Garcia said that limiting immigrants’ ability to remain in the country legally is what often pushes people to “borrow” or “make up” false identifications. It is for the “sole purpose of working and nothing else, because there has been no other way for them to adjust their status and work under their own proper name or identification.”
“But our comprehensive immigration reform efforts have not gone through yet, unfortunately. And it’s still badly needed,” García said.
In researching alternatives for E-Verify with guidance from Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., DHS and federal authorities, Hartmann said the options he was presented included temporary work visa programs such as H-1A — meant for industries dealing with workforce shortages — and H-2B, for nonagricultural jobs. But because these immigration programs are for seasonal workers, “it doesn’t fit our needs,” Hartmann said. Saying goodbye to workers every six months is “not building a business.”
Hartmann wishes government officials would consider creating a limited period of amnesty for undocumented people who “meet certain qualifications” such as never having committed a crime, a desire to work, pay taxes and be part of the community. This could be a temporary remedy for people looking to get legal immigration status, he suggested.
While that might not be the answer to the larger immigration issue, he said it’s “some version that makes sense.”
“There should be no problem with that,” Hartmann said, “to just stop the bleeding, stop the problem.”
A new generation of residents speak out
Elizondo organized Friday’s protest with the help and support of other more experienced Latino and immigrant rights advocates. A group of them met on Thursday afternoon at a downtown Omaha restaurant to plan the demonstration. They shared advice on how to work with local law enforcement to ensure the protests remained peaceful and focused on how immigration raids are hurting their communities, the community activists said.
“That has made the new generation speak up,” Rosa la Puente, one of the advocates mentoring Elizondo, said about the recent events.
Many in the community are questioning the timing of the Omaha raid, wondering if the city was targeted for political reasons. When asked about this at a news conference on Wednesday, Ewing said, “I don’t know why Omaha was targeted.”