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CASA de Maryland on good terms with county
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Published on: Thursday, May 13, 2010
By Alix Farr
Despite CASA de Maryland’s controversial support of illegal immigrants, the group maintains a positive working relationship with many areas of Montgomery County government, receiving more than a million dollars in grants and bid contracts each year, according to a county spokesman.
“We are the provider of last resort services,” said Mary Anderson, the spokeswoman for the county’s Health and Human Services, with whom CASA has won bid contracts in areas such as health outreach and promotion, English language teaching, job training, education, and youth programming.
“We have residents in Montgomery County who don’t have access to health care, adequate nutrition, and housing, and with no other safety net,” Anderson said. “Our job is to protect vulnerable people to make sure that they are not homeless, and that’s irrespective [sic] of what their status is.”
CASA itself is known for working tirelessly to protect illegal immigrants and bring about immigration reform since its formation in 1985 as a support group for Central American immigrants.
In addition to campaigning for immigration reform, CASA also sponsors programs to build strong communities, according to its 2009 annual report. These efforts are centered on immigrant-heavy neighborhoods and focus on areas such as crime prevention.
According to CASA’s website, they are able to operate through funding from local governments, private foundations, individuals, congregations, and civic associations. In its fiscal year 2009, which ended on June 30, 2009, CASA earned about $9.5 million in support and revenue, a third of which came from government contracts, not only with Montgomery County but also with other government groups throughout Maryland, according to the annual report. With this support, CASA reaches over 20,000 low-income Latinos and immigrants every year.
“Most of the undocumented immigrants are hard workers and come to this country looking for better opportunities for their families, working in jobs that Americans don’t chose to work such as agriculture and construction,” said CASA spokeswoman Tania del Angel.
A 2009 immigration reform report co-authored and supported by CASA claims that “between 12 and 20 million undocumented people live in the United States performing critical jobs in our economy” and that deporting these people would “capsize employers across the country.”
The same report also calls for a legalization program, through which undocumented residents of the United States can apply for legal immigration status, and better enforcement of immigration laws in the future.
“The President should take action to fix our broken immigration system,” del Angel said. “A solution is a Comprehensive Immigration Reform law that would provide a path to legalization for those hard workers and their families that live here without a criminal record and control the future flows.”
CASA applauds the efforts of Montgomery County officials, del Angel said. “Montgomery County has shown more support to immigrants than many other counties around the metro areas of Washington, D.C.”
County Executive Isiah “Ike” Leggett (D) has publicly stated that he believes there is a need for immigration reform and is often seen in attendance at events sponsored by CASA, according to Karla Silvestre, a community liaison for the county.
“We are not in the business of enforcing immigration reform,” said Silvestre. “We are in the business of serving county residents--everyone who lives here is entitled and CASA is providing services to residents.”
In addition to the bid contracts won with Health and Human Services, CASA has also received community grants and non-competitive contracts, some funded by state and federal money distributed by the county, but the majority by Montgomery County taxes, according to county spokesman Patrick Lacefield.
For fiscal year 2011, which has not yet been approved, the county is recommending that over $1.3 million go to CASA, $1.1 of which is tax supported, according to information compiled by the Office of Management and Budget. This budget includes funding for services such as job placement, English as a Second Language classes, legal services, a health care interpreter, and social services, all provided by CASA.
“We need the county to work closer with the community in terms of social services, security, and job opportunity for the immigrants and minorities,” del Angel said. “The county and the rest of the community should give immigrants and minorities an opportunity to show their contributions to the state.”
Reader Comments - 10 Total
Posted By: Nope On: 5/21/2010
Title: Horrible County
I leave in this awefull county, starve the people that actually pay for the county, well done.
Posted By: Albert On: 5/20/2010
Title: Glad my taxes are helping people in need
It makes me feel good that my MC taxes are helping people in need. I also donate generously to my church because they help all people in need in MC and other places too. It is what God wants us to do. I believe that most people who come to this country have contributed more than they take. They do the really hard jobs with low wages and it helps our country. So yes, I think they deserve health care and education for their children too. It is the right thing to do.
