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Milford taking harsher stance against illegals than Framingham
By Andrew Lightman / Daily News Staff
Thursday, May 4, 2006 - Updated: 01:15 AM EST

Officials say there are hundreds of illegal immigrants in Milford. Estimates peg them in the thousands in Framingham.

Yet when it comes to illegal immigration, it’s Milford that’s taking the tougher stance right now.

Illegal immigrants from Brazil and Ecuador have been targeted by Milford in recent months, as the town attempts to crack down on their growing population, and keep it from negatively affecting local public health.

Concerns were sparked last summer, when the Board of Health learned cases of tuberculosis had returned to Milford in alarming numbers, presumably from overseas where it is still fairly common. To prevent it and other infectious diseases from spreading, new housing regulations were added last fall, ordering landlords to take control of their properties and stop overcrowding.

Then, in another measure to stop overcrowding, Milford Town Meeting redefined the word "family" in February, to prevent more than three unrelated people from sharing the same home, and soon, in the interest of public health, Milford officials will tell restaurants managers not to employ illegal immigrants.

But in Framingham, where Brazilian and other immigrant groups are more prevalent, the story is much different.

When similar anti-overcrowding and restaurant employment policies came before Town Meeting last night, residents voted to send the article back to a committee for further study. The proposal is likely to come up again in the fall.

Framingham Town Meeting member Jim Rizoli said he suggested the two measures after talking with Milford Public Health Director Paul Mazzuchelli. But Rizoli said it has been a struggle to find supporters in his hometown.

"Milford is pro-active," he said. "Framingham is reactive. They’re waiting for some epidemic to happen before they do something."

Like Mazzuchelli, Rizoli said he believes Framingham should prohibit immigrants from working in restaurants because illegal immigrants are more likely to spread infectious diseases to their patrons.

"You think about this. When you come into this country legally, you have to have your shots," he said. "Illegal immigrants, when they come here, haven’t been screened (for infectious diseases)."

Mazzuchelli said yesterday that he has no agenda against illegal immigrants, and has no plans to enforce the licensing policy, as written, to prohibit all illegal immigrants from working in restaurants.

If an illegal immigrant can prove he or she is healthy with a doctor’s note, that worker will be allowed to keep his or her job, Mazzuchelli said.

"My job is to go into that establishment and say, ’Is that food handler healthy?’" he said. "If they have gone to a doctor, and the doctor says they are healthy...I am happy with that. I don’t want to restrict people from working."

However, Rizoli said he believes restaurants in Framingham should not hire illegal immigrants, even if the workers can prove they are healthy.

"Technically, now, the business is breaking the law by hiring them," he said. "The reason that it’s got to this point is that the businesses have not adhered to this law."

While she agrees that federal law already prohibits companies from hiring illegal immigrants, Framingham Brazilian American Association President Vera Dias Freitas said the issue has been used by some to spread misconceptions and fear.

Undocumented workers should not be broadly targeted at restaurants in any town, even if they are in America illegally, she said.

"Your status does not define your health," Freitas said.

Most illegal immigrants work very hard and deserve the same rights as everyone else in this country, Freitas said. But because they are a vulnerable and unrepresented population, they have recently been an easy scapegoat for America’s economic problems.

"The workers are here because there is demand," she said. "We’re talking about workers. We’re not talking about people who are lining up for the welfare."



Andrew Lightman can be reached at 508-634-7583 or andrew.lightman@cnc.com.