June 20, 2011
Illegal immigrants in Dalton face a choice: Stay and go to jail or move

Jamie Jones jamiejones@daltoncitizen.com

Jose Luis Hernandez is like many Daltonians.

Most of his family — brothers, uncles, nephews, cousins and even grandchildren — also call Dalton home. Hernandez has lived here for 13 years.

He has a steady job working construction. Before that he worked in local carpet mills.

Hernandez frequents the abundant shops along East Morris Street, supporting a slumping economy hit by sky-high unemployment.

For the past 10 years, he’s paid a mortgage on his home.

There’s a glaring difference, however, between Hernandez and most Dalton residents: He is an illegal immigrant.

Days before Georgia’s new immigration law — the Illegal Immigration Reform and Enforcement Act of 2011 — goes into effect on July 1, Hernandez fears his comfortable life in Dalton could end as quickly as the snap of handcuffs. But his concern is not focused solely on himself. He worries how the law will impact Hispanics here, the entire Dalton community and most importantly, his children.

“That is who it will affect the most,â€