Claire Guthrie Gastanaga of the Virginia Coalition of Latino Organizations said she expects more than 50 pieces of legislation touching on immigration in the session. She said she welcomes help fighting policies that she believes make all immigrants, documented or otherwise [i.e., illegal], feel unwelcome in Virginia.[1]Memo to Claire: Legislative initiatives directed at illegal immigrants have no effect on legal immigrants.
The same would be true about legislative mandates regarding automobile fuel efficiency. They in no way impinge on the rights of legal immigrants unless they happen to own an automobile factory. Similarly, legislation restricting deer and pheasant hunting has no sinister implications vis-a-vis the hunting of legal immigrants. There simply is no connection between them.[2]
Legal immigrants can sleep securely in their beds knowing full well that Americans have accorded them the privilege of residing here and that they are welcome in the eyes of Americans in no small part because they complied with our immigration laws in order to earn that privilege.
Notes
[1] "Businesses Will Fight Immigration Legislation. Va. Coalition Opposes Punishing Employers." By Amy Gardner, Washington Post, 12/15/07.
[2] The hunting of legal immigrants is dealt with in separate legislation. Ed.
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