Thread: IT IS NOT JUST THE GOVERNMENT'S FIGHT

It's not just the government's fight

By: PHIL STRICKLAND - For The Californian

Nobody said it was going to be easy. But, each development in the battle against illegal immigration reinforces the necessity of redoubling our efforts to eradicate this plague.

If you had any doubts that this is more than a southwest border state problem, the events of this week should put them to rest.

The feds fanned out in six states, only one of them ---- Texas ---- a border state, to raid Swift & Co. meatpacking plants in search of illegal-immigrant workers. By the end of the day, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents had about 1,300 suspected illegal immigrants in custody.

The management at Swift quickly averred that they had no idea they were employing illegal immigrants ---- this even as they had been battling ICE in court for months to forestall action against their workers.

How stupid do they think we are? Probably stupid enough to continue buying their products even as they lie to us about their role in promoting illegal immigration.

Then, of course, we're treated to pictures of the offspring of the lawbreakers ---- we're talking about the workers here, not the management ---- holding signs that say "Don't deport my parents at Christmas."

Give it a break. Frankly, this whining for pity is getting old.

What about the American workers in the meatpacking and construction industries who have been forced to labor for far less?

What about the untold number of citizens who have become victims of identity fraud in the process?

Closer to home, Golden State Fence Co. and two of its executives pleaded guilty Thursday to knowingly hiring illegal immigrants.

The Riverside-based company will forfeit $4.7 million to the U.S. government and its founder, Melvin Kay Jr., and a vice president, Michael McLaughlin, together will pay $300,000 to the U.S.

They also face up to five years in prison, but the feds reportedly have agreed to recommend six months in the slammer. It's about time.

There have been no reports of management arrests in the Swift raids, but if it is shown they knowingly hired illegal immigrants, those white collars need to be traded in for prison stripes.

Meanwhile, the Escondido City Council, citing mounting legal bills and the fear that an adverse ruling could set precedent, has decided not to defend in court its ban against renting to illegal immigrants.

Members of the council insist they haven't abandoned the battle against illegal immigrants, but want a better legal foundation as well as access to immigration-status data the feds are loath to share.

So, for the moment, landlords who don't want to know if the money they pocket is paid to them by criminals can continue to take the high road ---- they say they don't want to be "forced to discriminate" against Latinos ---- and happily collect their bucks with nary a thought as to the negative effect illegal immigration has on the country.

Arguments are made that prices will climb for lettuce and bacon and housing and so on if we prevail.

Nonsense. Studies show that any increases likely would be nominal and, in fact, the impact of the Swift raids was hardly a blip on the meatpacking scene, with other companies picking up the slack.

And, any increase in prices would be mitigated by the combination of billions of dollars that won't be sent to Mexico and billions of tax dollars that won't be spent on health care, incarceration and education.

But, we can't leave the fight up to government. We need to be willing to withhold our dollars from businesses that ignore the law and we need to be willing to point out those in our communities who profit from trade with illegal immigrants.

The fight won't be easy, but the good fights rarely are.

Phil Strickland of Temecula is a regular columnist for The Californian. E-mail: philipestrickland@yahoo.com.

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/12 ... _15_06.txt

Comments On This Story

Skip wrote on December 16, 2006 8:45 AM:"Funny thing about the Swift & Co. incident, in Greely, Colorado. They had a job fair to fill the vacant positions, and lo and behold there were large lines of UNITED STATES CITIZENS clamoring to get those jobs. Imagine that!"

Reardon wrote on December 16, 2006 10:27 AM:"Many lawbreakers are arrested just before Christmas, Easter, Dad's Birthday...the lawbreakers do not get to decide when it is convenient for the to be arrested. It is the lawbreaker that places their families at risk and leaves them without company, food or rent at Christmas...not the police. In fact, it is those very families who cause a great deal of the problem...school overcrowding, gangs, medical care etc. -- not the workers themselves who work, albeit illegally, but do not usually overuse services. Displaced American workers need to take control of the threat against their employment by dropping a dime on the employers who hire illegals to replace them, and join together to take their plight not just to the government but to the press...if they can find some press outlet that is not sympathetic to the illegals."

Eliz. wrote on December 16, 2006 4:02 PM:"The illegal aliens,brought this up on them selves. Any one that needs help askes for it,they don't steal,the jobs of Americans. And they don't demand Amnesty,for the crime they have committed and demand equal treatment, when they are not treating the ones that are doing the right things to come here legally equal.The illegal aliens think they can do as they want and force us to like it and not fight back. They have rocks in their heads.The people that has married an illegal,they had to know,SO there for, I don't think you deserve any thing other then what your partner can give you.I don't feel sorry for them at all. They knew what they were doing. So go to,where ever your partner went to. You weren't forced into marrage,so leave if you want. "

If the parentes are deported, why cannot the children go with them? Who told them they have to stay here just because they were born here? Children follow their parents wherever they go, not the opposite.