San Francisco Examiner - March 31, 2008
Jason Flanagan, jflanagan@baltimoreexmainer.com

When he discovered Maryland funds pro-immigration group CASA de Maryland, he fired off an angry letter to Gov. Martin O'Malley containing a threat on the governor's life.

"It was out of frustration," Abbott said.

Now is he on home detention awaiting a trial. "[CASA] helps find them a job - an American's job that they help take away. They took away my job," said Abbott, 44, of Parkville.

Abbott epitomizes part of the hotly contested immigration debate.

Many people are furious that governments from the General Assembly to the city of Baltimore give millions of dollars to CASA de Maryland, which assists legal and illegal immigrants in finding work, social services and legal aid.

"The state cuts [Chesapeake] Bay funding in half but found millions for CASA's new headquarters? That's bordering on criminal if it's not already criminal," said Brad Botwin, director of Help Save Maryland, a group opposing illegal immigration.

However, CASA officials said taxpayers' money should help anyone in need, even if they are here illegally.

"The government should serve everybody - [immigrants] are the house cleaners, the kids going to school. They are part of the community, and part of government's role is to help the poor and vulnerable," said Jennifer Freedman, director of development for CASA.

Some state lawmakers tried to halt CASA's funding and introduce bills to curb illegal immigration. But those bills failed, while bills to support CASA's efforts passed.

Del. Ron George, R-Anne Arundel, said groups such as CASA make Maryland friendly to illegal immigrants who burden the state's infrastructure, such as the Motor Vehicle Administration. MVA was processing 1,000 driver's license a month last year; now it is processing 2,000 a week due to illegal immigrants' ease of obtaining licenses.

WHAT CASA DOES

CASA does provide humanitarian work such as AIDS/HIV testing, youth counseling and financial education to low-income immigrants, and is considered the largest and most organized group reaching the immigrant community.

But the political and legal aspect of CASA has many questioning government support.

A pamphlet by CASA tells immigrants not to say anything, answer the door or provide identification to immigration and law enforcement officials. CASA asks its members to carry a card saying the person will not speak and demands a lawyer.

Each time Freedman was asked why CASA serves illegal immigrants, she referred to CASA's mission statement of helping all low-income immigrants.

"We can do that without asking immigration status," she said.

When asked if CASA would report its clients if they were found to be here illegally, Freedman again said, "We serve everyone in need who walks through our door."

She added that CASA's policy is no different from other nonprofits like Catholic Charities, which did not return calls for comment on its policies.

At CASA's Baltimore center, where immigrants can find work, a man who identified himself as Ennrique said, "The community here is united, and [CASA has] been helping the community."

About 2 percent of the city's population is Hispanic, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, which does not ask for immigration status, just ethnicity and place of birth.

WHO PAYS?

More than $2 million in money from local governments this year went to fund CASA, mostly from Montgomery, which has the highest Hispanic concentration in the state, according to the Census Bureau.

Baltimore City gave much less, mainly for grants to promote job placement and AIDS health education.

Mayor Sheila Dixon's office did not return several calls for comment.

The state government doled out $628,000 in bonds and grants in 2005 and 2006, and is considering paying another $500,000 next fiscal year for CASA's multicultural center in Prince George's.

Since 2005 the project has received $4.2 million in tax credits for required renovations of the historic mansion the center will occupy.

"Why should we be taxed in order to fund groups of people who shouldn't be eligible to be funded?" said Dee Hodges, president of the Baltimore-based Maryland Taxpayer's Association.

No other Baltimore-area counties fund CASA, mainly because the group hasn't solicited funding.

"Illegal means illegal, and citizens of [Anne Arundel] resent taxpayer dollars going to those who break the law," said Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold, who opposed funding CASA but supports aid for groups that help people here legally.

WHAT TO DO

To deny CASA funding would be a great disservice to the community, advocates say. Less than half of CASA's funding comes from governments, but the group uses the money to leverage private donations, Freedman said.

Some have suggested requiring CASA to ask for immigration status from its clients as a reasonable solution.

But CASA will not do such a thing, as it would go against its policy as a humanitarian organization, Freedman said.

CASA's remedy is to enforce current immigration laws, not create new ones that anti-immigration supporters say are needed to compensate for failing federal laws.

"We recognize it's a broken system and we look to the federal government for comprehensive immigration reform," Freedman said.

Others say no matter what CASA does, all of its funding should be cut.

"There should be no CASA de Maryland," Abbott said.

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