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 Post subject: Frankfort Times: 6-part immigration series
PostPosted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:30 pm 
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http://www.ftimes.com/main.asp?SectionI ... M=75514.44


Saturday, March 01, 2008

Times to Examine Local Effects of Illegal Immigration; 6-Part Series Starts Monday

JANIS THORNTON
Managing editor

Saturday, March 01, 2008


As the nation's leaders scratch their heads over what to do with the millions of undocumented foreign-born residents who live and work in this country, Clinton County leaders mull over the same questions concerning their own community of undocumented immigrants.

If our politicians in Washington can't fix the country's broken immigration system, how can we expect our officials in Frankfort to do so?

We hear almost daily that undocumented immigrants are making Frankfort dirty, dumbing down its schools, taking welfare money and free health care from entitled citizens, impacting its labor force by accepting jobs at low pay, overburdening its jail and courts and piling more work on law enforcement officers.

Often it is said that we are a society of laws, and foreigners who cross our borders without permission are lawless. While that attitude may be grounded in truth, it also has become a cliché that solves nothing - nothing for those who claim Clinton County as their birthright and nothing for the immigrants, legal and otherwise.

City leaders debate the illegal immigration issue at public meetings. Yet we see no evidence of improvement, only wider division. We are concerned that some residents who advocate for a crackdown on the illegals are guided by misinformation, distorted statistics and even lies. We fear that misperceptions will make people afraid and that, in time, their fear will turn to hate.

To more accurately identify how undocumented immigrants have changed Clinton County, The Times has spent weeks sorting through some of the conventional wisdom and hard facts about illegal immigration. The result is a series of six investigative stories readers will not want to miss.

Because our ability to report on this vast and complicated topic is governed by the limited space available in newspaper format, we homed in on the five areas we believe affect Clinton County most: education, business, community aesthetics, social services and healthcare, and law enforcement.

The series, which we are calling "Immigration: Perceptions and Perspectives," will begin Monday in this order:

- Monday: Evan Israel examines our city schools and emphasizes the perception that children of illegal immigrants drag down ISTEP scores and hamper the learning experience for their American classmates.

- Tuesday: Ryan Trares and Brian Peloza explore the perception that our economy is weakening and our labor force is losing jobs to cheap labor being provided by illegal immigrants.

- Wednesday: Kate Meadows takes on the perception that illegal immigrants destroy the orderly appearance of residential neighborhoods by clinging to their cultural habits and packing single-family homes with too many occupants.

- Thursday: Brian Byrne looks into the perception that illegal immigrants rip off the welfare system, add to the high cost of healthcare through free medical services and rely on local food pantries.

- Friday: Martha O'Brien tackles the perception that illegals drive up the crime rate, overcrowd our jails and clog our court system.

- Saturday: Kate Meadows pulls all the parts together and offers ideas for resolution.

Approaching their topics objectively and resourcefully, our staff interviewed experts, read public records and professional articles, searched statistics and talked directly with some of the county's illegal immigrants.

Whatever manner our leaders and our undocumented immigrants ultimately settle up, their methodology must be guided by open minds, cool heads and facts. We hope the information shared through our series will be useful in that process.

We also hope that when the series has concluded, our readers will share their thoughts about it in the form of article comments on our Web site and letters to the editor.


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:36 pm 
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PART ONE

http://www.ftimes.com/main.asp?SectionI ... leID=43847


Monday, March 03, 2008

School Officials Say Illegal Immigrant Students Need Chance to Learn

By EVAN ISRAEL
Staff writer

Monday, March 03, 2008
- Community Schools of Frankfort ISTEP+ scores have been below state average every year from 1999-2000 through 2007-2008.

- The district's minority population went from 4 percent in 1990-1991 to 33.6 percent in 2007-2008.

- The percentage of Frankfort students in English Language Learner classes rose from 14 percent in 2000 to 31 percent in 2007-2008.

- Hispanic students performed below Caucasian students in both language arts and math ISTEP scores in every grade level for 2007-2008 in Frankfort..

Source: Indiana Department of Education Web site
________________________________________

PERCEPTION: Children of illegal immigrants overcrowd our schools, cause low ISTEP score averages and create a language barrier that hinders learning for their classmates.

Some Clinton County residents insist that an influx of undocumented immigrants into Frankfort's schools has disrupted the educational experience overall.

They point to Indiana Department of Education statistics that show the number of Frankfort students learning English as a second language has risen roughly 58 percent since 2000. They cite the 2007-08 ISTEP+ scores that placed Frankfort at more than 10 percentage points below the state average. They also note that the federal government repeatedly has labeled the heavily Hispanic Kyger Elementary School as "failing."

Community Schools of Frankfort Superintendent Dr. Kevin Caress assumes a more positive perspective, however. He acknowledges immigrants have a lower starting point, but he also says people need to give them a chance.

Caress says critics need to dig deeper.

The Northwest Evaluation Association test - one Caress prefers to tests such as the ISTEP+ because its focus is on improvement - shows Hispanic students improving at a faster rate than non-Hispanic students.

For example, Hispanic students averaged an 18 percent gain since September on the test taken in December, compared to about 7 percent for their non-Hispanic counterparts.

Test scores aren't the only areas where perceptions don't mesh with reality, Caress said.

People often talk about the "overcrowded classrooms" in Frankfort's schools caused by illegal immigrant students.

Caress adamantly refutes such a notion.

"That's not accurate," he said. "I don't know where that rumor or detail came from, but that's not accurate. I'm disappointed that anyone would take that tack."

Caress invites those concerned to "come into our schools and see."

The Times accepted Caress' offer last week and toured Frankfort High School. Principal Dr. Kay Antonelli pointed out classes throughout the building. Some classrooms appeared full, but as Antonelli noted, each student had his own desk.

Although Antonelli acknowledged the school's class sizes have grown in recent years, she said that has more to do with the administration's focus on stopping students of all backgrounds from dropping out of school.

Kyger Elementary School Principal Amber Targgart dismissed overcrowding at her school as quickly as Caress did.

"Absolutely not, to be quite honest," Targgart said of whether Kyger dealt with the issue. "We have very, very nice classroom sizes."

Caress says classrooms at Kyger average 16-20 students.

According to the department of education's Web site, the Community Schools of Frankfort for the 2006-2007 school year had a student-teacher ratio of 16.5, compared to the state average of 17.5. The same numbers applied to 2005-2006 and every year since the 2001-2002 school year, according to the Web site.

Of the 3,261 students in the corporation this school year, how many of those are illegal immigrants is not known because schools are not allowed to ask, per a federally mandated policy, Caress said.

Overall, Caress said, the corporation may even be losing students. The district's enrollment has dropped by about 60 kids during the last year, he said. He was uncertain about ethnic backgrounds of the departed students.

Breaking down the language barrier

The concern about language barriers and different needs also hold little weight for Targgart.

Kyger built reading groups to arrange students based on skill level, and created a "gifted" program for students especially ahead of the curve.

