The first day of Colorado’s get-tough stand on illegal immigration opened with a whimper today with a few technical glitches and paperwork problems reported statewide.
By noon, an expected line-up of homeless and indigent people seeking coveted identification waivers never materialized at state offices in downtown Denver.
Across town, though, city social service caseworkers scurried to find the right documents for people to affirm they are in the United States legally. State officials had not provided counties with the proper paperwork in time.
The new law requires anyone seeking public benefits such as welfare to present verifiable identification such as a driver’s license or state-issued identification card. Anyone without one of 11 acceptable forms of ID, but able to prove they are legal residents, can apply for a special waiver from the Department of Revenue in order to retain or obtain services.
Slowdowns were minor as hundreds of people visiting county social service offices had to present identification for the first time. Some were unaware of the documents needed and were sent home to retrieve them. Others showed up with bundles of records for caseworkers to sort through.
Revenue officials expected lines of people seeking waivers, but saw no one in the law’s first four hours, department spokeswoman Diane Reimer said.
“We’re still trying to figure out how to get people in here,” Reimer said. “That should happen in the coming days.”
Employees who work at the Richard T. Castro Human Services Department in west Denver worked all night Monday to ensure that agency staff would be prepared today to handle the state’s new immigration law, but the state had failed to deliver the necessary affidavits.
“It’s additional paperwork required to make sure no one has slipped through the cracks,” said Roxane White manager of the Denver Department of Human Services.
“This is an increased burden on our clients.”
Some clients seeking assistance today for food, medical care and other benefits stood in line with documentation that proved who they say they are.
Jimmy Dao, 20, helped his sister Tuyet with English translation while she stood in line seeking medical care assistance. Dao presented a valid passport, a valid Colorado driver’s license and other documents to intake clerk Pamela Lopez.
Dao said he had heard news reports about the new law signed Monday by Gov. Bill Owens that requires applicants who seek state benefits to confirm they are in this country legally.
“It’s different for people who are not U.S. citizens, but we’ll follow the law,” Dao said.
On a typical day, the agency said they average 4,000 telephone from clients seeking information about their benefits.
On the first of each month they average about 5,000 to 7,000 calls.
Today, clerk Pamela Lopez said she welcomes the new law.
“I see fraudulent documents. This helps to really identify the people and make sure everything is done correctly,” Lopez said.
Tho Tran, 42, helps translate for members of the Vietnam Elderly Association. She agrees with the new law.
“You need to know who you deal with,” Tran said.
A woman who stood in line gave her first name as Mercedes but declined to give her last. She said she was seeking assistance for food for her and her 10-month-old son Yekini
“They need ID to show who they are, it’s great.”
