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BY KEITH BENMAN
kbenman@nwitimes.com
219.933.3326 | Sunday, September 04, 2005 | (No comments posted.)
About 15 people picketed Saturday outside Bank Calumet's drive-up branch in downtown Hammond, protesting a bank pilot program that offers home loans to illegal immigrants.
Organized by the Indiana Federation for Immigration Reform and Enforcement, the protest drew honks and shouts of encouragement as well as jibes and insults from people driving past.
It didn't seem to have any effect on business at the bank branch, with a steady stream of cars pulling up to the ATM and drive-up tellers. The branch is a few blocks south of the bank's historic main branch.
Cheree Calabro, of Valparaiso, who identified herself as head of the Porter County branch of the Indiana Federation for Immigration Reform and Enforcement, said the group began planning the protest when it learned of the bank's first home loan to an illegal immigrant.
She accused the bank of aiding and abetting illegal immigration by extending such loans, which allow a borrower to use Internal Revenue Service-issued Individual Taxpayer Identification Number on loan applications in place of a Social Security number.
"The reason the bank is doing this is greed," Calabro said. "They see these people as a new market and want a piece of the action."
Bank Calumet Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Cal Bellamy, contacted by phone Saturday, said the bank respected the protesters' right to express their opinions.
"What makes the community strong, people can disagree about that, but Bank Calumet is coming down on the side of home ownership," he said.
Calabro said her group is the Indiana chapter of the Minuteman Project, but no evidence of that could be found online on Saturday. The Minuteman Project gained attention earlier this year with its attempts to stem illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexican border with volunteers.
On Aug. 16, Bank Calumet announced a Hispanic initiative more ambitious than any in the area. That included the launch of a Web site in Spanish and low-cost ways to transfer money to relatives or friends in other countries.
Also at the event, a Hammond couple were introduced as the first to secure a mortgage through Bank Calumet's pilot program by using an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number.
Fifth Third Bank and Harris Bank also have done Individual Taxpayer Identification Number loans, but not in Northwest Indiana.
Virtually all local banks now accept the Individual Taxpayer Identification Number and a Mexican-government issued identification card called the matricula consular to open savings and checking accounts.
Illegal immigrants are issued Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers by the IRS so they can pay taxes and file tax returns. Only legal immigrants and U.S. citizens can get Social Security numbers.
Bellamy acknowledged that Bank Calumet has taken heat about the loans because of publicity about them. Customers and noncustomers have e-mailed the bank. Some condemn the practice, some voice support and some have sincere questions, he said.
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