Posted on 10/10/2007 9:53:01 PM PDT by freespirited
WASHINGTON- Steven Roneimano would rather have been working at his construction job Tuesday afternoon, but instead sat in shade at the Prince William County government complex to protest the county’s illegal immigration measure.
“I am here for the dream. We all are,” said Roneimano, a 27-year-old El Salvadoran who has lived in Manassas for 12 years. “I think these laws try to take that away.”
Hundreds of immigrants skipped their jobs or left work early in protest against a county crackdown on illegal immigrants that would ramp up police enforcement of residency violations and could deny some services to illegal residents.
But business leaders saw little or no impact.
“I guess if they had a work stoppage I didn’t see any evidence that it was effective,” said Rick Hendershot, chairman of the Prince William County Greater Manassas Chamber of Commerce. “In fact, when I stopped to get my morning energy at the 7-11, I saw two day workers being picked up, so I don’t see how there could be any work stoppage.”
Similarly, no one reported a downtick in the Prince William County workforce Tuesday to the Northern Virginia Building Industry Association, group vice president Jim Williams said.
Protest leaders downplayed such reports that the stoppage was hardly universal or effective.
“We were always saying it was symbolic issue just to show our presence is important to our economy,” said Ricardo Juarez, coordinator of the Mexicanos Sin Fronteras immigrant organization that led the work stoppage.
In the middle afternoon, a caravan including about 400 vehicles rolled down Prince William County Parkway, many cars and trucks blanketed with statements decrying the county’s “racist laws” or “attacks on immigrants.”
Illegal immigration critic Greg Letiecq called it a demonstration of “political tone-deafness.”
“Boycotts and protests and all this stuff are not winning over the people,” he said. “What they have done does not at all encourage the citizenry to take their side.”
The county board is set to vote next week on the illegal immigration crackdowns, with some supervisors questioning the program’s affordability
When you have neither facts nor law on your side, scream racism.
Works more often than not. Duke 88 go off free because they did what they did to fight racism. Asking people to have SS numbers? Racist. Proof of citizenry to vote or use govt programs? Racist. Me getting checked at the airport? Racist.
Actually I’ve had many liberal people tell me I’m being oppressed or assume things about me because of the color of my skin. Racist? Not hardly! sigh... I hope the laws stand.
“attacks on immigrants”
Duh...Noooooooooooooo
This has got to stop...
I feel so used...
:(
Good. I hope they keep sitting under the tree (in Mex) because they are taking the blue-collar jobs that AMericans
used to do before developers started recruiting aliens for cheap.
The builders claim aliens keeps costs down for the consumer. NOT. In construction it is not the cost of the project but the market that determines selling price .
“The builders claim aliens keeps costs down for the consumer. NOT. In construction it is not the cost of the project but the market that determines selling price”
The builders lie! I quit building because I wouldn’t hire illegals. They also build crap homes.....lawsuits are everywhere!
If these guys really want the dream; do it right and come here legally; not like skulking criminals in the night.
I agree. These people who came in without permission are making it hard for all the other Spanish-speakers in the U.S., who are citizens, or who came here legally to work. Not only that, we’re getting the ignorant ones.
Ricardo Juarez from Mexicans w/o (Northern) Borders, says “our presence is important to our economy”. Actually, Ricardo is right, but unintentionally so.
Illegals remitting tax-free wages back to Mexico is a boon for the MEXICAN economy.
As the failure of every one of their worker walk-outs, economic boycotts, and random whining demonstrates, the spending/working habits of illegals has a negligible effect on Prince Williams’ economy.
Where is ICE at these protest that obviously are filled with ILLEGAL Alien non-workers. Enforce the DAXX Laws, round them up and ship ‘em back to where they come!
ping
Americans must recognize the FACT that illegal immigration economically benefits only a small minority of their fellow countrymen, and is a HUGE NET LOSS for the vast majority of us.
400 vehicles and each stuffed with at least 37 illegals and once again no hide nor hair of ICE.
12 years an illegal alien? A good example of how "well" our so-called "leaders" have been enforcing immigration laws!
Americans are waking up to this dirty political game Washington is playing, and we're pi**ed!
You have that right.
“12 years an illegal alien? A good example of how “well” our so-called “leaders” have been enforcing immigration laws!”
In other words, not at all!
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