Stricter immigration policies affecting communities

In the United States the popular vacation spot for the wealthy, the Hamptons are currently suffering from an immigration crisis.  Filled with mansions and fancy hotels and restaurants the Hamptons is an upscale area that is seeing a backlash from tightened immigration policies that are resulting in the deportation of many illegal workers in the area.

As people are deported, they are frequently leaving behind families to fend for themselves.  These families want to stay in America to take advantage of education systems for their children, etc.  However, if the main bread winner was the one deported the family then begins to suffer and increasingly grows poorer. 

A church group locate in Riverhead is headed by Sister Margate Smyth.  Smyth said of the crisis that 'As a result of the crackdown, we've created a new underclass of women and children. Their men have been deported but they want to stay because they want their children educated. Before, people were poor; now they are extremely poor."

The director of Long Island Immigrant Alliance, Luis Valenzuela, spoke about the immigration issues affecting the community and said "The immigration raids have been quite devastating to a vulnerable community. Now they are introducing measures that will force people deeper in the shadows. When people go deeper in the shadows they become more vulnerable to exploitation."

Also affected by the immigration policies are all of the business around town.  Places that were relying on cheaper labor are now finding themselves hurting for staff.  There is nobody to bus tables or clean rooms or tend the bars.

www.longislandimmigrantalliance.org