Lawmaker Withdraws Controversial Immigration Bill

NECN reported that: A Republican lawmaker has withdrawn his sweeping immigration enforcement proposal from debate this session, in the face of opposition from Catholic church officials, law enforcement officers and advocates for immigrants' rights. After hearing testimony Wednesday against the bill, Rep. Joe Harrison of Napoleonville deferred his proposal. It's the fourth year in a row that Harrison has failed to pass a similar bill, which he had hoped would spur the federal government to end illegal immigration across the U.S. border with Mexico. "If we're a land of laws, we should abide by those laws and enforce those laws," Harrison told the House Judiciary Committee. He expressed concern about public health and safety problems caused by illegal immigrants, but he also said that undocumented workers are exploited in the U.S. marketplace. The bill would have required police to verify the citizenship of any arrested person before they are released. It would have required certain employers - any state entity or the recipient of a grant totaling more than $50,000 - to verify the citizenship status of their workforce. And it would have required colleges and social service providers to verify the citizenship of all applicants. People seeking public assistance in Louisiana would have had to verify their citizenship by executing an affidavit under penalty of perjury and have the sworn statement notarized. But the state agency providing the benefits would also have to verify the applicant's status through the Department of Homeland Security. At the request of the Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops, Harrison removed a provision to criminalize the transportation of illegal immigrants, which might have affected charity work. But the conference still opposed the bill, saying the church prefers comprehensive federal reform over enforcement-only state policies.