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Day Laborers Face Uncertain Future Under Bush’s Immigration Plan
By Selene Rivera, Eastern Group Publications
They earn a living day-to-day, painting houses, installing roofs,
gardening and offering their work at a low cost. Day laborers are
the most visible undocumented group of Latino immigrants in the
United States, and their lives may soon change if a guest worker
plan proposed this week by Pres. George Bush is approved by
Congress.
Although Bush didn't refer to his plan as “immigration reform,” he
announced his support for a plan that would permit undocumented
immigrants to work legally in the United States for up to six years.
But, he adds, “amnesty for illegals” is not an option he supports.
Claiming that it is in the interest of national security, Bush's
plan also calls for increased border enforcement and an accelerated
deportation process for those who break U.S. immigration laws,
including working in the country without a valid work permit.
Bush's plan was met with criticism by both conservative Republicans
and liberal Democrats, each saying the plan has too many loopholes
and will do little to stop unwanted immigration.
Although it is not yet clear how the 11 million undocumented people
who are already in the United States will actually go about applying
for jobs in the country -- jobs they may already have -- some
workers say they hope the plan will help them end the uncertainty
that goes along with their undocumented status.
There are an estimated 100,000 day laborers in the country, 35,000
of whom congregate daily at about 125 different corners across Los
Angeles County, according to the Coalition for Humane Immigrant
Rights of Los Angeles, or CHIRLA.
But as the numbers of day laborers multiply, groups opposing illegal
immigration, like the California-based Save Our State, have stepped
up their opposition to the day laborers' informal job search
practice, going as far as to picket some Home Depots that permit day
laborers to congregate at their sites.
They argue that these warehouses shouldn't allow illegal immigrants
to work for them or to use these places of business as informal
“employment lobbies.”
Some activists, however, believe the local economy depends on the
day laborer workforce. The National Day Labor Organizing Network (NDLON),
which along with the Center for the Study of the Urban Poverty of
UCLA, concluded in a study that day laborers bolster Los Angeles
County's economy to the tune of $840,000 a day.
“The money day laborers generate goes to paying bills, rent, food,
clothing… and all of that is taxed,” said a day laborer, who spoke
on condition of anonymity. “Thanks to our cheap labor, people who
employ us can live like the rich.”
Joaquin Valle is one of thousands of day laborers who take to
streets of Los Angeles every day in search of work.
“Every morning I pray to the Virgin Mary that I will get hired, that
employers will see my need to work, and not my old and tired body,”
he said as he looked for possible employers for the day.
According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the
majority of day laborers are between the ages of 18 and 35.
But not being hired is not the only thing Valle fears. He also fears
the dilemma that 90 percent of day laborers -- mostly Mexican and
Central American -- face everyday as a result of being undocumented:
the risk of being detained and deported.
This fear prevents many undocumented workers from speaking out when
they are mistreated or underpaid by their employers.
For many day laborers, language barriers, little education and few
job skills further complicate their status. For the most part, they
depend on jobs that require physical labor such as construction and
painting. The intransigence of prospective employers and the risk of
not receiving the proper pay following a day of hard work, is often
made worse by residents' complaints about day laborers congregating
on corners near their homes and businesses.
Potential employers visit the corners, usually near construction
trade warehouses, and with one look, laborers know they can hop in a
vehicle and get work. Once in the vehicle, negotiations begin.
“People know we are illegal. They know they might be able to pay
less for our services, and we accept their money because we need
it,” says Valle with a smile as he is chosen to paint a house from
among 20 other candidates searching for work.
About 60 percent of day laborers have an elementary school
education, according to CHIRLA. Thirty percent have attended high
school and only 10 percent have attended institutions of higher
education.
“When some employers notice that we don't know how to speak English,
they humiliate us and say we are not educated… so have to work even
harder,” says Valle as he prepares his paint.
According to the GAO, hiring a day laborer is easy because their
work schedules and pay offer flexibility to the employer; and
employers can take advantage of them because they don't have the
same rights as legal residents.
If everything goes right, Valle will earn $6.50 for each of the
eight hours he works. According to some day laborers, however, only
recently arrived undocumented immigrants will accept a job that pays
less than the minimum wage.
Many day laborers have reported that some employers refuse to pay at
the end of the day, believing the undocumented workers are powerless
to complain because of their legal status. Day laborers also worry
about residents who don't like to see them congregating in public.
“Some people accuse us of misbehaving, but not all of us misbehave,”
says Valle.
Although there is no law prohibiting soliciting a job in the city of
Los Angeles, the behavior of some day laborers can result in
citations for drinking, being rude to or blocking pedestrians,
urinating in public or disorderly conduct, among other things.
“We are illegal in the county and we know the risks we take by doing
this, but the hope for better life is the last thing that dies,”
concludes Valle as he receives the money for his job, placing it in
his old worn-out wallet.
How Bush's immigration reform plan will impact day laborers remains
to be seen. But for some workers like Valle, a guest worker program
may be their best hope if anti-illegal immigrant sentiments continue
to grow.
They wonder, however, if six years is long enough to save enough
money to create a secure a better future for their families.
Other Recent Readings of Interest
•Rights Advocates See Tough, Long Fight Over Immigration
http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=331ee5d9372f4164ae8eee1a512169e0
• Gulf Coast Slaves: Halliburton Exploits Katrina Latino Workers
http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=331ee5d9372f4164ae8eee1a512169e0
• L.A. Councilman Calls for Day Laborer Sites
http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=4e42423d2b7fdc8ec235a10bb2c842b1
•San Francisco Agency Helps Latino Workers Garner Back Wages
http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=3ff2f9f5f1fbe69c93e03a4f85ca094f
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