Thread: Fed up with illegal immigration? Talk to this group

Fed up with illegal immigration? Talk to this group
Goshen group forms out of the members' interest in cracking down on undocumented workers and their employers.
Published: 9/1/2008 12:00:00 AM
Last Updated: 9/1/2008 12:03:07 AM
By: Tim Vandenack |


Caption: Truth Photo By Jennifer Shephard Bob Schrameyer, right, talks with members of the newly formed group Citizens for Immigration Law Enforcement during a planning session Friday, August 29, 2008. The group opposes illegal immigration and formed to lobby for state legislation to crack down on employers who hire illegal immigrants. Jerry Sullivan is at left.

GOSHEN -- First off, they're not against all immigrants, maintains Bob Schrameyer. It's just the illegal ones.

"There's nothing wrong with the immigrants coming and filling the jobs, as long as they're legal," said the Goshen man, leader of Citizens for Immigration Law Enforcement, or CILE, formed to spur stricter enforcement of immigration law.

Moreover, why shouldn't those opposed to illegal immigration here raise their voice?

"We've got the law on our side," explained the retired operator of a truck leasing firm. "They're the ones who are here illegally. They're the ones who broke the law to get here."

Critics of the illegal immigrants living and working in Elkhart County -- many of them lured from Mexico and Central America by factory jobs -- are hardly shrinking violets. Their concerns and gripes regularly seep into conversations in coffee shops, across backyard fences and on the letter-to-the-editor pages here.

Now, though, Schrameyer, Goshen City Councilwoman Dixie Robinson and others fed up with the influx have taken things a step further with formation of CILE, the first organization of its type in the county. Among other things, group members seek new state legislation cracking down on businesses that employ undocumented immigrants.

"We have thousands of people here in Elkhart and St. Joe counties who are unemployed and can't get work and illegals are working," said Robinson, elected to the Goshen council last year, in part on her stance on the immigration issue.

Beyond that, they want to give foes of illegal immigration a voice. Robinson says such critics are frequently hesitant about speaking out for fear of being labeled racist.

"My stance is if you're illegal, you're illegal," said Robinson. "This isn't anything about being racist, prejudiced."

'SICK AND TIRED'

Involvement in the immigration issue and political matters in general wasn't always a given for some CILE members. The continued arrival of immigrants here and the changes they wrought, however, have just been too much to take, doubly so now with the U.S. economy on the skids and the increasing number of layoffs.

Schrameyer sees the undocumented immigrants as "thumbing their nose" at law enforcement, complains they don't pay their share of income taxes and gripes about other cultural intrusions brought on by their presence. "The community is damn sick and tired of pressing one for English," he said.

Moreover, he tires of talk of "diversity," that is, the notion touted by immigrant defenders that the food, customs and other markers of the newcomers' home countries enhance the local culture.

"Everybody talks about diversity. That's the stupidest thing in the world," said Schrameyer. "Multiculturalism is the stupidest thing in America. It should be unification, not diversification."

Such strong talk notwithstanding, Robinson said CILE's aim isn't to be "nasty." Rather, group members envision seeking enforcement of existing law that they say is ignored and pushing for new state legislation requiring employers to be more stringent in checking their workers' migratory status. They'll also be pressing local candidates for office on their immigration views.

Maybe such efforts will lead illegal immigrants, seeing their job opportunities wither, to self-deport, Schrameyer hopes.

At any rate, Robinson maintains that something has to be done. In Goshen's earlier days, when the influx of Hispanic newcomers wasn't so strong, they could more easily be integrated into the community.

"But when you have them (entering) in these numbers ... and they're illegal, it's just not working," she said.
http://www.etruth.com:80/Know/News/Story.aspx?ID=460603

How many jobs are there in the USA???

How many poor people are there that will come here to get work??


Let me guess. There are probably 25 million unskilled and semi-skilled jobs here. There are probably some 500 million poor people in Mexico, Central America, South America, Caribbean, Somalia, etc.

So here is my solution. Let everyone that wants to come here, come. But do not give them those jobs. Make them the middle and top level managers of those companies that hire illegals. Make them the judges and lawyers who are currently in place. In other words, let's shake the cages of all those who are secure in life and make greater profits through lower wages. Do away with public welfare for any who are not citizens and require churches to support the illegals. Each family in America is to be surveyed and those in favor of annesty will be taxed according to the estimated burden on our system. Those opposed will pay only the minimum tax. Churches will pay taxes too. I like it.
No American will be allowed to work on the stage or in movies for the next 10 years. Only Immigrants (illegal) will direct, film act and produce them. All homes of wealthy people will be appraised and they must sell them to illegals at apprasied price.
Immigration attorneys will be seated in the Judges seats of America.

I realize this is foolish talk, but it feels good. I really believe that most of the bleeding hearts in America are either safe from the impact of illegal immigration or do not have a clue as to the enormity of the changes and harm that will follow.

See this post on comparison of Goshen, Indiana to Fremont, Nebraska

http://nebraskaobserver.wordpress.com/2 ... hispanics/

You can contact CILE at:

citizensforlaw@comcast.net