LABORING THE POINT

Undocumented workers in Manasquan draw protest
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 08/17/06
BY CLAUDIA VARGAS
STAFF WRITER

Day laborers in Manasquan said they are having a difficult time getting jobs because of recent local protests against illegal immigration.

Some of the workers, many of whom are undocumented immigrants from Mexico, reside in Belmar but did not want to give their names because of fear of deportation.

"Right now there are less jobs,"

one of the day laborers said. "Not

that many contractors are coming;

they're scared."

The day laborers come to Manasquan every morning and stand outside the 7-Eleven convenience store and Acme market on Main Street, waiting for local contractors to pick them up to work for the day.

However, several people have been protesting against the day laborers on Saturday mornings.

The protesters are members of the United Patriots of America, a nonpartisan organization. One of the group's organizers, Ted Mechnick, 58, of Wall said he and other protesters stand in the same area as the day laborers on Saturday mornings to express their concerns about illegal immigration.

The group's goal is "to educate people that our government has pretty much let us down with illegal immigration." Mechnick said. "They let it go too far."

Mechnick said he believes if small municipalities such as Manasquan take action on illegal immigration, then the federal government will step in and make new federal immigration laws.

Some of the day laborers consider Mechnick and his group to be racists, but Mechnick insists that he and fellow protesters are not prejudiced.

"We are not against them," he said. "We are against our government."

For the past few weeks, Mechnick has been trying to get Manasquan Mayor Richard Dunne and the Borough Council to take action against the "possible illegal aliens" standing outside Acme.

"These people are breaking our laws," Mechnick said at the Aug. 7 Borough Council meeting. "They are not paying income tax."

However, Manasquan Police Chief Dan Scimeca said the Police Department does not have the authority to arrest the day laborers for loitering or deport them if they are illegal aliens.

"We're waiting for direction from higher authority on what actions can be taken," Scimeca said.

The only thing the Manasquan Police Department can do is to enforce local and state ordinances, he said, adding that everyone has the right to assemble peacefully.

In a July 28 letter to the Borough Council, Scimeca stated that while Acme and 7-Eleven have called police on occasion to remove the day laborers from their property, neither store has filed a complaint to prosecute anyone.

Mike Provinzano, manager of the 7-Eleven, said he recently put a speaker system outside of the store that plays a message in Spanish saying "Please do not block entry."

"We're trying to do the best we can to keep everyone happy," Provinzano said.

Some of the day laborers said some of the protesters have been telling contractors that they will be arrested if they continue to hire illegal immigrants.

However, Mechnick said his group's agenda is only to bring light to the issue of illegal immigration.

"I'm disappointed in our government," Mechnick said. "They just want to pass a bill that will give them (illegal immigrants) amnesty, and that's just ludicrous."

Mechnick, who is also a local contractor, said he makes sure that all his employees are legal residents by checking their paperwork before hiring them.

Dunne said the Manasquan governing body is monitoring the situation and looking into what other municipalities in New Jersey are doing about possible illegal immigrants.

There was mixed reaction from borough residents who spoke at the Aug. 7 council meeting.

Mary Ryan, 113 Beachfront, said she did not mind the day laborers coming to Manasquan to find jobs.

"These are people who are looking for an honest day's work," Ryan said.

She said she found it very distasteful that people from other communities are coming to Manasquan to protest illegal immigrants.

Jack Walsh of Parker Avenue disagrees.

"I pay taxes, they don't," Walsh said. "I'm tired of paying the tab for other people."

Mechnick said the protesters have received positive feedback from the community.

He said there are a few people who are against them, but he thinks that is because they are not educated on the immigration issue.

"They feel for the people trying to make a living, but they miss the big picture," Mechnick said.