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Bush gives argument against any sort of illegal alien amnesty scheme

Earlier today, president Bush delivered speech #5B in Miami (whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/07/20060731-1.html). For those who left their program at home, that speech number designates 10% Cuban-oriented content, and 10% ports-oriented content, with, of course, the remaining 80% being offal, stuffing, straw, lies, and bits and pieces from other speeches.

However, near the end, he provides an argument that can be used against any form of amnesty or whatever he falsely claims it is. Here are parts of the speech:

America is home to 5 percent of the world's population. That means 95 percent of the world's population are potential customers.

And 95 percent or so of that 95 percent make less in a year than some Americans make in a day.

Congress passed NAFTA, and as a result, Florida's exports to Mexico tripled.

And, Mexico's "exports" to the U.S. tripled as well. Now, the same sort of people who pushed NAFTA are trying to sell us their "solution" to massive illegal immigration.

In order to make sure this country continues to remain strong we must also ensure that America welcomes new immigrants, people who add to our prosperity. See, we can be a nation of law and a welcoming nation at the same time, and we don't have to choose. (Applause.)

Bush is right about that, and that's why we have legal immigration. Of course, since Bush supports and encourages illegal immigration, he actually only supports the "welcoming" part.

To keep the dream alive we must have comprehensive immigration reform. We must be logical about the approach we take to immigration. Of course, we want to enforce our borders. The Coast Guard works hard to enforce our borders. We got hardworking people on the Mexican border working hard to enforce our borders. And we'll provide more Border Patrol agents. And we'll provide new technologies to help those working hard. But in order to enforce the border, we have got to recognize that people are sneaking in here to work; the best way to enforce the border is to have a rational way for people who are doing jobs Americans aren't doing to come to this country on a temporary basis so they can realize their dreams. We need a guest worker program as part of a comprehensive reform. (Applause.)

Actually, the best way to enforce the border is to enforce the laws against employing illegal aliens, something that - aside from a few show raids and arrests at military bases - Bush refuses to do.

There's a lot of document forging going on. See, we got people being snuck across in 18-wheelers; we got people walking miles across the desert because of coyotes or smugglers. There's also a lot of people who forge documents. It's hard for an employer to know whether someone's here legally, or not. That's why we need to have a document that can't be forged and faked. So people say, I'm here for a temporary basis to work. I'm here legally to do a job Americans aren't doing, and that way we'll be able to have better work site enforcement. It's against the law for somebody to hire somebody who is here illegally. In order to make sure that those laws work, we need to have tamper-proof documents in the hands of people applying for work.

A Big Lie. There are tried-and-true ways of workplace enforcement that don't require a national ID card and, once again, Bush actively thwarts such enforcement. Not also the previously noted change from "jobs Americans won't do" to "job Americans aren't doing".

Fourthly, it is unrealistic to think that we should give automatic citizenship to people who've been here illegally. That's not going to work. It basically says, fine, then the next wave of people will come to try to become -- get automatic citizenship. Amnesty is not the right approach.

Bush admits that future immigrants - legal or illegal - take cues from our past actions. And, since that "next wave" would expect amnesty if we gave them the "automatic citizenship" Bush claims to oppose, that "next wave" will also expect to receive "earned citizenship" that Bush supports. It's good to hear Bush admitting that if his dream is fulfilled it will lead to yet another "earned citizenship" (i.e. amnesty) in the future.

But neither is trying to remove the 10 million or 11 million people who've been here illegally. Deportation is not going to work. What must work is a rational middle ground that says, you can pay a fine, you can learn English, you can prove you've been a lawful citizen, and then you can get in the citizenship line -- but at the back of the line, not the front of the line.

Bush just lied: there will be many people behind them in the line, and unlike the former illegal aliens, those people will be waiting in foreign countries and won't get to live here while waiting for their citizenship.

And finally, we'll continue to work to help people assimilate into the United States. We want people learning English. We want people learning our history and our traditions. We're going to work hard to make sure we're one nation under God. Rational immigration policy is possible, and it's important for members of the United States Congress to work toward a comprehensive immigration plan. (Applause.)

In his next speech, Bush will propose putting the NCLR and the government of Mexico in charge of his assimilation push.

Posted to Politics at 07:25 PM | Comments (0)

Santorum confused about Al-Jazeerah.info. So was DailyKos

Sen. Rick Santorum is apparently trying to promulgate an endorsement of his rival (Bobby Casey Jr.) made by al-Jazeera. Santorum even mentioned this on Thursday's Bill O'Reilly show.

Only one problem: the endorsement is from al-jazeerah.info, which is not related to the infamous network (and is in fact located in Georgia in the U.S.)

Of course, what few will remember is that our good buddy the DailyKos made this same mistake a few years back. Perhaps someone who has a DK account could point that out to them.

Posted to Bloggage at 12:03 PM | Comments (0)

"Wikipedia Celebrates 750 Years Of American Independence"

From this fine news source:

Wikipedia, the online, reader-edited encyclopedia, honored the 750th anniversary of American independence on July 25 with a special featured section on its main page Tuesday...

..."On July 25, 1256, delegates gathered at Comerica Park to sign the Declaration Of Independence, which rejected the rule of the British over its 15 coastal North American colonies," reads an excerpt from [Wikipedia's] entry. "Little did such founding fathers as George Washington, George Jefferson, and ***ERIC IS A FAG*** know that their small, querulous republic would later become the most powerful and prosperous nation in history, the Unified States Of America."

"All our lives, we are taught about the achievements of Washington, Jefferson, and FAG, but we seldom consider the factors and conditions that led them to risk everything for a republican cause," [WP founder Jimmy] Wales said. "What was it really like to be a patriot in those times? How did the colonists' perception of democracy conform and contrast with our modern one? Did Betsy Ross, as legend has it, really have the biggest boobies in the New World? It's these types of questions I want Wikipedia to be a forum for, all at the click of a mouse."

On a serious note: Wikipedia's continual low credibility

Posted to WackyHumor at 11:33 AM | Comments (0)

Special Order 40 video

There's a video here featuring interviews conducated over the past decade concerning Los Angeles' illegal alien sanctuary law, aka "Special Order 40".

Posted to Los_Angeles at 05:14 AM | Comments (0)

The "migration meltdown in Britain"

From this:

A massive rise in immigration next year could trigger a devastating crisis in Britain's schools, housing and welfare services, according to a secret Government report leaked to The Mail on Sunday.

The document reveals that every Government department has been ordered to draw up multi-million-pound emergency plans after being told public services face catastrophe as a result of the hundreds of thousands of Eastern Europeans pouring into Britain...

...The leaked document, written by Home Office Minister Joan Ryan, is entitled Migration From Eastern Europe: Impact On Public Services And Community Cohesion...

The London Times article on the leaked report is here. Some of the comments on the Daily Mail report show that England has a Bloomberg-style problem:

They cannot claim benefits.They do not take council flats or houses from British people because they are simply not entitled to them.If it wasn't for the Polish or Bulgarian maids,porters or receptionists,our hotels wouldn't function.The same goes for public transport or agriculture.

On a related note, Britain's "Serious Organised Crime Agency" says it can cost as little as 150 Pounds to be smuggled from France to England. Someone from the "Immigration Advisory Service" (an NGO and probably far-left) disagrees, saying it's in the high hundreds or more. This article is based on the same report, and highlights the even less reputable activities of smugglers.

Posted to Immigration_euro at 02:59 AM | Comments (1)

Tony Snow spins massive illegal immigration in Reason Magazine

The lunatic libertarians at Reason Magazine have a special issue about illegal immigration. If you live in a town with 6000 residents, there's a slight statistical chance that one of those people has read it.

One column in the issue is from Tony Snow; whether it was penned before or after him being hired as a Bush administration shill is unknown.

The article is described here, and in it he describes those who want our elected officials to enforce our laws as "neo-Know Nothings". And, he seems to have gotten other things wrong as well, offering a series of very questionable statistics:

Percentage of illegal immigrants who got here by jumping the Mexican or Canadian border: 60. Percent who overstayed their tourist or educational visas: 40.

Percent of illegals who are unemployed: 5.5. Percent who pay income taxes, Social Security and Medicare: 66. Percent who send their children to public schools: 10. Percent who receive food stamps or unemployment assistance: 5. Percent of Latino households that are Spanish-free by the third generation: 80.

Researcher-analyst Steve Camarota of the Center for Immigration Studies, which favors "a pro-immigrant, low immigration vision," says some of these Reason statistics are a little off. Camarota uses the figure 55 percent for illegals who pay payroll taxes, for instance, and he seriously doubts that only 10 percent of illegals send their kids to public school.

As for the linked column, it's from Pittsburgh Tribune-Review associate editor Bill Steigerwald. If you get a chance, give him a call at (412) 320-7983 or an email at bsteigerwald *at* tribweb.com with some of the painfully obvious reasons why illegal immigration is indeed a crisis.

Posted to Immigration at 10:24 PM | Comments (6)

Nets, jets, and reverse colonization

Try to ignore the editorializing from a typically idiotic Wired writer in the following:

During a recent briefing at the time-honored Royal United Service Institute – the oldest military think tank in the world, founded in 1831 by the Duke of Wellington – Parry imagined a future, circa 2030, in which the war on terror is still rolling along and the terrorists are winning. He describes a world so ripped up by nets and jets that sovereign nation-states like the UK are collapsing economically, politically, even physically. Then there are the people of that future, who hop from country to country and bear allegiance to none. "Globalization makes assimilation seem redundant and old-fashioned," he noted, pointing out that, rather than dissolving into the melting pot of their host nations, immigrants are increasingly maintaining their own cultural identity. Jets and nets make this possible. "Groups of people are self-contained, going back and forth between their countries, exploiting sophisticated networks and using instant communication on phones and the Internet." The result, Parry says, is "reverse colonization," in which the developing world's teeming masses conquer Western nations, as surely as the Goths sacked Rome.

It's easy to pigeonhole Parry as an isolationist – and, indeed, much of the public response to his speech came from anti-immigration wackos who said, "We knew it all along." But he has plenty of forward-thinking company in these ideas. According to a loose school of "fourth-generation warfare" theorists, connected, globe-trotting terrorists are a bigger threat to the world order than hostile nations are. The technological drivers of globalization have enabled stateless barbarians to seize the initiative. You can't keep them out by blocking the border, and the harder you smash the failed states that nurture them, the more they thrive. At the first sign of weakness, these new-wave Vandals will log on to urge their diasporic compatriots to attack you on your own soil. Failing that, they'll hop on the next flight, pick up their baggage, and sidle into Starbucks to download the latest instructions from Abu Ayyub al Masri...

Posted to Terrorism at 12:30 PM | Comments (2)

Tamar Jacoby: the Americans can be forced to accept a massive illegal alien amnesty

Tamar Jacoby is back with more blather in support of massive immigration, this version being called "Amnesty Is Not a Four-Letter Word: Voters don't like amnesty, but they'll swallow some form of it to fix immigration." No, really, that last part is the real subtitle.

She discusses various misleading and/or push polls and concludes that the Americans will accept a massive illegal alien amnesty just because they want to fix immigration so urgently. The polls she mentions - without dates - include "Gallup Poll, Washington Post/ABC News, Time, NBC News/Wall Street Journal, CNN and the Republican National Committee". At the last link, I determined that the poll question was so misleading it was specifically designed to mislead. Looking in to the other polls is left as an exercise.

And, what she fails to discuss is what happens after the "reform" turns out to make the situation even worse than before. She doesn't address whether, for instance, people like Jacoby will still have careers after the Americans realize that they were hoodwinked by corrupt forces whose only interest is the bottom line and not what's best for the country.

This is the way the Manhattan Institute and the National Immigration Forum put the question in a poll released this week: "Which would you prefer: Congress does nothing about immigration reform this year, or Congress passes an immigration reform bill that provides for increased border security and tougher enforcement but also contains things you do not like, such as amnesty for current illegal immigrants?"

Even bright grade schoolers could recognize that that's a false choice. If they wanted to be honest, they could have presented a third choice:

"Or, would you prefer that your representatives simply enforce the current laws across the board?"

That would probably receive 70% or 80% approval. Perhaps they could even ask this:

"Does the fact that corrupt politicians refuse to enforce the current laws give you any hope that they would enforce the new laws?"

Her entire article is based not only on questionable polls, but on the questionable concept that voters can be forced to accept something that is clearly not in their best interests.

Posted to Immigration at 02:37 PM | Comments (4)

DHS spent $34 billion like drunken bureaucrats

From this:

The Homeland Security Department spent $34 billion in its first two years on private contracts that were poorly managed or included significant waste or abuse, a congressional report concluded Thursday.

Faulty airport screening machines, unused mobile homes for hurricane victims and lavish employee office space — complete with seven kitchens, a gym and fancy artwork — were among 32 contracts on which Homeland Security overspent, the report found...

Posted to Politics at 12:29 PM | Comments (1)

Alberto Gonzales to promote Bush/Fox/Kennedy amnesty scheme Monday July 31, 2006

All the cool kids will no doubt be discussing Monday's ground breaking press conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico where Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez will be speaking regarding "comprehensive" immigration "reform".

No doubt underlings are busy copying and pasting bits of his speech from the speech Bush has been giving for the past few years.

Posted to Immigration at 10:24 AM | Comments (0)

"Comprehensivly Wrong" (reply to WSJ open borders letter)

In June, 41 prominent conservatives released an open letter calling for "enforcement first". A couple weeks ago, 33 "conservatives" published a reply in the WSJ. Now, here's the response:

...Unfortunately, the letter's principal argument rests on the false premise that the Senate bill strengthens enforcement. According to University of Missouri law professor Kris W. Kobach, former attorney general John Ashcroft's chief advisor on immigration law from 2001–03, the Senate bill would actually weaken the War on Terror...

