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 Editorials | Issues | January 2007 
Arizona Lawmakers Look to Limit Mexican ID Cards, Wire Transfers
 Mike Sunnucks - Business Journal of Phoenix
| | State Rep. Russell Pearce |
Arizona State lawmakers are pushing a number of measures aimed at illegal immigrants and employers who unlawfully hire them.
The get-tough proposals are sponsored by Republicans including State Rep. Russell Pearce, a leading conservative immigration hawk.
They want to bar immigrants from sending money back to Mexico and other countries unless they have paid taxes on that income earned in the state. Drug cartels and smugglers also send money out of the country via such transfers.
A Republican bill prohibits banks and financial service firms from allowing Mexican and other foreign wire transfers unless the sender proves they paid required taxes on that money. Business violators of the proposed rule face fines of as much as $50,000 per transfer, if the plan becomes law.
Wire transfers and financial remittances to Mexico are an increasingly big business for U.S. banks and financial firms. They play a key role in the Mexican economy
There is also a proposal requiring persons appearing in Arizona courts for traffic violations and speeding tickets to prove they are in the country legally. Another bill bars government entities from recognizing Mexican identification cards as valid IDs. A number of banks and car dealerships accept Mexican IDs from immigrant customers.
There will also be pushes from conservative Republicans and some liberal Democrats to punish and fine businesses that illegally hire undocumented workers. Business groups want to water down those employers sanctions bills.
Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano did not offer very many immigration related proposals in her new budget released Friday. She has generally opposed many of the get tough measures pushed by Republican lawmakers. |
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