to stay in their land may do so,” said Peter Vander Meulen, coordinator of the social justice office for the Christian Reformed Church. “The disturbing thing about the immigration issue is how uncomfortable and ugly the conversations tend to quickly get. It touches deep chords in all of us and it is difficult to have friendly, objective conversations about it.”
“It’s a fiscal issue for the state. The Federation for American Immigration Reform estimates that the cost for illegals’ health care, education, welfare, jails and human services is over $900 million a year.” — State Rep. Dave Agema
Vander Meulen believes that the answer to the discourse lies in comprehensive immigration reform, and he is encouraged by the stance many churches have taken. “Never has the religious establishment in this country been so unanimous on any public policy issue that I can remember. Yet not one of our strongly Christian West Michigan congressional delegation has responded to our pleas to sponsor or co-sponsor legislative action to reform our broken immigration system.” In fact, even more restrictive immigration policies are brewing in the state legislature. State Rep. Dave Agema, from West Michigan’s 74th District, is sponsoring HB 6377, legislation he describes as “like Arizona but tailored for Michigan.” Agema said he is introducing the legislation, in part, because “when illegals come here, they make a decision to break our laws and hence increase lawlessness in our society.” Agema listed other factors to justify the legislation, including security, jobs and the financial toll. “It’s a fiscal issue for the state. The Federation for American Immigration Reform estimates that the cost for illegals’ health care, education, welfare, jails and human services is over $900 million a year.” According to a 2006 study by the Pew Hispanic Foundation, the concern about jobs is one of the most common to justify the need for
a restrictive immigration policy. But the study found “no consistent pattern emerges to show that native-born workers suffered or benefitted from increased numbers of foreign-born workers.” As for security, Vander Meulen said he is bewildered by such concerns. “Do we really believe that an Arizona-style immigration bill will protect us from alleged Al Qaida cells on the east side of the state?” That’s where State Rep. Kim Meltzer, R-Clinton Township, sponsored HB 6256, a bill that would give police the authority to arrest illegal aliens who are stopped and questioned on another offense. Meltzer says she’s proposing tightening immigration laws because “we have borders in place for a reason.” In response to the proposed legislation, a coalition of organizations and individuals spearheaded by the West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce released a statement which reads, in part, “We are seriously concerned that the adoption and enforcement of this legislation will result in racial profiling of the immigrant community, in particular the Hispanic community, and will promote a hostile environment against them.” Kessler said one of the worst consequences is the break-up of families. “While the figures are impossible to accurately assess, some 20,000 Michigan students are thought to be children of illegal immigrants,” he said. “While often times these children do not speak Spanish and are not familiar with their native culture, there is currently no easy path to citizenship.” One bipartisan proposal known as the DREAM Act (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) would provide an opportunity for these children. Pioneered in 2001 by U.S. senators Orin Hatch (who now opposes it) and Richard Durbin, the DREAM Act would make undocumented youth 16 and under eligible for a six-year conditional path to citizenship. The children must agree to military service or a two-year degree. Recently, DREAM was part of a defense authorization bill in the U.S. Senate, but died in a Republican-led filibuster at the end of September. Advocates are hoping to reintroduce the legislation in the near future. The Ruiz children, who were forced to leave Grand Rapids because of the deportation of their father, will never know the effect the DREAM Act may have had on their futures. Raquel Ruiz’s English teacher, Dan Hooley, a recent Calvin College grad and Arizona native, said learning about the raid on the Ruiz home and on the homes of two other students had a big impact on him. “Having some idea of what the reality of deportation meant for their lives completely changed my perspective on immigration. … I knew these people and I knew their kids.” GR Tracy Taylor is a freelance writer in Grand Rapids.
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