"Georgia Immigration" - (Google) News Sweep - 3/23/'06 10 PM
3/23/'06 - The following article(s) were found in the media. Several stories are provided ... with links to the original sources ... for your convenience:
- Latino Community Calls For Boycott (WXIA)
- Ga. close to passing immigration changes (AP)
- Latinos urge day of protest against bill (AJC)
- House passes bill on illegals (AJC)
- House Passes Immigration Bill (WXIA)
- House passes immigration bill as activists plan work stoppage (AP)
- House passes illegal immigration reform (Atlanta Business Chronicle)
- Immigrant work stoppage, boycott planned to protest bill (Atlanta Business Chronicle
- Planned immigration vote, work stoppage spur emotion at Capitol (AP)
- Hall chairman says 'wait and see' (Access North GA )
Latino Community Calls For Boycott
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Latino restaurants and markets could be among businesses that close on Friday in protest of the immigration bill under consideration by the Georgia Legislature.
Some business owners in Atlanta's Latin community have called for a one-day boycott of work and spending.
Luis Covarrubias says that Friday's planned boycott will show the sort of economic muscle that Latinos have in Metro Atlanta.
"They'll see what type of effect it would have on the economy if they would take us all, like they say, ship us to Mexico or Guatemala or El Salvador," Covarrubias said.
Community leaders say it's a way to force Metro Atlanta to recognize the importance of Latin workers.
Business leaders have organized, and are encouraging Latin immigrants living in Metro Atlanta to spend their Friday without spending at all.
Many plan to go without shopping or working, all in protest of a bill under consideration in the Legislature that would give the state some muscle in dealing with illegal immigrants.
Some in Atlanta's Latin community say the bill has created an atmosphere of fear and confusion. Some children have stopped going to school out of fear they'll be detained and deported.
Still, two state lawmakers who oppose the immigration bill say they're also against any type of boycott or work stoppage. They're proposing a day of prayer.
"I arise this morning to oppose any walkout for tomorrow. We have to keep the economy of Georgia moving," said State Representative Medro Martin (D-Gwinnett County).
Covarrubias says his American dream can take a day off to take part in his Latin-American dream.
The sponsor of the immigration bill says if Friday's planned protest does occur, anyone who participates by skipping work would only be hurting themselves.
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http://www.ledger-enquirer.com
Posted on Thu, Mar. 23, 2006
Ga. close to passing immigration changes
DOUG GROSS and GREG BLUESTEIN
Associated Press
ATLANTA - The Georgia House approved changes to immigration policy Thursday that would deny undocumented residents some state services, and some opponents are planning a one-day work stoppage in protest.
Supporters say the bill, which passed 123-51, is a homeland security measure that frees up state resources for legal residents. Opponents say it unfairly targets workers who are merely responding to the demands of state industries.
The bill, which now heads to the Senate, would deny adult illegal immigrants such things as nonemergency medical care and unemployment benefits. It also would sanction companies that knowingly employ undocumented workers.
This week, the House tacked on a proposal requiring anyone who cannot prove legal U.S. residency to pay a 5 percent surcharge on wire transfers. Immigrants often use wire transfers to send money to relatives back home.
The House also added a provision requiring workers to be checked against federal databases to confirm that they are legally permitted to work.
"The people of this country want our borders secure," said Republican Rep. Dan Lakly. "The people of this country do not want to be overrun and overtaken by illegal immigrants."
Opponents sought to portray immigration as a federal issue.
"This bill is not the right first step," said Democratic Rep. Pedro Marin. "It addresses symptoms of the problem, not the cause of the problem - broken borders."
Meanwhile, activists called for a "day of dignity" Friday when immigrants would refrain from buying anything and skip work if possible - an attempt to signal immigrants' impact on the state's economy. The observance has been promoted on Spanish-speaking media throughout Georgia.
Georgia is among 42 states with bills on immigration policy, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Nineteen have bills that would restrict public benefits.
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http://www.ajc.com/metro
Latinos urge day of protest against bill
Leaders call for economic show of force
By BRIAN FEAGANS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 03/24/06
A coalition of state Hispanic leaders is calling on immigrants in Georgia not to buy anything today and stay home from work if possible as a show of economic might.
It's unclear how the one-day effort could affect poultry plants, restaurants and other businesses that rely heavily on immigrant labor. And organizers stopped short of calling it a boycott, saying they only want workers to participate if it doesn't jeopardize their jobs.
