiting on Congress to solve a problem can be a recipe for delay and frustration. Idaho must do what we can to address the illegal immigrant problem on our own state level.

Otherwise, the drain on taxpayer resources and services will simply continue and increase, eroding our ability to provide those services to people who are legally entitled to receive them.

Sen. McGee represents Legislative District 10 in Canyon County.

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