Thread: Lake Saint Louis alderman aims to halt hiring illegal immigr

NEW: Lake Saint Louis alderman aims to halt hiring illegal immigrants

Currently no mention of practice in city code


By Jami Cale
Friday, February 8, 2008 10:36 AM CST


New legislation that aims to end the hiring of illegal immigrants in Lake Saint Louis has been proposed to the Board of Aldermen.

Alderman Harry Slyman, Ward 1, posed the issue Monday during a city work session. What he envisions, he later said, is an ordinance requiring developers be questioned on the legality and/or paperwork of their employees when developers file for applications and get licenses to build projects.

Such requirements would at the very least give developers second thoughts about breaking the rules, he said."I do think we owe it to the people, the union and the workforce of our community," Slyman said Monday. "This is a national issue now. I think we can do something on a local basis to help that cause along."

Lake Saint Louis officials wouldn't be the first to do so. Many have pushed the great debate on whether or how to restrict unauthorized aliens from working in communities, including city, county and state officials.

Recent decisions, most of which surfaced after illegal immigrants were found in 2006 and 2007 to be working at construction projects in O'Fallon, include requiring all firms working on projects with state funding to present documentation of workers and submit to random, on-site inspections. Also, tax credit recipients must prove all workers' legal status within 30 days of a state's request by presenting valid I-9 employment eligibility forms.

Companies found to be employing illegal workers could be banned from access to state programs or contracts for five years.

Still, the city of Lake Saint Louis mentions nothing of the topic in its code.

Following the meeting, Slyman said he had dealt with the issue of employing possibly undocumented workers when he chose to build a home. In visiting the property and inquiring about the progress of construction, he found none of the workers understood English. He was told the workers were subcontracted, and the contractor had no control over them, Slyman said.

"It (was) not a big deal, but I see more and more of that going on," he said. "It seems more and more like illegal people are in the workforce doing jobs that, ordinarily, citizens are doing."

Some Lake Saint Louis officials cautioned the legislation might be difficult to enforce.

"You're never going to be able to know," said Mike Pavlakes, chief building inspector for the city. "It's illegal to use drugs, (too), but it happens every day."

And critics of anti-illegal-immigration ordinances have more to complain about. Many argue the laws promote discrimination and violate the constitution.

Slyman isn't worried.

"Baloney. Baloney," he said Wednesday. "It's difficult to enforce if you don't want to enforce itÂ…What ordinances are hard to enforce? Only ones you don't want to be involved with are hard."

Valley Park, a small city 20 miles west of St. Louis, proves it can be done. After a fight that lasted more than a year, a federal judge in St. Louis ruled the suburb has the right to suspend permits of companies that hire illegal immigrants.

Lake Saint Louis officials plan to examine that ordinance when considering one of their own, City Administrator Paul Markworth said. The topic likely will be discussed further during a future work session.

It was unclear Monday where other aldermen stood on the issue. Slyman, however, said it is one he is passionate about - and for good reason.

"I don't want to shortchange the people," he said. "We owe it to the people of the community, the working-class people of the community, to make everything equal as far as the playing field is concerned. The way it is now is not equal."

http://stcharlesjournal.stltoday.com

I believe you could go to the smallest, most remote town in the country and you would find illegal aliens working on construction. I constantly see trucks, vans, cars with Texas, Pa, NC, FL tags....all with ladders on top.