An Arizona law for Ohio

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Sheriff Richard Jones is determined to clear undocumented immigrants out of his county. (Photo: Jason Margolis)

By Jason Margolis

Arizona’s controversial immigration law aroused nationwide cries of protest this summer. It also got a lot of support. Today, a growing number of copycat bills and ordinances are springing up across the United States in non-traditional immigrant areas, from Indiana to Virginia to Ohio.

The Arizona law requires people to carry immigration documents and allows police to ask the legal status of people that are stopped. The Obama Administration successfully sued to stop some provisions of the law from being enforced.

In Butler County, Ohio, a colorful local sheriff has thrown his weight behind the effort to pass an Arizona-type law in his state. Sheriff Richard Jones says undocumented immigrants have become a problem in his county, sucking up public funds and straining his department’s resources. He says undocumented immigrants have committed “horrendous crimes.”

“Just here in Butler County we had a nine-year old girl raped by an illegal,” Jones says. “We also recently had a 64-year-old woman that was kidnapped, beat and raped by an illegal.”

Jones often refers to these two crimes to make his case against undocumented immigrants, although he concedes that there’s no evidence that undocumented immigrants in Butler County commit more crime than any other population.

Butler County, located in southwest Ohio near Cincinnati, has seen its Latino population swell in the past decade. Many Latinos came to Ohio to work in what was a booming construction industry.

A few years ago, Jones put up billboards plastered with his giant image – arms folded across his chest – warning businesses that hiring “Illegals” is against the law. Jones also had a sign outside his jail with an arrow that said “illegal aliens here.” Jones says he did all this to get the federal government’s attention for not enforcing the nation’s immigration laws.

Many Latinos say Sheriff Jones is scapegoating their community. Jason Riveiro with the Latino advocacy group LULAC says Jones has created a society of fear, that his actions and words are criminalizing their whole community, blowing isolated incidents out of proportion.

“For me to say that immigrants don’t commit crime would be a lie,” says Riveiro. “Populations all have crimes and they commit crimes. And that’s really the big problem that we have with Mr. Jones pointing out if someone who is undocumented breaks a law or rapes someone, does that paint a picture for all that are here undocumented? No, of course not.”

Some local business owners, like Mexican-born U.S. citizen Lourdes Leon who runs a taqueria, say if Ohio passes an Arizona-style immigration law it would destroy her business. She says Latinos will be afraid to hang around her restaurant. “I would close the doors. I would close the business.”

Many Latinos in southwest Ohio say Washington needs to pass comprehensive immigration reform. They worry that a local immigration law, like Arizona’s, could open the way toward racial profiling, and that police could look for any excuse to pull people over with brown skin to inquire of their documentation status.

Sheriff Jones bristles at that. “It’s the same thing they’ve always referred to as racism and bigotry. If I get stopped or I go into a building, I have to show proper ID. It doesn’t offend me,” says Jones. “Welcome to America, this is a free society but we do have laws here. And one of them is you have to be here legally.” Download MP3


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LISA MULLINS: I’m Lisa Mullins and this is The World. The economy may be the number one issue in America this election season. But immigration is never far from the top of the US political agenda. Republicans and Democrats in Washington see a need to fix the nation’s immigration system. They just can’t agree on how. That stalemate at the national level prompted the state of Arizona to pass its controversial immigration law. It requires police to check the status of anyone they stop and suspect of being in the country illegally. Arizona’s law isn’t unique. Legislators in other states are considering similar bills. And they’ve been sparking similar controversy. The World’s Jason Margolis tells us how the issue is now playing out in southwestern Ohio.

JASON MARGOLIS:  If you’re going to get arrested, you don’t want it to happen in Butler County, Ohio. That’s where Sheriff Richard Jones runs the jail.

RICHARD JONES:  I don’t do it like Hotel Eight, or whatever it is, where they get a little chocolate on their pillow every night. They come here, they have to go out and pick up trash, and they have to wear little striped pants, like they did back in the ‘20s when the chain gangs were out on the street.

