Immigration & Citizenship - Angel Reyes Blog

Cato Institute Comes Out in Favor Of Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Angel Reyes — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:27:12 -0600

For those readers who aren’t familiar with the Cato Institute, here is its mission statement:

“The mission of the Cato Institute is to increase the understanding of public policies based on the principles of limited government, free markets, individual liberty, and peace. The Institute will use the most effective means to originate, advocate, promote, and disseminate applicable policy proposals that create free, open, and civil societies in the United States and throughout the world.”

Parse those words carefully, you’ll see the familiar code words for conservative causes, in spite of the Institute’s website description which describes the Cato Institute as Libertarian Capitalism, whatever that means. But who cares, in a new study by Peter Dixon and Maureen Rimmer at the Cato Institute, the findings are much like the findings in my book Hispanic Heresy. The findings throw cold water on the red-blooded Americans who typically back conservative causes and talk show hosts like Lou Dobbs, Bill O’Reilly, Glenn Beck, and Sean Hannity, etc. Those shows and their audiences typically scream at the top of their lungs that we need to immediately deport 12 illegal aliens.

]]>So, what are the findings? It turns out that repelling immigrant labor actually hurts the American economy. The study’s authors note that “ in contrast, legalization of low-skilled immigrant workers would yield significant income gains for American workers and households.” Katie bar the door, or should we say razor-wire across the Mexican border? The authors of the study used a dynamic economic model that weighs the impact of immigrants on government revenues and expenditures. Tax dollars spent on undocumented aliens is the flashpoint in the “what part of illegal” don’t you understand argument. Most Americans believe that immigrants consume far more of our government/tax resources than they contribute. This new Cato Institute study debunks that myth. Indeed, the study found that legalizing the entry of MORE low-skilled immigrants would result in economic gains of approximately $80 billion, yes, that’s with a B.

In Hispanic Heresy, my co-authors and I argued that bringing the 12 million undocumented aliens out of the shadows and into the mainstream of the American economy would be the best opportunity this country has to bring workers into the system to prop up America’s rapidly aging population. Such a proposal has long term impacts on Medicare funding, Social Security funding, etc. Hispanic immigrants are the youngest demographic in America. They are the future workers who will be supporting the likes of Bill O’Reilly’s Social Security. In 2050, 1 in 4 Americans will be of Hispanic descent. Demography is destiny.

©2009 Angel Reyes
www.ReyesLaw.com

My Orlando Sentinel Article

Angel Reyes — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:31:48 -0600

Below is the June 4, 2009 article I wrote for the Orlando Sentinel in its “Hispanosphere” section on the growing Hispanic population and the plight of Hispanic workers in this country.

Attorney: Why are Hispanics 'last in, first out' of jobs?
Guest Writer: Angel Reyes
Orlando Sentinel
June 4, 2009

Angel Reyes is an attorney, Hispanic immigration expert and author of Hispanic Heresy: What is the Impact of America’s Largest Group of Immigrants? (Mead Publishing, January 2009) He is the founder and managing partner of Heygood, Orr, Reyes, Pearson & Bartolomei law firm in Dallas, Texas. He also blogs at angelreyesblog.com.

The Hispanic population in the United States has been growing substantially in recent years, providing businesses with burgeoning workforces. The Census Bureau expects that by 2015, 17% of the American population will be of Hispanic origin. Demographically, no group of Americans is growing faster than Hispanics. Hispanics are now 8% of the workforce and by 2050, that number is expected to reach 25% of the workforce.

]]>The sooner the debate begins to expose some of the major problems Hispanics face, the better. Hispanic immigrants, both documented and undocumented, are bearing the brunt of the new unemployment number spike. This unemployment spike is statistically significant for Hispanics, and not just the impact of recessionary unemployment among undocumented Hispanics, but among all Hispanics.

Specifically, unemployment rates for Hispanics and whites from 1976-2008 show that the unemployment gap between Hispanics and whites is stubborn, large, persistent, and is not solely related to their documentation or legal status to work in the United States.

Many places across the United States have been profoundly affected by the arrival of Hispanic immigrants – most notably the South – where documented and undocumented workers took jobs in construction and factories. While the economic troubles are widening the gap between illegal immigrants and Americans, studies show that this phenomenon occurs for all Hispanic workers, not just illegal immigrants.

According to studies conducted by the Pew Hispanic Center and U.S. Census Bureau, Hispanic unemployment rates for the past 32 years, show a mean unemployment rate of 8.9% while the unemployment rate for whites is only 5.4%, and during this period the rates for Hispanics is always higher than for whites.

Hispanic and white unemployment rates move up and down together, with higher rates corresponding to periods of economic downturns, like the one we're in now, and lower rates to periods of economic growth and prosperity. The unemployment rate for Hispanics is noticeably more volatile than the rate for whites. Evidence shows that Hispanics become unemployed sooner in economic downturns that whites, experience longer periods of unemployment, that is, leave the ranks of the employed at slower rates than whites, and generally face a "riskier" labor market than whites.

Policy makers need to pay more attention to the fact that it will likely take 30 years for the Hispanic unemployment rate to equal the white unemployment rate. The slow trend and high degree of persistence suggest that closing the gap will not necessarily occur by itself (i.e. by market forces), at least not any time soon.

Politicians will need to address the forces that are causing the unemployment among this group through policy actions. Measures such as focusing on job training in industries and occupations that are traditionally less sensitive to the business cycle (e.g. education, health care, government and public service, to name a few) would be a good place to start.

Another opportunity for policy makers to close the gap, would be to focus on providing better educational opportunities for Hispanics as they are significantly underrepresented in managerial and professional occupations. Since unemployment can be subject to “last-in, first-out,” educating Hispanics on the importance of job tenure could also help close the Hispanic - white unemployment gap sooner than the 30 years market forces will take.

My interview on the Michael Hart Radio Show

Angel Reyes — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 09:57:51 -0600

On Saturday, May 30th I was interviewed on the Michael Hart Show on 101.1 FM in Birmingham, AL. The topic of the interview was how Sonia Sotomayor’s appointment to the Supreme Court could affect issues like immigration in the U.S., and our perceptions of Hispanics in general. Additionally, we discussed the fact that Obama’s relationship with Hispanics may strengthen the future of the Democratic party. My own personal experiences, the obstacles I faced as a Hispanic growing up in the U.S., and how I overcame those obstacles were also topics of conversation. A link to the actual interview will be coming soon.

©2009 Angel Reyes
www.ReyesLaw.com

Legal Broadcasting Network Videos on Immigration

Angel Reyes — Mon, 18 May 2009 15:00:27 -0600

The following videos were posted to the Legal Broadcasting Network. The first two are interviews with my law firm partner, Luis Bartolomei. Please take a moment to view this important information on current immigration issues:

Interviews with Luis Bartolomei: English | Spanish

Interview with Kristina Campbell of MALDEF: English

Op-ed Article on the Plight of Hispanic Workers

Angel Reyes — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 09:06:29 -0600

Below is an op-ed article I wrote on unemployment and Hispanic workers:

Closing the Unemployment Gap: Hispanic Workers Need Help

The Hispanic population in the United States has been growing substantially in recent years, providing businesses with burgeoning workforces - but Hispanic workers in America are in trouble. Their place as a mainstay in our labor force, provides American businesses with cost-effective means of production, but the current economic climate continues to threaten their status as able and effective workers. By 2015 the U.S. Census Bureau expects that 17% of the American population will be of Hispanic origin. This surge could offer greater opportunities for businesses, but as jobs openings continue to dwindle at unprecedented rates, Hispanics, who have been subject to the last hired and first fired phenomenon, have been left out in the cold. In this new economic era, how will Hispanic workers survive this unemployment crisis?

