Thread: Hispanics feeling hurt by immigration debate

GRAB YOUR CRYING TOWEL BEFORE YOU READ THIS SOB STORY.

Hispanics feeling hurt by immigration debate
Many are living with anxiety and fear, survey finds

By SUSAN CARROLL
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

More than half of Hispanic adults in the U.S. worry they or someone close to them could face deportation, reflecting a growing anxiety over expanded enforcement efforts, according to a new nationwide survey by the Pew Hispanic Center.

Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed said the debate over immigration reform and Congress' failure to pass legislation have made life more difficult for Hispanics.

"Our findings suggest Hispanics in this country are feeling vulnerable in the current political and policy environment," said Paul Taylor, acting director of the Pew Hispanic Center, which released the report Thursday. "They are feeling a range of negative effects from the increased public attention and the stepped up enforcement measures that have accompanied the growing national debate over illegal immigration."

The survey also found a wide gap between Hispanics and non-Hispanics' attitudes on immigration enforcement, which is emerging as a key issue in the 2008 presidential race. The survey findings show strong opposition among Hispanics to workplace raids and the involvement of local police in immigration enforcement — measures that have gained popularity among politicians aiming to crack down on illegal immigration.

The Pew study is especially important locally. Roughly 38.2 percent of Harris County residents are Hispanic, according to 2006 U.S. Census data.

Cesar Espinosa, a legal permanent resident who was born in Mexico and has lived in Houston more than 18 years, said the results highlight fear that has spread through many of the city's immigrant communities.

"With this increase in deportations, the fear and the paranoia about getting picked up (by immigration) has really increased," said Espinosa, a 22-year-old political science major at the University of Houston. "A lot of people are really afraid to even leave their homes, to go to work or to get jobs because they fear that at any time and place they can be picked up by immigration.

"It's something that's really fresh in people's minds," he said.

Record number of arrests

The survey found a general anxiety among many Hispanics over the issue of deportations, with 51 percent reporting concern that they, a family member or friend could be deported. The fears seem to coincide with an increase in arrests of illegal immigrants in the country's interior and growing publicity of workplace raids.

According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the number of illegal immigrants arrested by "fugitive operations teams" in the U.S. set a record this year nationally, with 30,408 arrests. That's nearly double the 15,462 arrests made in fiscal year 2006, according to ICE. In Houston, ICE's fugitive operations teams picked up 1,236 illegal immigrants in fiscal year 2007, up from 842 in 2006.

Workplace arrests grew nearly tenfold in the past five years, to 4,940 in 2007 from 510 in 2002, according to ICE.

Roughly half of Hispanics surveyed said increased public attention to immigration has negatively impacted their own lives.

Twelve percent said they have had more trouble getting or keeping a job; 15 percent said they have had more trouble finding or keeping housing; 19 percent said they have been asked for immigration paperwork more frequently.

John Ochoa, who grew up in a Southwest Houston neighborhood near Beltway 8 and Interstate 45, said he worries daily that someone he cares about could be deported.

The 23-year-old from Venezuela said he's applying for a green card and many of his close friends are undocumented.

The other day, he said, he heard a rumor that ICE agents were near a Home Depot near Beltway 8 and Bellaire Boulevard and called a friend who drives that route daily to warn him.

"I said, 'Be careful. Find another route,' " Ochoa said.

"It's sad," he said. "I know people that have created a little bubble in their lives; they don't go to certain places."

What others say

The center conducted a companion survey of non-Hispanics, and found widely divergent opinions on enforcement issues.

Only 20 percent of Hispanics surveyed approved of workplace raids to discourage employers from hiring illegal immigrants, compared with more than half of non-Hispanics. Even fewer Hispanics — 14 percent — approved of local police taking a role in identifying illegal immigrants, while 45 percent of non-Hispanics supported the idea.

Eighty-five percent of non-Hispanics approve of states checking immigration status before issuing driver's licenses, compared with 40 percent of Hispanics.

Dot Hollis of Kingwood said she can easily explain the wide gap in opinions between Hispanics and non-Hispanics on enforcement.

"The federal government is not doing its job," the 63-year-old retired real estate agent said. "Taxpayers are fed up to their eyeballs with the tab to support illegal immigrants."

Reflects reality

Nestor Rodriguez, director of the Center for Immigration Research at the University of Houston, said the study "reflects a demographic reality."

In many Hispanic and Asian communities, he said, there is often a strong sociological link between the legal and illegal populations, since they are more likely to have a relative or a friend in the country illegally.

"They're very sensitive to immigrant issues — raids, border enforcement, driver's licenses — more so than the non-immigrant general population," he said.

Despite the negative feelings on some issues, more than 70 percent of Hispanics positively assessed their overall quality of life, and an even greater percentage predicted Hispanic children will have greater opportunities in the future.

susan.carroll@chron.com

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/met ... 77950.html

Thanks for the warning, I came prepared with the kleenx

The survey also found a wide gap between Hispanics and non-Hispanics' attitudes on immigration enforcement, which is emerging as a key issue in the 2008 presidential race. The survey findings show strong opposition among Hispanics to workplace raids and the involvement of local police in immigration enforcement — measures that have gained popularity among politicians aiming to crack down on illegal immigration.

I could have saved them the time and cost of the survey. Duh....did they expect the illegals to support workplace raids and immigration enforcement?

"Illegal aliens are not immigrants, they are foreign intruders"
Jean Baptiste Truong

TOO BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Duplicate post.
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-94123-susan.html+carroll

John Ochoa, who grew up in a Southwest Houston neighborhood near Beltway 8 and Interstate 45, said he worries daily that someone he cares about could be deported.

The 23-year-old from Venezuela said he's applying for a green card and many of his close friends are undocumented.

Evidently this character isn't aware that he has to apply for the visa and green card in his own country. If Immigration finds out that he is already here he will be disapproved quickly.

The best way to not worry about deportation is to be here legally.Then one would not have to worry about deportation.Seems simple enough.