IMMIGRATION DEBATE: FIRMS WARN OF LACK OF WORKERS

FEDERAL CRACKDOWN COULD FORCE FIRINGS ACROSS THE STATE

By Susan Ferriss - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PDT Thursday, August 9, 2007
Story appeared in MAIN NEWS section, Page A1

California businesses, which employ the majority of illegal immigrants throughout the country, are reeling after federal officials announced a new workplace crackdown.

People in industries as diverse as California's hotels and massive farms, its restaurants and convalescent homes,said Wednesday they are confused and fear they could be forced into mass firings.

Those at risk are employers who've received letters from the Social Security Administration saying their workers' numbers don't match names in federal databases.

As early as this month, the Department of Homeland Security plans to require all employers who have received those letters to fire the workers if the discrepancy cannot be resolved relatively quickly.

The department is planning to use the letters to track down employers and conduct raids if necessary, leading to fines or prosecution of businesses that don't fire the workers in question.

Homeland Security has been considering using Social Security information as a tool to enforce immigration laws for some time, but officials were waiting to see if Congress would approve changes to put some illegal immigrants on a path to legal residency.

Central Valley farmers -- and other agricultural interests who provide a huge percentage of the nation's food -- are warning Americans that they believe small businesses could go under and that prices could soar or products could become scarce.

"This is the nightmare I always hoped we would never get to," said Manuel Cuhna of the Nisei Farmers League, an industry association in the San Joaquin Valley, a cradle of American food production.

"I'm totally agitated about this," Cuhna said. "Everybody has received those letters, 90 percent of them in the farm industry. We're going to have to shut down the food chain."

Cuhna said he and others are frustrated because, "One part of the government has been telling us not to fire workers, and now another is going to tell us to fire them."

Up to this point, the Social Security Administration has instructed employers, in those letters, not to fire their workers but just to inform them of the mismatch.

Some workers, sensing their covers were blown, voluntarily left jobs after the letters arrived.

Many California employers see the new Homeland Security policy as an attack on the same businesses that have for years implored Congress to create better tools to help them check the veracity of workers' documents.

They also were counting on Congress to provide more legal work visas to foreign workers they need in many jobs.

While some Social Security numbers are stolen by fraudulent document artists, most of the mismatches in numbers are thought to be due to illegal immigrants' use of invented Social Security numbers.

A Sacramento construction worker who builds sound walls along freeways and housing subdivisions said he has used a fake Social Security number for 10 years.

"The employers are just going to keep hiring people, but off the books completely," he predicted, requesting that his name not be used out of fear he might be discovered.

Cuhna said he received a call Wednesday from a California dairy farmer who has received a number of letters informing him of employees' mismatched names and Social Security numbers.

But his businesses relies on foreign workers willing to do the isolated, messy job of caring for and milking cows, Cuhna said.

"He's in a panic. If they come and take his workers away, he'll have no one to milk his cows and his cows will die," Cuhna said.

"I told him, 'Take photos of those cows with their legs up in the air and send it to Congress.' "

Inside thousands of California dairies, which produce about 20 percent of the nation's milk, "There are a lot of illegal workers, let me tell you that," Cuhna said.

Jesse Alderete, a labor contractor in the Salinas Valley, the largest producer of U.S. fresh vegetables, said: "This is going to be delicate. There are going to be hundreds of thousands of people running around without jobs."

Larry Rohlfes, a director of the California Landscaping Contractors Association, said, "I know it's coming, and I know it's going to hurt." Rohlfes' group has been outspoken in admitting employers probably have undocumented workers on their payrolls. The same employers say they have done all that was required of them to check employee documents, copy them and keep them on file.

He predicted that dismissed landscapers will enter the underground economy.

Trying to ferret out workers by following Social Security's mismatch letters might also backfire by sparking a greater demand for cards with stolen Social Security numbers, said some former Homeland Security officials.

"This will, frankly, spur more identity theft of legitimate legal residents' and American citizens' documents," said Victor Cerda, a Washington, D.C., immigration lawyer who was in charge of removal of illegal immigrants while with Homeland Security.

