Butler County, Ohio Sheriff’s Deputies to Visit Businesses and Job Sites for Illegal Workers

NOTE, Oct. 23: In case you came over to this post from elsewhere expecting to see something supporting illegal immigration, you will be disappointed. Someone who linked to this post extracted the following partial sentence below to claim that I support illegal immigration and cheap labor:

….. I think it’s safe to say that the majority of new homes are being built using more-expensive homegrown labor, and that the high-priced cost structure (plus of course market demand) is driving new home prices.

This is an observation containing some speculation, and is not an opinion. In context, it’s saying that the fears of the Cincinnati Enquirer expressed earlier in the post that home prices may go up as a result of illegal immigrants being taken away from homebuilding jobs are probably unfounded.

The full paragraph containing the above excerpt (and the entire post) makes it crystal clear that I am not in any way an illegal immigration/cheap labor supporter:

Even if Mr. deStefano is fibbing (labor leaders quoted in the article don’t agree with him; you be the judge), I think it’s safe to say that the majority of new homes are being built using more-expensive homegrown labor, and that the high-priced cost structure (plus of course market demand) is driving new home prices. What is really happening is that those using low-paid illegals are pocketing undeserved windfalls. That should be stopped.

I would say that I’m sorry you were misled here, but that would not be right. The person who owes you the apology is at the blog that did the misleading.

Tom Blumer
BizzyBlog

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Imagine that — a law enforcement officer, in this case Butler County (OH) Sheriff Rick Jones, is announcing that he will enforce immigration law:

For Immediate Release May 11, 2006
Sheriff Jones responds to complaints

Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones announced today that over the past few months his Office has been inundated with information and complaints regarding area businesses and employers that may employ illegal undocumented aliens.

Sheriff Jones felt that it was important that all employers are aware that to knowingly hire or continue to employ an illegal undocumented alien is a violation of Federal Law 8 USC Sections 1324 and 1324a. Sheriff Jones realizes that some employers may inadvertently have an illegal undocumented alien on their payroll.

Therefore as a public service, Sheriff Jones will be sending Deputy Sheriff’s to area businesses and job sites to make the businesses owners aware that information had been received by the Sheriff’s Office regarding their business possibly employing illegal undocumented aliens. Sheriff Jones not only wants the businesses to know that information had been received but to also offer assistance in confirming the legal status of any employee that a business may suspect to be an illegal undocumented alien.

Sheriff Jones has assigned personnel within the Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Division to oversee illegal undocumented alien information and investigations.

• Their first priority is to seek out and arrest those individuals who have been classified as “Criminal Aliens” (those that have been convicted of certain crimes while here illegally).
• Their second priority is to assist area Businesses in helping them achieve compliance with Federal Immigration Laws.
• Their third priority would be to assist in the investigation and prosecution of area businesses and employers who chose to ignore the law.
• Finally the Unit’s fourth priority would be to work with Federal Agents in the due process of individuals found to be here illegally.

Information about employers who possibly hire illegal undocumented aliens is often obtained from visitors to the Sheriff’s Office website. Anyone wishing to provide additional information may do so by visiting the website at www.butlersheriff.org , or by writing the Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Unit at 705 Hanover Street, Hamilton, OH 45011.

More thoughts on the matter are at Sheriff Jones’ related blog entry from this morning (”Employers Take Note”).

About, bleeping, time.

So what does The Cincinnati Enquirer focus on? In response to a raid earlier this week in across the river in Northern Kentucky, it frets that the cost of building homes might go up:

But a federal crackdown could drive up the price of a new home regionally, local experts say.

The crackdown included a raid this week against Crestview Hills-based Fischer Homes, resulting in the arrest of 76 allegedly illegal immigrants and charges against four construction supervisors.

The Northern Kentucky raid by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency is likely to continue to ripple through the region’s home building industry, say industry observers. And it will mean higher costs for builders who will either have to pay higher rates to attract domestic workers or face higher costs to make sure their immigrant labor is legal.

That’s funny, because of this quote in the same article:

Dan deStefano, president of the Home Builders Association of Greater Cincinnati, said use of illegal immigrants is wrong but isn’t a problem among its 1,300 members.

Even if Mr. deStefano is fibbing (labor leaders quoted in the article don’t agree with him; you be the judge), I think it’s safe to say that the majority of new homes are being built using more-expensive homegrown labor, and that the high-priced cost structure (plus of course market demand) is driving new home prices. What is really happening is that those using low-paid illegals are pocketing undeserved windfalls. That should be stopped.

Of course the Ohio ACLU is moaning, but I’ll leave others to comment on that.

For the moment, hats off to Sheriff Jones.
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UPDATE: A commissioner in the Ohio county where I live, Warren County, is suggesting similar action.
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