Thread: WI: Support grows for Green Bay initiative to ban illegal...

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Posted April 29, 2007

Support grows for Green Bay initiative to ban illegal workers

Proposal would strip licenses from businesses that employ undocumented workers

By Paul Srubas
psrubas@greenbaypressgazette.com


The way Barry Fitzgerald looks at it, if he had to do it the hard way, so should other immigrants.


That's why Fitzgerald, a native of Ireland, favors an initiative by the Green Bay City Council to require anybody applying for any kind of license through the city to promise he or she is not here illegally and that he or she won't hire any illegal immigrants.


"I have no problem with that whatsoever," Fitzgerald said. "They (city officials) should do it. Realistically, if you have 12 million immigrants running around this country and no one knows who or where they are, that will eventually lead to anarchy."


Fitzgerald, who immigrated about seven years ago, currently has permanent legal resident status in the U.S. and is working toward attaining citizenship. He said he's spent dozens of hours and a few thousand dollars toward that end so far, and it irritates him to know that other people are just coming and setting up residency without going through what he's had to go through.


That said, he's not entirely unsympathetic to the illegal immigrants, who generally are coming for jobs that don't pay well enough to cover the expenses associated with achieving legal status.


"It seems to me my medical expenses were something like $400, the application to become a permanent resident was $300 or $400, the green card has a fee, there's a fingerprint requirement that has a fee, and citizenship itself is a few hundred more," Fitzgerald said. "It probably comes to $2,000 or $3,000, and that's a lot for someone making minimum wage. If fees were lower, it would encourage more people to be above board with it."


The City Council has no control over the fees, and it has no control over the number of people coming here illegally, but if the federal government won't take responsibility to control those things, then the council should do what it can under its legal powers, said council President Chad Fradette.


Fradette pitched the idea of using the city's licensing powers to discourage the presence of illegal immigrants in Green Bay. His initiative is still in the formative stage; the council's Advisory Committee is scheduled to take a hard look at it Thursday.


"I'm doing this to discourage illegal aliens from coming," Fradette said. "If they can't work, they won't come. That's what I want to happen."


Like Fitzgerald, Fradette believes people sneaking over the border to establish residency are taking something away from the immigrants who did it legally.


"When they come here illegally, they're not respecting the laws of this country," he said. "When they come here and the first thing they do is break the law, it cheapens all that, cheapens the lives of those who had to work really hard to get here."


Racial profiling?

Peter Kellogg, head of the Northeastern Wisconsin Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, objects to the plan. When most people talk about immigrants these days, they're not talking about native Dubliners like Fitzgerald, Kellogg said; they're talking about Hispanics � specifically Mexicans.


"There are implications of racial profiling," Kellogg said.


Fradette's initiative puts the responsibility of catching illegal immigrants on the employer. For example, a tavern owner applying for a liquor license promises not to hire illegal immigrants, and if he's caught in violation of that, he stands to lose his license.


"I understand there are some very excellent forged documents available," Kellogg said. "If someone presented a good forgery to the employer � and it was found out to be not genuine � would the employer lose his license?"


If so, that means employers essentially are being encouraged to avoid hiring anyone who even "looks" like a risk, Kellogg said. That unfairly � and illegally � jeopardizes the employment opportunities for many legal American citizens, Kellogg said.


On the other hand, that jeopardy may already exist.


Fitzgerald, who is manager of St. Brendan's Inn & Pub in Green Bay, said liquor and restaurant licensees should already be sensitive to the risk of hiring illegal immigrants.


He says he frequently gets requests for employment from people back in Ireland, but unless those people have work permits or whatever else they need for legal status, Fitzgerald won't hire them.


Restaurants and bars often get audited, either by the state or federal government, and those audits can happen randomly or be triggered by a complaint from an employee or from the public, Fitzgerald said.


He said he worked for a place in Milwaukee a few years ago that mistakenly hired an illegal immigrant, and the business was fined $11,000. Racial profiling may be a risk, but it's probably riskier yet not to, Fitzgerald said.


Question of need

If there's already pressure on restaurants and bars, why does the city need such a requirement for issuing licenses?


Alderman Tony Theisen asked that question when Fradette first pitched the idea at a city Protection & Welfare Committee meeting a few weeks ago.


"If you have a liquor license today and police come into your establishment and find evidence you're an illegal alien or that you've hired one, we already could start a quasi-judicial hearing (to revoke your license), even without (Fradette's initiative)," Theisen said.


Fradette argued that it's well within the city's right and responsibility to use the licensing process as a pointed reminder to licensees that the city takes immigration laws seriously.


Theisen says he doesn't in any way oppose Fradette's idea, but he thinks that reminder should include all local, state and federal laws � in other words, if the idea is to remind city licensees that they need to follow the law, they should be reminded they need to follow all laws, not just those dealing with immigration issues.


Fradette believes that would dilute his plan.


"If we have to run down the list of laws not being enforced, this is probably No. 1 on people's minds," he said. "People see illegal immigrants getting into traffic crashes and they have no license, no insurance � I hear those kinds of stories almost every other day, from someone I know or a constituent."


