Earlier this week a federal judge rejected a portion of Fremont’s illegal immigration ordinance that would ban renting homes and apartments to those not in the country legally. Federal judges and the Supreme Court are looking at immigration laws in other states as well. Jonathan Benjamin – Alvarado is a professor of Political Science at the University of Nebraska – Omaha and says if Fremont’s ban had moved forward, the work force of several facilities would have been driven from the area to find other work and no one in the community would have been left to do the job.
He comments on this not being a ban on immigration but illegal immigration.
Benjamin – Alvarado says most of these workers are recruited to come to the United States to do work in these communities. He says then they face bans like the one in Fremont and live in fear of public authorities and the fear of deportation. Benjamin – Alvarado says those who are in the country illegally are usually very quiet and don’t want to draw attention to themselves or their family… and they are very ambitious hard workers. He says that is why Latinos are selected for jobs in the first place.
Benjamin – Alvarado says history could be repeating itself as there was also discrimination against the Irish, Italians and African Americans so this possibly could be a link in the chain of events. He adds the communities of Crete and Columbus have found a way to work together with the Latino’s. He says it is finding that way.
