Illegal immigrants lose jobs edge

MORRISTOWN, Tenn., March 22 (UPI) -- The recession and government crackdowns are causing illegal immigrants to lose their foothold in the U.S. workforce, experts say.

The New York Times reported Sunday that while jobs are few these days, many illegal workers are taking whatever work they can find, regardless of the pay or conditions, and have no desire to return to their homelands.

"Most of the things I got are right here," said Balbino Lopez Hernandez, who came to Tennessee illegally from Mexico. "I got my family, my wife, my kids. Everything is here."

Lopez, 28, lives and works in Morristown, Tenn., where most of the help for illegal workers comes from churches. Lopez said he networks with them to find odd jobs, the newspaper said.

Nationwide, Hispanic immigrants had greater job losses in 2008 than did Hispanics born in the United States or black workers, the Pew Hispanic Center says.

Chris Baker, a sociologist at Walters State Community College in Morristown, said it has been illegal immigrants working for less money and no benefits that have kept many factories in the region afloat.

"The employers hire Latinos, and after that, they leave," he said. "It goes from white to black to Latino to -- gone."