Effects still felt 2 years after raid
Published: March 8, 2009
NEW BEDFORD, Mass. - Advocates say some immigrants are still feeling the effects two years after federal authorities raided a New Bedford leather-goods factory.
Eva Millona, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, said that a number of cases from the raid remain unresolved.
In March 2007, federal agents raided Michael Bianco Inc. and arrested 361 workers, most of whom were from Central America.
As of last week, 168 arrested workers have been deported and 116 are awaiting court rulings. Meanwhile, 26 had received deportation orders and 16 had their residency changed to legal status. The status of other cases was unclear.
Millona said some families remained at risk of splitting.
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I just wanted to point out that the U.S. does not have an official language. So there is no “our language”.
What really ticks me off is how easy it is to get your citizenship now compared to 15 years ago. My parents both came here from another country & 15 years ago, went through some really tough testing to become legal citizens, & they have been working their butts off legally since. Now if 2 people can learn our language, take tests that are more difficult than anything I saw in high school (which I went to here), & still pull it off, you’re telling me others can’t do it now where I’ve heard the tests are MUCH easier now? Please.
What do you think of the people who hire the illegals? I know the conservative right tried to blaime all of our problems on the illegals (and of course unions) instead of where it belonged with Wall Street and
Corporate America. It worked for a while but not anymore. I remember reading last year that our country had the greatest concentration of wealth in the fewest amount of people since the 1920’s and funny that we are having similar results to 1929.
Who is paying the Court fees? We not only have to pay for their health care when they show up in emergency rooms for care because they don’t have any insurance. We put their kids through school!! And knock of the lame use of the words “undocumented” when referring to them, they are illegal criminals and should be deported. Sorry if this hurts the liberal left wing. Unlike the liberal hypocrits we pay our taxes and we don’t want to pay for this anymore!!!!
The companies who hire the undocumented workers are the real villians. They not just enabling illegals but they are taking advantage of people who are trying to flee a bad situation back home. I want to see the people hiring illegals to be the ones going to jail and paying big fines. If there was not any work available then many illegals would not come.
If you are illegal you should be deported if you are caught, it is not fair to all of those who come here to the USA and become citizens the right way. Companies that employ these people should be raided because they are enabling these people to continue to come here and mooch off the USA’s taxpaying citizens. What do you think they do in other countries? I will tell you they don’t say “Oh you came here illegally w/o any money or prospects? How about some free food stamp and free healthcare” that’s for sure.
I am not trying to be inhumane, cruel or unfair but come on, with the US economy in the state that it is in we cannot continue to take on these financial burdens, while Americans struggle everyday. These people are criminals, which take on the risk of being punished and held accountable for their actions when they break the law. So do I feel sorry for those who came here illegally and remain illegal and raise a family here and get caught years later and then face deportation? Not really they made a bad decision, an illegal decision in the first place. My ancestors came here legally and became citizens, learned the language immediately so do plenty of other people. Why should we make exceptions for those who choose to ignore our laws?
who cares if your an illegal then become a citizen or get out !!!
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