The debate over illegal
immigration continues to rage across the country and Yamhill County
is no exception. While the number of illegal immigrants is highest
in border states such as California, Texas and Florida, Oregon and
Yamhill County are not immune. Illegal immigrants in the agrarian
county work, attend school, receive healthcare and benefits, are
issued driver licenses and pay taxes.
Illegal immigration is high on the list of Oregonians’ concerns
(second only to education issues), according to a June statewide
poll conducted by the Portland polling firm Davis, Hibbitts &
Midghall. And as politicians across the country debate solutions,
understanding the problem — and knowing if there is a problem — may
be more important than ever.
The majority of illegal immigrants in the United States emigrate
from neighboring Mexico, likely due to the shared border, difference
in economic climates and history of welcome migration (Mexican farm
workers were invited to migrate north during agriculture labor
shortages during both world wars).
Although more information is available on Mexican immigrants,
illegal immigrants may come from every corner of the globe. While
hard numbers of illegal immigrants are difficult — if not impossible
— to come by, reliable estimates can be found.
Oregon’s illegal immigrant population
The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) estimated
that there were 90,000 unauthorized immigrants in Oregon in 2000.
The Oregon Employment Department estimated that number had grown to
a state population of 120,000 to 132,000 illegal immigrants by 2005.
Those figures are based on statistics and geographic patterns from
Homeland Security’s Office of Immigration Statistics and the Pew
Hispanic Center, a research organization focused on the U.S.
Hispanic population. The Pew Hispanic Center’s 2005 estimate was
slightly higher, at 125,000 to 175,000.
The figures show an increase of 30,000 to 85,000 (33 to 94 percent)
over the five-year period. More than half of these individuals have
entered the work force, according to Employment Department
statistics.
“Many of the immigrants have businesses already here,” said José
Montoya, Hispanic coordinator for St. Peter Catholic Church (Iglesia
Católica San Pedro). Of the church’s Hispanic congregation, he said
that most are immigrants, at least some are illegal immigrants, most
“work in the fields” and many “have been here many years.”
“They contribute (to the community) economically by making more
jobs for everybody,” he said. “But (the y also contribute by)
bringing their culture to America.”
In the work force
The Employment Department estimated that 70,000 to 88,000
immigrants are either employed or looking for work in Oregon.
Official estimates are not available at the county level.
“Unfortunately, we do not already have estimates of illegal
immigrant workers by county,” said state employment economist Art
Ayre. “To disaggregate the statewide numbers to the counties would
require one or more additional assumptions that, I believe, would
reduce even further the reliability of the estimates.”
Ayre explained that if the Yamhill County to Oregon ratio for
Hispanic workers was consistent with the county to state ratio for
illegal workers, there were approximately 2,079 to 2,739
unauthorized workers employed in Yamhill County in 2005. That is
equal to 6.5 to 8.5 percent of the county’s total work force of
32,222.
Following that method of estimation results in an approximate total
of 3,960 to 4,356 illegal immigrants living in Yamhill County in
2005, based on the Employment Department’s state figures.
However, the department has not released official estimates for
individual counties.
Immigrant population
Yamhill County has a total population of 94,678, according to the
U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate. Of those, 13.0 percent are of
Hispanic/Latino origin. According to the 2000 census, 11.2 percent
of Yamhill County residents age 5 and over speak a language other
than English at home and 7.6 percent are foreign born.
In terms of percentages, Yamhill County is eighth in the state for
people of Hispanic/Latino origin and ninth for foreign-born
residents.
The “foreign born” classification includes legal permanent
residents, temporary migrants (such as students), humanitarian
migrants (such as refugees) and illegal, or unauthorized, migrants.
The different statuses are not distinguished between and numbers may
not accurately reflect the population, as results are based on
individual responses.
According to the Oregon Commission on Hispanic Affairs, the Yamhill
County Hispanic population increased 118 percent between 1990 and
2000, the fifth largest percentage increase in the state.
