Well Hi Maxx! I had posted my own opinion and went looking for it to respond to you with a quick copy/paste, but can't seem to find it now. But basically I feel the problems with illegals is their lack of tracability for crimes/accidents, etc. And that our support services in our communities are being maxed out by people without insurance and no way to collect taxes on their wages being illegally earned under the table. And it's not fair to immigrants that are waiting to come through proper channels because our economy can't handle them and the illegals.
Well Hi Maxx! I had posted my own opinion and went looking for it to respond to you with a quick copy/paste, but can't seem to find it now. But basically I feel the problems with illegals is their lack of tracability for crimes/accidents, etc. And that our support services in our communities are being maxed out by people without insurance and no way to collect taxes on their wages being illegally earned under the table. And it's not fair to immigrants that are waiting to come through proper channels because our economy can't handle them and the illegals.
Some worry it will shift attention from fight to halt House bill, question anti-war group's role.
Immigrant day off
What: A Day Without Immigrants When: May 1 Why: A massive job and economic boycott that organizers hope will paralyze restaurants, hotels, meat-packing plants and construction sites or anywhere immigrants work to show the impact immigrants have on the U.S. economy. Where: Cities across the country
The coalition of grass-roots organizations that staged huge rallies on behalf of illegal immigrants in recent weeks is torn over an ambitious next step, a massive job and economic boycott that some are calling "A Day Without Immigrants."
Across the country, some groups have expressed enthusiasm for a May 1 action that they hope would paralyze restaurants, hotels, meat-packing plants and construction sites. But others have questioned the strategic value of such a move so soon after the wave of demonstrations, particularly as it would require many illegal immigrants to risk their jobs by skipping yet another workday.
Skeptics have another pressing concern -- that a prominent anti-war group may be playing a leading role in the boycott, linking its cause with the immigrant rights campaign to promote its own agenda.
The dispute is a symptom of the decentralized nature of the immigrant rights movement, in which organizers have struggled to catch up to and harness ideas that bubble up from a vast network of local groups, rather than come down from one primary leader or committee. The disagreements also highlight the challenge of fashioning the mobilization of Latinos into a lasting movement.
Backers: Pressure Congress "You can only march for so long to make your point," said Juan Jose Gutierrez, national coordinator for Latino Movement USA, an early backer of the boycott. He said organizers need to keep the pressure on Congress to reject a House immigration bill that would make it a felony to be in the country illegally or to help an illegal immigrant.
"You have to think of other creative ways to make it clear to Congress and the Bush administration that we expect them to behave responsibly," he said.
Organizers chose May 1, he said, because of "its special symbolism" as an international workers' day.
In Los Angeles, organizers were planning the boycott even before the March 25 rally there that produced half a million people. They want to put up a stage downtown May 1 and invite movie stars, said Mike Garcia, president of the Service Employees International Union Local 1877.
In Chicago, "everyone in the Spanish media is talking about a May Day," said Artemio Arreola, a member of the Mexican Federation, a driving force behind a march last month that included about 300,000 people.
In Dallas, where between 350,000 and 500,000 people turned out for a demonstration last week, Jesse Diaz, president of the local League of United Latin American Citizens, predicted that the boycott idea "is going to take off like wildfire. There's so much emotion in the air. You're going to see something like you've never seen in the United States."
But that optimism is not shared in Washington, where 100,000 to 300,000 people filled the Mall on Monday. Many organizers of that demonstration expressed serious doubts about the boycott.
"This is something we need to take very seriously, and consider all the repercussions of not doing it right or of creating a backlash," said Jaime Contreras, president of the National Capital Immigrant Coalition and chairman of the local Service Employees International Union.
"It's premature to do the boycott May 1, given that the Senate doesn't get back in session until the week of April 23," added Contreras, who said he will recommend that his group reject the plan. "We want to see what comes out of the Senate and what compromises (with the House) emerge before we do that."
Anti-war group controversy Those concerns were echoed by organizers in Philadelphia and Des Moines, Iowa. "We are not going to cause division amongst the group," said Ricardo Diaz, who helped organize two marches in Philadelphia. "We are not yet committed to the May 1 boycott."
Diaz, Contreras and other leaders were alarmed that the anti-war organization Act Now to Stop War and End Racism co-sponsored a news conference in Washington, D.C., to announce the boycott. The group has been criticized by conservatives as being affiliated with the Socialist Workers Party and supporting the Palestinian uprising against Israel.
