A regional solution is needed to address situation involving immigrant day laborers seeking employment

As a Freehold Borough resident and member of the PEOPLE group, I have a few things to share with your readers. First of all, we are very proud of Mayor Michael Wilson and the Borough Council for their firm stand on closing our muster zone on Jan. 1.

Thankfully, despite enormous pressure and ridicule, they have not given an inch on their closure decision.

Everyone on the council should be congratulated for their efforts on behalf of us all. In addition, we sincerely hope that the ongoing debate among our area’s opposing immigrant issues groups will finally yield the level of regional attention and support we all truly need from county, state and federal government.

Though our PEOPLE group was heavily represented and supportive at the council meeting on Dec. 15, it was unfortunate that a small group of out-of-towners calling themselves the Monmouth County Residents for Immigrants’ Rights (MCRIR) was threatening and insulting our town officials. How dare they in our town?

In doing so, they openly degraded themselves and showed themselves for what we believe they really are — labor union organizers camouflaged as caring and concerned Monmouth County and Ocean County residents.

Once again, the day laborers will be taken advantage of by others pretending to be what they are not.

If there is any amnesty program in America for our current illegal aliens, expect labor unions to emerge from behind groups like MCRIR to court these individuals for union membership, dues and votes for politicians and platforms they support.

Freehold Borough doesn’t need to be part of this cruel ruse, and though we have a reputation for being a "working class town," our working class has always been a legal one with no need for out-of-town human rights advocates or union organizers camping outside their homes.

Where were these people when our rug mill closed in the 1960s when many of our residents were put out of work and our town crumbled economically?

On another note, [Greater Media Newspapers] reported that homeless immigrants were offered housing at the Colts Neck Inn rather than at shelters in the borough.

This represents the kind of regional support Freehold Borough residents are seeking from other Monmouth County towns, who must contribute their fair share to the issue. This is everybody’s problem, not just Freehold Borough.

Gail Trojan

Freehold