He said the new policy was a "dramatic shift" toward putting the responsibility for illegal immigration on employers, a good shift but too "piecemeal" because it doesn't address a real demand for labor.

"Is Congress really going to line up with Homeland Security when enforcement goes into their neighborhoods, and disrupts business and they start hearing from constituents?" Cerda asked.

Whites Now Minority in 1 in 10 Counties

By STEPHEN OHLEMACHER
08.09.07, 12:10 AM ET

WASHINGTON - Whites are now in the minority in nearly one in 10 U.S. counties. And that increased diversity, fueled by immigration and higher birth rates among blacks and Hispanics, is straining race relations and sparking a backlash against immigrants in many communities.

"There's some culture shock," said Mark Mather of the Population Reference Bureau, a Washington-based research agency. "But I think there is a momentum building, and it is going to continue."

As of 2006, non-Hispanic whites made up less than half the population in 303 of the nation's 3,141 counties, according to figures the Census Bureau is releasing Thursday. Non-Hispanic whites were a minority in 262 counties in 2000, up from 183 in 1990.

The Census Bureau's report has population estimates by race and ethnicity for every county in the nation. They are the first such estimates since Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005, scattering hundreds of thousands of people.

The biggest changes in were in Orleans Parish, La., home to New Orleans. The share of non-Hispanic whites in Orleans Parish grew from 27 percent in 2005 to 34 percent in 2006, while the share of blacks dropped from about 68 percent to 59 percent.

Many of the nation's biggest counties have long had large minority populations. But that diversity is now spreading to the suburbs and beyond, causing resentment in some areas.

Many Latinos say they see it in the debate over illegal immigration.

In northern Virginia, Teresita Jacinto said she feels less welcome today than when she first arrived 30 years ago, when she was one of few Hispanics in the area.

"Not only are we feeling less welcome, we are feeling threatened," said Jacinto, a teacher in Woodbridge, Va., about 20 miles southwest of Washington.

Woodbridge is part of Prince William County, which recently passed a resolution seeking to deny public services to illegal immigrants. Similar measures have been approved or considered in dozens of communities across the nation. In all, state lawmakers have introduced more than 1,400 measures related to immigration this year, the National Conference of State Legislatures says.

Supporters say local laws are necessary because Congress has failed to crack down on the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the U.S. But many Hispanics legally in the U.S. say they feel targeted, too.

"I think across the board all of us feel like we're not welcome," said Jacinto, who was born in the U.S. and volunteers for an advocacy group called Mexicans Without Borders.

Prince William County has seen its Hispanic population more than double since 2000, to nearly 70,000 last year. Non-Hispanic whites account for a little more than half the population, down from about two-thirds in 2000.

Greg Letiecq recently helped form a group to fight illegal immigration in northern Virginia, called Help Save Manassas. The group is named for a city surrounded by Prince William County.

"It's not about ethnicity, it's not about race. It's about lawful behavior versus unlawful behavior," Letiecq said.

Still, he complained that many newcomers eschew American culture in favor of their Latino heritage.

"It's the folks who come in and try to maintain the culture of the country they came from," Letiecq said. "They don't seem to embrace the American culture, the English language, the social norms of American culture."

Nationally, the number of minorities topped 100 million for the first time in 2006 - about a third of the population. By 2050, minorities will account for half of U.S. residents, according to Census Bureau projections.

"I don't think Latinos or any other so-called minority group are seeking to make white people a minority," Jacinto said. "It's just a reality."

Posted on Thu, Aug. 09, 2007
The Associated Press

EASTON, Pa. - In a public discussion of policy rare for a member of the judiciary, a Superior Court judge said the federal government should give local law enforcement authorities the power to arrest illegal immigrants.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials often do not prosecute illegal immigrants for minor offenses, Judge Correale F. Stevens told the Palmer Township Kiwanis Club on Wednesday.

Yet local police who arrest illegal immigrants have sometimes been told by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to release them, he said.

Stevens said he favors federal legislation that would allow local and state police to arrest illegal immigrants without federal approval.

