The results posed an important question: what if the government successfully deported all the “illegals,” and all that labor suddenly disappeared? In a word: catastrophe. The article concluded that crops “would rot in the fields” and agriculture “would come to a screeching halt.” Our service industries would be immediately overburdened. Not only would the cost of goods
rise, but profits would decline, as the billions of dollars spent annually in the United States by “illegals” would immediately disappear. Ultimately, the results would drastically change the economic landscape of the United States; the loss of labor could result in over $650 billion dollars of lost output – almost a 5% reduction in our gross domestic product.

Immigration issues affect everyone’s lives, whether directly or indirectly. If you or someone you know needs assistance with an immigration issue, please contact our office for a free consultation.

For more on this article, see “What If We Threw Out All The Illegal Immigrants?”

Blake P. Somers, Attorney at Law
Mark E. Godbey & Associates
708 Walnut Street, Suite 600
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
(513) 241 – 6650 phone
(513) 241 – 6649 fax

There are now an estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants in the United States. What should the U.S. do with them? The nation is engaged in a heated and divisive debate, one that crosses all lines of party and ideology.

The Bush administration, business groups and some immigrant advocates argue that the U.S. economy demands immigrant labor, and by denying those workers legal status, the government is fostering a shadow sub-class subject to abuse. Restrictionist groups contend that so many illegal workers depress wages and are causing a culture clash. They oppose legalization and argue that tougher enforcement measures can slowly force these immigrants out of the country.

For two years, Congress has debated and failed to pass a sweeping immigration overhaul. More and more states and localities are stepping into the void with their own proposals, though many have been blocked by the courts as unconstitutional.
A panel of experts took on the issue Oct. 9 as part of the Intelligence Squared U.S. series. The proposition was “Let’s Stop Welcoming Undocumented Immigrants.” In an Oxford-style debate modeled on a program begun in London in 2002, three panelists argued for the proposition and three against.

The debate was held at the Asia Society and Museum in New York City and was moderated by John Hockenberry, a former reporter with both National Public Radio and NBC News, and co-host of an upcoming public radio program produced by WNYC.

Some highlights from the debate:

Daniel T. Griswold, director of the Cato Institute Center for Trade Policy Studies, says: “There are two powerful economic and demographic trends, two very positive ones, that are driving low-skilled immigration to the United States. On the demand side, our economy continues to create hundreds of thousands of net new jobs every year for low-skilled workers in fields like retail, cleaning, landscaping, food preparation. And at the same time, the supply of Americans who traditionally filled these jobs — Americans without a high school diploma — has been dropping steadily. … So we have a structural mismatch between demand and supply in our economy. And yet there’s no legal channel for a peaceful, hardworking 24-year-old Mexican or Central American to come into the United States legally and fill these jobs that there are simply not enough Americans there to fill.”

Enrique Morones, president and founder of Border Angels and human rights activist, says: “Half of the undocumented people are not from Mexico. They come from other parts of the world for economic opportunity. They assimilate. They learn the language, just like … you did in the many years that you’ve been here. There was a man that said, ‘They’re not learning the language, they’re not assimilating. They want to just practice their own culture. We gotta stop them.’ That man was Benjamin Franklin, talking about the Germanization of the United States. This has been going on for many, many years. There’s 200 million-plus undocumented people in the world. Only 4 percent of them live in the United States and of those 12 million, a third of them came here legally and their visas expired — work, tourist or student visas.”

Karen K. Narasaki, president and executive director of the Asian American Justice Center, says: “We are not arguing for open borders, and we are not arguing that our laws should not be enforced. What we are saying is let’s be smart. Let’s talk about what laws need to change, so in fact they are enforceable and they make sense. Laws only function when they are humane. And right now, our immigration laws are not humane, and they do not make sense. … We don’t provide a realistic number of visas or permanent green cards. The backlog for spouses and children to join with a legal permanent resident is now five to 10 years. Is that smart? … How many people would wait 10 years to be with their spouse or child? … The number of visas available for temporary, low-skilled workers is 5,000 a year. Now we could debate what the numbers should be. But I think most of you would find it strikingly unrealistic to say that 5,000 is the right number.”