As part of the program, Coordinator Bret Rhea meets individually with students, as well as with teachers and staff, so they know how to improve students' academics, Targgart said.

Lisa Ristow teaches Level Two Hispanic students at Kyger. Few of the Level Two students know English. Ristow said people need to understand that learning English doesn't come as easily as native speakers may perceive.

"It's very difficult," Ristow said.

Ristow and other school officials who work with Hispanic students say students typically don't become fluent in English for at least 5-7 years, though the length can vary from student to student.

Ristow says students' improvements become evident as they spend more time in the district's programs.

"You can really see them start to spark more in fourth and fifth grade," Ristow said of Hispanic students who start early on in elementary schools.

What Ristow also sees are students who get along. She doesn't see the tension among students some might expect.

"All I see are kids helping kids," she said, adding that students like to share each other's foods and traditions.

Many students do voice concern about the banter regarding illegal immigration, Ristow said, though most don't seem to fully understand the issue.

For parents, a full-time bilingual assistant works in Kyger's office to answer questions and concerns, she said. She pointed to well-attended parent nights as proof that parents are kept informed.

Targgart believes the importance placed on individual instruction extends to the entire district.

"I just really think the Community Schools of Frankfort puts together huge amounts of effort across the board to help students," she said.

Marilu Castillo, a native of Mexico has been a legal United States resident for 35 years. She works for Head Start and believes all kids should receive schooling.

Although she acknowledges Hispanic students - legal or illegal immigrants - can bring down schools' test scores, she insists the students deserve the opportunity to improve.

"We have seen kids come with zero English," she said. "By year's end, they're able to communicate with the (other) kids."

Education opportunities for immigrants

The complexity of the language makes learning difficult, says Kim Redington, director of the Clinton County Adult Literacy Program. The United Way-funded oganization maintains about 25 tutors to teach English to about 100 students.

As an example of why the language isn't easily learned, Redington refers to a list she printed off a Web site pointing out that no "ham" exists in "hamburger," no "pine" or "apple" in "pineapple" and so on.

Without programs such as the adult literacy program, language difficulties would look much worse than it does now, Redington said.

"I think a lot of people would not have the opportunity to learn English," Redington said.

Melinda Grismer, the coordinator of the Clinton County Purdue Extension's Learning Network, says learning the language makes for a particularly difficult assignment even for adults.

"When you learn a language," Grismer said, "particularly as an adult, you base the learning of the new language on the language structure you understand from your first language."

The extension service works with about 60 students per week, Grismer said, including those from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Cuba, Peru, and Brazil.

Eric Payton of the Frankfort Adult Learning Center, says his organization holds classes for two hours on Monday and Wednesday evenings, with 25-30 Hispanic students typically in attendance. Other students come throughout the day for tutoring, he said.

Any issues concerning the legality of students remain up to the government, Payton said, and he and his associates are not allowed to ask their students' legal status, per federal policy.

"You've got to appreciate them making the effort to learn the language common here," Payton said.

Without such programs, the Hispanic students would feel more isolated from the community than they already do, Payton said.



Conclusion

Current numbers show immigrant students - legal and illegal - drag down test scores. However, Frankfort educators say numbers do not tell the whole story.

They also indicate that educational resources available to non-English speakers, the push at the schools to teach English, and students' eagerness to learn may give hope to administrators and teachers.

However, whether the numbers will eventually trend upward will be not a matter of perspective, some say, but of time.


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PostPosted: Wed Mar 05, 2008 12:03 pm 
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PART TWO
http://www.ftimes.com/main.asp?Search=1 ... ID=244&S=1


Wednesday, March 05, 2008

PART TWO: BUSINESS
Immigrant Workforce, U.S. Commerce Forge Symbiotic Relationship

Ryan Trares
For The Times

Wednesday, March 05, 2008
A VOICE FROM THE SHADOWS
Male, early 40s


Where are you from? I am from Michoacán, Mexico.

Why did you move to Frankfort? You know, sometimes I ask myself the same question: Why Frankfort where the weather is so cold? That's when I remember, I much rather be cold than hungry.

How did you get here? A smuggler brought me and my children here in the trunk of a car. I can still remember how much my back hurt for the next eight days after we crossed the border. I couldn't move, but I knew it would be worth it for my two kids. My children were 6 and 9 years old at the time we were brought over to the U.S.

Why are you here? After 13 years of living here, two of my kids are married to U.S. citizens.

What are your goals? My goal is to have a job, to educate myself and my children, and to one day be bilingual to get a better job.

Where do you work? I cannot answer that. I worked there for nine years. In July it will be 10 years.

How much money do you make? I make $7.50 per hour. It's not much, but it's more than I would make in a week in Mexico.

Have you tried to become documented? Yes, very many times.

Where do you live? I live in Frankfort.

Do you own or rent? I own my house. Thanks to God, we were able to buy a house three years after we moved here.

Why do you stay here? After 13 years of living in Frankfort, I consider Frankfort my community.

I came here with two kids, but I now have two more and they are U.S. citizens. The two kids I brought here from Mexico are now married to U.S citizens and they are in the process of getting their U.S. citizenship.

Do you feel welcome? Initially I did, but now things have changed. Some community members have created a sense of fear and haters among us. My biggest fear is to get deported and never see my family again. Raids violate constitutional and civil rights.

Do you know you are breaking the law, and do you see it that way? I don't see it as breaking the law.I see it as a survival skill. People have a poor image about us, about our race, and how we believe, but they don't realize that our beliefs are similar to theirs.

Are you involved in illegal activities here? No. I came here to work, not to get involved in any illegal activities.
________________________________________

PERCEPTION: Illegal immigrants take away jobs from U.S. citizens, who are left out of work when no jobs are available to them. Their presence weakens the economy.



For almost as long as immigrants have flowed into this country, calls have been made to stop them. That is no different today.

In these times of economic strife, some people say it is partly caused by immigrants who take jobs from American citizens. On the opposite side, other people say immigrants work jobs that American citizens don't find appealing or financially sufficient.

Locally, a large Hispanic population has moved in. While much of that segment is composed of legal immigrants, many were not granted permission to cross the U.S. border, to find a job, earn money and carve out a better life for themselves and their families.



A local economic force

According the Census Bureau, in 2006, Clinton County's Hispanic population was roughly 4,207, or 12 percent of the total population. A number of conditions make Clinton County an attractive destination for immigrants.

Leo Gonzalez is a pastor for Primera Iglesia Bautista in Frankfort. He said many in his congregation were interested in this area because of the preponderance of jobs.

Factories and businesses desire hard workers who will labor for low wages, Gonzalez said, which immigrants are willing to accept.

"They work five times harder in Mexico and they make 10 times less money than they make here," he said.

Now, with a community already in place, it is easy for other immigrants to settle in here.

"Spanish people bring Spanish people," Gonzalez said.

Gina Sheets, Clinton County Chamber of Commerce CEO and executive director, believes immigrants first were drawn to the county to pursue agricultural work.