"The U.S. Congress could easily amend the federal law so that police don't have to call and ask for permission to make arrests," Stevens said. "Then they would go into court and let the county judges decide."

Stevens, a former district attorney and judge in Luzerne County, joined the Superior Court in 1997.

SPOTSY WANTS TO CURB ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

Spotsylvania is next county to review ways to combat illegal immigration

Date published: 8/9/2007
By DAN TELVOCK

Battlefield District Supervisor Chris Yakabouski worries that Northern Virginia's illegal immigration problems will migrate south.

"Will they come down to our area and should we be ready for it or are we just going to react to it?" said Yakabouski, who also is challenging Sen. Edd Houck , D-Spotsylvania, for the 17th District state Senate seat. "I see this coming our way and I want to be ready for it and not have to react after the fact."

He plans to ask county staff, at next week's supervisors' meeting, if Spotsylvania can enact measures similar to those passed recently in Prince William County.

Last month, Prince William County supervisors began requiring county police to check the status of detainees suspected of being illegal immigrants. Also, staff is to report back within 60 days on what public services can be denied to illegal immigrants.

Originally, the recommendations were more strict. Public protests and fears of legal challenges led supervisors to tone down the measures.

In Loudoun County, supervisors told staff to determine what public services they could cut to illegal immigrants and how to penalize businesses that hire them.

Culpeper County has been grappling with the issue for about a year and supervisors enacted two measures Tuesday night, declaring English as the county's official language and seeking the state's help with the problem.

Yakabouski said he's concerned about how the county's limited funds are spent.

"I want to make sure we are not wasting taxpayer dollars on those who are here illegally and taking services away from legal immigrants," he said.

Spotsylvania Sheriff Howard Smith said he needs additional resources to enforce federal immigration laws. The Sheriff's Office has nine deputies per shift, covering 407 square miles.

Smith said a deputy can detain an illegal immigrant for four hours, waiting for federal immigration officials.

"In the past, we have not had success with them coming and picking up one individual," Smith said.

Smith said Latinos, who are often the targeted group in illegal immigration debates, already fear police.

"We don't want them not interacting with law enforcement and being afraid to call us when they are victims of crime because they are afraid of being deported," he said.

The sheriff, who is chairman of the Rappahannock Regional Jail Board, said law enforcement agencies are working on a regional effort.

The proposal is to have intake officers undergo federal immigration training. Once trained, these correctional officers could enforce federal immigration laws, fill out paperwork and work with federal officials to pursue deportation when appropriate.

"Then, you are targeting illegal immigrants who are breaking the law," Smith said.

RULES TO TARGET ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WORRY EMPLOYERS

THE PROPOSED RULES

READ THE PROPOSED DEPT. OF HOMELAND SECURITY RULES IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER
(PDF) (REQUIRES ADOBE ACROBAT)

Justin Sullivan
A worker fills a bucket with dirt on a landscaping job in San Rafael, Calif. Getty Images


National Public Radio
Morning Edition, August 9, 2007
Business

The Bush administration is about to clamp down further on the hiring of illegal immigrants.

It's expected within days to announce new rules that would effectively require employers to fire workers if they use phony Social Security numbers. But employee and business groups fear the change could also hurt many legal workers.

Millions of workers each year get notices from the government that the Social Security numbers and names they use for their jobs don't match government records. Often it's a mistake.

Former immigration commissioner Doris Meissner says that a worker might have put the wrong number on their job application.

"The employer may have made an error in transmitting the number to the government," she says. "The number and the name may not be connected in the government's records because the person got married and forgot to send in a change of name."

But it also can be a sign that an illegal immigrant used a phony Social Security number to get a job. For 13 years, the government has routinely notified employers who have more than 10 such "no-matches" on their payrolls. Now, the administration wants to make an employer's continued employment of these workers an indication that they've knowingly hired an illegal immigrant.

"Frankly, a lot of employers are going to play it safe and fire these employees," says Randy Johnson, who handles immigration issues at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He says that even an allowance of a couple of months or so to resolve mistakes might not prevent what he calls "collateral" damage.

