Washington Post -- Niraj Chokshi
Nearly every state in the nation passed at least one immigration law last year, but legislative activity on the issue was actually slower across state capitals than the year before.
Last year, 43 state legislatures and D.C. enacted 171 immigration laws and 117 resolutions. That’s a 7.5 percent decline from 2013, when states passed 185 laws, according to the bipartisan National Conference of State Legislatures.
By giving certain illegal aliens executive amnesty, the Obama Administration forced states to decide whether such persons would be eligible for state benefits such as driver’s licenses and taxpayer-subsidized in-state tuition. Some states have made their decisions but more debate, especially in state legislatures, is expected in 2013.
Under today's and last year's Supreme Court rulings on Arizona laws, all states have room to aggressively pursue attrition-through-enforcement measures even if the President of the United States chooses to ignore or violate congressionally passed immigration laws.
Some of the open-borders bloggers and leaders are suggesting that the recall of Arizona state senator Russell Pearce means the beginning of the end for state efforts across the country to stop illegal aliens from taking jobs and taxpayer-provided benefits. And some of our allies in other state legislatures are even asking if they should feel vulnerable. My short response is that the Pearce recall last week was largely a localized situation without much relevance to enforcement efforts nationwide. . . .
NumbersUSA was happy to oppose the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in this case that the Supreme Court will decide over the next few weeks. Read here the outline of our "amicus" presentation to the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the state of Arizona's law requiring all employers to use E-Verify to keep illegal aliens from holding jobs sought by unemployed Americans. Nothing is more central to the immigration debate this year than mandatory E-Verify. And the biggest part of that probably will be efforts in the states.