Removing illegal immigrants
Another indicator of illegal immigrants in the area is the the
number of arrests, or “removals,” made each year. In Oregon,
Washington and Alaska, noncriminal illegal immigrant arrests have
increased significantly over the past few years, according to U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) statistics.
ICE, a branch of the Department of Homeland Security, was created
in 2003 to replace both the INS and the former U.S. Customs Service.
Oregon falls under the jurisdiction of the Seattle Office of
Investigations, which also covers Washington and Alaska.
According to an ICE publication, 4,674 illegal immigrants were
removed in the three states during the 2006 fiscal year: 2,055 were
criminal arrests, while the rest stemmed only from immigration
status. Total arrests out of the Seattle ICE office increased 13.8
percent from 2004, ICE’s first year of operation. Noncriminal
illegal immigrant arrests increased 58.0 percent in the same time
period.
Mexican citizens make up the majority of illegal immigrants removed
by ICE across the country, with 59 percent of 2006 removals, down
from 63 percent in 2005 and 70 percent in 2004.
“ICE works diligently to enforce immigration laws currently on the
books using targeted enforcement actions based upon intelligence and
investigations,” said ICE spokeswoman Lori Dankers. “We will
continue to do so to preserve public safety and national security.”
Dankers would not make an “assessment of the illegal alien problem”
in the area.
Illegal immigrants may come to the country for jobs, for better
living conditions, for educational advantages, for healthcare or to
be with family, among other reasons.
In the schools
The illegal immigrant population between the ages of 5 and 19 may
take advantage of a pillar of American life: the public education
system. Just how many illegal immigrants take that opportunity is
impossible to say, as school districts do not collect that data,
according to Brian Reeder of the Oregon Department of Education.
“Under a 1982 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, the court established that
school districts don’t have a compelling interest in knowing (the
immigration status of students),” Reeder explained. “As a result,
almost no school district in the country ... collects that
information.”
The 1982 Supreme Court case Plyler v. Doe struck down a state
statute denying education funding to children not “legally admitted”
into the country and determined that withholding public funds for
education of undocumented children was unconstitutional.
As a result of Plyler v. Doe, school districts may not require
Social Security numbers or immigration documents of students or
parents or make any inquiries that could expose an undocumented
immigrant, according to a Department of Education publication.
Although it is impossible to know how many illegal immigrants
attend school locally, other figures are available. According to
Claudia Stewart of the Newberg School District, 666 Latino students
were enrolled in Newberg schools in October 2006, equal to 12.85
percent of the student population. The number has risen steadily
over the past few years, from 560 (11 percent) in 2002.
“English Language Learners” enrolled in the district in October
2006 numbered 457, up from 410 four years earlier, Stewart said.
English Language Learners are allocated an additional $2,845 in
state funds (above the base amount of $5,896) per child.
“Every child residing in an Oregon school district is entitled to a
free public education without regard to immigration status of the
child or their parents,” Stewart said.
According to the Department of Education, Latino students in Oregon
public schools numbered 90,363 during the 2006-2007 school year, an
increase of 7.3 percent from the previous school year. White
enrollment across the state continued a recent trend of decline.
Driver licenses, prison sentences and healthcare
Another opportunity available to immigrants comes in the form of an
Oregon driver license.
“Oregon has never had a requirement for citizenship (to receive a
drivers license) ... our only position is to follow the law,” said
David House of the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). According to
House, the DMV “assumes” that licenses have been issued to illegal
immigrants, but no figures are available.
Proof of citizenship or legal immigration status is dealt with
under the federal Real ID Act, passed by Congress in 2005. The
Oregon legislature will consider adoption of the Real ID Act in its
next session.
Illegal immigrants also make up a portion of the prison population.
According to a 2005 publication by the Federal Bureau of Prisons,
11.2 percent of the national inmate population is being held for
immigration offenses and 71.5 percent of inmates are U.S. citizens.
In hospitals, illegal immigrants may be given free healthcare.
