1. TN legislature amongst top ten
2. NE study finds concerns
3. SC county passes regulations
4. Religious leaders back NC group
5. Long Island farmers fret

1.
Tennessee in top 10 for immigration proposals
By Perla Trevizo
The Times Free Press (TN), October 7, 2008

Tennessee is one of the top 10 states in introducing immigration-related bills in 2007, an online database of the 50 state legislatures shows.

“Despite various times in history where states have tried or regulated immigrants in their jurisdiction, historically immigration has fundamentally been seen as a federal responsibility,” said Muzaffar Chishti, director of the Migration Policy Institute office at the New York University School of Law, in a teleconference Monday.

The Migration Policy Institute, an independent think tank in Washington, D.C., put together the database, which was released Monday, with a research team at the New York University School of Law.

Legislators in the 50 states introduced a total of 1,059 immigration-related bills and resolutions in 2007, of which 167, or 16 percent, were enacted into law, according to database. Out of the 83 bills introduced in Tennessee, only five passed and 72 are pending, the database shows.

In 1996, Congress gave states more leeway in regulating public benefits and more opportunities to get engaged in the enforcement of immigration laws, Mr. Chishti said. Those powers ramped up even further after 9/11, when the federal government asked states to get more involved in immigration enforcement, he said.

Rep. Jim Cobb, R-Spring City, said one of the main reasons why so few bills passed in Tennessee is because illegal immigration is a relatively new issue.

“If you look back in history, illegal immigration is not very old, so a lot of times the first bills are — I would say we pull the trigger a little quick,” he said, “and we want to make sure we are constitutional, that we don’t violate human, as well as constitutional rights.”
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http://timesfreepress.com/news/2008/oct/07/tennessee-top-10-immigration-...

EDITOR'S NOTE: The MPI database on state legislation is available online at: http://www.migrationinformation.org/datahub/statelaws_home.cfm

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2.
Neb. immigration study finds deep-seeded concerns
The Associated Press, October 7, 2008

Omaha, NE (AP) -- A state senator examining how illegal immigration is affecting the state says the issue is more 'deep-seeded' than he first believed.

Sen. Brad Ashford of Omaha is studying the issue's impact in South Sioux City, Lexington, Grand Island, Scottsbluff and North Platte.

The chairman of the judiciary committee says he has encountered a great angst among residents because of failures of the federal government to address concerns.

Ashford says he believes those feelings will only intensify as the economy worsens.
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http://www.kptm.com/Global/story.asp?S=9135598&nav=menu606_2_4

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3.
Illegal immigration law passes in Pickens
English also made official language of county, despite opposition
By Julie Howle
The Greenville News (SC), October 7, 2008

A law aimed at combating illegal immigration now is on the books in Pickens County.

Pickens County Council members voted 5-1 to approve an illegal immigration ordinance on final reading Monday night.

A motion to remove a portion of the ordinance that says English is the official language of Pickens County failed with a 3-3 vote. Council members Ben Trotter, Tom Ponder and Chairman G. Neil Smith voted against the motion to remove the language portion.

Councilwoman Jennifer Willis, who voted in favor of removing the language part, said South Carolina state code already says English is the official language.

"I have a real concern that from an economic development standpoint that this could send a negative message," Willis said.

"If a German company or a Korean company or a company from anywhere in the world wants to come to Pickens County and put a textile supply facility in our park, I don't want to have something in here that they could perceive as a negative thing."

Councilman Jim London, who also voted in favor of removing the language part and who voted against the ordinance after that portion wasn't removed, said he supported the rest of the ordinance. "It's an unnecessary stand because, again, it is in the state code," London said.
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http://www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081007/NEWS...

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4.
Religious leaders back NC immigration reform group
The Associated Press, October 7, 2008

Raleigh, NC (AP) -- A new grassroots initiative on immigration reform says more than 300 clergy and religous leaders have signed up to support the North Carolina group.

The North Carolina Religious Coalition for Justice for Immigrants will hold a news conference Tuesday in Raleigh to discuss immigration reform. Five religious leaders will speak, including the Rev. William Barber, who is president of the North Carolina chapter of the NAACP.
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http://www.wavy.com/Global/story.asp?S=9135307&nav=23ii

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5.
Survey: LI farmers worry over loss of workers
By Mitchell Freedman
Newsday (NY), October 7, 2008

Well over half of Long Island's farmers are having trouble keeping their workers, and 84 percent think they will have difficulty keeping their workforce over the next three years.

That is a troubling conclusion in a new survey of local farmers by Dowling College, and it could mean big problems, according to Long Island Farm Bureau executive director Joe Gergela.

Gergela said immigration reform and the need for a dependable, legal workforce has become the number one priority of local farmers.

Many now employ seasonal workers through a federal program, H2A. But, in many parts of the country, there are not enough workers to meet the demand, and it can cost thousands of dollars for each worker's application.

"I participate in H2A and I don't like it," said Brad Reeve, a farmer in Aquebogue. "I can't afford it." Still, he said, it was impossible to hire local labor instead, because of the hard work and long hours that farming requires. Of the 102 farmers who answered a question about pay, only six said their workers earned less than $8 an hour, while 67 said they paid workers between $10 and $15 an hour.

John Lincoln, president of the New York Farm Bureau, agreed that long hours and the unusual demands of farm work make it difficult to fill jobs on farms anywhere in the state.

"You're either going to import workers, or you're going to import food," he said.
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http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/printedition/tuesday/longislan...