Illegal To House Illegal Immigrants

From the Trentonian:

Town lowers boom on aliens

The southern New Jersey community of Riverside has banned the hiring and housing of undocumented immigrants.

The Township Council unanimously approved the “Illegal Immigration Relief Act,’’ making renting or leasing property to a person who cannot prove he or she is legally in the United States a violation punishable by fines starting at $1,000. Employing such individuals would incur a similar penalty, and could cost employers their local business license.

The ordinance mirrors one passed earlier this month in Hazleton, Pa. Local governments across the country — from California to Idaho to Florida — are considering similar actions. This is believed to be the first such ordinance passed in the Garden State.

A town of 8,000 located in Burlington County, about halfway between Camden and Trenton, Riverside Township is unofficially home to between 1,500 and 3,500 illegal immigrants, mostly from Brazil, according to Mayor Charles Hilton.

Municipal leaders say the influx has crowded schools and housing, strained public services and made parking spaces scarce.

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34 Responses to Illegal To House Illegal Immigrants

  1. grim says:

    Please keep comments on topic.

    grim

  2. Anonymous says:

    I’ve heard of a similar motion being considered in Palisades Park, which has hundreds of (presumably) illegal immigrants, mostly from Mexico and Central America. Any morning of the week, the corner of Broad Ave (1/9) and Columbia Ave (Rt 46) regularly has dozens of day-workers looking for employment.

    It’s a sad state of affairs, how best to cut the Gordian knot: These are hard-working people looking to get a break. Most I’ve encountered have real marketable skills, but cannot earn what they’re worth, because of how they came into this country.

  3. Anonymous says:

    The town of Palisades Park has
    become a third world town.

    It’s a disgrace and has driven
    most of the long term residents
    out.

    And many of these so called hard working illegals are not only breaking the law,but us , the taxpayer are footing the bill.

    We end up getting the worst of Mexico’s worst.

  4. Anonymous says:

    National policy must legalize these people. Soon. There is no other way.

    If these people remain undocumented, we lose bigger than if we close our eyes and look the other way, or if we spend the next two years debating right versus wrong. It’s a cutting losses decision for me at this point.

    Some of you are fuming. You are thinking, “Pat, where is your American sense of justice? This is not fair. Immigrants using the “old” process are still waiting in line ahead of those here illegally. If we do this, we acknowledge our laws are not perfect. Those here illegally are law breakers. They need to be shipped back to their homelands.”

    Put that aside and look at the money. Because at this point, that’s the issue. Your red-white-and-blue flag waving is hitting me in the pocket, so cut the nonsense.

    So, how do small towns deal with the micro issues without starting civil war? The litigation coming from this will cost us. We foot the bill for the lawsuits, appeals, everything.

    Meantime, we are losing compounded interest on the tax revenues we’re missing.

    Billions of dollars in uncollected school taxes, while landlords pay one tax and permit 3 or 4 families to live in one unit.

    Give me the money. I’ll learn Spanish. You know, our 7-11 got rid of blueberry muffins. Now we have Sorpresas and Panquecitos. Bye Bye, muffins, see ya..don’t like ya that much anyway.

    $$$
    Pat

  5. …and made parking spaces scarce.

    I think the author went a little to far in trying to prove a point with that last statement.

    ——

    Pat,

    I agree that tax revenue is being lost but I don’t feel that much would be gained.
    If people are living under illegal conditions now, why would the the landlord stand-up and say “I have 4 families living in my SFH zoned home.”? He won’t want to pay the fines, work to convert the home to code (if possible within the zone) and pay taxes on the cash transactions.
    And on the income tax revenue side, most illegals are paid in cash and the “employer” hires them because they don’t need to pay taxes. Why would this person want to be legal, pay taxes but not receive health benefits?

    Legal staus would only allow them access to benefits that more than likely would not have been, for lack of a better word, earned.