]]>Many places across the United States have been profoundly affected by the arrival of Hispanic immigrants - most notably the South - where documented and undocumented workers took jobs in construction and factories. As these jobs continue to disappear, due to layoffs and failing business ventures, many Hispanic workers are left with few options for finding work, and it could end up devastating the South's economic landscape. The labor opportunities that immigrant workers provide are invaluable, and unless something is done to remedy the loss, future economic growth in this region may be profoundly hindered.

The unemployment crisis Hispanics are facing is nothing new. Historically, unemployment rates for Hispanics and whites show that the unemployment gap between Hispanics and whites is stubborn, large, persistent, and is not solely related to their documentation or legal status to work in the United States. Hispanic unemployment rates for the past 32 years, show a mean unemployment rate of 8.9% while the unemployment rate for whites is only 5.4%, and during this period the rates for Hispanics is always higher than for whites. Hispanic and white unemployment rates move up and down together, with higher rates corresponding to periods of economic downturns, like the one we're in now, and lower rates to periods of economic growth and prosperity. Evidence shows that Hispanics become unemployed sooner in economic downturns that whites, experience longer periods of unemployment, that is, leave the ranks of the employed at slower rates than whites, and generally face a "riskier" labor market than whites.

To close the unemployment gap, policy makers must pay more attention to the fact that it will likely take 30 years for the Hispanic unemployment rate to equal the white unemployment rate. The slow trend and high degree of persistence suggest that closing the gap will not necessarily occur by itself (i.e. by market forces), at least not any time soon.

Politicians will need to address the forces that are causing the unemployment among this group through policy actions. Measures such as focusing on job training in industries and occupations that are traditionally less sensitive to the business cycle (e.g. education, health care, government and public service, to name a few) would be a good place to start. Another opportunity for policy makers to close the gap, would be to focus on providing better educational opportunities for Hispanics as they are significantly underrepresented in managerial and professional occupations. Since unemployment can be subject to last in first out, educating Hispanics on the importance of job tenure could also help close the Hispanic - white unemployment gap sooner than the 30 years market forces will take.

Angel Reyes is an attorney, Hispanic immigration expert and author of Hispanic Heresy: What is the Impact of America's Largest Group of Immigrants (Mead Publishing, January 2009). He is the founder and managing partner of Heygood, Orr, Reyes, Pearson & Bartolomei, a law firm in Dallas, Texas.

Authors see Hispanic boom as plus

Angel Reyes — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 15:34:59 -0600

Please read the following article about my new book, Hispanic Heresy, posted in the Lubbock Avalanche Journal, and in HispanicBusiness.com:

Tech authors see Hispanic boom as plus
By Marlena Hartz
AVALANCHE-JOURNAL
Sunday, March 15, 2009

Those who cast the nation's projected Hispanic population boom as a roadblock should take a closer look, according to three Texas Tech scholars. It's actually an economic boon, they say.

"In spite of the vitriol that you hear on cable news and talk radio, we came to the conclusion that Hispanic immigration is actually a very positive thing as it affects the American economy and the United States in general," said one of the scholars, Dallas-area attorney and lecturer Angel Reyes III.

]]>Hispanics contribute nearly a trillion dollars annually to the economy, and the money filters to all sectors of the population, Tech business professors Bradley Ewing and James Wetherbe and Reyes, their former MBA student, found.

Reyes, Wetherbe and Ewing studied what the Hispanic population boom means for the country in a new book, "Hispanic Heresy: What is the Impact of America's Largest Population of Immigrants?"

Mead Publishing released the 120-page book in February. The authors, all of different political leanings, said they tried to approach the issue in a non-partisan way, letting data, statistics and the country's history of immigration tell the story.

By 2050, the U.S. Census Bureau projects one in three U.S. residents will be Hispanic. The Hispanic population in the U.S. is projected to nearly triple, from 46.7 million to 132.8 million by 2050, according to a 2008 Census Bureau study.

"What a tremendous opportunity. That is the work force and the face of the future of America," Reyes said.

In half that time, Texas will have become a minority-majority state, according to another projection. By 2025, the Hispanic population in Texas will have grown from about 8.3 million to 13.4 million, according to projections from the Texas State Data Center.

The expected growth is not just a result of immigration, but increasingly the result of a higher birthrate among the Hispanic population, citizens and non-citizens, according to the Tech authors.

Reyes said problems with illegal immigration are well publicized: Illegal immigrants can burden the educational, social welfare and medical care systems because income tax may not be collected and labor abuse may occur. But if Americans can find a way to bring illegal immigrants into the social structure, the country would benefit, he said.

An estimated 12 million illegal immigrants live in America.

Historically, immigrants have taken entry-level jobs in the U.S. and have a strong drive to achieve the American dream, which can be good for the economy, the authors said.

"People who want all...illegal immigrants to go home...they have failed miserably in their civics and history classes," Reyes said.

Hispanic consumers could be one of the most important groups for business owners to reach in coming years as demographics in the country shift, said Ewing, who is a chaired Jerry S. Rawls Professor in Operations Management.

Just as industries tapped into the buying power of millions of baby boomers, they may want to tap into the buying power of millions of Hispanics, who as a whole will be younger than other groups in the overall aging nation, Ewing said.

Hispanics are currently less educated and make less money than other populations in the U.S., but they're gaining earning power and education at faster rates than other populations, Ewing said.

They comprised 12 percent of full-time graduate and undergraduate college students in 2007, up from 10 percent in 2006, according to Census Bureau figures released this month.

The book uncovers inequalities Hispanics face in the nation.

Historically, they have a tougher time rebounding in college classrooms and in the workplace after economic lulls, according to the three Tech scholars.

College enrollment rates fluctuate more substantially for Hispanics than for whites during economic slumps, Ewing said. Companies more quickly lay off Hispanic workers and it takes slightly longer for Hispanics to find new jobs than whites, he said.

On average, Hispanics have less education and are younger than whites in the country, which could account for some of the job disparities, the professor said.

In the courts, English-speaking Hispanics fare better in trials than their non-English-speaking counterparts, the authors found. A non-English-speaking Hispanic is 15 percent less likely than an English speaker to obtain a better jury trial verdict than the last settlement offer, they found.

Texas Tech University Articles on My New Book

Angel Reyes — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 18:01:10 -0600

Please read the articles below, featured on March 10, 2009 in Texas Tech Today and Texas Tech University News:

Texas Tech Today
Hispanic Immigration: Facts versus Fallacies, Clarifying America's Opportunity
Three Rawls College of Business professionals address the booming Hispanic population in the U.S. and its economic, political and social impacts.
March 10, 2009
Written by Leslie Cranford

As the Hispanic population in the United States booms, fallacies surrounding the economic and social impact of Hispanics on America thrive. Two Texas Tech University professors and an alumnus argue that there are opportunities within the challenges that many people do not see.

