Judge won't expand Prop. 200 but Republican bill would End All Public Benefits to Immigrants
Sunday, March 20, 2005 at 01:17PM
TheSpook
A judge threw out an attempt to add
teeth to Arizona's Proposition 200 on Monday, just as the state House
tentatively approved sweeping legislation to expand the measure's
influence throughout the state. House Bill 2030 would deny undocumented
immigrants the right to adopt children, live in public housing, take
adult literacy courses and enroll in college, among other things. The
bill faces a final vote in the House before it goes to the Senate. The
legislation would go far beyond the legal interpretation of Proposition
200, the anti-illegal immigration measure approved by voters in
November. Attorney General Terry Goddard has concluded that it would
apply only to welfare benefits. Judge Barbara M. Jarrett upheld his
interpretation by dismissing a court action brought by key supporters
of Proposition 200 seeking an injunction against Goddard's
interpretation. She said the supporters had not offered any specific
case or controversy to illustrate their arguments and that Goddard's
interpretation was not arbitrary. "They didn't have any facts together
to show any violations," said Susan Segal, the assistant attorney
general handling the case. In his opinion, Goddard concluded that
undocumented immigrants could receive free school lunches,
immunizations and library cards without being referred to immigration
authorities. Randy Pullen, a key supporter of Proposition 200,
challenged the definition in court. Pullen believes Proposition 200
should apply to an assortment of public benefits, such as public
housing, food assistance, college education and employment benefits. [more]
Article originally appeared on (http://brownwatch.com/).
See website for complete article licensing information.