Pratika blog

Costa Mesa, CA, Sept. 15 -- Politicians are learning fast that one of the not-so secret ingredients to winning votes in 2010 is to be against illegal immigration. E-Verify, the federal system that allows employers hiring someone to check their social security number for authorization to work in the United States, is taking center stage on this heated issue.

Costa Mesa Mayor, Allan Mansoor, who is running for State Assembly has apparently heard his constituents loud and clear. He is beginning the process to require all employers in Costa Mesa as well as the city and it's vendors to use E-Verify by requesting authorization from City Council to research the E-Verify system. Costa Mesa would become the third city in Orange County to mandate E-Verify after Mission Viejo and Yorba Linda.

Although, many politicians around the country are throwing their hat into the anti-illegal immigration fight for the first time, Mansoor has established himself for years fighting illegal immigration including closing down day laborer locations in Costa Mesa.

In Southern California where immigrants can outnumber U.S. born citizens in some communities, people of different nationalities have always coexisted without much issue. Now that the Great Recession has created financial hardships on most families, people who once turned a blind eye are now sitting up alert as they hear about illegal immigrants taking American jobs. Voters are putting their politicians on notice this election, fight against illegal immigration or lose my vote.

The obvious defense against anti-illegal immigration is to declare racism. While racism certainly does exist, that does not seem to be the motivator with this emotional issue. Americans truly are scared for the first time in generations about how they will pay for the basics like food and housing. Many are living paycheck to paycheck and if employed are thrilled to have a job they despise. Anything that threatens our sense of security such as immigrants who could take jobs away from Americans, causes a feeling of fear which leads to anger. That's when the natural feeling of "wanting something done about it" kicks in.

On a broader scale, parents are worried about what the future holds for their children if illegal immigration is not under control. Programs like E-Verify give people a sense that something is being done to heal the wound. That wound will not be healed in Orange County or anywhere else until the job market returns to normal. Normal to most people is along the lines of, "I need a better job so I am going to send out some resumes and get a new job in the next month or two." That is the American work environment we have all become use to and that is what Americans expect to get back. Extending a generous hand toward illegal-immigrants may not return again until jobs return.

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