Day laborers run risk of no pay and deportation

http://www.bronxbeat.org/cs/ContentServer?childpagename=Bronxbeat08%2F...
Day laborers run risk of no pay and deportation

By Francis Jacobo
April 11, 2008

Before the sun rises in the South Bronx, men in steel boots, paint-speckled pants and baseball hats leave their homes and stand on corners.

“Surviving in my country was tough, but it’s worse here,�? said Ruben, 44, a native of Ecuador. He was leaning against a wall and was holding a blue backpack containing a hammer, screwdriver and nails.

The Bronx Beat isn’t fully identifying the laborers who spoke about their experiences.

Ruben is a “jornalero,�? a day laborer. He stands on busy streets, near highways and in front of home improvement stores on Jerome Avenue, trying to attract an employer for the day. When he is fortunate, one pulls over. Getting in the truck, however, is no guarantee that he will get the money he needs to send back to his family in Ecuador or even to return home at the end of a day’s work.

It was last estimated that between 5,831 and 8,283 day laborers live in New York’s five boroughs, Long Island and the surrounding counties of Putnam, Rockland, Westchester, and Bergen, according to the New York Day Laborer study, which was conducted by graduate students at the University of California, Los Angeles, in 2003.

In 2006, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Immigration Statistics noted that 3,632 immigrants who were living in New York City illegally were deported. The country’s total was 1,206,457. However, it is difficult to know how many of them worked as day laborers.

Day laborers’ plights garner little sympathy from some.

“They’re taking American jobs. That’s why they are coming and that affects job opportunities for Americans,�? said Jack Martin, the special projects director at the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a national non-profit organization of concerned citizens who share a common belief that the nation's immigration policies must be reformed to serve the national interest.

Day laborers from Mexico, Central America and South America are usually young and newly arrived. Every day they pace sidewalks, holding their coffee, soliciting jobs from contractors. For some their pursuit of the American dream has turned into a nightmare.

Their illegal status and lack of English forces them into jobs that are difficult, dirty and dangerous. They are often exposed to chemical wastes and toxic material on construction sites. They earn an average wage of $6 or $7 an hour and $10 at the most. Sometimes they work without water or food breaks, according to the University of California, Los Angeles study.

Ruben said he and other colleagues have been abused by contractors. Employers have refused to pay them what they were promised at the time of pick-up, abandoned them at work sites and given them worthless checks.

“I still have a bad check an employer gave me. The bank doesn’t want to give me the money; I worked for nothing,�? said Ruben.

“Contractors always say they’re going to call immigration after the labor has been done,�? said Luis, 42. Luis said he has been lucky not to have been caught by immigration officials.

Martin said these people are being exploited because they are illegal. “We need to make the law work,�? he said, referring to the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, which makes it illegal to hire undocumented workers.

Ruben would be glad to go home if he could afford the trip back. Luis, who has been in the United States for seven years, stays because he can make more money here than in Ecuador.

Like many day laborers, Luis left family back home. His wife and three children still reside in his native Ecuador. “I need to work hard to send them money,�? said Luis, who hid his profile by pulling his sweatshirt hood over his head. He said he tries to send at least $500 a month, which is hard because he usually works only three days a week, although he stands on different street corners six days a week from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Luis shares a room with another day laborer. They split the rent and pay $350 each.

“It’s hard to make ends meet with what we make here,�? said Ruben, glancing at a white truck that was slowly approaching.

It is a common trend for day laborers to live in compact rooms where rent is shared. The more unfortunate are homeless or are ordered to be deported.

