Forum Seeks to "Educate" on Immigration (Sure!)

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http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/index ... s_id=52784


Forum seeks to educate, enlighten on immigration
By Jared Allen, jallen@nashvillecitypaper.com
October 18, 2006

While the Metro Council was considering various bills packaged as immigration reform, about 200 people gathered on the opposite of town to hear immigration facts.

In what was billed as a night free of politics or emotions, local leaders and community activists held a forum to educate the public about immigration, and to dispel many of the myths they believe are poisoning much of the debate about an important topic.

“Immigration is an issue that already has contradictions embedded in the dialogue,” Katharine Donato, a sociology professor at Vanderbilt University and an expert on immigration patterns, told the audience.

“And it’s a very complex issue,” she said. “So while people might understand some piece or pieces of it, most don’t understand the whole process.”

Donato walked the audience through the history of immigration across the country and in Tennessee, a state that she said is a “new destination state.”

In addition, she also listed many of the “often overlooked attributes” of immigrants.

Donato noted that most immigrants to the United States are young and of working age. She also cited a statistic showing a greater percentage of foreign-born workers active in the labor market – 76 percent – than of U.S. born workers – 68 percent.“We also often forget that most immigrants are currently married and live in families,” she said, adding that the rate of marriage among immigrants is 10 percent higher than that of U.S. born persons.

Tom Negri, general manager of the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel, also sought to correct a prevailing sentiment he said is prevalent.

“We hear all the time that we have no idea where all these undocumented workers are,” Negri said. “But 75-85 percent of undocumented workers are legally employed through the I-9 [federal immigration] process and paying taxes... which means the Social Security Administration knows where they work and has home addresses on them.”Stephen Fotopulos, the policy director for the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, said he was encouraged by the dialogue and hoped to hear more of it among the community.

“Rather than spend all our time on rhetorical questions, like ‘What don’t you understand about illegal?” Fotopulos said. “Because the truth is there is much misunderstood about illegal immigration.”

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“We hear all the time that we have no idea where all these undocumented workers are,” Negri said. “But 75-85 percent of undocumented workers are legally employed through the I-9 [federal immigration] process and paying taxes... which means the Social Security Administration knows where they work and has home addresses on them.”Stephen Fotopulos, the policy director for the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, said he was encouraged by the dialogue and hoped to hear more of it among the community.

“Rather than spend all our time on rhetorical questions, like ‘What don’t you understand about illegal?” Fotopulos said. “Because the truth is there is much misunderstood about illegal immigration.”

Lies. lies and more lies. The reporter for this article probably is afraid of losing his newspaper job if his pot-smoking pony-tailed news boss doesn't get his daily quota of knee-jerk Liberal propaganda from him.

What evil, Orwellian, disgusting swill. This is the same type of "double speak" that prevailed in the old Soviet Union.

Employed "legally" through the I-9 process? Not true.

A Lie.

Social Security Administration knows their "home addresses"?

Lie!

Did these undocumented workers just happen to lose their I-9 paperwork?


GOD I HATE THESE PEOPLE!

[loservillelabor]

katharine.donato@vanderbilt.edu

Anne Stephany, public relations manager, (619) 424-4416 or e-mail astephany@loewshotels.com

Stephen Fotopulos, at stephen@tnimmigrant.org

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“We hear all the time that we have no idea where all these undocumented workers are,” Negri said. “But 75-85 percent of undocumented workers are legally employed through the I-9 [federal immigration] process and paying taxes... which means the Social Security Administration knows where they work and has home addresses on them.

This man couldn't be anymore ignorant. An I-9 is supposed to be filled out on ALL employees. It's merely a document to show you are AUTHORIZED to work in the US. It is NOT filed with the govt. It's kept on record by the employer. It must be presented if Immigration shows up. You must show proof on the I-9 that you are LEGAL. The I-9 has NOTHING to do with paying taxes.

He is probably thinking of the ITIN (Individual Taxpayer ID Number), but then again, you have to prove you are LEGALLY authorized to work. A W-7 form is filed to get a ITIN. You cannot have a ITIN and a SSN. The ITIN is a number for tax-use only. It cannot be used for any other purpose.

So much for these people "educating" us on the facts.