Issue Position: Illegal Immigration

Issue Position

There are an estimated 150,000+ illegal immigrants currently in Oregon. Last session Representative Thatcher tried to pass legislation to limit driver's licenses to those who are legally present in Oregon, and to limit voter registrations only to those who are citizens. Rep. Thatcher will attempt to pass this legislation again.

Rep. Thatcher, together with Rep. Linda Flores (R-Clackamas), rolled out a package of immigration reform proposals known as the "Sensible Immigration Reform Package" they had been working on for six months. "We were not able to convince the Speaker of the House to create a special committee to deal with all the various immigration issues. However, we remain hopeful some kind of meaningful changes will be adopted this year at the state level." Rep. Thatcher said.

Oregon also needs to comply with a new federal law, which requires proof of legal presence in order to get a driver's license.

During the 2005 Legislative Session, Rep. Thatcher served on the House Judiciary, Transportation and Elections Committees, giving her a unique perspective on the immigration issue. Rep. Thatcher points out, "The flow of meth from Mexico, the explosion of identity theft, and continued threats of terrorism should make us all more cautious about who is getting access to important state documentation."

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