
For locals, the corner of County Road 39 and North Sea Road in Southampton isn’t complete without Tom Wedell—a lone man waving, smiling and toting his “Deport Illegals” sign across the street from an army of immigrant workers, legal and undocumented alike.
Driving by this familiar scene on a daily basis, documentary filmmaker Dennis Michael Lynch never gave it a second thought. But that changed on an autumn day 16 months ago when he was stuck at the corner’s red light with the top off his turquoise Jeep Wrangler, listening to people honk their horns in encouragement at Mr. Wedell or scream out nasty comments from their rolled-down windows.
Then, Neil Diamond’s “America” happened to come on the radio.
“It all just started to connect,” Mr. Lynch, a self-declared “big Neil Diamond fan,” recalled during a telephone interview last week. “Tom Wedell. The 100 guys standing on the opposite corner from him. I thought, ‘I have to see what this guy’s deal is.’ I pull over, and I had my camera guy with me there at the time, and I started BS-ing with Tom. I told the camera guy, ‘Get that thing, turn it on.’”
And so began Mr. Lynch’s most recent documentary, “They Come To America,” which is debuting in an exclusive, one-night screening on Saturday, March 31, at Guild Hall in East Hampton—the same venue for his first movie’s debut, “King of the Hamptons.”
“They Come To America” whittles down more than 100 hours of footage into 100 minutes and focuses on the human and financial costs of illegal immigration, Mr. Lynch said. He added that he’s never seen another film tackle the issue from both sides of the political spectrum.
Over 14 months, Mr. Lynch shot footage with a four-man crew in Arizona, California, Illinois, Florida, Washington, D.C., Colorado and New York. A third of the film takes place in the Hamptons—around both Southampton and East Hampton towns. That action happens inside the home of an illegal family here and even in the filmmaker’s own backyard in East Hampton.
Across the country, the crew covered debates, rallies, events and traveled down to the Mexican border, where they were chased by the drug cartel, Mr. Lynch said. In contrast, politicians ran away from the cameras when pressed with the tough questions, he said.
“My hope was to create a film that Congress would not be able to ignore,” Mr. Lynch said, noting that he independently funded the project. “This is the film that so many people don’t want you to see. This is the sort of film that can spark change.”
From the movie’s beginnings on that street corner in Southampton, Mr. Lynch instantly realized the gravity of one of the hottest political topics in the country: illegal immigration. In just a half hour, the 42-year-old, non-political filmmaker heard some passers-by praise Mr. Wedell as the biggest patriot in America while others called him a racist behind an American flag, he reported.
“Never once, I swear to you on my life, with the things that people say to him and throw at him, did he ever, ever use a curse word,” Mr. Lynch said. “I had people stand in front of him, throw shit at him, say, ‘You f---ing [expletive]. You are an embarrassment to America.’ You know what he’d say? ‘Thank you for sharing your opinion.’ If someone did that to me and threw a cup of coffee on me, the situation wouldn’t have been like that. That guy’s been stabbed, shot and gets death threats all the time.”
Leaving the scene, Mr. Lynch knew illegal immigration had to be the topic of his next project, even though before that day he’d never given a single thought about it. And so, he rounded up and filmed those who had—ranchers, lobbyists, school and hospital administrators, immigration experts, and even the undocumented immigrants holed up in the Hamptons.
“If I was going to make this film, I needed to know what the hell I was talking about,” Mr. Lynch said. “So I found the people who did on both sides of the issue. That was the style I took: go down the middle of this topic and just let the camera tell the story.”
The camera does just that during the crew’s three-day campout on the United States-Mexico border in Arizona.
“We were in the dirt,” Mr. Lynch recalled. “We put ourselves in harm’s way up against the drug cartel. We were warned by police, ‘Do not go down there. We do not go down there.’ We went down there. You cannot describe what is going on with illegal immigration, especially at the border, unless you see it and live it.”
Mr. Wedell has highlighted an important issue for us, and for years I have admired his tenacity in all kinds of weather.
Hopefully, additional comments here will not focus on how "right" or "wrong" Mr. Wedell's efforts are.
