Published: May 17, 2008 12:38 am            

Work force is an immigration forum focus

After the “big leap” of House Bill 1804 in November 2007, local lawmakers and business people said they’re ready for “baby steps” when it comes to immigration.

“Immigration ... Where Do We Go From Here?” was the second in a series of four forums presented by Leadership Oklahoma throughout the state.

State Sen. Patrick Anderson, R-Enid; State Rep. Mike Jackson, R-Enid; Brian Hayden, vice president of human resources at Advance Food Co.; Nellie Trajo, Oklahoma Department of Human Services; and Allan McCobb, executive director of United Way of Enid and Northwest Oklahoma, served as panelists for the forum at Northwestern Oklahoma State University-Enid.

April Danahy, vice president of corporate communications at Security National Bank, served as moderator.

The legislation, Oklahoma’s law targeting illegal immigrants, has gained notoriety in the months since its passage, Anderson said.

“It’s not as bad as some fear,” he said.

But, Anderson said, “we need to be careful how we move forward.”

“We need to address immigration in a prudent manner and make sure it affects Oklahoma positively,” Jackson said.

Both Anderson and Jackson said HB 1804 isn’t that different from federal law already in place. Federal law and HB 1804 both make harboring, sheltering or transporting illegal immigrants a crime, and businesses are prohibited from employing illegal immigrants.

The existing laws also prohibit illegal immigrants from receiving most public benefits and driver’s licenses.

One difference with HB 1804 is public agencies and private employers with public contracts are required to participate in an electronic employment verification system.

Hayden said Advance has seen little impact from the bill’s passage.

“Ten years ago, we began verifying Social Security numbers,” he said. “We went above and beyond what the law required.”

Concerns the panel expressed about immigration were a growing shortage of workers, as well as the Hispanic community’s fear of HB 1804’s ramifications.

Hayden said with the baby boomer generation’s pending retirements and the number of illegal immigrants estimated to be working in the United States, there will be a shortage of workers within the next 15 to 20 years.

“It’s a train wreck coming down the pipeline,” he said.

Possible solutions discussed were implementing a guest worker program in Oklahoma, legalizing immigration and streamlining the citizenship process.

Jackson said the U.S. likely will have to look outside its borders to find needed workers.

“I do think there will be an attempt to address this,” Jackson said. “But it should be done legally.”

McCobb and Trejo said there were at least 2,000, and perhaps as many as 5,000, illegal immigrants in Garfield County.

“It scared a lot of people,” Jackson said of HB 1804 enactment. He said legal residents, as well as illegal ones, left be-cause of heightened awareness caused by the bill’s rhetoric.

Jackson and Anderson estimated between 20,000 and 25,000 people left Oklahoma after the bill’s passage.

McCobb said HB 1804, along with Senate Bill 163, commonly known as the English-only bill, can make Oklahoma look close-minded.

“There’s a perception in the Hispanic community that Oklahoma is anti-Hispanic,” McCobb said.

Trejo, who is Hispanic-American, agreed, saying she believes there’s more of a negative attitude toward people of Hispanic descent than before.

“With these lightning rod issues, it’s difficult to come to a compromise in the middle,” McCobb said. “We need to remember that residents, legal or not, are all human beings.”

“Immigration ... Where Do We Go From Here?” was sponsored by NWOSU and Dillingham Insurance.