Thread: MS (Sob): Fear, financial burdens bear down on families

Fear, financial burdens bear down on families
By EMMA JAMES • September 21, 2008


Editor's note: Although the Hattiesburg American generally does not use anonymous sources in staff-written stories, we made an exception for stories covering the immigration raid at Howard Industries and the events that have followed because many people involved in the raid would not speak for attribution for fear of retribution.

Men and women shuffled into the Imperial Nightclub in Laurel for a meeting of the Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance on Thursday afternoon.

As the meeting was brought to order, stories were told one by one - many with common themes.

Fear. Stress. Isolation.

These are some of the most common emotions being felt by the families of detainees after the Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid Aug. 25 on Howard Industries.

The incident rocked Laurel and Jones County and uprooted the foundation of the families of the 595 suspected illegal workers detained in the raid.

"Latinos are family-oriented," said one woman who asked that her name not be published. "We live together with our families. Without our husbands and loved ones here, it is bad."

Sixth-grader Virginia Reynoso sat with her mother, Martha, near the back of the room, holding a baby on her lap. Martha was baby-sitting for a friend who was at work, Virginia said.

"They took my dad to Jena," she said referring to the LaSalle Detention Facility in Louisiana where 432 detainees are being held while awaiting deportation hearings.

"If we don't get his check, we won't be able to pay our rent. My mom doesn't work because she's sick."

The Reynosos are not alone. When asked if they owed money, all 250 adult attendees at Thursday's raised their hands.

On Thursday, Howard Industries refused to release the paychecks of workers detained in the raid to approximately 200 family members - even though the families had power of attorney.

But several organizations have started collecting money to help the families of detainees weather the financial burden that has fallen on them since the raid. Among them are Peniel Christian Church in Laurel, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Laurel and Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Hattiesburg.

MIRA has collected about $28,000 in contributions gathered to help families of detainees currently in need. The organization dispersed about $11,000 of that amount Thursday.

"These families are under extreme stress because they don't have an income," said Bill Chandler, executive director for MIRA. "They've scrimped and saved to make rent and in some cases doubled up in homes. There are 300 children that are being affected. I'd say that's a serious crisis, a humanitarian crisis."

Between 75 and 80 of those children are U.S. citizens, said Victoria Cintra, MIRA organizing coordinator.

"What happened to their rights?" she said, holding up paperwork documenting the needs of individual families. "Their parents are considered illegal. I wasn't aware that human beings could be illegal. We were all created by God, right?"

One woman, a U.S. citizen who did not want her identity published for fear of retribution, said her family's whole lifestyle has been changed. She and her husband have been together for seven years and have three children. They are in the process of getting her husband citizenship, but she is afraid that he will be taken before the paperwork is processed.

"We used to have a normal life. We would go to the mall on Saturday, take the kids and get out of the house. Now we stay home," she said. "We work; we don't go out. My husband has to work so we can pay the bills. Every day I might get a call that he's been taken and there's nothing I can do."

The isolation of being in the country illegally has worsened, according to several workers who did not want their identities published, including some detained in the raid at Howard Industries.

"People in our situation, we are a secret society," said one woman. "We were once happy. Now we have to fight for what is ours. What else is there to do?"

Now, several people said, they take comfort in the nearness of both the Hispanic community and volunteers from organizations that have come to help.

"We feel sad, but one thing that keeps us all going is that you [organization workers] are here to help us all," said one woman through a translator. "You stimulate us and pump us up. We don't feel so alone and afraid when we're together."
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps ... /809210308

As the meeting was brought to order, stories were told one by one - many with common themes.

Fear. Stress. Isolation.


Yes, yes I would feel that too if my spouse committed a crime and then was caught. This article brings up nothing new.

What I can't wrap my mind around though is the feeling of this group that they were wronged, shouldn't have to pay for the crime or will not suffer because of the consequences.

Someone told me last year about their brother who committed a crime and went away for two years. His wife suffered fear, stress and isolation. She had to support the children as well.

These families can join their loved ones in their beloved home countries. I can think of worse outcomes....

They are in the process of getting her husband citizenship, but she is afraid that he will be taken before the paperwork is processed.

