by Akkeeia

In 1997 the city of Laguna Beach established a nonprofit organization called Cross Cultural Council www.crossculturalcouncil.org  to set up, maintain, staff, and oversee the daily operations of the day labor site in Laguna Canyon. During the city council meeting of June 15, 1999, then Councilmember Peterson requested a one-time funding to the Cross Cultural Council to set up this site. Since then the City of Laguna Beach has built and helped maintain a day laborers camp complete with dispatch office and porta potties. The intent was for local residents and contractors to hire the day workers to fill jobs that Americans would not do. Laguna Beach wanted Latinos who would roll-up their sleeves and perform the local labor needs of its citizens. They believed these immigrants from Mexico and Central America, would work at jobs like construction, food processing, restaurants and old age homes, save their money, send their kids to school, move up the ladder and relive the American dream.

Click on this link (reference) here you will find all the nonprofits the city has included in their budget in past years. As you can see Cross Cultural Council has been funded far and above any other service in the city, far more than AIDS-HIV Services or seniors or kids’ clubs or even the arts. The day labor site which was supposed to be a "one-time funding" has received the highest amount of Laguna Beach residents’ community assistance than any others.

Cities like Laguna that have encouraged Latino immigration are gaining in population. 

Latino families have lots of children. Latinos love working in the construction industry. Laguna Beach has acres of parks, gardens and lawns that need tending. Latinos enjoy and understand caring for plants. Laguna is a low-tech community its economy is unbalanced toward low technology. A vibrant low-tech sector fueled by immigrants can complement the area's strengths in computers, law and medical services, much as cities such as Los Angeles and Raleigh, N.C., have done.

Long time Laguna Beach resident and contractor H.Hubert said, “Imagine what it would do for this region if you could remodel your house for $30,000 not $300,000, or eat a fine restaurant meal for $14, not $28.”  According to US Government statistics “Mexican immigrants are a young population, median age 27. Latinos are also the nation's largest ethnic minority group.” Latinos settling into Laguna Beach would not suffer long from isolation or lack of self-help organizations. Latinos love work, indeed exhibit the highest rate of participation in the U.S. work force of any group.  Many hold two, or even three, fulltime jobs. Construction foremen, restaurant owners and hotel managers take advantage of Latinos, who enjoy a reputation for working hard, not complaining and showing up on time.

Wouldn't Latinos just be a drain on public services? Like most immigrant groups, they could use a helping hand in getting their first apartment and job. But Latinos on the whole consume fewer social services than others, and contribute to the economy through their taxes.

What about crime? As with any group, an increase in numbers could cause the number of local crimes to go up. But according to local police that has not been the case. In fact the crime rate is apt to go down. About 15 percent of the U.S. prison population is currently Latino, while their share of the population at large is 14 percent. But the group is predominantly young, in the very age range that produces the most crime. When you consider their relative youth and the high degree of suspicion and police surveillance they endure, that low rate is pretty remarkable. If the nation increased Latino immigration and reduced it for everybody else, the overall crime rate would likely drop slightly.

Local teacher James Femia says “Laguna Beach like many other cities is reaping rich dividends from Latino immigration and incur few costs. Programs to increase it would build on the city's historic embrace of immigrants and of a multiracial, multiethnic, polyglot society with many languages, backgrounds, and cuisines. All along Laguna Beach has welcomed immigrants from all over the world who have helped build Laguna into the vibrant and artistic ocean front city of today. Immigrants from Mexico, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Guatemala can do the same for it today. 

Regardless of the protesting www.micahsway.org  delivers hot meals to the day laborers. Dominick Corradino and his partner Carl Schwarz pictured above handing a burrito to an un-named day laborer. The two are representative of the organization who's members take the time to prepare food for the day workers. This day it was warm burritos. Mr. Corradino said, an area catholic church lets them cook the meals.

Church leader Tony Walker points out what steps might we take. “City and county governments could direct agencies to encourage immigration and fund NGO's such as churches, settlement houses and immigration law clinics working with new arrivals. Schools could offer courses in English as a second language. Neighbors could offer a helping hand."

“Where would the jobs come from? In many cases, the immigrants would create new jobs themselves opening small restaurants, shops, and offering services such as gardening, house cleaning and auto repairs and day labor. With an enlarged labor pool, entrepreneurs of all sorts might decide to open businesses such as dry wall installation, carpet laying, or food processing."

"In some parts of the country, every work site features Latino and non-Latino workers working together to build houses, repair roads, and make things grow. Wouldn't it be nice if others cities had more of this?”

The US Social Security says within 10 years about one-quarter of the U.S. population will retire, and, a few years later, start needing nursing and retirement care. The Social Security system currently has about five workers supporting one retiree; soon, the figure will be three, then two to one. But the U.S. population is growing slowly, and the working population even more so. Who will keep Social Security afloat and take care of Grandma and Grandpa when they retire?

"Latinos, with their strong work ethic and traditional respect for elders, are the logical choice, both nationally and here" said Tony Walker.