"A lot of that had to do with the migrant workforce that came here," she said.

The attraction of work in the area brought more immigrants into the area, and a community was formed.

Locally, 41 percent of the population in 2006 worked in three areas - manufacturing, food production and construction, according to the Current Population Survey released by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Those types of jobs have the highest percentage of immigrant workers, the survey says. So jobs that immigrants are more likely to fill make up much of the county's economy.

According to the Current Population Survey conducted by the Census Bureau in March 2005, immigrants fill 52 percent of the jobs in farming, fishing and forestry in the U.S. In the cleaning and maintenance sector, immigrants make up 39 percent of the workforce.

At the other end of the spectrum, very few jobs that require highly educated, highly skilled workers - such as architects, engineers and management - are being filled by immigrants, according to the survey.

George Raymond, vice president of human relations and labor relations for the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, says the national data corresponds with Indiana.

"I don't think they replace that many native-born workers," he said. "They're in jobs that native-born workers have shunned and don't want to do. These are the more menial jobs. You don't see a lot of native-born workers doing them."

The same holds true for Clinton County, Sheets said. Focusing on the factories and plants in the industrial park, she pointed out that those jobs call for abilities most illegal immigrants lack.

Clinton County's unemployment rate in December 2007 was 4.7 percent, placing it in the middle of the pack among all Indiana counties. Its influx of foreign-born residents, however, was 10th in the state.

"Most of our industrial jobs have a higher skill level and require a higher education," she said. "Many of those people do not have a high school education."

Cracking down

People who advocate cracking down on illegal immigration claim that undocumented immigrants strain the economy and labor force.

However, Raymond has studied their impact and has found that illegal immigrants can have a positive effect on the community.

"Putting aside the part of whether they should be in the country, what my research has shown is, generally, the results have been beneficial," he said. "A lot of times, people will say illegal immigrants are a $300 million drain on the economy - that's the number they use. But they don't show the enormous benefit immigrants bring as far as taxes or spending in the market. They generally have shown a net gain."

Indiana may soon find out what removing this segment of the population would mean.

State Bill 345 is a labor bill which includes stipulations that would punish those who harbor, transport or employ illegal immigrants after Sept. 30, 2009. SB 345 passed the House on Thursday and will be sent to the Senate.

"It's a step forward for the bill, but I would say its future is still in question," Sen. Brandt Hershman (R-Wheatfield) said.

Modeled after similar laws in Arizona, Georgia, Arkansas and Oklahoma, SB 345 would put the responsibility on the business owners and operators to determine a potential employee's immigration status.

Some illegal immigrants, Clinton County Prosecutor Anthony Sommer said, would try to circumvent rules with fake identification.

Sommer estimates that only about 10 of every 1,000 cases that go before him involve some sort of false identification.

"Some look like they were made on their own computer printer," Sommer said. "Some will use a Social Security number of someone that is legal, in order to get an identification."

Sommer pointed out, however, that acquiring fake identifications isn't limited to immigrants.

"What we're seeing is something that isn't necessarily limited to SB 345, and it's not just an issue we see with regards to citizenship," he said. "We see it with college students buying fake IDs on college campuses."

Sommer said if SB 345 were passed as written now, he would not have the ability to file criminal charges, unless in rare cases of extreme trafficking of immigrants. But he could revoke any license that a business needs to operate after a yet-to-be determined number of infractions.



Conclusion

In Clinton County, a great deal has been said about the illegal immigrants living in the community. Numerous public meetings have been held where people with differing perspectives strongly argue their opinions. The debate has swung side-to-side, with some voices calling for amnesty for the illegal immigrants and others advocating to send them back where they came from.

What would happen if that population were removed from the community is anyone's guess. But some believe that without the dollars these immigrants provide, both in the form of spending and from their taxed incomes, Frankfort's economy could take a step back.

Maria Alvarez, manager of the Frankfort-based Mama Ines Mexican Bakery at 2474 E. Wabash St., says if the illegal immigrants were deported, the bakery's business would suffer.

"I don't think it would stay open," Alvarez said.

The Quality of Life meetings and their media coverage have not helped business, she said.

"People were afraid to go out of their home," she said.

Raymond of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce also sees a link between immigrant labor and the local economy.

"My observation is (the illegal immigrants) are generally concentrated in a few industries," Raymond said. "So if you remove these people, in my opinion, it would have a detrimental effect on those certain industries, at least in the short term. Anytime, if you yank them out at one time, it would have a detrimental effect."

Asst. Managing Editor Brian Peloza contributed to this story.


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PostPosted: Wed Mar 05, 2008 12:07 pm 
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PART THREE

http://www.ftimes.com/main.asp?SectionI ... leID=43882


Wednesday, March 05, 2008

PART THREE: COMMUNITY AESTHETICS
Failure to Obey Local Nuisance Ordinances 'Not Just a Cultural Thing'


Kate Meadows
Staff writer

Wednesday, March 05, 2008
A VOICE FROM THE SHADOWS
Hispanic male, 38


Where are you from? I'm from Guadalajara, Mexico.

Why did you move to Frankfort? My family was struggling day after day in Mexico. My children needed to go to school. They needed clothes and food like everybody else does. That's when I decided to come to the United States. Life just kind of brought me here to Frankfort.

How did you get here? I was brought here in a car. Crossing the border was not difficult for me.

Why are you here? I was born and raised in a little village in Mexico. It was a place where there was no light, telephone, or drinkable water. I spent most of my childhood in the fields. I don't want that for my kids. That's why I'm here, to provide for my family, and give my children what I never had.

What are your goals? To survive in this hunted nightmare. I want to take care of my family in Mexico (financially) and make sure they have food on the table and a nice warm bed to sleep in at night.

Where do you work? I work at a company in Lebanon.

How much money do you make? I make $8.25 per hour.

Have you tried to become documented? If not, why? No. Becoming legal in this country is out of my reach.

Where do you live? I live in Frankfort.

Do you own or rent? I rent.

If you rent, how much do you pay for rent? I pay $450 monthly for a room.

Why do you stay here? The possibilities of giving my family what they need would be much lower if I returned to Mexico. This is hard for me because my kids don't understand that even though I miss them so much, I have to stay here and sacrifice our time together so they can have more than I ever did.

Do you feel welcome? No. But I'm not here to feel welcome. I'm here to survive just like any other immigrant.

Do you know you are breaking the law? Do you see it that way? Yes. But I'm not sure if I see it that way. I have the right to provide for my family and if I see a job in the U.S. that pays well, I'm taking that chance because, after all, that's what I came here for, to work.

Are you involved in illegal activities here? No.
________________________________________

PERCEPTION: Illegal aliens are ruining the aesthetics in our community by ignoring local ordinances intended to maintain safe and well-kept neighborhoods.

When asked if they have seen butchered goats hanging from trees, Frankfort Police officers and city administrators nod.

Killing a goat for a Sunday meal is a common tradition in Spanish-speaking cultures.

