Thread: CA-Undocumented residents denied relocation money

Undocumented residents denied relocation money
By Airan Scruby, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 09/25/2008 09:30:41 PM PDT


PICO RIVERA - Hundreds of people being forced to move because of a Public Works project will get no relocation money because they are in the country illegally, according to Pico Rivera city officials.

The demolition of the 90-unit Rivera Villas Apartments south of Slauson Avenue on Passons Boulevard, along with five single-family homes, will make way for a traffic underpass beneath nearby train tracks, which is part of the Alameda Corridor-East project.

The work is being overseen by the city of Pico Rivera.

Normally, when a government project displaces residents, families are given money to move.

But rules attached to federal funding for the project prohibit Pico Rivera from giving money to illegal immigrants, city spokesman Bob Spencer said.

"The federal assistance is not available for undocumented residents," Spencer said. "There are severe penalties if we misuse funds that have been given to this project, including the loss of those funds and the loss of any future federal funds."

According to Spencer, four people have died in the past 10 years while crossing the tracks.

The federal cash, along with contributions from Caltrans, the state's Transportation Congestion Relief Program, California's Public Utilities Commission and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway will pay for the project.

The total cost is around $43 million, $2.9 million of which is federal money, Spencer said. This is enough, however, to exclude
illegal immigrants from any pay-out.

"When there is one dollar of federal funds, it's off," Spencer said.

Legal residents are entitled to relocation money, determined by the size of their apartment and their income. Families could get the difference between their new, higher rent at a different apartment, plus their current rent for up to 42 months, Spencer said.

Letters telling families whether they will be paid will be sent the first week in October, he said. And 90-day notices will be sent in late October. The entire relocation process is expected to take about one year.

Though Spencer would not release an estimate about how many of the 90 or so families live in in the complex are in the country illegally, residents of the Rivera Villas say most are undocumented.

For "Maria," who did not give her full name out of fear her husband would lose his job, scraping up enough money to move will be impossible.

Maria lives with her husband illegally. He works at a local restaurant. She also has a 7-year-old daughter born in Mexico, and a 3-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son, who were born here and are U.S. citizens.

"Having to pay the rent here, and also trying to save enough money for a new place - that's a really tough thing to do," Maria said through a translator.

Maria said she wants her daughter to stay at her local school, where she has made friends. And she hopes her husband can keep his job at the restaurant.

Spencer said that children born in the country (and therefore with citizenship) may be entitled to some money despite the federal rule. He said he did not know whether parents risk deportation by filling out paperwork requesting money for their legal children.

Maria said she did not believe her family would be eligible for anything, so she has not filled out paperwork given to her by representatives from Overland, Pacific and Cutler, Inc., a consulting group handling the relocation for the city.

"We really don't know what we're going to do or where we're going to go," Maria said.

According to Leah Simon-Weisberg, director of the Eviction Defense Network, federal money cannot be spent to relocate illegal immigrants, but that the city does have an ethical responsibility to care for families being evicted because of a public project.

"Obviously these people are participating in the community and the community is responsible for not displacing them," Simon-Weisberg said.

Spencer said the city is in contact with groups who may be able to provide some assistance or information to those forced to leave their homes.

"No one is being turned out on the streets," Spencer said.

Staff Writer Tracy Garcia contributed to this story.

airan.scruby@sgvn.com

(562) 698-0955, Ext. 3029

http://www.whittierdailynews.com/news/ci_10562138

For "Maria," who did not give her full name out of fear her husband would lose his job, scraping up enough money to move will be impossible.

Maria lives with her husband illegally. He works at a local restaurant. She also has a 7-year-old daughter born in Mexico, and a 3-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son, who were born here and are U.S. citizens.

"Having to pay the rent here, and also trying to save enough money for a new place - that's a really tough thing to do," Maria said through a translator.

Funny isn't it? Whining about "scraping up enough money to move" but she has 2 kids a year apart? Kids are expensive to raise, maybe you should stop having them.
These people must not get one bloody penny!

Spencer said that children born in the country (and therefore with citizenship) may be entitled to some money despite the federal rule. He said he did not know whether parents risk deportation by filling out paperwork requesting money for their legal children.

If this is the case, then virtually every illegal will be able to economically exploit their anchor babies in order to receive some sort of funds. That's the loophole! They deny the invader parents, but open the bank vault to the anchor babies because of the erronious interpretation of our 14th Amendment which granted them citizenship in the first place!

The Federal Government will happily help them relocate, all they need to do is climb aboard the Legalization Bus.

Originally Posted by Bowman

The Federal Government will happily help them relocate, all they need to do is climb aboard the Legalization Bus.

Or, preferably, the Deportation Bus.