Friday, December 7, 2007

Oklahoma's Immigration Law Urged On Congress

State lawmakers from across the country today urged members of Congress to reform immigration law to essentially mirror Oklahoma's new law.
Pennsylvania State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, founder of State Legislators for Legal Immigration, led a delegation that called on Congress to enact laws that prevent illegal aliens from obtaining taxpayer-subsidized benefits and punish businesses that violate the law by hiring those workers.
The group's actions came just one day after a handful of officials in Oklahoma - including businessmen who admit to heavy reliance on illegal alien labor - called for repeal of Oklahoma's immigration reform law, originally known as House Bill 1804.
"While businesses who exploit illegal aliens to depress the wages of working families may not like House Bill 1804, it's obvious that most American citizens support the law," said Rep. Randy Terrill, a Moore Republican who authored House Bill 1804.
"Today's action by State Legislators for Legal Immigration shows we did the right thing in Oklahoma. We can't let the baseless complaints of unscrupulous business owners deter us from upholding the rule of law."
Metcalfe was joined by officials from the Federation forAmerican Immigration Reform (FAIR) and state lawmakers from Arizona, Indiana, Tennessee and Colorado, according to a news release issued bythe group.
According to the group's release, State Legislators for Legal Immigration members have entered into a working partnership with the Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI) to create a comprehensive package of model "National Security Begins at Home" legislative solutions that any state lawmaker can introduce to effectively shut off all economic attractions and incentives for illegal aliens. That model legislation is largely based on Oklahoma's law, Terrill noted.

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