Pawlenty signs order to enforce federal immigration law

01/07/2008

By Jean Hopfensperger,
Star Tribune
Last update: January 7, 2008



Gov. Tim Pawlenty outlined a series of measures to crack down on illegal immigration today, signing an executive order to allow some Minnesota law enforcement officers to enforce federal immigration law for the first time.

The order also requires new state employees and contractors to verify citizenship and requires the state to review roughly 11 million drivers licenses for photo duplication.

The governor said he'd make another push to reverse the so-called sanctuary laws that prevent local police officers from inquiring about residents' immigration status. He said he'd cut state aid to municipalities that refuse.

"These are reasonable steps... that can be made to stop illegal immigration,'' Pawlenty said at a standing room-only press conference at the capitol.

But DFL leaders said the legislative proposals looked a lot like the immigration proposals Pawlenty made two years ago.

"These are warmed over proposals that couldn't pass the House of Representatives when it was controlled by the Republicans,'' said Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller, DFL-Minneapolis. "Tim Pawlenty used immigration to get elected several years ago, I assume he's using the same playbook here.''

Pawlenty proposals were greeted with skepticism by immigrant groups, who said they did nothing to address the underlying causes of illegal immigration. However anti immigrant groups supported the measures, and requested an even tighter crackdown.