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Alabama’s Senator Shelby blames the undocumented while whitewashing businesses

By Patrick Osio, Jr./HispanicVista.com

   April 5, 2006

 

  Alabama Senator Shelby on his web site states, “I believe the first step in immigration reform should be to stem the flow of illegal aliens moving across our borders. Each day, thousands of illegal immigrants enter the United States with little or no resistance….we can estimate that currently there are at least 12 million illegal immigrants.” Also adding, “As we continue to fight the Global War on Terror, such a porous border represents a significant security risk that is unacceptable.” (Our Broken Immigration System, March 17, 2006)

These statements would lead to believe that the 12 million illegal immigrants all cross from Mexico. Statements not supported by facts. Plus none of the 19 September 11, 2001 terrorists came from Mexico as Senator Shelby knows admitting to it on a later paragraph on his web site statement, “Today, it is estimated that one-third of illegal immigrants actually came to the United States legally but over-stayed their visas and are now illegal.”

Note the admission is stated as a subtle percentage, not the significant number, which is 4 million and further note that “alien” following “illegal” is dropped. Was this an oversight or thought out words?

The Senator remarks that to secure our borders we should include “barriers or fences” “For example,” he notes, “a 14-mile fence along San Diego’s border has proven nearly impenetrable….”  What he left unsaid is that illegal intrusions in the San Diego sector since that fence was installed have risen every year, simply by going around it. Further the usage of “nearly impenetrable” admits the fence is not fully secure, which is correct as those detouring around are 80 percent and those still going over or through holes in the fence are 20 percent.

The Senator then turns his attention to the employment of illegal immigrants, but this statement, “We do not turn a blind eye to lawlessness in any other respect in the United States, and continuing that practice with respect to illegal immigration is a mistake that we must not make,” is not in reference to those who illegally hire undocumented workers rather it is aimed at the $6 a day worker who enters the US in search of the $6 an hour job. He whitewashes illegal hiring under the principle that employers just don’t know saying, “I believe that we should work to establish a more efficient and accurate method for employers to confirm the legal status of potential employees. Such a system will allow employers to more readily and easily comply with the law.”

Yet, as the Los Angeles Times reported on March 30^, 2006,  the Social Security Administration sends out thousands of notices to thousands of businesses submitting non-matching Social Security  taxpayer numbers with tax filings. The agency says this is a clear sign that the workers are most likely illegal. “Yet the authorities who enforce immigration law have no access to the names of the companies or the workers,” the Times reported.

For far too long, Senators and Congress representatives have protected business interest in their individual states and districts. In far too many instances, elected officials have intervened with immigration authorities to stop raids in progress or even investigations.

Such for instance was the case in 1998 when immigration officials began raiding Georgia’s sweet onion Vidalia fields, within hours the late Senator Paul Coverdell was on the telephone demanding the raids be stopped as they were, “indiscriminate and inappropriate use of extreme enforcement tactics…. Interfering with honest farmers….”

There was no argument as to whether the pickers were illegal or not, they were. It was a matter of saying one thing while doing another. This is the story in most states, including Senator Shelby’s Alabama. From the estimated 500 illegal immigrants in Alabama in 1996 the number has risen to somewhere between 75,000 and 100,000 that by any measure is an incredible increase – but why the increase?

Very simply because they are being hired by a lot of Alabama businesses.

But instead of going after the businesses, Sheriffs are poised to enter big time politics by training their troopers to spot-and-detain illegal immigrants along with press release tutoring to tout their saving the state from the horde of illegal aliens. And Alabama’s state and federal elected officials applaud – still protecting businesses?

Well, business owner do contribute to political campaigns, and citizens contribute to and vote for tough talking stop them at the border politicians, illegal immigrants don’t do either.

So what part of illegal doesn’t Senator Shelby understand?

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Patrick Osio, Jr is Editor of HispanicVista.com (www.hispanicvista.com). Contact at PosioJr@hispanicvista.com      

(The opinions expressed by Patrick Osio, Jr. are solely his and do not necessarily reflect those of HispanicVista.com, editorial board of advisors or it’s contributing writers.)

Patrick Osio, Jr. has written a short but intensive manual on the Mexican perspective on numerous issues between our two countries. The manual is an in depth primer on the culture and protocol for better understanding Mexicans that in turn allows establishing personal and business relationships, and how to avoid the most common faux pas that can ruin relationships and business deals.

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