In their new book, “Hispanic Heresy: What is the Impact of America’s Largest Population of Immigrants?” the three authors work to dispel many of the misunderstandings about how Hispanics in America impact the country’s socio-economics.

The book is by Angel L. Reyes III, a 2008 graduate of the Rawls College of Business Executive MBA program and Dallas-area attorney; Bradley Ewing, the Jerry S. Rawls Professor in Operations Management; and James Wetherbe, Rawls College of Business Stevenson Chair in Information Technology.

]]>Perceptions and Misconceptions
The problems, which are well-publicized, pertain to illegal immigration which can burden the educational, social welfare and medical care systems. Income tax may not be collected and labor abuse may occur.

The opportunity, said Reyes, pertains to the historical value of immigrants and their willingness to take on the entry-level jobs and work their way up to achieve the American dream.

“One of the biggest misconceptions that we try to address in the book is that Hispanic immigration is bad for America,” Reyes said. “On the contrary, Hispanics now represent 42 million people in the United States. That population group represents almost a trillion dollars in economic activity. If demographic models hold, by the year 2050 almost one in four Americans will be of Hispanic origin. What a tremendous opportunity that is the workforce and the face of the future of America.”

The positive growth rates in the Hispanic population are not just a result of immigration, but increasingly the result of a higher birthrate among the Hispanic population – citizen and non-citizen, state the authors.

A Question of Economics
“We’ve used a descriptive approach to looking at Hispanic immigration,” Reyes said, “and in spite of the vitriol that you hear on cable news and talk radio, we came to the conclusion that Hispanic immigration is actually a very positive thing as it affects the American economy and the United States in general.”

Ewing echoed Reyes’ optimistic comments about Hispanics’ future economic impact.

“When a Hispanic consumer spends money, they’re not just limiting money spent to Hispanic owned businesses. That’s part of it, but there are also jobs being created and sustained for all different types of individuals. And I think if we look at the trends in education, in earnings of Hispanics, and in the demographics – age group changes going on – we’re going to see those as important factors of this economy.”

Wetherbe explained that whether immigration is legal or illegal, it’s all about opportunity.

“With illegal immigration the challenge really is about a high disparity between the opportunity of where you’re at and where you’d like to be,” Wetherbe said. “A common find for example, is seven to one; that if it’s seven times better one place than another, people will do whatever it takes, and that’s true of all countries. If you’d gone to the Berlin Wall when it was a barrier between East and West Germany, people would smuggle themselves inside of car engine compartments – they’d risk being shot crossing a border – anything they could do to try to get that better opportunity. The same is true more recently in the United States; people are willing to risk their lives traveling in very perilous circumstances just to get to America.”

Language Double-speak
Another volatile issue Reyes addresses is the question of immigrants learning English. One camp says that immigrants should be given a bilingual education and another camp that’s equally strong says it should be full immersion and that they should learn English.

“Our book comes out in favor of everybody learning English for a lot of reasons,” he said. “But the most important reason is that to really succeed in America, you must learn English. While a first generation immigrant may never master English, a second generation person, after having gone through our public schools or even our private institutions, will know a fair amount of English. By the third generation, you can almost be assured that the Spanish will be what is lost, not the English. We think it is important because, to succeed in this country in a business sense, in a career sense, you must master English. The global commerce language is English, so we think it’s very important for every immigrant to make every effort to learn English.”

Reyes, Ewing and Wetherbe embrace different political points of view from conservative to liberal. All three authors contributed significant content. Reyes provided most of the subject matter and topics to be covered along with content, stories and perspectives from his personal as well as professional experiences. Ewing did the economic and statistical research and analysis and explained the results and how it impacts the Hispanic community in the United States. Wetherbe provided content including stories, examples, metaphors and analogies to help convey the message of the book. He also managed the overall tone, expression, structure and organization of the book.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Texas Tech News
Experts: Hispanic Boom is Economic Boon
Texas Tech University authors make argument for Hispanic-led economic boom.
March 10, 2009
Written by Leslie Cranford

The booming Hispanic population in the United States presents well-publicized challenges, but three Texas Tech University colleagues believe that the Hispanic immigration phenomenon presents opportunities, not roadblocks.

A new book “Hispanic Heresy: What is the Impact of America’s Largest Population of Immigrants?” asserts that opportunities exist relevant to the historical value of immigrants and their willingness to take on the entry level jobs and work their way up to achieve the American dream.

Co-authors are Angel L. Reyes III, a 2008 graduate of the Texas Tech Rawls College of Business Executive MBA program and Dallas-area attorney; Bradley Ewing, the Jerry S. Rawls Professor in Operations Management; and James Wetherbe, Rawls College of Business Stevenson Chair in Information Technology. The trio works to dispel many of the misunderstandings about how Hispanics in America impact the country’s socio-economics.

The three authors, who embrace different political points of view, are available for discussion and comment.

The book is available online at www.meadpublishing.biz.

Thinking about immigration

Angel Reyes — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 19:11:15 -0600

Posted on TexParte Blog (http://texaslawyer.typepad.com/):

Dallas lawyer Angel L. Reyes III says policy makers need to start thinking about how the immigration of Hispanics to the United States impacts socio-economics. So Reyes and two business professors at Texas Tech University wrote a book on that topic published in December 2008.

]]>“It’s going to be one of the defining issues that our country faces in the next 50 years, as we demographically change,” says Reyes, managing partner of Heygood, Orr, Reyes, Pearson & Bartolomei. In "Hispanic Heresy: What is the Impact of America’s Largest Population of Immigrants?" Reyes says they tried to take a neutral tone. “I wanted to see if I had any chance in heck, being one lawyer out in the wilderness, trying to reframe the debate,” he says. He says facts and statistics speak much louder than television commentators who say “immigration is the possible worst thing.” The book looks at issues such as illegal immigration and its effect on education, the tax system, social welfare and health-care systems. Reyes, who does intellectual property and business litigation, says Hispanics will become a greater percentage of the nation’s workforce, and over time social programs paid for by wages will be earned by a largely Hispanic workforce. Reyes’ co-authors are Bradley Ewing and James Wetherbe.
-- Brenda Sapino Jeffreys

Hispanic Heresy

Angel Reyes — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 09:02:28 -0600

Please check out my new book, Hispanic Heresy, through Mead Publishing by clicking here.

Hispanic Workers at Cutting Edge of Recession

Angel Reyes — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 17:22:03 -0600

Lewis Beale of Miller-McCune Magazine recently interviewed me along with my co-author, Dr. Bradley Ewing about a recent paper we wrote which was published in the in the Journal of Business Valuation and Economic Loss Analysis. Our research found that Latino unemployment is 2/3 higher than that of whites and if the current economic downswing continues, so will this staggering trend. Please read the article below - click on “Examination and Comparison of Hispanic and White Unemployment Rates” to download a PDF of the original paper.

]]>Hispanic Workers at Cutting Edge of Recession
Latino unemployment already trends two-thirds higher than that of whites — an ominous portent for bad times.
Miller-McCune Magazine
by Lewis Beale
October 24, 2008

If the United States is really in a recession, chances are Hispanic workers found out about it first. That’s because the nation’s Latinos have consistently higher unemployment rates than whites and are out of work for longer periods of time.

