Columbus Has Large Stake In Potential Immigration Policy Changes

The head of the Ohio Hispanic Coalition says Columbus has a large stake in potential changes to immigration law. President Obama will announce immigration policy changes Thursday night. Coalition Chair, Joseph Mas, says the city has a larger undocumented population than other Ohio cities. "Which is probably, I would say between 30,000 and 40,000 would be subject to deportation proceedings," says Mas. The immigrant population increased as the city's economy fared better than other Ohio cities during the Great Recession. "Columbus did not suffer the same economic downturn during the Great Recession that you saw taking place in Toledo, particularly, and Cleveland. We just did better than other parts of Ohio," Mas says. Mas says a construction boom in Central Ohio during the mid to late 1990s drew immigrants especially from Mexico and Guatamala. President Obama announcement of changes to the nation's immigration system is scheduled for Thursday evening.