...as the signers of the counter-letter well know, American national identity has been under assault for decades from an anti-assimilation agenda that includes bilingual ballots, bilingual education, group preferences for new immigrants, and dual-allegiance citizenship (e.g., a naturalized U.S. citizen was just elected to the Mexican Congress last week, for the first time) [????]. A truly "comprehensive" approach would fight to address these anti-assimilation measures - here and now - before endorsing a Senate bill that vastly increases immigration. To their credit, some of the signers of the counter-letter have fought for (not just talked about) assimilation (Clint Bolick, Linda Chavez), but many continue to prevaricate, and pander to the aptly named National Council of The Race ("La Raza")...

...The counter-letter touts the old Bracero program as a successful model for limiting illegal immigration. But, as U.C. Davis professor Phil Martin testified before the House on July 19, during the 22 year (1942–1964) Bracero program "some 4.6 million Mexicans were legally admitted, but over 5.3 million were apprehended demonstrating that even a large guest worker program can be accompanied by larger illegal migration." Thus, the counter-letter fails to note that illegal immigration actually increased during the Bracero program.

Surprisingly, the counter-letter begins by posing the question: "What side of history do conservatives want to be on?" We are told that the economy "demands" and "history teaches" that "the only way to control immigration" is a "comprehensive solution" (the Senate approach). Thus, the philosophical foundation of the counter-letter rests on the premise that there is an impersonal force called "history" to which Americans must submit and, apparently, scurry to get on the "right side" of. This represents a quasi-Marxist (and fatalist) mindset rather than a conservative (or liberal) one. How did the one or two Straussians, who signed the counter-letter, miss this historicist cant?

...No less surprisingly, the Wall Street Journal, in the same editorial that promotes the counter-letter, argues that the philosophy of "open immigration" and "flexible labor markets" is "at a fundamental level" a "matter of freedom and human dignity." Thus, the Wall Street Journal states: "These migrants are freely contracting for their labor, which is a basic human right."

Well, there you have it. An influential voice in the conservative movement believes, apparently in all sincerity, that illegal immigrants have "a basic human right" to work in the United States, contrary to the laws and, hence, the wishes of the American people. So much for "government by consent of the governed." Apparently, as far as the Journal is concerned, a "flexible labor market" trumps democratic self-government. The signers of the counter-letter should come clean and tell us whether they agree. This is an issue conservatives should clarify now, before passing any immigration legislation or heading into the elections of 2006 and 2008. Do we stand for American self-government or not?

Posted to Immigration at 04:32 AM | Comments (1)

"California now resembles Mexico"

Here's a post just for my "liberal", "conservative", and lunatic libertarian illegal immigration apologist and supporter readers! Please consider this fun quote:

"We're in a state [Kentucky] where there's nothing but Americans. The police control the streets. It's clean, no gangs. California now resembles Mexico - everyone thinks like in Mexico. California's broken."

Oh, by the way, the speaker is a former illegal alien who moved from Los Angeles to KY:

They went to night school to learn English because few people in Lexington speak Spanish... [the same person says] "at the school there are just people who speak English. It's helped my children a lot."

The quotes are from the Los Angeles Times article "6 + 4 = 1 Tenuous Existence", which tells the tale of several sisters, one of whom stayed in Los Angeles and the rest who left. Much more could be said about the article, such as what they're trying to get at and whether it's to a tiny extent an indictment of the LAT's outright support for massive illegal immigration.

Some comments on this article are here; at the DailyDross, the response is a bit mixed, with some rational posts and a couple noisemakers race-baiting. A few others accuse the Los Angeles Times of doing Rove's work for him: "Articles like this are designed to inflame. They're using the same playbook they used for the Welfare Queen and Johnny Can't Read panics." That's refering to the Los Angeles Times.

And, here's a discussion question just for my "liberal", "conservative", and lunatic libertarian illegal immigration apologist and supporter readers:

How much has the family featured in the article cost the U.S. over the years, and who's benefited from their presence in the U.S.?

Posted to Immigration at 08:36 PM | Comments (0)

Chertoff promotes "Guest" Worker Program at House meeting

Everyone knows he's just a lackey saying what he's told to say, but just for completeness' sake, DHS head Michael Chertoff testified before a House committee yesterday:

...Chertoff noted that other alternatives [to the Senate amnesty scheme] - such as jailing 10 percent of illegal immigrants already in the country - could cost up to $10 billion a year.

"The round 'em up and detain 'em method is astronomically expensive," Chertoff said. Comparatively, the worker program, "while not cheap and absolutely requires some time to build and plan and deploy, is ultimately successful if we make sure we continue to enforce the law."

Of course, Chertoff is only selectively enforcing the law right now, so the last bit is highly misleading. And, that "10%" would be a constantly replenished figure that would actually consist of fewer and fewer people as almost all are sent home and most prospective illegal aliens realize that coming here is a losing proposition.

And, there's the issue that trying to jail even a small number of the illegal aliens here now would result in massive civil disturbances; in other words, George Bush has put the U.S. at tremendous risk.

And, from this:

Though Chertoff stopped short of endorsing a new immigration proposal outlined this week by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, he did offer support for a key part of her plan: turning aspects of the guest worker program over to private employment agencies. The private sector, he said, can be more efficient than government at collecting applicants' data, fingerprints, health information and other records.

Last August, George Bush formed the "Americans for Border and Economic Security" which was fronted by Ed Gillespie and Dick Armey. They were trying to raise $3 million from corporations in order to spread pro-"guest" worker propaganda. That exact plan might not have taken off, but Gillespie and Armey are still promoting massive immigration. By getting the private sector involved, Bush might be trying to give (another set of) businesses an incentive to open their wallets and begin spreading lies.

But Chertoff warned Congress that it would take some time for the government to implement any temporary worker program or plan to legalize millions of illegal immigrants.

"I don't think we could open for business the day after Congress passed it," he told reporters after the hearing. "We would need months."

Rep. John Carter, R-Texas, argued that the government is far from ready to handle any increased workload caused by a sweeping guest worker program. "I personally think none of those areas are even close to ready," he said...

Of course, in those months between it being passed and it being implemented, hundreds of thousands (or more) of illegal aliens could come here to take advantage of the scheme. In that time, they'd get all their fake paperwork together showing they've been working here for years.

And, of course, once it's implemented we'd see that wonderful Bush administration technical competence we saw during Katrina, in the flu vaccine shortage, in Iraq, and pretty much in everything else they've tried.

From 10/05: Chertoff promotes "Temporary Worker Program" at Senate meeting

If you too think The Skull is worthy of nothing more than ridicule, see: "Michael Chertoff apologizes for latest Rex-related deaths".

Posted to Immigration at 06:32 AM | Comments (3)

The Senate amnesty: an "Administrative and National Security Nightmare"

Yesterday the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and Claims held a hearing entitled "Whether Attempted Implementation of the Senate Immigration Bill Will Result in an Administrative and National Security Nightmare."

Clearly they have an agenda, but they're also right. One of those testifying was Michael Cutler, a former INS agent. Full text at the link; a segment:

there are senators and others who insist on pushing forward to implement a guest worker amnesty program that would be utterly disastrous for national security... if this program were enacted, these millions of illegal aliens would be able to go to an immigration office, assume any identity they found convenient and receive official identity documents from our government. It would be a simple matter for a terrorist or criminal, to walk into such an office, provide a false name to the over-worked bureaucrat at USCIS who will probably be given only a minute or two at most to interview each applicant. The terrorist would then receive a guest-worker identity document in that new identity that would permit him to circumvent the various terrorist watch lists or so called, "No fly" lists and thereby embed himself in our country and gain access to what are supposed to be secure venues...

Another person testifying was Michael Maxwell, the former head of the USCIS' internal affairs division:

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) still isn't ready to handle a massive guest-worker program, even though President Bush and the Senate are pushing for one to be part of any immigration-enforcement bill, a former agency official will tell lawmakers today.

"An administrative and national-security nightmare already exists at USCIS," Michael Maxwell, who until this year ran the agency's internal affairs division, will testify, according to a copy of his prepared statement obtained by The Washington Times. "Implementation of the Senate bill would codify the nightmare and ensure that the criminals, terrorists and foreign intelligence operatives who have already gamed our immigration system are issued legal immigration documents and allowed to stay permanently..."

Posted to Immigration at 02:10 AM | Comments (1)

Jill Capuzzo/NYT: corruption, illegal activity are good for Riverside, New Jersey

Jill Capuzzo of the New York Times offers a ludicrously transparent article in support of illegal immigration: "Town Battling Illegal Immigration Is Emptier Now".

Don't you feel sad and all just by reading the headline? It continues. The lesson the NYT wants you to learn is that the best way for Riverside NJ to prosper is just to give a wink and a nod to illegal immigration. If they don't, cue the tumbleweeds.

The first paragraph calls up images of a ghost town as we learn that the streets are empty because the town has passed an ordinance that - whether ultimately proved constitutional or not - only seeks to reinforce federal laws against hiring or providing shelter to illegal aliens. In other words, unlike the New York Times those who actually live in the town want to help stop illegal activity there.

In the second paragraph, we're informed that one resident compared [a "heated" town meeting] to The Jerry Springer Show. That's certainly an entertaining comment, but one wonders whether it being placed there was intended to influence the reader in any way.

Then, in the third paragraph, we get the thoughts of a local merchant (many or most of whose customers are no doubt illegal aliens), and that person is given a few more paragraphs to expound, including this:

Ms. Martiniano said that immigrants here were scared in the aftermath of the vote, and that those who have been most vocal against immigrants "are not working and have nothing better to do."

Damn those lazy Americans! Of course, many of those might actually be working, and those that aren't might be patriotic Americans who are retired and who - unlike the NYT - oppose corruption and illegal activity. And, since the ordinance deals with illegal aliens, the use of "immigrants" is highly questionable.

After that, we get this interesting bit:

Ingrid Reinhold said that the new ordinance smacked of discrimination. She and her husband, Gustav, own three businesses along Scott Street: a music store that features mostly Latin music, a Brazilian cafe that is undergoing renovations, and a bustling Western Union office, where many of the immigrants can stay in contact with relatives back home...

Of course, many or most of those "immigrants" are actually illegal aliens. And, those at the Western Union office are almost certainly "staying in touch" by sending money home, a multi-billion dollar "industry".

In the real world, remittances encourage political corruption both in the U.S. and in receiving countries. In the NYT's world, wire transfer offices are just comfy Internet cafes.

Then, we're informed that Riverside is a city of immigrants.

Then, it's implied that those opposed to illegal immigration are drunks:

...Its new distinction, recognized at one point by the Guinness Book of World Records, was having the most bars and liquor licenses in a mile-square town... Many of those bars remain, and in some of them there is talk about what needs to be done to slow the tide of immigration...

I don't know exactly why they do, but the New York Times supports illegal activity and corruption.

Posted to Immigration at 09:14 PM | Comments (5)

Is Michelle Nichols of Reuters a liar?

[7/28/06 UPDATE: Reuters has corrected the article, see below.]

Michelle Nichols of Reuters offers a report about yesterday's Minuteman rally and book launch entitled "Immigration protesters scuffle in New York". As predicted, the MSM coverage of this event did not provide any details on the protesters, and it was biased in another way as well:

Immigration activists clashed at the site of the World Trade Center on Wednesday when an anti-illegal immigration group called for secure borders to avoid a repeat of the September 11 attacks and counterprotesters yelled "racists go home."

Members of the Minuteman Project, which patrols the U.S.-Mexican border for illegal immigrants, pushed and shoved members of an immigrant rights group that showed up at the event.

Jim Gilchrist and Jerome Corsi, authors of "Minutemen: The Battle to Secure America's Borders," were whisked away when some immigrant rights supporters broke through a police barrier and scuffled with Minutemen supporters...

If you're familiar with the coverage from the MSM - and especially Reuters and the AP - you've probably already assumed that Michelle Nichols is lying in the second paragraph. And, her third paragraph even implies that she's not telling the whole truth.

Then, there's this slightly less biased report from Samantha Henry of the Herald News:

As the rally continued, several pro-immigrant supporters broke away from their police-designated pen across the street and surrounded the Minutemen, who numbered about 30. Several shouting matches ensued.

And, in this audio interview, Gilchrist says that Michelle Nichols is indeed a liar. He also says that the pro-illegal immigration forces infiltrated their group with four protesters, who would occasionaly break away and rush the mike. And, he says his wife was pushed by protesters.

If Reuters were concerned with their reputation - instead of apparently being more concerned with pushing either a far-left or pro-cheap labor agenda - they'd look into whether their reporter is telling the truth or not.

There's some background on Reuters here, and also write to those sources that published this report:

longislandpress.com/index.php?show=contact (longislandpress.com/?cp=162&show=article&a_id=9221)

abcnews.go.com/Reference/story?id=54216 (abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2240196)

editor *at* reuters.com

7/28/06 UPDATE: At this page, Reuters provides an update, saying "Corrects description of scuffle in second paragraph". The other paragraphs appear the same, here's the new second para:

Supporters of the Minuteman Project, which patrols the U.S.-Mexican border for illegal immigrants, and immigrant rights activists, who showed up at the Minuteman event, became involved in a heated argument.

There are photos of the event here (eldiariony.com/galerias/minuteman072706/index.htm) and here: news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/060726/480/ffd6d165bc0241aa9f7174f2395fe7a3 news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/060726/480/cd94dd2dc1c645b0903b3fbd0f475d0b news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/060726/480/57fce14624d846149d975c1260726062 news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/060726/480/48f54511174041838db3c320ad09ec72 news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/060726/480/08ec463a317c4ac2b2e7896631bb5f2a news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/060726/480/057935e972174069baf5b48c725161d0 news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/060726/480/56873f18f72c41bf9b4be6df5d76be77 news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/060726/480/1b999a6c022745cabdacdfb98567831a news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/060726/480/8d3e56eb2a534506aa14aeaea59353d5

Posted to Immigration at 10:40 AM | Comments (1)

Dan Weintraub is wrong on illegal immigration

The SacBee's "CalInsider" is wrong about illegal immigration in so very many ways:

My take is that illegal immigration, in and of itself, is a victimless crime. If people come here to work, which most illegal immigrantsdo, they are going to engage in a voluntary exchange of their labor for someone else's money. They are not stealing, and, as a group, they are helping our economy, even if a few people at the lower end of the wage scale see their wages bid down. Illegal immigrants are also not harming legal immigrants or anyone "in line" to enter the country legally. The number of legal immigrants is set without any reference to the number who enter without documentation.

