By BRANDI WATTERS



An immigration bill that would penalize employers for hiring illegal immigrants sponsored by Indiana Sen. Mike Delph, R-Carmel, failed last month amidst mudslinging between parties and accusations of racism.

Some opponents of the bill, including state Sen. Tim Lanane, D-Anderson, question the true motivation behind America’s anti-immigration sentiment.

“Would there be this much passion involved if these were English-speaking, white Canadians coming across the border?” Lanane said. “Maybe there would be, I don’t know. If there had been a flood of English-speaking Canadians, I don’t think we’d have this problem.”

House Speaker Patrick Bauer, D-South Bend, said Republicans were trying to push racist provisions aimed at illegal immigrants. “We don’t need a hate debate on the floor.”

Delph maintains that the illegal immigration legislation is not linked to racism or hatred of any kind. “Race is not an issue with respect to the legislation I proposed. Racism existed before my proposal, and it will exist after my proposal. Racism is a character issue.”

The Pew Hispanic Center estimates that there are 55,000 to 85,000 illegal immigrants living in Indiana.

Delph estimates Indiana’s illegal immigrant population to be much larger. “It’s well in excess of 100,000 and probably approaching 200,000. That’s (an estimate) based on my conversations with people in the field.”

An estimated 11.6 million illegal immigrants live in the United States, according to the most recent reports of the Department of Homeland Security.

That number has increased 37 percent since 2000, and the issue is a hot topic at dinner tables and political debates across the country. Some contend that illegal immigrants are taking jobs that otherwise might be filled by legal residents. Others worry that legitimate Americans are paying for health care and other benefits enjoyed by illegal immigrants. Still others are concerned that the influx of Spanish-speaking people is eroding the English-speaking foundation of America, or a cause of concern for national security.

By the end of this year, the Department of Homeland Security is expected to erect a fence at the U.S.-Mexico border. The Secure Fence Act of 2006 ordered the construction of 700 miles of fencing to protect the southern border.



AU prof: Earmarks of prejudice unchanged

Dulce Maria Scott is a professor at Anderson University teaching sociology and an active member of the Hispanic community.

She says any prejudice against Mexican immigrants is similar to that against turn-of-the-century immigrants.

“The prejudice that you find against immigrants today is not that different than the prejudice you found in the 19th century,” she said. “The perception of immigrants coming in is that they were not white. Even Irish people weren’t white and neither were Italians.”

The Herald Bulletin made several attempts to speak with other members of the local Hispanic community, including people without citizenship. At least five Hispanics refused requests for interviews. They didn’t give specific reasons why they wouldn’t talk. But it was clear from their reactions that they feared deportation — or mere association with the issue of illegal immigration.

According to a 2006 estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau, 299,398 Hispanics live in Indiana, comprising 4.7 percent of the population. That’s up from 214,536 Hispanic citizens (3.5 percent of the population) counted in the 2000 Census.

Locally, the 2006 census estimate counted Madison County’s general population at 130,575 including 2,870 Hispanics — 2.2 percent of the population, up from 1.5 percent in 2000.

Though some believe anti-immigration sentiment is directed at Hispanics, Delph argues that he is against a practice, not a people. “We’ve got illegal immigrants from all over the world, not just Mexico. We have them from Africa and Western Europe. It doesn’t matter where you’re from. If you’re here illegally, you shouldn’t be here.”

Delph maintains that his bill was based on illegal activity, not racism or prejudice against Hispanics, despite the fact that some legislators alleged that the bill was racially motivated.

“This was not an immigration bill,” Delph said. “We are a nation of immigrants; we’re the great melting pot. This bill dealt with when people break the law.”

Lanane says he opposed the legislation because it threatened to expose legal Hispanic citizens to undue discrimination.

“I did think there was an issue of racial profiling that would occur,” Lanane said. “I wasn’t sure how the bill would work without people saying there were illegal immigrants in a business based on the way people looked.

“They’re the most recent wave of new people in our society, and there’s always some suspicion of anything new, in particular when it’s people exhibiting a new appearance and culture.”

Lanane agrees that discrimination and immigration have been traditionally linked.

“My forefathers came over here from Ireland and spoke with a brogue (accent) and looked a little bit different and were of a religion that was not mainstream,” Lanane said. “They felt discrimination.”



‘It’s a wage issue, not a race issue’

Former Anderson mayoral candidate Robert Jozwiak believes the immigration issue is about the economy, not race.

“It’s not a race issue, it’s a wage issue,” said Jozwiak, who took a strong stance against illegal immigration during his 2007 run as an independent candidate in the Anderson mayoral race.

“You guys made me look like a racist,” he said of The Herald Bulletin. “I am the furthest from being a racist. It was just disgusting. I am just so disappointed in it — our system.”

The owner of a roofing company, Jozwiak says he is bitter because his competitors hire illegal immigrants and pay them low wages.

The competitors are then able to beat his prices. Jozwiak is especially upset with one Indianapolis roofer who allegedly hires only illegal immigrants.

Jozwiak would not disclose the name of the roofer or the company but says he has been undercut by the business repeatedly.

“He doesn’t have one American swinging a hammer,” Jozwiak said. “He has over 400 illegal immigrants. He put my good American workers out of a job. None of his guys are legal and once they become legal, they start their own businesses.”

Jozwiak says he only hires American workers and his hiring practices are a testament to his stance that he is not a racist.

“My best workers have been black guys, but they’re the ones that are being hurt by this,” he said.

Lanane argues that Americans have little cause to cry foul on the illegal immigration issue.

“All of us are immigrants except for the Native Americans that we drove off,” Lanane said. “What would have happened if they asked for our passports at that time. Did the pilgrims have passports? Were they legal? I just question who has moral standing to raise this issue.”

Jozwiak says he’s arguing for immigrants to play by the same rules as everyone else. “I am for immigration, but not unrestrained, unbridled. As much benefit as they are bringing to the table, they are also a drain. The people that are being hurt the most are hard working, good people.”

Delph intends to write a new immigration bill if the federal government does not address the issue soon. He cites homeland security as another reason for his dedication to the legislation. “In a post-9/11 world, we have a right to know who is in our country and for what purpose. If something were to happen, we would never forgive ourselves.”