    I feel it’s the legal “Americans” who are more to blame than the illegals by housing them under dangerous conditions and hiring them with no basic benefits just to make a cheap buck. And people scream about greedy sellers and Realtors…

    Just my thoughts.

  6. Wanna know why housing prices have gone up? Because all these people live four families to a house. Because there are at least four incomes, they can afford the high prices. They use public services such as police, hospitals, and sewers but don’t pay a nickel in taxes to support it. I’m all for the immigrants. Heck, my parents came from Germany in the 50’s. All these spanish people are friendly decent people that work their butts off and I respect them for that. We need to control the influx of them, however. This is a problem that didn’t exist in this country just 5 years ago. All of a sudden, america looks, feels, and sounds like latin america

  7. Anonymous says:

    Take a look at the numbers. The only people who win are the employers and illegals. The consumers receive the tax increase to support the illegals while profits gained from the use of illegals goes right back into the pockets of the company owners.

    The cost of having them here far outweighs their benefit. Education and healthcare costs are astounding. Their strain on our system is affecting our senior citizens and lower class. Do we know how much they are contributing to NJ deficit? IF we legalize them, their tax contribution is minimal while their cost of support will be at the highest level for any citizen.

    In addition, 250K criminals filtered through with their tons of drugs.

    We dont need to ship them out. We just need to incentivize our bottom 10% of society and 250K of our own criminals to cross the border. They can wave to the Mexicans coming in as they cross the rio grande. Then build up the border to make sure they dont come back.

    But then again, more aggressive means to fix the “problem” should also be looked into.

  8. Anonymous says:

    Pat,

    just wait till they begin
    to overwhelm the russians over their in bucks county.

    you have to see this daily overhere in NNJ to believe
    what an impact these law breakers are having on the State.

    It’s no wonder the State is broke.

    These illegals have for starters
    bk’ed the hospital system for
    openers.

    They are on their way to bucks.

    wait.

    Then your tune will change.

    Your watching to much TV.

  9. Anonymous says:

    The American Taxpayer with
    any brain power has had enough.

  10. Anonymous says:

    This is partly CA specific but gives a nice update relevant to NJ as well. I’m sure the situation is now much, much worse.

    From the L.A Times(2002)

    1. 40% of all workers in L.A. County (L.A. County has 10 million people) are working for cash and not paying taxes. This was because they are predominantly illegal immigrants, working without a green card.

    2. 95% of warrants for murder in Los Angeles are for illegal aliens.
    http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20040119-082933-4484r.htm

    3. 75% of people on the most wanted list in Los Angeles are illegal aliens.

    4. Over 2/3’s of all births in Los Angeles County are to illegal alien Mexicans on Medi-Cal whose births were paid for by taxpayers.

    5. Nearly 25% of all inmates in California detention centers are Mexican nationals here illegally.

    6. Over 300,000 illegal aliens in Los Angeles County are living in garages.

    7. The FBI reports half of all gang members in Los Angeles are most likely illegal aliens from south of the border.

    8. Nearly 60% of all occupants of HUD properties are illegal.

    9. 21 radio stations in L.A. are Spanish speaking.

    10. In L.A.County 5.1 million people speak English. 3.9 million speak Spanish (10.2 million people in L.A.County).

    (All 10 from the Los Angeles Times)

    Less than 2% of illegal aliens are picking our crops but 29% are on welfare.
    http://www.cis.org

    Over 70% of the United States annual population growth (and over 90% of California, Florida, and New York) results from immigration.

    The cost of immigration to the American taxpayer in 1997 was a NET (after subtracting taxes immigrants pay) $70 BILLION a year, [Professor Donald Huddle, Rice University].

    29% of inmates in federal prisons are illegal aliens.

  11. Anonymous says:

    It getting even worst.

    those numbers are outdated.

    starters:

    Half of all children born to hispanic americans in 2002 were
    illegitimate, twice the rate of
    americans.

    the birthrate for hispanic teens
    is higher than blacks.

