A study shows the unprecedented introduction of over 1,100 bills on immigration in 44 states in the United States during the first quarter of 2008.

The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), a bipartisan organization, presented the report today in the nation’s capital. It highlights the growing legislative measures to address immigration that are being proposed by diverse states around the country.

The study shows that most of these bills deal with enforcing laws, employment, as well as drivers’ license and other types of documentation, for legal as well as undocumented immigrants.

“Just as last year,” the report indicates, “the growing number of immigrant measures shows the favorable disposition of the states to respond to the population’s concerns at a moment when Congress is not concerned about them.”

The different states presented 1,562 legislative measures regarding immigration, 240 of which became law in 2007.

William T. Pound, the executive director of the NCSL, has said in a press release: “We recognize the challenges our nation faces in terms of immigration. It is essential that we address the economic and safety needs of the states and their communities,” he added, “while we recognize our history as a nation of immigrants.”

The conference allowed legislators from Washington and Georgia to address how to balance the local labor demands with the need to increase the legislative measures. Along those lines, Democratic representative from Washington, Sharon Tomiko Santos, affirmed that “in every corner of the country, states are debating immigration issues, confronting the federal failure to undertake immigration reform, the state legislators continue to seek solutions to the challenges posed by immigration in their respective states.”

The report presented by the NCSL provides a first look at the legislation introduced this year and presents selected examples of the laws approved in relation to immigrant and refugee topics. According to the organization, the process of data collection was based on an “exhaustive” and “global” methodology that reproduced all legislation in which immigrants, legal or undocumented, temporary refugees, or foreign-born, would be affected.

The enforcement of laws is at the top of the list of bills introduced, with a total of 198 bills in 35 different states, followed by 192 bills concerning documentation, also in 35 states.

In third place were 179 bills regarding employment in 31 states, in fourth were resolutions – 122 in 28 states, and in fifth place were 104 miscellaneous bills in 31 states.

At the end of the list were legislations dealing with education, healthcare, human trafficking, legal services, and public benefits. At the same time, the NCSL has specified that six states were not in regular sessions this year, while two – Arkansas and Oregon – are in special sessions.