Ohio immigration raid sparks discussion
Illegal immigration was in the headlines again last week, as U.S. immigration officers raided a gardening and landscaping company’s locations in Sandusky and Castalia in northern Ohio — part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on employers suspected of hiring undocumented workers. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested 114 people Tuesday in the raids, which were some of the largest in years and drew national attention. The owners of the company, Corso’s Flower & Garden Center, were not arrested but are under investigation, according to ICE. To find out what you thought of the story, we turned to the comments on our Facebook pages. Some of those are presented here today.
— Ron Rollins
Joyce Gilliam: This is great. Thank you for doing such a good job, guys.
Julie Lee: Here’s a thought ... why not arrest the business owners who knowingly hire illegals?
Wic Che: Exactly. Use them up and ship them off like nothing. : /
Al Montoya: Joyce Gilliam, you yourself are an illegal. The US of A is all Indian land.
Danny Cox: I’m curious as to how many suspected MS-13 gang members were there amongst these low-wage-earning, hard-working amigos? Who is going to replace these 114 employees now, American entry-level workers? Are the owners able to pay a living wage (more than minimum) for this type of work? I’m against illegals in this country but I wish there was an easier way to keep productive, tax-paying people who are willing to do the jobs illegals are known to do . ... #has2BaBetterway.
Dan Smith: Able? Yes, most likely. Of course the owners will only be able to go to Hawaii once this year. But willing? Doubtful.
Pamela Sparkman Fields: I, too, am against illegals. I was just thinking that if these companies who need their labor would work with government to find a way to citizenship for them it would be a win-win. But as it stands they are illegal and that means what it says!!! Gotta go! Why isn’t this company being charged??? No way they had this many illegals and were unaware! It’s their job to know whom they are hiring!!!
Carol Rison: Maybe some receiving welfare could do these jobs.
Dale Lunsford: Voting Republicans will obviously take that minimum-wage, hard-labor job. Duh.
Dan Smith: Half the people I see hiring them act like it’s because they don’t have the time to look for legitimate employees.
Dennis Fisher: Well, this is one way to cut into the Democrat voting base.
John Doke: Ummmmm. I do not know how to tell you this, but illegals cannot vote in an election. Whatever your president tells you. MAGA !!!!!!
Dale Scott Morgan: Well, land won’t scape itself. See how many good old-fashioned American folks apply for jobs there.
Charles MB Krohn: I know lots of Americans that do that kind of work.
Judy Parsons: My son does it.
David Bradley: My son works 12 hr days doing it. Paying his way through college. Zero loans.
Kyle Michael: America!!! Kenny Nichols: Round them up.
Julie Holtzman: Do it legally and I won’t complain. I pay taxes — do they?
Cathy Barker: Yes, under someone else’s SS number much of the time.
Lori Keith: According to Vox.com, “The most recent IRS data, from 2015, shows that the agency received 4.4 million income tax returns from workers who don’t have Social Security numbers, which includes a large number of undocumented immigrants. That year, they paid $23.6 billion in income taxes.”
Doug Clark: We need to make outlaws fear the law again. Chase them all down, no matter how many or few there are.
Derek Shellabarger: Ido not disagree with your statement at all. However, in the grand scheme of things, how big were these “outlaws”? By that, I say take a look at the manpower, hours, and money spent on this sting. There were more authorities there than people arrested. They had “air support.” Yet they managed to get a hundred or so people that basically plant flowers and mow lawns. Where are the real criminals? Wouldn’t this effort have been better off used on criminals that are ruining our country by murdering, dealing drugs, or other similar things? Again, not trying to validate these people as they are here illegally and shouldn’t be. I get that. I am just saying if we were “prioritizing” on what needed to be done, don’t you think this would be far down the list?
Doug Clark: We are a country, which means our borders are sealed. To gain access to our country illegally is a crime worth punishing. We need to set an example of them so others don’t think our laws are a joke.
