Immigration debate set at CSC
How should America deal with the millions of undocumented immigrants living and working in the nation? That question will be the subject of a debate at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 12 in the Student Center at Chadron State College. The program will be open to the public without charge.
The speakers will be Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, and Enrique Morones, a human rights activist and founder of Border Angels, a humanitarian organization.
The PEW Hispanic Center conservatively estimates that at least a half million Mexicans have crossed the border illegally each year since 2000. The organization reported in 2005 that the United States had at least 7.5 million unauthorized workers from Mexico and other countries (most of them in Central America) and that the total number of people in the country without authorization approached 12 million.
Much of the nation has been impacted by the immigration. While a half of the illegals once lived in California, only a fourth of them now reside there and the total is much larger.
Stein’s organization, known as FAIR, is described as being non-partisan seeking “effective, sensible immigration policies that work for America’s best interests.” It claims to have been called upon to testify before Congress on immigration bills more often than any other organization.
FAIR’s website reports that Nebraska has about 24,000 illegal immigrants and says the state spends $126 million annually for medical care, education and incarceration of those who are in the state illegally.
Morones’ organization reportedly consists of volunteers who want to stop unnecessary deaths of individuals traveling through the Imperial Valley deserts, mountains near San Diego and other areas along the United States and Mexican border. Members of Border Angels frequently place water, blankets and food along the border to help save migrant lives.
Morones was the first two-time president of the San Diego County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He also is founder of the House of Mexico in San Diego’s Balboa Park. The facility promotes Mexico’s art culture and history.
He is recognized as one of the 100 most influential Latinos in the U.S. by Hispanic Business Magazine.
The debate will be part of the Distinguished Speaker Series at CSC.
Category: Campus Events, Campus News