Low-income Latinos have become growing targets across the South. In a report released this week by the Southern Poverty Law Center, poor Latinos described life in the South as living in a "war zone."The SPLC's "Under Siege: Life for Low-Income Latinos in the South" documents the widespread abuse facing low-wage Latino workers in Southern states. Focusing on Nashville, Charlotte, New Orleans, rural southern Georgia and northern Alabama, the Montgomery, Ala.-based civil rights nonprofit surveyed hundreds of residents who detailed a striking degree of abuse, including "widespread hostility, discrimination and exploitation." Researchers said they found a "population under siege and living in fear" -- fear of the police, fear of the government and fear of criminals who prey on immigrants because of their vulnerability.
The South is a steadily changing region demographically. The U.S. Census shows the region has had the nation's fastest growing immigrant populations since the 1990s. By 2006, six Southern states (Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee) recorded a tremendous growth in their Hispanic populations, having added some 1.6 million Latinos.
As more immigrants move South to fill low-wage jobs in fields and factories across the region, a growing anti-immigrant climate has taken root, worsened by the crackdown on illegal immigration at the federal level in recent years. The anti-immigrant climate is harming all Hispanics in the South, whether or not they are illegal immigrants, according to the report.
In fact, the discrimination against Latinos filters down into all parts of their daily life. For instance, Latinos are routinely the targets of wage theft, racial profiling, police harassment and workplace abuse, according to the report. Employers know that immigrants, even those here legally, are often poorly equipped to protect their rights, resulting in intimidation and unsafe working conditions in the workplace. Hispanic women suffer high rates of sexual harassment as male supervisors threaten to report them to immigration authorities if the women don't provide sexual favors.
In the South laws to protect workers from abuse are weak and almost nonexistent, making it even more challenging for Latinos suffering from wage theft, workplace discrimination or workplace injuries to seek justice. Nearly one third of people surveyed reported on-the-job injuries, and only 37 percent of those said they received appropriate treatment. The rate of deaths for Mexican workers in the South was one in 6,200--more than double the national average.
Latinos interviewed reported having little confidence in police. Respondents said they're pulled over by police for "the most minor of offenses -- or no offense at all." In fact, Latinos often become the victims of crime because they do not feel safe reporting abuses to police or the government, making them attractive targets for criminals. Police checkpoints and roadblocks in predominantly Latino areas were also a common complaint, particularly in rural areas of northern Alabama. In fact, in Alabama more than 55 percent of respondents said there are police checkpoints where they live.
"This report documents the human toll of failed policies that relegate millions of people to an underground economy, where they are beyond the protection of the law," said Mary Bauer, author of the report and director of the SPLC's Immigrant Justice Project. "Workplace abuses and racial profiling are rampant in the South."
Yet, little has been to promote fair treatment and reform. Instead of acting to prohibit and eliminate systematic exploitation and discrimination against Latinos, state and local governments in much of the South have exacerbated the situation, according to the report. A number of Southern communities, have enacted ordinances designed to limit services to undocumented immigrants. In addition, many law enforcement agencies in the South work under the 287(g) program, which allows local or state police to enforce federal immigration law. But these law enforcement agencies are enforcing immigration law in a way that has led to accusations of systematic racial profiling and has made Latino crime victims and witnesses more reluctant to cooperate with police, according to the report.
Since the 2005 hurricane season, the Gulf Coast region has also seen an explosion in its Hispanic population, particularly in New Orleans where migrant workers flocked to fill the construction jobs that opened up during the post-Katrina recovery effort. Estimates indicate the New Orleans metro area's Hispanic population has tripled in the last three years, from about 60,000 to about 180,000. The SPLC's report shows that in New Orleans migrant workers have faced rampant wage theft, coercion, and abuse. Some 80 percent of these workers said they had not been paid for work performed. Other research in post-hurricane New Orleans has shown this similar level of rampant worker abuse. In 2007 the National Immigration Law Center, the New Orleans Worker Justice Coalition, and the Advancement Project published a report called "And Injustice for All: Workers' Lives in the Reconstruction of New Orleans" documenting poor working conditions for immigrant workers rebuilding New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. The Chicago-based Interfaith Worker Justice also released a report in 2007, Working on Faith : A Faithful Response to Worker Abuse in New Orleans, which surveyed 218 reconstruction workers in the summer of 2006, found that 47 percent reported they didn't receive all the pay they were entitled to and 55 percent said they received no overtime pay.