MARGOLIS: Jones is a big, intimidating man with a serious Yosemite Sam moustache. And he’s set his sites on clearing undocumented immigrants out of his county. A few years ago, Jones put up billboards plastered with his giant image, arms folded across his chest, warning businesses that hiring “illegals” is against the law. Jones also had a sign outside his jail with an arrow that said “illegal aliens here.” He says he did all this to get the federal government’s attention.

JONES: Just here in Butler County we had a nine-year-old girl raped by an illegal. We also recently had a 64-year-old woman that was kidnapped, beat and raped by an illegal.

MARGOLIS: Jones regularly refers to these two crimes to make his case against undocumented immigrants. Although when pressed, Jones concedes that there’s no evidence that illegal immigrants in Butler County commit more crime than anyone else. Still, Jones is taking his battle against undocumented immigrants a step further. He’s throwing his weight and notoriety behind a proposed state bill that would mimic the law in Arizona. Republican state lawmaker Courtney Combs drafted the Ohio bill.

COURTNEY COMBS: I believe that Arizona has led the way to rock the boat, and has rocked the boat enough that it’s got the attention of Washington. And the more states that come involved in this, and the more people that get involved with it, the more they’re going to listen.

MARGOLIS: Combs says he decided to draft an Arizona-style bill after he and Sheriff Jones visited a sheriff on the Arizona-Mexico border in Cochise County. Combs says he heard firsthand accounts of the violence there and decided something needed to be done.

COMBS: People ask me, well you’re in Ohio. What do you care about the Mexican border? Well, between the two sheriffs, the sheriff of Cochise County and the sheriff of Butler County, they have tracked drugs directly from Cochise County into Butler County.

MARGOLIS: Combs isn’t alone in thinking that his state needs a law like Arizona’s.

LEO PIERSON:  We’re looking at these issues in Iowa, in Indiana, in Ohio. We’re looking at this problem really all over the country.

MARGOLIS: Leo Pierson is a sociologist at Cincinnati State. He says tough measures aimed at immigrants, legal and illegal, are cropping up because more Latinos are settling in non-traditional immigrant destinations, places like southwest Ohio.

PIERSON: Right, when you have a traditional community where everybody looks like each other, and they abide by the same, sociologically speaking, norms, and mores and cultural background, they speak the same language and they know each other’s families going back three generations. And then all of a sudden, within the last 15 years, a separate group that doesn’t look like them, doesn’t speak their language, and doesn’t abide by the same norms of the community comes in, people get scared.

MARGOLIS: In Southwest Ohio, many Latinos are also scared. Jason Riveiro with the Latino advocacy group LULAC says Sheriff Jones has created a society of fear.

JASON RIVEIRO: I don’t think I would be generalizing the situation to say that people hang their heads low. People, either they go eat, go get their food and come back home. People are not spending because they don’t feel welcome. And they don’t feel they can go out and be safe. This is not a healthy environment for anybody.

MARGOLIS: I met Riveiro at a local taqueria in the town of Fairfield along with some small business owners like Mexican-born Lourdes Leon. She settled here 10 years ago and opened a restaurant to cater to a rapidly-growing population of Latino immigrants. They came here to work in what was a booming construction industry. Leon says if Ohio passed a law similar to Arizona’s…

LOURDES LEON: I would close the doors. I mean I would close the business.

MARGOLIS: Why?

LEON:  Because Latinos are going to start moving out. They’re going to be scared to be around places like this.

MARGOLIS: Jason Riveiro says Sheriff Jones’ actions and words are criminalizing their whole community, blowing isolated incidents out of proportion.

RIVEIRO: For me to say that immigrants don’t commit crime would be a lie. I think populations all have crimes and they commit crimes. And that’s really the big problem that we have with Mr. Jones pointing out, if someone that is undocumented breaks a law or rapes someone, does that paint a picture for all that are here undocumented? No, of course not.

