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Last Updated: 7:29 am | Thursday, November 9, 2006
Officials re-evaluate illegals' plight
Butler weighs how election might affect county crackdown
BY JENNIFER BAKER | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Some say the Democratic victories in the Ohio governor's race and in the U.S. House of Representatives will throw cold water on Butler County's campaign against illegal immigration.

Others aren't so sure.

For more than a year, Butler officials have urged state and federal lawmakers to get tougher on illegal immigration, be it cracking down on employers who hire illegal workers or finding ways to allow local law enforcement to arrest suspects rather than wait for understaffed federal agencies.

Butler County leaders estimate that more than 10,000 illegal immigrants are among its population of about 350,000 people.

"(The Democrats) will probably give them amnesty," says Butler County Auditor Kay Rogers, who in February proposed the state require business operators to sign pledges not to hire illegal immigrants.

Her proposal has gone nowhere, but the Republican continues to ask Butler business owners to voluntarily sign the pledges. "(Tuesday's election) will probably change the direction," she said. "I don't think people want people over here illegally. But I think they will just allow it to happen and not have them go through the formal process other people had to."

But Sheriff Rick Jones and Commissioner Mike Fox - perhaps the most vocal county critics against illegal immigration - said they hope new leadership will lead to new action.

"It can't be any worse," he said. "There hasn't been a whole helluva lot done other than talk with the Republicans, which is my party. Maybe something will actually be done now."

Jones has drawn national attention for billing the federal government more than $500,000 to cover costs of jailing illegal immigrants charged with local crimes.

Jones hasn't received any money yet, but officials say they expect to receive some reimbursement from the government.

"It is one of the most important issues of our generation, and I think voters punished Republicans for not dealing with it," Fox said.

In the Ohio governor's race, immigration wasn't a central issue.

In fact, the vision for Ohio posted on Governor-elect Ted Strickland's Web site doesn't specifically address illegal immigration, so it remains unclear where he stands.

Strickland was endorsed by several union groups, which often have argued that illegal immigrants are taking their jobs. However, as a congressman, Strickland was not considered a crusader against illegal immigrants.

In 2005 and 2006, Strickland's votes matched the position of the Federation of American Immigration Reform - an interest group that has long called for more border security - on three of 12 House bills.