A NJ Town Illustrates the Unintended Consequences of Harsh Immigration "Crackdowns"

By Cristina Jimenez, Drum Major Institute. Posted May 6, 2008.

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With the goal of promoting immigration policies that work for all and to prevent Suffolk County from making a mistake by passing anti-immigrant legislation, Long Island Wins, a public information campaign working to highlight the contributions of immigrants on Long Island, held a panel discussion last Tuesday, Don't Make Our Mistakes: Lessons from Riverside, New Jersey in the Costs of Attacking Immigrants, to present the devastating economic impact of anti-immigration legislation and the contributions that immigrants bring to our communities. The conclusion of the panel was clear, anti-immigrant legislation hurts the economy, divides the community, and creates intolerance and an undesired bad reputation for our towns.

David Verduin, a local business owner and President of the Riverside Coalition of Business Owners and Landlords, shared with us that after the passage of anti-immigrant legislation Riverside's businesses lost 50% of sales and many mom-and-pop shops closed after more than a 100 years of existence. But the town's economy wasn't the only one hurt, the greater consequence, as David mentioned, was the bad reputation that the town gained nationwide. Mathew Crosson, President of the Long Island Association, agreed with Mr. Verduin's remarks. Mr. Crosson believes that anti-immigrant legislation can have a long lasting impact on Long Island, pointing out that young people looking into places to raise their families wouldn't move into towns that are perceived as not tolerant.

Mr. Verduin and Mr. Crosson seem to be agreeing with a growing number of states that are realizing that anti-immigrant legislation causes more damages than gains. But it seems that the Suffolk County legislature refuses to learn from Riverside's experience. Last Thursday, the Presiding Officer of the Suffolk County Legislature, William J. Lindsay, pushed the anti-immigrant bill IR 1105 out of committee and announced that it will be brought before the entire legislature Tuesday, April 29. I'm not surprised that although invited, Lindsay and his supporters did not attend the panel discussion. Riverside NJ, learned the lessons of the cost of attacking immigrants through anti-immigrant legislation, but when is the Suffolk County Legislature going to get it? I hope it's not after making a mistake.

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Cristina is an Immigration Policy intern at the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy.

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