Thread: AZ: Immigrants may flee to other states

Immigrants may flee to other states
As crackdowns spread, job options may dwindle
Daniel González
The Arizona Republic
Jul. 4, 2007 12:00 AM

Sergio Arellanes was back on the job Tuesday, pouring cement for a new home in Ahwatukee in the scorching heat.

But he and other undocumented immigrants spent the day contemplating their fate in Arizona after the governor signed a bill that could put companies out of businesses for hiring them.

News of the law, believed to be the toughest of its kind in the country, sent a shock wave through the immigrant community. It spread far and fast as illegal immigrants braced for the possibility that they may soon lose their jobs if skittish employers begin culling workers wholesale rather than facing the possibility of losing their business licenses, the penalty for a second offense under the measure.
Instead of waiting for that to happen, Arellanes said, he is considering moving to look for work where the climate toward undocumented immigrants is less hostile. Others said they planned to wait and see how the law pans out, then decide whether to stay.

"I'm thinking of going to another state, maybe Nevada or Colorado. I don't know," said Arellanes, 22, who is from Chihuahua, Mexico, and has been living illegally in Arizona for three years.

Arellanes may not find the welcome mat he is expecting. Other states are expected to follow Arizona's lead in passing employer-sanctions laws or other bills to clamp down on illegal immigration out of frustration with Congress' failure to solve the problem.

Colorado already passed a bill that requires employers to verify the legal status of workers. As a result, labor shortages in some industries that rely on immigrant workers were worsened this year, prompting officials in Colorado to contract with prison inmates to pick crops in some areas.

Elias Bermudez, president of the group Immigrants Without Borders, said his Tuesday morning radio show was flooded with calls from illegal immigrants worried about losing their jobs.

"A lot of people are planning to leave," Bermudez said. "A lot of businesses are in danger of shutting down."

In response to the law, his organization began telling illegal immigrants, who number about 500,000 in Arizona, not to spend money except on essentials. The organization is also considering launching a work stoppage after Labor Day if the law is still intact then. Gov. Janet Napolitano has suggested that the state Legislature hold a special session to amend flaws in the measure.

"We only have economic power. We don't have political power," Bermudez said.

That economic influence also could extend to the state's already fragile real estate market. Many long-time illegal residents own their own homes. If they decide to sell and move on, their houses will add to the record 52,000 existing homes for sale Valley-wide.

Based on a normal monthly resale pace of about 5,000, metro Phoenix now has 12-month supply of homes for sale. A healthy housing market has a four- to six-month supply.

If even 1 percent of Arizona's undocumented workers owned homes and then tried to sell them, it would add at least another month to the housing market's oversupply of homes for sale and extend the slowdown by at least that much.

Adrian Holguin, supervisor of the cement crew in Ahwatukee, predicted the new law will worsen labor shortages in Arizona.

To make his point, Holguin walked from his pickup truck down into a large trench. A four-man crew was laying the footings for the basement of a custom home.

"It's 120 degrees down here, easy," Holguin said. "And there's no breeze. This is hard work. Who is going to do it if we leave?"

Sweat dripped down the workers' faces.

Holguin said his company is short five workers because finding enough people is a constant struggle. Cement workers start at $10 an hour, but the work is grueling, he said.

"It's now almost 4 p.m. These guys have been out here since 5 a.m.," said Holguin, an undocumented immigrant from Chihuahua.

Holguin said the cement company employs 20 workers. All but five are undocumented.

"The same goes for other companies," he said. "At some, every single one of their workers is undocumented."

Jose, 38, one of the crew members, said he is waiting to see how the employer-sanctions law pans out before deciding whether to remain in Arizona.

An undocumented immigrant, he asked that his last name not be used out of fear of losing his job.

Jose, who is from Hermosillo, Sonora, said a brother-in-law decided to put his house on the market and return to Mexico with his family immediately after learning the governor signed the employer-sanctions bill.

The law, along with other attempts to crack down on illegal immigration in Arizona, including police arresting undocumented immigrants and stepped-up deportations, had become too much to bear, he said.

"Undocumented immigrants are feeling a lot of pressure in this state," Jose said.

Reporter Catherine Reagor contributed to this article.

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepubli ... 0704.html#

AS EACH STATE ENACTS LAWS ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, ILLEGALS WILL FLEE TO OTHER STATES.

THAT IS A POSITIVE WAY TO ACCOMPLISH A COMPLETE ROUNDUP AND DEPORTATION BECAUSE:

STATES WILL ENFORCE THEIR NEW IMMIGRATION LAWS(voters have more control over their state politicians)

STATES THAT DON'T WILL GET THE ALIENS - THIS WILL ALLOW ICE AGENTS TO CONCENTRATE ON THE STATES WITHOUT TOUGH LAWS.
COUNTY SHERIFFS CAN IDENTIFY, JAIL, TURN OVER TO ICE FOR DEPORTATION UNDER A 287(g) contract.