Many people in Frankfort complain that an inflow of illegal immigrants has weakened the city's aesthetic quality. Lawns cluttered with junk cars and run-down houses are often attributed to illegal immigrants.

Yet, long-time citizens are responsible for the same unsightly eyesores, even stringing up a dead deer on the front porch.

Whether Frankfort's aesthetic decline is due to a shift in demographics or a complacency shared by residents of all origins is not clear.

Perhaps, as some leaders contend, residents' failure to obey local nuisance ordinances is as much about city pride as it is about understanding the community's rules.

Apparently, no one can pinpoint exactly why these problems persist. Neither can anyone prove they are the fault entirely of an immigration influx, officials say.

"A lot of ordinances are broken across the board," Police Chief Jeff Danner says.

Frankfort's former building inspector Bud McQuade adds, "It's not just a cultural thing."

Complaint: Housing

Many of the city's structures contribute to its overall aesthetic distress.

In just his short time in office, Mayor Chris Pippenger said, he has been made aware of buildings where roofs are caving in.

Entire areas of town are deteriorating, too, he says.

But, he is quick to add, "I'm not going to say it's because of Hispanics."

Data provided by the building inspector's office shows that property maintenance complaints spiked to 1,077 in 2006, from just over 300 in 2004. They were down slightly last year, to 921.

As the city building inspector, McQuade said he adhered to the codes which, above all, requires the inspector to foster safe living quarters.

"It saddens me that we have become lethargic," he said, "not taking care of properties as we should. ... We kind of got away from maintaining the neighborhood look."

Seeing that residents, regardless of their legal status, live in safe structures is crucial, McQuade said.

Building inspector Chuck Toney, who assumed office in January, agrees, stressing that building code violations have nothing to do with ethnicity.

As he settles into office, he said, he will continue to address problems with run-down properties and overcrowded housing. Both are challenges, but Frankfort is not alone in its fight.

Mayor Gene Beach of Marshalltown, Iowa, says every community has rental properties that aren't well cared for.

"I can't blame the Hispanics. I blame more the slum landlords," Beach said.

When the Swift meat packing plant in Marshalltown began to hire large numbers of Mexican workers in the 1990s, apartments became crammed with young Mexican men, he said.

"That was a little disconcerting to the population," Beach said.

But when the workers' families began to immigrate to the Midwest community, they bought houses all over town, which stimulated the local economy and added diversity, he said.

Austin, Minn., Mayor Tom Stiehm says he's looking into updating city ordinances for renters to curb a problem with shabby-looking properties. A possible ordinance would require landlords to know to whom they are renting and how many people live in a unit.

"Right now, you can have 30 people living in an apartment," Stiehm said, because there is no rule against it there.

While the problem cannot be blamed on just one cultural group, "A lot of people are going to complain just because there are Hispanics living in a house," he says.

Closer to home, Logansport Mayor Mike Fincher says it's important that landlords be held accountable for the properties they rent. A big reason multiple families live in single dwellings is landlords allow it, he says.

As local governments strive to make changes in ordinances to better enforce civil rules, it is a balancing act, says Fincher. And when it comes to adhering to the rules, no one is perfect.

"It's people being people, regardless of cultural background," he says. "We have to be very careful not to discriminate against anyone."

In Frankfort, a problem with large groups of people occupying housing units has caused community officials to consider redefining the term "family" in the city ordinances.

According to Toney, "family" is defined as: "An individual or two or more people related by blood or marriage or a group of not more than eight persons who need not be related, living in a unit."

But others, like Don and Marsha Rapp, who operate Rapp Rental Properties in Frankfort, say the problem is not as major as leaders make it out to be.

That's because most landlords provide leases that outline the rules for renting their properties. At least that's the case for landlords who belong to the Clinton County Property Manager's Association, including the Rapps.

"The majority of us that have leases, it specifies exactly who is living in building," Don Rapp said.

Rapp admits he has been questioned about the number of people living in an apartment before.

He received one complaint that 10 to 15 families were living in one of his four-unit buildings. According to the lease agreement, just one family was living in each unit, and each family had children.

Rapp believes the complainant made an off-beat assumption about the number of people living in the building because of the number of vehicles that were parked out front.

"There's 12 vehicles," Rapp said. "But to just go by and look at number of vehicles, they're getting a false impression."



Complaint: Parking & Junk

Reports of improper parking and cluttered yards are growing in Frankfort.

In 2007, for example, Frankfort Police fielded 84 reports of people parking on lawns. Parking against traffic flow, on lawns and sidewalks and in alleys are the most common complaints, according to data provided by the Frankfort Police Department.

But according to local leaders, that's a sign of increasing affluence in the community and has nothing to do with cultural differences.

Police Chief Danner points out that three or four cars per household is not unusual. His household, he admits, is a case in point, with as many as four vehicles parked outside at a time.

Over the years in Frankfort, Toney said, he has noticed junk piling up in people's yards. And Pippenger reports seeing a significant amount of trash in the streets.

Lately, administrators have seen an increased number of makeshift trash receptacles constructed of wood and chicken wire often left in people's front yards.

McQuade advocated against keeping such containers in open areas.

"It wasn't what we wanted people driving through Frankfort to remember us by," he said, stressing, "By no stretch of the imagination was it a Hispanic issue."

Toney said that under his administration, there is currently no penalty for having a homemade receptacle, and he sees two sides to the complaints.

"Some people would call them eyesores," he said. "Others say they are at least helping (Frankfort) by keeping trash in a container."

In Marshalltown, Iowa, Beach believes Hispanics are responsible for the majority of front yard parking in his community.

But as for junky properties, "I think our Anglos are probably the biggest offenders," Beach said.

In Austin, Minn., the only parking-related problem seems to be vehicles on lawns, its mayor said, adding it's also common for people to leave car parts scattered across the yard.

City council members sift through complaints like that at every meeting, Stiehm said.

Then, those blamed for the problems are notified and have 10 days to fix it. Problems that go unattended get added to the owner's property tax bill.

The city of Logansport has implemented ordinances to protect the image of the community, said Fincher. Code enforcement officers drive through the streets every day looking for problems. The ordinances allow the officers to point out problems to residents, and residents then have a grace period to take care of the infraction.

"Either they fix it, or we fix it for them," Fincher said.

Complaint: Farm Animals in City Limits

Data today shows that complaints against farm animals are not as problematic for the city as they were a decade ago. But the complaints haven't ceased completely.

In 2006, Frankfort Police issued nine tickets for noisy or odorous animals. Six tickets were issued in 2007. One ticket was issued in 2006 for having livestock in the city limits. No comparable data was available for 2007.

In Marshalltown, Iowa, chickens have been raised and butchered in the city limits.

"We had chicken problems," Beach said, until leaders explained that killing animals on residential property was not OK.

The problems caused leaders to write a new city ordinance, prohibiting chickens on in-town property.

"It was almost comical," Beach said, adding that the animal problems have dwindled with enforcement of the new ordinance.