"You might have some Americans ... and permanent residents who, for example can't explain the discrepancy and they have to go to Social Security to get the records for it, and they can't get it in time," Johnson says. "And the employer might say, 'Well, gee, I can't take the chance of keeping you on my rolls.'"

But the Bush administration says it needs the new authority to reduce illegal immigration, especially now that Congress has failed to enact more sweeping reform.

A spokesman for the Homeland Security Department says that the change will help the government go after some of the millions of illegal immigrants now working in the United States and those who employ them.

Many lawmakers have been pushing the department to increase workplace enforcement, which they believe is one of the most effective ways to address the problem.

But Meissner, who's now with the Migration Policy Institute, says this new step will have limited impact.

"The workers are likely to be able to find jobs elsewhere in the economy because what we're dealing with here is not just a question of enforcing the law in terms of employers and who they hire, but also the need for more workers in lots of occupations," she says.

Those occupations include farming and low-paying jobs that involve manual labor. Immigrant-rights groups and employee unions are concerned about the impact on legal immigrants and citizens, especially Hispanics, who might be targeted by employers.

Ana Avendano directs immigrant worker programs for the AFL-CIO.

"It's going to be another tool in their arsenal that they can pull out at any time they want to fire a worker who tries to enforce her workplace rights," she says.

Avendano notes the case of one legal U.S. resident in North Carolina whose name ended up on a "no-match" list.

"The employer told her to fix it. She tried. She actually did fix it. She came back with the correction from Social Security and the employer said, 'Oh this isn't good enough for me. You're fired.' There's nothing to prevent that."

Homeland Security officials say that's clearly not their intent. In fact, they delayed implementing the new rules "” which were first proposed last year "” hoping for congressional passage of a bill that would not only tighten enforcement, but expand temporary job opportunities for immigrants. But that didn't happen. And now they say, they plan to more aggressively enforce the existing law.

[Comment by Explora: I heard this a.m. that it would pertain to companies that had received 10 (ten) no-match letters. As far as the future rules, who knows?]

NO NEED SEEN FOR JCC LAW ON IMMIGRANTS

THE COUNTY ATTORNEY SAYS THE BURDEN OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ISN'T ENOUGH TO JUSTIFY RESTRICTED SERVICES.

BY SETH FREEDLAND | 247-7840
August 8, 2007

JAMES CITY - It seems that James City County won't be following in Northern Virginia's anti-illegal-immigration footsteps, after all.

Two weeks after Supervisor Bruce Goodson asked county staff to investigate the need for a law that would deny illegal immigrants many county services, the answer is in.

County Attorney Leo Rogers, who interviewed leaders of county departments and outside agencies, said the costs of such a campaign would outweigh any benefits.

No group that provides public services in the Williamsburg area - including the Williamsburg Regional Library and Olde Towne Medical Center - reported a significant effect from illegal-immigrant use, Rogers' memo to supervisors read.

Goodson's query followed laws passed recently by Prince William and Loudoun counties.

They've drawn national attention for pursuing stringent restrictions on illegal immigrants - including verifying a person's legal status before providing services.

Those laws could also allow local police to receive federal immigration enforcement training, which James City County's police chief has said isn't needed here.

Goodson is on vacation, but in an e-mail message to the board, he said he was satisfied with Rogers' conclusion.

It's unlikely that supervisors will consider the proposed policy change, other supervisors and officials said.

James City's Hispanic population is estimated to be only about 1.7 percent, but no reliable information exists to indicate how many live here illegally, according to county documents.

Identification checks required before someone can take part in programs such as Medicaid and food stamps prevent those services from going to illegal immigrants.

But asking for several forms of ID before allowing someone to check out library books would simply be too big a burden, Rogers said.

If James City supervisors drop the legislative tack, they will stand in contrast to their counterparts in Prince William. They were reminded to be wary of changing county code on the issue before approving a modified law, said Angela Horan, Prince William's deputy county attorney.

Kent Willis, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia, said, "What we're seeing is people in charge of running jurisdictions in Virginia - county attorneys, executives - are all advising the politicians not to move ahead with these ordinances."