Angel, 38, left Ecuador two years ago. Before arriving he had to cross Colombia, Guatemala and Mexico. “Now I’m here, so I must work hard to send money home and to survive by building a better America,�? said Angel.

fmj2102 at columbia.edu

By romy on Apr 13, 2008, 01:03 in Friendly Talkzone.

romy says on Apr 13, 2008, 01:08:

My dad, who lives in Cali, was telling me that he's seen an increase in illegal immigrants to the US returning to Cali. In talking to these people he says that these people have returned because of a lack of jobs available for illegals AND because of deportations.
Has anybody noticed a similar increase in these people around Colombia?
Or please post any reports that are related, this was the only report that I found in relation to this, thus far.
It does bother me that goods and money can go in and out of countries with little problems, while people are treated like garbage.

romy says on Apr 13, 2008, 02:16:

http://www.eldiariony.com/noticias/columnistasdetail.aspx?sectionid=23...
Las lágrimas latinas del ‘libre comercio’
Elvira Arellano
04/09/2008

En semanas recientes he comprendido que la mayoría en Estados Unidos está recibiendo una educación gracias a las lágrimas de los latinos. Los medios de EE.UU. me llaman diariamente a México para ayudarles a conseguir historias acerca de lo que les sucede a los que han sido deportados —así como me llamaban en Chicago para ayudarles con historias acerca de familias que enfrentaban la separación.

Me estoy cansando de enseñarles las lágrimas de los hombres y mujeres, separados de sus hijos en los Estados Unidos, que regresan sin nada en sus bolsillos a sus pueblitos donde no hay trabajo. Me canso de enseñarles las lágrimas de las familias cuyo padre los había mantenido vivos, enviándoles dinero mensualmente y ahora lo reciben en casa sin nada más que con la humillación de la deportación.

En los años 90, los gobiernos de EE.UU. y México hicieron un trato. Le quitarían las tarifas a los productos agrícolas de EE.UU. vendidos a México aunque los granjeros grandes estadounidenses tienen muchos subsidios económicos, con los que los granjeros mexicanos no puedan competir. Los dos gobiernos sabían que eso destruiría la economía agrícola de la cual dependen unos 13 millones de mexicanos. El gobierno de EE.UU. sabía que esto le costaría millones de trabajos industriales a empleados de EE.UU.

El gobierno mexicano hizo una mala apuesta. Apostaron que la industria de manufactura estadounidense cruzaría la frontera para utilizar la “mano de obra barata�? creada por la pérdida de trabajos agrícolas en los pueblos. Ellos perdieron la apuesta.

En cambio, las corporaciones de EE.UU. trasladaron en su mayor parte la fabricación a Asia y reclutaron millones de trabajadores indocumentados para llenar los trabajos de bajo sueldo en los EE.UU. Dejamos nuestros pueblitos para ir al norte porque nuestra manera de vivir fue destruida. Hicimos el viaje para poder darle de comer a nuestros hijos.

México se conformó con las remesas que regresaban a casa —y con una economía destruida y dependiente a la de los EE.UU. Luego, el ‘movimiento de odio’ fue impulsado por los republicanos contra inmigrantes latinos e incluso ahora, están aquellos en el Congreso que tratan de pasar leyes más duras y más malvadas en contra de los indocumentados y muchos están siendo deportados.

¿Así que ahora los medios de EE.UU. quieren ver las lágrimas de los deportados?

¿Cuántas lágrimas de nosotros, los latinos, tendrán que derramarse para educar al público norteamericano? ¿Cuántas lágrimas de los niños latinos?

No hay nada “libre�? con lo del libre comercio. Les cuesta a las familias en ambos lados de la frontera. Beneficia solamente al ávaro. ¿Hay alguna sorpresa que a través de América Latina existe un movimiento muy fuerte contra las políticas de libre comercio de la administración estadounidense actual?

Leí que el principal asesor de la senadora Hillary Clinton estaba trabajando en un acuerdo para libre comercio con Colombia. Bill Clinton nos dio el desastre del Tratado de Libre Comercio (NAFTA/TLCAN). El senador John McCain se ha olvidado de los indocumentados y es un partidario de los tratados de libre comercio como Bush. Eso nos deja sólo una opción. ¿Cuántas lágrimas más debemos derramar para elegir al senador Barack Obama?

es madre y activista.

romy says on Apr 13, 2008, 02:19:

http://www.elnuevoherald.com/179/story/186109.html
Cientos de arrestos en redada de inmigración
JENNIFER LEBOVICH
The Miami Herald

Más de 300 extranjeros acusados de haber evadido ser deportados y de violar otras leyes de inmigración fueron arrestados por agentes de la Policía de Inmigración y Aduanas (ICE) en el sur de la Florida durante un período de dos semanas, lo que se cree constituye la redada más grande hecha por la agencia en la Florida.

