Thread: FL: Economic crisis, illegal immigration crackdown spurs exo

Economic crisis, illegal immigration crackdown spurs exodus
By Alexia Campbell and Georgia East

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

November 16, 2008

Pompano Beach

Every morning, Vanderlei stands for five hours outside a Brazilian bakery waiting for construction work. It's slim pickings these days. Just last week, he went four days without one offer.

During the real estate boom, Vanderlei, and nearly 100 other Brazilian day laborers like him, could count on contractors picking them up for work on a daily basis. Some made as much as $100 a day. But the jobs have dried up. Many of the laborers who would wait in this plaza have given up and gone back to their homelands.

"It's a big sacrifice to be here and not be making any money," said Vanderlei, whose full name is not being used because of his undocumented status. "The first time I came here it was good, now it's tragic."

Vanderlei is giving up. He plans to return to Brazil in December.

The economic crisis, coupled with a crackdown on illegal immigration, has prompted many immigrants without legal status to leave. Even legal residents, including those with American citizenship, are returning home to parts of Latin America and the Caribbean, consular officials and community leaders said. Their goal: higher-paying jobs or to start new business ventures.

While it's hard to pin down how many have left, there are several signs of the impact. The number of foreign-born students in Broward County public schools has dropped by about 5,000 in the past three years. Enrollment in English as a second language classes has also gone down, and immigrants living here are sending less cash back home. Remittances to Latin America and the Caribbean are expected to fall by 1.7 percent from 2007, after inflation is counted — a loss of $1 billion dollars.Increasing reports of an immigrant exodus has prompted the Migration Policy Institute in Washington, D.C., to start a study of its magnitude and causes, said Senior Vice President Michael Fix.

One of the challenges is determining how many are leaving, experts said; most go uncounted in official data. But thousands have returned to Governador Valadares, Brazil. The strengthening Brazilian currency and weakening U.S. dollar has a lot to do with it, said Raimundo Santana, of the Association of Relatives and Friends of Brazilian Emigrants, based in Brazil.

Undocumented workers were the first to return after the real estate market crash in the United States, he said. Now, those with legal status are joining them.

"These are people who had businesses and started to feel the recession," said Santana, whose group provides support to families with loved ones overseas. "They've returned and are looking for any opportunity."

Santana estimates that 3,000 people returned to Governador Valadares within the last year. He expects twice as many to come back by early next year.

The Jamaica Consulate Office, in Miami, is also getting more calls from people wanting to know more about the process of moving back, said information officer Cheryl Wynters.

"Usually by the time they call us, they've made up their minds and they're going," she said.

At C.D. Alexander Realty, in Jamaica, general manager Joy Roberts said most home sales in October involved people planning to return to the island.

"The trend really began about a year ago, but since the crisis in the States we've seen a lot more business from foreign nationals," she said.

As a result, Roberts said the agency is now advertising their properties mostly in U.S. locations with a large Caribbean community, like South Florida.

But the economy is not the only factor.

Hispanics are feeling the effects of stepped up immigration enforcement, according to a Pew Hispanic Center study. More than half of all Hispanics surveyed said they worry that a loved one could be deported. A growing number said their immigration status was making it even more difficult to find a job.

Claudia Ceballos, who teaches English as a second language in West Palm Beach, used to have about 50 students in her classes, most from Latin America. Enrollment fell to about 20 since midsummer.

"Right now they don't have jobs and some have immigration looking for them, so they're leaving," said Ceballos, who teaches at Vickers House South.

Others are still debating whether to stay or go. Ivan, 54, an undocumented immigrant who lives in Pompano Beach, said if construction doesn't pick up in the next few months, he'll return to Brazil.

"We'll see if it gets any better," he said.

www.sun-sentinel.com

Economic crisis, illegal immigration crackdown spurs exodus
By Alexia Campbell and Georgia East


The economic crisis, coupled with a crackdown on illegal immigration, has prompted many immigrants without legal status to leave. Even legal residents, including those with American citizenship, are returning home to parts of Latin America and the Caribbean, consular officials and community leaders said. Their goal: higher-paying jobs or to start new business ventures.

Well there you go Mexico and Latin America, legal immigrants with money will be coming back to Latin America to create jobs for all the illegals who are also coming back.

So stop trying to get amnesty passed and instead welcome the prosperity all your returning citizens will bring!!

Why do these reporters always start out with these sob story anecdotes. Don't they know that the 10 million unemployed American workers could care less if Vanderlei goes four days without work.

I am just glad to see the ILLEGALS head back home where they belong. Tired of their SOB STORIES!

BUT , I still see all Mexicans or South of the border persons working an all these construction places going on in Guilford and Rockingham counties even as MANY AMERICANS are loosing their jobs! That has got to STOP!

What gets me is that they say they are going to come back in January as they obviously expect amnesty. Alos we have a law that illegals are not allowed to own proprty but it was never enforced. That is partly why we have so many losing homes. I would really like to be able to see stats on how many in foreclosure are illegals. We have units that were owned by people who were deported in both my condo building and in the complex.

But I thought they came here for a better way of life, an education for their children, opportunity. Articles like this only prove they're here for the money.

I hope this will really cut our taxes as they are really high now and the state has deificits. It would be interesting to see how much it would save the counties and the state.