Immigration
Issues
By:
Dr. Phil Kingsley’s Section of
Christian Values in a Global
Community
Demographics
Demographic Trends in Allen
County:
 Of
the approximately 106,000
people living in Allen County, at
most 6,000 are Hispanic, both
legal and illegal.
 That would make up only 5% of
the total population of Allen
County.
Number of illegal immigrants
 There
is no possible way to
determine the number of illegal
immigrants located within the
Allen county area, but
estimates range from 2,000 to
5,000.
Population Facts
 Hispanics
make up 12.5 percent
of the Nation’s population. That
number would more than double
if illegal's were counted.
 This puts Ohio far behind the
National average for total
Hispanic Population.
Response to Illegal
Immigrants
 Is
Sherriff Dan Beck making a
mountain out of a mole hill by
cracking down on Illegal
immigration?
 The Hispanic Population in Allen
county is relatively small and has
generally followed the larger
population trends of the county.
Solutions
 The
effort and money spent by
the County on weeding out illegal
immigrants could be put to more
positive uses that embrace the
Positive aspects of Hispanics in
the county rather than Alienating
them.
Agricultural Impacts of
Immigration
Sectors Where Immigrants
Work
• Construction
• Landscaping
• Agriculture
–
–
–
–
–
Farming
Livestock
Grain Farms
Fruit Orchards
Vegetable Farms
Importance of Immigrants to
Agriculture in Economic Sense
• Farmers do not want to use legal immigrants
because they have to be paid more and their
labor conditions are monitored. Illegal immigrants
do not have to be paid much and do not have any
legal rights in this country, which means they are
not protected from harsh labor conditions.
• If illegal immigrants were removed, legal
immigrants would be the main option for farmers,
because most Americans want office jobs or jobs
with less manual labor.
• This would force farmers to pay their workers
more and they would be forced to become more
mechanized then they are now.
Organizations Representing
Farm Labors
Agencies receive grants from the United States
Department of Labor and other governmental
entities to administer programs that upgrade farm
workers’ skills and provide essential education,
including English proficiency for those whose native
tongue is another language.
> Farm Labor Organization Committee (FLOC)
– a union representing migrant farm workers
– Formorally organized in 1979 as a union
– Headed by Baldemar Velasquez (Bluffton Alumni)
– Farm workers' labor helps feed others in America,
yet they themselves are one of the most
socioeconomic deprived groups in the country.
Organizations Representing
Farm Labors
Future Goal of FLOC: learn how to make farm work
an occupation with acceptable conditions for those
people whose labor produces food for other
Americans, rather than to cycle people through an
occupation that inherently involves deprived
conditions.
According to FLOC, “Another possible solution is
extending to farm workers the same legal rights
enjoyed by other American workers. As already
indicated, farm workers experience general lack of
legal protections, reduced standards, and unenforced rights”.
Because of the FLOC, Farm workers now participate
as equals in determining their own wages and
benefits in some areas.
Conditions and Experiences
of Immigrant Farm workers
• The work that farm workers perform is
often backbreaking labor that Americans
do not favor even in times of high
unemployment.
• Immigrant farm workers work long hours
(12-14 hour days) with no overtime pay
• Undocumented workers are disqualified
from social programs as well such as food
stamps, social security benefits, etc.
• Undocumented laborers also experience
racial discrimination in work and social
environments because most immigrant
laborers are non-white.
Overall Economic
Impacts
Effects on Mexico

President Vicente Fox—that
Mexico should have the right
to export its surplus workers to
the United States.

Fewer Mexicans to work the
available jobs


Eliminates creation of
exported goods
Mexicans with permission to
work in the United States will
want to bring their families
north to live with them

decreasing the amount of
money the immigrants send
home to Mexico by as much
as 40%
Impact of NAFTA

Their purpose:


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PROMOTE sustainable development
PROTECT, enhance, and enforce basic workers' rights
CONTRIBUTE to the harmonious development and expansion of
world trade and provide a catalyst to broader international
cooperation
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and
institutional reforms have kept lots of workers in Mexico
NAFTA raised wages for most Mexicans
NAFTA is working, increasing the efficiency


auto plants on both sides of the border, as factories specialize in
one model for a bigger market
US jobs that would probably otherwise have gone to Asia went
to Mexico, increasing the likelihood that US workers will produce
parts for the Mexican plants.
Providing Assistance

US must aid Mexico




According to the U.S. Conference of Mayors, many U.S.
cities’ annual economic output rivals those of entire
foreign countries.



Funding
Jobs
Trade
There is no reason that resource-rich countries like Mexico and
others in Latin America cannot approach such prosperity.
To ease the tide of unauthorized migrants, U.S. foreign policy
must seek to balance economies.
North American Free Trade Association (NAFTA)
Is Immigration Good for the
Economy Nationally

Illegal immigrants seem to have very little
impact on unemployment rates.
Undocumented workers certainly do take
jobs that would otherwise go to legal
workers. But undocumented workers also
create demand that leads to new jobs.
They buy food and cars and cell phones,
they get haircuts and go to restaurants.
On average, there is close to no net
impact on the unemployment rate.
Is Immigration Good for the
Economy Nationally

Illegal immigration has both negative and
positive impacts on different parts of the
economy. Wages for low-skilled workers go
down. But that means the rest of America
benefits by paying lower prices for things like
restaurant meals, agricultural produce and
construction. Another negative impact is on
government expenditures. Since undocumented
workers generally don't pay income taxes but
do use schools and other government services,
they are seen as a drain on government
spending.
Local Economic Issues