Similar animal problems are dwindling here, too, says McQuade, who remembers when raising goats or chickens in residential yards was a common complaint.



Looking ahead

Beach said his city's image has changed due to demographics. But just how it has changed depends on who's talking.

"Certain people look at us and say we're much more rich and diverse. Then there are others who say we have a black eye because of all these immigrants," he said.

Implementing city programs to help immigrants assimilate into the community has proved effective in Logansport.

But what works for one city might not work for another, Fincher is careful to point out.

"It depends on the attitude of the people," Fincher said.

In Frankfort, some leaders advocate bringing experts in from outside the community to talk about their studies related to the effects of immigration.

Other leaders say Frankfort should work out its kinks on its own, from within.

But across the board, the message seems to be that keeping the city clean is primarily a matter of education for all segments of the population.

When people understand what's expected of them, they're more likely to follow the rules, McQuade says.

Toney agrees, noting his mission is to continue to enforce the ordinances and keep residents accountable.

"People want uniformity," he says.

Part of that education, Police Chief Danner says, is understanding that city employees have jobs to do. Sometimes, those who enforce the law are seen as the bad guys.

"But it's our job," Danner emphasizes.

And to live together in community, everyone has a job to do. For some, it's enforcing the rules. For others, it's obeying the rules.

But everyone, no matter what age, color, gender or ethnicity, has a responsibility to learn the rules.

Still, says Danner, "You can't force pride upon people."

That is true regardless of whether those people are home-grown residents or immigrants - long-time or newly transplanted.


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PART FOUR
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3/6/2008 1:31:00 PM Email this article • Print this article

Immigration: Perspectives and Perceptions
Healthcare, Welfare Officials Say Illegal Immigrants' Strain on Systems May Be Exaggerated


BRIAN BYRNE
Staff writer

PERCEPTION: Illegal immigrants rip off the welfare system, add to the high cost of healthcare by taking free medical services and deplete our local food pantries.

*

St. Vincent Frankfort Hospital Administrator Tom Crawford is unyielding in his hospital's approach to patient care: It turns away no one.

Yet Crawford, as other healthcare and welfare officials attest, the system is in place to serve the needy, and no one segment of the population is draining it.

"We're committed to serving all persons with special attention to those that are poor and vulnerable," Crawford says. "We're trying to be very vocal in the message that they are safe seeking healthcare here, and I believe we have been effective in that."

Not only does the hospital not discriminate, he said, it encourages all residents - including undocumented immigrants - to look to St. Vincent for their medical needs.

"Is there utilization of the health care system by people who are undocumented residents? I'm sure that there is," he said. "Is it creating an unbearable financial strain? No."

Crawford said some people may interpret his denial of a negative impact by illegal immigrants as an attempt to avoid community backlash. Still, he maintains St. Vincent's pledge to serve all has not been hindered.

"If anyone wants to make controversy of that, I'm willing to have controversy," he said. "But that's the way it's going to happen in our little corner of the world."

Because the hospital is covered under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, it turns no one away, regardless of patients' ability to pay, he said. Neither is anyone denied service based on immigration status because when patients check in, they are not asked for Social Security numbers or immigration status, he said.

Crawford asserts that because undocumented residents lack a clear understanding of the healthcare system, they often are reluctant to pursue medical treatment.

"I think that in any instance when you go into the healthcare system there's a certain amount of fear and trepidation," he said. "So I can only imagine if you're in a strange environment and you're not feeling well, you might be hesitant to seek services."

Medicaid costs skyrocket

Crawford estimated that each year at St. Vincent, 250 mothers receive emergency Medicaid for birthing expenses, with each ranging $1,500-$2,000. There is no dominant demographic among these cases, he said, thus he was unable to determine how many of the mothers are illegal immigrants.

Despite Crawford's view that illegal immigrants do not burden healthcare costs, based on his estimate, the cost for childbirth in Clinton County ranges $375,000 to $500,000 annually. In response, Crawford noted that without Medicaid reimbursement to hospitals, costs overall would rise for all patients and charity cases, in turn, would increase.

According to St. Vincent Health Access Coordinator Marcy Fonfrias, undocumented immigrants who meet state financial guidelines are eligible for emergency Medicaid under four circumstances: the elderly, the disabled, low-income families, and delivery of a child.

The illegal immigrants are aware of the availability of emergency Medicaid, Fonfrias said. However, she added, they do not constitute a disproportionate number of the local hospital's Medicaid patients.

"They should be grateful for what they're getting," she said. "And they are, believe me."

Born in Puerto Rico, Fonfrias has lived in Clinton County for 11 years and has worked at St. Vincent for three. Her job includes helping patients locate doctors, facilitating Medicaid applications and coordinating interpreters, which the hospital is required by law to provide and pay.

No one ethnic group dominates the approximately 50 patients Fonfrias sees per month, she said, although, most are low income.

Fonfrias said the majority of undocumented residents do not seek preventative and follow-up care, as the Medicaid they are eligible for does not cover these expenses.

"In general, the big majority (of undocumented residents) don't come," she said. "Usually they don't seek medical assistance."

Diabetes and on-the-job injuries are common in the Hispanic community, she said, noting that she often tells patients about alternative healthcare resources, including the Open Door Clinic.

Clinic's door always open

"We don't see anything beyond the person," the clinic's executive director, Nora Tribble, said. "You can't choose the poor."

To receive services at the faith-based clinic, a patient must meet poverty-level income guidelines, be uninsured and reside in Clinton County. While identification is requested, the clinic does not consider residential status, she said, noting that 97 percent of patients are the working poor.

While undocumented immigrants continue to be the source of heated debate locally, many of these individuals have become hesitant to make themselves visible in the community, Tribble said. Until a year ago, roughly 48 percent of the clinic's patients were Hispanic, she said. Now that number is down to roughly 27 percent.

"Many people distrust," she said. "They don't know who to trust anymore. I just wish we could get the message out that we're a safe place to come."

The clinic opened in 1990. It receives no federal funding, just $20,000 from the state. The majority of funds comes from area churches, individuals and local grants, Tribble said.

"We do what we're able to do with what we have," she said.

Patients are asked for a small donation for the services they receive, and Tribble has found Hispanic patients eager to pitch in.

"The Hispanics are the ones that don't walk past the donation can," she said. "They always give. I wish everyone could see the people that we see because these are good people."

Social services

In Clinton County, and the state as a whole, undocumented immigrants' access to social services is limited, according to information supplied by the Indiana Department of Family and Children Services.

Its data shows that in December 2006, $287,000-worth of food stamps were issued to Clinton County residents. That amount jumped in December 2007 to $332,000. Additionally that month, $3,334 in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families went to 66 Clinton Countians.

How this translates to illegal immigrants is answered by Lauren Auld, director of media relations for the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration.

"Illegal aliens, or undocumented aliens, are not eligible for TANF or food stamps, period," Auld wrote in a Feb. 1 e-mail to The Times. "If a household contains a combination of (undocumented residents) and U.S. citizens, we'd have a household where some are not eligible, others eligible."

