Ligonier anxious for immigration reform

LIGONIER, Ind. (WANE) - Leaders in Ligonier, Indiana are optimistic sweeping immigration reform would have a positive impact on the area.  This comes after a group of eight U.S. Senators presented the bipartisan plan Monday.

The plan would allow illegal immigrants to gain temporary legal status, if they pass a criminal background check, pay a fine and back taxes and learn English.

Ligonier is said to be 50 percent Hispanic.  Although not everyone was on the exact same page about amnesty for illegal immigrants, leaders in both Ligonier and Fort Wayne hope immigrants will soon see an easier, more streamlined process to citizenship.

When Fort Wayne immigration attorney Jerri Mead first saw Washington's recent attention to immigration reform, her reaction was optimistic.

“Awesome.  About time,” Mead said.  “It's not just Spanish speakers that have an issue here.  We really have people from, I would say probably over 100 countries easily living in Fort Wayne.”

Mead thinks creating an easier path towards citizenship will encourage a larger workforce.

“Our immigration policies I think have hit Indiana really hard because we are manufacturing [based],” Mead said.  “As things have gotten tighter and employers are more limited in their pool, they’ve had to send some things outside the borders that I'm hoping we'll see return.”

Ligonier, located in northwest Noble County, has certainly dealt with immigration.  Mayor Patty Fisel said although she does not agree with amnesty, the rest of the plan would certainly help their economy.

“It will make a tremendous difference in the ability for them to have jobs and to work in our community and we welcome that,” Fisel said.

Margarita White works with the Noble County Community Foundation.  She thinks streamlining the difficult process of citizenship would help the future of children of illegal immigrants.

White explained the educational roadblocks she’s witnessed in Ligonier.

“You have this opportunity to get your college paid for, but you can't take it because your parents have to be legal.  So I would like to see this go through for the kids,” White said.

Mead said she's seen people wait 25 years for their citizenship paperwork to go through.  The attorney thinks the country’s immigration policies have actually hurt the economy.