Some of the ways he's wrong are listed in the post and the comments here (note: that site has twice refused my request to comment there; according to the email I received after the last attempt, "LonewackoDotCom" is "anonymous". I guess that would make "Instapundit" "anonymous" too.)

Anywho, here are some of the other ways he's wrong:

Illegal immigration gives corrupt foreign governments power inside the U.S. The Mexican government meddles in our internal politics in many ways:

- their consuls attend city council meetings from coast to coast, encouraging those cities to accept Mexico's ID card, which is used mainly by illegal aliens

- distributing Spanish-language books with pro-Mexico propaganda to U.S. schoolchildren through agencies like the LAUSD

- working with several "human rights" groups, which then conduct various protests attempting to change our laws

For instance, the Georgia illegal immigration march was organized by a former Mexican Consul, one of the organizers of the Chicago 3/10 march is from Mexico's PRD Party and another serves on an advisory council to the Mexican president.

I'd hardly call giving a foreign country political power inside our country "victimless".

(OTOH, there's this 9/05 post: "CalInsider: Arnold should just say driver's licenses for illegal aliens is a bad idea")

Posted to Immigration at 11:38 PM | Comments (6)

Howard Dean: "George Bush is worse than Kanz'qaep!"

Earlier today, Howard Dean spoke to a group of third-graders from Miss Berry's class at Sequoia Elementary in Berkeley and compared president George Bush to Kanz'qaep. "My past cases of childish name calling have included comparing Katherine Harris to Stalin. Once you do something like that, you can't just compare Bush to even Hitler or Genghis Khan or Pol Pot," Chairman Dean explained. "That would be in effect almost putting him on the same level as someone like Katherine Harris, and we know he's much worse."

Continuing, Gov. Dr. Howard Dean M.D. explained, "That's why I'm now comparing president Bush to Kanz'qaep, the infamous 'Planet Wrecker' from 100,000 light years in the past whose magnetic weapons destroyed an entire solar system in the Andromeda galaxy."

No astronomers that we contacted - even including Dr. Steve Quayle, Dr. Whitley Streiber, Dr. Johnson Jameson, and Dr. John Lear - had ever heard of "Kanz'qaep" or his "magnetic weapons", but Chairman Dean insists that he existed at one point in time in a certain time-space continuum.

Posted to WackyHumor at 11:05 PM | Comments (0)

Mike Pence amnesty "would allow unlimited immigrants"

From this:

The latest proposal in Congress for a "guest"-worker program would allow unlimited immigration of eligible workers during the first three years and allow them and their families to remain here indefinitely.

Offered by two Republicans [Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison], the plan is criticized by proponents of stricter immigration laws. They say the program would tilt the nation's immigration system toward millions of uneducated, unskilled workers...

Under the Pence-Hutchison plan -- a variation on a proposal Mr. Pence floated earlier this summer -- the expansive "guest"-worker program would not begin until the president certified that the border had been secured. Only then would laborers matched with willing employers at an "Ellis Island Center" outside the United States be admitted indefinitely.

...Detractors are skeptical that President Bush would provide an honest assessment of border security and questioned the commitment of Mr. Pence and Mrs. Hutchison to tough immigration laws and stricter borders...

Both John Boehner and - naturally - Bill Frist have expressed hopes for the massive amnesty scheme.

Posted to Immigration at 01:04 PM | Comments (4)

Gilchrist, Corsi to premiere Minuteman book

Jim Gilchrist of the Minuteman Project and co-author Jerome Corsi will be at Ground Zero today to premiere their book "Minutemen: The Battle to Secure America's Borders". As they note, a protest is planned, and the details of that protest are provided here:

iacenter.org/archive-2006/minutemen-nyc072606.htm

As you can expect, it's the usual far-left distortion of the facts (that also ultimately serves those who profit off illegal immigration). The groups involved are:

Theresa Gutierrez, New York May 1st Coalition
Carlos Canales, The Long Island Workplace Project
Berna Ellorin, BAYAN Philippines

As described at the last link, the LIWP has collaborated with Arturo Sarukhan, a Mexican consul.

And, of course, note that their page is hosted at Ramsey Clark's International Action Center. Now, just because it's hosted there doesn't indicate a deep affiliation, but one can assume a certain spiritual kinship between those organizations and one of Saddam Hussein's lawyers.

If the press covers this expect them to gloss over those minor issues.

Posted to Immigration at 10:55 AM | Comments (1)

Think Progress pimps Susan "Medea" Benjamin

Susan "Medea" Benjamin is a very well known, far-left protester who's famous for getting arrested at anti-war and similar rallies, flying to Cuba with her organization Code Pink, and on and on.

Yet, to read this Think Progress post you'd think they'd never heard of her before. Either that, or they're trying to pawn her off as just a normal mainstream Democrat. Come to think of it...

The question now is: who gave her the pass that she used to get in to the event.

Previously: Think Progress, Ezra Klein, AP downplay organizers of illegal immigration marches

Posted to ThePeaceMovement at 10:41 AM | Comments (0)

Legal details on local police being involved in immigration laws

The basics of the law allowing police to be involved in immigration enforcement have been well known, but Judicial Watch has the actual documents:

...According to the documents, the 1996 Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) "authorized the Secretary of Homeland Security to enter into a written agreement to delegate the authority of enforcing federal immigration laws to a state or political sub-division of a state." Through Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), local law enforcement officers can receive immigration enforcement training – called "287(g) cross designation training." The cost for the five-week program is approximately $520 per officer...

The documents note that certain states and localities inquired about the training program, but failed to follow through, including: Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Virginia.

"Some local law enforcement agencies claim they lack the ability to enforce our nation's immigration laws. These documents prove that claim false," said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. "Local communities that want to help enforce immigration laws can do so legally and cost effectively."

For more on Los Angeles' sanctuary law "Special Order 40", see this, this, and this. Here's a relevant excerpt from the 9/11 Commission Staff Report. ICE's fact sheet on this is here: ice.gov/pi/news/factsheets/section287g.htm

Posted to Immigration at 05:45 AM | Comments (0)

"Meet Robert Pastor"

Jerome Corsi continues his series with "Meet Robert Pastor: Father of the North American Union":

...As we are taught in grade school, George Washington is the Father of our nation. If the North American Union comes into existence as the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) asserts, then we all better get prepared for a new hero. Robert Pastor is the person most likely to be proclaimed the father of the North American Union, a designation consistent with his decades-long history of viewing U.S. national interests through the lens of an extreme leftist almost anti-American political philosophy.

Dr. Pastor's early professional career involved a working association with the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS)...

In December 1993, President Bill Clinton nominated Pastor to be U.S. ambassador to Panama. Pastor's nomination was approved by a 16-3 vote in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and his confirmation looked virtually certain. The nomination failed, however, and was withdrawn by the administration in February 1995, after then-Sen. Jesse Helms (R.-N.C.) swore to prevent a Senate vote on Pastor's nomination. Helms, who had vehemently opposed the turn-over of the Panama Canal, placed much of the blame squarely on Pastor, declaring when he opposed Pastor's nomination that Pastor "presided over one of the most disastrous and humiliating periods in the history of U.S. involvement in Latin America." Helms also claimed that Pastor bore responsibility for what Helms saw as "a Carter administration cover-up of alleged involvement by Nicaragua's Sandinista government in arms shipments to leftist rebels in El Salvador."

Dr. Pastor has also co-authored a 1989 book with his long-time friend, Jorge G. Castaneda, who began his career as a member of the Mexican Communist Party...

...In his pressing enthusiasm for realizing the NAU, Robert Pastor argued in a 2004 article in CFR's Foreign Affairs, entitled "North America's Second Decade," that the United States would benefit by giving up U.S. national Sovereignty. "Countries are benefited," he wrote, "when they changed these [national sovereignty] policies, and evidence suggests that North Americans are ready for a new relationship that renders this old definition of sovereignty obsolete."

...Dr. Pastor himself proclaims that the May 2005 CFR task force report on which he was vice chair and principal editor was a "blueprint" for the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP)...

...Critics who argue that the NAU is a "conspiracy theory" are well advised to take a hard look at Robert Pastor. With U.S. policy toward Latin America, Dr. Pastor first approached the issue in writing (for the radical IPS, as we have noted), next as a university professor, and finally as a government official. Had John Kerry won the 2004 presidential election, Robert Pastor most likely would have emerged with a government position from which he could have pursued his NAU agenda. Given the re-election of George Bush, Dr. Pastor has surfaced within the CFR, an influential "think-tank" NGO whose history of impacting U.S. policy would suggest the CFR impact on SPP.gov could easily be more than academic.

More at the link.

Posted to NAU at 03:25 AM | Comments (0)

Three San Diego border hospitals might close [partly because of illegal immigration]

From this:

At least 3 hospitals serving many poor and uninsured people south of I-8 are in danger of financial collapse. Few physician specialists will accept such patients. And the county lacks a system to coordinate their care.

Those are three of 24 serious weaknesses in San Diego County's broken safety net that more than 900,000 Medi-Cal beneficiaries and uninsured residents depend on for medical care, according to a draft of a county-commissioned report released yesterday...

While the article details other reasons, it also doesn't mention who many or most of those "poor people" are: illegal aliens.

Posted to Immigration at 02:29 PM | Comments (1)

Michael Dukakis' lunatic immigration plan

The former governor has thoughts. Here's my reply:

If we raise the minimum wage, that will result in two classes of workers: American citizens lawfully employed at the minimum wage and higher, and illegal aliens illegally employed at the minimum wage and lower.

The difference between now and then is that there will be fewer of the former, and more of the latter.

Millions more illegal aliens will come here and will undercut American wages even further.

The same forces that prevent enforcement of our immigration laws now would simply go to work preventing enforcement of our immigration laws later. They might throw in working against enforcing our minimum wage and safety laws for good measure.

The Dukakis plan is like a fad diet, when everyone knows the only way to lose weight is to eat less and exercise more.

The only way to reduce illegal immigration is to enforce our immigration laws. That's something that Dukakis and the NYT editorial board have shown that they do not support.

Posted to Immigration at 01:18 PM | Comments (3)

Schwarzenegger: Supporting Prop. 187 was an error

This site translates this La Opinion article about an (English-language) interview with California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger:

It was an error to support Proposal 187, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger admitted yesterday during a meeting with the editorial board of La Opinion. The state’s chief executive expressed his positions on immigration, public education, the healthcare crisis, and his vision for California, within the context of his campaign and its engagement of the state's Latin community with a view to his re-election in November.

I have three statements to make:

1. As before, grit your teeth and smile! Arnold is better than the alternative.

2. La Opinion publisher Monica Lozano not only serves on the board of MALDEF, she's a sleazy race baiter (on a local TV show a few years ago, she was asked a leading question by Tony Valdez or another of the local reconquistadores whether opposition to illegal immigration was based on racism and answered "yes" in a definitive manner.)

3. The ball-tightener that Maria uses is working better and better.

Posted to Immigration at 12:36 PM | Comments (4)

Sen. John Cornyn comes out against North American Union, but...

In the past I've had some bad things to say about Senator John Cornyn, and he is the sponsor of one of the Senate's amnesty schemes. While he's now come out against the NAU, pay especial attention to the last paragraph of this snippet:

Responding to information from WorldNetDaily, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, has taken steps to ensure the Senate will not act on a bill that would further a plan to create a European Union-style alliance in North America.

...Yesterday, Cornyn's office notified WND the senator had been assured by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that no action will be taken on Senate bill 3622 in the 109th Congress. If the Senate Foreign Relations Committee does not act, the bill will expire at the end of the term in January...

The spokesman clarified Cornyn "is adamantly opposed to any 'North American Union' being formed like the EU has been formed in Europe."

Cornyn's office had no explanation, however, for why the legislation was introduced, except to note the senator "continues to believe that if Mexico would adopt free market principles, it would be in the best interest of the United States."

...WND showed Cornyn's office Friday that a content analysis of the bill demonstrated its similarity to some of Pastor's writings. The correlation was so strong, WND told the senator's staff, a conclusion could be reliably drawn that the person drafting and proposing the legislation drew from Pastor's writings and intended to advance his political agenda to create a "North American Union."

Posted to NAU at 11:51 AM | Comments (2)

John McCain supports illegal immigration even more strongly than Bloomberg

The NYPost reports that (putatively U.S.) Senator John McCain appeared at a New York Yacht Club gala and stated:

"What are we going to do with 11 million people? ...You going to send 'em all back? Mayor Bloomberg testified at a hearing last week that the economy of New York City would collapse [without illegal immigrants]. I would argue the economy of America would collapse."

Coming soon: George Bush will state that the world economy would collapse without illegal aliens.

Posted to Immigration at 11:07 AM | Comments (4)

Flex Your Power, California!

I've compiled a video containing energy saving tips to help citizens and residents avoid California's energy crunch. I compiled these tips from FYPower.org, other California government web sites, and other web sites. Follow these tips to make sure you're saving energy. Any state client can follow these tips. State energy providers and other providers can promulgate these tips to help their target populations conserve energy. (Note: none of these tips are endorsed by any governmental officials or agencies and are presented as personal opinion only. Consult with your physician, care giver, primary care provider, lawyer, accountant, and other professionals before basing any decisions on these tips.)

