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Politics

'Slap in the face' and 'praise the lord'

By JACOB H. FRIES
Published June 8, 2007

The death of the Senate's immigration bill Thursday was met with mourning and celebration, anxiety and relief. To some, it had represented hope; to others, a threat to the American way of life.

To Blanca Gonzalez, president of Immigrants United for Freedom in Plant City, it would have been a step in the right direction.

"It's making me sick - the thought of all the work people have put into this, " she said. "It's just a slap in the face. It's pretty much saying we don't count."

Mike Jarbeck, however, planned to rejoice with friends.

"Oh, praise the Lord, " said Jarbeck, who founded the now-disbanded Minutemen Florida Corps. "I wanted to see that bill die. That bill was the worst thing that could have happened to this county. It would have changed the standard of living for everyone in the country."

Supporters said the bill would have tightened borders with Mexico and Canada, cracked down on employers who hire illegal workers and legalized millions of undocumented immigrants.

Drafted by a bipartisan group of senators after negotiations with the White House, the legislation stalled Thursday night, failing two test votes and effectively tabling immigration reform for the near future.

Tampa immigration attorney John Ovink, who represents immigrants seeking legal status, had thought the legislation had a chance and when he learned of Thursday's developments, he spoke in blunt terms.

"It's probably the most terrible thing to happen to this country this year, " he said. "We have 12-million undocumented workers in the United States. You can't ignore them. ... For the economy and for the safety of our country, we need to know who's here and there's only way to find out who's here and that's to let them come out of the shadows."

Ovink said the bill, as written and amended, wasn't perfect, but it was a place to start.

"I'm just at a total loss of words that the leaders of this country can't deal with the immigration problem, " he said, while vowing to continue his efforts. "I will continue to work for immigration reform and for our county, both as a person and a professional."

At the Federation for American Immigration Reform in Washington, spokesman Ira Mehlman was equally devoted to the issue, though from a different perspective.

"This is a bill that richly deserved to fail, " he said. "It includes absolutely nothing for the American people. It was a bill by and for a variety of special interests."

Mehlman said he planned to urge Congress to enforce immigration laws already on the books, including cracking down on employers of undocumented workers.

Thursday night, Guadalupe Lamas couldn't help but think of those workers. A former undocumented farmworker and now a U.S. citizen, she works as a nurse and community activist in Dover. She is all too familiar with the fear and insecurity that comes with such a life.

"More than anything, I see these undocumented farmworkers who are extremely sick who can't seek medical care for fear of retribution, " she said. "People say undocumenteds come here for the services, but undocumenteds get nothing, other than an ability to work."

Jacob H. Fries can be reached at jfries@sptimes.com or 727 893-8872.

[Last modified June 8, 2007, 01:44:39]