Tuesday, March 28, 2006

"Georgia Immigration" - (Google) News Sweep - 3/28/'06 5:30 PM

"Georgia Immigration" - (Google) News Sweep - 3/28/'06  5:30 PM

3/28/'06 - The following article(s) were found in the media.  Several stories are provided ... with links to the original sources ... for your convenience:

  • Illegal immigrants expanding footprint (Macon)
  • Farmers urge lawmakers to streamline immigrant worker program (Columbus Ledger-Enquirer)
  • Georgia immigration compromise may overlook some undocumented workers (Access North GA)
  • READERS WRITE (AJC)
  • Prayers, Protests Target Perdue (WXIA)
  • State Senate Passes Immigration Crackdown (WSB)
  • Ga. senate OKs bill on immigrants (Gainsville Times)
  • Senate OKs immigration compromise (Gwinett Daily New)


-----------------------------------------
http://www.accessnorthga.com/news/ap_newfullstory.asp?ID=73278
Posted on Tue, Mar. 28, 2006
Illegal immigrants expanding footprint
STEPHEN OHLEMACHER
Associated Press

WASHINGTON - They are more likely than American citizens to hold jobs but less likely to have high school diplomas. They tend to be younger, and many have children who were born in the U.S., making the kids citizens.

They are illegal immigrants, their numbers estimated at 12 million as the question of what to do about them reaches a boiling point on Capitol Hill.

Less than half fit the profile of young men sneaking across the border to find jobs and send money back home to their families. Today, most bring their families with them, according to an analysis by the Pew Hispanic Center, a research organization in Washington.

"There's about 6.5 million adults who are in families, either couples or couples with children, and there's another 2 million children," said Jeffrey Passel, a senior research associate at the center. "The vast majority of this population is families."

Immigration has become a national issue as the Senate debates legislation that would tighten border security while enabling illegal immigrants to eventually become citizens.

One reason for the sudden broader interest: These immigrants now live in more cities and states than ever.

In 1990, almost half lived in California, the Pew analysis said. By 2004, California's share had dropped to about a quarter, even though the state's illegal population had grown from 1.6 million to about 2.4 million.

They are moving to states like North Carolina, Iowa, Ohio and Georgia, as they seek jobs and establish communities. North Carolina has nearly 16 times the number of illegal immigrants it had in 1990, the Pew analysis said. The state had 390,000 in 2004, the most recent state numbers available.

"It's not a regional issue anymore," said Randy Capps, a senior research associate at the Urban Institute, a Washington think tank. "It's a national issue."

The Pew center estimates there are as many as 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States, though researchers acknowledge that they are difficult to count. Other organizations have put the number at 11 million, but all agree the total is rising quickly.

About a quarter of them arrive in the United States legally and simply overstay their visas, Passel said.

"We have about 30 million people per year come here on temporary visas, either tourists or visitors for business," he said. "With 30 million folks coming here a year, a very small percent who stay adds up over the years."

Adult men make up the largest share of illegal immigrants, followed by adult women and then children.

Many families include relatives of differing immigration status. Nearly two-thirds of the children were born in the United States, making them U.S. citizens.

Illegal workers make up about 5 percent of the U.S. labor force. More than nine in 10 males illegally here are in that labor force, compared with 83 percent of men born in the United States.

Illegal immigrants tend to be younger than American workers, which helps explain why they are more likely to hold jobs, researchers said.

Female illegal immigrants, however, were less likely to work than their American counterparts, perhaps because most have young children, the Pew analysis said.

Illegal immigrants are concentrated in construction, agriculture and cleaning jobs. They make up 36 percent of all insulation workers, 29 percent of agricultural workers and 29 percent of roofers.

The Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates restricting immigration, recently issued a report saying that immigrants compete for jobs with less-educated Americans, especially high-school dropouts.

About half of adult illegal immigrants have not graduated high school, the Pew analysis found. About a third have less than a ninth-grade education.

About a quarter of illegal immigrants have at least some college, with 15 percent holding at least a bachelor's degree.

