Thread: Laws aimed at hiring illegal workers drive many to Texas

Feb. 3, 2008, 12:16AM
Laws aimed at hiring illegal workers drive many to Texas
Crackdown in nearby states brings influx


By JAMES PINKERTON
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
Comments (104) Recommend (2)

RESOURCES
Blog: Immigration Chronicles

NEW IMMIGRATION LAWS

A look at recent legislation enacted in other states regarding illegal immigration:

• Oklahoma: The statute, which took effect in November,
makes it a crime to transport, harbor or employ illegal immigrants.

• Arizona: Effective Jan. 1, the law suspends the business license of employers who knowingly hire undocumented workers. On a second offense, the license is revoked.

Illegal immigrants are flowing into Texas across its long borders. But they aren't just swimming across the Rio Grande from Mexico or making dangerous treks through the rugged desert.

Instead, a new rush of illegal immigrants are driving down Interstate 35 from Oklahoma or heading east to Texas from Arizona to flee tough new anti-illegal immigrant laws in those and other states.

Though few numbers are available because illegal residents are difficult to track, community activists say immigrants have arrived in Houston and Dallas in recent months, and they expect hundreds more families to relocate to the Bayou City soon.

''They're really tightening the screws," said Mario Ortiz, an undocumented Mexican worker who came to Houston after leaving Phoenix last year. ''There have been a lot coming — it could be 100 a day."

The growing exodus is the result of dozens of new state and local laws aimed at curbing illegal immigration. The two toughest measures are in Oklahoma and Arizona.

The Oklahoma statute, which took effect in November, makes it a crime to transport, harbor or hire illegal immigrants. Effective Jan. 1, the Arizona law suspends the business license of employers who knowingly hire undocumented workers. On a second offense, the license is revoked.

''It's a wave that's happening across the United States," said Nelson Reyes, executive director of the Central American Resource Center in Houston, which has helped immigrants who recently relocated in Houston from Virginia and South Carolina. ''There is a migration, within the United States, to the states and cities more receptive to the reality of the undocumented immigrant."

So far, results of the new laws have been dramatic.

No restrictive laws here
In Oklahoma, one builder estimated that 30 percent of the Hispanic work force left Tulsa. Reports out of Arizona indicate that several restaurants have closed in Phoenix because of a shortage of workers, and vacancies at apartment complexes are increasing, in part because of departing immigrants.

Experts predict immigrants will flock to Houston and other cities in Texas because of the state's reputation as a welcoming destination.

The construction industry in Texas has largely weathered a national housing slump, they note, adding there is a long tradition of relying on skilled labor from Latin America.

And so far, Texas has not passed any statewide law targeting the employment of undocumented workers.

The Department of Homeland Security estimates that 1.6 million illegal immigrants were in Texas in 2006.

''Texas is still very much an entrepreneurial place, where you can find your place in this economy," said James Hollifield, a Southern Methodist University professor and migration expert. ''It's not an immigrant's paradise, but if you work hard and keep your head down you can get ahead."

Mayra Figueroa, director of American For Everyone, a Houston nonprofit that advocates for labor rights of immigrants, said the strict laws in other states are pushing immigrants to Houston.

''There were a lot of people moving from Houston to Oklahoma, and now they're coming back because they are not able to work," said Figueroa, adding that many of them are Central American refugees. ''I can say hundreds of families are coming to cities like Houston, because of the law."

But the influx of undocumented workers into Texas is not welcomed by everyone. Critics say illegal immigrants are taxing government resources, such as hospital emergency rooms and public schools.

''That is not good," Larry Youngblood, leader of the Houston chapter of the Texas Border Volunteers, said about the new wave of immigrants. ''We've got about 400,000 to 450,000 in Houston already. And obviously they're not all day laborers — not all are criminals — but we don't need more."

''We have to assume they'll bring some wives and kids with them, so therefore our schools will be re-inundated. And traffic will be worse, too."

Labor up, income down
Some of the new residents are working as day laborers in Houston including Oscar Jeovani Fernandez, a 36-year-old Honduran native who left Oklahoma.

