Becky Lourey for Governor •• Issues

Why Gov. Tim Pawlenty's Immigration Proposals are Wrong

Introduction

On January 3,2006, Governor Tim Pawlenty submitted, amidst much political fanfare, a series of proposals intended to respond to a supposed threat to the wellbeing of Minnesota. Not only were Pawlenty’s proposals themselves significantly misguided—logically flawed and based on false assumptions—but the threat to which he claimed to be responding is a nonexistent one. As part of a nationwide initiative by certain Republicans to further divide and scare U.S. citizens, Pawlenty’s proposals neither address the actual challenges our communities face nor do they allow Minnesotans to embrace the real opportunities that await us.

Below is a brief overview of each of Tim Pawlenty’s proposals; to the right of each is Senator Becky Lourey’s perspective—a perspective grounded in reality, fact, and a true understanding of Minnesota’s needs.

Governor Tim Pawlenty	Senator Becky Lourey
Governor Pawlenty wants to create a new, expensive program—the Minnesota Illegal Immigration Enforcement Team (MIIET)—to focus on human trafficking, identity theft, methamphetamine, and terrorism.	Senator Becky Lourey is opposed to this program. She believes the Governor’s proposal unfairly targets immigrant communities. The name of the team alone clearly demonstrates the fact that this proposal is based on false assumptions. The crimes listed represent 3% or less of all criminal violations by immigrants—and yet these crimes are cited as the focus of an “Illegal Immigration” team. Just last year Pawlenty made dramatic cuts to existing law enforcement programs and yet now he proposes spending to create this new program. Senator Lourey believes the most effective means to fighting crime is to provide existing successful law enforcement programs with the resources necessary to continue their success.
Governor Pawlenty wants local law enforcement to act as Immigration and Naturalization Service agents.	Senator Becky Lourey supports all current and future Police/INS separation ordinances.
Governor Pawlenty supports new penalties for creating, possessing, or selling false IDs.	Senator Becky Lourey does not support changes to the existing law. Less than 1% of all violations by immigrants involve document fraud. Therefore, the proposed changes are clearly unnecessary, meaningless gestures on the part of the current administration.
Governor Pawlenty wants to increase sentences for human trafficking when the victims are under age 18.	Senator Lourey does not support changes to the existing law. Nationally, only 3% of all immigration violations involve transporting undocumented workers. Again, the proposed changes are unnecessary gestures that encourage misperceptions about what Minnesota’s real needs are and distract the public from those actual needs.
Governor Pawlenty wants to make permanent a state rule requiring immigration status to appear on Minnesota driver’s licenses.	Senator Becky Lourey believes this proposal is contrary to the best interests of all Minnesotans. The rule inflames anti-immigrant bias and creates needless fear within our immigrant communities. Immigration rules are complex and status can change rapidly. Because of this rule, immigrants’ often lose their ability to drive, which hinders their ability to get to work and/or school—inhibiting their ability to contribute positively to society.
Governor Pawlenty wants law enforcement officers to record the country of origin and immigration status of suspects arrested for serious crimes.	Senator Becky Lourey does not support this proposal. Current practices already require detention centers to record status information for arrestees suspected of being undocumented. Changing the law to include immigrants with legal status is unnecessary and clearly discriminatory.
Governor Pawlenty wants to impose fines of up to $5,000 on employers who knowingly recruit/hire undocumented workers, and bar them from receiving state contracts.	Senator Lourey does not support this proposal. Existing Federal law already fines employers who recruit/hire undocumented workers. Imposing these penalties at the state level would cause unnecessary duplication. In addition, it would encourage employers to avoid recruiting/hiring individuals based on perceived status, thus causing employment discrimination based on ethnicity or perceived ethnicity.

Conclusion

Governor Pawlenty’s proposals are unnecessary, distracting, and detrimental to the future of Minnesota. If enacted, these proposals would not only fail to address current issues, they would actually generate additional problems. The unnecessary duplication he proposes would waste our state’s resources. The superficial gestures he proposes would distract from actual solutions and encourage prejudice and fear. The problems he proposes to solve are defined by false assumptions rather than real facts. Most importantly, by setting forth these proposals Governor Pawlenty has demonstrated his unwillingness to address the real challenges and take advantage of the real opportunities facing the immigrant and refugee communities in Minnesota. Learn more about Senator Lourey’s positive and proactive approach to building security and growth for immigrants and refugees in her New Minnesotans Security and Growth Plan.