Those findings are contained in “Examination and Comparison of Hispanic and White Unemployment Rates,” a paper published in the Journal of Business Valuation and Economic Loss Analysis. Written by Angel Reyes, a Dallas lawyer, and three academics from Texas Tech and Augusta State universities, the study looked at white and Hispanic unemployment rates from 1976 to the present and found that not only was the Hispanic unemployment rate always higher than that for whites but that, overall, it surpassed the white rate by nearly 65 percent.

The study also found that Hispanics lose employment sooner in an economic downturn, have to deal with longer periods of unemployment and face what the paper calls a “riskier” labor market than whites, meaning they have to deal with a higher probability of being unemployed and greater job instability.

Although the paper deals only with the legal job market — “I don’t think the Bureau of Labor Statistics knows how to measure unemployment among the undocumented,” said Bradley Ewing, a Texas Tech professor of operations management and a study co-author — it provides a real insight into the problems facing the burgeoning Hispanic population in this country. That population is expected to represent 17 percent of the U.S. population by the year 2015.

If nothing else, the study is an affirmation of the “last hired, first fired” syndrome, which seems to affect Hispanics disproportionately. “The Hispanic work force is younger,” Reyes said, “and if you compound that with lesser educational attainment and less job training, that’s the perfect storm for why Hispanics remain out of work longer.”

“There may also be some discrimination” involved, Bradley added, noting that even though the unemployment gap seems to be closing, “if left to its own, it would take 30 years to close (entirely).”

Nevertheless, this narrowing unemployment gap is a positive sign because it reflects how Hispanics slowly but surely are integrating into the labor market. The work force is “becoming more integrated and more similar,” Bradley said, “but it is happening slowly. One of the reasons is sheer numbers, like here in Texas there is a large Hispanic population.”

In order to address this employment imbalance, the paper’s authors come down solidly on the public policy side of the issue, insisting that programs that address the divide need to be strengthened or put in place.

“If you say we don’t want that big of a gap,” Bradley said, “we suggest emphasizing policies that educate Hispanics in the labor force and increase job tenure. That’s one way to avoid getting laid off.”

“The important thing is increasing education, which increases productivity,” Reyes added. “In a competitive environment, firms look to more than seniority. If you have a person who is more productive, that person will keep their job.”

The question left open by the study, however, is whether or not there is a political will to correct these imbalances. Reyes believes there isn’t and that right now, Hispanic issues like immigration “tend to be more polarizing.” But he looks into the near future and notes the pressures entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security will put on the economy.

“We will have to have a productive work force to maintain these benefits we have been promised,” he said. “And as the Hispanic labor force grows, it’s imperative that (the unemployment) gap close because they (Hispanics) will be part of funding those promised entitlements. If the will is lacking today, it will not be in four to eight years because we cannot afford to ignore it.”

Reyes is nothing if not pragmatic.

He feels the Democrats will be the first to address Hispanic issues because no matter who is elected president, “I think you will find 65 percent of Hispanics voting for the Democratic ticket this year, so when those numbers are put in front of you, you will play to your base.”

But, Bradley added, “The biggest issue for the incoming president is the overall economic situation, and these (Hispanic) issues will be pushed back somewhat.”

This means that for the foreseeable future, the issue of Hispanic job security will most likely play out as it always has.

“Eventually, everyone joins the mainstream,” Reyes said. “They begin at the lowest rung of the labor force and eventually are integrated into the larger labor force.”

We Need A Comprehensive Solution For Our Nation's Immigration Policy

Angel Reyes — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:22:58 -0600

Following the December 12, 2007 raid on the Swift & Company meatpacking plant, my firm, Heygood, Orr, Reyes, Pearson & Bartolomei, filed a class action lawsuit against Swift for its pattern of practice of replacing legal US Citizens and legal resident aliens with undocumented immigrant workers. Now, yet another big company makes the news. In May, 2008 in Postville, Iowa, federal immigration agents raided Agriprocessors Inc., the nation's largest kosher meatpacking plant, rounding up 389 illegal immigrants for deportation.]]>
I’ve written countless articles about our nation’s immigration policy. I continue to be in awe that in the world’s most socially and technologically advanced country, we can’t come up with a real solution to what is clearly one of our biggest problems. For more information on the Agriprocessors raid, read the Associated Press article in its entirety below:

Agriprocessors Raid
08:57 AM CDT on Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Associated Press

POSTVILLE, Iowa — When federal immigration agents raided the kosher meatpacking plant here in May and rounded up 389 illegal immigrants, they found more than 20 under-age workers, some as young as 13.

Now those young immigrants have begun to tell investigators about their jobs. Some said they worked shifts of 12 hours or more, wielding razor-edged knives and saws to slice freshly killed beef. Some worked through the night, sometimes six nights a week.

One, a Guatemalan named Elmer L. who said he was 16 when he started working on the plant's killing floors, said he worked 17-hour shifts, six days a week. In an affidavit, he said he was constantly tired and did not have time to do anything but work and sleep. “I was very sad,” he said, “and I felt like I was a slave.”

At first, labor officials said the raid had disrupted federal and state investigations already under way at Agriprocessors Inc., the nation's largest kosher plant. The raid has drawn criticism for what some see as harsh tactics against the immigrants, with little action taken against their employers.

But in the aftermath of the arrests, labor investigators have reaped a bounty of new evidence from the testimony of illegal immigrants, teenagers and adults, who were caught in the raid. In formal declarations, immigrants have described pervasive labor violations at the plant, testimony that could result in criminal charges for Agriprocessors executives, labor law experts said.

Out of work and facing deportation proceedings, many of the immigrants say they now have nothing to lose in speaking up about the conditions in the plant. They have told investigators that they were routinely put to work without safety training and were forced to work long shifts without overtime or rest time. Under-age workers said their bosses knew how young they were.

Because of the dangers of the work, it is illegal in Iowa for a company to employ anyone under 18 on the floor of a meatpacking plant.

In a statement, Agriprocessors said it did not employ workers under 18 and would fire any under-age worker found to have presented false documents to obtain work.

To investigate the child labor accusations, the federal Labor Department has joined with the Iowa Division of Labor Services in cooperation with the state attorney general's office, officials for the three agencies said.

Sonia Parras Konrad, an immigration lawyer in private practice in Des Moines, is representing many of the young workers. She said she had so far identified 27 workers under 18 who were employed in the packing areas of the plant, most of them illegal immigrants from Guatemala, including some who were not arrested in the raid.

“Some of these boys don't even shave,” Parras Konrad said. “They're goofy. They're teenagers.”

At a meeting here Saturday, three members of the House Hispanic Caucus — including its chairman, Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez, D-Ill. — heard seven immigrant minors describe working in the Agriprocessors plant.

Iowa labor officials said they rarely encounter child labor cases even though the state has many meatpacking plants.

“We don't normally have many under-age folks working in our state,” said Gail Sheridan-Lucht, a lawyer for the state labor department, who said she could not comment specifically on the Agriprocessors investigation.

Other investigations are also under way. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is examining accusations of sexual harassment of women at the plant. Lawyers for the immigrants are preparing a suit under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act for wage and hour violations.

Federal justice and immigration officials, speaking on Thursday at a hearing in Washington of the House Judiciary immigration subcommittee, said their investigations were continuing. A federal grand jury in Cedar Rapids is hearing evidence about Agriprocessors.