To polarize issues like this into "right or wrong" -- it seems to me -- misses the point. Rather, it is our willingness to discuss things openly and fairly, without anger, which marks ...more the high-water freedoms of the experiment, which is the United States of America. Use it or lose it?
We are all shipmates in the same boat (even if certain rowers are blind to this), so we might as well learn to row together.
Thank you to film-makers such as Mr. Lynch for holding up mirrors into which we can gaze, in order to see more clearly the context which is larger than our fears, anger, and sadness.
"To Everything There is a Season" ???
It is time that the employers who hire the undocumented step up and be held accountable on this issue.
I have seen this man and find him disgusting. He should really get a life and stop trying to spread hate. You will meet your maker one day - you are not better than
anyone else.
"What is not hate about them coming to this country" ?
That the love this country as much ...more as we do, and that they are doing it out of love for their family.
'Naam is over buddy. Calling people "stupid" and "hypocrites" is always calling kettle black.
I find you disgusting, and yes, i think i'm better than you. At thinking, anyway.
I know many illegal immigrants personally through jobs around the Hamptons and in my personal life and I have found these people to be OUTSTANDING members of our community who deserve the same rights and privileges that my great grandfather had migrating to this country.
Last, anyone arguing that immigrants are not financially contributing to our community should read page 19 (actually 4) on the following 2010 Hofstra research report: http://www.hofstra.edu/pdf/academics/colleges/hclas/cld/cld_f10_immigration_impacts.pdf
Be that as it may, they are still here ILLEGALLY.
For reference, my father is one of those they slap across the face with their impunity.
REPEAL "JUS SOLI".
That should put an end to this B.S. REAL quick.
Philip J. Berg, attorney general for Penn. stated that he has two affidavits and a taped phone call from obama’s grandma affirming she was in the delivery room in Kenya when he was born Aug. 4, 1961. Berg said he’s pursuing the issue because of “the most important document in the United States,” the U.S. Constitution.
No?
Not surprising...
On occasion, I do "copy and paste" a potentially controversial post to a WordPad document. It doesn't take up much space on the ol' HDD, and it grants to opportunity to edit.
And tell me Joe, just how many really truely local trades people have you hired lately? If you do not know any local folks try asking at the Historical Societies of the East End for names. They can give you really truely local surnames then you and all will be able to hire hard working locals.
Does the USA have immigration laws?
Does the USA have labor laws?
Should the Fed Govt enforce it's own laws?
If the Fed govt fails should the states enforce immigration laws as to protect the citizens?
Are you for open borders?
Are said open borders restricted to Latinos?
Should we let people from Yemen, Syria, Iran, Libya or anywhere else enter the country ...more unchecked because they are seeking a better life and willing to do jobs that we find undesirable?
If the answer is no, are you not being a racist?
You see how this open border and turn a blind eye nonsense is, uh, nonsense?
Your weak argument is crumbling.
AND THIS IS THE MAIN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE LOCALS WHO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE ILLEGALS AND THE ILLEGALS THEMSELVES:
The illegals don't feel like they deserve anything. They stand outside and wait for work - whatever work they can get. While the locals who complain about them .... complain about them.
Would I rather have local people doing the skilled trade-work? Sure.
Now we have more illegals full time than legals. Because we built ourselves out. And the fat contractors put bigger and bigger american flags on thier trucks, and got richer and richer. And the proud locals lost their luster and moved west or died.
This guy at 711, he is the worst kind of person. He is self aggrandizing and exploiting an issue to draw attention to himself. You can tell by his short denim shorts and the look of extacy he has on his face when people honk. He thinks he's the queen of england.
You want to stop the hiring of illegal immigrants?? Go to that 711, and take pictures of all the trucks that stop and pick guys up. Publish those pictures, on a website, a flyer, whatever.
I'm sure you'll find most of them people picking up and flag-waving, war supporting, in-public-immigrant-hating, republicans.
Were you born stupid or did you have to work at it?
Sounds like you hire illegals or are one
Trustworthy? Most skilled? Respectful? Best drivers?
