Panel wants crackdown on aid to illegal immigrants

4/30/2008, 7:54 p.m. CDT The Associated Press

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Knowingly transporting an illegal immigrant in Louisiana would be a state crime punishable by up to a year in jail, under legislation approved Wednesday by the House Criminal Justice Committee.

Rep. Brett Geymann, R-Lake Charles, included language in his bill providing a possible defense: Those arrested for the crime could argue that they were helping someone who may have lost a visa or was in the process of renewing or obtaining a visa. That was an effort aimed at blunting opposition from the Roman Catholic Church and other entities that help immigrants regardless of their legal status.

A first offense under the bill could bring a fine of up to $1,000 and six months in jail; subsequent offenses could bring fines of $2,000 and one-year sentences.

Geymann's bill now goes to the House with two companion measures.

One would make it a crime to knowingly harbor or conceal illegal immigrants, with possible penalties identical to the transportation bill.

The other would spell out requirements for police to try to determine the status of any foreign nationals they arrest.

 

Committee approval came over opposition from attorney Drew Louviere, who testified on behalf of criminal defense lawyers who contend the bills are unconstitutional because immigration is a federal issue.

This sounds great.  Louvriere needs to get a life.  He is probably smelling money as we speak.

Aiding and abetting illegals should, in my book, considered treason.

I overheard a catholic Priest on Fox yesterday, Father ....?, trying to explain the catholic Church's stance on aiding and abetting.  He tried to compare it to compassion, i.e. giving bread and water to someone thristy and hungry.  While I strongly believe that every living beings needs must be met, and I do not want to be part of any abuse etc...I really can't compare the two.  Harboring Elvira (?name?) in a Church for more than a day, knowing that she is illegal, is nothing but treason to me, not helping a stranger in need.  Give her water and send her back to Mexico.  The catholic Church must bow out of this one.  That is something where separation of Church and State come in.

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Elvira was not given sanctuary in a Catholic church. But I do believe aside from morality issues and codes of conduct, NO church should be involved in the political issues of any country.

Interesting. I hear pundits and politicians spouting  about us being a nation of laws and yet we have elected officials openly flaunting them ( sacntuary cities ) or undermining the law and refusing to enforce them ( build the fence and amnesty).

We, as citizens, are required by law to obey Federal, State and Municipal Laws. It seems to me that if the higher authority shirks its duty to enforce their laws the lower authorities should do it with no fuss or interference from above!

 

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