NCJ Number
51757
Date Published
1978
Length
56 pages
Annotation
THE ILLEGAL MEXICAN ALIEN SITUATION IN JOLIET, ILL., IS ASSESSED, FEDERAL PROPOSALS REGARDING ILLEGAL ALIENS ARE REVIEWED, AND LEGISLATION DESIGNED TO DEAL WITH THE ILLINOIS SITUATION IS PROPOSED.
Abstract
THE STUDY OF JOLIET WAS PROMPTED BY A NEWSPAPER REPORT DESCRIBING JOLIET AS THE MAIN DISTRIBUTION POINT FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS COMING INTO THE CHICAGO AREA FROM GUANAJUATO, MEXICO. THE LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION THAT CONDUCTED THE STUDY TALKED TO IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICE (INS) AGENTS, LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS, ILLEGAL MEXICAN ALIENS WHO HAD BEEN ARRESTED, HISPANIC LEADERS, AND BUSINESSPERSONS IN JOLIET. THE COMMISSION FOUND THAT, ALTHOUGH JOLIET COULD NOT BE CONSIDERED THE MAIN DISTRIBUTION POINT, IT IS AN IMPORTANT ONE. OTHER CITIES IN THE CHICAGO AREA ARE EQUALLY ATTRACTIVE TO ILLEGAL MEXICAN ALIENS, AND CHICAGO ITSELF HARBORS CONSIDERABLY MORE ILLEGAL ALIENS THAN JOLIET. IT WAS SUBSTANTIATED THAT JOLIET IS THE HEADQUARTERS FOR SEVERAL FAMILY-RUN SMUGGLING ORGANIZATIONS. THE COMMISSION CONCLUDED THAT JOLIET IS A POPULAR HAVEN FOR ILLEGAL MEXICAN ALIENS BECAUSE THE CITY ALREADY HAS A SUBSTANTIAL MEXICAN POPULATION, JOBS IN LIGHT INDUSTRY ARE AVAILABLE, AND INS AGENTS RARELY VISIT JOLIET. IN REFERENCE TO THE NATIONAL PROBLEM WITH ILLEGAL MEXICAN ALIENS, IT IS POINTED OUT THAT, AS THE ECONOMIC DISPARITY BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND MEXICO WIDENS, INCREASING NUMBERS OF MEXICANS WILL ATTEMPT TO ENTER THE UNITED STATES. THE CARTER ADMINISTRATION'S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INSTITUTING AN AMNESTY POLICY AND A TEMPORARY RESIDENT ALIEN STATUS TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM ARE NOTED, AS IS THE FACT THAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE NOT BEEN EMBODIED IN FORMAL PROPOSALS OR LEGISLATION. OBSERVING THAT, IN THE INTERIM, STATES WITH ILLEGAL MEXICAN ALIEN PROBLEMS ARE LEFT TO THEIR OWN SOLUTIONS, AND CITING A U.S. SUPREME COURT RULING MAKING IT CLEAR THAT STATES CAN REGULATE THE EMPLOYMENT OF ILLEGAL ALIENS AND FINE EMPLOYERS WHO KNOWINGLY HIRE ILLEGAL ALIENS, THE COMMISSION PROPOSES LEGISLATION DESIGNED TO REDUCE THE AVAILABILITY OF JOBS FOR ILLEGAL MEXICAN ALIENS IN ILLINOIS. THE COMMISSION ALSO RECOMMENDS THAT BUSINESSES VOLUNTARILY COOPERATE WITH THE INS, AND THAT ILLINOIS JOIN OTHER STATES IN URGING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION TO RESOLVE THE ILLEGAL MEXICAN ALIEN PROBLEM. A COPY OF THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION IS INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)