Beacon Hill push for statewide sanctuary protections for illegal immigrants

[unhappycamper]

http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_politics/2015/08/beacon_hill_push_for_statewide_sanctuary_protections_for_illegal

Beacon Hill push for statewide sanctuary protections for illegal immigrants
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Hillary Chabot

Beacon Hill lawmakers are quietly pushing legislation that could offer sanctuary protections to illegal immigrants across the state, the Herald has learned.

The new legislation, filed by state Rep. Byron Rushing (D-Boston), would ban public agencies from giving or sharing information on illegals with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement unless forced to do so by a court or a federal order.

The bill also would ensure illegal immigrants have access to state benefits — such as welfare and driver’s licenses — and it would prohibit Bay State employees from denying “assistance, benefit, payment, service or participation in any program or activity” on the basis of immigration status, except as required by federal law.

State Rep. Shaunna O’Connell (R-Taunton) immediately decried the bill, saying, “This will make Massachusetts a sanctuary state that harbors illegal aliens and makes available to them every benefit under the sun.”

[Warpy]

1. Most of the illegals there are Irish. Portuguese speaking people are a close second.

Allowing them driver's licenses is a big deal and it's working really well here in NM, where the licenses mean they can register and insure their cars--which they do.

Other than that, it means that the cops aren't permitted to engage in harassment of anyone who "looks Mexican," which means about a third of the people in this state.

As a practical matter, they don't apply for welfare or other services. Being undocumented means you don't want the state paying you any notice at all, not even for benefits.