Aside from Medicaid, undocumented residents are ineligible to receive any social service benefits from the FSSA, that administration's secretary, Mitch Roob, told The Times in a phone interview Feb. 27. However, he noted, the U.S. citizen children of these undocumented residents are.

That designation can contribute to confusion regarding undocumented residents' effect on Indiana's social services, Roob said.

"Undocumented aliens do not (have a draining effect)," he said. "The children of undocumented aliens may, but (only if) they are American citizens."

According to the Social Security Administration, undocumented residents are ineligible for Social Security or Supplemental Security Income.

However, Roob acknowledged that some individuals do manipulate the system.

"To believe that no fraud is going on is the height of naiveté," he said.

County agencies are generally charged with verifying applicants' identification, Roob said, noting that falsification of official IDs is a felony that could lead to deportation.

Although, as Roob pointed out, "An undocumented alien risks deportation by their very presence here in America."

Representatives from the Clinton County Department of Family and Children Services declined to participate in this story because, they said, all inquiries must be answered at the state level.

Other resources

In Clinton County, undocumented immigrants can receive support from The Salvation Army once a month. To be eligible for that organization's food pantry, an application and income verification are required along with identification in the form of a utility bill or school ID. Additionally, applicants must be 18 years or older or legally emancipated, and every member of the household must provide identification.

"I don't care who the child is," Director Linda Tegarden said. "We're here for the families."

Tegarden said about 225 families accept help from the food pantry each month. She estimated that 2 percent of them are Hispanic.

"We're surprised if we see two families a month," she said, adding that because the organization does not require proof of citizenship, it is impossible to determine how many of these are undocumented.

Tegarden attributes the low number to her belief that the Hispanic community tends to depend on family and friends for assistance.

Conclusion

Local healthcare officials, two state FSSA spokespeople and the local Salvation Army Service Center director all contend that the impact of illegal immigrants on the county's healthcare and welfare system could be a criticism that has been greatly exaggerated.

While St. Vincent Frankfort Hospital maintains a policy of healthcare for everyone without regard to immigration status, according to Crawford there is no way to determine how much a specific demographic costs the local hospital.

The system is in place to serve the needy, and no one segment of the population is draining it, he said.

The amount of dollars spent by the hospital for charity care has increased over the past few years, Crawford said. Yet he attributes that to a declining economy in Clinton County and not to a stronger presence of undocumented immigrants.

"I cannot lay that at the feet of the Hispanic community," he said. "We have a significant increase in charity care that applies to people that were born and raised in the United States."

Immigration: Perspectives and Perceptions continues Friday with a focus on courts and law enforcement.


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PART FIVE

http://www.ftimes.com/main.asp?SectionI ... leID=43924

3/7/2008 7:53:00 AM

No Racial Boundaries When It Comes To Crime

By Martha O'Brien
Staff writer

Perception: Illegal immigrants are responsible for a spike in crime that has overwhelmed our law enforcement and justice departments and made our community a dangerous place to live.



Pastor Leo Gonzalez has a standing appointment every Monday.

From 7 to10 p.m., he goes behind the security barriers of the Clinton County Jail to meet with 15-20 Hispanic inmates. His main goal is to spread the word of God.

But Gonzalez takes his position as chaplain a step further. He also uses the sessions to educate the men about life in the U.S.

"They just think it will be the same thing as in Mexico," Gonzalez said. "I know exactly how the Spanish people think and I know I can help them."

And Frankfort police believe he has.

The perception may be that crime rates in the city have skyrocketed along with the growth in Hispanic population. But those closely involved in the county's legal system denounce that as false, asserting instead that crime knows no ethnic boundaries.

Police Chief Jeff Danner went so far as to say relations in the city are improving, and Gonzalez's work is a factor.

"It's slowly getting better," Danner said. "It's better now than it was years ago. I think education has worked."



Bridging the cultural gap

In May 1998, tensions in the city spiked after Derek Thomas, a 21-year-old white man, died following a fight with 27-year-old Hispanic Santiago Perez. The altercation itself was not believed to have been racially motivated, but the incident still sparked rumors that, indeed, race was a factor.

Danner, who was then a detective, said the months that followed Thomas' murder were probably the most intense between Caucasians and Hispanics.

"That was the worst I'd seen it," Danner said. "After it happened, that's when it started being a cultural thing."

The issue calmed eventually, after Perez was found guilty. But Danner said when Perez won an appeal, race again shifted to the front burner.

"Then it started back up and kind of came to a head again," Danner said.

Perez eventually pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 47 years in prison.

Tensions aren't what they were in years before, but Gonzalez said Frankfort's Hispanic population hasn't felt welcome in recent months. He knows of many who have simply moved.

Though some Hispanic residents have left, the estimate of Frankfort's Hispanic population is still vastly different than it was just a few years ago.

In 2000, Clinton County had 2,478 Hispanic or Latino residents, according to the U.S. Census. In 2006, the Census Bureau estimated the county's Hispanic population at 4,207.

Angela D. Adams, an immigration attorney with Lewis and Kappes in Indianapolis, said rather than shunning Hispanics, communities should welcome them.

Adams suggests educating the public to create awareness and understanding. Embracing a different culture provides a window for learning about the world, she said, and the influx can provide benefits if people don't act out of fear.

"By educating people, we build bridges and we help people to understand each other," Adams said.

If cities don't welcome the new culture, the families will feel isolated, she said, and the younger generation of Hispanics will be more likely to drop out of school, join gangs or have babies at an early age.



Crime issues

Police and court officials in Clinton County individually agree that the most prevalent crimes committed by Hispanics involve motor vehicles - from operating without a license to parking issues.

On the day he spoke with The Times, Sheriff Mark Mitchell said of the 162 inmates being held in the Clinton County Jail, 30 of them, or 19 percent, were Hispanic.

Mitchell was unsure of the exact cost per day to house inmates, but he estimated it was probably around $35, which is what the county is paid to hold criminals who have been detained through the Indiana Department of Correction.

Mitchell said in addition to traffic problems, Hispanics are arrested for drug, alcohol and charges relating to gangs.

"We have some drug problems," said Clinton Superior Court Judge Kathy Smith. "Where I see it more is operator never licensed, leaving the scene of an accident, drunk driving."

But officials, including Prosecutor Anthony Sommer, are quick to point out that the crimes are committed by Caucasians as well, and by all ages and both genders.

"It's not like we necessarily track cases based on race," Sommer said.

Frankfort police have noticed greater instances of people driving without licenses and other traffic offenses. Those numbers, though, have decreased overall, said Danner.

Mitchell doesn't hesitate to say gangs are present in Frankfort. As proof, he cites an incident in September 2006, when a Frankfort police officer's vehicle was shot by alleged gang members.

"If that's not a wake-up call to the community of Frankfort," Mitchell said, pausing. "It is here."