Willis and other civil rights leaders have criticized anti-illegal-immigration bills for targeting a people based on race but also for pushing certain communities away from police. That, they said, undermines community policing.

Even though James City might take a pass on an ordinance targeting illegal immigration, other Virginia communities - including Culpeper and Chesterfield counties - have discussed restricting services for illegal immigrants in recent months.

IMMIGRATION DEBATE DELAYS C'VILLE BUSINESS

August 9, 2007
By Ben Lefebvre STAFF WRITER

CARPENTERSVILLE -- Trustees voted to cut this week's village board meeting short rather than talk about the controversial anti-illegal alien ordinance proposal.

After residents voiced their opinions Tuesday night on whether the village should penalize landlords and businesses harboring illegal immigrants and impound vehicles from motorists driving without licenses or insurance, Village President Bill Sarto tried to bring the proposed Illegal Alien Immigration Relief Ordinance up for discussion.

Sarto has been one of the most vocal critics of the proposed ordinance, which critics say could result in racial profiling against the town's Latino population.

Sarto's attempts midway through the agenda to debate the proposal were stopped when Trustee Judith Sigwalt motioned to end the meeting. Trustees Keith Hinz, Paul Humpfer, Ed Ritter joined her in voting for adjournment. Trustee Kay Teeter abstained.

Humpfer and Sigwalt first introduced the proposal last year, but the board tabled discussion on it in October pending a court decision on a similar measure passed in Hazleton, Pa. A federal judge deemed Hazleton's ordinance unconstitutional last month, but the Hazleton mayor vowed to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

"It's one fiasco in this town after another," said Sarto, who voted against adjournment along with Trustee Linda Ramirez-Sliwinski. "It's senseless to allow this public dialogue on immigration during the meeting's public comment session and then be reluctant to discuss it in a open meeting with other board members. They ran on this as the centerpiece of their campaign but are now ignoring it. It's ****ing all the air out of the room."


Waiting for final decision

Sigwalt said the board has indicated that it won't discuss the proposal until a final court decision is made in the Hazleton case.

"The reason for ending (the meeting) early is that I and other board members are sick and tired of Bill and his lectures," Sigwalt said after the meeting. "The man can't just take no for an answer. We basically told him to leave (the proposal) as is until the Supreme Court makes its decision. He's gotta learn that this is the board's direction."

Among the 10 items slated to be discussed after the immigration ordinance and now left in limbo were an approval for a study on whether creating a tax increment financing district along the village's Illinois 25 corridor would help the economy here, an application for a grant for fire and emergency response and discussion on Sigwalt's own proposal on vehicle impounding.

Village Manager Craig Anderson said a special board meeting likely would be held Aug. 14 to address the unfinished business.

About 400 people attended the meeting, with half having to stand outside village hall to listen to loud speakers broadcasting the proceedings. Although Sigwalt and Humpfer have said their proposals are not racist, several Latinos in the crowd said they were legal residents and felt targeted by the village's hard-line stance on immigration and assimilation.

"They make you feel guilty for no reason," said one man who declined to give his name. "They just do whatever they want to do."

"Everything that's going on here, we're sick of it," said Arianna Realzola, a member of the Community Coalition Alliance who was standing outside village hall. "People here are either planning on moving or thinking about it."

SUPPORT IMMIGRATION REFORM THAT PROTECTS FAMILIES

By Robert Phillips
Thursday, August 09, 2007


First of all, all the gratitude goes to those who support an immigration reform that protects families and workers.

The current immigration status quo is unacceptable; undocumented people are human beings with family and children. They came here to work and have the opportunity to embrace the American economy. History supports this statement; for example, in 1986, immigrants helped the country to get out from the recession sooner than it would have otherwise.

Moreover, between 1892 and 1952, 12 million undocumented people from Europe came (through Ellis Island) to build a good economy. But now, some American people are stating racist lies about immigrants that mislead the American citizens. This is a matter of economy analysis; without immigrants, the costs of food will go up but the salaries will be the same, and will cause an inflation.