ON THE NET

Pew Hispanic Center: http://pewhispanic.org/

Center for Immigration Studies: http://www.cis.org/






-----------------------------------------
Posted on Tue, Mar. 28, 2006
Farmers urge lawmakers to streamline immigrant worker program
ELLIOTT MINOR
Associated Press

VALDOSTA, Ga. - As Congress wrestles with immigration reform, farmers who depend on foreign workers urged lawmakers Tuesday to streamline the nation's guest worker program so they can be assured a reliable supply of legal workers to harvest millions of dollars worth of crops.

Bill Brim, co-owner of one of Georgia's most successful vegetable farms, asked members of a House agriculture panel to "continue to work toward a solution to the guest worker issue."

Ten members of the House Agricultural Committee's subcommittee on general farm commodities and risk management held the two hour hearing at Valdosta State College to take suggestions from growers on the next farm bill, which will come before Congress in 2007.

Brim said he realizes that immigration reform is not a responsibility of the subcommittee, but he said it's the most important issue for him. Brim's Lewis Taylor Farm in Tifton grows a wide range of vegetables year-round.

Georgia farmers noticed a tighter labor supply last spring and fall, and tighter controls brought on by Homeland Security screening in Monterey, Mexico, have made it difficult to get legal workers over the Mexican border this year, Brim said.

"I've had people who have been working for me since 1998 and they can't get across," he said. "(Consular officials) are saying they can't come ... for some unknown reason or something in their past. They've been here for years and have done a good job."

Brim, who employs about 500 immigrants, takes part in the government's guest-worker program, known as H2A. He said he pays his workers $8.37 per hour, plus free housing, transportation and the cost of documents needed to cross the border.

He supports legislation introduced by Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., that would streamline the guest worker program, but also would require workers to return to their home countries once their work ends.

Chambliss said Tuesday in a statement that he intends to add an amendment that would modernize the H2A program in the Senate's current immigration reform legislation to make the worker program easier for farmers to use. It would also broaden the jobs allowed in the program to include agricultural processors, such as meat packers.

"We're in the produce business," Brim said. "We can't wait five days or 10 days or a month. When we start picking, we've got to have the labor to pick the crop."

Democratic U.S. Rep. David Scott, who represents Georgia's 13th District, said some of the immigration reform proposals, including one that would criminalize illegal immigrants, were "a bit stringent."

But he said, "There's more than coming over here and taking advantage of this country's goodness. They've got to get legal, pay taxes and do what all the other immigrants did."

Brim was among six south Georgia farmers who testified. The farmers called for a continuation of current farm subsidies to help them survive dramatically higher costs for fuel, fertilizers and pesticides. They also urged the congressmen to reject any international trade deals that would make them less competitive with foreign growers who have lower labor and land costs and fewer environmental restrictions.

In addition, they called for more funding for agricultural research and programs that encourage the use of farm commodities to produce alternative fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel.

"For many years, farmers have been known as food and fiber producers," said Mike Newberry, a cotton, corn, peanut and cattle producer from Arlington. "The fledgling ethanol energy must be encouraged in every practical manner to ensure its growth, which in turn will result in increased need for grain."

---

Elliott Minor has covered Georgia agriculture and rural issues for The Associated Press since 1984.








-----------------------------------------
http://www.accessnorthga.com/news/ap_newfullstory.asp?ID=73278
Georgia immigration compromise may overlook some undocumented workers

The Associated Press - ATLANTA

The compromise brokered between House and Senate lawmakers on the GOP's signature immigration issue this week may create a sort of amnesty for some undocumented workers, the state's labor chief said.

When lawmakers stripped the bill of its requirement to verify the immigration status of current workers at companies with taxpayer contracts, they effectively granted state amnesty to undocumented workers who might now be employed, said Michael Thurmond, the state's labor commissioner.

Under the bill that passed the state Senate Monday, only new hires would be checked using the federal verification system _ not current employees.

The portion of the law would not take effect until July 2007, leaving time for many new immigrants to get on the payroll before the tough new checks take effect, Thurmond warned.