At the jail, corrections officers ask suspected gang members if they are, indeed, involved in a gang. Mitchell said some admit affiliation, while others simply have tattoos boasting their ties. Gang members are housed separately, the sheriff said, and do not have recreation or any other time together.



Deportation

Police cannot legally ask if people are legal residents of the U.S., according to Danner.

"It makes this job (police work) very difficult to do," Emery said.

Without cooperation from the federal government, Emery said the hands of local officials are tied.

Without being able to question status, citizenship doesn't initially come into play upon arrest.

"It may in the course of the investigation," Sommer said. "It's not an element that would be before the court on the county level."

Since last summer, jail officials have regularly contacted an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Indianapolis. ICE is called when an inmate meets certain criteria, which typically includes a felony conviction. The decision is left to ICE whether to follow through with deportation.

"They typically don't deport anyone with less than a felony," he said, though he has seen two cases involving misdemeanors be deported.

Of the 19 percent Hispanic population housed at the county jail, 8 percent was eligible for deportation, Mitchell said. Those awaiting deportation are not treated any differently than other inmates, he added, and there is no additional cost to the county for keeping them here.

Inmates facing deportation are required to fulfill their sentence, Mitchell said, but ICE requests a hold on them. After the time is served, immigration officials take custody of the individual, according to Mitchell, and the deportee is held in federal facilities until the deportation goes through. They are then transported to the border by bus or plane, and dropped off.

The deportees haven't returned to Clinton County, at least not that Mitchell has seen.

"I haven't, but our ICE agent has," Mitchell said. "ICE has seen two repeat offenders back."

Adams doesn't feel local agencies should bear the responsibility of enforcing immigration laws, as they are in place to protect the community and fight crime.

"They don't have the training and the funding to do that," Adams said. "It's contrary to what an officer of the law should be."



Language barriers

City and county budgets include fees for translators that are used in the courts, by police, and in the jail.

"On occasion we have a language barrier problem," Danner said. "I think many of the street officers know enough to get by."

City police have not been required to learn Spanish, but Danner said in the past, the department has paid the fees for officers who take courses.

"We haven't mandated anything," said Deputy Chief Randy Emery. "We encourage it, but it's not a policy."

The officers often find help in the younger generations, who attend school and have learned English, to translate for Spanish-speaking adults.

"We use that a lot," Emery said.

Smith said for at least five years, the courts have had a contract with Hispanic Community Services to provide translation two afternoons a week and as needed otherwise.

A few of the jail officers and deputies speak a little Spanish, Mitchell said, but they do have a list of interpreters they can use. They also rely on other inmates who are willing to assist.

"They also help us do interpretations," Mitchell said. "We probably use them back in the jail every day. We have many inmates who speak no English or very little English."

A safety issue arises, Mitchell said, when officers can't understand what is being said to them or in their presence. Many have opted to learn basic Spanish on their own.

"There's not a push from me, but I think there's a push from doing the job," Mitchell said.



Helping find peace

Though Gonzalez maintains that his mission as a minister is teaching the Bible, he's helping in other ways besides spiritually.

"Anytime we can get local ministers involved in the jail, it's a good thing," Mitchell said.

Gonzalez not only tries to aid the Hispanics, he also helps law enforcement personnel if translation services are needed.

Gonzalez originates from Mexico, where he had been a police officer. He moved to California 20 years ago. Like other Hispanics, Gonzalez simply moved for a better life.

"When I came here for the first time, I found out in this country, if you work hard you can provide for your family," Gonzalez said.

Then, he said, he heard the Lord calling. He started taking classes at Los Angeles Bible Institute, from which he graduated.

Gonzalez moved to Indiana five years ago after a pastor in Lafayette alerted him of the need for a minister in Frankfort who was both Spanish and Baptist.

After visiting an inmate one day, Gonzalez started making weekly visits, meeting with the inmates to teach them about consequences of their actions in America.

He does his best to learn the laws himself so that he can share with others. He also encourages them to learn English and find a legal way to obtain citizenship.

Gonzalez said the inmates are "100 percent" receptive. There's a trust between them that Gonzalez says is making a difference.

"They know I'm not going to police them," Gonzalez said. "I'm going to help them. My main reason to teach them is so they don't come back to jail."

He doesn't see too many return to the facility after they are released.

"They start to get jobs, change the way they live," he said.

Emery said the Hispanic cultures seem more trusting of police than years past, an indication that education is likely working.

A deeper solution, though, needs to come from the federal government, say those involved in Clinton County law enforcement, and the attorney who works closely with immigrants.

"Education is the key," Adams said. "We all want legal immigration. We're all looking for the same thing here. Enforcement alone isn't going to get us there. Comprehensive immigration reform is needed."

Immigration: Perspectives and Perceptions concludes Saturday when Kate Meadows pulls all the parts together and offers ideas for resolution.




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PART SIX

http://www.ftimes.com/main.asp?SectionI ... leID=43942



Saturday, March 08, 2008

IMMIGRATION: PERSPECTIVES & PERCEPTIONS PART SIX
Mayors Say an Immigrant Influx Has Shaped Their Cities' Identity


KATE MEADOWS
Staff writer

Saturday, March 08, 2008


Frankfort is not alone in its struggles to understand the immigration influx. Nor is it unique in its unease over undocumented workers in the area.

Communities across the Midwest have seen the effects that immigration, some of it illegal, has caused. Some are good. Some are bad.

But how each handles its particular situation is a testament to that community's identity and how it is perceived on the national spectrum.

Here is a glimpse of three Midwest cities seeking to understand how they are shaped by a substantial immigrant population. With that comes the question of what to do about those immigrants who are undocumented.

It's a balancing act for leaders in Logansport, Austin, Minn., and Marshalltown, Iowa.

All confront a flurry of opinions and act in what they believe is their cities' best interests.

Still, none have all the answers.

Where does Frankfort fit into the bigger picture?

Logansport

Diversity is nothing new to Logansport.

In its 170 years as a community, it has embraced Italians, Germans, Irish and other foreign nationalities, said Mayor Mike Fincher.

"We have always been a diverse community," said the mayor, who began his second term in office in January.

When Tyson Foods opened a processing plant there in the 1990s, the company advertised locally for workers, Fincher said. But local response to the ads was not enough.

"If local people didn't want the work, they'd bring the work force in from outside," Fincher said. "Seemingly overnight, our population increased by 25 percent."

That population influx included a wave of migrant workers from Mexico. Mexican workers brought their families, and families bought homes.

There was no way to know whether the immigrants were legal or not, Fincher said.

Officials contacted the National Immigration Service and asked what they should do.

"They told us it was none of our business," Fincher said. "It's their job, according to them, to decide whether someone is legal or illegal."

With that, officials called the state attorney general's office to ask the same question. Again, they were told to leave the issue alone, Fincher said.

So leaders turned their attention to implementing community programs.

"Many from other countries don't understand how we do things," Fincher said. "We can either guide them, or we can force them. It's a lot easier to guide them."

