Immigration laws considered in Florida and most US states

This blog has reported several stories regarding potential new state anti-immigration laws, in Florida and in legislatures across the country. In fact, Florida immigration attorneys note that a National Conference of State Legislatures report says every state in the union considered laws related to immigrants during the 2010 regular session.

In all, 46 states and the District of Columbia passed 208 law related to immigration issues. Across the country in 2010, 138 resolutions can be tacked on to the laws, bringing the number of state immigration issues to 346 last year. The trend appears to be continuing this year.

Sources say that 37 states, including Florida, are considering tougher, Arizona-style immigration laws this year. Some states have competing measures introduced in their legislative houses.

An Arizona-style employment immigration bill was recently introduced in Texas that seems to be the first of its kind in the nation. The measure would make it a state crime for companies to hire undocumented workers. However, what makes it unique is that the bill makes an exception for single family households. Undocumented nannies, housekeepers or caretakers for a single-family household would not run afoul of the proposed measure.

It is one of roughly 100 introduced this year in that state, which includes measures proposing to give local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration law and prevent undocumented students from obtaining in-state tuition or scholarships.

President Obama said Thursday, in a joint press conference with Mexico’s President Felipe Calderon, that he remains “deeply committed to fixing our broken immigration system” at the federal level. He says he seeks to “get this reform done” related to immigration reform.

The economy, however, continues to haunt Congress. Efforts to enact immigration reform failed last year, and it remains unclear if Congress will address comprehensive immigration reform in the current session.

Source: ABC News, “Immigration Wars: More States Looking at Arizona-Style Laws,” Huma Khan 4 Mar 2011