"Groups ... that have done nothing on immigration have no reason to stick their nose where it doesn't belong," Contreras said. "They have no business saying, 'Let's do a strike' when it will create a humongous burden on immigrant groups. They need to stay in their box."
Brian Becker, national coordinator of the anti-war organization, said his group has long supported immigrant rights and is not trying to co-opt the May 1 action.
"Whatever the immigrant rights community calls for is what we support," he said.
Immigrants split on May Day boycott
Some worry it will shift attention from fight to halt House bill, question anti-war group's role.
Immigrant day off
What: A Day Without Immigrants
When: May 1
Why: A massive job and economic boycott that organizers hope will paralyze restaurants, hotels, meat-packing plants and construction sites or anywhere immigrants work to show the impact immigrants have on the U.S. economy.
Where: Cities across the country
The coalition of grass-roots organizations that staged huge rallies on behalf of illegal immigrants in recent weeks is torn over an ambitious next step, a massive job and economic boycott that some are calling "A Day Without Immigrants."
Across the country, some groups have expressed enthusiasm for a May 1 action that they hope would paralyze restaurants, hotels, meat-packing plants and construction sites. But others have questioned the strategic value of such a move so soon after the wave of demonstrations, particularly as it would require many illegal immigrants to risk their jobs by skipping yet another workday.
Skeptics have another pressing concern -- that a prominent anti-war group may be playing a leading role in the boycott, linking its cause with the immigrant rights campaign to promote its own agenda.
The dispute is a symptom of the decentralized nature of the immigrant rights movement, in which organizers have struggled to catch up to and harness ideas that bubble up from a vast network of local groups, rather than come down from one primary leader or committee. The disagreements also highlight the challenge of fashioning the mobilization of Latinos into a lasting movement.
Backers: Pressure Congress
"You can only march for so long to make your point," said Juan Jose Gutierrez, national coordinator for Latino Movement USA, an early backer of the boycott. He said organizers need to keep the pressure on Congress to reject a House immigration bill that would make it a felony to be in the country illegally or to help an illegal immigrant.
"You have to think of other creative ways to make it clear to Congress and the Bush administration that we expect them to behave responsibly," he said.
Organizers chose May 1, he said, because of "its special symbolism" as an international workers' day.
In Los Angeles, organizers were planning the boycott even before the March 25 rally there that produced half a million people. They want to put up a stage downtown May 1 and invite movie stars, said Mike Garcia, president of the Service Employees International Union Local 1877.
In Chicago, "everyone in the Spanish media is talking about a May Day," said Artemio Arreola, a member of the Mexican Federation, a driving force behind a march last month that included about 300,000 people.
In Dallas, where between 350,000 and 500,000 people turned out for a demonstration last week, Jesse Diaz, president of the local League of United Latin American Citizens, predicted that the boycott idea "is going to take off like wildfire. There's so much emotion in the air. You're going to see something like you've never seen in the United States."
But that optimism is not shared in Washington, where 100,000 to 300,000 people filled the Mall on Monday. Many organizers of that demonstration expressed serious doubts about the boycott.
"This is something we need to take very seriously, and consider all the repercussions of not doing it right or of creating a backlash," said Jaime Contreras, president of the National Capital Immigrant Coalition and chairman of the local Service Employees International Union.
"It's premature to do the boycott May 1, given that the Senate doesn't get back in session until the week of April 23," added Contreras, who said he will recommend that his group reject the plan. "We want to see what comes out of the Senate and what compromises (with the House) emerge before we do that."
Anti-war group controversy
Those concerns were echoed by organizers in Philadelphia and Des Moines, Iowa. "We are not going to cause division amongst the group," said Ricardo Diaz, who helped organize two marches in Philadelphia. "We are not yet committed to the May 1 boycott."
Diaz, Contreras and other leaders were alarmed that the anti-war organization Act Now to Stop War and End Racism co-sponsored a news conference in Washington, D.C., to announce the boycott. The group has been criticized by conservatives as being affiliated with the Socialist Workers Party and supporting the Palestinian uprising against Israel.
"Groups ... that have done nothing on immigration have no reason to stick their nose where it doesn't belong," Contreras said. "They have no business saying, 'Let's do a strike' when it will create a humongous burden on immigrant groups. They need to stay in their box."
Brian Becker, national coordinator of the anti-war organization, said his group has long supported immigrant rights and is not trying to co-opt the May 1 action.
"Whatever the immigrant rights community calls for is what we support," he said.