"Discrimination against Latinos in the region constitutes a civil rights crisis that must be addressed," the report says. The report concludes by urging the federal government to strengthen labor laws and civil rights protections, which would make crime victims and communities safer, curb racial profiling and other abuses, and better protect the wages and working conditions of all workers.
Some findings from the study include:
- Nearly 50 percent of respondents knew someone who had been treated unfairly by police.
- 77 percent of the women who responded said sexual harassment was a major workplace problem.
- 41 percent surveyed had not been paid for work, a figure that climbed to 80 percent in New Orleans.
- Two-thirds of respondents said they had been made to feel unwelcome by others in the community, while 68 percent said they encountered on a regular basis what they perceived as racism -- from "looks" to physical abuse.
- 46 percent have confidence in police.
- 46 percent with court experience say there were no interpreters.
I wonder if things would be better for them in thier own 3rd world sh-tholes. Doubtful.....
April 24, 2009 4:07 PM | Reply
Thank you for your report. It is indeed a sad situation. These immigrants were lured to this area of the country by the promise of good jobs. They came to fill a segment of the labor market that was vacant because nobody else wanted these jobs. Like all immigrants, they are seeking the American dream. For them to be the subject of abuse can only be the result of ignorance and fear. I wrote on this very subject on my blog, Latino Opinion. See Why are there so many Americans against Latino immigration and Let's stop segmenting people by race!
April 25, 2009 8:20 AM | Reply
I guess you posted anonymously because you are embarassed by your own ignorance. If you cared to research about the Hispanic population, you would find that Hispanics are very loyal, dedicated workers but your own ignorance comes in the way. Sad. Also, not all Latin American countries are 3rd world. Do some research so you don't appear so uneducated. You truly are the prime example of why there is so much discrimation. Grow up! And, for what it is worth, I'm not Hispanic.
April 25, 2009 8:27 AM | Reply
I can't say the ILLEGAL ALIENS are completely to blame for the shape of our economy, but they are a BIG part of the problem. The ILLEGAL ALIENS send BILLIONS upon BILLIONS out of this Country every year, money we will NEVER see again. Does this help our economy?
How about the BILLIONS the American taxpayers fork out for the ILLEGAL ALIEN BABIES, the schooling of them, the medical care and the list goes on, and on, and on.
How about the MILLIONS upon MILLIONS paid to jail ILLEGAL ALIENS for the crimes, then the cost to deport them. Does this help our economy?
Then you have these activist groups, the Catholic Church and the ACLU that want AMNESTY for these ILLEGAL ALIENS. It would be absolute suicide for this Country if AMNESTY were granted to the 20 million or so ILLEGAL ALIENS. We have more and more people out of work everyday and they want to add another 20 million to this Country? I say, "NO"!
If AMNESTY were ever granted to these 20 million ILLEGAL ALIENS, you can bet big money that 3 years from now, there would be ANOTHER 3-5 million ILLEGAL ALIENS demonstrating on our soil for AMNESTY.
An end MUST come to this illegal immigration. The perfect tool we have so far is E-Verify. It MUST be used by ALL businesses and Government Social Services. EVERY employee must be checked! If they are illegal, they are to be dismissed!
I believe it is time for all 50 States to pass a State law, like Arizona, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Missouri, South Carolina and a few others. It is time for these ILLEGAL ALIENS to go back to their home Country and get out of this Country. The problems they are causing will not go away until the ILLEGAL ALIENS are out of this Country.
North Carolina, are you ready for a State Illegal Immigration Law? Get rid of the ILLEGAL ALIENS and you get rid of all the problems that go with them!
April 25, 2009 10:05 AM | Reply
Ignorance is Bliss: Those who have NO CLUE or QUALIFICATIONS about Immigration are those who show their IGNORANCE :)
There is NO SUCH WORD AS 'ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT" in Blacks Law Dictionary, or In Merriam Websters Dictoniary. Get Educated .
http://www.latimes(DOT)com/news/local/la-me-governor16-2009apr16,0,2484639.story "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Wednesday that the claim by some conservative activists that illegal immigration is to blame for all of the state's fiscal problems is ignorant and bigoted."
In the 20-plus years I have spent studying, lecturing and litigating immigration issues, two things have always amazed me. The first is the amount and intensity of hate spewed against undocumented workers. The second is the amount of misinformation that is published about them.
On this second point, the quote from Mark Twain is illustrative. "A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes." I suppose this may be true in part because misinformation, like a lie, requires no accuracy, validation or research; all of which are time-consuming practices.
