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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 24, 1996)
Lawyer addresses irnmigration bill By Chad Lorenz Senior Reporter Politicians who support anti-immigrant legislation as a solution to the nation’s prob lems have a twisted view of immigration, an immigrant rights advocate says. “Immigrants do not come to this country to suck from our welfare system,” Renee Saucedo, a California labor lawyer said. They come to work, be with their fami lies and escape political persecution, she said. Saucedo spoke to 120 people at East Campus Wednesday night about the government’s hostility toward immigrants. Recently passed legislation will cut so cial benefits next year to legal, non-citizen and illegal immigrants, Saucedo said. During the five years immigrants have to wait to become legalized citizens, they will be cut off from Medicaid, supplemental se curity income, food stamps and Aid to Fami lies of Dependent Children, she said. Immigrants should have the same right to social entitlement dollars as citizens do be cause they pay the same taxes, Saucedo said.' “They don’t get the benefits that they con tribute to the pot we all take benefits from.” In California, employers have immigrants forge social security numbers and deduct taxes from their wages, she said. When im migrants go to collect, they get nothing. She said the bill also withdraws protec tion immigrants used to have when coming to the United States for political asylum. If immigrants encounter an agent ffojnthe Immigration and Naturalization Service, they have to explain why they were afraid lo ie main in their homeland, she said. “If that INS agent doesn’t believe thatper son, he or she can send thatperson back right on the spot.” Anti-immigration legislation will give the INS more authority and agents, which, Saucedo said, will fuel immigrant abuse. • Saucedo said she had seen documented cases in which INS agents raided immigrant homes without warrants, threatened to shoot immigrants, paraded them through the streets naked, and raped immigrant women at the border before sending them back. This hostile immigrant policy 1 achieve what lawmakers want; it won’t scaa|§| ■'_ 'r>: : J Ryan Soderlin/DN ATTORNEY Renee Maria Saucedo, spoke at Nebraska East Union Wednesday. the immigrants back to their homelands, she said. “We’re creating a lower tier in our soci ety: a tier of poor, unhealthy people ... that believes... they are somehow unequal to us.” Latino school children in California felt that way so strongly, a teacher found them rubbing flour into their skin and saying that o they could be like whites, Saucedo said. “The message is being sent loud and clear m that they’re not welcome here, that ’re not Welcome in the schools.” _' ASUN bill opposes initiatives By Tasha E. Kelter Staff Reporter ASUN unanimously passed a bill Wednes day stating its opposition to ballot Initiatives 411 and 412 because of concerns the measures would force a tuition increase and cut student services. The initiatives would require the state to provide a “quality education” for K-12 students while reducing the property taxes that help fund education. To compensate, senate President Eric Marintzer said the money would have to come from income and/or service tax increases or budget cuts in local and state government en titlements. Tuition might skyrocket to make up for the cuts, hg said, which would attract fewer stu dents, fewer quality faculty applicants to the university and would hurt Nebraska’s economy. 66 You shouldn't upset the apple cart all at once." James Griesen vice chancellor for student affairs James Griesen, vice chancellor for student affairs, said he supports a more gradual transi tion into lower taxes than the initiatives pro pose. “You shouldn’t upset the apple cart all at once,” he said. Also at the meeting, Stephanie Sessler, a junior management major, addressed her con cerns about the lighting on City Campus. Sessler said she has taken informal surveys that show most students would be willing to pay up to $3 more in fees per credit hour to improve campus lighting “as long as they saw results.” Law lets employers lire at will FIRED from page 1 he had never been fired from a job before. “I’m confused. I didn’t know if my hours didn’t work out or what,” Massara said. “We’re not for everyone, our style of busi ness wants people that can work with our pro gram,” Old Chicago manager Jeff Daley said, “we overall have a very high retention rate of employees.” * On the other hand, the new Hy-Vee on 27th and Superior streets does not dismiss employ ees except in theft or extremely poor perform mance cases. - “We have no layoffs. We will always find work somewhere for one of our employees,” said Russ Pinyan, food store manager. “We will put them somewhere where they will succeed.” Different businesses have different ap proaches and policies for hiring and firing. Awareness of those policies is important when offered a job, Wines said. “Make real sure of what your employer ex pects out of you, what their expectations are,” he said. “Have good rapport with your em it Employers like the right to control their own work force. It gives them better control over their busi ness” Ed Wines Lincoln Employment Office ployer.” Nelson said he agreed and that switching jobs always involves some risk. “Basically, it’s buyer beware,” he said. “If you leave the job you’re at now, you’re taking a chance.” • ? -■M * 1