A controversial group opposed to illegal immigration, originally founded in Northern Virginia, crossed over the border this past week to protest government-funded day-laborer centers in Montgomery County, Md. Despite the Minutmen Civil Defense Corp’s complaints, these centers, which serve to provide temporary jobs for Montgomery County residents, have been successful in providing many local businesses with replacement workers. They deserve to remain a part of the county’s landscape.
Stephen Schreiman, the director of the Minutemen’s Maryland chapter, has argued that Montgomery County’s taxpayers should not have to pay for day- laborer centers which primarily attract illegal immigrants. There are currently two centers funded by the Montgomery County government. Schreiman formed the Maryland chapter in an effort to halt the building of a day-laborer center in his town, Gaithersburg, which was voted in by the Montgomery County Council in October 2005.
Despite the Minutemen’s claims, there is no strong evidence to suggest that illegal immigrants are taking jobs away from American citizens, according to Georgetown Professor Luca Flabbi, a specialist in labor economics. “Maybe we should also ask ourselves if some of the jobs that illegal immigrants perform at usually low wages would exist if they were more expensive,” Flabbi said.
Furthermore, Flabbi points out that while immigrant day laborers may not be necessary to the economy, there would be huge losses if they were to disappear from the U.S. labor market. “Work supplied by illegal immigrants may actually free resources to create other jobs in other sectors of the economy,” Flabbi said.
Fortunately, the views of the Minutemen are not taking root in Maryland. “The good news is that these Minutemen are yet another in the long line of radical fringe groups that will die of their own weight in Montgomery County because they don’t speak for Montgomery County,” County Council member Tom Perez (D-Silver Spring) told The Washington Post. Perez was among the County Council members who voted for the new day- laborer center in Gaithersburg.
Every day, Maryland’s two day-laborer centers provide important temporary jobs to workers who are willing to work them. Because these centers provide valuable support to local businesses, the economy and the workers themselves, they should be supported against this invasion.