Nowadays, 12 million undocumented people are living in the U.S.A. and none of them will go back to their country on their own because they came here for an opportunity. When a raid or deportation happens, the undocumented people prefer to leave their children here because of security, although their heart is broken. So, is this what we want as a society? Do we want to have 4.5 million American citizen children without parents? Who will take care of them? How will the future be for them? And how they will see the society? This kind of unrealistic attitude based in hatred and racism is not good for a society like the American society that always had pride in welcoming immigrants.

One of the misconceptions these days is that the hospitals are going down because of undocumented people; it is not true "” the average age of immigrants is between 20 and 40 years old. As you know, in this period, they don't have critical illnesses. The government helps the undocumented only when they use the emergency care like accidents. They don't have free medical insurance, and the government doesn't provide any because of their legal status.

Another misconception is that they don't pay taxes; the truth is that every month undocumented people receive their check after tax deduction. The deductions go to Social Security and the federal government, but the undocumented can't claim it. It is free money for Social Security and the federal government because it cannot be claimed when they retire.

We are in favor of boosting border security, and have an organized immigration system, but the undocumented people who are already living here shouldn't be ignored or treated like criminals just because of their legal status. In this country must prevail peace, and that leads to a good society.

We encourage you to support immigration reform that protect families which is the base of our society and always will be.

Culpeper Affirms Status of English
County Targets Illegal Immigrants

By Nick Miroff
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, August 9, 2007; Page B01

Culpeper County does not have foreign-language interpreters, and it does not print its documents in Spanish, but let there be no doubt: English is now its official language.

That's the message lawmakers wanted to send this week, voting unanimously on resolutions to affirm the county's English-speaking primacy and to join a growing coalition of Virginia jurisdictions asking the General Assembly for help in cracking down on illegal immigrants.

Culpeper is the latest county in the state to enact measures targeting illegal immigrants, after Congress failed to enact immigration legislation. Although far less ambitious than the measures Prince William and Loudoun counties passed last month, Culpeper's actions would send an important cultural message, county officials said.

"We just wanted to clarify that this was an English-speaking county and make sure we reflected that," said Supervisor Bill Chase (I-Stevensburg). "But I don't think this really changes anything."

In recent years, residents have complained about Spanish-language signs of local businesses, according to Chase, who thinks Culpeper's new immigrant population isn't as committed to learning English as previous generations were.

"I think we all came from foreign countries and turned into English-speaking Americans," he said. "But I don't feel a willingness of this particular group to do that. I don't see the willingness to blend into society."

That charge often has been leveled lately in places with growing Latino immigrant populations. Experts say language adaptation and assimilation have never been a forte of first-generation immigrants. Although some scholars say some Latinos, and Mexicans in particular, are assimilating more slowly compared with previous immigrant groups, their children are commonly bilingual. Often, by the third generation, only English is spoken.

But Culpeper, like other immigrant destinations in Virginia, is racked with growing pains. In the past decade, the once-rural county has morphed into a bedroom community for Northern Virginia commuters willing to endure long drives in exchange for affordable homes and a small-town feel.

Much of the construction in the county's new subdivisions was done by Hispanic laborers. Many of them gather each morning to solicit jobs at such places as the Culpeper Town Plaza, a scene familiar to residents of Herndon, Woodbridge, Gaithersburg and other localities in the region where day-labor pickup sites have become flash points.

"It's been a tremendous eyesore for our community," said F. Steve Jenkins (I), a Culpeper Town Council member and former county supervisor who has led the campaign against the area's illegal immigrants. Jenkins, a Culpeper native and high school football coach, said he and other residents have watched the area's construction bonanza turn into a "residential nightmare."

"We've turned into a suburb of Northern Virginia," he said. "The influx of illegal aliens has steadfastly grown because of the building boom that's taken place."

Over the past year, Jenkins has pushed several times for the town to move against illegal immigrants, but fellow council members have rebuffed his proposals to tighten rules about residential crowding and to train local police to work with federal immigration officers under a program being implemented in Prince William and other Northern Virginia jurisdictions. Jenkins then turned to lobbying county supervisors, speaking on illegal immigration at board meetings.

