Panel worries about immigration

Heads nodded and people murmured as professor Peter Guardino explained the deadly risks involved with immigrants crossing the border to the United States.\nStudents, faculty and local citizens poured into the Monroe County Public Library auditorium for discussion at 7 p.m. Wednesday titled "Civil Liberties and Immigration in America."\nThe controversial issue of illegal immigration was discussed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana and other speakers and professors from IU.\nMembers of the panel said it is worrisome that, between 1998 and 2004, more than 2,000 people have died trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border. \n"It's a national hot issue of the city government, telling people to report people to the police, and students as well as faculty are having troubles with green cards," said Lawrence Friedman, president of the Bloomington chapter of the ACLU and an emeritus IU history professor. "(We're doing this) for people to make contacts with attorneys on the issue and reassure them. It goes beyond debate having these specialists who really know their stuff." \nFriedman spoke of the "waves of anti-immigration and nativism" and the importance of getting rid of the myth of dangerous immigrants. \nIndianapolis immigration and nationality attorney Steven Tuchman gave a basic overview of immigration law and how families cope with moving from one country to another.\n"We are holding our breath to see what Congress and the president will do," Tuchman said. "The legislation is a painful sausage line to watch happen." \nGuardino, a history professor who specializes in Mexican history, began his presentation with the statement "A picture is worth 1,000 words," showing the harsh reality of fortified borders with pictures on an overhead projector.\n"Fortifying borders is not really stopping illegal immigration," Guardino said.\nHe added that Mexicans make up the largest group of undocumented immigrants.\nGuardino also spoke on the problems with employment documents that people seeking jobs must show to their employers, claiming there is no way of knowing whether the document is authentic.\n"All people want to do is come to work and be good and protective people," Guardino said. "For a Bloomington job, they ask you only if you look or sound foreign."\nHe said he favors a type of temporary-worker program but said it would be impossible for Congress to fund. \nOther speakers included Harold Sabbagh of the Arab American Association, who spoke on the problematic effects of national quotas and the controversy with the Arabic language, and ACLU of Indiana Executive Director Claudia Porretti, a recent graduate of the IU School of Law. Porretti spoke on the part the ACLU takes in trying to protect people's rights.\nRussell Hanson, a specialist in American politics and an IU political science professor, concluded the forum by saying that the stance politicians take on immigration could swing people's votes for or against them.\n"The issue will not go away for a long time in the U.S.," Hanson said.