Thursday, November 1, 2007
Immigration law goes into effect today, worries some
Many Hispanic students are fearful that an anti-illegal immigration law that goes into effect today will lead to racial profiling and increased hatred toward minorities, said the Hispanic Student Association president.
“If that’s starts happening, what happens to our rights?” Angela Vivar said. “What happens to people that just look different? They’re going to have to answer for the people who have broken laws. And I don’t care if they have broken laws or not — they still deserve to treated like human beings.”
House bill 1804, known as the Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act of 2007, goes into effect today.
Under the law, a person commits a felony when he or she transports or conceals an illegal immigrant.
The law bans illegal immigrants from obtaining official state government identification, such as driver’s licenses; terminates most public assistance and entitlement benefits for illegal immigrants; grants state and local law enforcement officials the authority to enforce federal immigration law; and enacts employer penalties for knowingly hiring illegal immigrants, according to the Oklahoma House of Representatives Web site.
A total of 525 Hispanic students attend OSU-Stillwater and OSU-Tulsa, 433 undergraduate students, 85 graduate students and 7 professional students, according to the Fall 2007 student profile.
The Hispanic Student Association members will brainstorm ideas on actions to take against the bill at the group’s next meeting Nov. 7 at 6 p.m. in 408 Student Union.
Brenda Moralez, Hispanic Student adviser, said students have voiced concerns about facing racial profiling when a police officer pulls them over.
Vivar said one of the Hispanic Student Association members was recently pulled over for speeding in an Oklahoma town near Stillwater.
The police officer asked to see the member’s “papers,” Vivar said.
“She said, ‘I don’t have my papers — I don’t have a reason to have papers,” Vivar said. “He was like, ‘We’re just taking precautions with Hispanic-sounding last names,’ which is called racial profiling.”
Stillwater Police Chief Norman McNickle said a police officer can not ask for a person’s naturalization documents if Immigrations and Customs Enforcement has not trained the officer to do so.
No Stillwater police officers have been through the training, McNickle said.
Such training would cost the department about $50,000.
Tulsa County is the only county to have trained ICE officers, McNickle said.
If a person is pulled over and believes he or she is experiencing racial profiling from a Stillwater Police Officer, he or she should remain calm, McNickle said.
“The worst thing a person could do is argue with a police officer,” McNickle said. “A complaint should be filed after the fact.”
Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, is the principal author of House Bill 1804.
Terrill said the bill empowers state and local law enforcement agencies to enforce federal immigration laws, Terrill said.
An office finding out a person is an illegal immigrant through “an independent reliable third party” is the same as an officer being told someone has narcotics.
“There’s no discrimination or racial profiling,” Terrill said. “The only thing this bill does is empower state and local law enforcement agencies to enforce federal immigration laws.”
The law also allows law enforcement agencies to detain illegal immigrants until ICE can deport them, Terrill said.
It does not target any nationality, race or ethnicity, he said.
“The only people who have anything to be concerned with are those people who voluntarily made a decision to break the law by coming here and remaining here illegally,” he said.
However, for Vivar and other Hispanic students, the fear still remains they will become targets for discrimination.
And although Vivar was born in Oklahoma, she will still feel the burden of House Bill 1804.
“It’s going to affect my family,” she said. “It’s going to affect my cousin who has been here for 10 years. It’s going to affect his kids. I can’t really think of any student, maybe two I know, out of 100 that doesn’t have family or really close friends that are undocumented.”
kyle:
Comment on 01-Nov-07 at 10:49 am
This bill is not racist. It enforces the federal laws that we have always had. The law is anti-ILLEGAL immigrant. If you are here legally, then you have nothing to fear. My ancestors came through Ellis Island legally, fought for this country is every war, and contributed to society. It is not fair to all of us that came here legally that individuals with no regard for our economy or country can come here illegally and rape, pillage, and steal our money, jobs, etc. It just so happens that the vast majority of mexicans come here illegally. If canadians were coming here illegally in the millions, then they would be treated the same. This country is ruled by the majority. The majority has spoken and we are tired of the crime that illegals bring with them. The drug smugglers, people smugglers, gangs, etc. Border towns in Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and California are overrun by crime. There are murders every single night, rapes every night, car hijacking, theft, robberies, the list goes on. The majority of illegals have no respect for our country. They fly the mexican flag above our flag, they dont pay taxes, they use our healthcare, they fill our prisons, they smuggle millions of dollars worth of drugs into our country, they dont bother to learn our language or customs. They have no respect for our country or economy. America has spoken and we are taking our country back. Illegals cannot call our country home when they dont protect it, fight for it, or pay taxes.
Jeff:
Comment on 01-Nov-07 at 11:39 am
While I completely agree that racial profiling is despicable, this act going into effect will not change discrimination. Hispanics are not suddenly going to face discrimination for the first time of their lives. It is a sad fact of life that all minorities will have to face discrimination, and it would surprise me if the members of the Hispanic Student Association have not already had to do so. I understand the reason for concern, and maybe it is just the way the article is written, but the article sounds like it is saying the members of that group will undoubtedly face discrimination tomorrow when they didn’t yesterday. While, illegal immigrants do have human rights, do you really think they should also receive the rights of a US citizen when they aren’t one? Should OSU start printing diplomas for everyone who asks for one? OSU has requirements for a reason. If all you had to do was ask for the diploma, it seems dumb that I wasted four years of my life and thousands of dollars to get mine. Same principle, there are necessary steps that need to be taken in order to become a citizen or obtain a work permit, without those steps why even have a USA? Why not just go ahead and buy into the North American Union? There are rules and laws for a reason, and this bill really only helps define those laws already in place.