Workers, managers arrested in immigration case By James Vicini 1 hour, 7 minutes ago
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Almost 1,200 illegal immigrants and seven current or former managers at a Netherlands-based firm that hired them were arrested as part of a national crackdown, U.S. authorities said on Thursday.
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Raids were carried out this week in 26 states at plants operated by IFCO Systems North America, which is based in Houston and makes wooden pallets and crates.
The arrests, substantially larger in number than other sweeps announced by federal officials in the last year, come as congressional debate over overhauling U.S. immigration laws has become a major political issue.
Federal prosecutors said the seven current or former managers were charged with conspiracy to transport, harbor and encourage illegal immigrants to reside in the United States for commercial advantage and financial gain. The managers face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each illegal immigrant worker.
IFCO said in a statement that it is cooperating fully with the investigation and that it hopes "to have this matter resolved as soon as possible." The North American operation is a unit IFCO Systems, based in Amsterdam.
About half of the firm's 5,800 U.S. employees in 2005 had invalid or mismatched Social Security numbers, federal officials said.
Hundreds of thousands of immigrants and their supporters marched in U.S. cities on April 10 to protest proposed legislation that would turn millions of illegal immigrants into criminals and would fence off sections of the U.S. border with Mexico.
Several of the proposals would increase the penalties for employers who hire illegal immigrants. An estimated 7 million of the 11.5 million to 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States are employed, meaning about one in 20 U.S. workers is illegal.
Officials said the arrests underscored efforts by the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement to crack down on illegal immigrant workers and their employers
Those arrested were identified as Michael Ames, 44, of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts; Robert Belvin, 43, of Clifton Park, New York; Abelino Chicas, 40, of Houston; Scott Dodge, 43, of Albany, New York; William Hoskins, 29, of Cincinnati; James Rice, 36, of Houston, and Dario Salzano, 36, of Amsterdam, New York.
Officials said search warrants were executed at IFCO plants in Guilderland, New York, Cincinnati, Westborough, Massachusetts, Richmond, Virginia and Bilgerville, Pennsylvania. There also were raids at several of its distribution centers in New York.
The arrests were part of a criminal investigation of IFCO's Pallet Management Services division that began more than a year ago, the officials said.
The case was brought by Glenn Suddaby, the U.S. attorney in upstate New York.
Workers, managers arrested in immigration case By James Vicini
1 hour, 7 minutes ago
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Almost 1,200 illegal immigrants and seven current or former managers at a Netherlands-based firm that hired them were arrested as part of a national crackdown, U.S. authorities said on Thursday.
ADVERTISEMENT
Raids were carried out this week in 26 states at plants operated by IFCO Systems North America, which is based in Houston and makes wooden pallets and crates.
The arrests, substantially larger in number than other sweeps announced by federal officials in the last year, come as congressional debate over overhauling U.S. immigration laws has become a major political issue.
Federal prosecutors said the seven current or former managers were charged with conspiracy to transport, harbor and encourage illegal immigrants to reside in the United States for commercial advantage and financial gain. The managers face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each illegal immigrant worker.
IFCO said in a statement that it is cooperating fully with the investigation and that it hopes "to have this matter resolved as soon as possible." The North American operation is a unit IFCO Systems, based in Amsterdam.
About half of the firm's 5,800 U.S. employees in 2005 had invalid or mismatched Social Security numbers, federal officials said.
Hundreds of thousands of immigrants and their supporters marched in U.S. cities on April 10 to protest proposed legislation that would turn millions of illegal immigrants into criminals and would fence off sections of the U.S. border with Mexico.
Several of the proposals would increase the penalties for employers who hire illegal immigrants. An estimated 7 million of the 11.5 million to 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States are employed, meaning about one in 20 U.S. workers is illegal.
Officials said the arrests underscored efforts by the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement to crack down on illegal immigrant workers and their employers
Those arrested were identified as Michael Ames, 44, of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts; Robert Belvin, 43, of Clifton Park, New York; Abelino Chicas, 40, of Houston; Scott Dodge, 43, of Albany, New York; William Hoskins, 29, of Cincinnati; James Rice, 36, of Houston, and Dario Salzano, 36, of Amsterdam, New York.
Officials said search warrants were executed at IFCO plants in Guilderland, New York, Cincinnati, Westborough, Massachusetts, Richmond, Virginia and Bilgerville, Pennsylvania. There also were raids at several of its distribution centers in New York.
The arrests were part of a criminal investigation of IFCO's Pallet Management Services division that began more than a year ago, the officials said.
The case was brought by Glenn Suddaby, the U.S. attorney in upstate New York.
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