What state known for southern hospitality, palmetto trees, and beautiful beaches tops the list for Hispanic growth? A Brookings Institution Analysis shows South Carolina ranks number one in the nation for Hispanic growth—largely attributed to illegals settling in the Palmetto state.
How is the predominately black and white state celebrating its booming Hispanic growth? Well to start, state leaders are trying to pass a whole slew of English Only and Immigration Reform Laws.
Oblivious to the population (growing now for several years) President Pro Tempore of South Carolina Senate Glenn McConnell started the state’s “English Only” movement late last year. It was brought to his attention that the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles was printing driver’s manuals in Spanish.
He introduced legislation quickly halting the printing of those manuals. Non-English speaking Hispanics throughout the state now have a greater incentive to drive illegally. This creates a bigger problem for those (a vast majority) who are here to work. Currently, a state driver’s license is acceptable identification to legally obtain a job in the state.
How else are these new laws aimed at hurting the state’s apparently unwelcome growth? It’s happening in another area where it really matters to these new immigrants—education.
Now it’s more likely that non-English speaking, Hispanic students in South Carolina Public Schools will be the next target of state lawmakers. New laws could change the way teachers have been educating those students; taking away more of the special attention required to teach non-English speaking students.
Hispanic growth in South Carolina has been increasing for years now so why are politicians suddenly addressing it? The short answer is that it’s an election year.
An interesting fact-- despite lawmakers’ attention to Immigration, it does not rank as the top issue facing South Carolinians. Jobs and the economy still poll as the top issue for South Carolina’s voters.
All of the attention to the state’s Hispanic population boom could be attributed to the more than ten contested Republican primaries in both State House and Senate races. Lawmakers are making more of a connection between jobs and the economy to the state’s population of illegal immigrants.
In fact, current immigration reform bills are aimed solely at verifying the legal status of employees. The State House is still searching for a way to amend the bill so that it receives approval of the State Senate. For right now, immigration reform in the state is back to square one.
The State Senate, in opposition of the State House, is finding that immigration reform must be in place; but employers must not be made as enforcers of that law. In other words, the State Senate feels employers must not be overburdened with legal restrictions, partly because of the backlash that could grow from those employers.
Hispanics in the state are becoming very vocal on the issue. They say the state has become very dependent on their work for cheap labor and jobs that Americans do not want. Leaders in the Hispanic community argue that the new laws are a joke because the state relies on their labor but refuses to publicly admit their importance. Leaders in the Hispanic community say that is why the population continues to grow in this state. Illegals consistently find work here.
For now the story continues with seemingly no happy ending in sight. Safe cities have developed across the state. Because illegals are often the target of crimes (robberies, home invasions, labor abuse), those cities allow opportunities to report crime without fear of imprisonment or deportation.
Those cities who reach out to illegals and the education system are likely to become the next targets of state government. It appears no one sees eye to eye on this issue developing across the nation. To further prove that the General Assembly sees that true immigration reform is best left to the federal government, an idea obviously met with much opposition.