However, numbers are not usually available, according to Providence
Newberg Medical Center spokesman Mike Antrim.
“We have a responsibility to provide to the people most in need,”
Antrim said. The hospital asks if patients are insured but does not
inquire about their immigrant status.
What’s the cost?
Education, driving privileges and jail time are not the only
benefits of American residency. Illegal aliens can also take
advantage of social services such as food assistance and Medicaid.
And while they do contribute in taxes, the costs may not balance.
According to a 2004 study released by the Center for Immigration
Studies, a research organization that studies the effects of
immigration on the United States, illegal immigrant households
caused a 2002 federal net deficit of more than $10 billion after
paying taxes.
The study, based on U.S. Census Bureau Data, found that households
headed by illegal immigrants cost the federal government more than
$26.3 billion in 2002 and paid $16 billion in taxes. The deficit
averaged $2,700 per illegal household.
Medicaid, treatment for the uninsured, food assistance programs, the
federal prison and court systems, and federal aid to schools were
identified as the largest costs.
The study identified low education levels as the primary cause for
the deficit, and estimated that if illegal immigrants were granted
amnesty, a possibility being argued on Capital Hill, the total net
deficit would increase to $29 billion.
Society may have come to depend on immigrants, who harvest crops
and often work less desirable jobs — for less money.
“(Immigrants are) very important,” said Scott Picker, owner of
Newberg’s Aspen Creek Landscaping, which he said employs a large
number of immigrants. “They’re a huge percentage of our labor force
and they help us keep our costs down.”
Illegal immigrants are most likely to work in industries such as
agriculture and construction, Ayre said. But as many farms move
towards crops that can be machine harvested or need little
maintenance, will workers shift to other industries? If not, a
worker surplus could allow employers to increase job qualifications
— like Picker, who “prequalifies” employees and will
only hire legal immigrants.
“If you’re paying everybody fair wages, they have to play by the
rules,” he explained. “That’s what’s important to me.”
What does it take to become a legal
citizen of the United States?
Many steps necessary to obtain legal documents
Getting a Social Security number or a driver license may seem like
a simple rite of passage to many Americans.
For immigrants, however, things are often more complex — whether
obtaining a simple document or permission to enter the country.
Legal permanent residency in the United States (green card)
Green cards can be obtained through marriage, relatives,
employment, investment, the Diversity Immigration Visa Program
(Green Card Lottery) or as a special immigrant.
One of the most common methods is through relatives (spouse,
widow(er), sibling, child, parent, step-sibling/parent or adopted
child/parent). However, processing time is often lengthy and can
take several years.
U.S. citizenship
Applicants must demonstrate good moral character; must be able to
read, write and speak English; must demonstrate knowledge of
principles of the Constitution; and must show favorable disposition
towards the United States.
Applicants must have resided legally and continuously in the
country for a required period of time and must pass the United
States Citizenship Test.
All children born in the United States are considered citizens
under Section 1 of the 14th Constitutional Amendment.
Social Security card
Applicants must complete an application form and document age,
identity and U.S. citizenship or immigrant status and work
eligibility.
There are three types of cards, relating to different levels of
work eligibility. The different cards may indicate “not valid for
employment” or “valid for work only with Department of Homeland
Security authority.”
Social Security cards are available to all citizens and to
non-citizens eligible for work or who require a Social Security
number to receive particular benefits or services.
Oregon Driver license
Applicants must document Oregon residency; provide a Social
Security number or sign a Statement of No Social Security Number
form; give proof of identity; pass a driver license knowledge test
and a behind-the-wheel drive test; be free from driving-inhibiting
medical conditions; pass a vision screening; relinquish any valid
license or permit from another jurisdiction; pay testing and
issuance fees; and not have suspended or revoked driving privileges
in any state.
For proof of identity and address, the applicant must submit two
“primary” documents or one primary document showing name and date of
birth and two “secondary” documents.
There is no law or statute requiring verification of citizenship to
receive an Oregon driver license. |