The effort is designed to protest a sweeping anti-illegal immigration measure making its way through the Georgia Legislature, said Julian Herrera, a Norcross pastor and spokesman for the Alianza 17 de Marzo de Georgia (March 17th Alliance of Georgia).
The alliance is named for the day that pastors and Spanish language media executives met in a Smyrna restaurant and decided to take action, Herrera said. "We're sending a strong message that if you pass a law that punishes these people, then they will leave," he said. "Who is going to build the homes? Who is going to do landscaping?"
The partial boycott comes amid a flurry of rallies around the country in protest of federal efforts to crack down on illegal immigration. Police estimated that more than 10,000 people gathered Thursday in Milwaukee for a demonstration dubbed "A Day Without Latinos."
Herrera said the alliance, with the help of Spanish-language radio stations, might put out a call Friday morning for Hispanic immigrants to gather at a yet-to-be-named location in Norcross.
Metro Atlanta business owners, meanwhile, don't know what to expect.
Jerry Moore, co-owner of seven Burger Kings in Gwinnett County and one in DeKalb County, said his managers were getting mixed messages from a staff that's more than half Hispanic. Moore had already developed one contingency plan should many employees stay home. "We could treat it like a snow day and have just the drive-through open," he said.
Then again, much of his restaurants' clientele is Hispanic, too. "We may be short-staffed, but we may have more people than we need," Moore said.
Word of the call to stay home from work had Spanish-language radio stations buzzing Thursday with callers debating whether to comply. And at the General Assembly, Sen. Sam Zamarripa called on Georgians to pray over the weekend rather than stay home from work.
"The undocumented community has called for a peaceful work stoppage tomorrow, and I am not in a position to stop it," said Zamarripa, who has tried to soften the anti-illegal immigrant measure. " I understand their confusion; most of us do not fully comprehend the reach of SB 529."
The bill would prohibit adult illegal immigrants from getting many public benefits, financially penalize private employers who hire workers in the county unlawfully, and establish harsh penalties for human trafficking.
Supporters of the bill say it is the first step needed to address the growing number of people who enter the country illegally and burden schools, prisons and the health care system while paying few taxes and driving down wages for legal residents. Critics say the bill unfairly criminalizes poor laborers without seriously discouraging the people who hire them.
Jesus Brito was among the Hispanic business owners who planned to shut down today in protest. Brito, who was born in Mexico but is now a naturalized U.S. citizen, said he won't open his four Atlanta-area supermarkets so his 70 workers could participate as well.
Michael Pinzon, who promotes acts in Latino clubs around Atlanta, said many dance halls would stay closed on what is normally a lucrative night. A Mexican band scheduled to play at one club on Roswell Road will perform Saturday night instead, he said. "If people don't stand up and do something," said Pinzon, a second generation Colombian American, "then they won't be heard."
The proposed work stoppage also spilled over into at least one school. A homemade flyer circulating through the halls of Meadowcreek High in Norcross urged students contemplating a "skip day" to attend school today instead. Cutting class "will only prove to the pro-bill advocates that we neither want to be nor need to be in school," the flyer said.
The legislation working its way through the General Assembly would not affect illegal immigrants' access to K-12 education.
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http://www.ajc.com/metro
House passes bill on illegals
Senate prepares to iron out differences
By JIM THARPE, CARLOS CAMPOS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 03/24/06
Georgia's sweeping attempt to confront illegal immigration moved a step closer to becoming law Thursday when the state House voted 123-51 in favor of the Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act.
The Republican-dominated chamber debated Senate Bill 529 — a complex proposal aimed at illegal immigrants and those who employ them — only 90 minutes before House leaders called for a vote.
 BEN GRAY / Staff | |||
| Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Cassville) (left) and House Majority Leader Jerry Keen (R-St. Simons Island) (right) congratulate Sen. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock) just after the House passed his immigration bill Thursday afternoon. | |||
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State Rep. Dan Lakly (R-Peachtree City), the son of a legal immigrant from Yugoslavia, told the House the bill is a simple case of "right vs. wrong, legal versus illegal."
Lakly and other speakers pointed a stern finger at the federal government, which they said has failed to fix a broken immigration system.
"There comes a time when the states have to stand up as one and send a message to the federal government," Lakly said. "The people of our country want our borders secure. The people of this country do not want to be overrun by illegal immigrants."
But Rep. Pedro Marin (D-Duluth), one of two Hispanics in the House, said the bill, which overwhelmingly passed the Senate this month, does not provide "meaningful immigration reform."
"This bill is not the right first step," he said. "It addresses symptoms of the problem, not the cause, which is a broken national system."
