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Illegal immigrant workshop causes controversy among students

Ben Garbarek

Some members of the Miami University community are upset over a recent workshop in Mason, Ohio titled, "Hiring Illegals ... The Right Way."

"It's a prime example of racial profiling," said Jonny Powell, a member of the Association of Latin American Students (ALAS) at Miami. "I ask myself why, why have that kind of workshop?"

According to the public information officer for the city of Mason, Jennifer Trebel, the workshop was a joint venture sponsored by the city of Mason, Deerfield Township, Warren County and the Northeast Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce. It was held Nov. 13.

"(The workshop) was to educate business owners regarding illegal workers," Trebel said.

Eric Minzenberg, faculty adviser for ALAS, sees it differently.

"The word 'illegal' suggests that these people don't have the right to exist," Minzenberg said. "Everybody has the right to exist ... If you're not Native American, then you're an immigrant."

According to the promotional flyer for the event, the seminar was designed to help local businesses and residents identify potential undocumented aliens in the workforce and learn what steps to take to safeguard their business from any legal wrongdoing.

Representatives from the Ohio Attorney General, a local law firm and local police made up a panel that spoke at the forum.

According to John Harris of the Northeast Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce, about 100 people attended.

"It's not what we wanted, but the people that were there said they wanted us to do it again," he said, "(The workshop) met or exceeded our expectations."

Harris said that one member of the panel stole the show during the seminar. Ken Natorp, a local landscaper, held up four social security cards, asking those in attendance which one was fraudulent. After each card received several votes, he told the crowd that none of them were.

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"That's what we're facing (with illegal immigrants)," Harris said.

While the workshop did not mention any particular immigrant group, Powell feels that the workshop targets the Latin American population, specifically Mexicans.

"It is offensive because they are racially profiling," Powell said. "They are trying to discourage employment of illegal immigrants."

Powell said that ALAS has not officially addressed the issue and currently has no plans to do so.

Minzenberg said that the United States has a history of welcoming documented and undocumented immigrants during times of economic prosperity, but also tend to push them away once a recession occurs.

Senior Christy Ledden, a Mason native, said the city is beginning to see an influx of immigrants as its population skyrockets.

"If you asked someone (what Mason was like) 15 years ago, they would have said it was a white farmer town," Ledden said. "The people moving in are Indian and Asian, not a lot of Latin Americans."

While Ledden says there are few Latin Americans living in Mason, illegal immigration may still be an issue for many in the city.

"A lot of people work in Mason but not a lot live there," she said, "Mason is too expensive for them (to live in)."

Currently there are no dates set for further workshops, but a recording of the original seminar will be circulated on Time Warner Cable, according to Harris.


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