Thread: Views differ widely on effect of illegal immigration

http://www.newsok.com/article/2842895

By Ron Jenkins
Associated Press Writer

OKLAHOMA CITY - One employer said Wednesday he welcomed illegal immigrants into Oklahoma because jobs need to be filled, while others speaking at a hearing worried about security, taxpayer costs and depressed wages.

The comments came in the first of three hearings scheduled by Labor Commissioner Brenda Reneau on the touchy immigration issue.

Those testifying had widely divergent views on the issue, but all agreed on one point: Illegal immigration is largely a federal problem that the national government had failed to adequately address.

Jimmy C. Curry, president of the state AFL-CIO and a member of the panel Reneau formed for the hearings, said there was "not a lot the state can do" to resolve the problem.

Curry said adoption of the North American Free Trade Agreement without worker protections has led to an influx of illegal immigrants who are being taken advantage of by some employers, while hurting state workers by driving wages down and "cheating taxpayers."

Reneau said she agreed with Curry on some of his points, but believed the state can do some things in the immigration arena.

She said the hearings are necessary, whether or not it is an election year, because the federal government had failed to do its job in solving immigration problems that affect Oklahoma and its citizens.

Shirley Cox, an official with Catholic Charities in Oklahoma City, pointed to statistics showing illegal immigrants receive very little in public benefits, other than education for children, required by the federal government, and emergency room assistance, a requirement under federal Medicaid guidelines.

Mary Stalnaker, director of family services at the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, said 99.3 percent of persons receiving all public assistance are citizens. She said a tiny amount of undocumented workers receive Medicaid, mainly because of emergency room care.

Reneau is running for re-election and Lloyd Fields, her Democratic opponent, has questioned the timing of the hearings. Fields said Wednesday he does not believe Reneau is serious about cracking down on abuses in the workplace, including fining employers who hire illegal immigrants.

Jim Antosh, owner of Round House Overalls, manufacturer of working clothes in Shawnee, said illegal immigrants fill a void because "basically Americans don't like to do manual labor any more."

Antosh said he believed there were racial overtones to a backlash that has produced legislation to deny tax-supported benefits to illegal immigrants and require that state agency officials report such immigrants to the federal government.

"Would we even be holding these hearings if the Hispanics were blonde, blue-eyed and spoke perfect English?" he asked

Is their only argument now the race card??

"Would we even be holding these hearings if the Hispanics were blonde, blue-eyed and spoke perfect English?"
The answer would be YES...BECAUSE..It is about ILLEGAL
and INVASION.....