Thread: Latinos Rattled by Ohio Sheriff's Mission

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... Id=5478989

Latinos Rattled by Ohio Sheriff's Mission
by Jennifer Ludden


All Things Considered, June 19, 2006 · Local authorities across the country complain that they bear the financial burden of illegal immigration, yet they lack the power to enforce immigration law. In Butler County, Ohio, Sheriff Richard Jones is on a mission to tackle the problem. And he's frightening the local Hispanic population.

Jones' hero is John Wayne; a near life-sized poster of the actor hangs next to his desk. With a similar swagger, Jones is on a mission to prod, cajole, even shame federal officials into action. In the parking area outside the county jail, two new signs proclaim "Illegal Aliens Here," with an arrow pointing inside.

"It's a big, bright yellow sign, and it's to let people know in our community that there are illegals here, and it is a problem, and we want some help," Jones says.

Jones says it costs his county thousands of dollars a month to jail lawbreakers who also happen to be illegal immigrants. He has billed the federal government for the incarceration costs -- $150,000 since last October -- though he doesn't expect to see any reimbursement checks.

Eye on Employers

More recently, the sheriff began targeting businesses. On six billboards across the county, Jones has plastered his own image, arms crossed over chest, reminding employers that it's illegal to hire undocumented workers. He says the signs are generating tips from the public. On his blog, Jones warns companies, "You know who you are, and we're coming."

"If you engage in an underground economy and you think that we don't know about it, we'll be visiting you," Jones says.

Jones won't reveal which businesses he's visited; a spokesman says they're considered "uncharged suspects." But in fact, Jones couldn't charge the companies if he wanted to -- at least not with hiring illegal workers. That's a federal responsibility. Critics say the sheriff is overstepping his bounds, just as they say he did a few weeks ago, when his officers detained 18 Hispanic workers at a construction site.

"If you're going to hold anybody, you've got to have the charges," says Greg Palmore with the regional office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.

He says Jones picked up the workers after someone reported a disturbance at the worksite. But exactly what happened was sketchy, and Jones had no actual charges to hold them on. He called ICE, but the agency declined to come for the men. For Jones, it was one more frustrating example of federal failure. For Palmore, the agency's course of action was clear.


"If two simultaneous calls came in -- one that was national security, and the other being an undocumented immigrant that poses no significant public safety threat -- you can surmise exactly where we'll put our resources," Palmore says.


Rising Fear

It might seem as if Jones' campaign against illegal immigration isn't having much impact -- that is, until you head across town to an area locals call Little Mexico. Residents say the area has been revitalized by immigrants from Mexico, but as I visit, the streets are mostly empty, and in a 20-minute period, four police cars go by.

"I've heard about what is happening with the new laws and, honestly, I'm scared because we don't have our papers," says Alejandra, a Hispanic woman pushing her toddler son down the street in a stroller.

She has just come from collecting clothes at a church and looks as if she can't get home fast enough. As she speaks, her eyes dart all around. Alejandra says she tries to stay off the streets as much as possible these days. Her husband has a job in a factory, but they're so worried that they, too, might be arrested by the sheriff that they just might give up on life in the United States.

"In two, three months, we might go back to Mexico and not come back again," Alejandra says. "I even have a brother-in-law, his company has told him he has one more month and then there will be no more work for him. So we're going to have to go."

A Community in Hiding

The police cars that cruise by Little Mexico aren't from Sheriff Jones' office but from the city of Hamilton, whose police force is trying to improve relations with the Hispanic community. But that effort seems undermined by Jones' campaign against illegal immigrants.

Lourdes de Leon, co-owner of Taqueria Mercado, says friendly police officers used to be regulars at her Mexican restaurant, in part to make the community more comfortable with them. But she recently asked them to stop coming. Their presence was scaring customers away.

Today, if a crime happened, de Leon is sure most Hispanics would be too scared to call the police. Even without officers around, she points to plenty of empty tables. Over the past month or so, business is down by more than one-third, she says.

De Leon is a U.S. citizen, but she understands her customers' fears.

"Me myself, you know, I'm afraid," de Leon says. She worries the sheriff might target her business "even if I'm doing nothing wrong."

I say if they are scared they are getting the message that illegal alien law breakers are not welcome in this country. Hopefully this family will go home. Fewer taxpayer dollars subsidizing fewer parasites. Adios munchachos!!!!!! Via condios!!!!! Hasta Lavista babyyyyyy!!!!!!!!

De Leon's customers are all illegals.

But she recently asked them to stop coming. Their presence was scaring customers away.

I've noticed a lot of our Mexican Food restaurants are not doing a lot of business either. Seems like the Americans are letting them go under. Many of them closed for May 1st and we turned against them. You wanted to economically impact us so what goes around comes around.

Good to hear they are making plans to go home. I can't wait for them to start heading south!

Dixie

"If two simultaneous calls came in -- one that was national security, and the other being an undocumented immigrant that poses no significant public safety threat -- you can surmise exactly where we'll put our resources," Palmore says.

Likely excuse! ICE needs to start responding to local police calls to pick up All illegal immigrants for deportation! The American public is getting sick and tired of them turning the other cheek when it comes to law enforcement.

"If two simultaneous calls came in -- one that was national security, and the other being an undocumented immigrant that poses no significant public safety threat -- you can surmise exactly where we'll put our resources," Palmore says.

Typical ICE dribble. And how does this person know that any illegal in question is exclusively one or the other - the person could potentially BE BOTH.

Dixie: Yeah, I've noticed similar 'scaling down' in some local businesses in my neck of the woods (OR) here too. Not only have some restaurants quieted down some, I've noticed the local (usually the smaller independents) landscaping companies no longer have their magnetic company placard signs pasted all over their vehicles too! The operative word must be 'obfuscation' .

Keep up the great work (I'm a newbie around here) - I like ALIPAC a lot.

"In two, three months, we might go back to Mexico and not come back again," Alejandra says. "I even have a brother-in-law, his company has told him he has one more month and then there will be no more work for him. So we're going to have to go."

Proves it. Cracking down on employers works. They will go home on their own.

If two simultaneous calls came in -- one that was national security, and the other being an undocumented immigrant that poses no significant public safety threat -- you can surmise exactly where we'll put our resources," Palmore says.

So, is he saying that's what happened, that they also recieved a call of national security at the same moment the Sheriff called them? I think not. All we get are excuses from these people. If they can't/won't do the job, what do we need them for.

Email them!!!

I am starting to email everyone that has a fuzzy tear jerking story about ILLEGALS!!!

"If two simultaneous calls came in -- one that was national security, and the other being an undocumented immigrant that poses no significant public safety threat -- you can surmise exactly where we'll put our resources," Palmore says."

That sounds reasonable, but what exactly was the reason they did not respond the day the sheriff called recently. Tough sounding dribble as usual.

You can tell more about a person from what they do than what they say. Talk is cheap.

Trouble

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