First off,you don't know who they are or where there from...criminals from all over central america are standing at the corner
How many children have been raped or molested by illegals out here the past 15 years
How many dwi's and hit and runs by drunk illegals...ever play chicken with a landscaping truck?
Murders? ...more yeah we had those too
B&E? way too many
Ask any attractive women why she will not go into 7/11 then tell me about respectful
If your going to blow sunshine into a cloudy day maybe do it with facts not lies and your personal agenda
I can post articles from real hometown newspapers all across the country firing off crime after crime by illegals all within the last 3 months,really it will make you stomach turn if your the least bit patriotic-but these liberal editors seem to like to delete posts and ban people who speak the truth
Shall i get started on workmans comp and irs dodging? Ask anyone that works at a hospital how much illegals cost them in unpaid bills
But yes your right about one thing,contractors who hire them should be arrested for a felony and hit with fines so large it take back all of their illegal profits and put them out of business all together
Illegal aliens are criminals,no matter what they're here for
To add to this mess we have the Obama admin attacking the states that are trying to enforce immigration laws. Why? ...more Well to import a voter group to start. That's just great, tie law enforcements hands and allow the illegal activity to go unchecked.
Once again the Fed Govt has sold us out. That and we have become a lazy bunch, haven't we? If we are willing to import illegal and cheap labor and allow citizens to collect checks because "they are unwilling to do the dirty work" then we are lost. So in a sense the illegals are taking advantage of the system every bit as much as the entitlement crew is. If this is the America that the liberal extremists have in mind then I can assure you it will one day bite them directly on the can and one day soon we'll wake up to a country that we no longer recognize. This system needs serious reform, but all we get is gutless, politically correct responses from the empty shirts that we elected. I have no doubt our communities will suffer as a result. Are things better or worse out here now as compared to 12 years ago? Heck of a price to pay for manicured lawns and clean dishes.
To your first part, do we have 20 million undocumented Canadians in the USA? If that is the case then I have been missing something.
What other laws do we get to ignore? Or do only some people get to ignore some laws? So it's really not me that's profiling as much as it is you.
Martin picked the wrong state and the wrong person to assault and it cost him dearly. I'm confident that the grand jury will review the evidence and take whatever action is appropriate.
You did.
Like Reply Report as inappropriate
By philathome (2138), Southampton on Apr 6, 12 11:42 AM
===
Nor did I. However you did equate verifying proof of citizenship with Nazism. That is 100% verifiable by scrolling up a bit. Your conclusions about what I wrote are nothing more than you either trying to change the subject, defend you ...more defenseless argument, a sign that your reading comprehension is in need of fine tuning, or all of the above. Your consistency is what makes you special, Phil.
Also, please answer the following
Does the USA have immigration laws?
Does the USA have labor laws?
Should the Fed Govt enforce it's own laws?
If the Fed govt fails should the states enforce immigration laws as to protect the citizens?
Are you for open borders?
Are said open borders restricted to Latinos?
Should we let people from Yemen, Syria, Iran, Libya or anywhere else enter the country unchecked because they are seeking ...more a better life and willing to do jobs that we find undesirable?
If the answer is no, are you not being a racist?
Phil: Whats wrong with an alien in our country carrying proof that he or she is here legally? Obviously you have never traveled abroad, almost every country I've visited REQUIRES any non citivzen to carry their passport to present to the authorities when asked, no problems with that.
Your sieg heil post is just another example of the lunatic fringes' hate.
Phil, Progress, and PF... please, please, please show us these blatant examples of racism that you cry about. Please, please, please answer my series of questions above. I want to see what you have other than throwing the race card around. I'll help you... you don't have anything but an ideology with no legal basis at all. You want a group of people (in this case Latinos) to have their ...more own set of laws that are separate from anyone else. When someone questions it you scream "Racist!" like a deranged parrot. You have no argument at all. Also, please explain how the wanting the rule of law to be applied is racist, while creating a special set of rules for one group is not. Hint... you can't. We either have laws or we don't. As far as I know we do, so your argument is DOA.
Also start reading the police reports in the Southampton press before you put it in your canary cage.
Greed poisons.
Fiddle Fiddle Fiddle.