    The illegitimacy rate in Mex. is 38%. In El Salvador its 72%.

    In LA, the united school district
    is 73% hispanic with a 40% graduation rate.

    NJ is not far behind.

  12. Anonymous says:

    8:24

    Bucks is there already, anon. Who do you think is cleaning the houses and cutting all the grass? Van loads. Wagons of eager Mitimaids from Bucks stream into NJ every morning at 7:00. Every morning, I wave to the smiling 14-yr olds who should be in school. Heartbreaking. I’m learning so much about soccer and Guatemala at the 7-11 coffee counter it’s astounding.

    RichinNj said:
    “And on the income tax revenue side, most illegals are paid in cash and the “employer” hires them because they don’t need to pay taxes. Why would this person want to be legal?..”

    Thanks for supporting handing out legal SSNs. The cash goes away. If you were legal, would you work for cash? If that were the case, then every legal immigrant from Russian and India would be working for cash. Are they? Nope. Heck, I’d be working for cash.

    Pat

  13. Anonymous says:

    How about Feasterville, nice
    town, when are they going to
    doing something.

    They killed it.

    Its like a wave of Locus.

  14. Thanks for supporting handing out legal SSNs.

    Huh?

    Anyway, my point was the “employer” hires illegals because the “employer” doesn’t have to pay taxes.
    Do you really believe that if they were legal they still wouldn’t be paid “under the table” with no taxes paid by the worker or employer?

    And there is no reason to bring ANY ethnic group or race into this.
    It has to do with being a legal citizen that went through the legal process of gaining legal entry which now requires proof of employment or higher education (other than the other valid reasons, political persecution, etc).
    Most of the illegals that we are talking about in the country are not skilled labor or have the higher education to become our doctors, engineers, etc.

  15. This post has been removed by the author.

  16. It’s getting worst?

    Wave of Locus?

    Are you sure your not trying to put the blame on someone else due to where you are or more importantly, aren’t in life?

    And how about some links to support all this data that’s being posted as well.

  17. Anonymous says:

    read the newspaper and go on line
    and find it.

    its their.

    but it takes a little work.

    and i’m busy making money so
    i can pay the taxes.

  18. Anonymous says:

    Well, at least we drew the libs.
    out.

  19. Well, at least we drew the libs.
    out.

    And which ones might they be?

  20. Anonymous says:

    Guilty as charged, Rich:

    Here are some discussions of opinion analysis and financial impact:
    http://tinyurl.com/p8j3v
    http://tinyurl.com/jvtzc
    http://tinyurl.com/jc9kh
    http://tinyurl.com/k4r4m

    Summary of my personal research is stated at Brookings. Financial. Plain and simple.

    “We cannot afford to wait for Congress to finish its business in order to get serious about making it easier for immigrants to achieve economic integration.”

    Pat

  21. Richard says:

    we don’t need anymore unskilled laborers in this country. our economy is transitioning to a services based one. services require higher education and skill levels. the unskilled laborer hurts more than helps us at this stage of our evolution.

  22. grim says:

    Why, then, should we subsidize agriculture?

    grim

  23. Opportunity draws workers. If there is a housing bust, many people will simply leave.

  24. Anonymous says:

    Speak to law enforcement ,

    they will tell you without question
    that the fastest growing gangs are
    the hispanic.

    and its getting worst.

    Latin Kings anybody?

    M10 anybody?

  25. Anonymous says:

    Anon:

    By lib do you mean a cheapskate like me?

    Show me the money! … does that make me a lib?

    It just seems to happen that when laws force all players in a free market play by the same rules, sometimes the laws end up having a positive social impact. So, I guess my conservative opinion on solution leads to a “lib” ending?

    Yeah, I guess I would like to see that 14-year old girl who is out there scrubbing floors in Middlesex county.. become a Physician some day and help finance my Social Security check.