Polls show that more than 80 percent of Georgians want the Legislature to deal with illegal immigration. The thorny issue has become a centerpiece of this election-year session of the General Assembly, where all 236 lawmakers' jobs are up for grabs.
The 16-page proposal written by Sen. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock) now goes back to the Senate, which must approve House changes. If senators disagree with those changes, a conference committee will be appointed to work out the differences.
Rogers' bill attempts to prohibit adult illegal immigrants from getting taxpayer-funded benefits to which they are not entitled. It also attempts to ensure that companies with public contracts hire only workers in the country legally, and it would financially penalize private employers who hire illegal immigrants. The bill also would establish tough penalties for human trafficking.
House members added a provision in committee that would require illegal immigrants to pay a 5 percent surcharge on money they wire out of the country. That has upset some senators who might try to remove that section.
There are an estimated 250,000 to 800,000 illegal immigrants in Georgia — though no one has a precise number. Proponents of a crackdown say illegal immigrants burden schools, prisons and the health care system without footing an equal part of the tax burden. Opponents of Rogers' proposal say immigrants are here seeking a better life, do pay taxes and take only the jobs Americans refuse.
Thursday's relatively low-key House debate took place against a backdrop of heated rhetoric at the Capitol. Rogers told the Senate on Thursday he feared the controversy could threaten his family's safety, after a local Hispanic newspaper, Mundo Hispanico, printed a map of his neighborhood, including a photo of his house. Mundo Hispanico is owned by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Rogers, who has already received threats over his bill, said the map could put his wife and four children at risk.
"Come after me all you want, but leave my kids and my wife out of it,'' he said.
Juan Arango, editor of the Spanish-language newspaper, defended his decision to run the story. He said the map only gave readers a general idea of where Rogers lives, not a street name or an address.
Arango said the issue wasn't personal and had nothing to do with Rogers as an individual. He said the newspaper would never do anything to put Rogers and his family in jeopardy.
While Rogers spoke, state Sen. Sam Zamarripa (D-Atlanta) called a news conference to complain that Rogers' bill had "terrified the Latino community." He said the children of some illegal immigrants fear they will be deported if they go to school or even the local Wal-Mart.
"This is an unprecedented level of fear," said Zamarripa, who called for a weekend of prayer on the issue. Zamarripa said he had tried to be a voice of moderation and spoke out against plans within the Hispanic community to stay home from work today as a demonstration of their importance to the state's economy.
In the House, conservative Democrats sided with the Republican majority to easily pass the bill.
Rep. Alan Powell (D-Hartwell) said Rogers' bill did not go far enough, but agreed it was a starting point. He said the federal government had spent billions on homeland security since 9/11 "but we can't stop hungry Mexicans" from crossing the border by the millions.
"We have a system that is out of control," Powell said. "What part of illegal do people not understand? It's illegal to be here undocumented."
Rep. Alisha Thomas Morgan (D-Austell), who voted against the bill, said some of her constituents had urged her to "do something about all those Mexicans." But she called Rogers' proposal "race-baiting, hypocritical legislation."
"When history records what we've done in this chamber, I'm going to be on the right side of history," she said.
D.A. King, an anti-illegal immigration activist from Cobb County who pushed for the legislation, said the vote marked "a historic day."
"I am overwhelmed," said King, who watched the vote in the gallery above the House floor. "I think the state of Georgia has taken the first step towards a return to the rule of law. I think it's a good day for the citizens and the taxpayers of Georgia. I think it's a bad day for the criminal employers and bankers who have been allowed to profit from illegal, taxpayer-subsidized, black market labor."
Rogers said he felt good about the bill, but wanted to evaluate changes made in the House before determining a next step. "We're going to read it tonight and see where we stand," Rogers said.
Tisha Tallman, counsel for the Atlanta regional office for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said the organization would continue its opposition to the bill. Tallman said MALDEF continued to believe the bill was "not only unconstitutional, but bad policy for Georgia."
The bill "fails to recognize contributions" of immigrant workers on Georgia's economy. She said MALDEF, which has sued over similar issues in other states, was preparing for potential litigation in Georgia.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
http://www.11alive.com/news
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The debate reflected the tensions inside and outside the Capitol. House leaders scheduled the vote suddenly, thus avoiding a scene like two weeks ago, when hundreds of undocumented workers showed up to watch the Senate vote.
Now, many of them say they won't show up for their jobs on Friday -- no shopping, either.
One of the bill's chief opponents, Senator Sam Zamarripa (D-Atlanta) says they are responding to a climate of fear created by the bill.