“In five years, if we do not work on this issue, it will be
the single most significant issue from a crime and
quality-of-life standpoint in this county,” Beck said. “We
want to work as best as we can to get this curtailed
before it becomes a problem.” (Lima News August 14,
2005)
Prior to Sheriff Dan Beck, City of Lima Mayoral
candidate Ned Bushong while on WIMA was quoted as
saying that Procter & Gamble had hired up to 200
immigrant workers at its Bath Township facility. He also
said he had noticed increased requests for Spanish
interpreters over the police scanner, so he just
connected that with the immigrant’s rumor. He told The
Lima News he heard the immigrant rumor from union
leaders, but he didn’t verify either the rumor or his
hunch before voicing them on air. (Lima News July 23,
2005)
Illegal Immigration in Ohio


An estimated 40,000 illegal aliens resided in Ohio
as of 2000, according to INS figures. This is 173
percent higher than the previous INS estimate in
1996 and 220 percent higher than the estimate for
1990. In the mid-1990s, central Ohio’s immigration
office in central Ohio had only one staffer; today,
the office has 22 employees and is struggling to
keep pace with the workload.
Ohio authorities requested compensation of $3.5
million from the federal government in FY’99 for
the incarceration of illegal aliens in state and local
jails and prisons (under the federal State Criminal
Alien Assistance Program, or SCAAP), but it
received only $1.3 million in compensation, leaving
$2.2 million in uncompensated costs to be borne
by Ohio taxpayers.
Local Immigration Statistics
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State Population (2004 CB estimate) 11,459,011
Population Increase 1990-2000
506,025
Foreign-Born Population
388,800
Percent Foreign-Born
3.4%
Illegal Resident Population 40,000
2025 Population Projection 11,700,000
All numbers are from the U.S. Census Bureau
unless otherwise noted. Additional Census
Bureau, INS, and other immigration-related data
are available for Ohio.
Amnesty
Discussions on National
Level
• Sensenbrenner Bill (H.R. 4437)
– Classify all 11 million undocumented immigrants
working in the U.S. as “aggravated felons,” subjecting
them to deportation and imprisonment and depriving
them of any access to a hearing prior to deportation.
• Senate Compromise
– Undocumented immigrants in the U.S. less than two
years would be required to leave immediately, those
between two and five years will be allowed to stay in the
U.S. under temporary visas, those in the U.S. longer
than five years will be granted guest worker status and
can start an eleven year path to citizenship.
• Bush’s Proposed Program
– President Bush also proposed a temporary worker
program in January of 2004. This program is also nonsector specific for new temporary workers.
Penalties of Illegal
Immigration
• Illegal Immigration Reform
and Immigrant Responsibility
Act of 1996
– Illegal aliens with six to 12
months of unlawful presence are
barred for three years;
– those here for more than a year
illegally are barred for 10 years.
Penalties Upon
Conviction
• Aliens and employers violating
immigration laws are subject To
– Criminal fines
– Imprisonment
– Forfeiture of Vehicles and real
property used to commit the crime.
• Anyone employing or
contracting with an illegal alien
without verifying his work
authorization status is guilty of
a Misdemeanor.
Necessary Actions
• Increased monitoring of local
business or agricultural hiring
practices and increased penalty for
offenders.
• Increased number of temporary
workers visas and make process
to receive one easier.
• Rewrite immigration code and
application to make it more user
friendly.
• Increase in local police trained to
be federal immigration agents.
From the Immigrant’s
Viewpoint
• Immigrants see themselves
as political or economic
refugees.
• Desire another blanket
amnesty so they can stay in
the country.
Border and Security Issues
within
Illegal Immigration
Concerns and Solutions of Border
Security and Immigration Reform
• Concerns
– Pressures our schools/hospitals
– Strains our law enforcement resources and
emergency services
– Allows gangs and violence to enter U.S.
• Solutions
– Secure border to prevent illegal crossing
– Strengthen enforcement of immigration laws
– Create a temporary worker program
Three Part Plan to Secure
Borders
• Part One: Return every illegal immigrant
caught at the border
– Interior Repatriation: Fly and/or bus illegal
Mexican citizens back to their hometowns .
– Expedited Removal: Fly illegal immigrants from
other countries home within 32 days.
• Part Two: Strengthen border enforcement
• Part Three: Stop illegal immigrants from
crossing border in the first place
– Increase manpower, technological
advancements, and funding; construct physical
barriers; immigration reform; stop document
fraud; create a temporary worker program.
View of Illegal Immigration from
Illegal Immigrants
• Issue of humanity, not right-orwrongness of immigration.
• We should see everyone as people
first, and admire their attempts to
better their lives and their families’ lives
(an act of survival).
• Within the issue of border patrol, the
hardest place to travel through is
Mexico (due to rape, robbery,
vigilantes, etc.).
View of Illegal Immigration from
Border Patrol and Vigilante Groups
• Stop the flow of illegal immigrants by
patrolling (boat, car, foot).
• “Trying to make the U.S. a more secure
nation”
• Vigilante groups work this issue on a
volunteer-basis.
• Both groups patrol hot-spot areas
where illegal's are more apt to cross.
• Immigrants should all go through legal
channels to enter the U.S., and illegal's
make that more difficult.
What
Then
Shall We
Do???
Ways to Get Involved
•
•
•
•
Local groups such as Brazo en Brazo.
Letters to the Editor.
Lobbying Congressmen and Local Officials.
Raise awareness of the issue, by presenting
facts instead of speculations.
• Participate in demonstrations.
• Bring in professionals involved with the issue
to speak and give information.