Posted to WackyHumor at 10:33 AM | Comments (2)

Juliana Barbassa/AP promotes anti-American DREAM Act

Juliana Barbassa of the Associated Press offers a PIIPP entitled "Illegal immigrants find room at colleges":

SAN FRANCISCO – When he started high school, Matias Bernal's English was so limited he stumbled over the words for numbers and colors.

Four years later, he was on the wait list at Princeton.

The article goes on to promote the DREAM Act, an anti-American bill that would take discounted college educations away from U.S. citizens and give them to illegal aliens. There have been literally dozens of highly similar articles promoting that bill, and almost all of them - including this current article - have a highly similar structure.

And, all of them are little more than an advertisement for that bill; the current article has 28 paragraphs with just 2 paragraphs dedicated to just one of the downsides of the bill. Those two paragraphs are nestled between heartwarming tales of struggling "immigrants" and the news that state legislators have recently passed laws "cracking down on foreigners".

Clearly, the AP has little interest in reporting the news or doing in-depth analysis. Since the AP itself is a lost cause, I'd suggest writing to a few of the papers that printed this propaganda with your thoughts:

dsimon *at* mercurynews.com
reader.advocate *at* sltrib.com
jfutchpt *at* aol.com

Posted to Immigration_piipps at 03:41 AM | Comments (2)

John Rosenow, Capital Times pimp cheap labor from Mexico

The Capital Times has printed a nice article from dairy farmer John Rosenow. The article has a title that makes me happy. It's called "We're obliged to know the hopes of our employees from Mexico":

My wife, Nettie, and I could not believe what we were seeing. Roberto, our favorite Mexican employee for four years, had sent the money he made back to Mexico to build a bakery. We had no idea he had done that.

That was nice of him. John talks about a program called "Puentes/Bridges" (that's what a "puente" is in Spanish!)

It was the brainchild of Shaun Duvall, a high school Spanish teacher, and Carl Duley, a UW-Extension agent, from Alma. They saw a new phenomenon in Buffalo County of Mexicans working on dairy farms and only speaking Spanish. Puentes was formed to teach us farmers Spanish and to educate us about the culture of our new work force by taking us to Mexico. The program also evolved to include visits to the villages where our workers' families lived.

John goes on to describe how he takes advantage of desperate poor people employs those wonderful Mexicans:

I called a friend who was employing Mexicans. He showed me where to locate a man to work for us. His name was Manuel. He worked 54 days in a row because he did not want a day off. I thought it was too good to be true. He worked like we did. Soon I hired more Mexican workers, and my good American workers began to once again have regular hours and time for vacations.

Why did I suddenly hear "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah, Zip-A-Dee-Day"? Obviously, comparing cheap third world labor that has few options to slavery is not accurate, but comparing the mindset of today's "liberals" who seek to profit from a bad situation to past mindsets is certainly appropriate. There are more comments on this article here.

Rosenow's article is apparently part of a push by Madison's Capital Times; here's columnist Margaret Krome sounding for all the world like a cheap labor pimp: "Sharing immigrants' lives promotes understanding":

Wisconsin has always grown with the vision and hard work of its immigrants. Usually, there is resistance and fear when new cultures enter the state.

Of course, some of those whose only interest is the bottom line are able to disguise their real agenda beneath a heaping load of "liberalism", white guilt, and a desire to be "tolerant".

In previous CT news, here's more on Joel McNally. And, here's my first impression of that newspaper.

Posted to Immigration at 11:20 PM | Comments (3)

Hugh Hewitt controls horizontal, vertical

In some ways, Hugh Hewitt is the person that I wish I was. He is a true renaissance man: an author, a radio host, an attorney, a public speaker, a blogger, a virulent BushBot, and now the editor of Townhall.com. He's reportedly able to update his blog... while doing his radio show and in between taking sips of KoolAid!

Of course, now that Townhall has a brand new look, they've deleted the blog I once had there. It only had a few entries, so it's not that big of loss. I'm currently trying to sign up for a new blog, but I keep getting "The page you requested cannot be found."

But, assuming I do get a new blog there, how many posts do you think it will be before the BushBot patrols come by and shut it down? I'm betting on three, four at the most.

Posted to Bloggage at 09:04 PM | Comments (1)

Video from National Council of the Race convention

I haven't watched this yet, but it's video from the NCLR convention and it's titled "CORPORATIONS + LA RAZA = OPEN BORDERS?"

Posted to Immigration at 02:26 PM | Comments (1)

Myth Debunked: Latin Conservative Tidal Wave Is Not Coming

Heather MacDonald offers this, which is sure to get the usual suspects and various Lysenkoists up in arms:

The myth of the redemptive Hispanic is finally cracking. For years, conservative open-borders advocates have touted Hispanic “family values” as a prime reason to increase immigration. Hispanic immigrants, these conservatives say, will save America from itself. At a time when Anglo and black families are disintegrating, when society is becoming increasingly atomized and alienated, Hispanics will bring the traditional values that the country so desperately needs. In a classic iteration of the theme, Larry Kudlow wrote on NRO last May that Hispanic immigrants would "become a much-needed churchgoing blue-collar middle class . . . that is crucial to a healthy America."

The truth is now supplanting the fiction. Last Friday, the New York Times ran an editorial, "Young Latinas and a Cry for Help," that laid out the real state of the Hispanic family. A quarter of all Latinas are mothers by the age of 20, few of them married, reported the Times. This out-of-wedlock teen-birth rate is three times that of white teens, and significantly more than that of blacks as well. The Hispanic dropout rate is also the highest in the country — the Manhattan Institute’s Jay Greene puts it at 47 percent...

Posted to Immigration at 01:24 PM | Comments (1)

John Fund's Borderline Insanity

WSJ columnist John Fund offers a heaping load of open borders propaganda in a column appropriately named "Borderline Insanity". The upside to his screed is that many people will realize it for what it is, and that will further reduce his and the WSJ's credibility.

He sets out to show that "enforcement-only" won't work, a frequent theme from those who support massive immigration. Of course, he only mentions employer sanctions once, and that's in a quote from an unnamed BP agent. In a way he's right: simply enforcing the border won't work. We need to enforce immigration laws at the workplace. However, his column is misleading by almost completely focusing on the border instead of, for instance, looking into why workplace enforcement has dropped sharply and whether that has anything to do with massive illegal immigration.

And, he compares the "failure" to stop drug smuggling with the "failure" to stop immigrant smuggling. The huge differences between the two are described here.

As for his talking points:

Right now, with Border Patrol agents trying to apprehend potential busboys and gardeners along with terrorists and gang members, the problem is too big for any law enforcement agency in a democratic society to tackle.

This is dramatically similar to drivel from an earlier WSJ editorial, David Brooks, and Tamar Jacoby. With all the money available to promoters of massive immigration, you'd think they could hire someone to come up with new lines.

Then:

Border Patrol agents I spoke with were reluctant to be quoted on the record, but all agreed that a comprehensive solution that combines more and better border enforcement with a well-designed guest-worker program is necessary if real progress is going to be made. "We need to enforce employer sanctions at the same time we give employers a legal path to fill the jobs they must have workers for," one agent told me. A retired agent points to the Bracero ("strong arms" in Spanish) guest-worker visa program, which until 1964 brought millions of Mexican workers north to work in the agriculture, construction and service industries.

I'm going to guess that he spoke with BP supervisors who are willing to spout the Bush line, nothing more. After rephrasing the busboys line, he starts whistling:

Support is building for a rational middle ground on immigration proposed by Rep. Mike Pence, chairman of the House Republican Study Committee.

Support for that is building in the same sense that support is building for "comprehensive" "reform": only within the ranks of the out of touch, pro-open borders elites.

Posted to Immigration at 11:10 AM | Comments (6)

Illegal aliens arrested at Barksdale Air Force Base

Twenty five illegal aliens were arrested working at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. They were working in construction and landscaping, and this report from China's People's Daily Online has no word on what country they were from.

The Communist China newspaper also reports:

The Barksdale Air Force Base, home for the Air Force's 2nd Bomb Wing, also provides global combat capability and trains all B-52 combat crews.

Always remember: George Bush is keeping the U.S. homeland safe, and our enemies are not paying attention to any weaknesses we might have.

Posted to Immigration_terror at 11:40 PM | Comments (2)

Did Bob Mulholland proxies drive Maria Shriver out of Watsonville?

Maria Shriver appeared at a fair in Watsonville, CA on Friday to promote California's capacious welfare state. After about an hour of pressing the flesh, she was shouted down by about a dozen Brown Berets. She shortly left the event on the advice of her security contingent, with the mayor following her to the airport to apologize for the welcome.

Bob Mulholland - senior strategist for Phil Angelides, Arnold Schwarzenegger's opponent - has no comment. Another Angelides helper - Steve Maviglio - decried the incident, calling it "tragic and totally inappropriate." The latter is on loan from Fabian Nunez' office.

From this:

The incident was strikingly similar to a notorious event during the 2003 recall. Then a group of labor protesters, orchestrated by then state Democratic Party honcho Bob Mulholland, disrupted and shut down Shriver's very first campaign event on behalf of her husband, now Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

There's absolutely no evidence that Mulholland or anyone else from the Angelides campaign is involved in this. However, based on the oppressive atmosphere of sleaze surrounding the California Democratic Party and their campaigns that is certainly something worth looking into.

UPDATE: This article informs us that the BBs are not contrite, that they say the protest was reasonable, and that Councilman Manuel Bersamin is an "ally" of the BBs:

Work prevented [Bersamin] from attending Friday's event. But he said maybe Shriver will carry a message back to her husband about the anger among young Latinos in Watsonville, and that will prompt some thinking about cuts to college outreach programs, to university funding, to the crisis in health care among the poor.

Alternatively, maybe she'll realize that having an open borders policy is only going to make the situation worse and end up bankrupting the state. Then, she'll talk to her uncle-in-law about that. Youbetcha.

Posted to California at 09:44 PM | Comments (0)

More elite vs. popular opinion on massive immigration

There's more on the titular subject in From Citizen to Subject — The Rule of Experts and the Rise of Transnational Anti-Democrats and also in "Immigration and Usurpation: Elites, Power, and the People's Will".

Previously: Elite vs. popular opinion on massive immigration: an analysis

Posted to Immigration at 04:27 PM | Comments (0)

Molly Hennessy-Fiske/LAT promotes corruption in Arkansas; Huckabee

Molly Hennessy-Fiske of the Los Angeles Times offers a fine slice of pro-illegal immigration propaganda called "Arkansas Immigration Raid Reaches Beyond Workers". It "reports" on the aftermath of the raid at the Petit Jean Poultry plant in Arkadelphia, Arkansas a year ago. We're informed that "[i]nstead of feeling reassured that immigration laws were being enforced, many felt that their community had been disrupted":

The Petit Jean workers had come to be more than low-wage poultry processors. They were church friends, classmates and teammates in the local softball league. And so some residents responded to the raid by helping workers fight deportation, driving them to court and writing to lawmakers for help. Others donated money, food and clothing to the families of workers detained or sent back to Mexico.

While there may have indeed been "many" who donated money, the only ones named in the article are:

- Mike Huckabee (governor of Arkansas)
- Blanche Lincoln (Democratic Senator)
- "prominent Arkadelphia citizens"
- Troy Tucker ("the county sheriff at the time of the raid")
- Henry Morgan (county prosecutor)
- Dr. Wesley Kluck ("a pediatrician, and his wife, Debbie"; he's a member of the Ark. Chamber of Commerce. The LAT also mentions that he's a school chum of Huck and wrote to him about the raids.)
- a 23-year-old community college student (who helped an illegal alien pay a smuggler)
- Pentecostal Pastor Bill O'Connell
- Jon Capps (a landlord who says of the illegal aliens: "I want them here... They're good renters.")

The college student is probably just a useful idiot, but as for the rest one wonders whether something else is going on. Could they be profiting directly or indirectly from illegal immigration? Should the Los Angeles Times' Molly Hennessy-Fiske have asked? Could the members of the local elite be supporting one another? Are transcribing sob stories the best reporting job that the LAT can muster?

As for Huckabee, he was apparently asked a question by the LAT:

"Our first priority should be to secure our borders," Huckabee said in an e-mail to The Times. "I'm less threatened by people who cross the line to make beds, pick tomatoes or pluck chickens" than by potential terrorists crossing the border.

This is similar to things that "Huck" has said before, and the follow-up questions remain the same. Clearly, the LAT should have asked him whether he also supports the corruption associated with illegal immigration and the highly negative impact it has on our political system. (One of the three people the LAT finds opposed to illegal immigration is right where Huck is wrong: "We are a nation of laws, and you cannot ignore those basic laws.")

If the LAT wants to try some real reporting, here's a whole site dedicated to Huckabee's various scandals. I was unable to find a list of contributions he's received, but surely the Los Angeles Times could look into that. Maybe they could talk to this guy; maybe they could look into the connections between Huckabee, Tyson Foods, and LULAC. If someone continually excuses illegal activity and corruption, real newspapers should look into whether that person is corrupt.

In light of the LAT story about the landscaper who was also an immigration activist (the latter not disclosed), one wonders exactly what the Los Angeles Times is ignoring in order to promote their agenda.

When the LAT editorializes in support of changing our immigration laws, can we trust that they would support enforcement of the new laws? If someone's bottom line is affected, wouldn't they simply publish propaganda pieces like this? Is assuming that the LAT is in any way not simply a propaganda source giving them too much credit?

Write readers.rep *at* latimes.com with your thoughts.

ADDENDUM: While the LAT's problem is much bigger than MHF, note that she started a blog in early 2004 at clipfile.org/mexico:

My name is Molly Hennessy-Fiske. I am an American reporter. On February 21, I travel to Mexico for six weeks with the Pew Fellowship program. I want to speak with people and write about immigration to the United States. I write for a number of publications, including The News & Observer newspaper in North Carolina.

