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  1. #1
    Senior Member cvangel's Avatar
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    Ark. Hispanics gained new voice in difficult times

    Ark. Hispanics gained new voice in difficult times

    By JON GAMBRELL
    Sunday, December 28, 2008 5:46 PM CST

    LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Hispanic immigrants in Arkansas gained a new protector in an outspoken Catholic bishop in 2008, as immigration raids, an economy in recession and political scrutiny slowed one of the nation's fastest growing Latino populations.

    Bishop Anthony B. Taylor became head of the Diocese of Little Rock in April, which oversees all of Arkansas' 116,000 parishioners. Pope Benedict XVI's selection of the Oklahoma priest showed a new attention to the Hispanic community, which represents 55 percent of all parishioners in the state.

    Taylor, who previously signed a letter of protest against Oklahoma laws aimed at illegal immigration, issued his first pastoral letter in November to say people have a "God-given right to immigrate."

    "We cannot participate in an act of injustice," Taylor told reporters at the time. "People say, 'There's a law here,' but don't understand that law is an unjust law and people are prevented from exercising their God-given human rights."

    Taylor's statements contrast with others in state government including Gov. Mike Beebe, who routinely says "illegal means illegal" when it comes to immigration. However, Beebe came out against a failed ballot measure seeking to deny illegal immigrants some state benefits, saying much of it already was in state law.

    That wasn't the case. Both the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and the University of Central Arkansas in Conway allowed students to receive in-state tuition even if they couldn't provide Social Security numbers. After an Associated Press story questioned the governor's stance, the state's higher education chief immediately ordered all two- and four-year colleges and universities to verify potential students' immigration status.

    Immigration also remained a focus of law enforcement during the year. Arkansas State Police reached an agreement with federal agents to train troopers on how to examine and detect forged identity documents carried by suspected illegal immigrants. Police agencies in northwest Arkansas continued to enforce some federal immigration laws under a new program.

    The immigration arrest that brought the most attention to the region was that of Adriana Torres-Flores, arrested for selling pirated CDs. She spent four days in March without food or water in a Washington County Courthouse jail cell after being forgotten inside. Charges against Torres-Flores were eventually dropped.

    The Mexican Consulate in Little Rock, which condemned the incident, served other immigrants during the year. The diplomatic outpost now has 21 employees, who can handle about 300 requests a day for those seeking matricular consular identity cards, passports, legal help and birth certificates.

    The consulate also provided legal services to those arrested in several immigration raids conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the year. Agents arrested 24 men in a raid on a construction site near Little Rock National Airport in April, while another 18 were arrested earlier in the month at a Pilgrim's Pride plant in Batesville. In July, agents arrested 13 suspected illegal immigrants during a raid at a North Little Rock boat manufacturer.

    Still, poultry plants and construction sites in the state's northwest corner drew immigrants to Benton and Washington counties. U.S. Census Bureau statistics showed Arkansas with more than 150,000 Hispanics living within its borders, up from 1990, when estimates showed only 19,876 lived in the state.

    That population faced new struggles as feed prices and economic pressures led to poultry plants cutting back hours or simply shutting down. A collapse in the nation's mortgage market also stalled home sales, meaning fewer jobs putting up drywall or framing houses.

    Immigration slowed, but didn't stall, said Steve Striffler, an anthropology professor at the University of New Orleans.

    "Overall, I think it's still relatively immigrant-friendly, not so much in terms of the laws or the reception of folks, but I think the economy relative to other places is not that bad," Striffler told the AP in October. "Certainly, construction is just being hit everywhere in the U.S. right now, so we're not alone."

    That could change if Arkansas passes illegal immigration laws similar to those already in place in Oklahoma. Lawmakers have acknowledged the issue will come up in the 2009 legislative session, though no proposed bills have been filed. If they come, a debate thus far largely avoided by state politicians will reach the marble steps of the state Capitol, as will Taylor and other advocates for some of the state's newest residents.

    On the Net:

    Diocese of Little Rock: http://dolr.org/

    Mexican Consulate in Little Rock: http://portal.sre.gob.mx/littlerock

    A service of the Associated Press(AP)
    http://www.pbcommercial.com/articles/20 ... btv981.txt

  2. #2
    Senior Member agrneydgrl's Avatar
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    Why is it that it is mostly Catholic priests that want illegal aliens to have a free pass?

  3. #3

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    More Alter Boys.. ?? or maybe because the Illegal's are mostly Catholic and the Church needs more Tax free money it has nothng to do with compassion. The Church is as Greedy as the Elite Corprate Giants in The U.S.

  4. #4
    Senior Member SOSADFORUS's Avatar
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    The Catholic church would love to have open borders and just let everyone who wants to come to just walk right in...well it won't work being so close to so many 3rd world countries.....and the first thing that would have to be done is to stop all socialist programs...a tuition would have to be paid for even grade school, anyone who can not see what illlegal immigration is doing and open borders would do is just plain stupid and should not be leading or teaching anything.
    Please support ALIPAC's fight to save American Jobs & Lives from illegal immigration by joining our free Activists E-Mail Alerts (CLICK HERE)

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