Los 332 arrestados, procedentes al menos de 15 países diferentes, fueron capturados durante una operación que llevaron a cabo las autoridades en los condados Miami-Dade, Broward y Palm Beach, dijo ayer Bárbara González, portavoz del ICE en Miami.

Podría ser fácilmente la redada más grande hecha en la Florida desde que la agencia se creó en marzo del 2003 cuando las funciones del Servicio de Inmigración y Naturalización y el Servicio de Aduanas se fusionaron en el Departamento de Seguridad Territorial.

El ICE tiene planeado anunciar los resultados de la operación durante una conferencia de prensa que tendrá lugar hoy y que estará a cargo de Michael Rozos, director de la oficina del ICE en la Florida.

''Como país, debemos proteger la integridad de nuestro sistema de inmigración'', dijo Rozos en una declaración que dio a conocer. ``Si bien somos un país que le recibe con los brazos abiertos a los inmigrantes, esperamos que los que quieran inmigrar aquí lo hagan de una forma segura, legal y ordenada''.

Durante la última operación, que concluyó el pasado viernes, el ICE arrestaron a 147 violadores de las leyes de inmigraciónm en Miami-Dade, a 104 en Broward y a 81 en Palm Beach. Los arrestados son ciudadanos de un sinfín de países como Angola, Brasil, Canadá, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haití, Honduras, Mauritania, México, Nicaragua, Perú, Surinam, Ucrania y Venezuela.

De los arrestados, dijo González, 300 eran fugitivos de órdenes finales de deportación, mientras los restantes 32 habían sido acusados de un sinnúmero de violaciones de leyes de inmigraciones, entre ellas condenas criminales. 68 fueron puestos en libertad bajo supervisión, mientras está pendiente la deportación y los procedimientos de deportación.

Fueron colocados bajo supervisión debido a problemas médicos o porque eran los únicos guardianes de niños menores o adultos incapacitados. El resto continúa detenido.

Por lo general, las operaciones para capturar a fugitivos en la Florida arrestan un promedio de 50 a 100 persona por cada redada. Otra operación que se realizó en Orlando a principios de este año terminó con la detención de 63 extranjeros.

En otra redada que duró dos semanas y que se llevó a cabo en agosto del año pasado, los agentes del ICE arrestaron a 187 indocumentados en Miami, Tampa y Orlando.

Entre los arrestados con delitos en la última redada se encuentran Antonio Martínez Romero y Ramiro Martínez, de México, y Jean-Robert Valeus, de Haití.

Martínez Romero tenía una orden de deportación desde octubre del 2007 debido a arrestos por robo, llevar un arma escondida y agresión doméstica.

A Ramiro Martínez se le ordenó la deportación en octubre del 1997, y tenía arrestos y condenas previas por manejar embriagado y crueldad contra un menor de edad.

Por su parte, a Valeus se le había ordenado la deportación en octubre del 2006, y tenía en su haber previas condenas y arrestos relacionados con posesión de cocaína, hurto y asalto con agravantes contra una mujer embarazada.

El número de fugitivos en el país a quienes se les ordenado deportación se estima en poco menos de 597,000, una disminución de 35,000 desde octubre del 2006.

