Minnesota's illegal workers in the spotlight
Illegal workers do more than cost public money, they say; they also pay taxes, spend money and provide a vital workforce.
Jean Hopfensperger and Heron Marquez Estrada, Star Tribune
Last update: December 9, 2005 at 11:49 PM


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Ramon Leon was 24 years old when he slipped across the Mexican border into California in 1987. Four years later he headed to Minnesota, landing a job as a dishwasher the day he arrived.

Leon later became an upholsterer, small-business owner and founding president of the popular Mercado Central cooperative, which has helped revitalize a Lake Street business district in Minneapolis. Today Leon heads a Latino economic development group and is a sought-after speaker around the country.

When Leon arrived, however, he was an illegal visitor to the United States. The cost of undocumented immigrants in Minnesota was spotlighted in a report by Gov. Tim Pawlenty's office this week.

While most illegal immigrants will not be as successful as Leon, the vast majority work, pay taxes and buy Minnesota goods, he said.

"We know that we might cause some expenses, but we know the economic impact is great," he said. "Just in Minneapolis, we [the Latino community] have $300 million in buying power. At least 24 Minnesota counties have populations of Latinos with buying power of more than $10 million."

Undocumented workers are all part of this equation, said Leon, who was an undocumented worker for 13 years and is now a U.S. citizen.

The governor's report estimated that illegal immigrants cost Minnesota up to $188 million a year. The vast majority of the money was spent educating about 17,000 children of illegal immigrants. The report concluded that rising illegal immigration posed "financial and social challenges" that policy makers would eventually have to confront.

The governor's report offers little information on who these illegal immigrants are. Here is what is clear:

Numbers: Between 55,000 and 85,000 people, according to the Urban Institute, a Washington think tank that was a key source in the governor's report. This was not a direct count, but an extrapolation based on numbers of legal immigrants.

Where they're from: Most are Latinos, from Mexico in particular, said state demographer Tom Gillaspy. Within Mexico, there's been a steady stream from the state of Morelos, said Leon.

Age: Most are men in their early 20s when they arrive here, typically without wives or children, said Minnesotans familiar with undocumented workers. Many plan to stay a few years, then return home. Many don't, however, largely because they fear they couldn't get back into the United States.

Where they live: Illegal immigrants tend to live in the same neighborhoods as legal immigrants. That includes urban neighborhoods, first-ring suburbs and outstate Minnesota communities with large meat-processing plants.

Where they work: More than 1,000 Minnesota firms were sanctioned by federal immigration officials for hiring illegal workers in the 1990s, according to Bruce Corrie, a Concordia University professor who drew information from the Center for Immigration Studies database. The workplaces ranged from Valleyfair amusement park in Shakopee to Tony Downs Food processing in St. James to an Arby's in Eagan. "I even saw the State of Minnesota somewhere," Corrie said, referring to the list.

Meet Ignacio

Ignacio, whose last name is being withheld because of his immigration status, is typical of many illegal immigrants. He came to the United States in 1993, entering through California. He moved to New Jersey and then to Minnesota, after hearing the job market was good.

Ignacio worked on and off for temporary employment firms and now works at a bakery. In the meantime, he met his wife and they had two children -- one of whom is attending a public school in the Twin Cities area and whose cost of education is considered in the governor's report.

Although the Mexican native has been paying income taxes for more than a decade, he generally has not filed for a tax refund. It's a point noted in the governor's report, and one stressed by immigration advocates: namely, that illegal immigrants often pay income taxes and Social Security taxes but get no benefits.

Like most illegal immigrants, Ignacio didn't come to the United States with plans to stay indefinitely. And he never singled out Minnesota, with its frigid weather, as his top destination. But it became home and a good place to raise a family.

"All of us are here to help our families," said his wife, as their toddler played at her feet. "We came here because my country was too poor. We do well for the companies that we work for."

In fact, immigration experts argue that many Minnesota industries would be reeling without the pool of illegal workers who take a lot of the unpleasant, low-paying jobs that are typically tough to fill. That's especially true in meat-packing industries, they said

"Sometimes entire towns rely on these meat-packing companies; the towns would disappear without them," said Leon.

"We call them illegal, but one of the first things we do is give them a tax number," added Corrie. "If they [undocumented immigrants] just walked out of Minnesota, it would be like a couple of tornadoes hitting us.

"They are subsidizing our lifestyles in Minnesota," he said. "Whether we're putting on a new roof, getting a floor installed, enjoying a turkey at Thanksgiving."

Corrie and other immigration researchers in the Twin Cities said they hoped the governor's office would sponsor another report looking at both the costs and benefits of illegal immigration. Said Corrie: "We have to look at the whole picture; otherwise we'll just be tilting at windmills."


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