MARGOLIS: Riveiro and other Latinos here worry about what would happen if Sheriff Jones were given more authority. For example, right now, if somebody in Ohio is stopped for a broken tail light, they’re given a fix-it ticket. With an Arizona-type law, an officer could ask that person for their immigration papers. Latinos here are worried that police will look for any excuse to pull people over with brown skin. Sheriff Jones bristles at that.

JONES: Uhhh, Horse doo doo, basically. It’s the same thing they’ve always referred to as racism and bigotry. If I get stopped or I go into a building, I have to show proper ID. It doesn’t offend me. I’m OK with that. If I go to the bank, I have to show proper ID. If I fly a plane, I have to show proper ID. Welcome to America, this is a free society, but we do have laws here. And one of them is you have to be here legally.

MARGOLIS: Sheriff Jones says the problem is, the federal government isn’t enforcing the law.

For the World, I’m Jason Margolis, Fairfield, Ohio.


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Discussion

23 comments for “An Arizona law for Ohio”

  • http://None Rosi

    This message is for Sheriff
    Richard Jones:
    According to the picture posted on
    this web site, you are an “older”
    man.
    And as such, you are either naive
    or being HYPOCRITICAL concerning
    so-called “illegal immigration” to
    Ohio. Why?
    FACT: Thousands of Mexiicans-many
    illegal-came to Ohio, Michigan,
    Wisconsin and other Mid-Western
    states back in the 1940s. Your
    ma & pa didn’t mind because they
    needed Cheap Labor! They “looked
    the other way” and let them stay!
    How do I know? I AM THE DAUGHTER
    OF ONE OF THOUSANDS OF ILLEGAL
    MEXICANS BORN IN THE MIDWEST!!!
    Do Not Try to Tell the World That
    so-called “illegals” in Ohio is a new phenomenon! This is an outright untruth! Mexican migrants
    to OHIO and the MIDWEST is Not New
    HYPOCRISY by most Republicans and bigots and racists is not New either!

    • Alyssa

      WELL SAID!!!!!!!!!!!! PPl havent cared for yrs becuase it was convenient for them!!

    • SFC MAC

      It was ILLEGAL back in the 1940′s and it’s ILLEGAL now. They’re not “migrants” or “undocumented”, they’re ILLEGAL. Don’t like it? Tough. It’s against the law. I’m the daughter of LEGAL immigrants.
      The trouble is, you south-of-the-border blood suckers come here not with the intent to assimilate, but with a list of demands.

      am an American born citizen, retired Soldier, and taxpayer. I’m Irish, Scots, German, and Cherokee. Those of my ancestors who arrived on boats went through Ellis Island. They were laborers, factory workers and farmers. They adopted the traditions, principles, and language of their new country. And they did it LEGALLY. None of them were wealthy. There was no welfare system or government dole to help them when they got here. They endured ethnic discrimination, lived in their own working-class enclaves, and became productive members of American society.

      What is happening now is not “immigration”. It’s an invasion. They came across the border, first in a trickle, and now in droves. “Guest worker” policies will not work. All that does is encourage the illegals already here to stay without actually becoming legal citizens. “Guests” are invited and I didn’t send out any invitations.

      Along with the so-called “hard working” illegals, we have involuntarily absorbed some of Central and South America’s worst dredges of humanity. Rapists, pedophiles, thieves, murderers, MS-13 gangs and other assorted felons have embedded themselves into the country to continue their crime sprees at our expense.

      Illegals don’t intend to become American citizens and assimilate into the culture by learning English and adopting the traditions inherent to American history and society.

      There are also radical anarchist groups such as MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán), who have openly stated the intent to cede the Southwestern U.S. to Mexico. That’s not an exageration.

      HERE IS THE LAW:

      US Code Title 8 Section 1325.