The House voted overwhelmingly to approve the bill. It requires state contractors to check workers' status. Other employers just have to keep copies of their documents. Employers could not take tax deductions for wages paid to illegals, and the bill denies some state services to adults who are not in the U.S. legally.
The House bill does one more thing -- undocumented workers who want to wire money home would have to pay a five percent surcharge on the transaction. The Senate will have to decide whether to accept that.
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http://www.accessnorthga.com
House passes immigration bill as activists plan work stoppage
The Associated Press - ATLANTA
The Georgia House on Thursday approved sweeping changes to the state's immigration policy that would deny some state services to adults living in the U.S. illegally and impose a 5 percent surcharge on wire transfers from illegals.
Immigrant communities responded by encouraging a work stoppage Friday in protest while frazzled lawmakers from both sides of the debate called for calm.
It was the latest twist for what is perhaps one of the most contentious _ and ambitious _ measures taken up by the Legislature this session.
Supporters say the plan, which passed by a 123-51 vote, is a vital homeland security measure that frees up limited state resources for Georgia residents who are legally entitled to them. Opponents say it unfairly targets workers who are merely responding to the demands of some of the state's largest industries.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Chip Rogers, R-Woodstock, also sanctions companies that knowingly employ undocumented workers and imposes stiff penalties on human trafficking. This week, House lawmakers also tacked on the surcharge proposal and added a worker verification program, which would be administered by the state Department of Labor.
The changes must first be approved by the Senate before going to Gov. Sonny Perdue.
The measure drew fiery responses from critics and supporters of the proposal.
"The people of this country want our borders secure," said state Rep. Dan Lakly, R-Peachtree City. "The people of this country do not want to be overrun and overtaken by illegal immigrants."
Opponents sought to portray immigration as a federal issue, not a state decision.
"This bill is not the right first step," said state Rep. Pedro Marin, D-Gwinnett. "It addresses symptoms of the problem, not the cause of the problem _ broken borders."
Immigration has been one of the more controversial issues under the Gold Dome, attracting droves of activists from both sides and intense scrutiny.
Sen. Sam Zamarripa, the Senate's lone Hispanic member, said nervousness and, in some cases, misunderstanding of the reform effort has created an environment of fear among the state's immigrant communities.
"A community already in the shadows is terrified," said Zamarripa, D-Atlanta. "This is an unprecedented level of fear."
Zamarripa said rumors are rampant that if illegal immigrants go to Wal-Mart they will be picked up in raids. Parents are keeping their children out of school because of concerns that immigration officials will round up and deport students without proper documentation, he said.
Meanwhile, activists called for a "day of dignity" on Friday when immigrants would refrain from buying anything and skip work if possible. The observance has been promoted on Spanish-speaking media throughout Georgia.
Teodoro Maus, of the Coordinating Committee of Community Leaders, said the action is not a boycott but a signal of the immigrant community's impact on the state's economy.
He said some workers had received approval from their employers not to come to work and that some 40 butcher shops and 30 supermarkets will shut down in solidarity.
"Don't buy anything on Friday; see what happens," Maus said at a Capitol news conference. "If you can, don't go to work."
Both Zamarripa and Rogers urged people on all sides to remain calm in the days ahead.
"I urge each of you to have a little responsibility," Zamarripa said. "Do not pour gasoline on this fire."
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http://atlanta.bizjournals.com
House passes illegal immigration reform
Atlanta Business Chronicle - 4:40 PM EST Thursdayby Ryan Mahoney Staff Writer
The Georgia House of Representatives on Thursday approved a bill aimed at curbing taxpayer benefits to illegal immigrants and regulating the employers that hire them.
Senate Bill 529, authored by state Sen. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock), passed by a vote of 123-51 after less than two hours of discussion as leaders in the immigrant community called for a boycott and work stoppage on Friday in protest.
The House voted down an amendment by Reps. Jay Shaw (D-Lakeland) and Pedro Marin (D-Duluth) that would have given employers an extra two years -- until as late as 2011 in some cases -- to comply with provisions requiring them to verify the legal status of their workers.
Legislators previously stretched the compliance date to Jan. 1, 2009 from July 1, 2006.
With four days remaining in the 2006 legislative session, the bill will return to the Senate, which can agree to the changes or hash them out with the House in a conference committee.
One possible bone of contention could be a provision, inserted at the last minute by the House committee that debated the bill, which would charge illegals a 5 percent fee for wire transfers to other countries.
