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He got his 15 minutes.
The national media have come calling in Hazleton.
A local ordinance proposed to crack down on illegal immigrants in the city is attracting the attention of national media outlets and residents from California to Maryland, said Mayor Lou Barletta.“I am getting calls from all over the country,” said Barletta, the mayor of a city that has seen the Hispanic population surge from about 4 percent in 2000 to about 30 percent today.
If you don't punish the employers it won't stop.
Illegal Hiring Is Rarely Penalized
The Bush administration, which is vowing to crack down on U.S. companies that hire illegal workers, virtually abandoned such employer sanctions before it began pushing to overhaul U.S. immigration laws last year, government statistics show.
Between 1999 and 2003, work-site enforcement operations were scaled back 95 percent by the Immigration and Naturalization Service, which subsequently was merged into the Homeland Security Department. The number of employers prosecuted for unlawfully employing immigrants dropped from 182 in 1999 to four in 2003, and fines collected declined from $3.6 million to $2,000 according to federal statistics.
Ben Salazar, a longtime activist, says that "immigrants know they're needed" in jobs many Americans wi not fill, "so they will take their chances.
The Bush administration, which is vowing to crack down on U.S. companies that hire illegal workers, virtually abandoned such employer sanctions before it began pushing to overhaul U.S. immigration laws last year, government statistics show.
19 comments:
After some hiatus, I'm back posting again. I'm a bit shamed to call Hazleton my home, but I hope this unnecessary posturing by the mayor won't hurt the economic development our new neighbors have brought to town
This all sounds vaguely koslite. I can't address what you say, however, because I am left wondering to which "talking points" and "attacks and positions" you refer. Care to elaborate?
okay, that was dumb. I meant to post that comment to a different blog and somehow it ended up here. I must have had too many windows open.
I wondered about that. Point me to the blog you wanted to put that on.
Ya know, the illegal immigrant question is so very much on my radar. I am a professional Spanish interpreter (a U.S. citizen, born and raised here).
The stories I hear every day are ridiculous.
I literally just got off the phone (4:54 PM PST) after speaking with child protective services in a large metropolitan city. For privacy purposes I have to be sketchy on details of places & names.
Here's the particulars on this family. The father (illegal) has been in this country for 10 years. He is schizophrenic. The state is paying for his psychiatrist, his social worker, this therapist (all come out to the house). He is a young man from the tone of his voice.
He and his wife keep having children they can't afford.
He receives disability (he's illegal, right) of $400 a month, welfare of $500.00 month, food stamps of $399.00 per month, medicaid (free medical), WIC, etc.
Child welfare is visiting regarding allegations made. The mother (also young and ILLEGAL)has clinical depression and is NOT taking her medication. Says she couldn't pay the $10.00 a month it costs (yet admits that various workers, etc., give her extra cash). Then said the prescription expired and well, you know how receptionists can be difficult (BLAME, BLAME, BLAME).
She doesn't work because she has to take care of the children (ENABLING, ENABLING, ENABLING WE ARE!!).
So, there's a case in point. How we are supporting mentally ill illegal aliens, who do not work, who keep having children despite their severe mental health handicaps, and therefore receive more cash.
I'm so SICK of these stories.
We, as citizens, can do alot, to pressure our elected officials to ENFORCE THE LAWS ALREADY ON THE BOOKS.
Please help keep our country safe. Mayor Vasquez in Idaho has it right -- he demands that our laws be RESPECTED, and he is doing something in his community, as is Mayor Lou in Hazelton.
We need to SUPPORT these men any way we can. They are my heroes.
I always find it intriguing when someone points to one example of an immigrant family living on the dole and then concludes that all immigrants live on the dole, ignoring the fact that most of the millionaires in America are first or second generation Americans and most of the people living on the dole in America have been living on the dole for three or more generations.
I might add that most people who give voice to anti-immigrant sentiments quickly conflate legal immigrant with illegal immigrants, not to mention United States citizens that are members of particular minority groups, leading me to conclude that the issue isn't immigration, it's xenoophobia.