Confusing, hard to enforce

Alderwoman Celestine Jeffreys, the only one on the council so far to voice opposition to Fradette's plan, agrees that illegal immigration is a problem.


"There's no question in my mind that the federal government needs to do more to stop illegal immigration," she said. "But for me, the issue is one of jurisdiction, resources and priorities."


The federal government is doing what it can do to combat the problem, but if each municipality in the country were to choose some kind of initiative to "help," it would lead to a hodgepodge of confusing and difficult-to-enforce laws and ordinances, she said.


Given that the council has a host of responsibilities of its own � acting as stewards of the taxpayers' money, for example � Jeffreys said, why would it want to take on an issue that is better handled by the federal government and more reasonably worried about by the nation's border states?


"I'm not sure what the impetus is," she said. "When my neighbors, my constituents talk to me, they are concerned about national scale problems, sure, but when they call me, they call about junky houses and streets not being repaired. Those are the issues I love to work on, the issues I know we have the talent and resources to work on."


Some area Hispanics have already expressed opposition to the plan. The Green Bay Press-Gazette recently quoted an area restaurateur who said she'd gladly give up her liquor license rather than let herself be a pawn in an anti-immigration initiative like Fradette's. A group of Hispanics is organizing a "Protest Convoy" of vehicles to drive a lap around Green Bay City Hall early Tuesday afternoon.


Fradette is undaunted. He's confident Green Bay will pass the initiative, and he's hopeful that other communities follow Green Bay's lead on the issue.


"If this catches on, the feds will have to do something," he said. "If 70 percent or better of the population favors this, (legislators) may have to address it. If it spreads beyond Green Bay, it could make a difference."


http://link.toolbot.com/greenbaypressgazette.com/78854

According to comments left so far, this community has 100% support for this!

Green Bay Council To Consider Ban On Hiring Illegal Immigrants

POSTED: 3:17 pm CDT May 3, 2007
UPDATED: 5:39 pm CDT May 3, 2007

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- A measure before a Green Bay City Council committee would revoke the licenses of businesses hiring illegal immigrants.

The City Council's Advisory Committee was to consider the proposal Thursday night.

Both the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund have written letters to city authorities urging them not to approve the measure.

An ordinance would create more discrimination, particularly against Latinos, said Virginia Martinez, with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

Council President Chad Fradette said the measure was intended to discourage "illegal aliens from coming to Green Bay in the first place."

Christopher Ahmuty, head of the ACLU in Wisconsin, said such measures are not needed and Fradette's effort pushes the boundary of the city government's reach.

"What he's doing is jeopardizing employers who want to do business in Green Bay by getting into an area of immigration law where the city is really not competent," Ahmuty said.

Federal law already prohibits employers from hiring illegal immigrants, he said.

Dozens of cities across the country have tried to pass similar measures.

Ahmuty pointed out that similar efforts have been challenged in court, including in Hazleton, Pa., Valley Park, Mo. and Farmers Branch, Texas. The city of Escondido, Calif. decided not to enforce a law that punishes landlords for renting to illegal immigrants. It agreed to pay $90,000 to the opposing lawyers.

http://www.themilwaukeechannel.com/news ... l&psp=news

Green Bay's Illegal-Immigrant Proposal Coming to a Vote

May 7, 2007 04:24 PM PDT


Green Bay City Council President Chad Fradette says a controversial illegal-immigrant proposal will come to a vote in one week.

The proposed ordinance would require holders of any city license to agree not to hire illegal immigrants or have their license taken away.

Fradette told Action 2 News the city's Advisory Committee will definitely vote on it next Monday, May 14, then present the ordinance to the City Council on June 5th.

http://www.wbay.com/Global/story.asp?S=6480406

Posted May 12, 2007

Mayor gives preliminary support to Green Bay immigration ordinance

Schmitt acknowledges city's limited power over problem

By Paul Srubas
psrubas@greenbaypressgazette.com


Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt doesn't have high hopes that the City Council will be able to draft an effective immigration ordinance, but if it comes up with something that can work, he expects to support it.


"This issue (illegal immigration) needs to be addressed," he said Friday. "If there are knowingly illegal acts going on and the city can do something about it, we ought to."


He was talking about a proposed ordinance that would require anyone getting a license or permit from the city of Green Bay to promise not to be an undocumented immigrant and not to hire any undocumented immigrants. The idea was brought to the table by Council President Chad Fradette, and debate thus far has remained at the committee level. Schmitt's statements Friday were his first public comment on the issue.


Under the proposed ordinance, which will be debated at committee level Monday, the city could revoke the license of anyone violating the ordinance. The city couldn't take the action without the federal government first determining that the licensee or the licensee's employer was indeed undocumented.


The need for a federal determination means the city is "virtually handcuffed" in addressing the issue of illegal immigration, Schmitt said.


"I don't want to lose sight of the fact that the federal government needs to act on this," he said.


As a member of the national Council of Mayors, Schmitt advocates a call for federal immigration reform.