For more information and audio links, go to http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15317839

Joseph H. Spring, Esq.
MARK E. GODBEY & ASSOCIATES
708 Walnut Street, Suite 600
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
(513) 241 – 6650 phone
(513) 241 – 6649 fax

As reported by the Cincinnati Enquirer, Sheriff Jones recently had eight of his deputies trained by the federal government so that they can initiate deportation proceedings against people who Sheriff Jones suspect may be illegal aliens. After a training program of just a few short weeks (paid for by taxpayers), these deputies may now attempt to initiate deportation proceedings against anyone in the Butler County Jail at Sheriff Jones’s direction. This new power means that immigrants in Butler County could face the possibility of deportation proceedings after being charged with nothing more than a speeding ticket.

Sheriff Jones says he has no intention of taking such actions over minor offenses “just yet.” However, that does not appear to be true. Every day, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agents call the Butler County authorities to ask whether they should come to process anyone for deportation. Where is the office for Butler County ICE agents? In Sheriff Jones’s backyard – the old Butler County Jail.

Now, more than ever, immigrants charged with crimes in Butler County need skilled legal representation to help them through difficult situations like this. If you or someone you know is in trouble, please feel free to call Mark Godbey and Associates at (513) 241-6650. We offer a FREE consultation to discuss the case in detail, quote fees, and advise you about the best way to handle your situation. Then you can decide if you would like us to help you. We have an attorney who is fluent in Spanish if you need translation help and we offer weekend and evening appointments at offices conveniently located in both West Chester and Cincinnati.

Blake P. Somers, Attorney at Law
Mark E. Godbey & Associates
708 Walnut Street, Suite 600
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
(513) 241 – 6650 phone
(513) 241 – 6649 fax

One need look no further than the pages of our local newspaper. The Enquirer has recently dedicated numerous front pages of its Sunday edition to reporting on immigration issues. First, the Enquirer followed the story of Maha Dakar, a Palestinian immigrant and mother of four, who is facing deportation to Jordan in October. (For more on her story, click here.)

More recently, The Enquirer offered an objective overview of the U.S. immigration system. The Enquirer found that the U.S. immigration system is so complex, and so difficult to correctly navigate, that it is almost “universally described as broken.” (For more on this report, click here.)

If you or someone you know needs help navigating through this difficult system, call us today for a free consultation. We have experienced, licensed attorneys who can help you through the immigration “maze” and we would be happy to answer any of your questions.

Blake P. Somers, Attorney at Law
Mark E. Godbey & Associates
708 Walnut Street, Suite 600
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
(513) 241 – 6650 phone
(513) 241 – 6649 fax

With all of the recent reports on the border between Mexico and the United States, much of the happenings in areas far from the border, such as Cincinnati, have gone relatively unnoticed. Yet laws are changing in areas far removed from the border, and so are methods of enforcing these laws.

To sum up the situation, national arrests, fines and deportations are all up. For example, in 1999 there were 24 undocumented workers arrested on job sites in the U.S. In 2002 there were 25 arrests. In 2006, there have been over 3,000 such arrests. As for fines, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) received a $15 Million payment on a single worksite case in 2005. This one payment was greater than the sum of all fines issued by ICE in the prior eight years. For details, click on this link.

Roundups in the Greater Cincinnati area are also on the rise. In May of 2006 approximately 70 undocumented aliens were taken into custody. The arrests were the result of a prior investigation that had apparently uncovered evidence that a Northern Kentucky company, Fischer Homes, had been intentionally using undocumented labor in an effort to increase profit margins.

On November 29 of 2006 ICE agents arrested 32 undocumented aliens involved in the construction of The Ascent at Roebling Bridge, a new condominium building being touted as the jewel of the Covington skyline. Covington based Corporex Construction is the developer of the project. The general contractor is Dugan and Meyers Construction Company of Cincinnati. Link.

North of the River, in Butler County Ohio, state law enforcement officials are being trained so that they can enforce immigration laws. Normally, issues of deportation and immigration are purely federal issues, and are not handled by state agents. Yet Butler County is taking a tough stance on the issue, becoming the first community in the Midwestern United States to offer such training. The photo above is the Butler County Sheriff standing next to a “subtle” sign recently posted just outside the Butler County Jail.

This has caught the attention of civil rights attorneys. Some say that to expect local law enforcement to understand the intricacies of federal law and the politics behind such laws, is asking a lot. Others believe that it is unrealistic to expect local law enforcement to be able to distinguish between “enforcing immigration laws” and “racial profiling”. Link