New America Media, News Report, Alejandra Saragoza, Posted: Aug 05, 2011

Part 4 in the 5-part series, “Immigration’s New Battlefield.” Read Part 3 here.

Editor’s Note: The battle over immigration is now being waged at the state level. Since Arizona’s immigration law SB 1070 went into effect one year ago, five states – Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, South Carolina and Utah -- have passed similar laws.

In January, Indiana passed HB 1402, barring undocumented immigrants from accessing financial aid and scholarships to attend colleges and universities in Indiana, and requires that undocumented students pay out-of-state tuition.

Indiana’s SB 590, enacted in May, outlaws sanctuary cities, requires employers to use E-Verify, threatens to close down businesses that knowingly hire undocumented workers, and requires state and local governments to ensure that undocumented immigrants do not receive welfare benefits.

A month later, a federal court blocked several other provisions of the law. These would have required police to ask for papers if they had reasonable suspicion that someone they stopped was here illegally; declared ID cards issued by foreign consulates invalid; and made most government documents and hearings in English only.

According to the 2010 Census, Indiana has seen an 82 percent increase in the Latino population in the last decade, making it one of the states with the largest increases in the Midwest.

NAM interviewed community leaders and ethnic media journalists to learn the impact of these laws on the five states at the frontlines of immigration’s new battlefield.


Angela Adams, President, Immigrant Welcome Center (Indianapolis)
The attitude toward immigrants in general has become more hostile because of misinformation and the negative rhetoric surrounding these types of bills being proposed by states such as Indiana. I have heard of people leaving because they are scared and life is becoming more difficult. The risks are getting higher and there’s just a general perception that immigrants are unwelcome. Unfortunately, we should be sending the opposite message because immigration is good for the economy and foreign relations.

This is not just a Latino issue; this is everyone’s issue. Everyone is affected by this legislation. The non-Latino community has been very involved, especially the youth community.

The level of fear is high and I think this is a political issue, and that is a challenge. Sometimes it becomes a campaign tactic, and unfortunately there are people who prey on the fear of the unknown.

Steve Stiegelmeyer, aka GueroLoco, Indianapolis Rapper and Activist, No to SB 590 (Indianapolis)
People were invited to this country because we needed cheap labor, and now we’re pointing a finger at the weakest group of people without a voice. That’s why I stand up, because all this goes against what the United States is supposed to be about. These people don’t have a voice, but they are the ones that are getting picked on.

Michael Patterson, Managing Editor, Frost Illustrated (Fort Wayne, Ind.)
SB 590 has created some dialogue between people who understand it as a race issue, but I’m not sure people totally understand the legislation and what it could mean. A lot of people see it as a Hispanic issue because that’s the way the debate has been cast in recent times. But to some extent the Indianapolis NAACP is concerned about it and people in the churches have stepped up as well.

I think that there is a significant amount of people who are disturbed by it. Folks see it as a way to try to discourage people of color to become part of the American tapestry. They perceive it as another attempt to legalize some form of racism, because you didn’t see this issue when there was an influx of immigrants from Eastern Europe, for example. These issues seem to crop up when they concern people of color.

I think there are people representing seven different African nations here, including over 300 Sudanese, so this legislation will have a real impact on people.

When anti-immigration is talked about here, people talk about cracking down on “illegals.” But people see this as a smokescreen because there’s a reality about what people call “illegal immigration.”

Ellen Annala, President and CEO, United Way of Central Indiana (Indianapolis)
The general mood toward immigrants is relatively hostile and undocumented workers are feeling it. There’s a negative environment and the unfortunate part is that I don’t know if this legislation will even turn our economy around or put people back to work. Some people are arguing that immigrants are taking their jobs, but if citizens were working those jobs, there would have been no jobs for immigrants to begin with. This legislation is also not helpful or conducive to a state that is increasingly diverse.

Glenn Tebbe, Executive Director, Indiana Catholic Conference (Indianapolis)
It’s going to be a challenge to make sure the law is not going to affect the lives of immigrants as much as they fear it might, and making sure people stay rather than leave. In the coming year we’re hoping that this law is going to take off some of the pressure in terms of wanting similar laws. We’re confident that it’s going to work in our favor. Another problem is the number of state agencies that are now going to be required to use E-Verify. There are some hiccups in that and it provides another hoop that may be troubling.

Brandon Perry, Editor, Indianapolis Recorder (Indianapolis)
This legislation has impacted the African-American community. The consensus among most African Americans is that it is just another way to basically discriminate against minorities, and organizations within the African-American community have stood in solidarity with our immigrant and Latino populations against this legislation. There has been an improvement in the relationship between the African-American and Latino communities. Not to say that is was bad before, but the engagement has increased since this law was passed.

More youth have become involved in the issue as well. In May, five undocumented students were arrested in the office of our governor. They wanted to speak with him about the legislation and refused to leave until they had spoken to him, but they were arrested. Their main concern was a provision that prohibits tuition funding for undocumented students.

I think it’s important to note the changing political atmosphere in Indiana. Republicans have a lot of control in the state government and this particular majority, which is endorsed by Tea Party supporters, has become much more conservative. This majority in the state legislature ignored the bipartisan opposition to SB 590 and passed the bill anyway.

The first challenge will be regaining economic stability because the minority communities get hit the hardest, and the second challenge will be making sure our communities get more engaged in the political process for the 2012 elections.