Suman Raghunathan
A ‘Hi Ho, Silver!!’ in Wyoming on Immigration
As I’ve said before, immigration policy has been treated as a nuclear waste issue recently on both sides of the party aisle - only to triumphantly (and conveniently) re-emerge as a topic worth discussing by the presidential campaigns in time for Super Tuesday and other major primaries in states like California and New Mexico that have large Latino populations. In that revived spirit of love and reconciliation, – I thought I would take this moment to discuss some small yet significant good news. Out of, believe it not, Wyoming.
No, I’m not referring to protecting bears or bison in Yellowstone. (Though these fine furry friends should, of course, be protected: I don’t want to get on your bad side, Sierra Club!)
I’m talking about a recent (sort of, but hey – I’ll take whatever I can these days) victory for immigrant families in the Wyoming State Legislature.
Last week, in a demonstration of brotherly and sisterly love worthy of Valentine’s Day, Wyoming state legislators voted to defeat the state’s own anti-immigrant bill.
A copycat version of the Oklahoma anti-immigrant bill (and we know being a copycat is never a good thing), the Wyoming proposal hoped to make it a state felony to harbor or transport undocumented immigrants. The bill failed 30-30 in the State Legislature. I know, close call, but I’ll take it.
I wrote recently about just how lethal, let alone tragic, these broad anti-immigrant bills are, and how they up in tragedies - not just for undocumented immigrants, but for US citizens and legal immigrants who end up being affected by the climate of fear in immigrant communities caused by broad anti-immigrant legislation. Edgar Contreras, the US citizen infant who recently died in Oklahoma because his undocumented parents were too terrified of the authorities to even take him to the emergency room (after the state enacted one of the nation’s most sweeping anti-immigrant bills) is just the tip of the iceberg. Examples abound of US citizens, legal immigrants, and people who just plain look Latino being swept up in all kinds of dragnets targeting undocumented workers. (And I’m not referring to the feel-good kind starring good ol’ Dan Aykroyd.)
The latest and perhaps most hilarious example can be found in toney Suffolk County on Long Island, where Steve Levy, the county’s anti-immigrant panderer and erstwhile County Executive, signed a sweeping anti-immigrant bill in 2006 requiring a whopping 6,000 building contractors to prove their workers are authorized to work in the US. Large-scale police sweeps of 33 contractors worthy of ‘Cops’ (or maybe Comedy Central’s Reno 911!) last summer and fall produced lots of strum und drang, and certainly lots of fear among the region’s immigrant communities. And now, for the result…. Drumroll please…One unauthorized worker.
Yup, one. A few days ago, County officials sheepishly admitted they found a grand total of one worker without proper work authorization, indicating they were possibly undocumented. Wow. Now that’s what I call some serious bang for Long Island taxpayer’s bucks. I wonder how much police overtime was billed for those shenanigans. (Check out what the locals have to say about the recent spate of raids over at Long Island Wins.)
The news out of Wyoming is worthy of Bonanza! (wow, I’m really a roll with these TV references), especially given a couple of recent federal court decisions that upheld some particularly nasty local laws targeting undocumented immigrants in Arizona and Missouri.
So, in the meantime, I’ll stick with saying ‘Hi ho, Silver!’ to this victory in Wyoming.
