Shawnee legislator plans bill that he hopes will help 'Oklahoma redeem itself'
Shawnee legislator plans bill that he hopes will help 'Oklahoma redeem itself'
By Jennifer Mock
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Published: November 11, 2007
Shawnee Rep. Shane Jett says he isn't a radical. But as one of the only Republican state lawmakers to speak out against immigration reform that went into effect earlier this month, many may see him that way.
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Shane Jett
HB 1804
House Bill 1804, most of which went into effect Nov. 1, ends most state benefits for illegal immigrants, makes it a felony to harbor or transport someone not here legally and will punish employers who hire undocumented workers.
•The bill passed the state Senate with a vote of 41-6, with one member absent.
•It passed the state House with a vote of 85-13 (three members were counted absent for the vote, including Rep. Shane Jett).
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Proposed legislation
Jett plans legislation next session that he said will address the "unintended consequences” of HB 1804. Though the details of the bill still are being worked out, Jett said he would put into place a system similar to a guest worker program, where each illegal immigrant would be assigned an identification number to ensure they are paying the proper taxes. That money would then be captured entirely by the state to pay for any public services the illegal immigrant population is using.
"This is an opportunity for Oklahoma to redeem itself,” he said.
One of those unintended consequences is a reduction in the labor force as immigrants flee to other states out of fear.
Driving these workers further underground will exacerbate the work force shortages Oklahoma is already seeing as the baby boomer generation reaches retirement age, he said.
"No one set out to injure Oklahoma's economy, but that is what will happen,” he said.
The new law puts the state at an economic disadvantage as viable workers leave, most of whom want to play by the rules but can't because they must hide in the shadows, Jett said.
The number of illegal immigrants in the state is unclear, but based on the 2000 census and federal statistics, 46,000 illegal immigrants lived in Oklahoma in 2000. But, Rep. Randy Terrill, author of HB 1804, says he estimates 250,000 immigrants are here illegally, if not more.
What people aren't talking about is that if those people leave, that equals 250,000 jobs that will need to be filled, 250,000 fewer gas tanks filled each week, 250,000 loaves of bread not bought at the store, and 250,000 mortgage or rent payments not being made, Jett said.
"All because they don't have permission slips to be here,” he said. "These are real people, we can't forget that.”
Searching for the truth
The rhetoric paints illegal immigrants as less than human, hiding in shadows and stealing taxpayer dollars while not contributing to the system. But that isn't the whole story, Jett said.
"I don't believe Oklahoma families want to bust up families,” he said. "These people are contributing to our economy. There should be a way of redemption for them.”
"They found someone to blame who can't stand up and speak for themselves,” he said.
Jett said he is staking his political future on the idea that once Oklahomans hear the whole story and the implications of the law, they will look past the rhetoric and seek legislation "that takes into account human dignity.” Though Jett won re-election in 2006 with 60 percent of the vote, registered Democrats outnumber Republicans in District 27 almost 2-to-1.
"Fear can be mitigated with the truth,” he said.
In the end, Jett said any real reform is going to have to come at the federal level.
"Ultimately, this will not be resolved until Washington gets off high center,” he said.
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"Illegal Mexican Workers Could Receive Billions of Dollars from U.S. Social Security System
January 4, 2007 (Washington, DC) – After numerous refusals over three and a half years, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has released the first known public copy of the U.S.-Mexico Social Security Totalization Agreement. The government made the disclosure in response to lawsuits filed under the Freedom of Information Act by TREA Senior Citizens League, a 1.2 million member nonpartisan seniors advocacy group.
The Totalization Agreement could allow millions of illegal Mexican workers to draw billions of dollars from the U.S. Social Security Trust Fund.
A loophole in current Social Security law could allow millions of today's Mexican workers to eventually collect billions of dollars worth of Social Security benefits for earnings under fraudulent or "non-work authorized" Social Security numbers, putting huge new pressures on the Social Security Trust Fund.
If an illegal worker working in the United States today gets a "work authorized" Social Security number through guest worker immigration legislation, the Totalization Agreement, or perhaps just over time, that worker could eventually apply for Social Security benefits once he or she has met eligibility requirements."
Section 8 USC 1324(a)(1)(A)(iv)(b)(iii)
"Any person who . . . encourages or induces an alien to . . . reside . . . knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that such . . . residence is . . . in violation of law, shall be punished as provided . . . for each alien in respect to whom such a violation occurs . . . fined under title 18 . . . imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both."
Section 274 felonies under the federal Immigration and Nationality Act, INA 274A(a)(1)(A):
A person (including a group of persons, business, organization, or local government) commits a federal felony when she or he:
* assists an alien s/he should reasonably know is illegally in the U.S. or who lacks employment authorization, by transporting, sheltering, or assisting him or her to obtain employment, or
* encourages that alien to remain in the U.S. by referring him or her to an employer or by acting as employer or agent for an employer in any way, or
* knowingly assists illegal aliens due to personal convictions.
It tries to bring people together instead of tearing them apart.
It tries to create momentum on our higher qualities, like compassion, rather than our baser ones, like fear