While federal prosecutors are primarily focusing on immigration charges, they may also be looking into labor violations. Search warrant documents filed in court before the raid, which was May 12, cited a report by an anonymous immigrant who was sent to work in the plant by immigration authorities as an undercover informant. The immigrant saw “a rabbi who was calling employees derogatory names and throwing meat at employees.”

Jewish managers oversee the slaughtering and processing of meat at Agriprocessors to ensure kosher standards.

In another episode, the informant said a floor supervisor had blindfolded an immigrant with duct tape. “The floor supervisor then took one of the meat hooks and hit the Guatemalan with it,” the informant said, adding that the blow did not cause “serious injuries.”

So far, 297 illegal immigrants from the May raid have been convicted of document fraud and other criminal charges, and most were sentenced to five months in prison, after which they will be deported.

A spokesman for Agriprocessors, Menachem Lubinsky, said the company could not comment on an active investigation.

“The company has two objectives in mind: to restore its production to meet the demands of the kosher food market and to be in full compliance with all local, state and federal laws,” Lubinsky said. Reports of labor violations at the plant “remain allegations only, that no agency has charged the company with,” he said.

The Agriprocessors kosher plant here has been owned and operated since 1987 by Aaron Rubashkin and his family. His son Sholom was the plant's top manager until he was removed by his father in May after the raid. The plant's products are distributed across the country under brands including Aaron's Best and Aaron's Choice.

Most of the young immigrants were hired at Agriprocessors after they presented false Social Security cards or other documents saying they were older than they were.

But in an interview here, Elmer L. said he had told floor supervisors that he was under 18. He asked that his last name not be published on advice of his lawyer, Parras Konrad, because he is a minor in deportation proceedings.

“They asked me how old I was,” Elmer L. said. “They could see that sometimes I could not keep up with the work.”

Elmer L. said that he regularly worked 17 hours a day at the plant and was paid $7.25 an hour. He said he was not paid overtime consistently.

“My work was very hard, because they didn't give me my breaks, and I wasn't getting very much sleep,” he said. “They told us they were going to call immigration if we complained.”

Elmer L. said that he was clearing cow innards from the slaughter floor last Aug. 26 when a supervisor he described as a rabbi began yelling at him, then kicked him from behind. The blow caused a freshly sharpened knife to fly up and cut his elbow.

He was sent to a nearby hospital where doctors closed the laceration with eight stitches. But he said that when he returned to the plant, his elbow still stinging, to ask for some time off, his supervisor ordered him back to work.

The next day, as he was lifting a cow's tongue, the stitches ruptured, Elmer L. said, and the wound bled again. He said he was given a bandage at the plant and sent back to work. The incident is confirmed in a worker's injury report filed on Aug. 31, 2007, by Agriprocessors with the Iowa labor department.

Gilda O., a Guatemalan who said she was 16, said she worked the night shift plucking chickens. She said she was working to help her parents pay off debts.

Another Guatemalan, Joel R., who gave his age as 15, said he dropped out of school in Postville after the eighth grade and took a job at Agriprocessors because his mother became ill. He said he worked from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. in a section called “quality control,” a job he described as relatively easy that he got because he speaks English.

But he said he and other workers were under constant pressure from supervisors. “They yell at us when we don't hurry up, when we don't work fast enough for them,” said Joel R. He and Gilda O. did not want their last names published because they are illegal immigrants and they were not arrested in the raid.

Most of the young immigrants have been released from detention but remain in deportation proceedings. Parras Konrad said she will ask immigration authorities to grant them special four-year temporary visas, known as U-visas, which are offered to immigrants who assist in law enforcement investigations. Iowa labor officials are considering supporting some of those visa requests, Sheridan-Lucht said.

Agriprocessors executives said they had begun an overhaul of the company's hiring and labor practices, starting with hiring a compliance officer, James G. Martin, a former U.S. attorney in Missouri. In an interview, Martin said the company had contracted an outside firm, the Jacobson Staffing Co., to handle its hiring, and new safety officers, including one former federal work safety inspector.

Mark Lauritsen, a vice president for the International Food and Commercial Workers Union, which has tried to organize the plant, said he remained skeptical. “They are the poster child for how a rogue company can exploit a broken immigration system,” Lauritsen said.

Surge in U.S. Hispanic Population

Angel Reyes — Mon, 19 May 2008 12:43:46 -0600

Breaking news: the Hispanic population in America is surging. Yes, I'm being sarcastic. Funny enough, when I was younger, I just couldn't imagine a day when this type of headline would make the Wall Street Journal. Remember, I was the kid who actually thought about changing my name when I moved to the U.S. mainland from Puerto Rico. Demography is destiny, and that means America, and especially Texas, both face a very interesting future. I can't wait. Lastly, all the folks who are worried about Spanish being spoken, documents being written with one side in English and the other in Spanish, should stop sweating it. The history of immigration will be repeated. First generation immigrants may, or may not, learn English. Their kids, who go to mostly public schools across the United States, learn English. Some learn it well, others not so well. Those kids' kids can't speak to Grandma and Grandpa except in English. For you traders out there, if it's not too early, start shorting Spanish language TV and radio stocks. I figure they'll go the way of the old Polish and Italian radio stations which flourished back in the early 1900's. The full Wall Street Journal article is below.]]>Surge in U.S. Hispanic Population
Driven by Births, Not Immigration
Dynamic Differs
From '90s Growth,
Census Data Show
By CONOR DOUGHERTY and MIRIAM JORDAN

Hispanics now account for more than 15% of the U.S. population, and their surge is largely the result of births among people already in the country, according to new Census Bureau data.

In an annual report, the Census said there are 45.5 million Hispanics in the U.S., up from 35.7 million in 2000, when they made up 12.6% of the population. It said growth among Hispanics was responsible for half of the U.S. population gains between 2000 and 2007.

In the 1990s, a flood of Hispanic immigrants explained most of the group's population rise. That has changed in recent years. Between 2006 and 2007, about 62% of the increase in Hispanics came from births.

"The Hispanic population has taken on a momentum of its own," said Kenneth Johnson, senior demographer at the University of New Hampshire's Carsey Institute. "If you close the borders tomorrow, there is still going to be a large Hispanic increase."

Hispanics increasingly are venturing beyond their traditional centers of population and moving to the Southeast and the Midwest, in search of better opportunities and a lower cost of living.

Key to Survival

The new numbers help show why presidential candidates have courted Hispanics aggressively in this campaign and run advertisements in Spanish. Hillary Clinton's popularity among Hispanic voters helped her win primaries in Texas and California. Both victories were key to her survival in the race for the Democratic nomination.

"Latinos will become increasingly important because of their sheer numbers," said Daranee Petsod of Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees, an advocacy group.

Growth in spending by Hispanics is likely to outstrip that of the general population in coming years. Hispanics control more disposable income than any other minority group. The figure stands at $860 billion a year and is expected to hit $1.3 trillion by 2012, according to Jeffrey Humphreys, who monitors Hispanic demographic and economic trends at the University of Georgia's Selig Center.

In recent years, consumer-goods companies such as Procter & Gamble and other businesses have invested significantly more advertising dollars to reach Hispanics, both in Spanish and English.

