Ga. police address immigration concerns

Perla Trevizo
The Chattanooga Times Free Press

DALTON Ga. — Some Dalton residents continue to express their concerns on how immigration laws are enforced in their community.

"Why can't they (the police or immigration officers) conduct raids on the job or do road blocks to ask about immigration status?" Jan Pourquoi asked.

"They should put all illegals in prison, their presence itself is illegal. I came here in 1987 (from Belgium) legally, why can't they do the same?" Mr. Pourquoi asked during the third of a series of immigration forums hosted by the Dalton Police Department.

Police Chief James Chadwick said the purpose of the forums is to provide citizens information on how laws are enforced, and to clarify perceptions and misinformation concerning immigration.

Though several residents expressed concerns on what local law enforcement is currently doing in regards to illegal immigration, Chief Chadwick said the department is doing its best.

"Unfortunately the best you can do is sometimes not enough," Chief Chadwick said. "But, it doesn't mean we are going to stop what we're doing right now, which is doing the best we can with the tools we've been given."

Mayra Salguero, who migrated from Guatemala 21 years ago, said some of the people who spoke out against immigration during the forum don't understand the positive contributions immigrants bring to the community.

"Not all immigrants commit crimes. There are lots of families who just come to work," she said, speaking in

Spanish. "If all illegal immigrants go home like one of them said, who would do their jobs"

But Mary Murillo, who said she's been married to a Mexican immigrant for almost 20 years and worked with people from several Latin American countries, said this is the first year Dalton doesn't have any jobs.

"I have a 30-year-old son who can't find a job; I know a lot of companies who don't even ask for an ID when they hire, especially for temporary jobs. There's illegal people who make more than I do, and I can't leave my current job because I couldn't find any other job," she said.

Ms. Murillo said she doesn't consider herself to be biased.

"I've been to Mexico a couple of times and know how the situation is over there, but I wish they would do it the right way," she said about immigration.

And she said she wished the local government did more to enforce the law.

Chief Chadwick said he understood the residents' emotions and frustrations, but things are not as easy as they think.

"A lot of the people here think it should be very simple. If you are here in this country illegally, then you should leave," he said. "But, they don't understand the process."

Copyright 2007 The Chattanooga Times Free Press

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