'Desperation' in immigrant communities
Slammed by the economy, migrant workers looking for tickets home
3 comments below
Some immigrant laborers, having trouble finding enough work to remain in the U.S., are going to great lengths to return to their native countries. Others, like the vineyard worker above, can still afford to stay here.
The two Guatemalan immigrants -- the first a 27-year-old laborer arrested in January, the second a 38-year-old homeless man arrested on Monday -- are symbolic of the devastating effect that the nation's troubled economy is having on immigrants, whether they are here legally or not, according to immigration experts.
"I've never seen things as difficult as they are now. There is a lot of desperation," said Sister Margaret Smyth with the North Fork Spanish Apostolate. "Last week, I had at least one person a day come here looking for a ticket back home. The amount of work is so sparse."
The American dream is falling apart for millions of immigrants who count on work in landscaping, construction, cleaning, food service and agriculture, said Steven Camarota with the Center for Immigration Studies in Washington, D.C.
"All of these fields have seen substantial rises in unemployment in recent months," said Mr. Camarota, who last month released the study, "Trends in Immigrant and Native Employment."
"It does seem that in the United States immigrants have been hit harder by this recession."
"Their unemployment is really making a return home attractive," Mr. Camarota said.
Carlos Montenegro, 27, formerly of Greenport, appears to have gotten what he asked for back in January.
The native of Guatemala called cops asking to be deported, then, after officers told him they didn't have a reason to arrest him, he kicked a police car. Charged with criminal mischief, Mr. Montenegro was picked up two months later by immigration officials, according to a spokesman with the Suffolk County district attorney's office.
It is unclear if Mr. Montenegro is still in the country.
Early Monday, Pilar Secaida Giron, 38, was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct after he stood in traffic on Route 25 in Greenport because a Southold Police officer would not take him back to Guatemala, authorities said.
"He asked to go to Guatemala, then he proceeded to walk in the roadway," Sgt. Henry Santacroce said of Giron, who was released on $40 bail. "I have a feeling that it was because there's no work here."
Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell, reacting to the arrests of the Guatemalan men, said the incidents are the product of a hurting economy.
"It probably speaks volumes to our economy. The availability of work is very lean right now," he said. "It's a reminder that we have a long way to go, when people willing to work 16-hour days can't find work."
But the economy hasn't sent all immigrants packing. Many on the North Fork are still thriving, Sister Margaret said.
"There are people doing very well in the middle of all this," she said.
Anibal Cubule, an immigrant day laborer who lives in Flanders, said he was getting "just enough to keep himself going."
"It's very hard right now. The other years were not hard like this," Mr. Cubule said. "I go to different [employers] looking for painting or cleaning jobs, and they tell me, 'We'll call you when there's something.' "
Sister Margaret said it's difficult watching the American dream crash and burn.
"Many of these people had long-range plans of working and living here, and all of the sudden it's falling apart," she said.
bharmon@timesreview.com
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3 comments found
They're Desperate? Good! : 5/10/2009
This is actually the BEST thing that could happen in this situation! If all the ILLEGAL immigrants leave, then there will be PLENTY of work for all the law abiding LEGAL immigrants coming to this country. LEGAL IMMIGRANTS are the ONLY immigrants deserving of the American Dream! Why can't people understand the simple truth that the American Dream is being destroyed by MILLIONS upon MILLIONS of these "desperate'" ILLEGALS over-saturating the job markets! Now stop writing half the story, over and over again, and tell us how the LEGAL, law-abiding, immigrants are doing. And don't forget to report on how THEY feel about these ILLEGALS cutting the line!
Desperation? : 5/7/2009
Illegal aliens have NO right to the American dream. They are foreign criminal trespassers and deserve only deportation!
They broke our laws coming here : 5/7/2009
I'm sure our tax dollars will prop them up until Americans get the economy going again. Why did these people break the law to get here?