State Sen. Chip Rogers, R-Woodstock, said that the federal program being used to check immigration status could only be used on new hires.

"If he (Thurmond) believes this is allowing amnesty I would encourage him to begin auditing employers and enforce the law," Rogers said.

It's the latest tiff over the immigration proposal that Republican lawmakers put at the top of their agenda before the start of the session.

The bill would verify that adults seeking many state-administered benefits _ like non-emergency medical care and unemployment checks _ are in the country legally. It would also sanction employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants, punishing them through the tax code.

The Senate approved the bill Monday and the House appears likely to follow suit this week. If it is signed into law, Georgia will be the among the first U.S. states with legislation tackling such a broad range of immigration issues, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

During the committee process, lobbyists from the farm and business lobbies fought to push back the bill's start dates. As a result, some provisions don't take effect until July 2007 while others have been delayed as late as 2009.

Some see that as an attempt to give federal lawmakers a chance to pass comprehensive legislation.

When throngs of immigrants rallied against the proposal during a "day of dignity" last week at the Capitol, state Sen. Sam Zamarripa told the crowd that the later start date could give the federal government the chance to take action.

"We want the people to come out of the shadows," said Zamarripa, D-Atlanta. "We want you to have rights."

The U.S. Senate this week is grappling with new federal immigration policies that have prompted thousands of people in cities around the U.S. to protest the bill.

Rogers said it is too soon to say how the federal bill under consideration by the U.S. Senate will affect Georgia's proposed law.

He added that was "illogical" to expect that immigration legislation passed on the federal level would stem the tide of illegal immigrants.

"It is proper for the state of Georgia to take steps to deal with the issue here, regardless of what is happening (in Washington)," he said.








----------------------------------------
http://www.ajc.com/tuesday/content/epaper/editions/tuesday/opinion_4482fcf1458c613500a6.html
READERS WRITE
Jane Russell, Ted Blumoff, Gerry Wade, Lynda Greer, Carol Raines Drummond, Jim Grattan - For the Journal-Constitution
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Immigration: Responses to ''Warrior against illegals lives, breathes the issue,'' Metro, March 27

Just a fringe figure? Hardly

Carlos Campos' article is brimming with innuendo, describing D.A. King as a "self-educated" activist who is "dismissed as a fringe figure by critics." Never mind that his main critic is a state senator whose bank issues mortgage loans to illegal aliens --- not exactly a disinterested party.

Here are some facts --- as opposed to rumors generated by people with an agenda --- missing from the article: King's sister is a legal immigrant from Korea. His best friend of 22 years is a black American who works with him in the fight to have our government secure our borders and enforce the laws equally. The Dustin Inman Society has a number of Hispanics as members, and some serve on its board of directors.

JANE RUSSELL

Russell, of Atlanta, is director of Georgians for Immigration Reduction.

----------

Georgia in danger of digging its own grave

Let's see that new Georgia state motto: "Throw out your tired and poor, and give us a good old-fashioned supremacist to make legislative policy."

Ah, yes, the South will fall again.

TED BLUMOFF

Blumoff, of Roswell, is a professor at Mercer University School of Law.

---------

Glad someone insists that law be obeyed

Thank you, D.A. King, for standing up for American values and supporting the enforcement of our immigration laws, which, sadly, President Bush and elected officials have fallen short in upholding.

Years of winking and nodding at illegal aliens and their employers have simply been years of aiding and abetting criminals. Now we see nationwide protests supporting those who have broken our laws and now make new demands, declaring that they represent a new civil rights movement and that attempts to enforce immigration laws will lead to massive civil disobedience.

This separatist, pro-Hispanic power display seems to be the only reflection of a supremacy group --- not King's group of Americans who believe in enforcing our laws. Thankfully, most Americans still support and obey our laws, though it may be time to elect new leaders who feel the same way.

GERRY WADE, Marietta

--------

No one suffers more than illegal laborers

If D. A. King is not a supremacist, he is a man without compassion.

