Speech #1090157400

Native Alaskans. Asian Americans. and persons of Spanish heritage. Section 203 protects citizens. not illegal immigrants. Regardless of ones position on the ongoing debate over immigration reform. the debate over immigration policy is simply irrelevant to the debate on ensuring that the fundamental right to vote is exercised equally by English and nonEnglish proficient citizens. According to the 2000 census. more than threequarters (77 percent) of those protected by Section 203 are nativeborn citizens. For example. 100 percent of Native Americans and Native Alaskans were born in the United States. 98.6 percent of Puerto Ricans protected by Section 4(e) were born in the United States. and 84.2 percent of Latinos were born in the United States.