Thread: Most say they wouldn't hire illegal immigrants

Published: 04.01.2007

Most say they wouldn't hire illegal immigrants
By Stephanie Innes
ARIZONA DAILY STAR

The yard is a mess and there's a good, cheap worker to clean it. The problem: The prospective hire is an illegal immigrant. What do you do?
Most of the 5,150 adults who took the Arizona Daily Star's Choices survey said they wouldn't hire the worker.

The reasons varied from wanting to hire only Americans to not trusting someone who already has broken the law by illegally entering the country.

"I might give them money for a meal, buy them a sandwich. But they may not be trustworthy in terms of hiring them," said Philip Watson, 59, an assistant grocery store manager.

Ed Current, a 51-year-old barber, said anyone who hires an illegal entrant is contributing to a societal contempt for the law.

"Society is predicated upon a common acceptance of rules or standards and this nation has little moral imperative right now," he said. "If you want them here, you need to make it legal. Otherwise you are looking at a serf society and the illegal workers are far too easily exploited."

Still, there wasn't a terribly wide split among the responses: Fifty-seven percent said they wouldn't hire an illegal worker and 43 percent said they would.

And since an estimated 10 to 12 million illegal immigrants live in the United States, clearly some Americans hire them.

"I was born and raised in Tucson. When I was a child, I knew many people who needed work done around the house or in their yard and they needed nannies, and they'd drive down to Nogales, find someone and bring them back," said Shirleen Montgomery, a 52-year-old Realtor. "So emotionally, it's like, of course I would. That's what I saw as a child growing up. But now knowing all the problems, it's a gray area."

Montgomery, like a majority of respondents — 83 percent — said she wouldn't file a report with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security if she knew that her neighbors' nanny was an illegal immigrant.

"My emotions would override logic," she said.

Retired registered nurse Christina McVie, 56, also wouldn't file a report.
"I think the problem needs to be addressed holistically," she said. "I don't want to criminalize somebody."

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Virginia C. Kice said anyone who knowingly hires someone who isn't authorized to work in the United States is violating the law, though there are technical exceptions, such as cases in which individuals hire independent contractors or occasional domestic help.

But as a general rule, anyone who hires someone to work for them is required to complete and retain a federal I-9 form on that employee, providing proof they're authorized to work here.

Kice said people aren't legally obligated to report violations such as a neighbor hiring an illegal immigrant as a nanny.

"Clearly, people need to follow their own conscience when it comes to reporting violations of the law," she said. "We have a tip line and, like any law enforcement agency, we prioritize cases that we investigate based on the implications for national security, public safety and other considerations. However, many of the cases we develop are based on leads originally provided by the general public."

Adult respondents were less divided on whether they'd offer help to what appeared to be an illegal entrant in medical distress: Most said they would — and nearly a third of those also said they wouldn't call the U.S. Border Patrol.

It's not illegal to offer help to a border crosser, nor is it a crime to help that person without notifying the authorities, said Jesús Rodriguez, a spokesman for the Border Patrol's Tucson Sector.

"It's the same thing as a drunk driver. It's up to you whether you want to call law enforcement," he said.

That scenario changes when someone offers a ride to an illegal entrant. "Then you are subject to criminal charges being filed against you," he said, adding that such violations of U.S. immigration law carry potential prison time and fines.

The 537 teen respondents were split 50-50 on whether they'd want to stop and help an illegal entrant in distress. Far fewer teens than adults said they'd call the Border Patrol.

"It's sad, so that's why I wouldn't want to call," said Suzanna Gomez, 18, a senior at Edge High School's Himmel Park campus.

Gomez's future career plans?

"I want to be a Border Patrol agent," she said.


All content copyright © 1999-2006 AzStarNet, Arizona Daily Star and its wire services and suppliers and may not be republished without permission. All rights reserved. Any copying, redistribution, or retransmission of any of the contents of this service without the expressed written consent of Arizona Daily Star or AzStarNet is prohibited.

http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/176335

If someone is breaking the law they are breaking the law. Also they are stealing from me. I pay taxes and everytime someone hires an illegal, my taxes are used to support that illegal. I am being robbed by my neighbor. If people don't stop hiring illegals they will continue to come into the country it doesn't make a difference if it is a business hiring or my neighbor, it encourages illegals.