He said he is lucky now if he can work two or three days and earn $150 a week — a far cry from his steady job pulling down $600 a week hanging wallboard for a home builder near Tulsa.

''I was working there in September, but they passed a law that allows the local police to act like immigration agents," Fernandez said. ''I came here 25 days after they passed the law — I wasn't going to let them experiment on me."

Ortiz, a native of southern Mexico, said he left Phoenix eight months ago working 60 to 70 hours a week as a nursery worker.

Immigration agents raided his job site, but he evaded arrest.

Now, he's standing on Houston street corners. He said that in a good week he can pick up two or three days of yardwork. He barely earns enough, after paying his rent and food bills, to send money home to his wife and son in Tabasco state.

''Here, they let you work. Over there, they won't. There is a lot of racism, but here there isn't — it's better," Ortiz said of Houston. ''They welcome you here in Texas, because here, they don't do anything to you."

Enrique Hubbard, Mexico's consul general in Dallas, said a dozen Mexican families from Okahoma have applied for consular documents listing their new residences in the Dallas area. He expects more to arrive because jobs are available in North Texas.

''There is opportunity in construction in the housing market in Dallas, so they will move here," he said. ''Perception is very important, and a lot of people see this negative attitude growing so they say, 'Let's look for another place,' particularly if they have relatives and contacts in another place."

Taking their leave
The flight from Oklahoma began the month before the new law known as House Bill 1804 took effect, business leaders in Oklahoma say. In Tulsa, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has estimated that 15,000 to 25,000 illegal immigrants have left the area.

''Thirty percent of our Hispanic labor force left Tulsa — it was a huge hit, and it was almost overnight," said Greg Simmons, owner of Simmons Homes, Tulsa's largest home builder.

Based on his conversations with subcontractors, Simmons said they went to Texas and Kansas or returned to Mexico.

Jose Alfonso, pastor of the Cornerstone Hispanic Church in Tulsa, said 15 percent of the congregation's 425 members have left for Texas or California.

''It's been a very difficult situation for our church and the Hispanic community," said Alfonso, whose church is one of several who are challenging the law in federal court.

Business leaders say local police in Tulsa have mounted a campaign to target immigrants and have deported many after they were arrested for minor traffic offenses.

''I think we swung the pendulum too far; we're hurting people, the immigrant families, and we're going to hurt the economy," said Mike Means, executive vice president of the Oklahoma State Homebuilders Association, which has 3,600 members across the state.

'A tremendous impact'
The effect of the new law can be seen in the many signs advertising rental property vacated by departing immigrants, said David Castillo, the executive director of the Greater Oklahoma City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

''There's been a tremendous impact in Oklahoma City," Castillo said. "We've had several companies close shop and leave the state. Banks have called us and say they're closing 30 accounts per week."

As the implications of laws in other states play out, Hubbard, the Mexican consul from Dallas, doubts many immigrants will go back to Mexico.

'I think they will relocate. They will at least give it one more try," Hubbard said. ''It's very difficult to cross the border, and expensive, too."

james.pinkerton@chron.com
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/hot ... 09022.html

I foresee this happening to Illinois. Numerous of our surrounding states are working on or looking at bills that will combat illegal immigration. As much of a sanctuary state we already are...

"He said he is lucky now if he can work two or three days and earn $150 a week — a far cry from his steady job pulling down $600 a week hanging wallboard for a home builder near Tulsa."

So if he works 10 hrs per day he's making $5 per hr for 3 days. Are there no labor laws in TX or are they just ignored by scumbag employers?

Dallas mayor Tom Leppert was just in Mexico for trade discussions and sent a clear message about the openness of Dallas.
Looks like Dallas will be "The First Stop" for the illegals.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... 48540.html

Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert touts trade pacts with Mexico on trip

4-day trip yields plans for college partnership, hope for more flights

08:57 PM CST on Thursday, January 31, 2008

By DAVE LEVINTHAL / The Dallas Morning News
dlevinthal@dallasnews.com

Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert returned Thursday from Mexico touting several concrete trade agreements born from a four-day mission to Monterrey and Mexico City.

