Noella Oberlin sought to have the Bradley County Commission in Cleveland, TN address the illegal immigration issue. When they had no desire she decided to hold her own illegal immigration forum.

There is audio of Ms. Oberlin on the link.

(quote)

Residents speak out against illegals

Saturday, September 01, 2007 -

By Randall Higgins
Cleveland Bureau

CLEVELAND, Tenn. -- Many people attending a public forum here Thursday said it is illegal aliens, not legal immigrants, who are causing local concerns.

"Real immigrants don't come here and say 'accept my culture,' " said Noella Oberlin, the forum organizer. "Immigrants come here to assimilate."

About three dozen people attended the "open mic" forum in the Bradley County Commission's meeting room. No public officials spoke, but Commissioner Jeff Yarber was in the audience, along with a sprinkling of Hispanics.

Those who did step up to the microphone had some advice for local officials.

City and county government officials who have been asked to block illegal aliens from coming here have said that immigration is a federal issue.

But resident Ralph A. Rogers said a group should be created to monitor employers.

"Let's stop their jobs. If we stop their jobs, they have no reason to be here," he said. "If you're legal, you have a perfect right to be here. If you're not, you don't."

America is a welcoming country, said Wesley Parks. "We haven't been inspired to enforce our immigration laws until 9/11. That's what this is about."

But that is not as easy as it sounds, Rafael Lastra said.

Mr. Lastra is an American citizen and son of a Church of God minister who came here from Mexico many years ago to attend Lee University.

He was trained to be an interpreter for Spanish-speaking inmates appearing before now-retired Judge Andrew Bennett. Now he commutes to a Japanese company in Dalton, Ga., where he works in personnel.

Mr. Lastra said about 30 percent of that company's workers speak Spanish.

"The government says stop illegal people. But at the same time, we can't say 'show us your green card' because that is illegal too," he said.

Mr. Lastra told the audience he was glad to see them come to the town hall meeting to learn more.

He pointed to a series of posters displayed across the front of the room concerning gangs like MS-13. About half the Mexican people in Bradley County come from the state of Chiapas, he said, and have nothing to do with the infamous gang from Central America.

Those people come here, he said, because they have learned that the people are friendly and the country resembles their home, an impoverished state in southern Mexico.

Ms. Oberlin, an American citizen who immigrated from New Zealand, organized the town hall meeting after she said her comments to local officials were ignored.

She urged Cleveland and Bradley County to become part of a federal program known as 287g. The program allows the Department of Homeland Security to enter agreements with state and local officers. After training, those officers have more latitude to pursue crimes involving illegal immigrants and are allowed to transport them to federal facilities, according to information from US. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

In Tennessee, Davidson County is the only law enforcement agency listed on the 287g program.

Sheriff Tim Gobble said recently that illegal immigration is "more of a federal issue" than a local one. But during his own, separate town meetings in recent weeks, he told local residents he had asked for two new detectives in his budget who could be assigned 287g training. He said those positions were not funded by the County Commission.

Meanwhile, he said, the program has become so popular that ICE notified his office new applications are not being accepted at this time.

E-mail Randall Higgins at rhiggins@timesfreepress.com

(quote)

http://www.timesfreepress.com/absoluten ... &zoneid=77

Psalm 91