Aberdeen American News, SD
04-29-06
Local aliens in Yankton fear crackdown
RANDY DOCKENDORF
Yankton Press & Dakotan
YANKTON, S.D. - In her work with local Hispanics, Sister Consuelo Chavez said
she finds a great deal of anxiety among them concerning the immigration-reform
effort in Congress.
"There are 500 Hispanics in Yankton - that is the number I get from the Hispanics
themselves," the American-born nun said. "But how do you know? Some many of
them fear being found. Until there is a way for them to be legally here, they will
be underreported in the census."
Hispanics are watching the proposed federal legislation and renewed crackdown
of illegal aliens with intense interest, Sister Consuelo said. What happens in
Washington could drive the growing number of illegal aliens even further
underground, she added.
"They are very nervous. I can't encourage them not to be nervous," she said. "I
want them to know what might happen. They know they need to obey the laws
and not rattle anything."
Local Hispanics already take great care not to attract attention from law
enforcement, she said.
"The fear is always there that they will be caught in a traffic violation. That's why
they are such careful drivers," she said. "A number of them have been deported,
but they are back. One husband carried his wife on his back over the Rio
Grande."
Sister Consuelo, who said her translation work with illegal aliens falls within the
law, said she was caught off guard by the federal proposals. "When the
legislation passed the House, where was I? I have been more aware of what is
going on in the Senate," she said.
The nun said the legislation - the House version in particular - could divide
immigrant families by deporting some members while others remain in the United
States. Immigration laws have already tightened in the past year, she said.
"You have families where the oldest children are illegal and the rest could
become citizens," she said. "I know a case where the husband was illegal and
deported, and the wife was a legal citizen and could stay. She can visit him in
Mexico, but she has to be careful and not stay too long."
With as many as 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States, authorities
cannot expect to deport all of them, she said. And she believes fencing the
border would be impractical, ineffective and too expensive.
She expressed concern about the private citizens who patrol the U.S.-Mexican
border and turn back illegal immigrants. "Are they taking the law into their own
hands?" she asked.
In the end, she expects nothing will be done with immigration reform this year, as
politicians do not want to risk the wrath of Hispanic voters. "It's an election year. I
don't think (Congress) will do anything - they will just let it ride," she said.
While she assists illegal aliens, she opposes providing amnesty and immediate
citizenship for them.
"You appreciate (legal status) more if you work for it rather than if it's just given to
you. Citizenship is just too big a gift," she said. "(Illegal aliens) could receive
permanent residency, but they would then need to work for citizenship. If you
give them permanent residency, you will see a run to the immigration offices in
Sioux Falls and Minneapolis."
Currently, those choosing legal immigration face 7 to 25 years of waiting under
current policy, said Melissa O'Rourke, a law professor at the University of South
Dakota. The lengthy process discourages waiting for legal status, she added.
"There are some protected-worker categories where they allow up to 5,000
immigrants a year into the United States," she said. "There are (upward of) an
estimated 5,000 immigrants alone in my home Sioux County, Iowa. What does
that do for the American economy? Nothing."
Seeking protected-worker status carries risks for illegal aliens, Sister Consuelo
said.
"Their employer has to advertise to see if anyone else can fill the job," she said.
"If someone responds, then (the aliens) have to go home. They are sticking their
neck out."
However, many local illegal aliens are coming out in the open as they raise their
voices against proposed immigration reforms, she said.
"A number of them went to the Sioux City (Iowa) march. On May 1, they are
again asking immigrants not to show up for work," she said. "I am ambivalent. I
see the necessity (of speaking out), but if the authorities want to deport illegal
immigrants, they just have to go to these parades and demonstrations and see
who is legal and illegal."
Even those familiar with the regional Hispanic community were stunned by the
size of recent demonstrations in Sioux City and Norfolk, Neb., O'Rourke said.
"They had an estimated 6,000 who demonstrated from North Sioux City to the
downtown federal building," she said. "They had originally estimated there would
be 1,000. And the demonstrators were not all Latinos."
Hispanics remain a small percentage of the tri-state area, but their numbers are
growing. According to the 2000 Census, South Dakota had a 1.4 percent
Hispanic population, Iowa 2.8 percent and Nebraska 5.5 percent.
Most southeast South Dakota counties had fewer than 1 percent Hispanics, but
Yankton County had 1.8 percent while Union County - which includes North
Sioux City - had 1.3 percent. According to the census, the city of Yankton had
333 Hispanics among its 13,500 residents, surpassing American Indians and
blacks as the largest minority.
In northeast Nebraska, Dixon County had 5.5 percent while Madison County,
which includes Norfolk, had 8.6 percent.
In northwest Iowa, Hispanics accounted for 9.1 percent of the 103,000 residents
in Woodbury County, which includes Sioux City. To many observers, the surprise
comes in Sioux County - which includes Orange City and Sioux Center - which
had 2.6 percent Hispanics among its 32,000 residents of mostly Dutch heritage.
The latter figure doesn't surprise O'Rourke, who also serves as Sioux County
attorney and works with an immigrant-assistance group in Sioux City. In fact, she
thinks Hispanics may actually account for 7 to 10 percent of the Sioux County
population.
Hispanics play a key role in Sioux County's economy, working for dairy farms,
hog confinements, food processing, manufacturing and child care, O'Rourke
said.
"Sioux County has the 22nd largest population of Iowa's 99 counties. It's
thriving," she said. "If those who didn't have proper (immigration) status were all
to disappear - if they were all put on buses and taken home - Sioux County would
lose an awful lot of business. And it would hurt their factories and farms."
In fact, Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack has promoted immigration as a way to benefit the
state, O'Rourke said. The Iowa Legislature has established "welcome centers,"
such as the one in Sioux City, to make the state more inviting to immigrants, she
added.
In addition, Iowa State University has opened a branch center to assist
immigrants with banking, schools and legal needs, O'Rourke said. The Hispanic
influence is reflected in local businesses, social events and demographics, she
added.
"A priest at St. Mary's Church in Hawarden (Iowa) said, in 2004, they had 28
babies baptized, and none were Caucasian - they were all Hispanic," she said.
"The high school students are bilingual, and the young children learn quickly.
Their parents learn it is wise to take them along to the post office and other
places as interpreters."
Nearly all of the local Hispanics are hard workers with a strong religious faith who
arrive looking for any kind of work and a willingness to learn English, Sister
Consuelo said. They like the low crime rate and low cost of living in Yankton, she
said.
Hispanics will continue immigrating because of American wages, she said, noting
a worker can make as much money in one day as he would in six months back
home.
Sister Consuelo said she has gained a reputation for helping local Hispanics.
"One family moved from Mitchell with a note telling them to contact me. I'm like a
grandmother to them. I encourage them, but if they end up in jail, I scold them
and tell them they give us (Hispanics) a bad name."
Sister Consuelo thinks Hispanics will continue making their local presence felt,
regardless of changes in immigration law.
"People in Yankton, on a whole, accept the Hispanics and respect them. And the
Hispanics show they are worthy of that respect," she said.