There is no question that Georgia and other states face a dilemma that affects all residents. Suffering the most are the illegal immigrants, whose status is exploited by employers who pay them much less than they would pay non-immigrants and the unskilled workers who do not compete for jobs because wages have been driven down.

We need to fix this situation, but until we do, immigrants among us are working hard and raising families. They deserve medical care and education for their children. They deserve to be accorded the dignity that all of us merit. Meanwhile, the federal and state governments must work double time to find fair, effective solutions to the problems of immigration.

LYNDA GREER, Atlanta

---------

Pressure on preschoolers doesn't make sense

As a child clinical psychologist, I was amazed and disturbed by D. Aileen Dodd's article ("Push comes to preschool," Page One, March 27).

The preschool years are a time for children to learn many important developmental tasks, such as cooperating with others, developing imaginary play and simply learning about their environment. Young children need nurturing by the adults in their lives and time for free play to develop creativity and social skills.

So many of the older children that I see are overscheduled and stressed by the pressures that our society increasingly places on them, so why start at age 3? I agree with Richard Clifford that parent time and financial resources could be better spent in visiting museums and reading to their children. Even trips to the grocery store have "teachable moments." Individual time with parents spent in enjoyable activities is much more important to young children than learning to read at age 3.

I have never seen any research to document that the very early acquisition of academic skills makes a long-lasting impact on a child's intellectual abilities. Parents, let your little ones play.

CAROL RAINES DRUMMOND

Drummond, of Atlanta, is president of the Georgia Psychological Association.

---------

Learn the lessons of GM's problems

The financial woes of General Motors have made abundantly clear the unsustainability of an industry-union compact that ignores general economic conditions ("This isn't your father's economy," Editorial, March 27). Exorbitant pay for assembly work, 95 percent of pay while idled, and six-figure buyouts are all well beyond what the vast majority of U.S. workers can expect. Unionization is meant to empower all workers, not create a privileged few. Obviously, substantial contract adjustments will have to be made.

The lesson of GM is decidedly not that American workers' wages should be equivalent to those in the Third World. Calling for similar wages in the United States is, in essence, advocacy for reducing our living standards to Third World levels.

Of course, corporations will ship American jobs overseas to enhance profits. The survivability of our living standards absolutely demands that tariffs be applied to goods produced in deplorable environments. That would create a disincentive to offshore and encourage Third World social investment.

JIM GRATTAN, Grayson






--------------------------------------------
http://www.11alive.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=77901
Prayers, Protests Target Perdue



College students held a candlelight vigil to pray against the immigration crackdown.

Reported by: Jon Shirek
Web Editor: Tracey Christensen
Last Modified: 3/28/2006 10:34:31 AM

Opponents of a bill that cracks down on illegal immigration in Georgia have picked up their efforts from the pulpit and on the streets to convince Gov. Sonny Perdue to veto the measure.

Lawmakers in the state House are on the verge of giving final approval to the controversial bill. The Senate approved the plan Monday which cuts state benefits to illegal immigrants and fines companies who knowingly hire them. (Read related story).

Gov. Sonny Perdue has not said whether he will sign or veto the crackdown on illegal immigrants or undocumented workers. He has 40 days after the Legislature adjourns this week to decide.

Late Monday night, after the Senate approved the bill, hundreds of college students from across the state converged on the streets of Atlanta for a protest near the state Capitol. Their protest followed a candlelight vigil held inside the Central Presbyterian Church. (Related video: Candlelight vigil).

"These people are here to work. They're not criminals. They're just here to try to help their families," said student Jonathan Duarte.

Opponents know the governor is up for re-election this fall and are beginning to apply all the political pressure on him that they can.

"Our message is not for the Georgia Legislature. Our message is for Governor Perdue. Seventy thousand Latino, registered voters are watching this very closely," Jerry Gonzalez of the Georgia Association of Latino Officials said. "They think this is unjust, immoral."

The final version of the immigration bill which the state Senate passed Monday and the state House is expected to pass this week makes Georgia one of the first states to go after illegal immigrants. The bill makes it more difficult if not impossible for them to work in Georgia and receive state government benefits.

