Immigrants Leave Okla. After Tough Law Enacted

NPR's All things Considered ^ | January 2, 2008 | Jason Beaubien

[flowerplough]

Oklahoma's local law against illegal immigration is among the toughest in the nation. The law went into effect Nov. 1, and advocates for undocumented workers and activists for tougher immigration measures both say that since then, thousands of immigrants have left Oklahoma.

Among other things, the new law makes it a felony to harbor, transport or aid an illegal immigrant. Hispanic leaders say the law is causing widespread fear in the Hispanic community. Builders say they can't get enough workers and are threatening a lawsuit to try to block the law.

But backers of the measure say it's doing what the federal government has failed to do: address the problem of people working in the U.S. illegally.

[flowerplough]

Heard it on NPR while driving in to work. A bit of balance; they interviewed an American of Hispanic descent who was in tears worrying that her illegal husband would have to go back to Mexico and wait in line for years to return legally. Funny that she didn't seem interested in following her husband to Mexico, to wait with him. They followed with a professor, I believe, who told how a drunk Hispanic lacking green card, driver's license, insurance, license plates, and the ability to speak English had rammed his car at an intersection. And with the sub-prime idiot mortgage slough, how hard are the "builders" mentioned in the article gonna push their threatened lawsuit?

[TornadoAlley3]

Boomer Sooner!

[Honeybunch]

OK ping.

[Rosemont]

ILLEGAL immigrants. The media continues to lie by omission.

[millerph]

And with the sub-prime idiot mortgage slough, how hard are the “builders” mentioned in the article gonna push their threatened lawsuit?

Building is still going pretty well here. The new law has been noticed, but most are happy about it.

[ontap]

They followed with a professor, I believe, who told how a drunk Hispanic lacking green card, driver's license, insurance, license plates, and the ability to speak English had rammed his car at an intersection

I can't resist ! What do you think this "professor" would be saying if his car wasn't the one that was rammed.

[umgud]

Builders say they can't get enough [CHEAP] workers and are threatening a lawsuit to try to block the law.

[Duke Nukum]

Builders say they can't get enough workers and are threatening a lawsuit to try to block the law.

Sometimes when there is a problem, people get lazy and just want to believe there is only one solution to the problem.

[William Terrell]

ONe has to wonder how much of the labor cost savings the builders keep and how much they pass on to the customer.

[OCC]

Builders say they can't get enough workers and are threatening a lawsuit to try to block the law.

Cotton farmers eventually adapted and survived the Emancipation Proclamation, I suspect home builders will survive this law.

[Carbonado]

“Builders say they can’t get enough workers and are threatening a lawsuit to try to block the law”

That should be rewritten: “Builders say they can’t get enough cheap illegal scab labor and are threatening a lawsuit to try and declare any law that interferes with their right to reap huge private profits while offloading the massive social costs of the illegal scab laborers, as illegal”

There ya go. Thats more accurate anyway.

[chasio649]

exactly

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

ONe has to wonder how much of the labor cost savings the builders keep and how much they pass on to the customer.

Well that's just the thing. You can damned well bet they aren't withholding FICA and making payments as they should be.

Why don't the Feds get a list of these builders and hold their feet to the fire or prosecute them?

[Muleteam1]

>>Cotton farmers eventually adapted and survived the Emancipation Proclamation,<<

Farmers got rid of their unpaid slaves and replaced them with cheap illegals. As a farming state, Texas is not likely to follow Oklahoma. We love to build new schools for illegals and the high property taxes to pay for them. (sarc)

[glorgau]

! What do you think this "professor" would be saying if his car wasn't the one that was rammed.

A conservative is a liberal that's gotten mugged.

[boop]

"Builders say they can't get enough workers and are threatening a lawsuit to try to block the law."

I had to read this statement twice. So builders are going to sue to keep hiring people paid off the books? Try that in any other business. "Uh, our employee Bob in marketing? No, he's not on our payroll per se, but we do throw him a couple of bucks from time to time."

[pabianice]

Criminals Leave Okla. After Tough Law Enacted

Fixed it.

[Barnacle]

Doing the job that Congress won't do.

[navyguy]

“Hispanic leaders say the law is causing widespread fear in the Hispanic community.”

Good. It would be the first time you’ve ever bothered to respect the law.