NAPLES DAILY NEWS October 5, 2007
Immigration hot topic at daylong workshop A packed daylong seminar Thursday proves that immigration is a hot topic for dozens of agencies. Nearly 200 people representing 40 agencies from around Florida, mostly from Collier County, that provide services to migrants attended the fourth Migrant Matrix at the Immokalee Sports Complex. During the daylong workshop, hosted by the Collier County Health Department, titled “A Map to Decipher Farmworker Services and Regulations,” speakers discussed a variety of topics, including the future of farming in Florida, domestic violence services for immigrants, farmworker health advocacy and local immigration issues. Attorney Roger Rosenthal, executive director of the Migrant Legal Action Program in Washington, D.C., gave a one-hour presentation on the national perspective on immigration policy. “We need to be very careful of unscrupulous attorneys,” Rosenthal said. Rosenthal discussed the 109th Congress’ bill that wasn’t approved and the 110th Congress comprehensive immigration reform legislation. Rosenthal told that crowd that no legislation on comprehensive immigration reform has been passed, including the House bill Security Through Regularized Immigration and a Vibrant Economy Act of 2007 or STRIVE Act. Or the proposed Dream Act, which would provide a path to citizenship for students who are illegal immigrants, and the AgJobs bill, which would provide a path to certain agricultural workers. Rosenthal talked about the fear created in communities when local law enforcement is enforcing not only the local law, but also immigration law. Maria Perez, a home-school liaison for the Head Start program, questioned if deputies could stop mothers as they are dropping or picking up their children at school. Perez said mothers are concerned. Although U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) can stop someone for being undocumented, Rosenthal said if they only stop Latinos at schools they could face a civil rights issue. Collier County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Tom Davis of the minority and ethic affairs division responded that deputies who were recently certified in an ICE training session to act as U.S. Immigration and Custom said they would not stop mothers and are working on a policy with the Department of Homeland Security. Once the policy is established, the 25 trained deputies will focus undocumented immigrants who have committed “serious crimes,” Davis said. “The community is living in fear of the Sheriff’s Office, “ Sister Maureen Kelleher, who is a Legal Aid Service if Collier County attorney, said. “Some of them have rights…to defend themselves in an immigration court.” During the workshop, Rosenthal also stressed to the crowd that there are government agencies available with no immigrant restrictions, including Women, Infants & Children(WIC), Head Start and free and reduce price meals. An undocumented parent can apply for benefits for their child, such as food stamps, he said. Several information booths, ranging from WIC,, Jump Start Family Literacy Academy to Guadalupe Social Services and Bethune Education Center, lined the walls in the gym with plenty of pamphlets and packets for goers. The event is held annually to provide agencies a networking opportunity with current information on farmworker services and regulations, said Nancy Frees, head of the Immokalee branch of the Collier County Health Department. Among attendees on Thursday was Rosa Martinez, an area family support specialist at Redlands Christian Migrant Association. Martinez has attended the seminars for the past three years. She was joined by 15 more RCMA staff members. “We came because of the immigration issues, because we work with migrant families in our centers,” said Martinez, 52, who has worked with RCMA for 23 years. Martinez said she found the presentation useful since has already had families receive the Social Security Administration “no-match” letters. President of the Immokalee Lions Club William Trevino Jr. echoed Martinez. Trevino, a former farmworker, said there needs to be a focus on the current problem that the agriculture industry could face and find a solution for the agriculture workers instead of simply saying send them back to their country. He questions who will do the fieldwork. Other concerns that Trevino has are housing for immigrants and education for their children. “It’s important that we find out about these things,” Trevino, 65, said.
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