I disagree with internet esquire. Despite what this individual contends, to state that most people who give voice to anti-immigrant sentiment quickly conflate legal immigration with illegal immigration is INCORRECT. I am a firm supporter of LEGAL immigration and applaud people from other nations who want to come here for a better way of life, and do so LEGALLY. Conversely, I am opposed to illegal immigration as many of these people bring with them disease since they are not screened by health professionals once they enter the U.S. illegally. And many of these people demonstrate an all too obvious contempt for the United States and its laws. (Just ask the property owners in the Southwestern United States who have had their property vandalized and trashed by illegals). Those pro illegal immigration rallies that took place in various US cities are an example of exhibiting contempt for our Republic. Many of those protesting illegal immigration were loudly demanding their rights, while loudly making derogatory remarks about the U.S.(Facts conveniently ignored by the mainstream Liberal media). Granted, many illegal immigrants have not been brainwashed by these anti-American zealots, but the fact remains that illegal immigrants have no rights, except the right to be escorted back to their nations of origin. Opposing illegal immigration IS NOT ZENOPHOBIA, DESPITE WHAT THE LIBERALS CONTEND. It is a problem that must be contained, and in this age of terrorism keeping the borders open and allowing more of these people to come here other under other than legal circumstances is inviting disaster. An immigrant who wants to come here must EARN THE RIGHT TO DO SO IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE IMMIGRATION LAWS WE HAVE IN EFFECT, SOMETHING THAT HAS ESCAPED THE ATTENTION OF INTERNET ESQUIRE. And I approve of what the Mayor of Hazleton chose to do in order to deal with the growing problem of illegal immigration. I don't think a homicide ever took place in Hazleton before the illegal aliens arrived in the area (I grew up 18 miles south of Hazleton). And crimes by illegal aliens have been committed against law-abiding American citizens throughout the nation. I don't believe that all immigrant families in the U.S. live on the dole, but I do believe that MANY ILLEGAL ALIENS IN THE UNITED STATES LIVE ON THE DOLE.
why are we sp worried about immigrants these days. no one complains about all the jews, asians, polish, canadians, india, all other races that are also here illegal. they just worry about the hispanic race, treating them like they are some other kind of life form. we are all identical because we are people, not animals, or other forms of indentity. this bullS--t about aliens gets me sick to my stomach.
The reason why people are overtaxing the "illegal alien" issue is that they are ONLY talking about those of the Mexican race; they aren't mentioning the asians, polish, canadians, brittish, etc......as per the Bush administration (Heil, Bush) anyone with dark skin is by the racist belief of this country a undiserable which must be gotten rid of, by any means necessary......I sincerely hope that this keeps up; it'll make it easier to throw this country into a Civil War withch may kill off those who harbor such levels of hatred for others that they must be as ignorant as possible.
IF YOU THINK ILLEGAL OR LEGAL IMMIGRATION WILL NOT AFFECT THIS COUNTRY PLEASE SEE THIS
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4094926727128068265&q=roy+beck&hl=en
IT IS LONG BUT VERY INFORMATIVE
WATCHMAKER
Read about CIAOs (City Illegal-alien Abatement Ordinaces) on:
http://www.125.com/
[correction to link]
Read about CIAOs (City Illegal-alien Abatement Ordinaces) on:
http://www.codexalimentarious.com/
Here's the bottom line. We are talking about ILLEGAL immigrants! Why does anyone feel they need to coddle and defend someone who is breaking the law? We have rules in this country that dictate what the appropriate way is to immigrate here. If people don't like those laws, then let's discuss changing them. In the mean time, let's stop pretending that we need to ignore the fact that ILLEGAL immigrants are doing something ILLEGAL!
Illegal is illegal. I'm glad as hell that the U.S. is cracking down on them as well as the employers. These illegals don't deserve to be here, they don't deserve respect, and they shoudln't be getting free health care. I personally think that people who are here legally, pay taxes, and abide by our laws are great. We need to take our country back.
Immigrants of the 1800's and 1900's for the most part immediately assimilated into OUR country making their new location home.
The invading mexicans do NOT do that.
We have over 10% of the entire population of mexico now here and most are illegal.
They overrun and bankrupt local medical facilities, they over run our local judicial systems, they over run our school systems.
Oh and at the end of the day, they send as much money back to mexico as they can. Prove is that their efforts come in second in ALL effort towards the mexican GNP.
Also the mexican army shoots those who enter mexico illegally on their southern border.
Bout time we followed at least one example of their fine culture !!
Can anyone post the justifications offered for entering or residing in the US illegally?
My wife of almost two years is a legal immigrant and the thought never crossed our minds to have her "sneak" in. I've also worked in a foreign country and never thought to show up without an entry Visa and work authorization. My point is that if one is willing to break a country's laws for entry, at what point does one plan on becoming a law abiding citizen? And if one doesn't plan on becoming a law abiding citizen, how many laws is one willing to break?
