Thread: NC-Citizens, illegal immigrants jostle for jobs

Citizens, illegal immigrants jostle for jobs

Hard times alter the debate over undocumented workers and their role in economy

By Kristin Collins - Staff Writer
Published: Sun, Mar. 15, 2009 12:30AM
Modified Sun, Mar. 15, 2009 05:16AM

Business owners once said they needed illegal workers because there weren't enough Americans willing to do dirty and lowly jobs. Now, unemployment is nearing 10 percent, and citizens are lining up for jobs they once would have rejected. Yet, some say, many employers still want illegal immigrants.

"They prefer immigrants, especially now," said James Lee, an electrician who hasn't found work since Thanksgiving. "I don't think it's fair when there's so many of us in the shape we're in now."

Lee, 47, said American workers can't compete against immigrants who are willing to work for low pay and under unreasonable conditions. And now that jobs are scarce -- nearly a quarter of construction workers nationwide are unemployed -- Lee is one of a growing chorus who say that illegal immigrants are leaving citizen workers with fewer options.

Franklin Tigner, a Louisburg construction subcontractor, says he has no jobs lined up. Tigner says his business is hurt by illegal immigrants. 'It's just more people out there competing for what little work there is,' he says.

Here are the national unemployment rates for February among different ethnic groups.

Blacks: 13.4 percent
High school dropouts: 12.6 percent
Hispanics: 10.9 percent
High school graduates: 8.3 percent
Whites: 7.3 percent
College graduates: 4.1 percent
U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

Immigrant: 'I'm taking the job you wouldn't do'

"It's just more people out there competing for what little work there is," said Franklin Tigner, a Louisburg construction subcontractor who was searching for a job last week.

Such concerns prompted legislative action. More than two dozen state lawmakers proposed a bill this month that would require North Carolina companies getting federal stimulus money to verify that their workers are in the country legally. They say the $787 billion plan should benefit U.S. citizens.

"With unemployment in North Carolina approaching 10 percent, with the layoffs we've seen, we have plenty of Americans who need those jobs," said Rep. Nelson Dollar, a Cary Republican who is one of the bill's co-sponsors.

Some, however, argue that the equation is not so simple.

Immigrants don't just fill jobs; they also create them by buying cars, groceries, homes and services.

"If they weren't here, I'd have less people employed here, no question about that," said Durham car dealer Kyle Ollis, who sells about a third of his cars to Hispanic customers.

And many business owners say that the vast supply of dependable labor that immigrants provided was responsible for much of the growth in industries such as construction and landscaping. Without immigrant labor, they say, their companies couldn't have created so many jobs in North Carolina.

Now, in a time of shrinking profits, some say those productive and loyal workers could mean the difference between survival and failure.

Bill Downey, a Durham construction company owner, said immigrants have been willing to work harder and more reliably than native workers -- and those are the types of workers that employers will keep as they try to remain solvent in a tight market. He said he doesn't employ illegal immigrants, but he acknowledged that many laborers are in the country illegally.

"When it comes down to the bottom line, more people are going to be interested in good workers than whether they're legal," Downey said. "I've got a good worker, and I'm going to send him away? I don't see that happening."

Some workers, immigrant and native alike, say that illegal immigrants have earned their place in the American economy, in good times and bad.

"We have been taking care of work that people don't want to do," said Carlos Reyes, a legal U.S. resident from Honduras who runs a Raleigh painting business. "Now you want to throw us away? That's not fair."

A surplus of labor

An estimated 300,000 illegal immigrants poured into North Carolina in the past decade, lured by plentiful jobs in construction, landscaping, manufacturing and hospitality. Now, those industries are taking the brunt of the recession, and there is a growing surplus of low-skilled workers.

kristin.collins@newsobserver.com or 919-829-4881

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1443428.html

I hope every company that hires illegals goes under and never comes back.........And the employers also better think too..they are American so I guess they can be replaced by businesses run by illegals in this state. Because even being illegal theyare out there running their own illegal businesses.

Immigrants don't just fill jobs; they also create them by buying cars, groceries, homes and services

Americans don't have jobs remember and besides that AMERICANS have been spending all their money in this country. Remember these illegals are still outnumbered by citizens. This is BS ! What a bunch of morons!

Bill Downey, a Durham construction company owner

this guy needs to go down too!

"We have been taking care of work that people don't want to do," said Carlos Reyes, a legal U.S. resident from Honduras who runs a Raleigh painting business

So Americans do not paint either now? I am so tired of this BS from these people. Why don't we hear about the other side of these MAGNIFICENT illegal workers? How they get DUI's and come back to work with a different name the next day as some have been found to do. You think these people are all grandioso? And as one person put it,do you think they just whistle and skip (smile on their faces) on in to work every day! Give me a break people!

