Illegal Alien Bill Called 'Racist'
Wendy Suares
wlbt.net
Feb 16, 2007
A bill aimed at keeping illegal aliens out of Mississippi is working its way through the state legislature. It requires businesses verify their employees are here legally.
Mexican immigrant Angel Palsencia works as a waiter to support his family on the Gulf Coast. He worries that could all change if businesses are forced to check employees' legal status.
"I've lived in Mississippi for 7 years, and to make that bill into law, it would stop the future of me and my family," Palsencia said.
Members of the immigrant rights group, MIRA, are trying to kill the bill that has passed the House and is now before the Senate Labor Committee.
"I think it's a really racist bill and an attempt to get people of color out of Mississippi," said MIRA organizing coordinator Victoria Cintra.
"We do have a problem, and we need to do the right thing," said Senator Richard White, who serves on the labor committee and is studying the proposal. He says small business owners are asking for tools provided in the bill.
"I think you're seeing employers taking a look at their employees and trying to make a decision whether they're here legally or not," he said.
Opponents say immigration legislation is best left up to Congress. They question how local law enforcement could even enforce such a law. The bill sets penalties for businesses that fail to comply. They could be fined up to a thousand dollars and lose state licenses and any public work contracts.
But MIRA members say it's the workers, not the businesses, who would pay the price. "The employees are the ones that suffer," said Cintra. "They end up getting deported and not getting their pay."