Between 2000 and 2007, 16 states -- among them West Virginia, Illinois and New Jersey -- saw their white population decline, according to the new Census data. Over the same period, whites accounted for a majority of population growth in only 11 states.

Younger on Average

About two-thirds of Americans are non-Hispanic white, while about 12% are non-Hispanic black, according to the Census Bureau.

Hispanic families tend to have more children. The population is also younger on average, so the large number of births isn't balanced out by deaths. Between July 2000 and 2007, there were 8.4 Hispanic births for every death. African-Americans had 2.4 births per death. The ratio for whites was 1.6.

As Americans age and the baby boom generation retires, Hispanics may help buttress the economy and the Social Security system. The average white woman in the U.S. has 1.8 children, which is under the replacement rate of 2.1 necessary to maintain a stable population. Hispanic women, meanwhile, give birth on average to 2.8 children.

According to the Pew Research Center, whites are projected to make up only 45% of the working-age population in 2050, down from 68% in 2005. The center projects that the share of Hispanics in the working-age population will rise to 31% from 14%. The ratio of senior citizens to working-age people age 25 to 64 will grow to 411 seniors per 1,000 working-age people in 2030 from 250 per 1,000 in 2010, according to Dowell Myers, a demographer at the University of Southern California.

"If you are pro-economic growth, you must be pro-immigration and pro-Hispanic, because we don't have the workers," says Donald Terry, a senior official at the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington.

Many immigrants are bypassing traditional gateway states in the Southwest, while many U.S.-born Hispanics have left states like California. "They are finding it more difficult to find work at the cost of living that's needed in some of the initial gateways" like California and Arizona, says William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank. There are shifts within the gateway states, as well.

Settling in Small Towns

Hispanics have also settled in small towns, to take jobs in such industries as meatpacking, textiles and construction. The children of Latin American immigrants are helping offset a decline or slower growth in the school-age population in states such as Georgia and Iowa. In Minnesota, the Hispanic population grew 166% during the 1990s, almost three times the rate for the country overall.

Many of these Hispanic communities are now growing swiftly even without taking immigration into account. "The base population of Hispanics already here is so large that it is virtually impossible for immigration to play as important a role in population growth as it has historically," said Mr. Humphreys of the University of Georgia.

The spreading out of Hispanic workers is causing changes in communities across the country, and some stresses. Communities must address language difficulties and educational needs of Hispanic students, who have historically scored lower on standardized tests than other students and recorded higher dropout rates.

Hispanics have been flocking to Hilton Head Island, S.C., since the mid-1990s in search of jobs. In 2006, officials there decided to offer bonuses of $150 a month to town employees who speak Spanish. "Day-to-day realities dictated that we improve our communication with the Hispanic population," said Hilton Head's human resources director, Nancy Gasen.

The town also has offered Spanish classes to public-safety officials, including firefighters and emergency dispatchers, as well as other employees who deal with Spanish speakers.

In Crete, Neb., the public-school system now offers about 14 adult English classes that meet year-round, with 158 students and a waiting list of around 50. When the adult English classes started in 1990, the program had five students that were taught by volunteers.

Swift Was Swift To Hire Refugees After Raid

Angel Reyes — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 08:34:59 -0600

The class action lawsuit my firm, Heygood, Orr, Reyes, Pearson & Bartolomei filed against Swift Meatpacking accuses Swift of their pattern of practice of replacing legal US Citizens and legal resident aliens with undocumented immigrant workers. This lawsuit made national headlines and was featured on numerous radio and television broadcasts for several months.]]>Dallas Morning News article about this topic below:

Refugees fill jobs in Cactus, Texas, after immigration sweep
01:04 AM CDT on Saturday, April 19, 2008
The Dallas Morning News
By DAVID McLEMORE Staff Writer dmclemore@dallasnews.com

Sixteen months ago, federal agents swept into the Panhandle town of Cactus, Texas, in Moore County as part of a massive raid of Swift & Co. beef processing plants across the country. They arrested 297 workers on immigration violations and sent hundreds more fleeing the community for fear of more raids.

Days after immigration sweeps this week at poultry processing plants in five states, Dumas City Manger Vince DiPiazza has advice for communities reeling from the effects of such raids: The more things change, the more they stay the same.

"Things were a little rocky in the short-term, but the upheaval of the raids hasn't hurt us financially," Mr. DiPiazza said. "Swift aggressively brought in new workers and had the plant working to capacity within months."

But with the new workers has come a fresh set of challenges.

Swift's new owners, a Brazilian firm, recruited a different set of foreign workers to fill the gaps left by the Mexican and Central American workers caught up in the ICE raid in December 2006. This time, they hired refugees brought into the U.S. on a special visa.

Influx of refugees

Since January, roughly 400 members of the Karen and Chin ethnic groups from Burma have moved into Moore County from Houston and other cities, drawn by the $12-an-hour jobs. A similar number of Somali refugees living in Amarillo also work at the Cactus plant.

The Burmese, most of whom speak little English, have added a bewildering mix of languages and cultural values that have brought change to the Panhandle – and created special problems for the school district, the hospital district and community services, said Moore County Judge Rowdy Rhoades.

"It put a lot on our plate, and we're still trying to deal with it," he said. "The Burmese speak several different dialects and not a lot of English, which has the school district jumping to teach them."

Steve Corbin, a volunteer worker with the Burmese from the First Baptist Church of Dumas, said Panhandle residents have been very welcoming to the newcomers.

"There's a few rednecks who don't understand, but once people find out they came to America to escape persecution and then see how gentle and hardworking they are, they do what they can to make the Burmese feel at home," Mr. Corbin said.

The Dumas Independent School District has worked with Swift officials to expand English-as-a-second-language classes for Burmese students. Swift also has agreed to fund an office in Dumas with two Burmese caseworkers to help newly arrived Burmese transition into the community.

The county would like some federal help in paying for the extra costs to the schools, hospitals and police, Mr. Rhoades said. But "we don't have a solution yet," he said. "We'll just have to pay attention to the details and deal with it. It's just another test."

Mr. Corbin said the community is "happy to have them here and the Burmese have fallen in love with Dumas and Cactus."

"They are a very gentle and hardworking group of people and the local churches and citizens have pitched in to minimize the culture shock," she said. "But there's a bit of culture shock on both sides."

Mr. DiPiazza agrees, saying many workers were unprepared for Panhandle weather.

"It was almost as though they were left here overnight," he said. "The Burmese didn't know the basics – how to find a place to live, how to get the utilities turned on. But we're determined to make this work."

Meanwhile, the old workforce in Cactus is still reeling from the upheaval created by the 2006 raids.

"We still have families separated by the raids. Kids that haven't seen their mother or father since the raids," said Imelda Maldonado of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local 540. "After the raid, about 600 people left Cactus for good out of fear.

"And many of the workers, American citizens, are still so shook up by the way ICE conducted the raids, they'll start shaking and break into tears, sure the agents are coming back."

The effects of the raids, code-named Operation Wagon Train, were far-reaching.

On Dec. 12, 2006, ICE agents decked out in SWAT gear hit plants in six states operated by Swift, one of the nation's largest processors of pork and beef.

Of the 297 detained in Cactus – from such countries as Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and Peru – 53 were charged with felony immigration charges.

Eight pleaded guilty to unlawful re-entry and were sentenced to 100 days in prison. One pleaded guilty to aggravated felony of unlawful re-entry after deportation and was sentenced to 21 months in prison.

