[AAACE-NLA] Local Anti-Immigrant Laws

[Kearney Lykins]

The spirit of the Aiken County, South Carolina law that Debbie Yoho describes is not, as she asserts, "anti-immigrant." It is, however, "anti-illegal immigrant."  This misrepresentation is another example of rhetorical line-drawing between imaginary sides: pro-immigrant and anti-immigrant. However, as much as the left would love to frame the argument this way, because it paints its opposition as simplistic, xenophobic haters, one of these two sides does not in fact exist (to a significant degree), and hence there is no such battle.

As we all know the real debate nationally and locally focuses not on immigration, but on a particular type of it - the out of control illegal sort.  The people of Aiken County are reacting to the inability or the reluctance of the federal government to enforce existing immigration law.  The effects are felt locally. And the reactions are rational. 

The truly bad news is that the federal government has thus far failed to honor its commitment to control immigration. 

/ Kearney Lykins


----- Original Message ----
From: "aaace-nla-request at lists.literacytent.org" <aaace-nla-request at lists.literacytent.org>
To: aaace-nla at lists.literacytent.org
Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2007 10:48:10 AM
Subject: AAACE-NLA Digest, Vol 52, Issue 16

Send AAACE-NLA mailing list submissions to
    aaace-nla at lists.literacytent.org

To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
    http://lists.literacytent.org/mailman/listinfo/aaace-nla
or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
    aaace-nla-request at lists.literacytent.org

You can reach the person managing the list at
    aaace-nla-owner at lists.literacytent.org

When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
than "Re: Contents of AAACE-NLA digest..."


Message: 2
Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2007 15:37:43 -0400
From: "Debbie Yoho" <dwyoho at earthlink.net>
Subject: [AAACE-NLA] Local Anti-Immigrant Laws
To: "aaace-nla" <aaace-nla at lists.literacytent.org>
Message-ID: <3849-220079319193743765 at earthlink.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Dear Friends:  By way of keeping our list informed, see below.  Another example of the craziness that is taking hold regarding immigration, this time, I am sorry to say, from SC.  It will interesting to see if this local ordinance is adjudicated.  Best, Debbie Yoho

Deborah W. Yoho
director, Turning Pages
(formerly the Greater Columbia Literacy Council)
a community service of Volunteers of America Carolinas
803-765-255S
PO Box 1447 Columbia, SC 29202
yohogclc at earthlink.net


----- Original Message ----- 
From: Tammy Besherse 
To: Hispanic Leadership Council;NLPOA;SCLN;Voto Hispano
Sent: 9/19/2007 8:54:19 AM 
Subject: [HISPANIC_LEADERSHIP] Aiken County Council


Hey everyone,

I have some bad news. Aiken County passed an anti-immigrant ordinance last night.  This was despite our efforts, and the work of MALDEF, the Farm Bureau, and the Chamber of Commerce, to name a few.    If you hear of low income people being affected by this ordinance, please let me know.  We have discussed litigation with MALDEF.  It might be an avenue we pursue, depending on plaintiffs, and how they are being affected.   Feel free to call me if you have questions.  Thanks.     

Summary of Ordinance:

1. Vendors hiring undocumented workers will lose their licenses.  Note the ordinance does not  have due process rights for vendors, nor tell them how to determine if someone is authorized to work in the country.

2. Police will have to check everyone's legal status they arrest.  Note, again, no information was put in place advising the police how to do this.  The reality is only the feds can do this, unless local police are properly trained.

3. English only laws unless for "civil rights" and "emergencies".

4. Anyone trying to receive "benefits" from agencies that get "discretionary funding" from Aiken County must determine someone's legal status.  Again, no rules set in place for how to determine the legal status.  Also, we can not locate anywhere who gets "discretionary funding".  


We believe this ordinance is going to be enforced too broadly, cause racial profiling, and other constitutional law violations. 

V: (803) 779-1113 x103
_








       
____________________________________________________________________________________
Be a better Globetrotter. Get better travel answers from someone who knows. Yahoo! Answers - Check it out.
http://answers.yahoo.com/dir/?link=list&sid=396545469
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.literacytent.org/pipermail/aaace-nla/attachments/20070920/c16c8996/attachment.html>