WASHINGTON — With more states joining the battle and less partisan finger-pointing, California may have the best chance in years to get a sympathetic hearing for its plea for federal aid to offset the costs of illegal immigration, Administration and congressional sources say.
Gov. Pete Wilson last week unveiled a state budget built on an assumption that about $2.3 billion in federal reimbursements could be found in the U.S. treasury.
Although no one expects California to get that much money, and certainly not in time to solve the state's budget problems, state and federal officeholders are mildly optimistic that the White House will try to find some way to address the state's concerns.
Despite many obstacles, the political pressure to lift California out of its economic doldrums and the Clinton Administration's sensitivity to the illegal immigration issue have created a more receptive atmosphere here.
"The President is very interested in helping California, and the delegation is united. With other states joining in the battle, we're really picking up steam," said Rep. Don Edwards (D-San Jose).
But there are practical reasons why any federal response won't come in time to mend the hole in Wilson's budget. The state Constitution requires the Legislature to pass the budget by June 15. Congressional appropriation committees generally do not approve spending bills until later in the summer.
In the past, California has had limited success persuading Congress and the White House to part with money for what was viewed as a regional predicament. But with other big states crying for similar aid, the issue has taken on a more national scope.
Florida has announced that it will sue the federal government over immigration costs, and governors from New York, Arizona, New Jersey, Texas and Illinois have also joined the quest for federal reimbursements.
Wilson, who said the state may join the Florida lawsuit, is counting on this widening of support to blunt criticism that California alone is seeking an enormous federal bailout.
"This has become a nonpartisan issue with a large segment of the population affected by unfunded federal mandates," said Beth Miller, a Wilson spokeswoman specializing in the immigration issue. "We hope that Clinton remembers his governor's roots."
