Senate panel to debate temporary worker proposals

Associated Press
WASHINGTON - Farmers and businesses depending on undocumented immigrants to fill low-wage jobs are banging against a brick wall in Congress as they push for a temporary worker program.

Even with President Bush on their side, advocates have been unable to overcome the opposition of those who are deadset against any proposal that in an election year could labeled "amnesty."

The Senate Judiciary Committee has given itself a Thursday deadline to produce a bill that would tighten U.S. borders, impose new sanctions on undocumented immigrants and their employers, and give legal status to some workers now here illegally.

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'Sanctuary policies' may cancel aid to cities
By Howard Fischer
CAPITOL MEDIA SERVICES

PHOENIX — Arizona cities and counties that tell police not to arrest people for violating federal immigration laws could lose millions of dollars of state aid under legislation given preliminary approval Tuesday by the House of Representatives.

With virtually no debate, lawmakers said state shared revenues would be denied to any community that has "any sanctuary policy." That would range from programs that actually give aid to illegal immigrants or any "restricted enforcement" by police of federal laws making it a crime to be in this country illegally.

Tucson gets about $102 million from state sales and income taxes, or 10 percent of its total budget. Pima County gets about $92 million from state sales taxes, nearly a fourth of its operating budget.

Rep. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, said the bill is primarily aimed at cities like Chandler, which has a written policy that police cannot ask about immigration status even if they stop and ticket the person on traffic charges, or even on some misdemeanors, and bars them from contacting immigration officials.

Pearce said many cities have similar — if less far-reaching — policies that police cannot stop people to determine their immigration status. And many communities, he said, bar officers from making arrests if the sole offense is being in this country illegally.

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Areas aim to stop teens' partying in Juárez
David Crowder
El Paso Times

About 50 young people were in the audience at Tuesday's El Paso City Council meeting to support a new curfew ordinance to keep youths younger than 17 away from the two international bridges Downtown and out of Juárez bars and drinking clubs.

Six members of the council voted to approve the measure. The only dissenting voices in the debate were those of East- Central city Rep. Jose Alexandro Lozano, who abstained, and East-Valley city Rep. Eddie Holguin, who voted against it.

Now, young people caught violating the 7 p.m.-to-6 a.m. curfew in the two special curfew zones near the bridges will be held until their parents pick them up and will face fines of up to $500. Parents who fail to pick their children up after they are notified will be fined $77. Parents can be fined an additional $77 if they knew their children were going to violate the curfew, or did not stop them.

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1,220 pounds of pot seized from U-Haul
Louie Gilot
El Paso Times

Border Patrol agents seized 1,220 pounds of marijuana Tuesday from a U-Haul truck at the traffic checkpoint on U.S. Highway 54 near Alamogordo, agency officials said.

The truck, driven by a 44-year-old man who was not identified, allegedly contained 1,099 bundles of marijuana covered in brown packaging tape, worth close to $1 million.

Since Oct. 1, agents in Alamogordo have seized about $5 million worth of drugs in 101 seizures.

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Need for border improvements cited
Report: Upgrades include pollution cut, better transit
By Mike Lee
Union-Tribune Staff Writer

Environmental improvements needed along the U.S.-Mexico border include reducing high-polluting vehicles, developing a binational public transit system and limiting the destruction of archaeological sites by illegal immigrants, according to a report issued yesterday in Washington, D.C.

The report looks at several aspects of the border environment, including air pollution, transportation and American Indian cultural sites. Its conclusions center on increasing U.S.-Mexico partnerships and boosting government funding.