"It's illegal to be here undocumented. Whose fault is it? Well, yes, it's certainly their fault, those who are here that are undocumented. but it's also the fault of the federal government," Rep. Alan Powell argued before his colleagues last week.

The proposed crackdown by Georgia lawmakers goes after employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. Employers would not be able to claim the workers' salaries as tax deductions.

"Look, I think the best thing you can do to protect your family is not break the law to begin with. I mean, really, if you break the law to begin with, you put yourself in a situation where your family could be in danger," said Rep. Chip Rogers, the sponsor of the controversial legislation.

Gov. Perdue may not even have the final say on the immigration legislation if he signs it. Opponents are likely to challenge it in court.






---------------------------------------------
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/8309453/detail.html
State Senate Passes Immigration Crackdown
POSTED: 6:28 am EST March 28, 2006

ATLANTA --
The Senate approved the long-debated measure yesterday. In Washington, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill to clear the way for 11-million illegal aliens to seek citizenship without having to leave the country. The Georgia House is expected to vote later this week on a compromise bill to crack down on illegal immigration.

The Georgia bill would verify that adults seeking many state-administered benefits, such as non-emergency medical care and unemployment checks, are in the country legally. It would also sanction employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants, punishing them through the tax code.

Companies seeking state contracts must verify that their workers are not illegal immigrants. The bill would mandate that police officers screen the immigration status of people they arrest. It would also put in place strict new human trafficking laws.

Stripped from the final version was a five percent fee to wire transfers by people who could not prove they were in the country legally. The compromise requires that six percent for state income tax be withheld from workers who can't provide a taxpayer identification number. That is so the state can be reimbursed for the services it provides.






--------------------------------------------
http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/stories/20060328/localnews/81076.shtml
Ga. senate OKs bill on immigrants

From staff, wire reports


Photo

Rep. James Mills of Chestnut Mountain said committees found compromise on wire transfers proposal.

Georgia House and Senate members reached agreement Monday on sweeping immigration legislation to crack down on adults living in the country illegally and the employers who knowingly hire them.

The state Senate gave the bill final passage by a 39-16 vote. The House was expected to take up the measure later this week.

If it is signed into law, Georgia will be the among the first states with legislation tackling such a broad range of immigration issues, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures and advocates from both sides of the aisle.

"They're out of the gate first," said Ann Morse, program director for the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The bill would verify that adults seeking many state-administered benefits -- like nonemergency medical care and unemployment checks -- are in the country legally. It would also sanction employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants, punishing them through the tax code.

Companies seeking state contracts must verify that their workers are not illegal immigrants. The bill would mandate that police officers screen the immigration status of people they arrest. It would put in place strict new human trafficking laws.

Stripped from the final version was one controversial provision, sponsored by state Rep. Tom Rice, which would have tacked on a 5 percent fee to wire transfers by people who could not prove they were in the country legally.

But Rep. James Mills, a Chestnut Mountain Republican, said that conferees found a better way to accomplish the same goal.

Instead, the compromise requires that 6 percent for state income tax be withheld from workers who can't provide a taxpayer identification number.

"This is basically saying whoever they work for has got to obtain proper taxpayer identification," Mills said. "Otherwise, they will have to withhold taxes. I thought it was a good compromise."

Rice said the bill ensures the state can be reimbursed for the services it provides. "It still does the trick," he said.

Morse said the comprehensiveness of the Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act "appears to be unique."

The action in Georgia comes as the U.S. Senate grapples with new get-tough federal immigration policies. Over the weekend, thousands of people in cities around the U.S. protested the congressional action.

In Georgia, the state immigration bill has sparked its share of rallies and protests. Some immigrants refused to show up to work on Friday in what was billed as a "day of dignity" opposing the tough new measure.

Georgia's House and Senate passed differing versions of the immigration bill earlier this month. A six-member conference committee, composed of lawmakers from both chambers, reached an accord Monday morning.

State Sen. Chip Rogers, R-Woodstock, the bill's main sponsor, said he was satisfied with the final version.

Most provisions of the bill would take effect on July 1, 2007.

