Thread: Homeowners biggest employers of illegals

Homeowners Top Employers of Day Laborers
By PETER PRENGAMAN, Associated Press Writer
54 minutes ago

BURBANK, Calif. - Chris James needed help moving a piano and three dozen boxes of records from his music studio, but instead of corralling some buddies he rented a truck and hired day laborers outside the local Home Depot.

The two Guatemalan men finished the job in an hour and a half, hauling a piano and wedging a sofa into his condo, then stacking the boxes in a back room, for less than $40.

It was first time James hired day laborers but it won't be his last.

"Absolutely satisfied," said James, 31.

The No. 1 employers of day laborers, many of whom are illegal immigrants, are homeowners _ not construction contractors, not professional landscapers.

"Day labor is not a niche market," said Abel Valenzuela, a UCLA professor and one of three authors of the first national day labor study, which was released in January. "It's now entering different aspects of the national mainstream economy."

Forty-nine percent of day labor employers are homeowners, according to 2,660 laborers interviewed for the study. Contractors were second, at 43 percent. The study also found that three quarters of day laborers were illegal immigrants and most were from Latin America.

Homeowners like the men who call themselves "jornaleros" because they make up a flexible labor pool with no red tape and no overhead. And they'll do backbreaking jobs much cheaper than regular contractors.

Day laborers like homeowners, too. Shady contractors routinely stiff them. Not homeowners _ the workers know where they live.

"And in houses, they give us food, water and soda," said Herminio Velazquez, 48, one of the men who worked at James's condo.

While some homeowners are uncomfortable hiring people who likely have no work documents, they often don't believe they are doing wrong.

That position is rejected by anti-illegal immigration activists.

"They know they are hiring illegal aliens and breaking the law," said Joseph Turner, who is trying to force San Bernardino to outlaw taxpayer-funded day labor centers. "They are contributing to the illegal immigration problem."

Agents for Immigration and Customs Enforcement occasionally arrest day laborers, but they almost never go after homeowner employers. Their priorities are national security work sites such as seaports and the networks that smuggle illegal immigrants into the country.

"We need to stop unlawful employment," said agency spokeswoman Virginia Kice. "But working day laborers sites is not an efficient way to use finite resources."

The federal debate on immigration reform has been on either criminalizing illegal immigrants _ a proposal that has stirred widespread protest demonstrations _ or giving them temporary work visas that might eventually lead to citizenship. Though Senate leaders promise progress, legislation may not pass in this election year.

David Peters, a 37-year-old salesman, is bothered by illegal immigration and believes he's part of the problem, but he says it isn't always possible to hire people with work papers.

He hired day laborers over several months while remodeling his Hermosa Beach house. One man tiled a floor and installed a granite countertop for $1,000, jobs that Peters estimated would cost $5,000 if he used the Yellow Pages.

"I know if they didn't have a job, they wouldn't be here," said Peters. "But we all shop at Target and Wal-Mart, and all their stuff is made overseas with cheap labor."

Maxine Colby started hiring day laborers after her husband died six years ago because she needed somebody to clear brush, pull weeds, trim trees and wash windows. She pays them $11 an hour and serves them a hot lunch.

"They have been fantastic," said the 78-year-old Malibu resident. "I speak a little Spanish, and they speak a little English, and we have a good time."

She doesn't ask about immigration status or worry about breaking the law.

"This is a system that works for most people," she said. "If lawmakers can't figure out how to fix it, I certainly can't."

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Sometimes, we can be our own worst enemies

Just because its a good deal for the employers and the illegals does not make it right.

when my dad needed help laying brick for the basement of our house he found a homeless man who was more than willing to work. My dad let him and his dog stay on our property at night. He was a good guy who just had some hard luck but he was more than willing to do a "job Americans won't do" I know there is no shortage of American people (some of them veterans) living on the streets waiting for someone to give them a break.

I will never use an illegal to do work around my house. Besides it being illegal to hire them, I would be afraid to have them lurking around my house or neighborhood.

isn't it funny how people will roll up their windows if they are at a stop light where a homeless American is standing with their sign, but they have no problem letting an illegal foreiner get into their cars and into their homes?

Confused like the rest of you . We've gotten to the place in our
lives where we buy the material from Home Depot and install it
ourselves. It's a GREAT learning opportunity. I encourage my husband
every step of the way saying what a great job he's doing!!!
There's no way I would have illegals in my car OR home. We've got
to change our mindsets completely for this to work though.

I am a teacher and I've hired some high school students to mow my lawn and do other odd jobs for me. They're having a hard time finding part time jobs around my city due to the influx of illegal aliens who are taking the jobs they want.

My neighbor used to have an illegal alien do his yardwork, I've noticed since the marches he's been mowing his own lawn and pulling his own weeds. People are finally waking up.

After the hurricane people all over were helping each other expcting nothing....but if a Hispanic came to help, they had their hand out for money.....yes they really know the American way, people help people in time of disasters.