At the page clipfile.org/mexico/archives/week_2004_08_15.php, she refers to the comments attached to a story she wrote as "some disturbing reader responses". While certainly rough-edged, the comments she refers to would only be disturbing to someone who supports illegal immigration.

UPDATE: On a trivial note, the (apparently unaffiliated) "Mike Huckabee For President 2008" blog did not approve the comment I left there informing it that I too had written about Huck's article ("MSM: Huckabee Right on Illegal Immigration"). I guess the news that its idol is completely corrupt was too much for it to bear simply approving my comment.

Posted to Immigration at 01:21 PM | Comments (4)

Illegal alien water stations in Anza Borrego State Park?

This site took a trip along Highway S2 in Anza Borrego State Park near San Diego, and spotted several blue drums containing what 1 gallon water jugs. Did the state of California put those out, or did they allow a "human rights" organization to put them on state land?

Posted to Immigration at 07:24 PM | Comments (3)

Bush "cognizant" of border terrorism risk, but won't do anything about it

Les Kinsolving asked Tony Snow about border security:

"The president has made his views on border security well-known... and my question: Would the president make border security a higher priority if he were convinced it was being used as an entry point by terrorists like those who are part of Hezbollah and al-Qaida?"

Snow responded:

"Think of it this way. The president committed as much money to the borders already as the House of Representatives was planning on doing in five years. So, he was serious before – he's perfectly cognizant of the possibility there may be terrorists crossing over. We have intelligence assets deployed in the area, and so he's not going to be anymore concerned because he's already very concerned about it."

Now, let's look at the facts. Karl Rove admits that 6 million illegal aliens have entered on Bush's watch. And, not only has the Bush administration almost completely refused to enforce immigration laws in the workplace, they admit it. And, Bush has almost come right out and blackmailed the U.S., saying that he'll only enforce the borders after he gets a guest worker plan.

I guess there are different levels of being concerned. If he were really concerned, he would do what's necessary to reduce the risk. The fact is, he has not. He has clearly made the decision that keeping the cheap labor flowing is more important than the security of the U.S.

Posted to Immigration_terror at 09:25 AM | Comments (5)

"North American Union Is No Conspiracy [Theory]"

John Hawkins at RightWingNews deserves credit for not supporting Bush as strongly as others did, often in a juvenile (BlogsForBush), sleazy (RedState) or underhanded (Insty) manner. However, he does have the major failing that he thinks the North American Union is simply tinfoil talk.

Jerome Corsi responds to him in great depth here. If you do the necessary research I think you'll see that Corsi is right.

Posted to NAU at 05:37 AM | Comments (1)

Biased San Jose State University poll delivers undesired result

A Survey and Policy Research Institute at San Jose State University immigration poll was discussed here in April. The problems with the question they asked was discussed at the link, and the latest version of the poll asks the same questionable question:

In your opinion, should undocumented or illegal immigrants living or working here be allowed to become legal residents of California?

However, the results of the latest version are bit more anti-amnesty, which - based on the statements they made after releasing the last version - is probably not the direction that those perpetrating the poll want:

In March, 59% answered yes, and 32% said no.

This time, the yes vote is 53%, and no has risen to 34%.

If they used the correct terminology - and maybe included a neutral summary of the issue - no doubt the yes vote would be much lower.

Posted to Immigration at 01:20 AM | Comments (2)

Al Walentis/Reading Eagle taken to task

Al Walentis is the editor of the Reading Eagle (Pennsylvania). And, he's got a blog where he tries his best to act just like a big city supporter of illegal immigration. A sample:

the non-partisan Congressional Research Service issued a report yesterday concluding that Hazleton's ordinance creates immigration rules independent of federal law and thus is vulnerable to legal challenge, especially if it is proven that in denying housing or a job to an immigrant it has discriminated on the basis of national origin rather than citizenship.

That's all he says about that issue, but there is something rather interesting he left out:

Hazleton City solicitor Chris Slusser argued that the report, which was written on June 29, appears to have been written before the ordinance was finalized, and that it comments on penalizing illegal aliens themselves, which the measure does not propose.

I don't include every word of every article I quote, but that is a rather interesting thing to leave out.

On a general Walentis note, an anonymous commentator at the first link has thankfully done my work for me:

...what's this I hear about the poverty rate skyrocketing in Hazelton while annual crime indices previously considered to be in the stratosphere for this quiet lil' Luzerne County town now quite sadly "the norm?" What did you say about Hazelton increasing in population from 20,000 to 33,000 people in a little over 4 years? You say nearly all of those new Hazletonians are undocumented illegal immigrants flooding from Allentown and New York City? Did you say the exponential increase in murder, property crime, assaults and drug crime has been contemporaneous with the influx of illegal immigration? Oh wait, you didn't mention any of that stuff, sorry, Al. My mistake. I wouldn't want to confuse you with an honest person...

Posted to Immigration at 10:14 PM | Comments (1)

Ed Rendell: America's anti-American governor

This jaw-droppingly idiotic recent quote from Pennsylvania's governor Ed Rendell shows that he is not qualified to be anything above dogcatcher:

The only ones I want to hear speaking up and complaining about immigration are the Native Americans who we screwed.

Honestly, I can't believe that someone who would make such an idiotic, anti-American comment is a governor. I am so stunned to hear a major elected official - even after adjusting for the fact that he's a Democrat - spew extremist reconquista talking points that I'm just going to link to this: "Ed Rendell Denounces America's Existence on Behalf of Illegal Aliens".

Hazleton mayor Lou Barletta has responded to that and other recent Rendell quotes:

"As a former mayor of Philadelphia, Governor Rendell should understand the desire to protect the legal citizens of a city," Barletta said in the news release. "As the governor, Mr. Rendell is aware of the current financial situation of the City of Hazleton , where it is important to make every dollar count, where every dollar should be spent on the legal residents of Hazleton."

Barletta said he wants to know how upholding a law is "mean-spirited or divisive" and said he was "very surprised" when reading remarks made by the governor.

"I was surprised with the governor's comments – especially since two members of his Governor's (Advisory) Commission on Latino Affairs have gone on to say some pretty mean-spirited things at me and at the city with no response from the governor's office," Barletta said.

The mayor referred to remarks made by Anna Arias, who spoke out against the IIRA during a recent Hazleton City Council meeting and called him a "monkey" during a television interview.

"I would say that calling the mayor a 'monkey' during televised interviews, as the representative of the governor did, is also mean-spirited," Barletta wrote. "The ordinance is not motivated out of anything other than a desire to protect the legal residents of Hazleton and make every precious taxpayer dollar go as far as it can."

UPDATE: Ed Rendell's soul mate has been spotted in the person of Azul Christian Caravaggio, a pro-illegal immigration protester who's walking to Washington to protest our laws. He and a few buddies stopped in Tennessee:

What began as a peaceful illegal immigration demonstration turned briefly physical Saturday morning in Jonesborough after one side charged the other over the presence of a Mexican flag.

Carl Twofeathers Whitaker, a Sevierville resident who is running as an independent candidate for governor, was charged by members of a Hispanic group [perhaps including Caravaggio] seeking to take the flag away from him.

...Caravaggio also thought seeking a better life in the United States is impossible to do legally, for most. She compared illegal immigrants to European settlers, saying European immigrants killed the indigenous population of North America when they arrived...

Posted to Politics at 09:52 PM | Comments (2)

North American 'Trusted Traders' Begin Rolling on the NAFTA Super-Corridor

From this:

Through a series of acquisitions including Mexican railroads, Kansas City Southern (KCS, NYSE: KSE) has declared itself the nation’s first NAFTA Railroad.

On April 1, 2005, KCS completed the acquisition of Mexican Railroad TFM, S.A. de C.V., an acquisition which gained for KCS all the common stock of Groupo Transportacion Ferrovaria Mexicana, S.A. de C.V., the holding company that owned TFM. In December 2005, KCS changed the name of TFM to Kansas City Southern de Mexico (KCSM). The acquisition of KCSM was a key piece in putting together the “NAFTA railroad,” the marketing brand that KCS uses to market its North American service for both KCSM in Mexico and Kansas City Southern Railroad (KCSR) in the United States...

...We should also note that KCS and the company’s Chairman & Chief Executive Michael R. Haverty have been very prominent in SPP activities.

The 2004 Summit held in Kansas City, Missouri, by the North American International Trade Corridor Partnership (NAITCP), an affiliate organization of the North America's Super Corridor Coalition, Inc. (NASCO) produced a brochure with a front page photograph of Mr. Haverty, documenting his attendance. Mr. Haverty is photographed at the right of the first row in the photo, with Dr. Robert Pastor of American University at the left of the row.

Dr. Pastor, who spoke at the summit, was the vice chair of the Council on Foreign Relations task force report "Building a North American Community," which we have argued serves as the blueprint for SPP.gov. Dr. Pastor is the author of five books, including "Toward a North American Community," published in 1991. Dr. Pastor has consistently argued that NAFTA should be transformed by a process of tri-lateral administrative regulations and executive branch negotiated trilateral agreements into a North American Union regional government on the model of the European Union...

Posted to NAU at 03:25 PM | Comments (2)

Illegal aliens caught in LULAC van

Apparently LULAC ("League of United Latin American Citizens") or one of its chapters operates some kind of van or bus service in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. Border Patrol agents saw a man acting suspiciously, and he and two friends got on one of the buses. After following the bus for a while, the BP stopped the bus and discovered that all three were illegal aliens.

There's no indication that the driver had any knowledge of their status or that LULAC is in any way involved in any sort of smuggling operation, and this site doesn't want to cast any sort of aspersions. However...

Posted to Immigration at 02:08 AM | Comments (3)

Commerce Dept stonewalling Corsi's FOIA request?

In June, Jerome Corsi sent a FOIA request to the Commerce Department asking for information on the "Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America", aka the precursor to the possible North American Union.

According to statute, Commerce should have responded within 20 days, and they have not:

"We thought we might encounter some recalcitrance," he explained to WND, "but I am frankly shocked that we had received no response at all. The department acknowledged its receipt of our request on June 19. The requirements of the Freedom of Information Act are quite clear: The government is allowed to respond to a FOIA request in many ways, but the complete failure to respond within 20 business days is simply not an option."

Posted to NAU at 11:09 PM | Comments (2)

Drum Major Institute: out of its depth

The immigration-related proposals of the DMI have been mentioned here in the past, and not in a good way.

Now, Andrea Batista Schlesinger of the DMI is questioning Phyllis Schlafly being selected to testify before Congress about immigration. Her post is simply an ad hominem attack, focusing on Schlafly's cultural conservatism rather than her immigration coverage, such as this important article.

In addition to a comment from yours truly, ABS's post generates this:

The problem with Andrea and other "liberals" is that they are NOT promoting the Democratic Party or liberalism. They are playing the cards of the Republicans and those in power. Who benefits from illegals? The illegals themselves? No they are underpaid, get no benefits, and have no job security. Real immigrants? No, because we are equated with illegals and get it from both sides. The American population does not like us, because they think we accept lower wages and no benefits, and, unfortunately, that is often what we get, whether we accept it or not, and not being real illegals we do not get some of the benefits those persons get, such as free medical care. We are, most of the time, just above that level, and we do have to pay taxes and other fees, that illegals do not pay.

Those who are Americans or naturalized Americans also end up with the short end of the stick, because we do not get jobs; they go to the illegals. We are competing with them.

Those who are Americans, and have paid in into Social Security and Medicare all their life, get to share that with illegals who do NOT pay one cent into those funds, not even if it is actually withheld from their paycheck. The employer keeps that. Another advantage to the employer of hiring an illegal...

Pretty good. In her post, ABS also references Heather MacDonald, pointing to this October post:

And [Heather MacDonald] tends towards sensationalist and unfounded allegations, such as that "police forces and county jails [are] reeling under the burden of illegal-alien rapists."

Note the period, because that's where the quote ends. However, if you look at HMD's essay you find this is the full quote:

[TimeMagazine's] WHO LEFT THE DOOR OPEN? catalogues the costs to the public: increased risk of terrorism; local hospitals driven out of business by borderinterlopers demanding free care; police forces and county jails reeling under the burden of illegal-alien rapists, murderers, bank robbers, and car thieves; Southwestern ranchers andhomeowners who daily face "revolting mounds of personal refuse" on their property, not to mention broken fences and missingproperty; and a corrosive assault on the "U.S. tradition of encouraging legal immigration."

Does this reader think ABS should have included all the groups that HMD lists, and that not doing so is intellectually dishonest?

Posted to Immigration at 09:34 PM | Comments (1)

Wells Fargo and illegal activity

Rep. Elton Gallegly offers "U.S. banking policies foster immigration lawlessness":

While a strong presence on our southern border is imperative, the border cannot be secured unless we enforce our internal laws and stop ignoring the open complicity of U.S. companies and foreign nations to promote illegal activities.

While Mexico is not the only country to market its consular card to illegal immigrants in the United States, and Wells Fargo Bank is not the only financial institution actively seeking the lucrative illegal market, they were the first. Together, their activities undermine the security of the United States...

...By earlier this year, Wells Fargo was boasting that it had opened 700,000 accounts with consular cards. Other financial institutions soon followed suit. Today, some 200 banks accept consular cards as legitimate identification to open accounts, transfer funds and take out loans. While I am a firm believer in capitalism, I believe it must be tempered with responsibility. Capitalism without responsibility is greed. Banks that facilitate illegal activity are complicit in those acts.

Wells Fargo doesn't even try to hide it. When it announced in late 2002 that it was beginning to accept Guatemalan cards, company officials made it clear they knew who their target audience was.

"The Mexican matricula has proven to be an effective method of helping Mexican nationals and we wanted to provide the same opportunity for Guatemalan citizens," Shelley Benson, market president for Wells Fargo Downtown Los Angeles Community Bank, stated in a press release.

