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1. Obama vows reform on trip
2. OK lawmaker says bill too weak
3. KS considers three bills
4. RI Senate panel hearing
5. Illegal aliens disguised

1.
Obama vows Salvadoran aid, immigration reform
By Kara Rowland
The Washington Times, March 22, 2011

Making his first visit to Central America, President Obama brought promises of crime-fighting money and a vow to push the U.S. Congress to pass an immigration bill to aid El Salvador, a once war-torn country that has emerged as a stable democracy and a friendly ally.
. . .
The president also sought to reassure El Salvador — which has nearly 2 million of its citizens living in the U.S. — that he's still committed to shepherding comprehensive immigration legislation through Congress, though he acknowledged the politics are tough.

"America is a nation of laws, and it is a nation of immigrants. And so our job is to create secure borders, to make sure that we've got a legal immigration system that is effective and is not frustrating for families, doesn't divide families," he said, citing declining Republican support for a bill that would lay out a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. "My hope is that they begin to recognize over the next year that we can't solve this problem without taking a broad, comprehensive approach."
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http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/mar/22/obama-vows-salvadoran-ai...

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2.
Immigration bill criticized as too weak by Oklahoma senator
By John Estus
The Oklahoman, March 23, 2011

One of the Senate’s leading illegal immigration opponents Tuesday criticized House immigration legislation as toothless and ineffective.

Republicans passed House Bill 1446 out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on a 6-3 party line vote Tuesday amid claims from a colleague that the bill would do little to curb illegal immigration.

“They took all of the teeth out of the bill so there would be nobody standing against it,” said Sen. Ralph Shortey, R-Oklahoma City. “As it is, it’s a bad bill.”

Shortey said HB 1446 is weak because it does not penalize employers who hire illegal immigrants and requires police officers be trained by the federal government before they can check the immigration status of motorists.

Shortey voted for the bill, anyway, saying he hopes it can be improved later.

Sen. Ron Justice, R-Chickasha, HB 1446’s Senate author, said the bill is a work in progress.

The bill now goes to the full Senate, which last week passed a bill by Shortey that includes tougher illegal immigration crackdowns he said HB 1446 lacks.

Shortey’s bill, Senate Bill 908, is awaiting a committee hearing in the House, where its sponsor, Rep. Randy Terrill, has been at odds with House leadership this year in part because some of his immigration bills have not been heard. The tension has cast doubt over SB 908’s fate.

“I am extremely concerned that good legislation is not being heard over there because there are so many internal problems,” Shortey said.
. . .
http://newsok.com/immigration-bill-is-criticized/article/3551011

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3.
Kansas lawmakers take action on illegal immigration bills
By Brent D. Wistrom and Dion Lefler
The Wichita Eagle, March 23, 2011

With her two children at her side, Sandra Romero said that aggressive enforcement of immigration laws tore her family apart.

Her husband immigrated alone as a young man trying to escape civil war in Guatemala, helped his parents, and built a family.

But immigration agents tracked him down after he tried to obtain legal residency after taking some bad legal advice.

"We're not the same family that we were before," she said through tears at the front of Our Lady of the New Covenant Chapel at Newman University, one of several immigration vigils held across the state Tuesday. "Even they say they're not the happy children they used to be."

In Kansas, it's been a tough year for illegal immigrants and their supporters.

The difference has mainly been the election of Kris Kobach, one of the nation's most prominent proponents of tough immigration laws, as Kansas secretary of state.

The Legislature has three major bills on the docket based on the belief that illegal immigration is harming the state's economy, burdening its universities and tainting its elections.

Kobach, the co-author of Arizona's immigration bill, said Tuesday evening that many of the arguments against the bills are misleading.

House Bill 2372, the Arizona-style legislation, targets only illegal immigrants, doesn't split up families, and protects legal immigrants and U.S. citizens who compete with illegal immigrants for jobs, he said.

"If these groups protesting really cared about U.S. citizens who are of minority race or ethnicity, they'd be just as adamant as I am that we enforce our immigration laws," he said.
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http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/03/23/2129553/kansas-lawmakers-take-acti...

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4.
R.I. Senate Judiciary Committee holds hearing on immigration-related bills
By Karen Lee Ziner
The Providence Journal, March 23, 2011

Depending on the point of view, former Gov. Donald L. Carcieri’s 2008 executive order cracking down on illegal immigration was either “a dismal failure” that spread “the fear of God” through the immigrant community, or an act of progress that protected legal residents from “paying the consequences of someone else breaking the law.”

A bill to enact that order into law was one of eight immigration-related bills the Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimony on Tuesday. Governor Chafee rescinded the order, which he called “divisive,” as one of his first acts in office.

Kathleen Gudaitis, of Rhode Islanders for Immigration Law Enforcement [RIILE], said Chafee’s rescission of that order “took all our protection away and re-created a sanctuary atmosphere for illegal immigrants. It took away three years of progress that we made, and put us back to ground zero.”

Gudaitis said, “We need the protection. Our laws are not being enforced, and it leaves us no choice. America’s always been very welcoming and compassionate, but we have very serious problems in our country, now. American citizens have to come first. We have to protect our country, our cities and our jobs.”

On one side, some of the other seven bills include legislation to require that all Rhode Island cities and towns participate in the controversial federal Secure Communities program and require private employers to use the federal E-Verify system to determine work-eligibility status of potential hires.

On the other, there are bills to prohibit landlords from asking potential tenants about their immigration status; prohibit law enforcement from asking about a complainant’s or witness’ immigration status to make it more likely that immigrants would report violations of state and local law; and would prohibit employers from requesting more documentation than legally required to comply with the federal employment-verification system law.

Sen. Francis T. Maher Jr., R-Dist. 34, Exeter, Charlestown, Hopkinton, Richmond, West Greenwich, chief sponsor of S-0337, “Control of Illegal Immigration,” said, “This state is in a serious financial situation.” Illegal immigrants create a financial burden on the taxpayers through uncompensated care at hospitals, and by straining educational institutions and other social services, he said.

“It has brought us to a point where I feel, unfortunately, we can’t afford to be a helping hand. It has become, in my opinion, more of a handout,” Maher said.
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http://www.projo.com/news/content/SENATE_IMMIGRATION_03-23-11_41N54JP_v2...

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5.
Illegal immigrants disguised as U.S. Marines fail to get through border checkpoint
Los Angeles Times, March 22, 2011

Thirteen illegal immigrants disguised themselves as U.S. Marines –- donning battle dress uniforms and caps -- in a failed attempt to get through a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint last week east of San Diego, authorities said.

The driver of the white van carrying the immigrants and another man, both U.S. citizens, were arrested March 14 at the I-8 checkpoint near Campo and charged with alien smuggling, according to U.S. Border Patrol officials.

Three of the illegal immigrants were detained as witnesses, while the rest were returned to Mexico, officials said.

The van drew suspicion in part because it had an altered U.S. Government license plate, authorities said. The investigation is being conducted by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
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http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/03/illegal-immigrants-disguis...