ADVERTISEMENT
"Illegal" Day Labor Issues Becoming Concern of Communities10-17-03 | News
img
 
You?EUR??,,????'???ve seen them: areas where dozens of men congregate to be hired for day labor, usually by contractors or private citizens. No one knows how many of these men are ?EUR??,,????'??illegals,?EUR??,,????'?? but the statistics range from 40-80 percent. There have, of course, been many complaints from residents and merchants about these labor sites. Some communities have taking action. The Marin Immigration Reform Association is photographing and videoing day laborers and those that employ them at San Rafael day labor sites. Marin County is one of the wealthiest per capita communities in Northern California. This tactic was not surreptitious, but done openly and announced to the press. The ?EUR??,,????'??evidence?EUR??,,????'?? was forwarded to the INS, which has resulted in ?EUR??,,????'??sweeps?EUR??,,????'?? of the San Rafael sites. Some communities are enacting local ordinances to prohibit all solicitations of moving vehicles. The courts, for the moment, have ruled that this does not violate the First Amendment. A more constructive approach, seems to be the communities who are creating hiring halls or sites to get the laborers off the street. So called ?EUR??,,????'??open border?EUR??,,????'?? groups have created hiring halls on behalf of the illegals. There are groups, however, who take offense to aiding illegal workers in any form, and the government backs them up. The Immigration and Nationality Act declares that a person knowingly encouraging or helping an illegal alien to reside in the U.S. has committed a federal felony. The INA also makes it illegal to employ illegals.
img