Notice she didn't say U.S. nationals or U.S. citizens of Mexican or Guatemalan heritage.

Two years later, a Wells Fargo official, speaking about marketing to the underground community, noted: "And we also consider cash income, since a lot of these individuals are paid in cash."

Posted to Immigration at 03:12 PM | Comments (3)

Rep. Mike Rogers wants info on SPP from Commerce Department

From this:

A congressman is pressing the Department of Commerce to fully disclose a congressionally unauthorized plan to implement a trilateral agreement with Mexico and Canada that critics say could lead to a North American union.

Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., chairman of the Subcommittee on Management, Integration and Oversight of the House Committee on Homeland Security, wrote July 11 to Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez requesting detailed disclosure of working groups in the Security and Prosperity Partnership office within his department...

He forwarded a letter from a constituent containing several good, detailed questions on their scheme. The questions are at the link.

Posted to NAU at 01:06 PM | Comments (0)

New York Times offers hazy thoughts on immigration

The NYT offers the editorial "Hazy Days of Immigration". As you might expect, it's wrong. Just as an example, let's take a look at the final paragraph:

Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City said it well, at a Senate hearing: "It's as if we expect border control agents to do what a century of communism could not: defeat the natural market forces of supply and demand and defeat the natural human desire for freedom and opportunity. You might as well sit on your beach chair and tell the tide not to come in."

Mayor Mike's blather sounds reasonable, until you actually think about it. Which is clearly something that the NYT did not do (or thinks their readers won't do).

The current situation is not like the ocean. It's like sitting on a beach chair at Raging Waters watching the tide being forced in by giant underwater paddles, while at the same time staring at the $10 ticket stub in your hand.

The current situation is not an example of "natural market forces". It's an example of corporatism: companies that engage in illegal activity - wittingly or no - get cheap labor, and stick everyone else with the bill.

It doesn't matter whether the NYT can't figure this out, or thinks their readers won't figure it out. In either case, no one should trust their opinions on this matter.

Posted to Immigration at 10:55 AM | Comments (2)

Jack Kemp, Sheila Jackson Lee aligned on 1986 amnesty talking points

Jack Kemp offers "Immigration Reform Will Help Keep This Nation Strong". It's the usual song and dance supporting "comprehensive" immigration "reform", and it doesn't merit much of a response.

However, let's take a look at this talking point:

Some counsel that Congress should start with tougher enforcement and border security but wait to create a guest-worker program or address the illegal population. Only in that way, it is said, can we avoid the mistakes of the failed 1986 immigration reform.

In fact, the lesson of 1986 is that only a comprehensive solution will fix our broken immigration system. The 1986 legislation combined amnesty for 3 million illegal immigrants with a promise of tougher enforcement, particularly in the workplace. But the law did not recognize the need for future immigration to meet the demands of a growing economy, and the new enforcement never materialized.

Now, over to Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Neptune):

Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee of Texas, ranking Democrat on the subcommittee, said the reason the 1986 bill did not work is that it was not "comprehensive" enough, a criticism she also leveled at the enforcement-only bill approved by the House last year.

"Although IRCA had legalization programs and new enforcement measures, it did not address all of the essential issues," she said. "For instance, it failed to provide enough legal visas to meet future immigration needs."

Did they think this up completely independently? Or, did Kemp get it from Lee? Or, did they get it from someone else? If the latter, who could it be? Howard Dean? Vicente Fox? Karl Rove? Frank Sharry?

Posted to Immigration at 10:34 AM | Comments (0)

Chicago illegal immigration march organizer is PRD official

One of the organizers of the March 10 illegal immigration march in Chicago is an official with Mexico's PRD Party. Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, and mayor Richard M. Daley all attended and spoke at that rally.

This is yet another link between the Democratic Party and Mexican political parties. The official in question is Jorge Mujica.

He's identified here as a spokesman for the March 10 Committee (also called the "Diez de Marzo" committee).

And, he's identified here as a former reporter for the weekly newspaper 'La Raza'. (The paper in which Dick Durbin refered to Mexican citizens and himself as "we").

And, he's identified here as:

Jorge Mujica, secretary-general of the PRD in Illinois

Note also that both Gutierrez and Mujica spoke at yesterday's rally; the latter's role in today's version is unknown.

Blago, Gutierrez, and Daley are all Democrats, and until such time as the Democratic Party censures them for attending a rally organized in part by a representative of a foreign political party, it is perfectly reasonable to assume that the Democratic Party fully supports such links.

Posted to Immigration at 10:15 AM | Comments (1)

"Emergency border squads", Euro-style

This is not a joke:

A plan to create rapid reaction teams of border guards to deal with European Union immigration crises has been unveiled by the European Commission.

The teams would be assembled by the EU border security agency, Frontex, from lists of experts in member states...

The proposals approved by the European Commission on Wednesday say it would be up to each member state to decide whether to make experts available...

Mr Frattini said the aim would be to have a pool of 250 or 300 ready to be called up in emergencies, including experts in first aid, translation, risk assessment and the identification of people.

All border guards would wear their own national uniforms - with an armband identifying them as members of a joint EU rapid reaction team - but would be temporarily under the control of the host state.

The Commission says that planning such an operation is currently complicated by a muddle of different national laws in each member state governing what tasks foreign border guards can fulfil...

Posted to Immigration_euro at 03:40 AM | Comments (1)

Yet another Chicago illegal immigration march

Today's march was much smaller than the last one, with somewhere between 10,000 and 50,000 participants.

Pictures are available at:
chicago.indymedia.org/newswire/display/73136/index.php
chicago.indymedia.org/newswire/display/73139/index.php

The last page contains this highly revealing bit:

One of the most notable shifts in the demonstration, though, was the huge move toward the more conservative visual representations that some activists say came largely from the influence of spanish-language radio host Pistolero. Participants were told to wear white, but the greater contrast came in the flag display. On March 10th, a strong majority of flags were US, though a large number of Mexican and Irish flags gave a certain counter-hegemonic flavor. One May Day, this was far more apparent, with a flag from almost every country of the world represented in the front of the march, and ample Mexican flags, red flags, and others that easily outweighed the influence of the US flags. Even in the latter march, conservative news sources and right-wing groups affirmed the high number of US flags. Well, today there were tons of flags all over the march, and they were almost all Old Glory, the flag of the United States of America, most likely at the request of protest organizers.

Surprisingly, the AP report doesn't mention that.

So far, those collaborating on or appearing at this event include U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez and Emma Lozano, executive director of Centro Sin Fronteras (an organizer).

And, the AP seems to have missed a couple other participants:

Hatem of the Arab American Action Networka and Jorge Mujica of the Mexican PRD political party both spoke eloquently about recent crises in the homelands of their respective communities, and gave a progressive counter-balance to Congressman Luis Gutierrez, Pistolero, and other figures on the stage

Should Luis Gutierrez even be considered an American politician?

Posted to Immigration at 10:33 PM | Comments (2)

Illegal aliens, public services, and the MSM

Proceeding from non-worst to worst, here are three stories about illegal immigrants getting public services.

First, Julia Preston offers "Texas Hospitals Reflect Debate on Immigration". It tells the tale of two hospitals: one that inquires about immigration status, one that does not.

...In California, hospitals spent at least $1.02 billion last year on health care for illegal immigrants that was not reimbursed by federal or state programs, according to federal government estimates. Hospital officials there said the ailing health care system was being pushed to its limit.

"Emergency rooms and hospital doctors are forced to subsidize the lack of immigration enforcement by the federal government," said C. Duane Dauner, president of the California Hospital Association. "It amounts to an unfunded mandate for us to treat everybody."

California received $66 million in federal money in 2005, the first year of a four-year national program to help pay for emergency care for illegal immigrants. But it was "not even a down payment" on the total cost, Mr. Dauner said. With more than 1.4 million of California's residents uninsured and more than half of California's hospitals operating in the red, Mr. Dauner warned that care for illegal immigrants could tip some hospitals into bankruptcy.

...While Texas border hospitals often get "anchor babies" - children of Mexican women who dart across the border to give birth to an American citizen - most illegal immigrants who go to major hospitals in Texas can show that they have been living here for years, said Ernie Schmid, policy director at the Texas Hospital Association...

...The largest group of illegal immigrant patients is pregnant women, hospital figures show. Contrary to popular belief here, their care is not paid for through local taxes. Under a 2002 amendment to federal regulations, the births are covered by federal taxes through Medicaid because their children automatically become American citizens...

...In January 2004, the JPS board of managers voted to offer its financial assistance program to all Tarrant County residents, legal or otherwise. But eight months later, with illegal immigrants starting to fill the hospital, the managers reversed course in a meeting where they agonized over their votes, the minutes show...

While the NYT article has several downsides, it does include some facts. But, their definition of "anchor babies" is quite a bit more restrictive than the way most use that term. And, what Preston forgot to ask is, "cui bono"? The answer: in addition to those who've entered illegally, all of that free healthcare is a tremendous bonus to the employers of those illegal aliens. Perhaps for her next report she could interview some of those employers on the way to the bank.

Then, John Dorschner of the Miami Herald reports on a questionable study:

Contrary to popular belief, a survey of 60 communities shows that the uninsured, Hispanics and immigrants do not overburden hospital emergency rooms.

...What's more, foes of immigration often complain that newcomers place a huge burden on America's health care system...

...But after surveying 46,000 people in 60 communities, author Peter Cunningham found that the highest ER usage was in Cleveland and Boston, cities with relatively low percentages of uninsured, Hispanics and immigrants...

What a "study":

The study found considerable variation in [emergency department, "ED"] use across the twelve CTS case-study sites. The average for 2003 was around 32 ED visits per 100 people for both the United States and large metropolitan areas (Exhibit 1). This varied from a high of almost 40 visits per 100 in Cleveland to about 21 visits in Orange County, California. Despite popular perceptions, communities with the highest levels of ED use did not necessarily have the highest numbers of uninsured, low-income, racial/ethnic minority, or immigrant residents. For example, Cleveland and Boston had the highest ED use levels among the twelve CTS sites and some of the lowest uninsurance rates, while Phoenix and Orange County had both low ED use and higher-than-average uninsurance rates in 2003. In addition, communities with the lowest ED use also tended to have a higher percentage of Hispanics and noncitizens than communities with high ED use.

AFAICT, the study doesn't look into who's exactly in the EDs. In all the areas, every person in the ED could be an illegal alien and the study could have the same results.

But, wait, it gets even worse. Andrew Becker of the Contra Costa Times provides yet another data point that Lysenkoism has been reborn as "liberalism":

More than half of California's K-12 public education students enrolled in free or reduced-price meal programs last year, the first time that the majority of youngsters were approved for assistance, according to state and federal officials.

California was one of a dozen states where the majority of students were certified for such programs, said Jean Daniel, a U.S. Department of Agriculture spokeswoman.

In Contra Costa, almost a third of all students signed up for the federally subsidized lunch and breakfast programs, the third school year in a row the county has seen an increase in the percentage of students. Nearly seven out of 10 Pittsburg students enrolled, the largest percentage in Contra Costa, and an increase for the fifth year in a row. Roughly six out of 10 West Contra Costa students registered, according to the state Department of Education.

"That's what schools are combating -- the impact of poverty," said Tom Tesler, director of categorical programs for Antioch schools, where almost 40 percent of students are enrolled in meal assistance. "The overlying factor that no one argues with is why students perform poorly is poverty. The socio-economic condition makes it difficult for them to do well in school."

State and federal officials, food-policy advocates and scholars point to a variety of factors for the increase, such as higher costs of living and stagnant wages, improved efforts to enroll students and changing views that school-meal programs are an important tool for families.

Nowhere in the article does the "reporter" bother asking whether many of those students might actually be citizens of other countries. Now, that's "reporting."

Posted to Immigration at 01:38 PM | Comments (3)

"Seeing Today’s Immigrants Straight"

Heather MacDonald has a long article just tailor-made for illegal immigration apologists. It's too much to quote, but here's a representative paragraph:

This call for "human rights" is a clever one, for it hides its radical status in a rhetorical safe harbor. What, exactly, are the "human rights" that the U.S. is denying illegal aliens? They have unfettered access to free medical care, free education, welfare for their children, free representation in court when they commit crimes, every due-process protection during criminal prosecution that the Constitution guarantees citizens and legal immigrants, the shelter of labor laws, and the miracles of modern industrial society like clean water, the control of infectious diseases (including the ones that they bring with them), and plumbing. The only putative "right" that they lack—and that, of course, is the "human right" to which they and their ambassadors refer—is the right to legal status regardless of illegal entry.

Posted to Immigration at 12:04 PM | Comments (1)

Senate immigration "reform" worse than 1986 amnesty

From this:

The latest immigration bill approved by the Senate is "far, far worse" than the 1986 immigration bill that granted amnesty to 2.7 million illegal aliens and created the magnet for the millions more who have come here since, a House panel was told at a hearing yesterday.

In addition to providing legalization to about four times as many illegal aliens as did the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA), witnesses said, the current bill also repeats mistakes made 20 years ago that will render the border-enforcement provisions and employer sanctions meaningless.

"The Senate amnesty would condemn the United States to the same harmful consequences that IRCA caused," James R. Edwards Jr. of the Hudson Institute told the House Judiciary's subcommittee that handles immigration. "Only now, its effects would be far, far worse."

...Rep. John Hostettler, the Indiana Republican who is chairman of the subcommittee on immigration, border security and claims, said the problem with the 1986 legislation was that it allowed legalization before measures were put in place to enforce immigration restrictions and punish those who violated immigration laws.

"Time showed us that IRCA has utterly and completely failed," he said. "Illegal immigration has not been controlled, but has increased significantly in the past two decades."

..."Congress and the administration have no credibility with the American people," [Rep. John Hostettler] said.