Even though the real work must take place at the federal level, Schmitt said it's understandable that the council has taken up the issue.


"The aldermen are elected to serve their constituents, and this is largely being driven by the constituents," Schmitt said. "There are concerns out there."


Despite his belief that illegal immigration is wrong, and that the council is doing the right thing by trying to do something about it, Schmitt said, "I don't want the council to get too consumed with something they have limited powers over. I encourage what they're doing, but they have a lot of power in neighborhood issues, budget issues, development issues, and those are things where we have to move forward."

http://link.toolbot.com/greenbaypressgazette.com/78856

THIS is what is so important

Fradette is undaunted. He's confident Green Bay will pass the initiative, and he's hopeful that other communities follow Green Bay's lead on the issue.

"If this catches on, the feds will have to do something," he said. "If 70 percent or better of the population favors this, (legislators) may have to address it. If it spreads beyond Green Bay, it could make a difference."

City Leaders Receive Letters About Immigrant-License Ordinance

May 14, 2007 04:17 PM PDT

By Chris Duffy

As a Green Bay committee gears up for a vote Monday night, city leaders are receiving more letters urging them to deny a proposal that would let the city strip licenses from businesses which knowingly hire illegal immigrants.

Action 2 News obtained letters from two organizations that were sent Monday to city and Brown County officials and another that's being drafted. Each letter delivers the same message in a different way.

A letter from the American Civil Liberties Union says, "The government should focus on finding effective ways to... help immigrants already in the U.S. find a path to citizenship, not push those families into the shadows."

Its letter says, quote "Congress did not intend to allow the licensing exception to be used by local governments to create their own schemes," the ACLU wrote.

Another letter sent by the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Educational Fund says such an ordinance would "create more law enforcement problems than it solves."

The Green Bay Police Department's Diversity Advisory Committee is also drafting a letter which says, "The nature of this proposal is discriminatory, punitive, and reactionary. We, the people of Green Bay, do not wish to engage in national issues in this manner."

"Immigration," the diversity committee says, "should be left in the hands of the federal government."

Mayor Jim Schmitt says he appreciates the plethora of letters and phone calls, but he says the reason the city proposed this ordinance in the first place is because the federal government isn't doing its part.

"Do I support this being looked at? You bet I do, and on a federal level there's disappointment."

Schmitt says it's his job as mayor to promote legal activity. "If there's some knowingly activity going on here that can be addressed through the ordinances that we have the ability to influence, that's what this is about."

At 6:30 P.M., the City Council Advisory Committee will take input from the public. Committee member Chad Fradette says the committee will then vote.

http://www.wbay.com/Global/story.asp?S=6514362

AMNESTY = LEGALIZED SLAVERY
Anyone for amnesty is a communist

So did they vote last night?!

Posted May 15, 2007

Green Bay immigration ordinance clears first hurdle

Proposal now heads to City Council in June

By Paul Srubas
Gannett Wisconsin Newspapers


The Green Bay City Council's Advisory Committee on Monday listened to almost three hours of public testimony before voting to pass an ordinance that would allow the city to combat illegal immigration through its licensing powers.


Monday night's vote still needs full approval of the City Council, which meets June 5.

Officially, the ordinance passed 3-2, with alderpersons Celestine Jeffreys and Jerry Wiezbieskie casting the dissenting votes. Committee Chairman and Council President Chad Fradette didn't utter "aye" when the vote was taken, but he said later, as author of the ordinance, "clearly I'm in favor of my own ordinance."

The ordinance would require any applicant for a city license or permit to promise not to be an illegal immigrant and not to hire illegal immigrants. A violation could mean that person's license would be revoked, but only if the federal government first concludes that the person or the employee is, indeed, an illegal immigrant.

Monday night's meeting was the second half of one held earlier this month, when nearly 30 people � all but two of whom were against the proposed ordinance � testified.

Monday night, people in favor of the ordinance showed up in force, and speeches were about 50-50 for and against. People wishing to speak filled out slips ahead of time on which they indicated their name and whether they were for or against, and, although not all of them spoke, that straw poll came out 55-47 against the ordinance.

Several Hispanics and representatives of Hispanic groups and various religious organizations were among those speaking out against the ordinance. Some stated the proposed ordinance was unenforceable; others criticized it on humanitarian grounds and said illegal immigration addresses a labor shortage here.

The people speaking in favor of the ordinance said it would help the city enforce a federal law that the federal government has shown little interest in locally, and that turning a blind eye to illegal immigration trivializes the hardships endured by immigrants who come legally and encourages crime.

Former Mayor Paul Jadin presented the committee with what he called a compromise suggestion, a proposed resolution demanding federal action on immigration issues. Under Jadin's proposal, the city would still indicate its plan to adhere to current federal law regarding immigration.

Committee members seemed agreeable to the resolution but took the vote on the proposed ordinance, then referred Jadin's proposal to committee. It will be taken up May 23 at the Protection & Welfare Committee, which also is considering enforcement issues as they relate to Fradette's proposed ordinance.

http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.d ... /frontpage