Burning Atlanta

We've been screaming this for years: CUT OFF THE JOBS. In this instance it was a combination of law enforcement and the jobs drying up. GOOD. And pay attention to a Sheriff with the right attitude. Not the pass the buck, it's a federal matter and we don't want to get involved, "immigrants" will be afraid to report crimes, BULLSHIT that we hear from others.

See ya.' Canada is a real nice place, go there. *S*

Many of the illegal immigrants who once were a visible part of Bay County’s schools, churches and construction sites have disappeared.

Sheriff Frank McKeithen said earlier this month the work of his agency is a major factor in the exodus. However, construction experts and others involved in the immigrant community say the construction boom that brought the workers to Bay County has dried up, forcing them to seek work elsewhere.

“There are a lot of people that are disappearing,” said Efren Cisneros, who runs a Bible study for Spanish speakers at St. Dominic’s Roman Catholic Church. Participation is down by 50 percent, he said.

“People are going up towards Tennessee,” he said, citing work as the draw for the immigrants.

Others are leaving the Panhandle for Canada, Cisneros said.

“They seem to have a little more compassion,” he said of Canadians. “It’s easier for them to go to Canada in a somewhat legal way.”

After tiring of being told local law enforcement could not do anything about illegal immigrants, the sheriff researched the situation and found they could be prosecuted for using fake documents and Social Security numbers.

The illegal immigrants buy the numbers, which usually trace back to the deceased or people whose identities have been stolen, on the street so they can be hired.

“If it’s illegal, it kind of doesn’t sit well with me,” McKeithen added. “It’s everybody’s problem when somebody is violating the law.”