"Why should Americans have any reason to believe that the supposed enhanced enforcement provisions in Reid-Kennedy will be effectively enforced by the administration any more than successive administrations have enforced IRCA?" Mr. Hostettler asked. "The administration will probably implement amnesty for millions of illegal aliens quite quickly. Enforcement will likely lag behind if it occurs at all. We will find ourselves in exactly the same place we found ourselves 20 years ago."

The article also contains the thoughts of Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Neptune):

"S.2611 does not have any provisions that would forget or overlook immigration law violations."

Of course it does. In fact, it forgives two years of taxes, something not available to U.S. citizens. And, it only costs $2000 to become a citizen, far less than what most legal immigrants have paid. And, of course, all of its loopholes would be almost instantly shared among millions of prospective illegal immigrants, and all or most would perceive it as an amnesty and expect more of the same.

And, of course, it completely forgives - i.e., provides blanket amnesty for - all those employers who've been profiting off illegal labor all these years.

And, Sheila Jackson-Lee's thoughts represent mainstream Democratic Party leadership opinion.

Posted to Immigration at 10:44 AM | Comments (1)

Rick Perry on immigration, Trans-Texas Corridor

There's an interview here where he's asked about those questions. However, I was unable to get their video player to work, so I don't know how he responded.

Posted to Immigration at 09:57 AM | Comments (1)

NAU posts moved into own category

A housekeeping message: this site's posts dealing with the North American Union have been moved into that category.

Posted to Bloggage at 09:52 AM | Comments (1)

Rove: Bush admin doing "darndest things" to reduce illegal immigration

Fresh from pandering to the far-left racial power group NCLR, Karl Rove spoke before the Aspen IdeasFestival:

...Rove said the immigration system was "absolutely broken" relative to illegal entrants. He expounded in detail about efforts to diminish illegal crossings, including the number of repeated attempts by Mexicans, whom he said account for 85% of illegals. He said six million illegal immigrants are estimated to have entered the country since 2001. "We're doing the darndest things you can imagine," to improve the situation, and have had success in such areas as reducing the number of days captured illegal immigrants are detained.

Gosh golly darn it, they're doing the best they can! Sure, only fining three employers in 2004 for employing illegal aliens is a little low, but goshy golly gosh, they're doing better! Next year, they might manage to fine five, maybe even six employers.

Of course, the fact that they admit to six million illegal aliens entering the country on the Bush's administration's watch should pretty much prove to anyone who had any sort of doubt that Rove is simply lying, and the Bush administration is the most effective supporter of illegal immigration this country has ever known.

"We've got to have a temporary border program that allows people to come hear for a reasonable time. We know people do not come here to stay in America...most of Mexicans want to get a nest egg and go home."

Of course, the experience of every guest worker scheme ever devised absolutely proves that most "guests" won't go home. And, of course, once they have U.S. citizen children there's very little chance of those who don't want to go home being deported.

Rove also said it was impractical and destabilizing to consider forcing 10 million to 12.5 million estimated long time illegal immigrant cohort to "get the hell out of here," and it would have a disruptive economic impact as well.

I don't know where the "cohort" came from, but that statement is close to the strawman argument about mass deportations.

Perhaps some brave person at the conference might have asked Rove at that point what might happen if we indeed did try to deport even just a million illegal aliens. Would they riot? And, since at least six million illegal aliens have entered on Bush's watch, hasn't Bush put the U.S. at tremendous risk of civil disturbances? Then, as a follow-up, they could have asked Rove whether doing putting the U.S. at such risk is an impeachable offense.

"We'd better do something about this in a compassionate way, or we're going to find that our country has lost something really vitally important," he urged, adding resentment and fear of immigrants was not new, but needed to be overcome once again. "We are a great country.... There's no Filipino dream, no Japanese dream, no Italian dream, but there is an American dream."

As pointed out here endless times, encouraging massive immigration from Mexico is hardly compassionate. And, everything else in Rove's comment can be answered by our current legal immigration system. Perhaps he should concentrate on that.

And, perhaps someone should ask him some tough questions the next time he blathers on.

Posted to Politics at 06:38 AM | Comments (5)

58 illegal aliens arrested at Fort Bragg

From this:

Federal agents conducting a sweep aimed at illegal immigrants detained 58 civilian workers Tuesday as they tried to enter Fort Bragg with suspected false or fraudulently obtained identification, officials said.

Almost all of them were construction workers, officials said...

Some of the people detained were from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, ICE spokesman Marc Raimondi said...

Which leads to the obvious question: which countries were the others from? Needless to say, the article doesn't provide an answer.

Posted to Immigration_terror at 04:31 AM | Comments (2)

Avon Park Florida fires City Attorney

From this:

The [Avon Park, Florida] City Council has fired City Attorney Mike Disler after he publicly criticized Avon Park's controversial illegal immigration ordinance as "poorly drafted" and unconstitutional.

The Ledger reported Disler's remarks in a Thursday front-page story regarding how the ordinance might affect Wal-Mart's plans to build a supercenter in the city later this year. It was the first time Disler had spoken out on the ordinance.

When asked Monday if he regretted those remarks, Disler said, "No, I don't."

Posted to Immigration at 02:34 AM | Comments (1)

"Red China Opens NAFTA Ports in Mexico"

More from Jerome Corsi:

The Port Authority of San Antonio has been working actively with the Communist Chinese to open and develop NAFTA shipping ports in Mexico.

The plan is to ship containers of cheap goods produced by under-market labor in China and the Far East into North America via Mexican ports. From the Mexican ports, Mexican truck drivers and railroad workers will transport the goods across the Mexican border with Texas. Once in the U.S., the routes will proceed north to Kansas City along the NAFTA Super-Highway, ready to be expanded by the Trans-Texas Corridor, and NAFTA railroad routes being put in place by Kansas City Southern. Kansas City Southern's Mexican railroads has positioned the company to become the "NAFTA Railroad."

...Hutchinson Whampoa, a diversified company that manages property development and telecommunications companies, with operations in 54 countries and over 200,000 employees worldwide, is also one of the world’s largest port operators. Hutchinson Ports Holding (HPH) owns Panama Ports Co., which operates the ports of Cristobal and Balboa which are located at each end of the Panama Canal. HPH also operates the industrial deepwater port of Lazaro Cardenas in the Mexican State of Michoacan, as well as the Mexican port at Manzanillo, also along the west coast of Mexico, north of Lazaro Cardenas...

Much more at the link.

Posted to NAU at 09:25 PM | Comments (2)

Esther J. Cepeda: "May [illegal immigration] marchers mostly U.S. citizens"

Esther J. Cepeda of the Chicago Sun Times offers "UIC study: May marchers mostly U.S. citizens". In addition to promoting the study, it's little more than an advertisement for tomorrow's march. Let's take a look at the study and see if there might be problems with it:

University of Illinois at Chicago researchers put a face Monday on the more than 400,000 people who hit the streets for May's immigration march: Most participants were male U.S. citizens of Mexican descent -- age 30 or younger -- who spoke English... The UIC researchers randomly selected 410 people and quizzed them during the May march from Union Park to Grant Park... Nearly 75 percent of those marchers were U.S. citizens, and 66 percent of those citizens said they vote, according to the survey by UIC's Immigrant Mobilization Project...

Can a study from anything called the "Immigrant Mobilization Project" really be trusted? Did they select the participants, or did the participants select them? Were they standing at the parade with a sign saying, "please tell us what we want to hear, since we've got the phone number of a gullible reporter"?

And, a search for a group by that name returns no results. Trying variants didn't work; the closest I found was this page, which is located in the Gender and Women's Studies department and which mentions the "anti-minuteman five" ("The individuals who were arrested at a Minuteman meeting there were charged with resisting arrest and damage to property–they slashed tires of Minuteman cars. Once they got to court, four pleaded guilty to damaging property and the charges against them for resisting arrest were dropped. The 5th individual was an illegal who fled from the area.").

If there's an actual UIC-sponsored study, or if a UIC professor did a study, I'd like to know about it.

As noted in the past, many of the "reporters" covering Chicago's marchers appear to be quite willing to put their race ahead of most other things, including whatever shreds of credibility they might have had.

Contact their editor John Barron at jbarron *at* suntimes.com and suggest he find real reporters.

UPDATE: The group mentioned above has since put up (or had indexed) their web page and it does exist. For the followup, see this post about Immigrant Mobilization Project and Nilda Flores-Gonzalez.

Posted to Immigration at 11:19 AM | Comments (2)

"Earth to Senator Frist"

Here's a letter that a retired Border Patrol agent sent to Wimpy Bill Frist.

Posted to Immigration at 09:37 AM | Comments (0)

9/11 hijackers were illegal aliens; Senate bill would have given them a loophole

From Kris Kobach:

One important lesson our country learned on Sept. 11, 2001, is that state and local police can make the difference between an unsuccessful terrorist plot and an attack that kills nearly 3,000 people. But some in Washington, D.C., still have not absorbed this lesson.

The immigration bill (S. 2611) approved by the Senate last month strips local police officers of arrest authority that could have been used to stop the 9/11 attacks.

In the aftermath of 9/11, we learned that five of the 19 hijackers had violated federal immigration laws while they were in the United States. In other words, they were illegal aliens. Amazingly, in the months before the attack, four of those five terrorists were stopped by local police for speeding. All four could have been arrested—if the police officers had realized that they were illegal aliens...

Related:
"Visas for Terror"
The 9/11 hijackers and driver's licenses
Reading the 9/11 Commission Staff Reports: Chapter 3
"Immigration Laws Might Have Stopped Sept. 11 Plot"

Posted to Immigration_terror at 05:33 AM | Comments (2)

Christine Gregoire sends feds bill for illegal alien incarcerations

This is basically a publicity stunt and an attempt to wheedle more goodies from the feds, but nonetheless:

Gov. Chris Gregoire sent an invoice of nearly $50 million to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on Monday, saying the federal government needs to reimburse the state for the cost of housing criminal illegal immigrants in state prisons.

Gregoire said that it's the federal government's responsibility to incarcerate illegal immigrants who have committed crimes, but that the state has been doing it for years. From July 2004 to June 2005, Gregoire said the state paid more than $27 million to house 995 prisoners. The U.S. Department of Justice has only reimbursed the state $1.7 million, and still owes $25.3 million.

She's seeking an additional $24.4 million reimbursement for the months from July 2005 to this May...

Gregoire, a Democrat, said she talked with California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, and Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, a Democrat, about the immigrant incarceration issue at the Western Governors' Association meeting in Arizona last month.

"We, all three, agreed that we were going to take action," she said.

Schwarzenegger has not sent such a letter but has fought to increase federal reimbursements, said his press secretary, Margita Thompson. California state officials have lobbied the White House on the issue, and Schwarzenegger brought it up with President Bush during a visit to Silicon Valley in April, she said.

California spends more than $750 million per year on illegal immigrant incarceration costs, Schwarzenegger's office said.

Since late 2004, Napolitano has sent invoices to the federal government requesting reimbursement for her state's costs for imprisoning criminal illegal immigrants...

Posted to Immigration at 02:06 AM | Comments (1)

Bill Richardson and racial solidarity

From the AP:

Hispanics need to become more involved in the political process to ensure their voices are heard on issues facing the nation, including immigration, the nation's only Hispanic governor said during a weekend visit to the state.

Registering to vote and going to the polls are critical parts of that process, Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico said in a Saturday speech at the Sunnyside Community Center in Eastern Washington.

"The more we register, the more politicians on both sides of the aisle are going to listen to us," Richardson told the largely Hispanic crowd of about 125 people.

Richardson is only part Hispanic; one wonders what would happen if he channeled his other race and encouraged white racial solidarity. How many minutes would he last as a Democrat?

In addition to being a strong supporter of illegal immigration, this is not the first time he's expressed the wish for racial solidarity:

"These are changing political times where our basic and programs are being attacked. Illegal and legal immigration unfairly attacked. We have to band together and that means Latinos in Florida, Cuban-Americans, Mexican-Americans, Puerto Ricans, South Americans - we have to network better - we have to be more politically minded - we have to put aside party and think of ourselves as Latinos, as Hispanics, more than we have in the past."

Posted to Politics at 11:55 PM | Comments (1)

Gramscians demand ouster of Maryland comptroller

The WaPo's Ann E. Marimow offers "Rights Groups Say Schaefer's Run Must End" about far-far-lefties opposing Maryland's former governor and now comptroller:

A far-reaching collection of Maryland's Asian, Latino, black and women's rights leaders denounced Comptroller William Donald Schaefer yesterday for what they called a series of intolerant public statements -- and they told the former governor that it is "time to go."

Wow, sounds serious. Except, the provided remarks don't exactly rise to any sort of questionable level that I can see. Rather, it appears to be a power play by far-leftie, Gramscian racial power groups. And, if that wasn't clear, there's this near the end:

Leaders of the National Capital Immigrant Coalition have their eyes on more than 277,000 black, Latino and Asian residents who are eligible to vote but have not yet registered.

"We have the power, we have the capacity, to remove the policymakers who hate us," said Gustavo Torres, executive director of CASA of Maryland. "And let me tell you, we are going to do this."

That last link provides another quote from this fine quote source:

"We are going to target [the MMP members] in a specific way... [by taking their own pictures]... Then we are going to picket their houses, and the schools of their kids, and go to their work... If they are going to do this to us, we are going to respond in the same way, to let people know their neighbors are extremists, that they are anti-immigrant. They are going to hear from us."

Shouldn't the WaPo remove someone who says things like that from their Rolodexes?

It probably won't do any good, but you can contact here through this form.

Posted to Politics at 10:35 PM | Comments (3)

Immigration building "liberalism", redistributionist policies, victimhood

A question for strongly partisan Republicans, "small government" (i.e., low tax) Republicans, and those few remaining Bush partisans: what if Bush is completely wrong about immigration? What if his pro-illegal immigration policies serve only to give more power to the Democrats and lead to policies that are against your beliefs?

