Mass. immigrant report seeks integration

BOSTON: A new report calling for more English classes for Massachusetts immigrants and allowing undocumented students to pay in-state tuition will help the state integrate its immigrant population, Gov. Deval Patrick said.

But the governor told activists not to focus their attention solely on the report's controversial proposals, such as allowing undocumented immigrants to qualify for driver's licenses.

The report contained 131 recommendations, which Patrick called a ``values statement.''

"There is a context here of over 130 different ways to show a sense of welcome and create successful integration for one out of five members of our community,'' said Patrick at the annual Thanksgiving luncheon for the Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Coalition. ``So I encourage you not to be drawn into the usual thing where we pick a couple of things that we know will drive everyone's blood pressure up.''

Patrick also announced the creation of an interagency task force will develop a plan of action for the report within 90 days.

The report comes more than a year after the governor sent an advisory panel around the state to take public comment on immigration issues. More than 1,200 people attended six meetings around the state, according to Eva Millona, co-chair of the panel and the executive director of the advocacy coalition.

The report also calls for the return of bilingual education, more translators at health centers, tougher civil rights protection for immigrants and a better system to recognize foreign professional degrees.

More than 910,000 immigrants live in Massachusetts, the report said.

Gladys Vega, a member of the panel and executive director of the Chelsea Collaborative in Chelsea, Mass., said at first she was skeptical that their recommendations would get Patrick's attention. But after hearing the governor, Vega said she was hopeful.

"It's up to us now to push and hold folks accountable to make sure these recommendations are adopted,'' said Dolores Thibault-Munoz, executive director of the Cleghorn Neighborhood Center in Fitchburg, Mass.

Still, the report draw strong reaction from those who favor immigration restrictions.
Joe Ureneck, co-chair of the Massachusetts Citizens for Immigration Reform, called the report ``a blueprint of amnesty goals'' and was merely a collection of reforms the governor supported anyway.

"The governor would do the state a service if he had a commission that was more broad-based instead of getting one point of view,'' said Ureneck, ``especially one point of view that is so out of synch with the general public.''

Ureneck said proposals like in-state tuition for undocumented students has already been rejected by the public and he doesn't believe that mood has changed.

However, Ureneck praised the report for calling for more efforts to assimilate legal immigrants with English classes.

In a statement, Massachusetts Republican Party Chairwoman Jennifer Nassour also attacked the in-state tuition proposal.

"It makes no sense for Massachusetts taxpayers to bear the cost of college tuition for an illegal immigrant when that same immigrant cannot legally work in the U.S. and contribute to our state's economy after graduation,'' Nassour said.

Vega said immigrant activists are prepared for a long battle.

"We may not meet all the recommendations in one year, or two,'' Vega said, ``but it's a beginning.''

-AP