      (a) Improper time or place; avoidance of examination or inspection; Misrepresentation and concealment of facts:
      Any alien who (1) enters or attempts to enter the United States at any time or place other than as designated by immigration officers, or (2) eludes examination or inspection by immigration officers, or (3) attempts to enter or obtains entry to the United States by a willfully false or misleading representation or the
      willful concealment of a material fact, shall, for the first commission of any such offense, be fined under title 18 or imprisoned not more than 6 months, or both, and, for a subsequent commission of any such offense, be fined under title 18, or imprisoned not more than 2 years, or both. Any alien who is apprehended while entering (or attempting to enter) the United States at a time or place other than as designated by immigration officers shall be subject to a civil penalty of -
      (1) at least $50 and not more than $250 for each such entry (or attempted entry); or (2) twice the amount specified in paragraph (1) in the case of an alien who has been previously subject to a civil penalty under this subsection.
      Civil penalties under this subsection are in addition to, and not in lieu of, any criminal or other civil penalties that may be imposed.

      Federal Law regarding the hiring of illegals:
      Section 274 felonies under the federal Immigration and Nationality Act, INA 274A(a)(1)(A): “A person (including a group of persons, business, organization, or local government) commits a federal felony when she or he:
      Assists an illegal alien s/he should reasonably know is illegally in the U.S. or who lacks employment authorization, by transporting, sheltering, or assisting him or her to obtain employment, or encourages that illegal alien to remain in the U.S. by referring him or her to an employer or by acting as employer or agent for an employer in any way, or knowingly assists illegal aliens due to personal convictions. Penalties upon conviction include criminal fines, imprisonment, and forfeiture of vehicles and real property used to commit the crime. Anyone employing or contracting with an illegal alien without verifying his or her work authorization status is guilty of a misdemeanor. Aliens and employers violating immigration laws are subject to arrest, detention, and seizure of their vehicles or property. In addition, individuals or entities who engage in racketeering enterprises that commit (or conspire to commit) immigration-related felonies are subject to private civil suits for treble damages and injunctive relief.”

      Those who aid and abet:
      Federal Immigration and Nationality Act
      Section 8 USC 1324(a)(1)(A)(iv)( b )(iii)

      Which states, in part,
      “Any person who . . . encourages or induces an illegal alien to . . . reside . . . knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that such . . . residence is . . . in violation of law, shall be punished as provided . . . for each illegal alien in respect to whom such a violation occurs . . . fined under title 18 . . . imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.”
      “It is a violation of law for any person to conceal, harbor, or shield from detection in any place, including any building or means of transportation, any alien who is in the United States in violation of law. Harboring means any conduct that tends to substantially facilitate an alien to remain in the U.S. illegally. This provision includes harboring an alien who entered the U.S. legally but has since lost his legal status.”

      And last but certainly not least, make it understood that service to this country in the form of enlisting in the Armed Forces would be an excellent opportunity for them to prove how sincere they are about really being an American.
      I keep hearing about the “complexities” of immigration enforcement when all it really is laziness and complacency on the part of the U.S. government, which allowed illegal immigration to grow to menacing proportions. We all know that the reality of the government enforcing immigration laws is about as likely as the illegal human sewage making an effort to become legalized citizens.

      The time to take action was about 25 million illegals ago, but better late than never.

  • http://None Rosi

    Reporters at NPR and the media in
    general keep reporting on the influx of Hispanic immigration to
    Northern states.
    Let me help you with your facts:
    Go Talk to Hispanics from the Midwest, for starters.
    Go Visit towns North of Detroit!
    Go visit towns in Ohio, Wisconsin,
    Nebraska, Indiana, Illinois etc.
    Mexicans have never been afraid to
    work!! That is why you will find
    them in many Northern states a.e.
    The Midwest!
    So reporters need to do their homework. Don’t keep telling us
    that so-called “illegal aliens”
    just Arrived 10 years ago!
    THIS IS NOT TRUE!

    • Jason Margolis

      Thank you for your post. The story does not say, however, that there were no Hispanic immigrants in the Midwest prior to 10 years ago. The report says that “More Latinos are settling in non-traditional immigrant destinations.”

      The demographics support this statement.

