ALLEGED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS REPORTED WORKING AT SOUTH CAROLINA STATE HOUSE
FITSNews – May 16, 2008 – You’d think with all the heated immigration reform rhetoric coming out of the S.C. General Assembly this year, the steps of the State House would probably be the last place you’d find illegal aliens working. Not so, according to The Palmetto Scoop, which broke perhaps the most ironic political story we’ve heard all year yesterday afternoon:
Less than a day after the South Carolina Legislature failed to pass a comprehensive immigration reform plan, The Palmetto Scoop has discovered that an out of state firm contracted to make repairs to the statehouse may be using illegal immigrants.
The Scoop exclusive goes on to say:
When asked if they were legal U.S. residents, the (workers) reportedly shook their head side-to-side indicating “no.” Further attempts to communicate with the men in English were allegedly unsuccessful.
FITSNews photographers also took several pictures of these workers yesterday, all of whom are employed by Salem Contracting of Matthews, North Carolina.
Salem representatives did not respond to repeated inquiries from FITSNews yesterday afternoon seeking documentation for the workers assigned to the State House project, but our sources at the site also confirmed that the workers were “non-responsive” when asked about their legal status.
According to S.C. Budget & Control Board spokesman Mike Sponhour, “the obligation is on the contractor, not the state” to provide documentation of the legal status of its workers.
“All state contractors have to follow state and federal law,” Sponhour told FITSNews.
Of course, when the workers are laboring just a few feet away from the still-raging immigration reform debate taking place inside the State House, wouldn’t at least a token inquiry be made as to their status given the potential for political embarassment?
“Anti-discrimination laws prevent the state from making those kinds of inquires,” Sponhour told FITSNews. “You can’t just go up to somebody based on what they look like and start demanding information.”
Frankly, we think the whole immigration reform debate in South Carolina is silly. Our tourism economy – which generates $16.7 billion a year – would pretty much shut down without illegal immigrants, and the fact that state legislators are wasting so much time bloviating on what’s clearly a federal issue is also discouraging.
Unlike previous “illegal alien scandals,” however, this one could prove even more embarassing for a lot more incumbents if these workers don’t end up “checking out.”
In fact, we can hear the cheesy ads now … “(Lawmaker Name) says they’re for immigration reform, but they can’t even keep illegal aliens off of their own front steps …”
By old bike dude May 16, 2008 at 6:01 am
Where the hell was Randy Bates and Catherine Ceips? Rod Shealy?
Were these the same IDS’s (Immigrants of Dubious Status) painting Tom Davis’ house?
By Monkeydarts May 16, 2008 at 8:28 am
Just doing the jobs South Carolinians won’t do.
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By Recovering Lobbyist May 16, 2008 at 9:47 am
Based on the legislation the House and the Governor is pushing, it would seem to me that all of them would have to surrender their license to legislate if these workers are illegal. Oh wait, you don’t have to have a license to legislate. But anyone else caught in this position, who is licensed in a profession, would lose that license if what the House and the Governor are pushing were to pass. This is conservative politics at its worst. I feel like I am in 1954 watching Joseph McCarthy.
By didi May 16, 2008 at 9:47 am
The immigrant hysteria is stupid. Anybody who isn’t full-blood Catawba, Edisto or Cherokee ought to shut up about immigration or go back where they came from.
The thing that bothers me is, why are they hiring an out-of-state firm to fix our state house? Can they not find a construction firm in the whole state?
By Jeff May 16, 2008 at 2:29 pm
Sen Hawkins is watching and waiting…one fall on those steps by these guys and its workers comp to the rescue!
By Ron May 16, 2008 at 5:33 pm
The South Carolia General Assesmbly can continue to “fiddle fart” around about immigration reform, and we’ll end up with “blood in the streets” of the Palmetto State. Our state is in “crisis mode” regarding immigration. Due to the non action of our Columbia lawmaker on this issue in addition to the “runaway spending” by the rino Repblican majority, i’ll not support any incumbents on June 10th and encourage my fellow citizens to do likewise. WE MUST NOT RELENT!
By Believe It Not (a.k.a. Sic Willie's Stalker) May 16, 2008 at 11:33 pm
Ron,
Back off the Crown when you blog.
Crown makes you misspell Repblicrat.
By slightly skeptical May 17, 2008 at 2:30 pm
Sounds like when our republic -the home of the free- had slaves build the White House
By StanD828 May 17, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Why are they using a North Carolina company to do the work anyway?
By Earl Capps May 17, 2008 at 10:27 pm
Odds are when they were shaking their heads “no”, they had no idea what they were being asked. But I would think that a modest level of ability to function in English would be a requirement for those with work visas.
So either they’re really illegal, or we really let just about anyone in.
By truthseeker May 17, 2008 at 11:12 pm
I would assume a North Carolina company got the contract using the basic rule of business today in the USA – he who has the cheapest Mexican labor gets the deal.
By Hernando Baldomero May 19, 2008 at 5:15 pm
Ron,
Wouldn’t it be funny if you in fact were an illegal immigrant? Or maybe, just maybe, if you turned out to be the infamous Roan Garcia-Quintana? You do seem to have a very similar voice.
Aren’t you a little tired of this “tried and failed” rhetoric?
Hope to see you at the farmer’s market sometime this week. Or have you forgotten that there are, in fact, fruits and vegetables grown in South Carolina?
Mucho Armor,
Hernando
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