Susan Betts-Alban: They were working at low paying jobs no one else wants.
Timothy Bell: Your point? It’s still aiding and abetting people who have done something illegal. How do you know no body else wanted those jobs?
Mason Beaucephus: No no no!!! They were working jobs no was able to get because the employer knew they could get away with slave labor. Not only should the workers be sent home for not doing their part properly but the employers should be heavily fined for allowing non-legals to work jobs that legals should hold.
Anne Margaret Weber: Ohio needs people — haven’t they heard?
Kathy Griffith-Smith: Out out out get them out.
Nancy Jones: When do we start deporting racists and other assorted deplorables?
Lori Keith: Unless the employers giving jobs to illegals are punished to the full extent of the law, they will continue to give those jobs to illegals. Illegal immigrants aren’t stealing our jobs, our richest citizens are giving our jobs away.
Lance McKenzie: Great job! All criminal illegal immigrants should be arrested and deported.
Deanna Watters: They certainly need to go to quite a few more places here in Ohio where are you know tons of illegals are.
Michael Blakley: Round them up and kick them out.
Dusty Struthers: I’m so glad these brown people aren’t going to steal my poop-cleaning job at the egg farm! Three cheers for the gestap — I mean ICE!
James Rastetter: Oh look, another leftist making a Nazi comparison. How did that work out for you in 2016? #maga2020.
Milton Perry: James Rastetter, the Nazi won.
Stephen Haas: Come here legally. People don’t mind if they come here and work.
Ramsina Lazar: Stephen Haas, it’s not so easy to come here legally. People die waiting for those papers. And all they want in life is the same things you do.
Kristie McKiernan: Stephen Haas, hahah. Go see the process. See how many have been working on it and working on it and still get shipped out. The system is broken. But do you care? Nah, you’re safe and cushy in your life.
Carole Pica Pittman: If employers would pay a fair wage, more workers would apply. But no — employers want cheap labor thereby lowering wages for Americans. Lame excuse that illegals will do the work Americans won’t.
Mary Hayes: They should have arrested the employer.
Tom Swonger: Good, fine the hell out of that business!!
Jeffrey Risner: A lot of rich white folks will have to mow their own lawns. Any poor Americans want their jobs?
Kristie McKiernan: No arrests made of employers? So we know what this is really about.
Patricia Karcher: They are illegals, they broke our laws. If they broke into your house, would you ... make up an excuse for that too?
Kristie McKiernan: They didn’t break into your home or mine. They are no danger and no threat. The only threat they pose is to expose everyone who has no heart left. And pretend all you want. We know what this is really about. MAWA (Make America White Again, aka, MAGA). If it was about breaking laws, all these corporations and businesses who employee illegals would get arrested, but they don’t, do they? Hmmmm, wonder why!?!?
Ann Elaine Nishwitz: It is illegal to hire workers that are not citizens or have a worker permit. These companies do this knowingly and hope not to get caught. They should pay a penalty.
Barbara Grencewicz: Kristie, everything isn’t about race. The law was broken, the illegals broke it. The employers will be fined, that is the penalty.
Linda Morse: Now try and find workers!! Americans won’t work for the low pay, long hours, hard work or the heat.
Donna Prather Lambert: Then give the jobs to those who came here legally.
Linda Morse: Donna Prather Lambert, they don’t want them either. Look at California — their crops rotting in the fields. Prices will skyrocket.
George Freeman: Why aren’t any of these employers charged?
Phil Dreer: Because they don’t really care about immigration, it’s just a political wedge. They love immigrant labor. The problem is, we have a president and his party claiming that illegal immigration is a severe and immediate threat to national security yet they don’t do anything about their cronies getting rich off illegal immigrant labor. 114 arrests but I didn’t see the CEO or COO name listed anywhere. Why aren’t they facing 114 counts of being accomplices to all these felonies? Something isn’t adding up here.
