Fernandes pushes illegal immigrant info bill
Thu Nov 29, 2007, 12:31 AM EST

MILFORD, MA: State Rep. John Fernandes, the grandchild of Italian and Portuguese immigrants, says his hometown of Milford has generally embraced cultural diversity.

However, the Milford Democrat says the town's views on illegal immigration have hardened because of the town's - and the state's - growing influx of illegal immigrants and the lack of federal enforcement of immigration laws.

"The question is, how are we going to deal with it? The answer that it is a federal problem is simply not good enough because it helps drive the frustration on the local level," Fernandes said. "If the federal government continues to remain split relative to what we should do on amnesty or deportation, that doesn't solve the problem if that split goes on for years and we can't address these real problems that are happening."

"Over the 55 years of my life I've seen this dramatic change because the (Milford) community is unable to assimilate the population that is coming to it," he testified during a Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities hearing at the State House yesterday. "Laws are not being passed that help with that assimilation."

Fernandes wants to create a commission of legislators and state officials that would investigate the cultural and economic impacts of illegal immigrants in the commonwealth.

The proposed commission would also examine how illegal immigrants influence public safety, business competition and housing throughout the state.

Fernandes was the only person to testify on behalf of the legislation.

"The passage of this legislation doesn't result in one person being deported or one person being granted amnesty," he said. "It's not seeking to do that at all.

"Its intention is to get people talking about the problem, try and get some real facts and data collected as to the extent of the population here illegally, what those impacts are and what solutions ought to be imposed at the state level."

Immigration groups seem to favor the idea. Ali Noorani, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, said the commission would find the state benefits from taxes paid by undocumented workers.

"Each and every resident, regardless of their immigration status, pays into the system, whether it's income taxes, sales taxes or property taxes," Noorani said. "The contributions of undocumented immigrants are real as much as they are important to the future of the commonwealth."

According to estimates by the Pew Hispanic Center, a non-partisan research organization in Washington, D.C., about 150,000-250,000 illegal immigrants live in Massachusetts.

Problems involving illegal immigrants most often involve employment issues, Fernandes said. Illegal workers are unable to receive workers compensation or health benefits if injured.

Illegal workers are also susceptible to exploitation by employers who cheat them out of pay, he added.

"You don't have to be an advocate or opponent of the (illegal) immigration issue to recognize that no matter which side you sit on, there is a legitimate discussion that needs to take place about how to resolve this very serious problem," he said.

The problem also extends to housing. Single-family homes and multi-family units in the area often become de facto rooming houses that exceed normal capacity limits, Fernandes said. The problem had gotten so bad that Milford passed a bylaw in October 2005 requiring inspection of every rental unit to prevent overcrowding.

"What I saw it do was tear apart part of the fabric of our community because people lined up passionately on one side or the other of that bylaw," Fernandes said. "Friends became enemies."

Steve Kropper, co-chairman of the Massachusetts Coalition for Immigration Reform, said local cities and towns bear the brunt of housing and health care costs for illegal immigrants.

"Immigration, both legal and illegal, puts very substantial burdens on local communities," he said.

The proposed commission should identify total illegal immigrant population numbers and how these numbers impact public sectors in communities, Kropper said.

"If we can shine more light I think we would significantly increase concerns about (illegal) immigration," he added.

Milford Police Chief Thomas O'Loughlin estimated the town's illegal immigrant population consists of about 2,000 to 4,000 people, but he says there is no current mechanism to verify these numbers. He also favors Fernandes' plan.

"I think it's going to give, from the perspective of the state and federal governments, a more finite way of saying, 'OK, what are the impacts of illegal immigration?"' O'Loughlin said. "I think what John Fernandes is trying to do is get a handle on what the true impacts are at the ground level."

However, Milford resident and former state Rep. Marie J. Parente said it would take too long for a commission to come up with concrete data. Fernandes filed the bill in January.

"Here it is, already a year old, and the commission has neither been formed nor is any study ongoing," she said.

Parente said immediate action is needed because illegal immigrants don't go through health screening or criminal background checks, allowing them to avoid laws with which documented citizens must comply

"The documented are answerable to the courts, the undocumented are answerable to nobody because there's no paper and on any given day they can change who they are," Parente said.

If Fernandes' bill passes, commission members will have until June 30, 2008, to report their findings.

Regardless of legislative action, Fernandes plans to work with committee co-chairwomen state Sen. Karen Spilka, D-Ashland and state Rep. Cheryl Coakley-Rivera, D-Springfield, and other legislators to generate further support.

"I'll find out more as we move forward through the course of this session," Fernandes said. "But if we do nothing more at this time than draw attention to the question, that's an advancement from where we are today."
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