  • Alyssa

    1st of all, there are many guys out there raping women. white, black, chineese, hindu. Wht does the fact that thyre illegal have to do with what they do? 2nd of all, just becuase a few illegal immigrants are out there doing wrong doesnt mean that ALL of them are like you people seem to think. 3rd of all, asking anybody for any information just because of how they LOOK IS RACIAL PROFILING!! we already have enough racist cops in this area and this will make it work. 4th of all, your destroying families! it is not a childs fault that her mother/father came into the united states to give themselves a better life. they dont even know what is going on! we should all be a little more like kids and not pay attention to the color of someones skin or the papers that they do or dont carry. this world would be a LOT nicer and peaceful. and last, obama needs to fulfill the promise he made and at least help the illegal immigrants with no record and have kids here because its the kids suffering, not them. this topic is way to important an serious for more time to go by. IT IS HURTING PEOPLE! human beings who have the same blood as everybody else!

    • SFC MAC

      WE already have enough crime, why import MORE?

  • edutron

    GOOD JOB SHERIFF! Ilegals have one mission in mind – lawlessness, otherwise they wouldn’t be here.
    Try being an illegal in another country, result – Long prison terms, or death (mostly death)

    • elena

      Were you backgroung came from.
      Now you forget about it.
      Terrible comments.

  • Anita

    This message is for Sheriff Jones – Thank You!

    We have people sneaking across our borders,and over staying their visa ignoring our immigration laws and they continue to ignore our laws by driving without a license, driving without insurance,using stolen social security numbers,etc. It’s time these illegal aliens be held accountable for their decisions. You and I are held accountable. Crimes are committed everyday in this country (too many crimes are committed) the difference is if our immigration laws were enforced these illegal aliens that commit crimes would not be here! All the crimes that have been committed by illegal aliens that have changed the lives of U.S. citizens forever could have been prevented if our borders were secured and our current immigration laws were enforced.

    Many Latinos say Sheriff Jones is scapegoating their community. Jason Riveiro with the Latino advocacy group LULAC says Jones has created a society of fear, that his actions and words are criminalizing their whole community, blowing isolated incidents out of proportion.

    Mr. Riveiro stated “blowing isolated incidents out of proportion.” I am offended by this comment. The facts are the facts. A child was raped and Mr. Riveiro feels Sheriff Jones was blowing this heinous crime out of proportion? Perhaps Mr. Riveiro and LULAC think it is ok to ignore our laws!

    The amnesty (let’s just ignore the laws we do not like) groups want these lawbreakers to be be rewarded with amnesty, all is forgiven for breaking the law. How do we know who these people are, what kind of other laws have they broken? The majority of these illegal aliens use a Matricula Card which is a non-verifiable id. Illegal aliens have been found to carry numerous Matricula Cards with different names.

    No Amnesty!

    Secure our borders
    Enforce our current immigration laws
    Make E-Verify mandatory

    This is where we need to start to address the illegal immigration problem. Not reward lawbreakers with amnesty. Call you elected official today to let them know, you are againsr amnesty.

    • Alyssa

      THIS HASNT HAPPENED FOR YEARS SO WHY DO IT NOW WHEN MOST OF THESE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HERE FOR 30+ YEARS AND THEYRE KIDS AND FAMILIES HAVE BEEN RASIED HERE AND ONLY KNOW HERE AND THYRE FAMILIES ARE ALSO HERE? ITS TOO LATE. NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS THYRE GOING TO CONTINUE TO COME, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO CONTINUES TO HIRE THEM AND IF WE SEND THEM ALL BACK TO THEIR COUNTRIES MORE PPL ARE GOING TO NEED GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE LIKE K-TAP,FOOD STAMPS AND MEDICAL CARDS(WHICH IS YOUR ALLS TAX MONEY SO IF YOU DONT CARE THEN WHY SHOULD I) AND THIS COUNTRY IS GOING TO FALL APART(MORE THAN IT ALREADY IS) BECUASE THERE WILL BE NO ONE TO DO THE JOBS BECAUSE COMPANIES CANT AFFORED TO PAY WHAT IS DEMANDED BECUASE FAMILIES CANT LIVE OFF WHAT THEY ARE WILLING TO PAY. WERE TOO FAR IN. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE FAMLIES HERE, FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NEVER COMMITTED CRIMES AND THEN THE BORDER NEEDS TO BE SECURE TO KEEP MORE FROM COMING IN! THAT IS THE SOULTION. PUSHING OUT 11 BILLION(OR MORE) IMMIGRANTS OUT IS GOING TO WORK-NOR SHOULD IT HAPPEN! PLUS IF WE KICK THEM OUT THEN MOST OF US NEED TO LEAVE TOO BECAUSE MOST OF US ARE NOT FROM HERE EITHER AND WE(AS USUAL) FORCED OURSELVES IN-YES, BY FORCE! SOMETIMES I AM ASHAMED TO BE AN AMERICAN CITIZEN FOR ALL THE HARM WE HAVE CAUSED. THE ONLY REASON WHY I AM PROUD IS BECUASE OF THE EDUCATION OPPURTUNITES WE HAVE! THATS WHAT MAKES THIS COUNTRY GREAT! AND I GUESS A LITTLE OF THE HELP THAT PEOPLE GET FOR BEING POOR BUT NOT REALLY