The recent letters alleging that all undocumented workers are "criminals," and specifically Veronica Suarez, whose plight was written about in the Tracy Press recently, is a criminal are factually incorrect.
According to the facts (as stated in Sharon Franceschi’s Sept. 7 commentary) Saurez entered the U.S. on a valid visa, overstayed her visa when it expired, resulting in her unlawful immigration status. None of these acts, as stated by Franceschi, constitute a crime under federal or state law. Overstaying a valid visa under the Immigration and Naturalization Act is a civil violation of the law, not a criminal violation. Being in the U.S. in under undocumented status is not a criminal violation, but a civil violation of the INA.
The facts, as stated by Franceschi, do not indicate that Suarez has committed any crime. To call her a criminal is erroneous at best, and libelous at worst.
Furthermore, it is an Americanism that a person is innocent until proven guilty. So until Suarez (or any other undocumented person) is charged and found guilty of a crime, it would be inappropriate to call them "criminals."
It is important to note that there is a very large difference between civil and criminal violations of law. The distinction is so important that the law makes the erroneous allegation that one has committed a crime of slander or libel, (which means liability is automatic even without proof of damages). One who violates the civil law is no more a criminal than someone who has breached a contract or accidentally damaged another’s property.
It is true that entering the United States without inspection is a misdemeanor under the INA. The misdemeanor is completed once an individual’s entry is complete. Suarez, according to Franceschi, did not enter without inspection; she entered with a valid visa. According to U.S. Immigration and Citizenship Services statistics, about 40 percent of undocumented persons enter legally and overstay their visas (which, as stated above, is not a crime). Consequently, at least 40 percent of the undocumented population has committed no crime in regards to their immigration status.
Therefore, one cannot assume that a person has committed a crime simply because they are undocumented.
Franceschi is also in error in her allegation that getting married and having children while being undocumented in the U.S. is a violation of the law. It is not. Franceschi goes on to say that Suarez "apparently bought a house illegally." It is unlikely that Franceschi knows exactly how Suarez purchased her home. Consequently, any allegation of illegality is, at a minimum, irresponsible.
It is also important to note that the Immigration and Citizenship Services doesn’t consider all undocumented persons criminals. When the Immigration and Citizenship Services publishes information about its enforcement activities involving undocumented workers, it are always sure to make a distinction between "criminal" and noncriminal aliens.
Another myth is that the term "illegal aliens" is a term of art or is legal jargon. This term is not found anywhere in the INA or in Blacks Law Dictionary. The INA refers to undocumented persons as either an EWI (entered without inspection) or as someone who has overstayed their visa. "Illegal aliens" is a term invented by anti-immigrant groups designed to put undocumented persons in the worst possible light and to instill fear in Americans. It is intentionally designed to associate undocumented persons with criminality.
This xenophobic view that undocumented persons are "simply criminals" comes from the historical stereotype that the foreign-born, especially undocumented immigrants, are responsible for higher crime rates. This misconception has deep roots in American public opinion and popular myth. This myth, however, is not supported empirically and has repeatedly been refuted by scientific studies. Both contemporary and historical data, (including U.S. governmental studies) have shown that immigration is associated with lower crime rates.
The studies have uniformly shown that recent immigrants (including the undocumented) are less likely to be involved in violent crime, and that when there is an increase in immigration patterns, violent crime decreases. This has been shown to be true in large cities with heavy immigrant populations.
In the most recent of these studies, The Myth of Immigrant Criminality and the Paradox of Assimilation (2007), from the Immigrant Policy Institute, it was found that among men age 18 to 39 (who are the vast majority of inmates in federal and state prisons and local jails), immigrants were five times less likely to be incarcerated than the native-born in 2000.
During the Proposition 187 debate, then-Gov. Pete Wilson published statistics that stated that
12 percent to 15 percent of the state prison population had Immigration and Citizenship Services holds or potential holds. The Department of Corrections analyst who compiled these numbers said Immigration and Citizenship Services holds are placed on inmates who were born outside of the U.S. (therefore 12 percent to 15 percent of the prison population was immigrants). The immigrant population at the time in California hovered at about 25 percent, showing immigrants were much less likely to be incarcerated than the native born in California.
In short, the data shows you are much safer if your neighbor is an immigrant.
Franceschi owes Suarez an apology. I am also surprised that the Tracy Press allowed a commentary to run without checking the facts. Although commentaries are designed to allow for the expression of differing opinions, the First Amendment is not as generous with misstatements of facts — especially when the facts can be libelous.
