The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Local News

October 13, 2008

W.Va. lawmakers crack down on illegal aliens

Mannix Porterfield

Alarmed by felony crimes committed in Pennsylvania at the hands of aliens, West Virginia lawmakers stepped up their efforts Monday to crack down on the “invasion” of foreigners illegally taking up residence in this state.

Boosting their legislative reform mission at a rally was Daryl Metcalfe, a state representative in Pennsylvania, and founder of State Legislators for Legal Immigration.

Metcalfe addressed the rally on a booklet titled “Invasion Pennsylvania,” and a similar one is in the offing in West Virginia, Delegate Kelli Sobonya, R-Cabell, said afterward.

“There was instance after instance where illegal aliens have come to Pennsylvania and committed murder, rape, assault — all kinds of situations,” Sobonya said.

“It was an eye-opener for me, just how much violence is done, even like drunken driving. There have been families wiped out from those that aren’t here legally.”

Already, the state Legislature has taken steps to punish employers for hiring undocumented workers, and now the focus is turning on illegals themselves, the lawmaker said.

“We’re so frustrated with Congress and the inaction to develop some type of illegal immigration reform to where we could protect our borders for national security reasons,” Sobonya said.

Besides the crime factor, Sobonya and other lawmakers are seeking to crack down so that illegal aliens aren’t exploiting public services and draining tax dollars of legitimate citizens.

“It’s just appalling to know that with the way our world is, with all the terrorism and how our borders are not secure, that people can just come here and be undocumented and take jobs away and take funds away from those legitimate services,” she said.

Delegate Linda Sumner, R-Raleigh, recited the preamble to the Constitution, and asked, “How can we guarantee these rights bestowed to us by our founding fathers when we are experiencing an invasion of illegal immigrants into our country, our state and our communities?”

“The increase in crime, health concerns and loss of jobs by illegal immigration has imparted a significant financial impact on not only federal and state governmental agencies but the taxpayers who bear the burden,” she said.

Sobonya said she was disappointed that no Democrats joined the Republican lawmakers at the Capitol rally.

“It’s a bipartisan issue,” she said. “It’s a West Virginia issue.”

— E-mail:

mannix@register-herald.com

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