    • Mr. Riveiro

      Hi Anita,

      I typically don’t respond to these hate chat rooms but I noticed your comment specifically pointing out my comment. Unfortunately, the issue of immigration has given those like yourself an avenue to release your hidden racism since stereotyping people of color is socially unacceptable. Calling people “illegal” has given you a right to assume that anyone who looks Mexican is likely “illegal” and probably a rapist or murderer.

      You try to hide behind national security but we know there is more to the story.

      LULAC and I both believe in border security, enforcing our immigration laws, and penalizing employers who hire undocumented workers; however, we will not sit by while people stereotype a whole community (both legal and “illegal”).

  • Liz

    Sheriff, you make me ashamed of being an Ohioan.

    • http://------- Square Al

      Liz: You are protected by the Ohio laws that Sheriff Jones enforces. Your being ashamed of him is juvanile, in that our Ohio sovereignty grants you rights that illegal aliens do not have for being crimmanally here. You need to thank him.

    • gman

      Liz, Elizabeth, Lizzie Lou. I’m trying to think of an antidote for the shame you feel. Try this;travel down to Monterey,say or do something which causes you to end up in one of their primevil jails, it won’t take much, you being recognized as an Anglo.After you regain consciousness from the beating you were given for resisting their amorous advances, see if you can get your family to RUSH you some ramsom, they will call it bail, money. If the money doesn’t come, you may have to rethink your resiatance. When, or if , you do get back to Ohio, run don’t walk to the sheriff’s office to say how foolish you were and to thank him for trying to keep his community a safe and happy place to live. There now, it was just a typo, wasn’t it? The word you looking for was PROUD, am I right?

    • SFC MAC

      Hey Liz, YOU make me ashamed to be American.

  • Ann

    The Grassroots Rally Team of Ohio on behalf of its 600+ members presented an award to Sheriff Jones in Oct 2010 for his outstanding work protecting Ohioans from the adverse affects of ILLEGAL immigration. We commend him and support him totally. He is not alone in Ohio. . . .according to a Sept 2010 Rasmussen poll, a full 70% of Ohioans favor an Arizona type law. We have your back Sheriff!

    • gman

      I don’t know Ann and I’m not even related to her, but when the lady speaks, my heart sings. While the uninformed critisize a man for doing his duty, Ms. Ann boldly says : “stop, in the name of all that you hold dear; this stern man is looking out for your hide” We resent the authority figure until we need him to pull our bacon out of the fire.You apologist talk from such a sheltered , foolish place. You could not withstand 6 seconds of the pain that cruel people inflict.Go to the sheriff and tell him how ashamed you feel for being so ungrateful.