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http://atlanta.bizjournals.com
Immigrant work stoppage, boycott planned to protest bill
Atlanta Business Chronicle - 2:33 PM EST Thursdayby Ryan Mahoney Staff Writer
As legislators prepared Thursday to vote on a measure that would tighten regulations on illegal immigrants and their employers, community leaders were calling for immigrant workers in Atlanta to stay home from their jobs and avoid buying anything on Friday in protest.
Senate Bill 529, sponsored by state Sen. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock), would require people seeking to use certain public benefits to prove they are in Georgia legally. It also would force state and local government contractors to verify the legal status of their employees and require all employers to prove their workers are in Georgia legally in order to claim state income tax deductions.
State Sen. Sam Zamarripa (D-Atlanta), who has led legislative opposition to the bill, is against the work stoppage and boycott, said John Mallette, his chief of staff. In a Thursday press conference, however, Zamarripa stopped short of urging immigrant workers to remain at their jobs.
Jerry Gonzalez, executive director of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials, said the plan is for workers to stay home only when they have permission from their employers. He said several farms, restaurants and other businesses have agreed to the stoppage.
"If this bill passes, there are going to be some further actions in the future," Gonzalez said.
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http://www.accessnorthga.com
http://www.accessnorthga.com
http://www.macon.com/mld/macon
Planned immigration vote, work stoppage spur emotion at Capitol
by The Associated Press
ATLANTA - A pending vote on an immigration reform bill in the Georgia Legislature, and a planned work stoppage by immigrant laborers in response to it, had emotions running high at the state Capitol on Thursday.
Sen. Sam Zamarripa, D-Atlanta, the Senate's lone Hispanic member, said nervousness and, in some cases, misunderstanding of the reform effort has created an environment of fear among the state's immigrant communities.
"A community already in the shadows is terrified," he said. "This is an unprecedented level of fear."
Zamarripa sa
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| "A community already in the shadows is terrified." | | ||
| Sen. Sam Zamarripa | | ||
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Zamarripa said he is receiving so many calls to his office that he can longer handle them.
Meanwhile, shortly after noon Thursday, Republican leaders in the state House announced plans to consider the immigration measure, which has already passed in the Senate. The bill was not on a list of measures the House had been scheduled to consider at the beginning of the day.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Chip Rogers, R-Woodstock, denies state services to adults living in the U.S. illegally, sanctions companies that knowingly employ undocumented workers and imposes stiff penalties on human trafficking.
Supporters say the plan is needed as a homeland security measure and to free up limited state resources for Georgia residents who are legally entitled to them. Opponents say it unfairly targets workers who are merely responding to the demands of some of the state's largest industries.
"We require the undocumented work force here in Georgia," Zamarripa said. "We require immigrant labor ... I don't think the Latino community feels like it has been embraced for its contribution."
Teodoro Maus, of the Coordinating Committee of Community Leaders, said Thursday he was encouraging a "day of dignity" on Friday in which immigrants would refrain from buying anything and would skip work if possible. The observance has been promoted on Spanish-speaking media throughout Georgia.
Maus said some workers had received approval from their employers not to come to work. Those who would be penalized if they failed to show should go to work, he said.
Maus stopped short of calling the action a boycott. But he said he hopes it will show the immigrant community's impact on the state's economy.
"Don't buy anything on Friday; see what happens," Maus said at a capitol news conference. "If you can, don't go to work."
He said some 40 butcher shops and 30 supermarkets, mostly in the Atlanta area, were shutting down in solidarity.
But Zamarripa urged immigrants not to boycott work Friday and said the situation was becoming "very dangerous."
He called on churches and other religious facilities to open their doors over the weekend to provide support and prayers for the immigrant community.
Meanwhile, Rogers lashed out at a Spanish-speaking newspaper that published a map showing the location of his home in Woodstock. Rogers told fellow senators that he fears the map in the weekly paper Mundo Hispanico could put his wife and four children at risk.
"Names I don't mind. Harassing phone calls I receive, I really don't mind that either," Rogers said. "But yesterday, somebody stepped over the line. Somebody went beyond where they should go."
The Spanish-language article that accompanies the map highlights the number of businesses in Rogers' hometown that rely on immigrant labor and suggests the city's economy could be hurt if the reform bill is approved.
Juan Arango, the paper's editor, told the Associated Press the map does not show the exact location of his home and was not intended to put Rogers or his family in jeopardy.
Both Zamarripa, who condemned the paper's decision to run the map, and Rogers urged people on all sides to remain calm in the days ahead.
"I urge each of you to have a little responsibility," Zamarripa said. "Do not pour gasoline on this fire."
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http://www.accessnorthga.com
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