Thread: Land deal may leave some illegal immigrants homeless

http://www.azfamily.com/news/3oys/stori ... f2628.html
06:00 PM Mountain Standard Time on Monday, April 10, 2006

By Gary Harper / 3TV reporter

A land deal in the East Valley may force families to move from a mobile home park, but they'll only get help from the city if they're here legally.

If you're here illegally, you're on your own.

"It's not fair, it's not fair for the rest of the people," said Zoila Flores, who is referring to a notice she received from the city of Tempe notifying her and other residents that the land her mobile home park sits on is being bought by the city.

That means Flores and everyone else is going to have to move.

But because Flores is a legal immigrant, she's going to receive the government's help for that move.

"The city is going to help the people who are legal here, for the illegal people, they don't," she said.

Flores figures about 80 percent of the 25 families who call the park home are in the country illegally, which includes her partner of nine years, Rosalio Gutierrez.

"I consider myself a normal citizen. We pay taxes, we pay taxes (on) everything that needs to be here," he said.

Despite the inconvenience of displacing the residents, Tempe Assistant City Manager Jeff Kulaga said the deal to buy the property will pay off in the long run because a new park and light rail system will be built there.

"Based on its location, there is future benefit for the public for potential neighbors in the park or transit riders," he said.

Kulaga said if and when the city of Tempe buys the property, they are obligated to help people with relocating.

"Because we are a government agency we do have to provide relocation benefits and some social service benefits," Kulaga said.

But according to federal law, the city of Tempe can't help with relocation assistance if those people are there illegally, which leaves many in the mobile home park wondering how they are going to get by.

"They want to take our property and then give us nothing in return," Flores said.

The residents will have to be out by midsummer and that's just a rough estimate.

"They want to take our property and then give us nothing in return," Flores said.

It's not your property, and they are giving you something in return--assistance to relocate.

"It's not fair, it's not fair for the rest of the people,"

Waahh! Maybe they should go back to Mexico where things are much more fair.