New Haven Independent

As a national immigration debate gets hashed out at New Haven’s doorstep, DeStefano and Paul Streitz (pictured above at left) engaged in a civil debate on “In Touch With Mayor DeStefano” at the C-TV studios in Hamden Wednesday.

Streitz agreed that federal authorities are at fault for dumping immigration problems on communities like New Haven. But he disagreed over the appropriateness — and legality — of the solution New Haven has come up with.

The city ID plan has propelled New Haven into the national spotlight as Congress struggles to come to agreement on how to deal with the nation’s estimated 12 million illegal immigrants. The city will make identification cards available to all residents for a range of municipal services, regardless of immigration status. The mayor sees the plan as a practical public safety solution and a symbolic gesture of declaring New Haven a welcome home to immigrants.

Streitz, a Darien resident, is co-director of Connecticut Citizens for Immigration Control, a group that believes illegal immigration is a detriment to US society.

Democrat DeStefano welcomed Republican Streitz on the show, pledging “I’m not going to jump on you.”

“And I’m not going to jump on you,” replied Streitz.

The TV cameras rolled, with Police Chief Cisco Ortiz (at left i npicture) on hand.

Streitz, author of this book on how Americans’ jobs are threatened by illegal immigration, started out on common ground.

“I agree illegals are hard-working,” Streitz told the mayor. Both agreed the federal government had a failed immigration policy, willfully declining to enforce existing immigration laws.

“Stolen” Jobs

Unlike many opponents to the mayor’s plan, Streitz didn’t attack immigrants themselves, nor did he fault them for moving to the country.

“The illegals are making a rational, sound economic decision to come into a country that doesn’t enforce its laws,” reasoned Streitz. He framed the immigration debate as a “labor issue,” an attack on the American workforce in an era of disappearing manufacturing jobs and rampant outsourcing.

Any time someone enters the country illegally and begins to work, “our opinion is that person is stealing an American’s job,” said Streitz. “That job belongs to a legitimate American.” Streitz sees illegal workers as posing only a threat to the nation’s workforce: “We can certainly run a country without illegal aliens.”

DeStefano countered that immigrants were not taking jobs other Americans would typically want. “These are low-wage restaurant and service jobs.”

Streitz later replied that many of those types of jobs — such as dishing fries at McDonalds — could go to high school students, college students or part-time senior citizens. Uncontrolled immigration only “drives down wages and increases corporate profits,” he argued.

“Get Another Opinion”

After both had laid out their economic analyses, Streitz moved in to attack the ID card, denouncing it as a violation of federal law. Title 8 of USC 1324 forbids anyone to “encourage or induce an alien to come to, enter, or reside in the United States.” The law is used in cases such as that of Jose Calhelha, recently convicted of luring Portuguese nationals across the border with the promise of jobs at area Dunkin’ Donuts.

Streitz argued that the municipal ID card, by making it easier for illegal immigrants to live in New Haven, would “induce” immigrants to cross the border. He said he didn’t have legal precedent to back up his claim, but believed New Haven could be in legal trouble.

“You need a second opinion,” Streitz warned the mayor.

DeStefano replied he trusted the legal counsel of his Yale Law Clinic professors, who say because the card does not grant any extra rights to illegal immigrants it is not in conflict with federal law. Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has also ruled the ID plan legally sound.

Undocumented immigrants aren’t going to come to New Haven just to get free parking at Lighthouse Point Park, the mayor said.

Upon further questioning after the half-hour chat was done, Streitz agreed that the economy — not the municipal ID — would be the real driving force “inducing” immigrants to come to New Haven.

“If we had or didn’t have a municipal ID, that’s not going to induce anyone to come to the United States — it’s the job that matters.”

Raids “Inappropriate”

After the show, Streitz joined DeStefano’s outcry against federal immigration raids that have left the Fair Haven section of the city trembling.

The raids on Fair Haven by the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency occurred two days after aldermen approved the ID plan. In addition to filing civil rights complaints, DeStefano denounced the raids as selective enforcement of federal law with the intent to “terrorize” the community in retaliation for the ID plan. Of the 29 to 33 people arrested by ICE in New Haven, only four were arrested on fugitive warrants; the rest were “collateral” arrests of immigrants whose only offense was to cross the border illegally.

While Streitz has a major complaint with illegal immigrants “flooding” the economy, he actually joined DeStefano in denouncing the raids. Targeting people with criminal arrest warrants is appropriate, reckoned Streitz. But “it is not appropriate for ICE to target individuals who are simply here working. It’s inefficient and ineffective.” Instead of engaging in piecemeal deportation, the feds should target employers who hire illegal workers, reasoned Streitz.