Roberto Salvador Alvelais-Torres is an illegal immigrant who has been living in Tulsa.
Roberto Salvador Alvelais-Torres is an illegal immigrant who has been living in Tulsa.
You know, protesting, complaining, voting, border watches, petitions, books, news reports, Statewide laws and full length movies do not seem to be getting the point across to the ØverLords in dee-cee.
What have we not done regarding this plague on American Citizens?
Published July 07, 2008 10:44 pm
By Wally Kennedy
During a ceremonial signing of a new immigration bill on Monday in Joplin, Gov. Matt Blunt said the state of Missouri could not wait for the federal government to respond to what has become a serious national problem.
“This significant legislation will protect the safety of Missouri families and the security of our jobs from the threat of illegal immigration, and I am pleased that Missouri’s legislators responded to my call for action where Washington has failed to act,” Blunt said.
He said the United States is, for the most part, a nation of immigrants and that we “welcome legal immigrants to come here, learn our language and work here,” but that the rule of law with regard immigration must be enforced.
House Bill 1549 enacts into law policies Blunt proposed to crack down on illegal immigration, including prohibiting illegal immigrants from obtaining a license to drive. A press release issued by Blunt’s office characterized the bill’s provisions “as some of the strongest legislation in the country to fight illegal immigration.”
Flanked by state legislators from across Southwest Missouri, Blunt said the bill requires verification of lawful presence in this country for every individual arrested for incarceration.
It also prevents the creation of sanctuary cities in the state; requires verification of legal employment status of every public employee; allows for cancellation of state contracts for contractors if they hire illegal immigrants; requires public agencies to verify the legal status of applicants before providing welfare benefits; criminalizes the transportation of illegal immigrants for exploitative purposes; and enacts provisions to punish bad-acting employers who hire illegal immigrants.
But the fallout could have serious economic consequences for the state, according to Adolfo Castillo, president of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Castillo said he has not had an opportunity to read the bill, but understands that it mirrors similar legislation adopted last year in Oklahoma.
“Oklahoma HB 1804 affected the Oklahoma economy. It caused a mass exodus of legal and illegal immigrants that left the state,” he said. “It left a lot of companies without workers and the state received less revenue from the Hispanic community. It cost the state revenue from local businesses.”
Whether the Missouri legislation causes the same thing to happen here, he said, remains to be seen.
“That’s an unknown. But we have a pretty basic idea of what happened in Oklahoma and the Missouri legislation is the same thing,” he said. “There is the potential for an economic impact in this area because of the poultry and pig productions. Those companies hire a lot of immigrants.”
Castillo, like Blunt, said the federal government had an opportunity to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill.
“It offered a workable solution, but in the end it was defeated. The guest-worker program that would have been part of the solution is not a reality today,” he said. “People like to simplify this issue, but it is a very complex issue. There are workers willing to work and business people who need these people. Instead of finding a way to make this legal, they are punishing them both.”
But Castillo said the bill has been signed into law.
Reporter: Stephanie Breltic
Posted: 7:04 PM Feb 26, 2008
DURANT, Okla. -- Oklahoma's new immigration laws have gained a reputation as some of the toughest in the United States. On Monday, local businesses gathered for a seminar at the Kiamichi Technology Center to learn more about how those laws affect them.
Attorney Bill Wells has been touring Oklahoma to help explain the new law and make the transition easier for businesses, many of whom say they are already feeling the legislation's effects.
On November 1, 2007, it became mandatory for Oklahoma businesses providing services to state agencies and some subcontractors to use an online person verification system that will tell the employer whether the job applicant is a legal citizen.
The system is optional for other businesses, but there are benefits.
"The motivation for using that is if an employer is using that type of system, they can avoid any liability under the law if by chance it turns out they're employing someone illegally," Wells says.
But the law had some immediate side effects. Wells says business owners told him that they saw an immediate decrease in labor, both illegal and legal.
"Some of the folks that left were here legally, but were concerned that they were going to be harassed, arrested, or detained simply because they might be from a foreign country."
Carolyn Malone works in human resources at GAMCO in Durant. She says their application process including drug, alcohol, and background checks, along with social security number verification has always been strict, and even though their requirements haven't changed, GAMCO has been feeling the pinch too, with fewer applicants for available jobs.
"Well right now, I have 2 openings. And I’ve had 30 people apply. Before that, I would have at least 80-90 before," Malone says.
Wells says when the law first took effect in November, many of the people who left Oklahoma chose to go to Texas or Arkansas, where immigration laws are less strict.
By MICK HINTON World Capitol Bureau
Published: 8/8/2007 5:09 AM
Last Modified: 8/8/2007 5:09 AM
Oklahoma's immigration measure is reportedly the nation's toughest.
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Amid reports that Oklahoma has the toughest immigration law in the country, the National Conference of State Legislatures released a study this week showing states are taking up the slack on immigration reform because Congress has failed to do so.
In the absence of leadership from the federal government on immigration, the states have displayed "an unprecedented level of activity and have developed their own approaches," the report says.
So far this year, twice as many bills have been enacted by legislatures around the country compared with 2006. Since January, states have enacted 171 immigration bills, compared with 84 measures a year ago.
Rep. Randy Terrill, author of Oklahoma's reform measure, House Bill 1804, said Oklahoma's new law "was the talk of the town" at the NCSL's annual convention, which opened in Boston on Monday. About 35 House members and several state senators are attending the sessions.
Last year, Georgia passed an immigration bill heralded as the toughest in the nation. However, Mike Hethmon, executive director of the Immigration Reform Law Institute, said Oklahoma's bill goes further that any other state's legislation in a half-dozen or more areas. Those include a requirement that law officers attempt to determine the citizenship status of everyone they arrest and that those working here under questionable status cannot obtain driver's licenses.
In a phone interview from Boston, Terrill, R-Moore, called Hethmon "the wizard behind the curtain." Hethmon worked on the Georgia legislation last year and helped Terrill draw up HB 1804, which was overwhelmingly approved by the state Legislature in May. He also has consulted with other states about their proposed legislation.
"This is now a 50-state issue," said Sheri Steisel, an immigration specialist with the National Conference of State Legislatures.
"There is a tremendous amount of frustration at the local level now that the federal government has abrogated its responsibility," she said.
Terrill said Oklahoma's "comprehensive law" is a major accomplishment for the state, but others say it reflects badly on how Oklahoma treats people living within its borders.
HB 1804 goes into effect Nov. 1.
The Rev. Miguel Rivera, president of the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders based in Washington, D.C., said the Oklahoma law shows a lack of understanding on the part of legislators who passed the bill. He said the state law demonstrates "racial intolerance" toward Mexicans and other Hispanics living here.
"The economics of this country depends on continual immigration," Rivera said, adding that Oklahoma will suffer in the end through a loss of those working in service jobs.
What makes HB 1804 stiffer?