Just how are they getting her husbands citizenship? If he is in the country illegally I don't believe he can all of a sudden become legal and apply for citizenship.....unless it is as we have suspected and these people are receiving a de facto amnesty

Something tells me this is the status quo in our country and "we the people" are being duped!

Sixth-grader Virginia Reynoso sat with her mother, Martha, near the back of the room, holding a baby on her lap. Martha was baby-sitting for a friend who was at work, Virginia said.

"They took my dad to Jena," she said referring to the LaSalle Detention Facility in Louisiana where 432 detainees are being held while awaiting deportation hearings.

"If we don't get his check, we won't be able to pay our rent. My mom doesn't work because she's sick."

Too sick to work, but not to sick to babysit.
The other woman, the citizen, is afraid her husband will be taken away before he gets citizenship, and he's working. If he can be taken away, he doesn't have a greencard. So he thinks it's okay to come into this country illegally, and buy a stolen Social Security card, and it's okay to work when the US government says he's not allowed to work, but he will make a good citizen? He lies. His wife helps him lie. His children know he lies (good example). Yes, he's the type of person the US needs.

Originally Posted by zeezil

Fear, financial burdens bear down on families


"People in our situation, we are a secret society," said one woman. "We were once happy. Now we have to fight for what is ours. What else is there to do?"

I know how they feel, as citizens we have to fight 12-38 million people for rights in our own country. We pay for the education, homes, food and health care for foreigners as we watch our elected officials drool over their potential vote.
We see our government borrow money to give to other countries and to print money to bail out the companies they forced to give loans to unqualified people.
We see that same government crashing the dollar to create the Amero and the North American Union.
We have to fight for what is ours THIS IS OUR COUNTRY! It's not gone yet, lets continue the fight. What else is there to do?

The yoke round our neck has us on the ground dying.

"We were once happy. Now we have to fight for what is ours. What else is there to do?"

That line really jumped out at me. What are they referring to as "OURS"?They bought whatever they have with money illegally gained. I doubt that any income tax has been paid, but they have taken advantage of the tax-payers money that goes to schools, hospitals, and prison costs.

"What happened to their rights?" she said, holding up paperwork documenting the needs of individual families. "Their parents are considered illegal. I wasn't aware that human beings could be illegal. We were all created by God, right?"

What rights? You have the right to leave America and go back to your home country. HUMAN BEINGS ARE CONSIDERED ILLEGAL WHEN THEY SNEAK INTO A COUNTRY AND TAKE JOBS AND BENEFITS THAT BELONG TO THAT COUNTRY'S CITIZENS.

Yes, we were all created by God. What does that have to do with immigration? Jesus tells us that man must obey man's laws. That INCLUDES "immigration laws".

One woman, a U.S. citizen who did not want her identity published for fear of retribution, said her family's whole lifestyle has been changed. She and her husband have been together for seven years and have three children. They are in the process of getting her husband citizenship, but she is afraid that he will be taken before the paperwork is processed.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Immigration paperwork must be filled out in the guys home country. There are health checks, criminal background checks and a whole host of others. The last thing a person does for a visa is make an appointment at the US Embassy in their home country. If this lady is really an American citizen and she is lying on the paperwork then she is subject to a prison sentence at least. My wifes name was mispelled on the paperwork and it took 3 additional months to get that squared away before they approved her. These people are criminals through and through and nobody that got busted at this business or their spouses deserves to be put on the road to citizenship.

Originally Posted by SOSADFORUS

They are in the process of getting her husband citizenship, but she is afraid that he will be taken before the paperwork is processed.

Just how are they getting her husbands citizenship? If he is in the country illegally I don't believe he can all of a sudden become legal and apply for citizenship.....unless it is as we have suspected and these people are receiving a de facto amnesty

Something tells me this is the status quo in our country and "we the people" are being duped!

If her husband is a LEGAL immigrant (which I doubt), in order to get a green card, he cannot work for the first 6 months in this country. If he is found to have worked - no green card and deportation.

If he is an illegal, he will NOT get a fast track to citizenship. The only way he can is they may lie and tell immigration that he is waiting back in the home country. Instead he is here working illegally. They WILL ask how she's been able to survive with 3 kids by him (when he isn't even here?).