The remainder – 44 people – pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft, fraud in connection with an immigration document, false representation of a Social Security number or false representation of U.S. citizenship and received sentences ranging from six months to a year and a day.

Workers' lawsuit

After the raids, the union representing the workers filed suit against Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Assistant Secretary Julie Myers, who leads ICE, to halt what it called illegal raids.

The suit alleges ICE agents violated workers rights by illegally detaining U.S. and naturalized citizens during the raids and by unnecessarily treating people roughly.

"Our people are still feeling the effects," Ms. Maldonado said. "It's like it happened yesterday."

Mr. Rhoades said the county is learning to deal with the effects of change.

"I do wish the federal government could reach an agreement with Mexico to let the folks who are looking for work come on up and work in the meat processing plant," he said. "They'd been our neighbors for a long time. We were familiar with them."

More Arrested at Swift plants

Angel Reyes — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 13:53:24 -0600

Today, Swift meatpacking suffered another blow to its continued pattern and practice of denying allegations that its management didn't knowingly hire illegal immigrants. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) made 19 new arrests this week.]]>takes the 5th. We'll see soon enough.

More arrested at Swift plants
Immigration officials detain 19, including HR employee
12:00 AM CDT on Thursday, July 12, 2007
DallasNews.com (original article - click here)
Dianne Solís

Federal immigration agents revisited the Swift meatpacking plant in Cactus, Texas, and five others this week to make 19 arrests, including that of a human resources employee.

The human resources employee, Chris Lamb, worked at the Swift plant in Marshalltown, Iowa – where the largest enforcement action against a single employer began in early 2006 by agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Mr. Lamb was charged with harboring illegal immigrants, according to ICE.

In December, 1,297 workers were arrested in raids at Swift plants in six states. The Cactus plant in the Texas Panhandle was the scene of the largest raid. The action shed light on the growing practice by illegal immigrants of using authentic documents – borrowed, rented or stolen – to avoid detection in the hiring process.

Of the 19 arrests, seven occurred in Cactus, said Carl Rusnok, an ICE spokesman in Dallas, on Wednesday.

Officials with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union said agents did not appear to use the "same level of intimidation and overkill as they did" in December. The Dallas-based local and the Colorado-based local for the union both sued the federal government over the treatment of the detainees.

"Worksite law enforcement around identity and immigration issues is a symptom of a failed immigration system, and is not substitute for comprehensive reform," the Washington-based union said in a prepared statement.

by Dianne Solís

Immigration, the Third Rail of Americal Politics

Angel Reyes — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 13:23:51 -0600

While Heygood, Orr, Reyes & Bartolomei's Swift Meatpacking case continues to gain headlines, it seems you can't turn on the TV or open a newspaper without reading another article about the nation's immigration issues. Recently in Texas, State Representative, Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, withdrew his legislation to penalize businesses that hire illegal immigrants. In an interesting political twist, Mr. Anchia and other members of the Mexican-American Legislative Caucus joined the Texas Association of Business and several civil rights groups to form a coalition they said is committed to moving all immigration-related legislation out of the statehouse and up to Washington – including Mr. Anchia's bill.]]>
The business group has common ground with the Mexican-American caucus and other groups that oppose legislation limiting health care and education benefits for illegal immigrants.

Their goal is compelling Congress to pass comprehensive immigration legislation and get the debate out of Texas. Bills have been filed in the Legislature to end birthright citizenship and in-state tuition for the children of illegal immigrants and to impose fees on money transfers to Mexico and Central and South America.

"We say let's fix the system, let's give the employers the tools they need, and then let's have firm enforcement of the laws," Texas Association of Business Director, Bill Hammond, said.

Just today, the Wall Street Journal reported that the country's largest recycler of wooden pallets, IFCO Systems North America, Inc., was raided by agents from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Bureau which found 1,282 IFCO workers in 26 states working illegally. Unlike the raid in Heygood, Orr, Reyes & Bartolomei's Swift Meatpacking case, this ICE raid was designed to catch the Americans who hired foreign workers who lacked proper documentation to be working in the United States. In the IFCO raid, seven middle managers were also arrested and charged with human smuggling. We think that as discovery unfolds in our Swift Meatpacking case, a similar story will unfold. It will be interesting to see what management knew or should have known about Swift Meatpacking's hiring practices. Let's hope the ICE investigation into Swift Meatpacking isn't closed. I suspect that if ICE keeps up the heat, no pun intended, we'll find that Swift Meatpacking's management either knew about the wrongful hiring practices or turned a blind eye to them in their pursuit of profits.

As I said in my Swift & Co. CNN interview on Lou Dobbs, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Let's see, how do you think hotels and casinos hire the maids, busboys, bellboys, and garage attendants? Admittedly, just being born in a foreign country doesn't make you undocumented and ineligible to work, but my money is on the side of the bet that suggests that the hospitality, casino, restaurant, hotel, the remaining light industry jobs in the United States, and basically all low wage jobs you can think of are largely filled with workers who are not documented and their employers know it.

Congress needs to fix this problem by instituting a solution that employers can live with and that doesn't scare middle America. We've done immigration reform in the past, let's hope we've learned from our mistakes and that we don't run off and create a second class citizenry. The last thing Des Moines or Atlanta needs is some French banlieue type riots in the coming years. That is exactly what will happen if we create a guest worker program that leaves the 11 million undocumented people in this country as worker guests with no citizenship rights. History suggests that they aren't going back to Mexico, Honduras, Somalia, Nigeria, Venezuela, etc.

©2007 Angel Reyes
www.ReyesLaw.com

English Only Veto - Response from Dallas, Texas

Angel Reyes — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 13:27:59 -0600

What a wonderful country. When the rest of the world is racing off towards globalization, America, at least in some areas, strangely enough, largely populated areas, wants to make English the only official language. I think I missed the joke. What purpose will these English-only laws serve? How will they help Americans win the globalization race? Are large geographic and populous regions in America really that dumb, weird, and scared? I sure hope not. I know one thing, the Mayor of Nashville, Bill Purcell, isn't. Hooray for common sense. All this writing is making me hungry. Hmm, maybe I'll have Mexican? Chinese? Italian? No, no, no. That would be scary, maybe I should stick to something more American. Yikes, I can't think of any American food.]]>

Dear Mayor Purcell,

I wanted to take a moment out of my day to say "thank you" and to let you know that your leadership is being felt outside the boundaries of Nashville.

Like you and millions of others, I was fortunate to have been born in the United States. So were my parents and my grandparents. Like many Americans, my family's history can be traced to Texas and the United States for more than 100 years. Nonetheless as a Hispanic citizen, I have felt the dual sting of prejudice and fear which has emanated from a handful of our Texas cities and their citizens as they consider measures similar to the one before the City of Nashville.

Despite my financial and educational success, my ancestral ties have never been so questioned. Stinging barbs - ostensibly aimed at curbing the growing and rampant immigration concern - have been launched without concern for the long term damage they will cause both citizens and non-citizens. The barbs are laden with fear and prejudice. You can feel it in written print just the same as when it is spoken. To say a racial divide is beginning to form would not be an over-characterization. English only propositions do nothing but draw a line in the sand. In my youth, Spanish was seen as a romantic and beautiful language. I often had friends who would ask me to speak it and they would mimic what I said. Now (the language), it is seen as the source of all that is wrong. In my lifetime, I cannot recall days like these.

