Students Table Against California Proposition

A California ballot initiative to deny services to suspected illegal immigrants threatens minorities across the country, undergraduates tabling in front of Widener Library said yesterday.

The undergraduates, who stood in front of a banner saying "Students Opposed to Anti-Immigrant Legislation," collected approximately 500 signatures for a petition against California's Proposition 187. The group also tabled in houses last week.

Californians will vote today on the bill, which would deny education and non-emergency health care to those suspected of being illegal aliens.

"This isn't just a California issue," said Veronica S. Jung '97, who coordinated the petition drive. "It's part of a pattern of propositions that endanger the rights of all immigrants."

Prop. 187 would also require teachers and other public officials to report suspected illegal immigrants to authorities. "People who just happen to look like they're from a different ethnic background will probably be stopped on the street and questioned," said Miriam T. Burgos '98, who is from California. Recent state polls have indicated that the vote on Prop. 187 is too close to call.

The proposal has widespread support among California Republicans, who see it as a way to deter illegal immigration.

But Latino groups and Democrats have rallied against the proposition, saying it is unconstitutional and unfair to immigrants. "A lot of people didn't know what this was about, because it hasn't been addressed enough on the East Coast," Jung said. "We've been effective in getting the issue onto the campus consciousness."

"The U.S. has a long history of conveniently ignoring the real but hidden contributions of immigrants," said Asian American Association Co-President Alex H. Cho '96, who helped organize the petition. "Proposition 187 is the most immediate and visible manifestation of this."