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Politics & Government

Undocumented Immigrants Describe Problems

They air grievances at an event sponsored by the ACLU.

Noe Solis from Mexico works picking fruit in Athens.

“We live in a shelter, 50 people live together,” said Solis. “Women and men live together, sleep together. Kids sleep together. It’s not inside, it’s outside, no electricity, nothing.”

Solis’s story is just one told by undocumented immigrants at a recent event held by American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia (ACLU).

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The event’s theme was “tell your story, know your rights.” It was held in the East Athens Community Center and drew 25 people. While some of the people in attendance were undocumented immigrants, others were volunteers willing to help them.

Most undocumented people in Athens today face severe financial problem.

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“The other day, I checked on a calculator. I paid this country almost $6,000 dollars in taxes,” said Solis. “Something is wrong with this system. We are human beings and we need to fight for this.”

Taxes are withheld from a worker’s paycheck, whether or not they are using an authentic social security number.

According to Solis, it is estimated that the U.S. sent 400,000 people back to Mexico last year. Tens of thousands of people lost their homes.

Solis also revealed that immigrants often carry several thousand dollars in cash. If the police stop them, they must sometimes choose between paying a fine or go to the jail.

Ron Wynn told a story different story about justice gone wrong. Twenty years ago, he claims he was attacked by two football players in New Jersey. Event though he was trying to defend himself, the police charged him with attempted murder after the fight.

Wynn says he was acquited of this charge. One year ago when he got a job in Athens and went to the police station to pick up his records what he found shocked him.

“When I look at it, it doesn’t say acquit, it says convicted attempted murder,” Wynn said.

A lawyer is helping him handle this problem now.  

Nine years ago, a government survey found 9.3 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S., representing 26 percent of the total foreign-born population.

Georgia was the state with the fastest growing population of undocumented immigrants. But because it is difficult to count people who don’t necessarily want to be found, an accurate count is impossible.

Janice Mathis is a lawyer in Athens who specializes in immigration cases. She often participates in activities like this event and offers help to undocumented immigrants.

Mathis is increasingly unhappy with immigration law in the United States.

“I found that the law is favoring the people with money and property and against people without money and property, said Mathis. “In most situations, the landlord is right, the property owner is right and the bank where you put your money is right. They are presumed to be right.”

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