Immigrants Panicked by Rumors of Raids

NY Times ^ | April 29,2006 | NINA BERNSTEIN

[don-o]

False rumors of random federal immigration raids have sent panic through immigrant communities around the country this week, emptying classrooms, work sites and shopping areas and sending thousands of people into hiding.

Towns in New Jersey and on Long Island have been among those most affected by the snowballing fear, say immigrant advocates and public officials, who described terrified mothers pulling their children from a Head Start program in Freehold, N.J., and deserted streets in usually bustling areas of West Hempstead, N.Y.

[Roccus]

I don't see a cheap shot.
This is the Bush administration.
ICE is an agency of the Bush administration.
ICE does what Bush wants.
ICE does nothing.

[butternut_squash_bisque]

So, who really tells ICE to 'stand down'? The Chertoff wimp? I doubr it.

[steel_resolve]

I got this from Fox News this morning and I had to laugh:

Len Mills, executive vice president of the Associated General Contractors of South Florida, said he estimated at least 50 percent of workers on construction jobs in the region hadn't shown up for work. He said he believed even some legal workers were afraid. "This is costing millions of dollars a day, and I don't know who is going to pay for it," he said.

Gee, I don't know Len, it seems you have your slave wages built into your profits and now that that's disrupted, you're screaming like a little bitch. Good. Sit and whine baby.

[R. Scott]

…federal immigration raids have sent panic through immigrant communities…

Shouldn’t that read, “…through illegal immigrant communities?

[Mojave]

Declaraciones del Presidente tras Reunirse con Miembros del Senado
Cabinet Room


4:23 P.M. EDT

EL PRESIDENTE: Quiero darle las gracias a los miembros del Senado de Estados Unidos por acompañarme en esta discusión tan importante, y la discusión es cómo lograr que el Senado de Estados Unidos apruebe legislación inmigratoria integral.

Les reporté al pueblo estadounidense que existe un deseo común de tener un proyecto de ley que haga que se respete la frontera, un proyecto de ley que disponga la aplicación interior de la ley --en otras palabras, un proyecto de ley que haga que la gente rinda cuentas por contratar a alguien que está aquí ilegalmente-- pero un proyecto de ley que también tome en cuenta que debemos tener un programa de trabajadores temporales, un proyecto de ley que no otorgue la amnistía automática a la gente, pero un proyecto de ley que diga, alguien que está trabajando aquí legalmente tiene el derecho de ponerse en fila para hacerse ciudadano.

[alice_in_bubbaland]

Good possibility Len is waiting for a goobermint bailout!

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

Every good American who knows of businesses employing illegals has the duty to call that employer and give it a heads up on an INS raid that's imminent.

Any disruption in the illegal onslaught is welcome!!

[Mojave]

Len Mills, executive vice president of the Associated General Contractors of South Florida, said he estimated at least 50 percent of workers on construction jobs in the region hadn't shown up for work. He said he believed even some legal workers were afraid. "This is costing millions of dollars a day, and I don't know who is going to pay for it," he said.

You'll notice he's calling them "workers", not employees. By making the illegals "subcontractors" he can say he doesn't "employ" illegals.

[slimer]

Last time I saw them panic was at the local food bank. They were fighting literally over getting every last piece of fruit, clothing and toiletries they could get their hands on. This stuff is put out on tables for people to help themselves to while waiting for their food to be brought out. It was all gone within minutes

[uncitizen]

My husband told me that at one company he knows 50 out of the total 100 employees didn't show up for work yesterday.

I thought this thing was supposed to be on Monday only.

[don-o]

good find. Thanks

[Lurking in Kansas]

GOOD

Ditto!!

Let's hope there is some truth in these rumors.

[Farmer Dean]

Don't flip that finger at me.I'll cut it off.

[Montfort]

"Len Mills, executive vice president of the Associated General Contractors of South Florida, said he estimated at least 50 percent of workers on construction jobs in the region hadn't shown up for work. He said he believed even some legal workers were afraid. "This is costing millions of dollars a day, and I don't know who is going to pay for it," he said."

It looks to me like they are now on notice that a whole lot of their employees are illegal. If they get raided in a month or two, they should have no defense that "we didn't know they were illegal." They now know, and they need to take some further steps to make sure they don't get nailed themselves. Like when the SS administration tells them about bogus ss numbers, perhaps they should realize that perhaps these are not mere typos.

[johnny7]

Get'em 'skeert... and keep'em 'skeert!

[TomGuy]

[From many - one.]

Of course the headline should have read: Illegal Aliens Panicked...

[joesnuffy]

Well, I heard ICE is going to be sending empty busses and thousands of agents to the rallies-- a very efficient way to deport thousands with minimal effort.

White buses?....

traincars with shackles welded in....

large FEMA camps all over the USA...

a railroad line with two high speed tracks running parallel all the way back to the interior mountains of S Mexico?

So that's what those are for....who knew?

[Mojave]

It looks to me like they are now on notice that a whole lot of their employees are illegal.

Not exactly. The contractor will make the most savvy or best documented alien a "subcontractor", then pay him a lump sum for the job. The "subcontractor" then divides up the payment with his illegal alien "crew".

[stopem]

Very good.