| Federal
immigration reform may be on hold for the next few years
but immigration battles rage on in state and local governments
across the country. Since 2005, for example, George Cheung,
co-founder of Lopez & Cheung, Inc., a public affairs
consulting firm, has protested ballot measures that would
restrict immigrants’ rights in Washington State.
Most recently he successfully challenged I-966, a measure
that would have required residents to prove their legal
status before accessing certain public benefits.
Besides limiting immigrants’ access to important
services, Cheung believes the measure would have harmful
unintended consequences— creating a climate of fear
and hurting many citizens who may have difficulty providing
necessary identification. It would also turn doctors,
nurses and others into immigration enforcement officials.
Cheung says Healthcare providers “are on the frontlines
of taking care of us. As a taxpayer, that’s what
I want them to do— focus on keeping people safe
and healthy.”
Cheung sees I-966 as symptomatic of widespread anti-immigrant
sentiment. He remains committed to building a strong coalition
that can respond quickly to threats to immigrant and human
rights.
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