Katrina's Aftermath Raises Immigration Issues

WashPost ^

[Happy2BMe]

WASHINGTON -- When President Bush pledged last week that the U.S. Gulf Coast would become "one of the largest reconstruction efforts the world has ever seen,'' he suggested that an unprecedented investment of billions of federal dollars would transform the region not only physically, but socially.

Bush said that "as many jobs as possible should go to the men and women who live in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.'' Indeed, rebuilding the region -- its levees, roads, energy grids, homes -- is to become the work of those affected by Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath.

~snip~

This could turn Katrina's aftermath into an immigration issue. In recent years, the U.S. construction industry has become a magnet for Latino immigrants, much more than for any other racial or ethnic group in this country. According to the Pew Hispanic Center, foreign-born Latino workers accounted for 40 percent of the total growth of employment in the construction trades last year. Before Katrina, Hispanics represented only 2 percent of the labor force in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi but held 5 percent of construction jobs, according to the Washington-based Economic Policy Institute (EPI).

[Mike Darancette]

Not one penny to Illegals.

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

But, but, I thought the MSM & lefties were just saying there were no jobs.

[Happy2BMe]

Bush, Katrina, and job opportunities in MS, AL, and LA . .

(What about the other 47 states?)

=====================================

Bush said that "as many jobs as possible should go to the men and women who live in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.'' Indeed, rebuilding the region -- its levees, roads, energy grids, homes -- is to become the work of those affected by Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath.

[gubamyster]

ping

[afnamvet]

So far, however, the government has acted in ways that would seem to encourage a different segment of the U.S. population to do this work. On Sept. 8, Bush issued an executive order lifting the Davis-Bacon Act mandating that construction workers on federal contracts be paid at least the average wage in the region. The decision was followed days later by a Homeland Security Department announcement that it will not apply sanctions toward employers who hire people unable to provide proper documentation.

Come one, Come all to the Great Gulf Giveaway!

[zeugma]

You're going to have a hard time locating construction workers amongst the looters.

[Das Outsider]

The aftermath has raised another issue as well: the fact that many of New Orleans's Hispanic residents were nowhere to be found after the hurricane. Did you see any Hispanics in the hours, and hours, and hours of aftermath coverage? Linda Chavez probably stated it better than I can now.

Hispanics and Katrina

So basically the illegals take off when they realize that they can't get federal aid (in NO) but come back when the reconstruction begins, all the while collecting benefits in another state.

[trubluolyguy]

Invite 'em down to NOLA, and have troops and ICE waiting for em. Take them straight from NOLA to the border. Have'em start building that wall. We'll call it the "Freedom Wall", hehehe.

[Happy2BMe]

"You're going to have a hard time locating construction workers amongst the looters."

==================================

Sadly, thousands in the hardest hit areas of NOLA are saying they never want to go back there.

As for the other areas hit by Katrina and looting during reconstruciton some of that of course will go on by those doing reconstruction.

Be assured though, native residents (e.g., legal citizens) are going to smack anybody down hard looting their or their friends homes and properties (and jobs).

[devolve]

J U M B O  -  L I A R S

[janetgreen]

The lack of enforcement of our immigration laws by Bush is nothing short of treason. Congress must act.

If a Congress person with a spine exists, let him/her speak up! If the fact that Bush didn't order the borders protected while America was fighting the "war on terrorism" didn't get the attention of Congress, what will?

[blackie]

Protect our borders and coastlines from all foreign invaders!

Support our Minutemen Patriots!

Be Ever Vigilant ~ Bump!

[Ohioan]

The President has now shown a new side to his political personality, which adds complete hypocrisy to his other vices. In his photo op address in a darkened square in New Orleans, where he appeared in his shirt sleeves to announce what may be the biggest Welfare project in American History, the President singled out the New Orleans Negro poor as a major focus in his proposal, offering to retrain in addition to rehouse, etc..

The hypocrisy comes in when one considers his conduct over the past 4 2/3 years, with respect to the open border with Mexico. Anyone with half a brain knows who is taking the jobs that the urban Black poor in New Orleans could otherwise have gone after. Where has been the President, for the past 4 2/3 years, with respect to filling those jobs with the local, rather than imported poor? Why, only after he came under attack from the racial demagogues of the Left, does he suddenly propose this massive affirmative action for the New Orleans poor Blacks?

Make no mistake, I do not consider much of the President's proposals to be even arguably Constitutional. I would urge Congress to reject them, virtually in total. But the man is showing a side of himself which, frankly, forces me to further down-grade my already plummeting opinion of his worth.

William Flax

[janetgreen]

But the man is showing a side of himself which, frankly, forces me to further down-grade my already plummeting opinion of his worth.

His hypocrisy is glaring. Most of my friends are conservatives, and there's not one of them who isn't absolutely disgusted with him (and with the spineless Senators and Reps). I've never seen anything like this.

[Ohioan]

I agree with your assessment. In the recent Cincinnati Mayorial Primary, September 13th, the Republican candidate got only 21% of the vote. While the city, proper, has been predominantly Democratic for some time, now, this is an incredibly poor showing.

It was not the fault of the candidate, who was a Conservative Negro Minister, with sound law and order views, and the support of Conservative Whites. I believe that Bush has demoralized the Republican base in Southern Ohio, with possibly very serious consequences. (This is the second indication of the fact in the last few months.)

[television is just wrong]

So will Rita. There are even more illegal aliens hanging in Texas.

[Happy2BMe]

"I believe that Bush has demoralized the Republican base in Southern Ohio, with possibly very serious consequences. (This is the second indication of the fact in the last few months.)"

============================================

Myths and lies of illegal immigration

* * * *

The Law Against Hiring or Harboring Illegal Aliens - An Overview of Federal Law.

* * *Who is the Cheap Labor Lobby?

* * * *

Bush faces GOP fight over guest workers

* * *

President Bush faces a major rebellion within his own party if he follows through on a promise to push legislation that would offer millions of illegal immigrants a path to U.S. citizenship. Almost no issue divides Republicans as deeply.