DENVER — Colorado activists seeking to curb illegal immigration hope to put a ballot measure before voters next year barring all but emergency services to undocumented immigrants.
The initiative is similar to Arizona's Proposition 200, passed in November, which requires proof of citizenship for those seeking to vote or apply for state benefits.
"We are working 24/7 on this," said William Herron, president of Defend Colorado Now, which is leading the effort. "We need 70,000 signatures but we will aim for 100,000. If it gets on the ballot it will pass by a wide margin."
Colorado ballot measure -- An article in Sunday's Section A about a proposed Colorado ballot measure to restrict services to illegal immigrants said Tom Tancredo was a Colorado state representative. Tancredo is a U.S. representative.
Similar legislation stumbled in the state assembly recently, failing to get out of committee.
"A survey of my district showed 86% of the people are behind this," said state Rep. David Schultheis, the Republican who introduced the legislation. "This is what the people of Colorado want and the Legislature should be in line with it."
Democrats, who do not support the plan, dominate the Colorado assembly.
"It's a very bad idea that places blame where blame doesn't belong," said state Rep. Terrence Carroll, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. "If we look at what happened in California and Arizona, you see people playing to the worst fears and instincts of people. If they do that here, it has a very good chance of passing."
Colorado has an estimated 144,000 illegal immigrants though Herron says the number is as high as 250,000. Many work at jobs in Denver, at ski resorts or at meat packing plants in cities like Greeley.
Critics of the initiative call it racist, dangerous and impractical. They say banning illegal immigrants from most public services would harm everyone.
"It would endanger all Colorado kids if you deny vaccinations to illegal immigrants," said Polly Baca, executive chairman of the Latin American Research and Service Agency in Denver. "We need reform of our immigration laws, this will do nothing to stop illegal immigration. There are angry, negative and hate-filled people behind this."
The American Civil Liberties Union said if the measure passed, people could be required to show identification to enter a state park, ride a city bus or use other state services.
"I think even those concerned with illegal immigration would resent this invasion of privacy," said Mark Silverstein, legal director for the Colorado ACLU.
Opponents of the measure note that Arizona and Colorado are very different places.
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