Supporters say the plan 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.

Gov. Sonny Perdue has not said whether he will sign the bill. His spokesman, Dan McLagan, said the Republican governor does not comment on pending legislation.

But Perdue has moved to tighten up screening for taxpayer-funded benefits like Medicaid to require proof of income and citizenship.

Tisha Tallman, Southeast regional counsel for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, called the Georgia bill "inhumane and potentially unconstitutional." She said a legal challenge was likely.

Mike Hethmon, general counsel for legal arm of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, said he expected other states would follow Georgia's lead and said the bill had been drawn up with an eye to a trip through the courts.

"The bill that's going to be signed, I think, is pretty much lawsuit-proof in constitutional terms," Hethmon said.

As of Feb. 26, legislators in 42 states had introduced 368 bills related to immigration, according to the National Conference on State Legislatures.

E-mail: news@gainesvilletimes.com, (770) 718-3401

Originally published Tuesday, March 28, 2006






--------------------------------------------
http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/index.php?s=&url_channel_id=1&url_article_id=13264&url_subchannel_id=&change_well_id=2
Senate OKs immigration compromise
03/28/2006

By Dave Williams
Staff Writer
dave.williams@gwinnettdailypost.com


ATLANTA — The final version of a crackdown on illegal immigration in Georgia is halfway home.
The Senate voted 39-16 Monday afternoon to adopt an agreement a legislative conference committee had reached hours earlier on the immigration bill.
However, in an unusual move, the House adjourned without taking up the conferees' recommendations. Typically, the House and Senate vote the same day on conference committee agreements on pending bills.
The immigration measure has been a top priority of the Republican-controlled General Assembly this year.
It would require Georgia adults seeking many public services to prove they are either U.S. citizens or in this country legally, thus screening out illegal immigrants.
The bill also would go after businesses that hire illegal workers. Companies seeking government contracts would have to verify their workers' legal status, using a system set up by the federal government.
Those conducting business in the private sector would be discouraged from hiring illegals by being hit with tax penalties.
Siding with the version of the bill adopted by the Senate, the conferees removed a provision from the bill that would have levied a 5 percent surcharge on funds illegal immigrants wire out of the country.
Instead, the conference committee added a provision to slap any worker who can't provide a taxpayer identification number with a 6 percent state income tax.
The state Department of Revenue complained that the surcharge on wire transfers would have created too great an additional workload for the agency's collection agents, said Rep. Tom Rice, R-Norcross, who was the chief sponsor of the surcharge.
"Our taxes are paying for services that illegals cost,'' he said. "What that turns out to be is a subsidy to their employers ... I think this does a good job getting at that.''
Sen. Chip Rogers, R-Woodstock, the underlying bill's chief sponsor, said the income-tax provision probably would generate more tax revenue for the state than the surcharge would have produced.
"This is something that's already being used in other states.'' he said. "We think it's on better legal ground.''
All 16 of the votes against the bill in the Senate came from Democrats.
Throughout debate on the measure, opponents have argued that illegal immigration is a federal issue and should be addressed by Congress, not state lawmakers.
The U.S. Senate began taking up comprehensive immigration legislation on  Monday and is expected to spend at least this week debating the issue.
Several hundred thousand people demonstrated on the streets of downtown Los Angeles last weekend against a federal crackdown on illegals, while several other cities featured smaller protests.
"We will have (federal) immigration reform moving in the next few days,'' state Sen. Sam Zamarripa, D-Atlanta, told his colleagues shortly before Monday's vote on the conference committee's agreement.
"The federal government is the only group that will fix this. All this (bill) does is create a lot of fear in a community that is here to work.''
After the mid-afternoon Senate vote, the House was expected to take up the bill.
Instead, Speaker Glenn Richardson, R-Hiram, announced late in the afternoon that the House would not consider any conference committee reports on Monday.
House members either will debate the bill today, the 39th and next-to-last day of this year's session or wait until the final day of lawmaking, set for Thursday.







--------------------------------------------

--
Erik Voss
erik@ICAtlanta.org
404-457-5901 Direct