Thread: A Day Without Illegals In Fresno

KMPH SPECIAL REPORT: A Day Without Illegal Immigrants in Fresno County
Posted: Oct 28, 2010 11:43 PM PDT

A Day Without Illegal Immigrants in Fresno County By Norma Yuriar


Fresno County, Calif. (KMPH News) – In the 2004 movie A Day Without a Mexican, California wakes up one morning to find that one third of its population has disappeared.

The film is a spoof of what would happen to the state if every single Latino vanished.

So, what if every single illegal immigrant in Fresno County did just that – went back to their home country?

What would a day without illegal immigrants in Fresno County look like?

Before anyone can answer that question, we must figure out how many people are living here illegally.

"Just the nature of the fact that folks are here in an undocumented status, it makes it very difficult to track and to count," Fresno County Supervisor Henry Perea said.

The Department of Homeland Security estimates that 10% of California's population lives here illegally.

If we go by that figure – it trickles down to nearly one in ten people in Fresno County. If they disappeared, the local population would shrink by more than 90,000 or to about 824,000.

"If the percentage of the population was cut back by 10%, the state and the school district would just cut down their contribution by 10%", Greg Gadams, President of the Fresno Teachers Association said. "We get funding based on average daily attendance – that's the kids being the seats. Less kids they give less funds."

What about impact on health care? Medical experts KMPH News spoke to say hospitals can not track expense because they are not allowed to ask patients their legal status.

And when it comes to Welfare and other Social Services only U.S. Citizens qualify in Fresno County.

But, with the help of immigration officials, once arrested the Fresno County Sheriff's Department can track who's here legally and who's not.

According to the latest figures by U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) within the past two years; 204 illegal immigrants have been booked into the Fresno County Jail and deported. That's less than 1% of the 84,000 arrests made.

An ICE spokesperson said the deportation of the 204 criminals left taxpayers with a bill $204,000.

"I know a lot of people will say, the immigrant population is a drain on the resources of our country," Fresno County Supervisor Henry Perea said.

He argues, illegal immigrants contribute to the economy much more than they drain it.

"They are working and they are going out and they are buying, every day in the stores," Perea said. "You go to any mall in Fresno County and people would immediately see that if those folks were not there tomorrow, there would be a lot stores closing, less employment in stores, less products being sold... the whole nine yards."

While it's difficult to put a number on an undocumented worker's buying power – it's the work they do, that some argue, has the biggest impact on our community.

According to the Public Policy Institute of California, its research shows the majority of unauthorized immigrants work:

–In homes as maids or housekeepers

–In the Ag Industry

–As Janitors

–Dishwashers

–Child Care Workers

Perea believes if the estimated 91,000 illegal immigrants living in the county vanished...small farming towns like Mendota and Kerman could shut–down.

"Yes, you would see cities drying up, but as critical you would see a significant blow to the economy."

Manuel Cunha, President of the NISEI Farmers League estimates 90% field workers in Fresno County have "document problems".

Those same workers make up a foundational part of a multi–billion dollar industry.

"You take away 90% of the workforce in Fresno County that picks the crops and they are gone tomorrow... well that $5.4billion Ag Industry goes almost to zero," Perea said.

"It would be over," Cunha added. "You wouldn't see any transportation of movement of goods or anything. The Port of Oakland would have a huge massive disaster because we are about 40% of the Port of Oakland's total goods that are shipped out in containers; we are their number one customer."

Cunha says without the workforce the price of produce could triple or even quadruple.

The valley would have to rely on imported food.

"I think we can run–around and be terrified of enforcing our laws or we can just enforce our laws and let the chips fall where they are," Kelly Brooks with the Central Valley Tea Party said.

Brooks believes envisioning a day without immigrants, is a far less gloomy picture than some portray.

"We could have the door close, everybody gets sent home to whatever country they are from and all of a sudden we have no work force and we are faced with there is no food on the shelves, I really don't think so about Americans... America steps up."

The movie ends with Americans having a new found appreciation for the Latino population. But, as we found, the reality is much more elusive to find, the fact that they are here illegally makes them hard to track.


http://www.kmph.com/Global/story.asp?S=13408455

the fact that they are here illegally makes them hard to track

No one knows for sure how many are here. And as far as jobs THEY DO take many jobs that seniors and school kids work and could work also.

They break a lot of laws,despite what the liberals say. And are not punished for many of the crimes. The costs of deportation is high because of the way the government carries out the process. Why spend money on someone knowingly in the country illegally? Just round them up and ship'em out. They came in that way. Send them back out the same damn way.

Like someone breaking into your home and getting caught. Do you go ahead and give them a televsion and stove and send them on their way? Oh here is some money for your transportation too!

This country SURVIVED all these years WITHOUT the enormous numbers of ILLEGAL ALIENS coming here as they please. These politicians or liberals HAVE NO FAITH in the American ways. Send them along with the illegals if that is their feelings.