When Localities Take On Immigration
http://thekojonnamdishow.org/shows/2010-04-27/when-localities-take-immigration
Arizona last week put in place a sweeping new immigration law. But localities in the Washington region, including Prince William County, have been trying to move out in front of the federal government on immigration for several years. We explore what the local solutions have meant for the Washington region so far, and what they are likely to mean in the future.
Guests
N.C. Aizenman
Reporter, The Washington Post
Gustavo Torres
Executive Director, CASA de Maryland
Corey Stewart
Chairman, Prince William Board of County Supervisors
Comments
Please familiarize yourself with our Code of Conduct and Terms of Use before posting your comments.
Kojo-
Let's try something different. Instead of racial profiling, let's impose penalties on people who employ or house illegals without e-verify or some other official confirmation of status. Mandatory minimum 6 months jail and a $100,000 fine will make people think twice about dealing with illegals. Without a place to stay or an income, they will self deport and the US taxpayer saves $.
Their illegality cannot be forgiven because they "work hard".Can the bank robber be forgiven for his crime because he donated some of the loot to charity? You cannot overcome the crime with later good deeds! You still must suffer the consequences of your wrongdoing. Their babies should not be given US citizenship. Their parents knew of their illegal status before they brought a kid into the equation! The 14th amendment was meant for decedents of slaves not as a back door to US residency by illegals!
Kojo, please comment
As a child of an immigrant and one who works with a large illegal immigrant population through her work, I am extremely worried about the long-term legal implications of this law. I believe it will breed hatred and racism, and institutionalizes modern Jim Crow laws.
That said, my father, a legal immigrant, and now a citizen, is very angry that so many people support that the illegal immigrant population, and that they feel they have a right to come and leave from the United States virtually unchecked. He did not have this luxury, as he emigrated from Guyana, a country which is not walking or driving distance from our borders.
I understand that people are angry on both sides, and completely understand that most illegal immigrants only want to make a better life for themselves and their families, but we do need to acknowledge that coming in to our country without authorization is a crime, and that by being here they are, in fact, criminals.
My family and I do not agree with this law, although we understand the sentiment behind it. We fully believe that our immigration policy needs to be reformed to make the process quicker and more streamlined, and that we need to allow for more visas to be given per year.
Also, many of the people I speak with are small business owners who use illegal immigrants for cheap labor. How is this right? Their support of illegal immigration is similar to that of France's support of the confederacy during the American Civil War, since the abolition of slavery would mean an increase in the price of cotton. These people do work incredibly hard, and deserve to earn a fair wage.
Ashley- Annapolis
How criminal is illegal immigration?
There are means to get right with the law when other laws are violated. Speeders can pay a fine and still drive on the streets. If someone does not pay their taxes, they can work out payments with the IRS.
If there was a law to check everyones IRS status when detained what would the uproar be like?
The notion that deportation is the only option is unworkable and unconscionable.
Kojo,
I would like to bring up a good point on LEGAL immigration.
The average time that an applicant waits to get their green card differs from country to country and is not based on merit. I am from India, and have been living in the states for the past 9 years and still do not have my freedom to buy a house or start a business.
I have friends from Ghana and Malaysia who came in later than I did but already have their permanent residency established in a matter of 3 years. I hope the comprehensive immigration reform changes the manner in which the current system discriminates based on the country of origin when it should be judging on merit (Canada's point system is a great example).
-Vinay.
Silver Spring, MD.
Kojo: Great topic and of course, one that is quite controversial - depending upon who you talk to. To me, it is simple....if you are here illegally, you are a criminal and you deserve to be arrested. First rule of coming to a new country : follow the rules. They have already broken the rules. I'm sorry the country they come from isn't up to par, but why should we, Prince William County residents have to pay for that. Corey Stewart is doing the best he can to keep our streets safe. I commend him.
