Oklahoma´s New Restrictive Immigration Laws Creating Massive Labor Shortages

Oklahoma Newspaper Tulsa World is reporting:

Builders' Hispanic workers leaving

By ROBERT EVATT World Staff Writer 1/24/2008
The crackdown on illegal immigrants creates a labor shortage, they say. Hispanic construction workers who are illegal immigrants have been leaving their jobs and the state since July because of fear rooted in House Bill 1804, says Dave Kollman, president of Flintco Cos. Inc., a major Tulsa contractor. Now, even legal Hispanics are vanishing due to the effects of the Oklahoma law that cracked down on illegal immigration, he said. "There's a scare component running through the Hispanic community," Kollman said. "Even if they're legal, they're leaving because they're family-oriented, and people they know are leaving." Kollman spoke during a discussion of H.B. 1804 at a Wednesday breakfast sponsored by the Tulsa chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties. Also sharing their experiences with the law, which took effect Nov. 1, were Jake Nabholz, vice president of Nabholz Cos.; and Ray Miller, president of Fleming Building Co. Miller said he's lost good men due to the law and hasn't been able to replace them. "I've had employees for 15 years who are good, hard workers," he said. "They're not taking anybody's jobs. The kids graduating from high school don't want to go into construction." Nabholz said fallout from the law continues to grow. "There's a lot of fear, and it'll get worse as the days come," he said. All three said the labor shortage requires builders to pay more overtime, which allows them to meet schedules but drives up costs. Nabholz said builders might not be able to rely on overtime if the loss of workers accelerates. "At some point, overtime won't be enough," he said. Kollman said Hispanics' fear of being conspicuous has generated other expenses. He cited, for example, how construction crews from Tulsa might drive to a place such as Stillwater to work on a project. "It used to be everyone would pile in one vehicle and drive there together, but now they're driving up on their own in separate cars," he said. Rising labor costs, combined with higher prices for construction materials, have driven up building costs significantly in this decade, Kollman said. The panelists said they would like to see some way to streamline the citizenship process for workers, which now takes up to five years.

2nd ARTICLE - MSNBC reports: OKLAHOMA LAW BLAMED FOR HISPANIC EXODUS

The law, billed by its backers as the toughest U.S. legislation against illegal immigration, took effect Nov. 1. It bars illegal immigrants from obtaining jobs or state assistance and makes it a felony to harbor or transport illegal immigrants. "The sad part of it was the child didn't have to die if House Bill 1804 didn't ever come around," said Laurie Paul, who runs the clinic where Edgar was finally taken. "It was a total tragedy because the bill was there to create the myths and untruths and the fear." ...While it is difficult to characterize which U.S. state has the toughest immigration-related law, Oklahoma's goes beyond most because it includes the clause about harboring and transporting illegal immigrants, said Ann Morse, program director for the National Conference of State Legislatures' Immigrant Policy Project. "What I think these laws may have are unintended consequences on the general public," Morse said recently. "How does the law get implemented? Who is the target?"...The crackdown and its consequences: The crackdown has caused Hispanics to leave for neighboring states, with as many as 25,000 leaving northeastern Oklahoma alone, according to the Greater Tulsa Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. The law's fallout also can be seen in struggling businesses, worker shortages and widespread fear among immigrants who say they are afraid to drive to church or the market because police might pick them up..."I feel like I'm in some kind of Nazi country where if they see your color, you'll be stopped" ... Leaving Oklahoma all together: Even workers with proper paperwork are leaving for jobs in neighboring states rather than split up their families. "My guy who runs my framing crew, he had 70 workers, and as of Nov. 1, he lost 35 of them," said Caleb McCaleb, who runs a homebuilding company in Edmond. "My painter has lost 30 percent of his work force, my landscaper has lost 25 percent of his work force." Some in Terrill's own party doubt the wisdom of his legislation. "We've removed not only those here illegally and working, but those who are here legally," said state Sen. Harry Coates, a Republican who voted against 1804 and wants to repeal portions of the bill. "I'm not the smartest person in the world, but I understand economics." Vicente Ruiz, a 47-year-old legal immigrant who runs his own electrical contracting business, put it more bluntly: "It's all about making money, and if everybody moves away, the whole state is going to suffer."