Why people don't sign up
Why people don't sign up
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By Randy Ellis
Published: November 1, 2007
Why don't all the people who came to this country illegally just sign up to become U.S. workers and citizens?
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How it gets tougher
Winningham said Mexico has been fairly good about granting extreme hardship waivers when children are involved, but it still takes months to process the requests, which can be awful for separated families living paycheck to paycheck.
Families have struggled with the situation for years, but now it gets even harder.
Today, one of the most stringent immigration enforcement bills in the nation takes effect in Oklahoma. It makes it illegal to hire, house, transport or conceal illegal immigrants.
"People are panicking,” Stump said. "We're being flooded with calls from panicked Oklahoma employers, scared landlords and worried health care professionals.”
Stump said he believes much of the fear is unfounded, but huge numbers of Hispanics are responding by making arrangements to leave the state.
"It's going to be in the tens of thousands,” he said, adding they are fleeing to Arkansas, Texas and other states they view as more friendly.
"It's going to have a terrible impact on the housing market and shopping in communities,” he said. "It will have a domino impact.”
Winningham agreed a lot of people are scared, but thought Stump's estimate of the number who would leave the state was high.
"I don't think it's going to be in the tens of thousands, but it could be 1,500 to 5,000,” he said.
So far, there is no evidence of any mass exodus from Oklahoma City schools, said Donald Claxton, spokesman for the district.
"We're down 76 kids across the district,” Claxton said, referring to all students, not just Hispanics. "We have 81 schools, so that's less than one per school, and some of those kids were suspended.
"We keep hearing that and we're watching, but we haven't seen any evidence of it yet.”

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