Eileen Garcia of Laguna Beach said, ” As anyone can clearly see, programs for Laguna Beach residents have suffered for the sake of a project that does not directly benefit our residents. Surely the workers who come to the hiring site each day are not Laguna Beach residents, and it’s highly doubtful the contractors who employ them are citizens of Laguna Beach either. Aside from all the arguments over the legal status of these workers, we can all agree it is against our laws to employ someone without paying workers’ comp. Insurance and paying the required taxes.”

Eileen Garcia went on to say “In light of the recent disastrous landslides, Mayor Pearson-Schneider has asked the public to make private donations to help the residents who lost their homes, but the city program designed to aid disaster victims, Laguna Beach Relief and Resource, has been sorely under funded in past years.”

Local businesswomen and former board member of Shanti Peggy McDonald said, “Laguna Beach, is funding services for illegal aliens while services for its own citizens go lacking.” A recent protest at the Festival of the Arts on July 16th brought this subject to the attention of Laguna Beach residents. The protesters passed out fliers explaining how the city is spending our community assistance funds. The city council has also been asked to place an item on the agenda to address this issue, and to clear up any misunderstandings. Eileen Garcia continued,  “As long as Laguna Beach legal residents are in need, the city should cease funding a program that clearly does not benefit legal Lagunians, and put the money to use for the people it rightfully belongs.”  

Laguna Beach Police taking photo's of the day laborers

Most of the protesters that show up to protest day laborers are conservative groups such as the minutemen. Project leader Jim Gilchrest www.contact@jimgilchrest.com  who is now running for Cox’s old post  for the U.S. Congress and who lives in Aliso Viejo, Ca. If elected among other cities in south Orange County he would represent is Laguna Beach.

According to the OC Weekly, Jim Gilchrist would like to be your 48th District U.S. Congressman--think Chris Cox's Newport Beach-based seat, without Cox in it--but he's getting no help from the California Secretary of State's office. Following complaints from other candidates, most noticeably Demo Bea Foster, Gilchrist was forced to abstain from using "Minutemen founder" as his ballot designation in the Oct. 4 special election. The Minutemen, of course, are the rolling band of rednecks patrolling the Arizona border for those goll darn, rootin'-tootin' illegals. At the time Foster got the state to un-Minuteman Gilchrist--the rules state you must go by your occupation and not bring into the mix any organizations you head up, lest you be unfair to the rest of the field--Gilchrist or his peeps or Clockwork can't recall who from that camp nearly characterized it as a death blow to the congressional campaign, because with the Minutemen, who in Hades is Jim Gilchrist?

Other extremist groups like SOS members, Neo-Nazi Skinheads, & White Supremacists show up too. Some say this is a economic issue. Others claim it is as much a holy war as the war in Iraq.

Alan Chapman said, :”Protesting to get the government to close the borders is a waste of time. It diverts attention away from the root cause. The government is incapable of closing the borders.

As we've seen with the government's war on terror and war on drugs, a war on illegal immigration will result in more government, more spending, more inconvenience, and further government intrusions into our lives. You might be forced to carry an ID card to prove that you're a citizen. Your business may be subject to regular inspections by immigration officials. You may be required to complete additional paperwork.

Demanding more government isn't the way to resolve a problem.”

Assemblyman Ray Haynes has proposed an initiative measure and constitutional amendment and statute creating the California Border Police to be submitted directly to the voters. ASSEMBLYMAN RAY HAYNES - California State Assembly Republican Caucus He said, at a town hall meeting on immigration in Laguna Hills California, chaired by Assemblywoman Mimi Walters that he was declaring that illegal immigration poses imminent danger. His initiative authorizes the state to establish a California Border Police with authority to arrest and hold suspects without warrant.  Other speakers on the same program supported the initiative including Mike Dayton, Deputy Director of the California Office of Homeland Security, Pete Nunez, Former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California, Asssemblywomen Mimi Walters, Rick Oltman, Western Director for the Federation of American Immigration Reform (FAIR), and Randy Bressette,  Mayor of Laguna Hills.  Jim Gilchrest made an appearance but did not stay for questions from the audience.

Assemblywoman Mimi Walters says on her official web site “There’s an old adage that says, “If you want something done right, do it yourself.” That is exactly what California needs to do in order to stop the heavy flow of illegal immigrants into our state.

The federal government has failed to secure our border resulting in thousands of illegal immigrants crossing our border each week like anybody else would cross the street. Because the federal government won’t put a “Do Not Walk” sign on our border, Californians are left with no choice but to step in and do the job ourselves.

Simply put, the California Border Police will be a law enforcement agency dedicated to stopping illegal immigration. The officers will not be volunteers like the Minuteman Project in Arizona. Rather, these officers will be sworn, trained, and certified public safety officers like a police officer or highway patrolman.

Critics of the measure have failed to raise any substantive arguments against the concept of state government enforcing federal immigration law according to Walters. That is probably because it is difficult to argue against an agency whose sole mission is to enforce the law.