Christine Armstrong
Illegal aliens are destructive to the economy. I could spend too much time writing about illegals. Let me say these few things. I am Cuban, and spent 25 years in the USAF. I was born here, fiest generation. All parents came through Ellis Island and did right. As a business owner I have supported 5 folks to their citizenship! Right now, I have two employees I am sponsoring. It cost me $1500/employee and its costs them between $10,000 to $20,000 in legal fees [depending on the lawyer they choose]. One of my employees is from North Vietnam - Hanoi to be specific. He has a masters degeree from George Mason University. I fought against his Dad during the Vietnam War! He is a great kid and will make a good citizen. Illegals take away jobs from citizens, that is a fact of life. And what is more important those persons who are admited legally to go through the process despise the illegals. If I were King, there would not be single illegal alien in the USA. Other countries treat illegals terribly many kill them outright. The issue is illegal aliens and not immigration and I hate when the Post and others confuse the issue.
I am against these local policies. There's no way to dress this up, it is providing our local law enforecement the ability to stop and detain people who look different. To my knowledge these laws were not passed with the corresponding training for our law enforcement officers in how to determine how an undocumented person looks. I'm not sure the average resident in Prince William County or Arizona understands that under these laws it's not enough to produce a driver's license-- we're talking proof of citizenship-- birth certificates and passports and the like. They can hold you on a suspicion of being undocumented until you produce proof of residency.
We live in the suburbs of the nation's Capital. Here in the US we're not supposed to need documentation to run to a soccer game. How many of us are running to pick up the kids with all of that stuffed in our jeans? How many of you have some one sitting at home that could track down these documents instantly and bring them on down to adult detention to "clear this little matter up?" Where will the kiddos cool their heels while this is being resolved? And, how do you explain to them why mommie or daddy was stopped?
Although the proponents of this have made this a "brown aliens people's issue" in Prince William and Arizona by giving this issue the face of sinister aliens from Mexico and further south, the reality is that it can apply to our neighbors from other countries too-- India, Pakistan, etc. And, to those of us of mixed parentage who could, at first glance, be from anywhere-- including Manassas.
I don't like these laws because they only serve to passify those who hold a fear of those who are different and it encourages whole segments of our community to be wary of our law enforcement officers during a time in our history when we should all be united to address very real problems instead of treating each other like the boogie man/woman. And, at a time when local budgets are being squeezed, they are expensive to administer and I'm sure even more costly to litigate.
I was drawn this morning by this morning illegal immigration issue and the hosts you had speaking in pro and against it. I’m a resident of Prince William County and father of three children.
I’m a registered Republican; however, totally in disagreement with Mr. Cory Stuart.
I’m originally from Nicaragua and my wife from Ecuador. We home schooled two of our children.
I don’t receive any financial assistance from the government and I have been able to supply for the needs of my family for the last 21 years. My wife is a stay home mom.
With all this I have suffered the kindness of Prince William county Police.
My son was charged of stealing a cellular, do believe that a cellular? And Prince William County Police was ready to ruin the life of my son for a stupid phone. I had to hire a lawyer to represent my son.
Once the lawyer contacted the officer in charge magically the phone appeared and all charges were dropped. Until this day no one has reimbursed me for the $600 I had to spend to safe my son’s life, I know it’s a bit exaggerated, in Prince William County.
Listening to Mr. Stuart this morning made me sad. He doesn’t see illegal immigrants as human beings. He just sees criminals. This attitude permeates in our community. The fact that he said that everyone coming to our country illegally are fleeing their home land because they are outlaws it’s a sad but revealing attitude. I’m a religious man and I think many of the people driving illegal immigration laws are religious as well. Many atrocities have been committed in the name of righteousness, specially from religious men. I like to quote from the Bible Matthew 12:7 and many innocents are being called criminals.
I like to think that Martin Luther King Jr. fought and died for something greater than just protecting the rights of the American Negro, but to be recognized as a human beings. I’m afraid that this is exactly what’s at stake here. Their humanity is being stripped away in the name of righteousness.
God Bless
I live in PWC and have followed this issue closely.
Stewart has said again and again he would not help those who are here illegally even if WE are the ones who let them one.
Furthermore, he was quite happy to have Latinos of every status here working on developments when the housing industry was booming even when many of those immigrants had no protection legally or on the job.
Stewart wants all illegal aliens to be deported.
Hope he’s ready to have everyone pay for it via higher taxes, including the people in this county whom he claims will not pay higher taxes.