I SEE IT AS WIN/WIN - MAY BE 20,000,000 CAN BE DEPORTED!

They're NOT illegal ‘immigrants’, the terminology is NOT correct!


Illegal MIGRANTS, ALIENS, or Foreign Nationals IS correct.






Nice day all!
Rob
www.NetLog.com/iQuestionEverything

Originally Posted by Nouveauxpoor

Immigrants may flee..

Many long-time illegal residents own their own homes. If they decide to sell and move on, their houses will add to the record 52,000 existing homes for sale Valley-wide.

An illegal homeowner??? I wonder how they go the money for those houses???

News of the law, believed to be the toughest of its kind in the country, sent a shock wave through the immigrant community.

Why yes,yes it has sent a shock wave through the illegal community. The reaction I've seen and heard is one of abject disbelief and these people are totally stunned, just rattled to their foundations, with no idea, for the most part, what to do next. As one of my tenants said, they were completely convinced beyond all doubt, that amnesty would be granted and they had planned for nothing else.


Arellanes may not find the welcome mat he is expecting. Other states are expected to follow Arizona's lead in passing employer-sanctions laws or other bills to clamp down on illegal immigration out of frustration with Congress' failure to solve the problem.

"A lot of people are planning to leave," Bermudez said. "A lot of businesses are in danger of shutting down."


Most in my neighborhood have no delusions that they will be able to move to other states with the hopes of just continuing to live and work here illegally unchallenged. That line of thinking seems reserved for younger illegals, recent arrivals, and the more radical, militant ones who still have some misguided and mistaken belief that they'll be taking over.


The organization is also considering launching a work stoppage after Labor Day if the law is still intact then. Gov. Janet Napolitano has suggested that the state Legislature hold a special session to amend flaws

"We only have economic power. We don't have political power," Bermudez said.


These folks need to get their heads out of the clouds!! Irregardless of what notions they may have to the contrary, they are still greatly outnumbered in this country and don't wield the power they seem to believe they do. This has been shown to them time and again during all of their other boycotts, etc. meant to display their economic clout.....it's never made a dent.As for work stoppages......let 'em!!! There are untold numbers of American citizens unemployed after having their jobs taken by illegals. They will be more than happy to fill those jobs as we've seen demonstrated in the wake of raids recently. And, if a work stoppage by illegals brings the business of any company to a stand still, well then, I'd say those companies will get exactly what they deserve for using an illegal workforce.

That economic influence also could extend to the state's already fragile real estate market. Many long-time illegal residents own their own homes. If they decide to sell and move on, their houses will add to the record 52,000 existing homes for sale Valley-wide.

Again, more of their self important mindset. The market has highs and lows all the time and our market is hardly "fragile" albeit down at the moment. And one of the biggest reasons is due to the problem of illegals in this state. People are hanging up the For Sale signs and leaving, more are just not bothering to come here at all. Improve the situation and see what happens. What makes this "threat" even more ridiculous is two recent articles in our papers. One dealt with the record number of foreclosures in our state on homes financed to illegals. The other was about the influx of housing loan fraud being uncovered, and acted upon, in states with large illegal populations, and those homes are being seized, in AZ included.. So where is the big impact if they sell and leave?

Adrian Holguin, supervisor of the cement crew in Ahwatukee, predicted the new law will worsen labor shortages in Arizona.

[b]The only labor shortage in AZ is as far as Americans are concerned. The door has been slammed right in the faces of those displaced by illegal labor. There will be no labor shortage as Americans get their jobs back.


"It's 120 degrees down here, easy," Holguin said. "And there's no breeze. This is hard work. Who is going to do it if we leave?"

The same people who did this work before illegals stole their jobs, you moron.......American citizens!!!!

The law, along with other attempts to crack down on illegal immigration in Arizona, including police arresting undocumented immigrants and stepped-up deportations, had become too much to bear, he said.

But attrition through enforcement will never work, will it?



I hope papers keep publishing articles like this........it will restore hope in American workers!!!!!!

Happy 4th of July!!!!!

Ahhhhh, watch, Mexifornia will have a population boom 'cause we'd probably be the last state to enact anything like this.

Truer words were never spoken Jean.

Instead of waiting for that to happen, Arellanes said, he is considering moving to look for work where the climate toward undocumented immigrants is less hostile.

Good luck finding that! Americans are waking up and speaking out...you may find that HOSTILITY is all you'll find in any state.

Just go back to Mexico!!!