Posted on 05/01/2011 4:32:50 PM PDT by stevie_d_64
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama (AFP) – Recent tornadoes ravaged immigrant and other low-income communities in the US state of Alabama, but undocumented aliens say they are reluctant to openly seek help out of fear of arrest and deportation.
Tornadoes left a wide swath of destruction through this university city, leaving at least 39 dead and several missing, and poorer neighborhoods such as Alberta and Holt, where many immigrants and African-Americans saw their homes left in splinters, were especially hard hit.
Illegal immigrants were keeping a low profile Sunday, but about 30 of them gathered at Holy Spirit Catholic Church for a Spanish-language noon mass and to receive donations from the community.
About 20 immigrants from Mexico and Guatemala whose homes were destroyed spent the night at the church on mattresses alongside tables piled high with donated clothes, shoes and food boxes. Children ran about as women discussed the tornado terror and how unlikely it was that anyone of them had survived.
Many more have come to the makeshift shelter to receive hot meals, only to return quickly to their damaged homes, in part to reduce their exposure in front of local authorities overseeing search and rescue operations and police who have set up checkpoints to ward off looters.
While Alabama officially claims only eight missing across the state, that figure could be considerably higher, given the hesitation of some immigrants to come forward for official assistance or to report missing loved ones.
"Many people are still missing out there," said Mexican-born Susana Ortiz, who was looking for her friend Ana Rodriguez.
"What happens is that many do not want to talk, they're afraid of the police because they are illegal," said Martin Izaguirre, another volunteer who works at the shelter.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Ahhhh, so what is being implied here is that the storms were racists, and that it is Bush’s fault...
Good, glad we got that figured out.../sarc
>>>where many immigrants and African-Americans saw their homes left in splinters, were especially hard hit<<<
Minorities hardest hit.
Two words: GO HOME!
They can always go home.
Good God...All the problems Americans are have down south and the GD illegals fear asking for more handouts...
Gezzz
Uh huh. Watch as their Illegal population skyrockets once the rebuilding around there gets underway.
As they should be.
Profits regardless of consequences.
” You bet, and it will be the greedy unscrupulous business owners and contractors that hire the low wage illegal labor. “
They get cheap labor, then you and I get the tab. I told a guy I know who hires illegals that I hope he goes bankrupt.
Please send me some aid. I have no business in AL, I have paid no taxes there...therefore all of you should pay me now.
African Americans too?
Damn!! and there sits Whitey in his pile of debris up on the hill!! Bastards!!!
“Illegal immigrants were keeping a low profile Sunday, but about 30 of them gathered at Holy Spirit Catholic Church for a Spanish-language noon mass and to receive donations from the community.”
This upsets me. Some years back a meat plant in Iowa had a raid and they rounded up the illegals.
The Catholic Church leaders were on camera talking about how it had devastated their community.
Let me assure everyone as I live in Huntsville that these tornados were not racist and did not care what socio-economic strata you live in. To insinuate there is any discrimination going on is BS. I have never seen so much of the human good side as I have following this disaster. Don’t let the press even come close to this being a Katrina as far as human behavior. Thanks for all your prayers. They are needed.
The local casino takes gummint voucher cards. Let’s carpool.
At that plant they put a want ad in the local paper and had HUNDREDS of non-illegals standing in line to apply for the jobs the next day.
I’m glad they live in fear....they should. They need to be put back where they came from! And try to come back LEGALLY!!
Ummmm...why not go home? They don’t have tornadoes in Mexico!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.