Mr. Leppert said the agreements include a partnership between the UT Southwestern Medical Center and a Monterrey university to help create an M.D./Ph.D. graduate studies program at the Mexican school; a plan for Mexico City to open a trade office in Dallas; and an invitation for Mr. Leppert to deliver a keynote speech before hundreds of businesspeople in Mexico City this fall.

Mr. Leppert added that he's all but certain Mexican President Felipe Calderon will, at Dallas officials' behest, visit Dallas in April.

The mayor, speaking at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport after landing Thursday morning, also expressed confidence the mission would lead to additional commercial flights from Dallas to Mexico.

Several Dallas City Council members, as well as education, medical, airport and business officials, joined Mr. Leppert on the trip – his first international journey on behalf of Dallas since becoming mayor in June.

"In these days, we need to make sure that we are reaching out to the international community," Mr. Leppert said. "All business relationships are built on personal relationships ... and I think we got a lot accomplished, both in the short- and long-term."

After several days of wooing Mexican dignitaries and prospective business partners, delegation members also said they progressed on several less tangible fronts.

Those include promoting Dallas' inland port development along its southeastern city limit and marketing the city as a health-care, education and even tourism destination for Mexicans.

"We want people in Mexico to look at Dallas as a terrific place to visit," Mr. Leppert said.

"And we went down there to build relationships. We went down there to sell Dallas," said Ron Natinsky, the City Council's economic development committee chairman.

Dallas officials said taxpayer dollars primarily funded city officials' travel expenses, while private delegation members paid their own way. Exact costs weren't immediately available.

Rosy Guerra, vice president of marketing for Mary Kay Mexico, said Mr. Leppert's visit served to strengthen relations among Dallas, Monterrey and the state government of Nuevo Leon, which could bring indirect benefits to North Texas, such as more direct flights and more investment.

"Any time you have closer relations between governments and they reach successful agreements, then there are indirect benefits for everyone, such as investment," Ms. Guerra said Thursday.

Monterrey is home to the headquarters for Addison-based Mary Kay's Mexican operations, which have grown 80 percent in the last five years, reaching total retail sales of $400 million.

Mr. Leppert isn't staying put: He's traveling today to Arizona, where he will join other area political and business leaders to observe Super Bowl XLII operations and festivities. Arlington will host the Super Bowl in 2011.

In April, the mayor plans to lead a trade delegation to China.

Staff writer Laurence Iliff in Mexico contributed to this report.

It does little good for one state to get tough on illegal immigration while if the neighboring state is going to be a sanctuary state and aid and abet the illegal invader. The invaders will simply flee to the next sanctuary city and start all over again.

Been posting under this story since yesterday, majority of people completely mad about what illegals are doing.

There will be afew states the are determined to remain Sanctuary States.
Texas is one, along with California and Illinois.
In time, these states will regret it, but by then it will be too late.
I say, "Let it Rain"!

the "safe zone" Oklahoma and Arizona..

I can't see the whole state of Texas as a Sanctuary. A judge just approved the right for local Government to pass the Law if the States don't.
I think that's what will happen in Texas just as it's happening in Missouri right now.

Here's how it should go. As each State or City passes the bill, they'll get their Patriotic colors back.
Mediforiclly speaking.

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-101843.html

SAME

Originally Posted by fedupinwaukegan

I foresee this happening to Illinois. Numerous of our surrounding states are working on or looking at bills that will combat illegal immigration. As much of a sanctuary state we already are...

Illinois want's to remain a Sanctuary State. Elvira was just replaced with another illegal female trying to dodge deportation.
Your Northern and Eastern neighboring states Indiana and Wisconsin are just about ready to pull the rug out from underneath illegals too.
Following in the footsteps of Oklahoma and Arizona are Tennessee, Indiana, Wisconsin, Missouri and Kansas, with many more waiting to hop in line.
Time is a stepping stone.