Thread: Immigration debate rages in Palm Bay

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/loc ... 6726.story

Immigration debate rages in Palm Bay

Victor Manuel Ramos
Sentinel Staff Writer

June 23, 2006

A Palm Bay councilman has pushed his city into the national debate over illegal immigration by proposing to punish employers who hire unauthorized workers.

Councilman Andy Anderson said he is tired of waiting for Congress to find a solution to illegal immigration, as mostly Mexican immigrants trickle into his community seeking construction jobs.

"It's a building problem," Anderson said. "I am disappointed because of the inaction. Regardless of which side of the issue anybody is on, whether it's amnesty or legalization, I think we need to do something."

The proposed ordinance says that illegal immigrants create "an unfair business practice" by working for lower wages. It would impose fines of up to $200 per violation by businesses. Repeat offenders could be banned from work in the city.

Council members for the city of more than 80,000 in south Brevard County could vote on the measure next month. Already, some are questioning the merits of the proposal.

Mayor John Mazziotti remains skeptical. He said city officials are elected to deal with more immediate issues and should not use taxpayers' money to enforce federal laws.

"We have to deal with growth, transportation, drainage and utilities. Not immigration," Mazziotti said.

Palm Bay appears to be the first Florida city to contemplate such a law. Across the country, several city and state governments have considered local laws targeted at illegal immigrants, said Susan Wysoki, a spokeswoman with the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a Washington group that favors immigration restrictions.

"These proposals seem to be popping up all over the country," Wysoki said. "Cities and localities want to make sure that immigration law is enforced."

Congress is still at an impasse over the issue, with bills in the Senate and House that take different approaches. The House, which favors stricter enforcement, is holding public forums before it negotiates with Senate leaders -- possibly delaying the matter beyond this year.

Barbara Gonzalez, a spokeswoman for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement branch of the Department of Homeland Security in Miami, said the agency enforces immigration and customs law in Palm Bay and elsewhere by focusing mostly "on national security and public safety threats."

It's unclear, though, how many immigrants work illegally in Palm Bay. Of the 500,000 residents in the metro area that includes Palm Bay, Melbourne and Titusville, roughly 29,000 are Hispanics, latest figures show. Of those, 57 percent are U.S. citizens from Puerto Rico. Mexicans only account for 5 percent of all Hispanics in the Brevard area, according to those 2004 Census Bureau estimates.

However, most residents in the neighboring Indian River County community of Fellsmere are Hispanics of Mexican descent. Many cross the county line to seek work in Palm Bay, city officials said

Yolanda Gomez, an immigrants activist in Fellsmere, said Palm Bay's focus on illegal immigration is "absurd," because the city needs the workers to take on jobs that would go unfilled.

"How is it possible that American citizens would be at a disadvantage with us if they have their documents? They can get a drivers license and Social Security benefits," said Gomez, who used to be an undocumented immigrant. "The only reason some American citizens do not do well in this country is that they are not willing to work for it."

The proposal has also upset leaders in the area's construction industry, which feels unfairly targeted.

"We are not law enforcement, and it shouldn't be our job to enforce immigration laws," said Steve Fields, an area builder for nearly 30 years. "I don't think the people who came in the Mayflower had passports, so we need to acknowledge their presence and the fact that we need them here."

Franck Kaiser, executive vice president and CEO of the Home Builders and Contractors Association of Brevard, said the organization opposes the city's proposal.

Most of the 800 construction companies throughout the county employ immigrant labor, Kaiser said, but they don't know which immigrants are telling the truth about their status and which are using fake papers. Putting the burden on businesses, he said, will just hurt the local economy.

"It certainly seems unreasonable," Kaiser said. "I think [City Council members] are outside of their area of authority and they are talking about putting a lot of people out of business and possibly leaving people out of the homes they are waiting for."

In nearby Fellsmere, immigrants were concerned enough about the ordinance that they held a community meeting last week to discuss it.

Gomez said that if the city takes it upon itself to enforce immigration, its businesses could expect a slowdown, as many of those Fellsmere residents would stay away from Palm Bay.

Victor Manuel Ramos can be reached at vramos@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-6186.

I beg of you please to email Andy Anderson your support. This is the fist elected official in Florida to stand up and try and do anything. I wish I lived in this community but I do not, I am 2 counties south.

His email address: seat4@palmbayflorida.org

Can email the entire city council and mayor at: citycouncil@palmbayflorida.org

BUMP! There is a message forum for the newpaper you can leave coments at. Please do.

Will do, dlm. You are so right. If people around the country want to save their own cities and towns we need for them to join in and help us support these courageous leaders such as Andy Anderson in Palm Bay, Florida.

Americans around the country should try to understand how hard and difficult is for these people, especially in states such as Florida where the voices of the American people have been almost completely silenced in the name of political correctness which has almost turned into an atmosphere of hopelessness for the American citizen living in certain places in Florida...mostly South Florida, but obviously this has clearly worked its way north in this state.

Thank you dlm. We will show our support to Andy Anderson, an outstanding and courageous city councilman !!

Thank you for making it so easy for us by providing his email address and even a link.