If they like foreign workers or "Illegal aliens" so much why don't they move their business out of our country! They are not American! Americans don't throw their fellow Americans under the bus..

What BS they work harder than Americans that is a slap in the face to every American worker.

Illegal aliens - don't the job Americans won't do - at Mexican wage levels!

It's all about the wages offered, they never mention that.

Illegals only create jobs for other illegals. They isolate themselves within communities and workplaces and dont let anyone else in. So if they are taken out of the equation, the only people who will notice are the illegals.

I spent a day e-mailing every congressman and senator from North Carolina about e-verify. While I got quite a few canned answers, this US Rep. Larry Kissell, seems to have actually read my letter. His response:

March 16, 2009
Thank you for contacting my office to discuss the issue of immigration. Illegal immigration and open borders threaten America's economic and national security. In the last five years, North Carolina's illegal immigrant population has tripled which has been the largest increase in the United States. Currently, North Carolina has the ninth largest illegal alien population in the country. Estimates are that illegal immigrants in North Carolina are costing our taxpayers close to a billion dollars per year for education, medical care, and use of our legal system. As you may know, the federal government established the E-Verify system to stop the hiring of illegal immigrants. Although the current E-Verify program is not perfect, it does provide employers a quick, easy, and mostly accurate way to ensure that their employees are authorized to work in the United States. In addition, the program assists law enforcement in the task of identifying and penalizing employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants.

You will be happy to know the House has passed legislation during the 111th Congress to help stop the employment of illegal immigrants. Specifically, H.R. 1105, the "Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009," includes a provision in Division J to extend E-Verify, which was set to terminate on March 6, 2009, through September 30, 2009. I voted to support this bill. I also supported E-Verify provisions as part of H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Among the E-Verify provisions included in the House-passed version of H.R. 1, were provisions to extend the program until November 2013 and to require that none of the funds made available under the act be used to enter into a contract with an entity that does not participate in E-Verify. These provisions passed in the House version; however, I was very disappointed they were not included in the Senate-passed version of H.R. 1 or in the final enacted version of the bill. Rest assured I will closely monitor this issue during the 111th Congress, and will keep your views in mind.

Thanks for taking the time to contact me. If you would like to learn more about my positions on the issues or stay updated on important developments in Congress, please visit www.kissell.house.gov. My office is currently in the process of creating an E-Newsletter to keep you more informed of my work in Congress. Please check my website for more information. Remember, your views are important to me, and I look forward to hearing from you again soon.




Sincerely,

Larry Kissell
Member of Congress

That is a good one there vortex and nice to see we have some on our side.Meanwhile I wrote the woman about her article also.

Kristin Collins

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1443428.html
On your article about the economy and the working immigrants(illegal for the most part). Why have you chosen to be so one sided? There is more to these stories,then some of you so-called writers,put on to paper.

Why didn't you talk about the problems these illegal aliens can cause in a community? The problems of falsified documents TO GET A JOB (which otherwise they are not suppose to have without a visa). Starting a business without a license and paying under the table. So not only are the illegals working illegally but these employers are criminals for hiring them. KNOWN FACT! We can go on and on about the things these illegals do which for the most part,are illegal in themselves.And the cost to the American taxpayers is phenomenal. Plus a great deal of the money they make goes out of this country. So they are not big buyers of this countries economy.

And why didn't you ask where a number of cars and trucks have gone with the down turn of our economy? Try Mexico! So the next time you see that car salesman ,ask him.

You write like you are working for LaRaza or MALDEF,or maybe the ACLU (don't forget, you to can be replaced by an illegal). Always putting the American worker down like he does nothing. Well WE BUILT THIS COUNTRY SWEETHEART!

I do not know the people who you interviewed. But the guys I work for are hard working and care alot about their families. I have worked hard all my life and my mother of 82 still loves to work. My children have worked since they were in high school. So enough of this bullshit where Americans do not work!

Why not mention the tent cities Americans are living in now because they have lost everything?

Of course writing for a rag in the Raleigh Durham area I would not expect any different from you.

Thank You

I'm still picking myself up off the floor.

I'm shocked that Kristin Collins and the Raleigh News and Observer finally did an immigration article which ACTUALLY INCLUDED AMERICAN perspectives!

This is definitely a first!

W

I'm wondering if there could be a collection site that lists ANY business who hires illegals over American citizens--especially during this economic downturn. If all of us remained vigilant and kept putting this information in one place, those named would be in the American "no buy" zone. I'm not sure how much proof we would need, but there must be some way to collect this information as another way to pressure (or embarrass!) politicians into enforcing our laws.