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Patrick orders staff to craft plan on immigration

E-mail|Link|Comments () November 17, 2009 08:36 PM

By Maria Sacchetti and Andrea Estes, Globe Staff

Governor Deval Patrick urged Massachusetts residents today to avoid getting mired in "the usual debate" over illegal immigration as he gave his cabinet 90 days to craft a plan for better integrating all foreign-born residents into the state's daily fabric.

Governor Deval Patrick

The governor's remarks came at the State House unveiling of a report with 131 recommendations on ways to improve the lives of immigrants, who make up 14 percent of the state's population. The recommendations include expanded English classes and job training for any immigrant who needs them. But the report also urged him to push for two controversial steps: extending in-state tuition at public colleges and driver's licenses for immigrants here illegally.

Most immigrants in the state are here legally; almost half are naturalized US citizens and more are legal residents. About 1 in 5 are here illegally.

It is unclear whether the governor will embrace all of the recommendations. Patrick said his Cabinet would examine the report as a whole -- not just the few things that "drive everybody's blood pressure up."

"I'm sure that attention over the coming days will be drawn to just a few recommendations -- because that's the way these things work," Patrick said at the State House. "In-state tuition, which I have long supported by the way, and drivers' licenses for undocumented residents are regular and predictable flashpoints."

Patrick won applause today for putting the plight of immigrants in the spotlight.

Eva Millona, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition and co-chairwoman of the governor's advisory council that produced the report after months of public hearings, praised Patrick for addressing all immigrants.

"It’s a huge victory for the immigrant community," she said. "This is the administration recognizing the contributions of immigrants."

But in the past, he has disappointed some advocates for not actively building support for such issues as in-state tuition for undocumented students.

Proponents say extending the benefit would bring in new state revenues because immigrants who cannot afford college now would be able to enroll. Critics of such a plan say the governor should not craft policy that aids immigrants here illegally.

Jennifer Nassour, chairwoman of the Massachusetts Republican Party, said granting in-state tuition to undocumented students "sends the wrong message to those immigrants who have played by the rules."

Joseph Ureneck, co-chairman of Massachusetts Citizens for Immigration Reform, said he favored helping legal immigrants only. "It seemed to be a blueprint for amnesty," he said of the report.