Suman Raghunathan: Author Bio | Other Posts
Posted at 12:30 PM, Feb 20, 2008 in Immigration
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Comments
Very unfortunate that you take issue with the illegals. All the while, you may be very informed about the issue, I live on the highway. these illegals are NOT here to become Americans. They are here to change our entire culture to the way they want US to be. Spanish being FORCED down our throats, now Cinco De Mayo an Americans holiday?, mandatory bi-lingual teaching in our schools, flying Mexican flags in OUR streets, demanding rights they have never earned, taking jobs from our citizens (which has been erronously aired to the public as jobs "we" won't do), cross border trucking looming on our horizon so corporate America can reduce the freight rates even further......tree huggers are killing us here. If they want to change a country, they need to start in their own....not here. Our government has already sold us down the tubes financially....we don't need activists posting pro-illegals and anti-American (taking our freedoms of our own choices) blogs. You need to get out more.....these so-called immigrants are trying to run this country. BTW.....can you tell me where the Muslum footbaths have been constructed with my tax dollars? I'd like to make a contribution to them
Posted by: Jay Shipley | March 3, 2008 09:34 PM
I agree with Jay's comment above. I also find that people's opinions are influenced greatly by how much contact they have with illegals in their particular communities. If you live in a more modest area, you are more likely interacting with and observing illegals every time you go out. Those that live in the more affluent areas do not have the same experiences. Other than people that come in to clean or nanny for their kids, they don't see the negatives that many of us do. I have experienced both, and it is a huge difference in perspective depending on where you're coming from. They ARE draining us financially and putting huge strains on our educational and health care systems. There is no denying it. It is just felt more by the working class zombies, who are tired of busting their backs only to see illegals recieve free health care -when they many times do not have it themselves. There are lots of reasons illegals are deeply resented by others -even other legal hispanics see the effects on their communities. Anyone who wants to pull for illegals, should really have to walk in our shoes for awhile first, and see just how resentful you get when your own government does nothing and just lets them continue to be a drag on what is left of our 'economy'. I worked for a construction firm last year in NC, and I can tell you that the vast majority of the workers (making $11-25/hr) were illegal. Tell me how many American citizens would have loved to have one of those jobs to provide for his American family?? This is one of the most frustrating issues -and it continually looks like no one in government gives a damn. I think they're more concerned with possible votes! We are being sold out big time. BTW- we have not had health care in over 2 years. We hope to get it soon, if my husband's current job lasts for awhile. Kind of scary when you're in your 50's! Good to know that illegals have clinics, emergency rooms, etc. Mexico needs to get it's own house in order. vent, vent........................
Posted by: Barbara | May 29, 2009 09:16 AM
I agree with Jay's comment above. I also find that people's opinions are influenced greatly by how much contact they have with illegals in their particular communities. If you live in a more modest area, you are more likely interacting with and observing illegals every time you go out. Those that live in the more affluent areas do not have the same experiences. Other than people that come in to clean or nanny for their kids, they don't see the negatives that many of us do. I have experienced both, and it is a huge difference in perspective depending on where you're coming from. They ARE draining us financially and putting huge strains on our educational and health care systems. There is no denying it. It is just felt more by the working class zombies, who are tired of busting their backs only to see illegals recieve free health care -when they many times do not have it themselves. There are lots of reasons illegals are deeply resented by others -even other legal hispanics see the effects on their communities. Anyone who wants to pull for illegals, should really have to walk in our shoes for awhile first, and see just how resentful you get when your own government does nothing and just lets them continue to be a drag on what is left of our 'economy'. I worked for a construction firm last year in NC, and I can tell you that the vast majority of the workers (making $11-25/hr) were illegal. Tell me how many American citizens would have loved to have one of those jobs to provide for his American family?? This is one of the most frustrating issues -and it continually looks like no one in government gives a damn. I think they're more concerned with possible votes! We are being sold out big time. BTW- we have not had health care in over 2 years. We hope to get it soon, if my husband's current job lasts for awhile. Kind of scary when you're in your 50's! Good to know that illegals have clinics, emergency rooms, etc. Mexico needs to get it's own house in order. vent, vent........................
Posted by: Barbara | May 29, 2009 09:55 AM
I agree with Jay's comment above. I also find that people's opinions are influenced greatly by how much contact they have with illegals in their particular communities. If you live in a more modest area, you are more likely interacting with and observing illegals every time you go out. Those that live in the more affluent areas do not have the same experiences. Other than people that come in to clean or nanny for their kids, they don't see the negatives that many of us do. I have experienced both, and it is a huge difference in perspective depending on where you're coming from. They ARE draining us financially and putting huge strains on our educational and health care systems. There is no denying it. It is just felt more by the working class zombies, who are tired of busting their backs only to see illegals recieve free health care -when they many times do not have it themselves. There are lots of reasons illegals are deeply resented by others -even other legal hispanics see the effects on their communities. Anyone who wants to pull for illegals, should really have to walk in our shoes for awhile first, and see just how resentful you get when your own government does nothing and just lets them continue to be a drag on what is left of our 'economy'. I worked for a construction firm last year in NC, and I can tell you that the vast majority of the workers (making $11-25/hr) were illegal. Tell me how many American citizens would have loved to have one of those jobs to provide for his American family?? This is one of the most frustrating issues -and it continually looks like no one in government gives a damn. I think they're more concerned with possible votes! We are being sold out big time. BTW- we have not had health care in over 2 years. We hope to get it soon, if my husband's current job lasts for awhile. Kind of scary when you're in your 50's! Good to know that illegals have clinics, emergency rooms, etc. Mexico needs to get it's own house in order. vent, vent........................
Posted by: Barbara | May 29, 2009 09:57 AM