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KENTUCKY LEGISLATOR BLAMES UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS FOR SPREAD OF DISEASE
The House State Government Committee of the Kentucky General Assembly recently approved a resolution calling for stricter federal government enforcement of immigration laws.  Such resolutions are relatively common, and have no legal effect, because immigration law is exclusively federal.  Although these laws have no impact, they do indicate anti-immigrant sentiment, and such sentiment was clearly evident during the meeting at which this resolution was passed. 
The sponsor of the bill, Rep. Fred Nesler, said he did not object to immigrants who were here legally, but did object to undocumented immigrants.  He characterized undocumented immigrants as being “mostly your Mexicans,” and said that “whenever they come into a community, those people bring quite a bit of disease with them.”  He also accused them of using more than their share of resources from local food banks, and of taking up space at local jails.  
While the vote was not close, 14 to 1 in favor of the resolution, there was some vocal opposition to the resolution.  Rep. Lonnie Napier, the only member of the committee to vote against the resolution, engaged in a debate with Nesler.  During this, Napier pointed out that his own family had immigrated to the US.  When Nesler responded that Napier’s family arrived legally, Napier answered “I don’t know whether we were or not.  Probably not.”
Immigrant advocates expressed concern over Nesler’s statements, viewing it as an ignorant and racist point of view.