I strongly support Mayor Barletta and the Hazelton City Council in their fight for protecting their citizens from lawbreakers!
BRAVO for "Proud American Married to ..."
Dear folks ... the ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION is a HIGHLY-RACIST activity because it really benefits only one racial group, to the disadvantage of many courageous, hard-working skilled other racial groups who are trying to emmigrate to the USA LEGALLY.
IT IS RACIST to allow millions of mexicans to violate all standards of the USA, while the peoples of many other nations of the world follow our laws, wait years for this opportunity ... only to find that others get ahead in the USA by ignoring the law and in essence saying "me first".
The employment of ILLEGAL emmigrants constitutes UNFAIR BUSINESS PRACTICES (IN CA 17200 of the Business & Professions Code). Unfair Business Practices result when there is an unfair advantage by a business as a result of a business practice in violation of the laws of the country and state, resulting in an unfair advantage over all other law-abiding businesses.
When employers (meat cutters, agri-corps, construction companies, etc.) employ illegal labor, they knowlingly (illegally) undercut other legitimate businesses and drive them out of business.
The lower wages and resulting lower product cost is under-written by USA taxpayers in the form of social program costs (medical, legal, costs for incarceration, etc. the list goes on and on). The agri-corps benefit, the construction corps benefit, the politicians benefit (CONTRIBUTIONS BY THOSE COMPANIES FOR POLITICIANS WHO SUPPORT INCREASED VIOLATION OF IMMIGRATION LAWS).
WHY DOESN'T MEXICO begin a "WORKS-PROJECTS" effort to employ and train their unemployed young and poor?
The US did this during the great depression and built Hoover Dam, Golden Gate Park, and hundreds of other public benefit projects throughout the USA.
The answer is: MEXICO DOES NOT WANT THEIR POOR, and THEY DO NOT CARE FOR THEIR POOR ... THE WEALTHY FEW CONTROL MEXICO ... THEY WANT TO EXPORT THE PROBLEM. Why doesn't anyone raise a challenge to the rich of Mexico, a country with some of the wealthiest people in the world, to ADDRESS THEIR NATIONAL PROBLEM !!!
Thanks to the HONORABLE Mayors of our cities throughout the USA who have INTEGRITY, COURAGE, and who are GREAT HUMANISTS. These Mayors know that the problems cause is a illness in MEXICO ... which can only be truly addressed at the source.
LETS CONTINUE TO HONOR THE LEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM ALL PARTS OF THE GLOBE ... and not focus on a RACIST, ELITIST BENEFIT for elitist mexicans who simply want to export problems resulting from their greed!
Thanks for visiting Proud and anon. But this a year old post. Please join us at the latest post.
I'm NOT against immigration; I'm AGAINST ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION. It is costing us our American souls. Those who have truly come here for the American dream, do so the legal way; those that come for the FREEBIES come illegally. I completely agree with Mayor Barletta. He summed it up perfectly by saying, "We, the American people, want our cities secured, our borders protected and our citizenship respected." here here!!! and for those that keep saying, illegals are doing the jobs that Americans won't do ... you got those words from illegals. Was there EVER a job not done here in America???? The kids I know can't get jobs now, because cheap labor is available - and it's cheap because they live 20 to a room. Years ago, we had to sleep in the living room because we were not allowed to sleep together in one room. and not for nothing, I want my hard-earned tax dollars to go to American Citizens!!!!! I don't think that is prejudiced, I think that is fair. Why don't we all go to a South American country and see how we get treated - better yet, ask for help??? By the way, those that condon illegal immigration and feel it is fine don't have them living next door 40 to a room, or haven't lost a loved one to a fire because of illegal walls, or haven't watched 25-30 men gauking at their young daughters when they walk by, or haven't had those same men run to your truck while your granddaughters are in the back seat. I think if it was nearer to your homes, you would better understand the TRUE issues. This certainly makes it more difficult to "catch the bad guys" when you don't know who they are. Legal is legal - WE have to follow laws. Why do we make exceptions. And last but far from least - If you can get ALL free services WITHOUT citizenship, why become one??????? Where are our American dollars going? Another country. Illegals getting disability, free programs, additional education support, free housing, etc. etc. while others are working, etc. NOW THAT's THE AMERICAN DREAM that most of us have not yet been able to afford.
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