For the immigration debate to be a healthy one, we should strive for a debate based on facts, not myth or tired stereotypes. We should also not let our position on this topic strip us of one of the great qualities we possess as people — the ability to be compassionate.
Arturo E. Ocampo of Tracy has been a practicing attorney since 1985, with an expertise in immigration rights and class action lawsuits on behalf of immigrants, including the way the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 was implemented, Border Patrol’s raids and Proposition 187. He is director of diversity and equal employment opportunity for the San Jose/Evergreen Community College District.
April 25, 2009 10:53 AM | Reply
Maybe these illegal immigrants complaining about the south should move up north since they think they are so mistreated for breaking the law. And take all of your family memebers with you. In fact I suggest you move to Washington DC so they can listen to your whinning
April 25, 2009 9:25 PM | Reply
Maybe they should. We in the north would treat them a heck of a lot better and the ones that are here, we do. I don't know where you people get off thinking you are so much better than everyone else. The illegal immigrants are doing jobs that many others don't wish to do and yet, based on the article written, are not getting paid. Do you work and not get paid as these immigrants are? It doesn't matter if they are illegal or not - if they are working and doing their job, then they most certainly deserve to get paid. Do you have someone cleaning your house, mowing your lawn, doing construction jobs, etc.? Chances are you have come across illegal immigrants doing work for you. And, I bet you and many others wouldn't hesitate hiring an illegal immigrant directly if you could get the service cheaper. It is people like you that make me not want to move to the south. I was considering it at one point but the ignorance and prejudice is far more than I can handle. And, this my dear is coming from a non-Hispanic.
April 27, 2009 1:45 PM | Reply
Just explain to me, why I a us veteran like many of my friends and especially those who are african american,when looking for work particularly in the construction fields in which we are qualified to do and well;are denied employment and even contracts for projects.The african americans even veterans are suffering much more than latinos;at least in this country.
Natural citizens with generational legacy ;from a countries inception should have precedence over those who are not,especially when the country is suffering in many areas economics ,health ,education ,wars,morals,leadership, as a human being first and then for the nation that so many gave there life for or were willing to give their life for,and the generations of african american slaves,and those many of many generations who actually helped to build this country that so many from all over the world come to; should acknowledge and especially those in power ie the goverment ,businesses,etc.However we all must wake up and respect the rights of all with respect to all,having considerations of the needs of the nation and the world. Remembering the creator of the heavens and the earth ,seeking his guidance and help is the main thing that is missing in the world in trying to solve the problems of man,women and children as we interact on the creators earth,in this temporay life remember we will all be judged by the lord almighty in the end.
May 14, 2009 1:05 AM | Reply
if they come here to live then they should learn to speak some ENGLISH!!!!!!! i would not go to France without being able to speak french i mean come on. Secondly they should pay there taxes i should not have to pay for there health care, there schooling or anything else my tax dollars do for them. Lastly, times are hard there are plenty of people that would love to have the jobs they have and pay taxes like all AMERICANS do, not sneak here get a job dont pay there due and go around killing americans and smuggle in there sand washed drugs
Finally any who are chaught trying to sneak across the boarder should be shot on sight man, woman, or child go home or come hear through the right, legal, programs
September 10, 2009 7:02 PM | Reply
yeah let them move of north so all you rich socialist liberials can pay for there healthcare, schooling, housing,and the list keeps going. Oh by the way go ahead and learn spanish to, your going to need it to get a hamburger at a fastfood chain because they are not going to learn ENGLISH the language of Americans. Slaves were taught to speak english, others learned english when they came its not hard ever heard of that program they have on t.v called Rosetta Stone learn any language, even english WOW!!!! what a concept. every country has laws they expect people to follow this one is no different if they would just pay there F---ING taxes, come hear legally, and speak english maybe they could get a job thats not cutting grass,flipping burgers, or washing dishes. a job they could be proud of not a job for kids during summer vacation or fresh out of school.
September 10, 2009 7:31 PM | Reply
Yes, it is true that many immigrants are being troubled or faced with hardships down South. But, when one thinks about it, isn't down South better then the 3rd world country they most likely came from. If it is so bad in the South, why don't they just go back. Obvious answer there. Why I don't understand is why these immigrants enter the country illegally when obtaining green card visas is such a great accessible resource.
November 11, 2009 5:34 PM | Reply