It will take a bold and broad national initiative to help curb immigration and deal with the existing problems of those who are already here. That initiative is long overdue. Our Country wants it and needs it. Time is of the essence. But that fight belongs at the national level - not the local level. On a national level, it will be seen as a Country agenda, one of national significance. On a local level, English only propositions are seen as divisive, racial and mean-spirited. The propositions bark but have no legal teeth. You have shown incredible foresight in recognizing this distinction.

I applaud you for your actions today. For what lies ahead of you and Nashville will not be easy. I think the words of Robert F. Kennedy are clearly appropriate in this context: "On this generation of Americans falls the burden of proving to the world that we really mean it when we say "all men are created free and equal before the law." All of us might wish at times that we lived in a more tranquil world, but we don't'. And if our times are difficult and perplexing, so are they challenging and filled with opportunity."

I hope one day to meet your acquaintance.

Until then, I remain Respectfully yours,

Edward Lopez
Attorney at Law
Dallas, Texas

Swift Meatpacking Case Update

Angel Reyes — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 09:42:23 -0600

These days you can't open a newspaper without reading an article about "illegal" immigration and its impact on America. For my money, immigration is the biggest domestic policy issue America faces in the years to come. The world is watching how we handle our immigration policy. President Bush has even crossed party lines in hopes of finding a solution to America's undocumented workforce problem.]]>Rafael Anchia, was recently quoted in the Dallas Morning News as saying that handfuls of legislative bills are filed every day in Austin related to immigration issues. Then why does Swift Meatpacking Company's top management continue to have no comment regarding the lawsuit Heygood, Orr, Reyes & Bartolomei filed in Federal Court for the Northern District of Texas?

Amazingly, over 30 days have passed since the filing of the lawsuit, and Swift has remained mum. While our law firm fielded and responded to over 100 media inquiries from the likes of CNN, Fox News, and National Public Radio, etc., Swift management hasn't said a word. As they say in presidential politics, when the dogs attack, you’d better bite back. That is, unless you know you can't credibly deny the allegations that have been lobbed at your company.

Could it be that Swift realizes they've got no credible way of denying they knew or should have known that a large portion of their workforce was undocumented? If that is the case, has Swift violated the RICO statutes, and should they be held accountable? First things first; dozens of depositions will take place and Vinson & Elkins will expend thousands of hours of attorney time to vigorously defend the company in Court. We'll keep you posted with the comings and goings of this lawsuit.

©2007 Angel Reyes
www.ReyesLaw.com

Undocumented Immigrant Labor, Its Effect on Wages, and the Swift & Co. Raids

Angel Reyes — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 01:01:49 -0600

As illegal immigration continues to be a huge issue in our country, this month has seen several scenarios that are relatively new to the national debate. Spurring the discussions has been the December 12th raid on meatpacking giant, Swift & Co. While the raid focused on undocumented immigrant labor, primarily facilitated by fraudulent Social Security numbers, it has also thrust our law firm into national focus due to the lawsuit we were putting together. The lawsuit accuses Swift of having a pattern of practice of replacing legal US Citizens and legal resident aliens with undocumented immigrant workers from Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala in effort to depress wages. Wages have plummeted by 40-50% since this practice became common. The question is, did/should management have known that almost one-third of its workforce was undocumented?

Immigration is the biggest domestic policy issue the United States faces in the coming years. The world is watching how we handle our immigration policy. We hope that by exposing the extreme profit-driven approach that some of our largest corporations are taking on the immigration issue, our lawsuit can help create movement towards a solution. In the meantime, we will continue to pursue our civil case against Swift.
]]>

December 19, 2006
By Jerry Seper / The Washington Times

A $23 million lawsuit by 18 former employees at Swift & Co., which was targeted last week in raids by the government over its hiring of illegal aliens, says the meat-processing company conspired to keep down wages by hiring the illegal workers.

The former workers, all legal U.S. residents who worked at a Swift processing plant in Cactus, Texas, said they were the "victims in a longstanding scheme" by the company to "depress and artificially lower the wages of its workers" by knowingly hiring illegal aliens.

"By lessening its labor costs and increasing its profits, Swift has severely damaged the potential earnings and livelihood of these hardworking men and women," said lawyer Angel Reyes, III of Heygood, Orr, Reyes & Bartolomei, who represents the 18 former workers.

Swift officials did not respond to calls for comment, although they have denied any wrongdoing in the company's hiring practices. The lawsuit, which seeks $23 million in exemplary damages and the back wages they would have received if they had remained employed, was filed late Friday in U.S. District Court in Dallas. It accuses Swift under the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act (RICO) of engaging in a racketeering conspiracy to manipulate commerce.

"When the Swift plant opened in Cactus, wages were approximately $20 an hour," another plaintiffs attorney, Michael Heygood, told reporters in Texas. "Now, the average wage is approximately $12 to $13 an hour. Illegal immigration has fueled this depression in wages."

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents who swept through the six meat-processing plants last week arrested 1,282 illegal aliens as part of an ongoing investigation into a massive identity-theft conspiracy. The arrests culminated a 10-month ICE probe known as Operation Wagon Train that targeted workers at Swift plants in Colorado, Nebraska, Texas, Utah, Iowa and Minnesota.

Those arrested included illegal aliens from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Peru, Laos, Sudan and Ethiopia.

RADIO & TV INTERVIEWS:
1/8/07– National Public Radio – NPR Interviews Angel Reyes Regarding Swift
12/23/06 – CBS TV Channel 11 - Dallas/Fort Worth – Legal Migrants Sue Meat Packing Company, Featuring Interview with Angel Reyes
12/19/06 – CNN TV, Featured on Lou Dobbs Tonight – Interview with Angel Reyes
12/19/06 – KHOW Radio 630, Caplis & Silverman Show (Denver)- Interview with Angel Reyes (Streaming MP3)
12/19/06 – KHOW Radio 630, Peter BoyleShow (Denver)- Interview with Angel Reyes (coming soon...)
12/19/06 – CNN.com, Bill Tucker reporting - Former Employees Sue Swift, featuring Michael Heygood and Angel Reyes
12/18/06 – WBAP-Radio (Dallas) - Interview with Angel Reyes
12/18/06 – KFI-Radio (Los Angeles) - Interview with Angel Reyes

NEWS ARTICLE LINKS:
12/21/06 – Hispanic PR Wire-Telegram, LULAC Urges Immediate Moratorium on Immigration Raids Pending Congressional Action on Immigration Reform
12/19/06 – Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Former employees sue Swift over hiring
12/19/06 – Washington Times, Ex-workers Sue Swift for Wages
12/18/06 – Fox News, Ex-Employees Sue Meatpacking Company
12/16/06 – Dallas Morning News, Swift Conspired to Hire Immigrants to Cut Costs
12/14/06 – Dallas Morning News, Focus of Federal Illegal Immigrant Raid Shifts to ID Theft
12/13/06 – Dallas Morning News; Federal Raid for Illegal Immigrants at Swift & Co.'s Meatpacking Plant in Cactus, TX
12/13/06 – Dallas Morning News; Officials: Swift raids net at least 1,282 arrests