El redactor de The Miami Herald Alfonso Chardy contribuyó a este reportaje.
jlebovich at MiamiHerald.com

adrienne79 says on Apr 13, 2008, 07:17:

I haven't seen any articles particuarly about Colombians returning home but it is happening and there are many articles that mention Mexicans going back home. The weak dollar is adding to their reasons to go home in addition to lack of work and chances of getting caught.

miamimike says on Apr 13, 2008, 08:53:

In Miami to West Plam Beach, many Brazilians are returning home due to the crackdown and Lack of work seen in this economy slowdown.. As far as Contractors cheating the Immigrants and household help, this happens a lot with the Cubans shortchanging the help then theatening them with calling Immigration and deporting them if they go to the Dept of Wage&Hour to report them. For the unskilled, there really is a pretty drastic labor slowdown around Miami, ,,And Immigration really is mounting quite the Roundup of Undocumenteds,,,many of us wondered why it took the Feds so long on this issue but at any rate, they finally are moving on this issue. Now they are even going after the Cuban Smugglers working out of Miami. I think any plan for Amnesty for undocumenteds is dead in the water for many years to come.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami_dade/story/493577.html

"Wait a minute. What did you just say? You're predicting $4-a-gallon gas? ... That's interesting. I hadn't heard that." -- Feb. 28, 2008 --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C.,

miamimike says on Apr 13, 2008, 09:03:

In what may be the largest Florida immigration roundup in recent years, U.S. officials arrested hundreds of foreign nationals in the area.
Posted on Mon, Apr. 07, 2008Digg del.icio.us AIM reprint print email
By JENNIFER LEBOVICH
jlebovich at MiamiHerald.com
More than 300 foreign nationals accused of evading deportation and violating other immigration laws were arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in South Florida during a two-week stretch, possibly the agency's largest roundup in Florida.

The 332 arrested, from 15 different countries, were brought in during a ''targeted enforcement'' operation by officers in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, Barbara Gonzalez, an ICE spokeswoman in Miami, said Sunday.

It may be the largest roundup in Florida since the agency was created in March 2003 when the functions of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service and the U.S. Customs Service were folded into the Department of Homeland Security.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami_dade/story/485733.html

"Wait a minute. What did you just say? You're predicting $4-a-gallon gas? ... That's interesting. I hadn't heard that." -- Feb. 28, 2008 --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C.,

eywed says on Apr 13, 2008, 17:56:

Remember this guy.

Ay Hombe!!!!!

miamimike says on Apr 13, 2008, 22:25:

Wow, Nasty Trick! What a Redneck!

"Wait a minute. What did you just say? You're predicting $4-a-gallon gas? ... That's interesting. I hadn't heard that." -- Feb. 28, 2008 --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C.,

jonas says on Apr 14, 2008, 08:53:

and most of these guys not only try to send $500 home to their families but also have to pay very stiff interest on the money borrowed to pay the coyotes.

What I have, I do not want to lose, but Where I am I do not want to stay, but those I love, I do not want to leave, but those I know I no longer want to see, but Where I die, I do not want to go;I want to stay where I have never been

robert555 says on Apr 14, 2008, 09:15:

last week here in orlando they took away my godson from my house and sent him to a deportation center in miami where he currently is, there was about 12 of them from immigration, one knocked on my door said he was from ups with a packet for my godson, i believd him and called my son he went to retrieve the box and they grabbed him and that was the last i saw of him, they are coming up with some dirty little tricks theese days my godson was 10 years here he is only 25 and had got a good job as an area manager for a company of cleaning services, thats all in the past now , and he has to start a new life in bogota, a big change but he will adapty , the united states of america is not the only country in the world

robertscotland

jonas says on Apr 14, 2008, 09:26:

dirty tricks by immigration? nothing new! I once flew into San Francisco on the visa waiver program. I was going as a tourist. I had entered the US 3 times that year. So they were suspicious I might be working there illegally. I had an interview and my luggage was thoroughly searched. They took my address book and found the name of a friend with whom I had stayed on my previous visit. They called her and asked for me (even though I was sitting right there with the agent). She told him I was not in the country but she was expecting me to return this day. So he asked if she knew if I was going to work at the same place again where I used to work. He acted like if he was a friend of mine and never told her who he really was. She told him (the truth) that I had never worked in the US. I was then given my 90 days. Tricky, no?