The last few lines of the "Pledge of Allegiance" are some of the most well-known and celebrated. But two Ohio State students believe that undocumented immigrants, including those in Columbus, have been excluded from the American promise of "liberty and justice for all" for too long.
Andrea Velez, a fourth-year in Spanish, and Kyla Snow, a fourth-year in comparative studies and Spanish, have coordinated an event Friday to raise awareness of the "broken immigration system" in the United States and to advocate for immigration reform.
The event, called "And Justice for… All?" will feature talks about immigration law and reform efforts. Immigrants who have navigated the complexities of the immigration system will also share personal stories.
Velez and Snow are enrolled in Spanish 689, a service-learning course. The class is titled "Spanish in Ohio: An Experiential Course." The students have to perform 100 hours of real-life language use and community service in the Latino community.
The students also have to design a final project with the goal of having a "lasting effect," in the Latino community, Snow said. The event is Snow and Velez's project for the class.
The two became involved with Reform Immigration For America, a national group that advocates for comprehensive immigration reform, this quarter during the class.
At the first meeting they attended, the group discussed Ohio Senate Bill 35, which is being debated now. The bill is an expansion of program 287G which would allow state and local law enforcement officials to enforce federal immigration laws.
Velez said she worries that, under this proposal, undocumented immigrants would be "more fearful of coming out of the shadows" if they are the victim of a crime for fear of deportation.
Nick Torres, the statewide, grassroots coordinator for Reform Immigration For America, said there are several "pillars" of comprehensive reform that the group is built on.
Protecting the rights of undocumented workers is one. He said these workers are often targeted by unscrupulous employers because they can be treated poorly and often don't or can't complain.
Another is an earned path to citizenship. Torres said alternatives, such as the mass deportation of about 12 million undocumented immigrants, were unrealistic.
"It's really expensive," he said, "and it's not in line with American values. America is a country of immigrants, of course."
Torres also mentioned the Dream Act which might hit home for college students. This legislation, introduced in Congress numerous times (most recently in March 2009) would allow the children of undocumented immigrants, many who have been in the country most of their lives, to be eligible for citizenship if they completed a college degree or served in the military for two years.
Under current laws, undocumented young people are not able to go to college even if they grew up and attended elementary and high school in the U.S.
Although immigration is a hot-button issue, Velez said often the human face of the issue remains hidden.
"When it's not seen, people don't really have a heart for it. If you don't see these people and their situation, it's harder to feel for them."
Snow said working with the campaign had opened her eyes to the reality of others' lives, and she hoped to share these stories at the event.
Late last year, the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles canceled the license registrations of people who couldn't provide a social security number. Snow said many of the people she spoke with felt it was specifically targeted at illegal immigrants.
The Columbus Dispatch reported that the BMV denied that the new rule was aimed at a particular group.
Snow described one man as near tears while he told her that he had to look for another job because he was worried about driving with an expired registration.
"The desperation is so great," Snow said.
Velez said she hopes students who attend the event learn more about the immigration system.
"We would love for them to get involved in the campaign," she said. "But if nothing else, we want them just to learn more, be more open-minded and have more compassion for immigrants and people who are facing these situations."
"I think that this issue is larger than immigration policy," Snow said. "It's a justice issue."
"And Justice for… All?" will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. in Hagerty Hall 180. There will be a special musical guest and free Chipotle. The event is free and open to the public.
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HR Scam Helped Illegal Aliens Take Jobs from American Workers
Friday, December 11, 2009, 10:17 AM EST -Arkansas-based poultry processor George's, Inc. recently broke up a scam within its human resources department at one of its plants in Columbia Furnace, Va. Plant employees were using documents submitted by legal applicants to help illegal aliens get jobs at the plant.
Three employees from within the plant's human resources department copied documents from applicants who were told that there were no jobs at the plant. The employees then sold the documents to illegal workers who were required to forfeit up to $100 per pay period to the human resource employees.
The human resource employees were fired along with the illegal workers, but police were not involved. The break-up was handled by George's, Inc. The scheme likely violated federal labor laws, but without the company's cooperation, federal investigators are at a dead end.
If want to be true to what makes America so great, let us consider the capitalistic society that we live in. If you are for a capitalist society, then you must agree with the fact that government should not have such a significant role in hindering economic forces; which is what immigration is all about. People seeking low-skill jobs and firms that need employees. The myth that immigrants take away jobs is only a myth; how many people do you know that would like to work in the fields picking crops? The fact that most Americans have a high school degree or GED makes it so that these jobs are no longer desirable. But agricultural jobs aside, without immigrants there will be a 2 million jobs completely left abandoned without Americans to fill, or most importantly, do not want to fill. Now, the whole issue of crime and drugs (and I can't believe that someone would say that Hispanics are mostly lawbreakers... idiot) is unfounded, unless of course you worship the Lou Dobbs decree. Studies have shown that immigrants, illegal or not, are 4 times less likely to commit crime. In neighborhoods where there are immigrants, believe it or not, crime actually reduces. Drug trafficking occurs because there is a business here in the US. Why don't we just send all the Americans buying drugs to Mexico instead? Wait, that is just stupid. (As is many of these comments here). Also, just because there are Hispanics out there that commit crimes, it does not mean that all do. Hell, I am a LATINA, and no, I never touched drugs, or even a cigarette, my entire life. Never got so much than a parking ticket, ONCE.Immigrants pay into the system by paying for taxes. (OMG I know!) Furthermore, they pay into Social Security and other programs when using these fake numbers (over $500 Billion and increasing). Studies have found that undocumented immigrants pay close to $2000 dollars each above any, if at all, the benefits they receive. So now that I got out loss of jobs, crime, and social welfare, and showing that these are myths, let me note that there is a need for comprehensive immigration reform. If we do not want illegal immigrants, FINE, but let us look at the real problem. Let us expand the number of permits, which are only capped at a few thousand a year, so that employees do not need to hire illegal immigrants, and that families can RETURN with enough earned income in hand. Let us see that a beef up border is a waste of money and that it only makes immigrants unable to return. Let us look at the fact that during a recession, low-skill earners are needed for firms that are already strained with the ridiculously high wage rigidities of this economy. Let us see that America is an immigrant nation, which is why we are prosperous.
Ucz sie czlowieku jestesmy w 2010.
This is not fair to Americans, and this American dream our President nad congress want to give to illega aliens, is a terrible disaster, it is hurting Americans now, and will be hurting Americans in the future!!!!! Americans are being so force to endure illegal aliens taken over America!!