A local program, Diversity Dynamics, brings together a cross-section of Hispanic residents and community leaders, including law enforcement, county commissioners, and representatives of the United Way, Chamber of Commerce and Tyson Foods.

"What we hoped to accomplish was to make them (immigrants) part of the community rather than putting them in the corner," Fincher said.

A committee stemming from Diversity Dynamics, called Intercultural Alliance, aims to educate community members about the rules and laws that govern the city.

"We try to meet with them at the workplace and inform them about the city ordinances and the county ordinances," Fincher said. "We're continually working with the Hispanic population to get them involved in these groups. ... We are working very hard to make them a part of the community."

Fincher believes that if Logansport works to assimilate people into the community, the city will ride out a smoother future.

Today, the local Catholic church is progressive, and Hispanic businesses occupy downtown storefronts.

"Frankly, if it weren't for the Hispanic businesses that have located in our downtown, we would have several empty stores," Fincher said.

But embracing change takes patience, understanding and a willingness of the people to accept change, Fincher said, adding, "I think as a whole we've accepted the Hispanic community."

Austin, Minn.

Austin, Minn., known for its Hormel and Quality Pork plants, used to be an affluent community of 29,000 and proud of its lack of diversity, according to Mayor Tom Stiehm.

But a factory strike in the 1980s caused the plants to hire replacement workers, many of whom were immigrants. At first, the town attracted a large number of Asian immigrants, Stiehm said.

Then, 10-12 years ago, Hispanic immigrants began to fill the jobs.

Stiehm, who moved to Austin from Milwaukee in the 1970s, was working in law enforcement then, and he knew some of the incoming immigrants were operating under the radar.

"It didn't bother me back then," he said.

When he ran for mayor in 2007, he was bent on building a new justice center in town.

"That was my issue," he said, "but all anybody wanted to talk about was immigration."

The town's official population today is about 24,000, though Stiehm thinks it's closer to 27,000, including illegal immigrants.

"We're not as prosperous," Stiehm says, adding that Austin receives a lot of state aid.

He acknowledges that illegal immigrants are blamed for some of the town's problems. For example, some lack driver's licenses, which puts the insured residents at greater risk and creates more work for local law enforcement.

A tragedy in the nearby town of Cottonwood has brought that argument to the screaming forefront, after an undocumented immigrant crashed into a school bus, killing four children last week.

When he showed up for work Monday morning, Stiehm faced a lot of angry e-mails from people arguing that more similar tragedies were going to happen if leaders like himself did not start cracking down on illegal immigrants.

"They want you to get rid of all of them," he said. That question commonly comes with, "What part of illegal don't you understand?"

Stiehm agrees that the current immigration laws are in dire need of change. But still, he says, beyond checking legal status when a person is arrested, there's not a lot that can be done about it at the local level.

"When I ran for office, I said the only thing you can't do is nothing. But in effect we're really doing nothing. There's not a lot we can do," he said.

By not taking action and not allowing local officials to step in, the federal government is condoning illegal immigration, he contends.

The mayor says he is against illegal immigration. But he also refuses to see his city divided during his leadership there.

"Basically, I had seen Austin split before," said Stiehm. "I will not be in charge of policies that will split the city.

"I don't want our city to look back on a legacy of bitterness and fighting," he says. "We just try to keep it quiet and muted until something gets done."



Marshalltown, Iowa

This city of 30,000 in east-central Iowa has garnered national attention for its high immigrant population. Mayor Gene Beach says Marshalltown has changed from a "sea of white faces" to a pool of diversity.

That's a good thing - at least for those immigrants who are in the country legally.

"When I'm speaking about immigrants, I'm assuming legal immigration," Beach said. "We're not supporters of illegal immigration."

In the 1990s, the Swift meat packing plant there started hiring large numbers of Hispanic immigrant workers. Today, Beach estimates about 20 percent of the community is of Hispanic origin.

The change in demographics contributed to uneasiness at first, Beach said, when large numbers of Mexican men started coming to Marshalltown to work and shared apartments.

When immigrant families began to join their loved ones there, they bought homes, and many of the problems subsided, according to Beach.

"That was when the church really got involved in it," the mayor said, coordinating community and family activities.

Leaders assembled a diversity committee to host meetings that addressed cultural issues.

In December 2006, Immigrations Customs Enforcement raided the Swift plant, hauling away 93 workers.

Five other plants in the state were raided the same day, with an additional 1,100 being taken into custody.

"When the raid hit, those businesses that were Hispanic-owned of course suffered quite a bit," Beach said. "It was an emotional thing."

Community leaders turned their attentions toward the children of those who had been arrested, with a goal to ensure that no immigrant child was left alone.

"You can still feel sorry for someone who's left behind," Beach said.

"A lot of people say if they're illegal, they should go home immediately. ... If you bring a Hispanic in that's your neighbor, there's a face on that person. It's harder to say, 'Go home.'"

Recently, with the support of the local Martha Ellen Tye philanthropic organization, city officials including the police chief and former mayor traveled to Villachuato, Mexico, where many of Marshalltown's immigrants are from.

"It was pretty easy to see why (immigrants left)," Beach said, noting the poverty.

When the travelers returned, the police chief created a video in Spanish with the hope of communicating to immigrants Marshalltown's way of life.

Today, the city embraces its diversity, with an annual Hispanic Heritage Festival and thriving Hispanic businesses. The diversity committee has fizzled, Beach said, because it was no longer needed.

Forty-four local businesses are owned by Hispanics, and they are successful, according to Beach.

"We have a lot of diversity in business here," he said.

Conclusion: Solutions and advice to Frankfort

Grappling with the effects of immigration while remembering both documented and undocumented immigrants populate a community is not easy, the mayors say.

In Frankfort, a great number of residents say immigration is its greatest challenge.

But the mayors of the three Midwest cities look positively at the same challenge they faced.

For them, understanding the demographic changes has allowed growing opportunities within their communities.

"Do stereotypes exist in Logansport?" Fincher asks. "Sure. That's human nature, isn't it?"

As mayor, he says he confronts those perceptions, often with a lot of prayer.

How a community will deal with its immigration influx depends on the attitudes of its people, he says.

"Please believe me. We don't have all the answers," he said. "But we're more than willing to do whatever we can to help a neighboring community."

As for how the others in the community of Austin perceive the illegal immigration problem, Stiehm says he's not concerned.

What matters to him is that at the end of the day, he has stayed true to what he believes is the right thing to do.

"I'd rather get kicked out of office for doing what's right than staying in office and doing what's wrong. Going after immigrants just isn't the right thing," Stiehm said. "Treat people with respect and demand it for yourself."

The biggest complaint in Marshalltown, Beach says, is that immigrants aren't assimilating quickly enough.

"Learn the language and become legal," he says, is a common plea.

Above all the tension, he says, communication simply has to continue, on both sides of the illegal immigration debate.

"Keep lines of communication open and try to bring people together," he suggests. "You don't march under Mexican flag; you march under the American flag."


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