Currently, California spends roughly $9 Billion each year on illegal immigration. Once in the state, illegal immigrants enjoy benefits such as welfare, healthcare, and education. In addition, our state’s prisons house thousands of illegal immigrants who are also felons.

With an estimated 2 million illegal immigrants residing in California, it is little wonder that over 60 hospital emergency rooms have closed. Because the federal government does not reimburse the costs of providing healthcare to those here illegally, many emergency rooms have not been able to stay in business – meaning illegal immigration has seriously jeopardized our ability to provide adequate healthcare services to the rest of the population.

If we are able to cut the number of illegal immigrants entering our country by only 20%, the state would save nearly $2 Billion per year – more than enough to pay for the California Border Police.

Another argument raised by critics of the measure is that the state cannot enforce federal immigration law, but the critics are simply wrong. When Congress passed the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act in 1996, it clearly gave states and local government the authority to enforce federal immigration law. According to immigration law expert Michael Hethmon, in the 1999 case of U.S. v. Vasquez-Alvarez, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that federal law actually encourages state and local governments to enforce immigration law.

Illegal immigration is a huge problem across the nation, and the California Border Police Act is a common sense solution that we can implement without relying on other states or the federal government.

The federal government’s failure to secure our border costs California taxpayers billions of dollars each year. Because California is not reimbursed for costs incurred when our state government provides services to those here illegally, we have a fundamental responsibility to taxpayers to secure the border ourselves—and a Constitutional right to do so.

Until the federal government steps up and does its job, the California Border Police will be the “Do Not Walk” sign on our southern border that will save taxpayers billions of dollars while improving the quality of life for those in the United States legally.

•       ASSEMBLYWOMAN MIMI WALTERS - California State Assembly Republican ...
  
  

As reported in the L.A. Times. In the late 1980s police in Orange County began making mass arrests of day laborers suspected of being illegal immigrants. Last week a Times article revealed that at least eight police departments had turned over more than 4,000 suspected illegal residents to INS officials in the last two years. For more than a decade, the line between police cooperating with the INS and police actually doing the work of federal immigration officials has been in contention in Orange County. Some law enforcement agencies still seem to have trouble grasping the distinction in dealing with illegal immigrants.
Protecting our nation's borders and apprehending illegal immigrants is a federal function best left to immigration officers trained in legal issues that are often complex. The best policy is for local police to stick to local law enforcement, and to let the INS apprehend illegal residents as they are processed through the legal system after being apprehended for criminal activity.
But last year, according to U.S. Border Patrol records, the suspected illegal immigrants those eight county police departments turned over to the INS checkpoint in San Clemente, many of whom were driven directly there by police, accounted for 40% of people processed in San Clemente. The departments that acknowledged the turn-overs to INS were Buena Park, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, La Habra, Newport Beach, Orange, Santa Ana, and Tustin.
History shows that police effort is better spent on local enforcement rather than taking so much time trying to deal with illegal immigration. In the 1980s, police sweeps of day laborers who massed on street corners or near stores and strip malls looking for work were a routine operation in many cities. Laws were passed in some cities banning solicitation of work from city streets and making it a crime to be in some areas with the intent to seek work. Costa Mesa even went so far as adopting an ordinance withholding federal grant money from any community program that provided aid to illegal residents. The legally questionable law was watered down and never enforced.
In Orange, hundreds were arrested in a series of sweeps, including a controversial one in 1991 in which the city took an active part and even used city code enforcement officers to help federal INS agents gain entry to apartments of suspected illegal residents. Orange's historic ardor against illegal residents hasn't seemed to cool over the years. Border Patrol agents say Orange police drop off immigrants more than any other police agency.
In 1988, Costa Mesa sought to move day laborers off the streets by establishing the county's first hiring hall. Those sanctioned meeting places for day laborers and workers, which also were established in other cities including Laguna Beach, Orange and Brea, helped but are no cure-all.
Today, most law enforcement agencies have a more enlightened and realistic approach in dealing with suspected illegal immigrants. They recognize the benefits of community policing and the value of making residents, especially in the minority communities, part of the cooperative effort to reduce crime, rather than driving a wedge between them and a Latino community that makes up about 30% of the county population.
Anaheim realized that last month when the City Council rejected an effort from the same self-appointed immigration watchdog group that drafted the legally flawed Proposition 187 in 1994. It sought to have the council seek federal approval to enable police to arrest suspected illegal immigrants.
Leaving immigration issues up to the trained, experienced federal officers is far preferable to people being detained by local police merely because they "look" illegal. There is no point in having them hauled down to San Clemente to INS agents only to find that they are U.S. citizens or legal residents. An INS official has acknowledged such incidents.
Federal immigration officials prefer that other agencies stick to prosecuting suspects, and most police agencies are happy to follow that policy. All should do so.
If local police are viewed as extensions of the immigration service, it can only make residents less willing to report crimes or serve as witnesses. This can erode the trust that police have worked to build in the county's growing minority community.