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The Daily Item - Sunbury, PA

OpinionTattle tales
July 23, 2006
The scene: an elementary school in Biglerville in the heart of Adams County's fruit-and-apple belt.

The event: a raid by federal authorities last April 19 on illegal immigrants working in a pallet factory across the street from the school. Thirty-six people were taken into custody.

The result: a climate of fear at the school with anxious students worried about the fate of friends and family members.

Two officials of Upper Adams School District related the story about the raid and its aftermath during a hearing on illegal immigration by the House Republican Policy Committee.

Superintendent Eric Eshbach and Bettie Bertram, special education supervisor, said it was evident from the students' reactions that an undetermined percentage of them either have a family member who is an illegal immigrant or are so themselves. About 18 percent of the district's students are considered members of immigrant or migrant worker families and most are Hispanic.

The situation highlighted by the raid left the educators with a dilemma. They said state and federal laws prevent them from asking a student's legal status; at the same time they are required by state law to instruct all students residing in the district, and also provide tutoring to students with limited proficiency in English.

"When we register students enrolling in our schools, we are not able to ask them if they are legal or illegal immigrants. Perhaps that is for the best," said Bertram. "It is not our role as public educators to serve as a watchdog agency to determine who belongs and who does not belong." On this point she was challenged sharply by Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-Butler, a conservative lawmaker who says the only right that illegal immigrants have is the right to go home.

"It's unethical for our public officials to use resources to educate someone here illegally," he replied.

The exchange between Bertram and Metcalfe is noteworthy because it raises questions about what exactly Americans in various capacities will be called upon to do in reporting or "outing" illegal immigrants living and working in their midst. The hearing put a spotlight on bills recently introduced by Metcalfe and other lawmakers to get tough on illegal immigrants.

Metcalfe's argument is that if the spigot of public benefits (welfare, education, etc.) is turned off, the illegals will go home and tell their neighbors not to come to Pennsylvania.

Start with that premise and you immediately face the challenging of determining who belongs and who doesn't belong as Bertram put it.

Does the responsibility fall on employers, public welfare officials and school officials as some lawmakers are suggesting? Several of the bills introduced here would penalize employers who hire illegal aliens.

With the existence of a thriving industry that produces fraudulent documents, just what kind of legal jeopardy will business owners and public officials find themselves in if they guess wrong on a person's status.

"I'm a small businessman, not a documents expert,' said Michael Melhorn, owner of a poultry moving firm in Lancaster County. Melhorn tries to verify documentation to the best of his ability, but without immigrant labor, his firm would go out of business.

If you think Upper Adams School District is an isolated case because of its location in a fruit belt that has traditionally relied on migrant labor and now immigrant labor, look at all the school districts receiving state aid to help pay for English language tutoring. It ranges from Philadelphia with $3.3 million, Reading $716,000; Bethlehem Area $450,000; Pocono Mountain $252,000; Coatsville $104,000; Milton Area $28,000; Hanover $25,000 etc.

Will pressure be put on educators in those districts to be a new kind of kindergarten cop?

Republicans may think getting tough on illegal immigration is a winning issue this fall, but they may find they alienate key constituencies if they pass laws requiring them to be informants and name-givers or else face legal consequences.


R. B. Swift covers the state Capitol for The Daily Item.




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