Saturday, March 25, 2000
Portune: Lend a hand to immigrants
He asks city backing for program
BY MARK CURNUTTE
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Councilman Todd Portune will ask council to formally embrace a new program that aims to assist immigrants — both legal and illegal — in the Tristate.
“This is an idea that's, frankly, long overdue,” Mr. Portune said Friday of the Immigrant Legalization, Education and Employment Project (ILEEP).
The program, spearheaded by the Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters, wants to help illegal workers obtain work permits and plans to push the federal government to punish employers who knowingly hire undocumented immigrant workers.
Mr. Portune last year introduced a series of motions that would assist immigrants, and moved that the Cincinnati Human Relations Commission (CHRC) and social service providers assist undocumented people in applying for work permits and other docu ments.
“The motions sparked work with CHRC, the building trades council and Su Casa,” Mr. Portune said of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati's Hispanic outreach ministry.
He also praised the ILEEP plan — which includes participation of educational, industry and other religious organizations — as a way to deal positively with the exploitation of undocumented workers by employers and landlords.
“It's a good way to cast the spotlight on illicit activities and the profiteers who prey on these people,” Mr. Portune said. “It's a human rights issue.
“It's important to have an official response to what's going to be a larger issue in the city.”
An estimated 75 percent of the region's immigrants are Hispanic. Su Casa estimates the region's Hispanic population at 30,000.
Immigrants of all backgrounds are eligible to participate in ILEEP. An estimated 20,000 to 60,000 illegal immigrants are working in the area.
The coalition program wants to help ease a projected shortage of 53,000 workers over the next 10 years.
Lawyers in ILEEP will work with illegal immigrants to help them get documents to allow them to work legally. Skills assessments will be given to determine if people have interest in working in construction.
Participants also will be eligible for English classes and other educational opportunities, as well as cultural diversity training to help them adjust to U.S. culture.
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