Tom:
Comment on 01-Nov-07 at 11:55 am
Perhaps this police behaviour is a reaction from a federal probe. They may be using their latitude before they lose it.
Mary:
Comment on 01-Nov-07 at 3:48 pm
This country is being overtaken by illegal immigrants who bring with them drugs, form gangs & take advantage of the good old USA’s generosity. They manage to get free medical help where as our own American senior citizens
can’t get any whatsoever. I have a special needs niece who is 5 years old that my sister & brother-in-law can’t get help for but the illegal immigrants can get all the help they need. Yes, they do fly their Mexican flag above the American flag & that really burns me. If you want to be in the United States of America, don’t fly your Mexican flag here. If you miss Mexico, go back home. I am not by any means a racist but I am sick & tired of the illegal immigrants getting more than our own people do & I resent the fact that I have to dial 1 for english. My immigrant grandparents who came here from Austria had to learn to speak english & they weren’t given any help either. They respected our flag & the values & cultures of this country. If the illegal immigrants don’t like the new law, go back to Mexico. I would also like to know how the illegal immigrants think they have “rights” here in American. If you are not an American citizen,
working here & paying taxes & making sacrifices like the rest of us do how you do think you have “rights”?
As far as the police goes, leave them alone. They have their plates full on a daily basis.
As far as racism goes, it depends on the attitudes of the immigrants. If you can’t take the heat get out of the kitchen.
I was appauled when a Mexican senorita asked my husband for money to buy groceries when we came out of the store. I thought they were here to work. If that was true why was the woman asking for money? She didn’t look like she had missed any meals.
sgtmajorbrad:
Comment on 01-Nov-07 at 4:51 pm
Lament all you want about profiling in the case of illegal immigration it is a matter of the laws of probability. The closer to the border the more probable the case for an illegal alien. It is even more probable if they can’t speak english, have no driver’s license, can’t tell you where they live and can’t provide any documentation proving they are legally entitled to be in this country. Even more interesting those that can do this don’t fear these laws but welcome the action because they have
hallie:
Comment on 01-Nov-07 at 5:29 pm
In the 1950 racial profiling of illegal aliens worked. Immigration authorities got on Grayhound busses at stopps and remove and deported illegal aliens.
Nothing wrong with racial profiling.
I have been mistaken for Illegal alien and after 9-11 mistaken for Muslin.
I am native american and it did not bother me.
If it looks like a duck it must be a duck.
kyle:
Comment on 01-Nov-07 at 8:23 pm
non U.S.A. citizens dont have rights in our country. They are not entitled to any free handouts. The constitution does not give rights to illegals. I have no sympathy for people breaking our laws and stealing our tax dollars and identities. Illegals buy stolen social security cards, use them, collect our money, run us into debt, and pass them around to others.
wolf:
Comment on 02-Nov-07 at 5:04 am
I agree with Kyle on his last entry. The Bill is non-racist. The Bill clearly states that all ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS are not going to get any free hand outs from this state anymore. It would be nice to see other states adopt this Bill. I have no sympathy for ILLEGALS either. I’m in Law Enforcement I live in a small town approx. 2500 people. It’s not about the money to me; it’s about helping people. I’m struggling to pay the bills and feed my family and I have 2 jobs. The Illegals did get health care benefits; for free; brought drugs and more gangs, plus diseaseand then make a paycheck on top of that. Which in turn puts them in a better finanial situation then what I’ll ever see and I’ve been shot at. I’m not able to get help from a place such as DHS to help pay for the food that I have to buy. I’m not able to get help for paying the rent for a place to keep my family. I Have to work twice as hard to keep what I’ve got and I’M NOT COMPLAINING ABOUT THE WORK. I was raised old school, everything I have is what I’ve worked to get nothing was ever handed to me. The past generations of my family have fought for this country just like I have to make it what the U.S. has become today. I treat everyone the same as another no diffenrent. When you take advantage is when you need taken down adn Americans born native to this country are guiltyof taking advantage. In my own opinion I believe that from this day forth if you were not born here you shouldn’t live here. I feel if you’re fat and lazy get off you’re back side and do something because people that are like that are a disgrace.
Wesley Franklin:
Comment on 02-Nov-07 at 10:04 pm
We are a nation of rights and laws. Failure of enforcement of rights and laws is just plain Un American.
Food For Thought: A LINE IN THE SAND
On Senator Mc Cauls 10th District Texas Website
Per Department of Homeland Security Report
Iraq s Learn Spanish Before Crossing to America!
Phi Alpha:
Comment on 05-Nov-07 at 3:16 pm
GO HOME ILLEGALS!!!
TopAssitant:
Comment on 17-Nov-07 at 6:25 pm
There is no Senator Mc Cauls 10th District. If I am wrong, show me the link to the site mentioned.