Thread: TX-Undocumented workers fear asking for help after Ike

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Undocumented workers fear asking for help after Ike
Many have lost everything but won't seek aid
By JAMES PINKERTON
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
Sept. 19, 2008, 10:57PM


Johnny Hanson Chronicle
Workers with the Global Restoration Group, a disaster recovery team, many of whom are immigrants from Mexico and Central America, aid in the cleanup of Galveston Island.

Share Print Email Del.icio.usDiggTechnoratiYahoo! BuzzGALVESTON — Elmer Martinez, 22, lost all his possessions in Hurricane Ike's storm surge. The restaurant where he worked is closed, and it may be weeks before he finds another job.

That would make him like many Galveston residents, except for one important distinction: He is one of several thousand illegal immigrants living in a post-storm limbo, afraid they will be discovered by the squads of law enforcement officers now patrolling the streets and guarding the causeway entrance.

Some of the undocumented immigrants are hesitant to leave the island, worrying they will not be allowed back. While they wait for work to resume, the financial assistance for housing and personal losses offered by government agencies is not available since they lack valid U.S. identity documents.


ICE reassurance
Many would like to remain and work on what will surely be an extensive rebuilding effort along the length of the storm-ravaged island beginning when residents return sometime next week. Hundreds, if not thousands of homes, restaurants and office buildings will have to be gutted, and new Sheetrock installed and plaster and paint applied.

''I don't have papers, and it will be hard to stay," said Martinez, who sends home much of his wages to support five younger siblings in Guatemala. ''Since the storm, with no papers, you remain in your house. You're afraid you'll be deported."

The fear of deportation is pervasive in the immigrant community in Galveston despite public assurances by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, and local and county officials, that no enforcement operations are under way.

''We're not enforcing any immigration laws in the city. We don't have time for that," said Galveston Police Chief Charles Wiley. ''As long as they're not violating other laws, we don't have the resources to enforce immigration laws."

County Judge James D. Yarbrough said officers are not inquiring about immigration status at the entrance to the causeway or other checkpoints in the city.

City officials do not know exactly how many illegal immigrants live in Galveston, a city of 58,000 residents where roughly a third of the population is Hispanic, said public information officer Alicia Cahill.

''We don't have an official number, but an estimate would be 2,000 or fewer," she said.

Galveston residents receiving food, water and ice at distribution centers are not required to show proof of residence or identity, she added.

On Friday, Martinez was helping Bogar Nava and his two sisters clean out their flooded home off 57th Street. Mold was already evident on the walls of the soaked wood-frame house. Only the sodden clothes, airing on the chain-link fence, seemed salvageable.

''We lost everything, absolutely everything," said Nava, a 38-year-old Mexico City native who followed his older sister to Galveston five years ago. ''What we're doing is trying to save the little we could find, but really, it's been nothing — just clothes.

None of the family members have work documents, but all have at least one or sometimes two or three jobs.


Avoiding FEMA
By mid-morning Friday, Nava had drained water from the engine of a green Dodge Neon and got it running. As he turned to work on two other flooded cars, landlord Paul Zendeh-del arrived with water and other supplies.

He embraced Nava's sisters, and told them his own house had been flooded.

''These are very good people, and they're hard-working — some work two or three jobs, and their kids go to school here," Zendeh-del said.

The landlord said many immigrants, even those here lawfully, are reluctant to ask for help from FEMA and other agencies.

''They get scared to go and ask for help because the National Guard is out there," Zendeh-del said.

james.pinkerton@chron.com



http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/met ... 12293.html

This is the first story I have read about the survivors of Hurricane Ike and instead of it being about some of the millions of Americans affected it is another sob story about criminals. I worry about American citizens and I am forced to read some bullcrap about how some criminals are not really criminals. Is it any wonder that America's newspaper are going under. They would rather print stories about the hardships of illegal alien invaders instead of the tragedy that untold numbers of Americans are facing.

I'll be willing to bet they'll be the first to line up for clean-up and fix-up jobs once the area is reopened to residents.

During Hurricane Katrina Pres. Bush suspended the federal wage laws so that low wage foreigns could be hired to do reconstruction. It took 3 months for congress to re-instate those laws. Contractors got their cheap foreign labor.

They are illegal, and have at least one and sometimes two or three jobs, while our country is in a recession.
How many Americans where laid off of their construction jobs recently? Texas should hire them, send busses to other states to transport them if necessary, and refuse to hire illegals. I wouldn't want a former restaurant worker rebuilding any home or business, that my kids may go into. This work should be done by people experienced in construction, that are here legally. I don't imagine there is a shortage of Americans willing to do this. Construction used to be considered a skilled labor, not something that just anybody could do, without training and experience. If illegals without proper training start rebuilding, how safe are those structures going to be? Maybe the illegals should go to Haiti and help rebuild there. That country could certainly use the help.

If illegals are too afraid to leave their homes let alone seek assistance of any type, this is telling us something. In the past, they had no such fear of lining up for the most basic of supplies. We also saw blatant abuse and brazen fraud committed as a matter of routine with no fear either.

That they are fearful now is very good news.




the financial assistance for housing and personal losses offered by government agencies is not available since they lack valid U.S. identity documents




Shouldn't these people be able to go to their Consulates for help? Especially those from Mexico since Calderon has ordered the consulates to pull out all the stops in looking out for the interests of his illegal aliens.

And another thing, where are all of their so-called "advocates" when they now need help? Oh, that's right.....La Raza is far too busy spending millions of dollars on "important issues"....such as putting on the Hispanic-Only entertainment awards extravaganza for celebrities.......... to worry about such inconsequential things as "the poor workers". And BTW: I'd like to know how much taxpayer funds are being used to host such events.

Maybe we should start letting all of the "poor workers" know just how much they REALLY mean to all of their <cough> advocates.

Originally Posted by tubby

During Hurricane Katrina Pres. Bush suspended the federal wage laws so that low wage foreigns could be hired to do reconstruction. It took 3 months for congress to re-instate those laws. Contractors got their cheap foreign labor.

Contractors may have gotten their cheap labor, but that didn't stop them from price gouging. It did nothing for homeowners. Deport the illegal aliens, there are plenty of Americans who will do the jobs!

By mid-morning Friday, Nava had drained water from the engine of a green Dodge Neon and got it running.

He has a car and no license????

''These are very good people, and they're hard-working — some work two or three jobs, and their kids go to school here," Zendeh-del said.

Millions of Americans have lost jobs, but these illegal aliens have 2 or 3?!?!? Who pays to educate their kids? Time for these people to GET OUT!

''They get scared to go and ask for help because the National Guard is out there," Zendeh-del said.

So? They should be scared! They don't belong here!
Here's a landlord KNOWINGLY renting to illegal aliens, anyone checking him out?