George Freeman: Phil Dreer, my point exactly — it’s all a dog and pony show for the base.
Muhammad Shabazz: Good luck filling those jobs.
Cindy McHugh: Disgusting. Did they run home and cart the kids off to detention camps, too?
Donna Prather Lambert:
I hope so — they are here illegally, too!
Chuck Yoder: No, Cindy, we will just send them all to your place, parents and all so you can take care of the matter.
Lyn Gibbs: Thank you for doing what you promised, Trump. There are legal ways to come to this country — use them.
Dennis Malkin: Trump better learn how to pick crops.
Josh Broome: Part of the problem is, that a lot of these jobs used to be done by teens for summer jobs. Now you can’t get them out of the house, or away from there digital devices.
Gail Bradford: Good — do not catch and release ... deport them ASAP.
Sheila D Shaw Amrine: President Trump doing his job very well. Go Trump.
Frieda Figgins: Did they arrest even one drug dealer?
Mike Matheny: I feel bad for the workers arrested. Until these business owners begin to face criminal charges and serious jail time they will continue to hire these folks.
Phil Dreer: Exactly. They’re only punishing decent working people while letting the real parasitic terrorists off scot-free.
Lynn Baker: Woohooo! Ice ice baby!!!
Gary Novak: Gestapo! Welcome to Nazi America!
Larry Titus Jr.: Well done! Bill Krob: Great! Do more of it!!!
Melanie Baker Majikas: How does this improve your life?
Bill Krob: Melanie Baker Majikas, people who are here illegally are receiving healthcare (free) and other benefits we pay for. Though some work, they are not paying into Social Security not does these employers who hire them. Many house relatives who are also illegally here and get into crimes. They have no intention of ever becoming citizens let alone learning the language. Bottom line it is a crime to be here illegally. Many do not have driver’s licenses or insurance. If they crash into you it’s on your insurance. And finally by having them here, how does it improve your life?
Ty Fullmer: Awesome. Donna Niehaus: Keep up the good work.
Jim Bauer: Yippee-ki-yay. Derek Leigh Stark: I can’t believe most of your comments. Wow ... these people have families. Kids that were born here in the U.S. And now fathers, brothers, uncles are getting deported all because they went out and tried to get work. You people make me sick.
Jeff Hall: Yer bleeding heart does not affect my stance on this.
Carol Moore: I am not against legal immigrants, it’s the illegals that depend on the citizens-taxpayers supporting them. We have seniors and veterans that come first.
Ramona Padilla Dus: We are a nation based on the rule of law! The law should apply to everyone! Come here legally or don’t bother coming!
David Kimpel: There are way more Americans cheating the system than immigrants that are cheating the system. Undocumented workers pay into a Social Security system money that they’ll never see. I’m sure there are way more Americans working under the table than undocumented workers. I wonder if everyone here that’s cheering Trump along only buy made-by-American (products)? I wonder if they care about undocumented white workers or if they only care about undocumented brown workers? I love the comments about how “I’ve tried to get a job.” There are plenty of places hiring. Everywhere! Places are begging for workers! Employers give free uniforms, free education, paid time off, free meals and still can’t find enough workers. You know why? Because it’s “beneath” Americans. Americans think that they can graduate high school and make $15 an hour with no experience; no communication skills and no work ethic and then get irate about immigrants coming in and working for $10, $11, $12 an hour.
Julie Ann Thornton Allera: This is unbelievable.
Pattie Bunker-Rowe: Yay — send them packing.
Gene Hurst: Progress! Christina Arbogast: I wonder if they’re raiding Trump properties as well. He is notorious for hiring illegals to perform work for well under the minimum wage.
Barb Robinson: I have mixed feelings about this. They are working. Most of them want to work. And want to have a good life. I wish they would do it the right way, so they don’t have to be watching their back; a lot of this hard labor work that would never get done. Get that green card and go by the rules.