  • Alyssa

    PPL CAN SUPPORT WHOEVER THEY WANT, BUT LETS TAKE YOUR FAMILIES AWAY FROM YOU AND SEE HOW YOU LIKE IT!! YOU WONT AND NEITHER DO I!! MY HUSBAND HAS NEVER STOLEN, DONE DRUGS, BEEN IN A GANG, RAPED OR MURDERED OR DONE ANY HARM TO ANY CITIZEN IN THIS COUNTRY SO WHY ARE YOU ALL GETTING INTO HIS BUSINESS?? THIS IS WHY, YOUR LIVES ARE BORING AND YOU HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO OTHER THAN PICK ON OTHER ETNICITIES. GET A LIFE SHERIFF, WORRY ABOUT THE PEOPLE TRYING TO BOMB THIS COUNTRY AN KILL ALL YOUR PEOPLE RATHER THAN PEOPLE THAT ARE CASUING NO HARM WHAT SO EVER!

    • SFC MAC

      Yeah he’s got nothing better to do than arresting the hundreds of illegals committing MORE felonies once they get here,stuffing them into our prisons, and having to deal with an apathetic government that refuses to do its job.

  • M

    I work for an immigration activism organization in Ohio, and sadly report that the type of discriminatory police persecution of Latinos that this report as a “potential consequence” of an AZ-style law in Ohio is already happening EVERY SINGLE DAY in Ohio. People who have no criminal records, who have been working hard and contributing to Ohio communities for many years, are being torn away from their families because of police discrimination all over the state and indeed, the nation.

    Immigrants are doing jobs in Ohio that could not be done without them, and until reform measures are creating addition legal paths of entry and not enforcing unrealistic and outdated policies, the situation will not improve for Ohio’s communities.

    • SFC MAC

      That’s B.S. The cliché that “foreign workers fill the jobs that Americans don’t want” is patently false. Corrupt employers hire them because it’s cheap labor, they don’t have to pay worker’s compensation, and there’s no Social Security tax to worry about. The employers are finally starting to feel the pinch. GOOD. They need to pay fines and do some jail time for violating the U.S. Codes.

      In Alabama, 70 American citizens were sent home from a construction site in support of Hurricane Katrina relief and replaced with illegals that were transported to the area. The employers announced that “the Mexicans had arrived” and unceremoniously fired the Americans the same day. What you have here is violation of Federal Law and international smuggling of illegals for the purpose of displacing American workers. This type of criminal activity is taking place all over the country.

      People who make the fatuous claim that “illegals take jobs Americans don’t want”, haven’t bothered to speak with the thousands of displaced Americans who supposedly “didn’t want” the jobs to begin with. The employers who abet these criminals had better be careful of what they wish for. If even a third of them become legal here’s what will happen: The unearned rights and benefits they were handed will be mitigated by responsibilities like taxes, liability for the loans they got, paying for health care, and being subject to the laws and regulations that go with being a citizen; something that will come as a shock, no doubt. In addition, you can bet those falsified IDs, that they will also demand higher wages and join unions. Employers will be forced to account for all the illegals they hired (hopefully, retroactively) and pay back taxes and worker’s compensation. The financial burden will finally be distributed to the employers as it was with the citizens who have been footing the bill along. Bye-bye cheap labor, heeeeeeelllloooooo obligation. What will the employers do then? Recruit more illegals to dodge the system….again? None of these scenarios paint a pretty economic picture.

      Regardless of what happens with the proposed illegal immigration reform, the border must be secured. There is no choice in this matter, as our survival and national security depend on it. Terrorists have also used the sieve that pretends to be a boundary as easy access to American soil.

  • gman

    With the coming influence of T- Party on government policies, there will be no amnesty.If you are here illegally,but hope someday to become legal, your best option is to go back home,wait your turn and apply in a legal way. There is going to be more attention to rooting illegals out. If you are caught, you will never be elligible for citizenship status.Winter is coming on and you will be much happier back home.Think on this; wouldn’t it make more since to demand what you are do from your own country rather than than your neighbor? Are you embarrased to admit that you were not able to force your government to share your nation’s wealth. It is in the news that one of your citizens is now the richest man on earth. Where is your share? Show some Spanish pride; go back home and fight for the kind of country you want.