lisa67

So with all this chat about the new law in Arizona (in a recent, unscientific phone in poll on our local TV station, 73% who phoned in voted they they wished Texas would do the same )
Would you turn in someone to USCIS if you knew they were here illegally? and would you knowingly employ an illegal? There are so many Mexicans working around where we live that I'm sure I must have come across some illegal immigrants, what would I do if I knew someone who was working on my property, even if it was for the landscaper, was illegal???? Just got me thinking that's all.

candy wy.

No I would not turn in an illegal.. had a couple working where I worked, one had had a visa but not a visa to work there.. the other one had an expired visa.. I believe in Karma..

Zonie

When I moved into my present home I needed a wall demolishing and a view fence erected in its place. The realtor recommended a guy originaly from Mexico and I gave him the job. He turned up with his workers and got to work.

I wanted photographs of before, during and after the work for my interest. One day I came out with the camera while they were still working and everyone except the boss scattered out of the yard.

I'll let you draw your own conclusions. That was 3 years ago and as far as I know they all still work in the area.

Giantaxe

I wouldn't knowingly employ an illegal immigrant but I wouldn't turn in someone I knew to be illegally in the US. Like Zonie, I suspect that I've unknowingly hired illegals either directly or through them working for someone else I hired.

lisa67

I think i'm with you on this one.
What about if you knew someone who'd come over from Europe, wasn't from a derprived situation and you knew they were here illegally..would that change your decision?
I don't know whether I'd be more worried about covering my own backside (still working on getting that GC) I would like to think that I wouldn't turn them in

zargof

I don't think I would turn someone in if I knew they were here illegally, but there is no way I would knowingly hire them. There big story on the local news for the last week has been about the guy in Postville how could possibly get life imprisonment for hiring a bunch (actually hundreds) of illegals.

SultanOfSwing

I work in a landscaping company, in the office. I see Mexicans come in for their paychecks on a weekly basis - and I have no idea who is illegal or who isn't (though I'm not in payroll so I also don't care). I wouldn't take the time to find out if one was illegal, never mind turn him in, he's not doing me any harm by being here.

Actually, those Mexicans are what is keeping the company going, since they do all the labor for not much money I might add. On the other hand, if I was the owner, I wouldn't knowingly hire an illegal, but that's just common sense. If I have a contractor doing work on my house and they happen to use illegal labor, that's none of my business.

The less informed of us 'down our way' will wax lyrical about the f*in Mexicans this and that but it's ridiculous. I'll tell you one thing, as a youth footy coach, the Mexican parents on my team are way more supportive of their children than some of the parents on some of the, how shall I put it, less diverse teams in the area. Plus they're always nothing but nice to me as well, and they're usually the ones that will help ref a game if we don't have an assigned one. I've been lucky with all my parents in fairness, as far as sideline reffing and general obnoxiousness. I could get into a whole other thread about the crap that goes on at some of those games though so I'll spare you!

Good question though, Lisa, and on your second post you brought up another good point. Here's one though, and more for the Mexicans since they are out here doing useful work already - if they were granted status, wouldn't there be a benefit in the increased tax revenue they could bring in? Or am I just being stupid? Obviously employers being able to get those workers on health plans might help things too, but I'm again thinking out loud.

I was never a political person, unfortunately the US is making me into one . To me, there are other things I'd like to see being taken care of right now. I don't necessarily agree with entering the US illegaly - there is always a right way to do things, but on the other hand, I think we have better things to be spending our money on than running round asking everyone for their paperwork . . .

Englishtart

When we lived in TX, it bothered me more that the workers that came to work on our house couldn't speak a word of English, didn't really care if they were illegal, but I would like to be able to explain what was needed and be understood.

It really got on my tits that when you call the company, you get to speak to someone that speaks English, then when the actual workers arrive, it was all 'hand signals'

Haven't run into that too much here in IL though.

To answer the OP's question though, no, I wouldn't turn anyone in, but I wouldn't hire anyone that didn't make the effort to learn the language!

SultanOfSwing

I never even thought to mention the language issue - it can be a hurdle, but it was weird that the company you dealt with didn't at least send a foreman out who could speak English. In our company many of the crews don't speak English well, if at all, but the guys who run the crews can speak well enough to communicate with the customer if needs be.

Having said that, if you look at some of the proposals that go out, even the broken English the workers speak is better

Englishtart

That was the only problem I had, if there was even one of the guys that spoke English, it would have been fine, but none did. They were carpet fitters, maybe they didn't think they would need to converse with me

One guy that needed the loo even pointed to his cock to help me understand what he needed!

Leslie

Maybe it wasn't the loo he was hoping for.

Octang Frye

I worked for a moving company during the last recession. I won't reveal their name, because I don't want to get them in any trouble. I'll just call them *tudent Movers.

Anyway, during the summer, perhaps 10-15% of the employees were actually engaged in the academic arts.

Most of the rest were in half-way houses. There was also a sizable contingent of Lithuanians and Ukrainians and Russians who had overstayed their visas and were living and working here illegally.
I also saw Indian co-workers get laid off from a software company and not go back home. They took up jobs in gas stations etc.

It annoyed me, but I didn't dob them in. I was tempted a couple of times.
I don't believe in karma, per se, but I do believe in not doing something that I'll find hard to reconcile with a good conscience later.

Englishtart

maybe you are right! but that is all he got

Bob

No skin off my nose, unless they stole my winter parking spot

Seriously, dob the employer in and let them deal with the ball ache rather than the person trying to better themselves.

sir_eccles

A question for those in a hiring position.

If you are against knowingly hiring illegal workers I assume there is a long line of out of work bankers and perhaps car assembly workers down from Detroit who are fighting eachother for the hard back breaking work in the fields or what not?