Posted By: Juan On: 5/20/2010
Title: Bogus!
How can an American compete for a construction job with someone who works for 5.00 an hour and you have the nerve to say "Americans won't do these jobs" HELLO they are all taken up by the ILLEGALS! It is a shame that our tax money supports these criminals! I have no problem with any LEGAL IMMIGRANTS but these ILLEGALS are scum and jumped in front of the line and get catered to and it is B/S! Something must be done because it's not fair!
Posted By: A MAN ON FIRE On: 5/20/2010
Title:
They are criminals for supporting law breakers! I will support anyone for a government seat that does not support ILLEGALS! Deport them all and their anchor babies! Sign the petition at Grassroots.com! Real Americans need your support!
Let's institute the same law that Arizona has and Boycott the cities/states/business' that support these scumbags!
Posted By: Jeff On: 5/20/2010
Title: 240 county employees Citizens lose their jobs
and 1.3 million dollars of tax money is being spent on services for illegal immigrants who dont pay taxes and dont own homes.
How DARE Ike do this? Is he on drugs?
Would El Salvadors goverment pay 1.3 million to take care of illegal American immigrants in San SAlvador?
It's time to put these county "leaders" out of office
Posted By: Outraged On: 5/20/2010
Title: Outraged
This is the same group that advocated a union for nannies. What do you expect from a group like this. Isn't there a law against providing aid and comfort to criminals?
Posted By: Frustrated MCPS HS Teacher On: 5/20/2010
Title: Do they really care?
If Casa really cared they would have someone standing outside the County High Schools, specifically, Einstein, Wheaton and Northwood, to talk to the hundreds of Hispanic Students that go to school in the morning, get counted, and then leave. It has gotten so bad at Einstein that we call the football field the Rio Grande, because it looks like a bunch of illegals crossing over at lunch....and Casa's office is 2 blocks away. They are out for themselves. I would love to see how much of their budget goes to personnel costs?
Concerned County Schools Employee
Posted By: Sarah On: 5/19/2010
Title: Why are they receiving government funding?
If private foundations and congregations want to support a group for illegal immigrants, that is their own misguided affair, but why are they receiving revenue from the government?
Let the alleged tax dollars that illegals bring in pay for this group and save the taxpayer money of legal residents for other things.
Illegal immigrants should have applied for legal status before they came here, not after. Montgomery County residents please remember when election time comes around that County Executive Isiah “Ike” Leggett does not care about enforcing the law and thinks everyone who lives here, even illegally, is entitled to county servies paid for by us.
Posted By: Anna On: 5/16/2010
Title: More for our teachers!!!
Not more funding for illegal aliens, I think they earned more cash than us, getting free medical benefits that legal U.S. citizens don't see, I pay taxes, but i also have a mortgage and bills, but i can't get anything for free with the county, how come people breaking the law get more benefits than the teachers and police, and firefighters??? We are allowing our tax money to go to people that do not care about our communities, do not care about our history and certainly do not care about the future of our county!! Just go to the States, make money, have children (because the county pays for your maternity, your food, help with housing, and what happens with the fathers of all those innocent children? well they will continue to impregnate more women because they hide and the state pays for their children, what about my child? and his future???
Posted By: Ellen On: 5/13/2010
Title: $1.3 million to people who are breaking the law?
I am so tired of my hard earned tax dollars paying for people who are BREAKING THE LAW by being in this county. I don't get it. They are here ILLEGALLY and not only are we not deporting them, we are giving them free education and free health care! Give me a break! If you want a better life, like my ancestors did, come here the right and legal way.
The fact that teachers, police and fire fighters are losing their jobs becuase of "budget cuts" yet, the county is funding $1.3 million dollars to a group that helps people who are BREAKING THE LAW is beyond me. Why not give the $1.3 million to all the drunk drivers arrested last year? It just makes no sense.
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