"It's all Jenkins. There's never a moment when he isn't on the attack," said Martín Bernal, owner of the El Nopal market in the town of Culpeper. "If a Hispanic person did something to hurt him, maybe the community should ask for his forgiveness. But I don't know what he has against Hispanics."

Bernal, who came to Culpeper from Mexico in 1988 and calls himself a "pioneer" of the town's Latino community, said he thought the English-language resolution might do some good.

"I think it'll help force us to learn more English, and if we learn the language, we'll have better job opportunities," he said. "No one's taking it as an offense."

Far more worrisome, Bernal said, was the threat that the town or county would try to enact policies such as those approved in Prince William that seek to deny public services to illegal immigrants and allow local police to check residency status.

As in Prince William and Loudoun, officials in Culpeper say illegal immigrants are straining hospitals and schools; 10 percent of the county's 7,000 students are Hispanic. County Administrator Frank Bossio said the resolutions were an important step toward pinpointing the financial burden of illegal immigration on county taxpayers.

"The din is growing steadily," he said. "Some people just have fears, whether based on perception or reality, I don't know. But if you let that grow out of control, then fear will drive the problem instead of fact."

Cuban Interest Group Calling For End of U.S. 'Wet-Foot Dry-Foot Policy

Last updated on: 8/8/2007 5:41:42 PM by Michelle Burdo

WASHINGTON D.C.: The fight against illegal immigration is heading to the nation's capitol, where a Cuban interest group is calling for the United States to end its 'wet-foot dry-foot' policy.

The Cuban interest group says if the American government granted all the visas they're supposed to, Cubans wouldn't be risking their lives to get to the United States through the Straits of Florida.

In the past four months, over 60 Cuban illegal immigrants battled the sea and set foot onto Southwest Florida shores.

Wednesday, a Cuban special interest group says these people would never have had to risk their lives if the U.S. kept up their end of the bargain.

"The U.S. government would not comply this fiscal year with a minimum of 20,000 visas for Cuban nationals," said Dagoberto Rodriguez, with the Cuban Interests Section.

Instead of handing out 20,000, they say the American government only granted about half that many.

They blame the State Department for blatantly disregarding the Migration Accord of 1994, which states they have to grant 20,000 visas every year.

They say because the U.S. not giving enough visas, Cuban nationals are risking their lives.

Rodriguez says the Cubans are enticed by America's 'wet-foot dry-foot' policy, which says once immigrants step onto American soil - they're here to stay.

"There are people arriving on Florida shores and they're admitting those people in violation of agreement," said Rodriguez.

Officials with the State Department point right back to Havana, where they say the Cuban government is not letting the U.S. get essential supplies to the American Immigration Office there.

But Rodriguez says the U.S. needs to follow the rules so fewer immigrants wash up on Southwest Florida shores.

"Cuba will do the best for safe and orderly migration," said Rodriguez.

According to the Migration Accord, the U.S. has until September 30th to distribute 9,000 more visas.

Talk Shows Pour Fire on Immigration Debate
Conservatives More Organized Than Spanish Radio

August 7, 2007
BY ESTHER J. CEPEDA Staff Reporter/ecepeda@suntimes.com

Depending on what side of the debate you're on, conservative talk radio shows are either to thank or to blame for the collapse of the Senate's most recent attempt at immigration reform.

The backlash against the Rush Limbaughs, Laura Ingrahams and the Sean Hannitys of the broadcast world came just weeks before last Saturday's 20th anniversary of the FCC decision to abolish the Fairness Doctrine, which had required broadcasters to balance conservative and liberal views in their daily broadcasts.

Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and other legislators maneuvered to bring the issue back to the fore, with little result, but they are vowing to keep fighting for changes. Meanwhile, Chicago broadcasters are digging in -- and speaking out about how they will use their air-time to shape the immigration debate in the months to come.

