Posted by Scott Rothschild March 6, 2013 at 1:35 p.m.

Advocates for undocumented immigrants urge rejection of bills

Advocates for undocumented immigrants on Wednesday urged the Legislature to reject a bill that would establish an Arizona-like "proof of citizenship" law.

About 50 people with Wichita-based Sunflower Community Action assembled in the Statehouse to protest Senate Bill 140 and House Bill 2192.

SB 140 would authorize law enforcement to determine an individual's immigration status if reasonable suspicion exists that the person is here illegally. The measure has been referred to the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee, but no hearing has been held.

HB 2192 would repeal in-state tuition for some undocumented, college-eligible immigrant students. No hearing has been set on this bill either, but supporters of the current law note that the repeal could easily be amended into any bill dealing with the budget or education.

Several young people spoke at the rally about how they were brought to Kansas as infants by their parents who were seeking a better life for their families. They said they consider Kansas their home and that the proposed bills would provide a hardship for many hard-working families.

Members of Sunflower Community Action assembled Wednesday in the Statehouse to urge rejection of two bills that they said would hurt immigrants. by Scott Rothschild

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question4u 2 months, 2 weeks ago

"... if reasonable suspicion exists that the person is here illegally..."

What constitutes reasonable suspicion? Let's ask Representative Connie O'Brien. Wait, we don't have to. She is already on record providing guidelines in Feb 2011:

"REP. O’BRIEN: ...We didn’t ask the girl what nationality she was, we didn’t think that was proper. But we could tell by looking at her that she was not originally from this country. [...]

REP. GATEWOOD: Can you expand on how you could tell that they were illegal?

REP. O’BRIEN: Well she wasn’t black, she wasn’t Asian, and she had the olive complexion."

So, all you state patrol and police officers, make sure to follow Connie O'Brien's advice. If you see someone with "the olive complexion" make sure to pull them over and ask for their passport. In the end it will be to their advantage, because if they're not here legally and Representative Virgil Peck happens to spot them when he's out in his helicopter....

Oh, by the way, there aren't any racists in Kansas. It must not violate any freedoms to demand that citizens of the United States who have olive complexions prove that they're citizens, because, after all, this Legislature is going to require that Kansas schools have a "celebrate freedom" week every year. These people aren't hypocrites. right?

Cant_have_it_both_ways 2 months, 2 weeks ago

I would think even if you are legal and you were harboring an illegal you too, would be guilty of some kind of violation of the law. It is time to clean this mess up. If you are a law abiding, tax paying citizen great, if you are a law breaker, boarder crasher or what ever you want to call it, get out.

Agnostick 2 months, 2 weeks ago

Does that also go for your favorite business owners, plant managers, building site foreman, etc. ?

ljreader 2 months, 2 weeks ago

ABSOLUTELY! They are traitors.

patkindle 2 months, 2 weeks ago

i enjoy the pc transistion from illegal alien to undocumented immigrants

Kathy Getto 2 months, 2 weeks ago

I am sure you have the same opinion on racial slurs of any kind.

OonlyBonly 2 months, 2 weeks ago

Since when is calling an "illegal alien" a "racial" slur - you're the one bringing race into the issue. There are illegal aliens from all over the world in the US, not only from, I assume you're referring to, Mexico......

Kathy Getto 2 months, 2 weeks ago

My attempt was to show how silly Pat's comment was. If you don't get it, can't help ya.

ljreader 2 months, 2 weeks ago

The are not undocumented. They have lots of documentation. Most of it is stolen from US citizens. Stolen, fabricated SS numbers, counterfeit birth certificates, drivers licenses. The ones "brought here through no fault of their own" are being given a pass on all the above crimes (through DACA) and are getting work permits and drivers license- that really belong to them. What keeps those licensees from being used to vote??? There is a double standard here. If a US citizen engages in identity theft, fraud, and don't pay taxes we're thrown in the slammer- not rewarded.

Katara 2 months, 2 weeks ago

They are not the same thing. An undocumented immigrant is someone who was here legally and overstayed the legal reason for being here (expired student visa, tourist visa, work visa, etc.). Illegal aliens never had a legal right to be here to begin with.

Children who were brought here by illegal aliens also are considered undocumented immigrants because they had no choice in the matter.

jhawkinsf 2 months, 2 weeks ago

With such harsh penalties, I wouldn't hire anyone with even a New York accent. Your proposal reeks of unintended consequences, racial profiling, stereotyping, etc. You really want to go there?

weiser 2 months, 2 weeks ago

Their parents are criminals. You try to hike near Iran, or find your way into Mexico, expect to be shot or thrown in jail. You come here breaking our laws, and you get health care, in-state tuition and welfare, no questions asked.

Katara 2 months, 2 weeks ago

Can you tell us what health care & welfare that undocumented immigrants are getting? Be specific.

Please, first, take a look at the info here. You need to scroll down to the bottom of the pages.
http://www.dcf.ks.gov/services/ees/Pages/Food/FoodAssistanceFAQs.aspx
http://www.kancare.ks.gov/apply.htm

In fact, please go through the list on this page and tell us what specific programs illegal immigrants are eligible for.
http://www.dcf.ks.gov/services/Pages/default.aspx

Agnostick 2 months, 2 weeks ago

The spineless, gutless wonders in the Kansas Legislature... the Secretary of State's office... and the Governor's Mansion... will all do, practically in unison, the exact same thing regarding illegal immigration in this state...

Nothing.

Because if the Legislature were to pass something meaningful... then the governor would be expected to sign it... and then Kobach would be expected to enforce it. And we all know Kris Kobach is long on talk, short on action.

Wanna do something meaningful, symbolic, and downright frightening about illegal immigration? Pull together some DHS and ICE agents with some KBI agents... and go through the back doors of a few processing plants in Dodge City and Garden City @ 0645 on a Thursday. Do spot checks. Ask for verification. Ask for the personnel managers, the plant managers. Load people into police cruisers.

That'll get people talking.

And that kind of action will never be supported by the false patriots and false conservatives in Topeka... much less the false conservatives and false patriots that yammer around here. ;)

ljreader 2 months, 2 weeks ago

Dream on. As if. ICE is not allowed to do their jobs. They are letting criminal aliens out of prison- many are felons- do ya really think they will do anything about the others? Our safety doesn't matter. The billions a year they cost us doesn't matter- we can keep borrowing money from China so they might have a better life. Screw us. I'm all for throwing the book at employers who hire illegal aliens. It is ONE of the magnets that attract them here. We have millions of US citizens out of work, yet have given a pass to millions of Dreamers- complete with work permits. And the others are allowed to do as they please.