    Pat

  26. Pat,

    Cool your jets!
    I was referring to ANONs who posted all the stats.
    Hell, it was even a separate post from my reply to you.
    I never asked you for data as you were providing your opinion.

    Are you getting ALL the posts confused as being mine?
    I think I’ve been very rationale, have stated that it’s just MY opinion, yet you get very upset that I disagree.

    But to respond to what you posted and the links provided, I still disagree. Those are links are polls and opinions.
    Nothing WRONG with that, I just disagree.

  27. UnRealtor says:

    Nice to see this, but sad the job of policing illegal aliens must fall to landlords.

    A few months ago a PA policeman arrested an illegal alien caught speeding for “criminal tresspassing” because the INS refused to pick him up. People are forced to get creative.

    Too much political correctness among politicians, they’re afraid to enforce our own laws, and our own borders.

  28. Anonymous says:

    You know how to get rid of illegal immigration? Punish those who hire them! That is, after all, a federal crime. These employers are doing far more harm to the economy than the Illegals they hire. If they can’t get jobs here, they won’t come here. Simple as that. If history has taught us anything it that building a wall simply won’t work. It didn’t keep the mongols out of China, the Barbarians out of Rome, or the East Germans out of West Germany. They’ll just find a way to go over it, under it, through it, or around it.

    And its not just the tax money that is hurting the economy. If an employer can hire an illegal a $4.00 per hour under the table, that drives WAGES down for the ENTIRE economy. When people say these illegals do jobs Americans won’t, that’s bull. You pay them enough, and they will. By not enforcing employment regulations, you’re gaming the free market (the one conservatives say have all these mystical powers) for labor.

    And stop using Liberal like its a dirty word, because it itn’t. Liberals got rid of slavery, instituted the civil rights movement, womens sufferage, and a host of other very important things that we all cherish today. And the most salient point is all the initivatives were opposed by the so called “conservatives” of the day. Go ahead, call me a Liberal, and I’ll wear it as a badge of honor. After all, the conservatives are doing such a great job of running the country right now, aren’t they?

    JWR

  29. UnRealtor says:

    Pat, I disagree with just about every line of your post on 7/28/2006 07:58:21 AM.

  30. Anonymous says:

    Unrealtor:

    Good answer (honestly). Why do you disagree?

    Pat

  31. Anonymous says:

    Liberals got rid of slavery,

    Actually, it was republican party that got rid of slavery. Klu Klux Klan was an essential part of the democratic party in the south. (there is still one former KKK member in senate – you guessed it: he is a democrat).

  32. Anonymous says:

    Annomyous 12:54

    You are right, it was the Republican party. But at the time, the Republican party was the liberal party, and the Democratic party was dominated by Southern conservatives. In the 20th century we had a role reversal with conservatives congragating to the Republican party and visa versa. Liberal vs. Conservative is not party, but ideology specific, and does have the tendency to change political parties every now and then.

    And yes, Robery Byrd is a former KKK member, and has renounced that membership, and is currently one of the most ardent supporters of civil rights. By contrast, David Duke, a former Republican candidate for President, is a current member of the KKK and has never denounced the group.

    But this board is not for political discussion, so that is all I will say about the history of American Politics.

    JWR

  33. Anonymous says:

    Let’s all move to South America

  34. Anonymous says:

    Greedy and unscrupulous employers in Bucks County have started importing cheap, illegal alien labor and putting the safety, health and welfare of legal residents and citizens in jeopardy. Doylestown now taken over by the libs, are closing their eyes to the fact that many of the local business owners are making profits on the backs of illegal aliens from Mexico, Guatemala etc. These guys are being housed in the Boro and I know the town officials know this – they just don’t care. Dtown Boro won’t even institute curfew for unruly teens, have opened the welcome mat for unchecked illegal aliens to work/live in the boro, and won’t enact ordinances to keep sex offenders from living in the boro. Nice town.

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