Sen. **** Durbin during a press conference at Joliet Junior College last month.
(Steven Buyansky/STNG file)
"I started out going after corrupt politicians, then the Minuteman Project and the immigration issue took on a life of its own," said Rick Biesada, a truck driver and director of the Chicago Minuteman Project who hosts a weekly one-hour show on Elmhurst-based WJJG-AM (1530). "Talk radio is a conservative medium. People listening are people like me -- people who drive a truck for a living listen to the news."

Hounding politicians
Others working within earshot of a radio are listening in Spanish, and while the reach and influence of Spanish language radio has been credited with mobilizing the immigrant rights movement, its impact on the national debate has been minimal.
"We need to find a way for this community to talk back," said Jorge Mujica, the leader of the March 10 Movement, which is credited with organizing thousands of people in various marches over the last year. He's a frequent Spanish language radio guest but says, "I don't feel comfortable calling [an English language talk radio show] if I know someone's going to mock me."

"It's a serious thing and I'm not up-to-date in the English media," he said. "It's like a separate reality."

Mujica pointed to the difference between the loosely connected Spanish language media and the high level of organization most conservative talk show hosts bring to the table. "They provide their listeners with names, phone numbers and e-mails to call politicians. Then it becomes a reality for the politicians," Mujica said.

Rather than relying on national radio shows to reach local people, Pilsen's RadioArte sends original bilingual programming to about 430,000 people in a 14-mile radius. "We are a response to some of the rhetoric both in conservative talk radio and some Spanish language shows," said general manager Silvia Rivera. "There is some responsibility that comes when you're talking about mobilizations and how issues are covered."


Effect on elections
Her response to the ire and -- some say -- racism toward illegal immigrants is that it's just the newest hot topic. "It's immigration now, but before it was ***/******* rights and before that abortion," said Rivera. "It's sort of a David and Goliath battle."
Responding to oft-hurled accusations of racism, conservative WLS morning host Jerry Agar, himself a Canadian immigrant, says people complaining about such shows just didn't like them to begin with. "In a debate, [critics] should be pointing out what is wrong with my position instead of talking about racism," said Agar. "If you've reduced yourself to just calling me a racist, then I've already won."

With the Senate bill behind them, conservative talk show hosts, unfazed by lingering talk about revival of the Fairness Doctrine, are turning their focus to supporting local anti-immigration ordinances and shaping the upcoming elections. "Next we want to vote the pro-open-border Republicans out of office," said Biesada.

AZ Companies Struggle to Prepare for New Immigration Compliance Regulations and the Electronic Verification System, Basic Pilot, Jan 2008

Scottsdale, AZ, August 08, 2007 --(PR.com)-- Last month, Governor Janet Napolitano signed the Fair and Legal Employment Act, which mandates that all Arizona employers are required to process new hires through an electronic verification system, EVS (otherwise known as Basic Pilot Program) to ensure employment eligibility.

The law becomes effective January 1, 2008.

The State Attorney General and County Attorneys will handle all investigations into the employment of unauthorized workers. The Act imposes severe sanctions on employers that violate this law, such as establishing a progressive penalty system for employers who violate the statute including suspension and possible revocation of business license.

Many companies are struggling to find ways to comply with the new requirements while still protecting the rights of the employee. Business owners are also burdened with the task of finding the additional time to invest in the set up and maintenance of this new program.

National PEO, a human resources and payroll outsourcing firm, has been working with clients in the Valley and Nationwide for 8 years to ensure labor law compliance, including compliance with changing immigration laws. As a result, National PEO has developed a program to help ensure that their clients will fully comply with the new law with a minimum investment of time and effort. In addition to other compliance related service offerings, each client will undergo an audit of their hiring systems to identify areas for improvement in preparing for the new regulations. National PEO will process all required verifications for its payroll clients. Non-payroll clients will be trained on how to process new hires through the EVS.

Although the new law is already being challenged, National PEO is positioned for full compliance and registration with the EVS program should the law and the January 1, 2008 compliance date remain unchanged.

Commentary: Tribune Intern Learns About Immigrantion Firsthand

Adriana Gomez Licon
Wednesday, August 8, 2007

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Adriana Gom