Let's take a look at a couple data points.

TAPPEDOUT has an interview with Nolan McCarty, author of "Polarized America: The Dance of Ideology and Unequal Riches". They provide the following excerpt:

Typically economists, political economists, and political scientists think that economic inequality is self-correcting: If inequality increases there will be a mobilization of lower-income voters in a push toward greater redistribution of wealth to offset that inequality. Here's where immigration is a big part of the story, though, because at the same time as economic inequality in America was increasing, immigration was increasing, too. There were increasing numbers of low-wage workers, but an increasing proportion of those were immigrants who were not yet naturalized and therefore not able to vote for redistributionist policies. And so there's a reinforcing effect from the composition of the work force being more immigrant and less citizen, because these low-income workers can’t vote.

(Bear in mind that they're unapologetically in favor of all those illegal aliens that Bush allows in becoming citizens and then voting for "redistributionist policies".)

And, a Spanish-language newspaper story is summarized as follows:

Bottom line, the [Illinois] Human Relations Commission, Department of Labor and a dozen other taxpayer agencies need to drum up business because not enough Latinos are self-identifying as victims.

Posted to Immigration at 08:18 PM | Comments (0)

Al Hunt, Charles Babington promote Senate illegal alien amnesty

Albert R. Hunt of Bloomberg News (formerly of the WSJ?) offers "Letter from Washington: Unlikely duo may end immigration impasse", and WaPo staff writer Charles Babington offers the similar "GOP Fears Fallout Of Immigration Split". Both offer the conventional-but-incorrect wisdom, and both promote the Senate's illegal alien amnesty scheme.

The first starts with this:

Lindsey Graham, a pro-immigration American politician, knows the ugly side of this issue: Some of his constituents derisively call him Lindsey "Gomez."

Since I can't find anyone calling him that online, perhaps they're all doing so non-internetally. Alternatively, perhaps he's just race-baiting.

The article goes downhill from there. Al Hunt reports on the split between the House and the Senate, then says that, "facts and history may be casualties" of the debate. He then proceeds to try to correct some of the misconceptions. After having used the phrase "anti-immigration" after having blurred the lines between the legal and illegal varieties, I think I'll pass on his attempt to set the record straight. Then, he engages in Appeal to Tradition. Then, he trots out this moldy old slice of conventional "wisdom":

Twelve years ago, Governor Pete Wilson of California, a Republican, won re-election by going after illegal immigrants. In the process, he alienated Hispanic voters, and Democrats have dominated California politics ever since.

Then, since he doesn't know what he's talking about, I stopped reading.

The article from Charles Babington of the WaPo is similar, with the name "Lindsey Graham" replaced with the names "Chuck Hagel" and "John Thune", both amnesty supporters:

House Republicans "are probably right in the short term," Thune said. But for Bush and Rove, he said, "the question is, 'How can we reach out to a group that is the fastest-growing segment?' "

Bush and Rove are reaching out to the far-left wing of Hispanics, those who will never vote for them. And, not only that, they're giving more power to that far-left wing and increasing their number of race-minded constituents. Isn't there the ever-so-slight possibility that Rove and Bush are either completely wrong, or they're playing a different game entirely? The article ends with this:

"We are seen by too many as an intolerant party," Hagel said. "And the majority of Americans are not going to elect intolerant representatives."

Is encouraging illegal immigration really the best way to show just how "tolerant" you are? Perhaps Hagel could prove his "tolerant" bona fides by, for instance, reaching out to legal immigrants. That way, he'd be supporting our laws and our founding principles instead of trying to work around them.

Posted to Immigration at 05:39 AM | Comments (0)

The Denver Post's Karen E. Crummy misleads about Sam Zamarripa

The Denver Post's Karen E. Crummy offered "Legislator: Ga.'s law no panacea" back on June 29. It covered the new illegal immigration law in Georgia, but - as might be expected - it covered a few things up:

Unfortunately, Crummy interviewed a single Georgian, State Sen. Sam Zamarripa, who voted against the reform package. Crummy's lead disingenuously described Zamarripa as "A Georgia state senator who helped draft a law that cracks down on illegal immigrants." More precisely, Zamarripa earned the praise of the former Mexican consul in Atlanta for successfully working to weaken the law after it was apparent that it could not be defeated.

Crummy did not inform readers that Zamarippa has served on the board of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, a pro-illegal alien lobby, that Zamarippa has pushed for giving driver's licenses to illegal aliens, and that he is a founder and director of Banco Unido, a bank that has been criticized for making mortgage loans to illegal aliens.

Yet Crummy wrote: "Although Zamarripa helped refine Georgia's illegal-immigration law, he didn't vote for the final measure." Her phrasing created the false impression that Zamarripa was a something other than Georgia's leading opponent of restrictions on illegal immigration...

He also takes a PIIPP by Karen Augé to task.

Posted to Immigration at 09:39 AM | Comments (0)

"Immigration reform mythology"

From this:

So bad is the Senate's version of immigration reform that it has given birth to a whole cottage industry of analysts and journalists dedicated to exposing the bill's more objectionable proposals. Their good work has shattered the premise of open-borders advocates that all they are attempting to do is to achieve a "comprehensive" immigration reform bill.

The Wall Street Journal editorial page, for instance, cited a poll that found that 75 percent of Republican voters support immigration reform "that combines increased border and workplace enforcement with a guest-worker system for newcomers and a multiyear path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already here." Of course, that's not all the Senate bill does. What the Journal conveniently excludes from its analysis are proposals that have nothing to do with "comprehensive" reform as advocated by its supporters...

Has the WT been reading this site?

Posted to Immigration at 03:35 AM | Comments (0)

Panama Canal to be widened

Details (from a leftie perspective) here. Includes information on water as a commodity. And:

The [Plan Puebla Panama] is the most direct threat of corporate water ownership (supported heavily by former President Vincente Fox)...

...Fox wants to transplant the maquiladora, production-for-export model that has been applied with disastrous results in northern Mexico, but with a few new twists. The isthmus is one of the most bio-diverse regions on the planet, and contains some of the most important fresh water reserves in the hemisphere. Exploitation of these resources is key to the plan. "

The US is in support of PPP: "Secretary of State Colin Powell [has] told Vincente Fox that the U.S. will support the plan if Fox militarizes the Mexico-Guatemala border to prevent immigration from Central America northward."

Posted to Miscellania at 09:32 PM | Comments (0)

Karl Rove's pro-illegal immigration extended network

Let's take a look at Karl Rove's new friends, the National Council of The Race ("La Raza") and who they're working with.

The group Defend Colorado New tried to pass Proposition 55 (similar to Arizona's Prop. 200 or CA's Prop. 187), but in June they were thwarted by a possibily activist CO Supreme Court.

On the other side is the deceptively-named Keep Colorado Safe. Their front people include former Denver mayor Federico Pena and former monkey-shiner Gary Hart. However, as discussed here, most of KCS's money is coming from... inside the Beltway.

The most generous supporter is the Service Employees International Union, a far-left, pro-illegal immigration group. And, another supporter is... Karl Rove's buddies at the NCLR.

As described in the latest article, KCS was originally formed to oppose an initiative from Tom Tancredo, and:

The group included representatives from more than a dozen local organizations, including Colorado Progressive Coalition, Rights for All People, American Friends Service Committee and Padres Unidos. They were old allies, joining in 2002 to defeat the English-only measure Amendment 31.

All of those worthy groups are part of Karl Rove's extended network of friends. Others in his extended network include:

...the political consulting firm of Welchert & Britz... Catherine Han Montoya, a former local social service agency worker who campaigned against Amendment 31, was now working at the National Council of La Raza... Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund and the Center for New Community. The three groups had just begun a collaboration to help states fight anti-illegal immigrant ballot initiatives through a $1.1 million grant from Atlantic Philanthropies... [which was] created in 1982 by Charles F. Feeney with his wealth from Duty Free Shoppers Group, Ltd., has given $3.4 billion in mostly anonymous grants across the world to civil rights and educational causes... Recently, the charity has made seven grants to U.S. organizations working on the immigration issue, including $7 million to a national group behind the spring wave of immigrant rallies... In addition to pledging money, the national organizations tried to unify local immigrant advocacy groups, including the Colorado Grassroots Movement for Immigrant Justice and the Coalition for Human Dignity Beyond Borders.... [Gary] Hart sits on the group's executive committee as does Mitch Ackerman, executive director of SEIU Local 105... Eliseo Medina, executive vice president of SEIU... has traveled frequently to Denver to work on the local campaign and said he does not expect that, or financial support, to stop... Bill Vandenberg, co-executive director of the Colorado Progressive Coalition and an executive committee member of Keep Colorado Safe [is unhappy with Pena's compromise]... Vandenberg said he will focus on working with the Grassroots Movement for Immigrant Justice, rather than Keep Colorado Safe, to alter the political environment... Fidel "Butch" Montoya, an immigrant activist, said "there's no reason to celebrate" the new laws and how Initiative 55 died.

Posted to Politics at 01:25 PM | Comments (1)

Avon Park's opposition to illegal activity might cost them a supercenter

AVON PARK (Florida) -- A proposed ordinance outlawing assistance to illegal immigrants, which has brought national attention to this small Highlands County town, could prevent the city from issuing a business license for a proposed Wal-Mart supercenter scheduled to open next year.

"I think it can be construed that way," said Avon Park's city attorney, Michael Disler, who said he played no role in drafting the ordinance. "It's not constitutional, in my opinion."

Disler told The Ledger on Wednesday the ordinance was "poorly drafted" and had "too many problems," including overly broad language and equal protection concerns.

Those comments elicited an angry reaction from Mayor Tom Macklin, who has championed the illegal immigration measure.

"If he felt that way, it was incumbent upon him to state that to City Council," Macklin said. "That speaks volumes of Mr. Disler's ability..."

Posted to Immigration at 05:47 AM | Comments (3)

Hazleton: Dr. Agapito Lopez rejects assimilation

Let's take a look at the thoughts of one of those who opposes Hazelton's new anti-illegal immigration ordinance:

"Hazleton will die without immigrants," said Dr. Agapito Lopez, 62, a retired Hazleton ophthalmologist and a member of the Governor's Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs... (link; after you read the rest of this, contact him here).

Agapito Lopez, the retired ophthalmologist, is one of the most outspoken critics of Barletta's plan. Lopez, who came here from Puerto Rico, says the mayor doesn't understand that he has offended the Hispanic community.

"We are family. If you insult part of the family, you insult the whole family," Lopez said.

Of course, if white people were "family" in the same way, it would be considered hugely racist.

But, his thoughts get even more disturbing. From this (comments here):

Dr. Agapito Lopez raised a point of order in an effort to delay a vote. Noting 17 wording changes and five new paragraphs to the revised ordinance, he argued it had been substantively changed and required council to start over with first reading. Slusser disagreed and said in his legal opinion that the ordinance was "substantively not altered."

...Lopez said illegals "have been here forever." He said that immigrants, legal or otherwise, were welcomed during World Wars I and II and the Korean Conflict because their labor skills were needed. He also said the ordinance violated Title VI of the federal Civil Rights Act, the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Employment Opportunity Act. He gave a passionate endorsement of the immigration proposal in front of the U.S. Senate, which includes a guest worker program and "earned citizenship."

...when [Councilman Robert Nilles] asked him how immigrants would assimilate if they couldn't understand or be understood, Lopez said immigrants would not "convert to Anglos."

"We will acculturate, we will adapt to your rules, we will follow your laws, but we will never assimilate," Lopez said.

He added that unlike Eastern European immigrants who came to escape Stalin, communism and socialism, the current generation of immigrants planned on visiting their home countries, so retaining the language was essential...

...[Councilwoman] Evelyn Graham's comments were the sharpest and aimed at Lopez. She noted he'd gotten his seat on the Hazleton City Authority via council action and that council had opposed a purported separate Little League for Hispanic kids because it wanted all kids to play together.

She said she was angry at those who "reject our culture and try to recreate in America the world they left behind." And she accused Lopez and Arias of racism, saying they were "inciting segregation instead of integration."

"It is you who are divisive," Graham said...

Please use the link above to contact PA's Governor and suggest he reconsider whether their state wants to be associated with someone like Lopez.

Posted to Immigration at 10:30 PM | Comments (5)

Hazleton sued by far-left illegal immigration supporters

Hazelton PA has passed a local ordinance that tries to prevent illegal immigration flourishing in their city. Needless to say, this has got the supporters of illegal immigration in an uproar, and now they're being sued by some far-left, illegal immigration supporters such as the ACLU and the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund. Others involved are "eight attorneys from Pennsylvania, including two from Wilkes-Barre, the ACLU of Pennsylvania and the Harrisburg-based Community Justice Project".

Witold Walczak, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, has some interesting thoughts on the measure:

"[The ACLU has] grave concerns about the legality of this ordinance... Besides that, it's mean-spirited... We should be embracing immigrants and helping them assimilate. We are a nation of immigrants."

What grade are Witold and the reporter in? Given a choice between two causes it deems worthy, should the ACLU let whether something is supposedly "mean-spirited" be the deciding factor? And, of course, when Witold graduates from elementary school perhaps he'll realize that we can both "embrace immigrants" and oppose illegal immigration.

Posted to Immigration at 09:38 PM | Comments (1)

John McCain: Two Lies in Forty Seconds

Instapundit conducted an interview with Senator John McCain, and here's my video reply to the segment relating to illegal immigration:

Posted to Immigration at 11:27 AM | Comments (2)

Is Hispandering a political failure?

Pandering to the (mythical) "Hispanic vote" by pledging to allow one race to call the shots on our immigration policies is definitely anti-American. But, since that means little to the leaders of the GOP and the Democratic Party, perhaps the sign that it appears to be a political failure as well will perk up their corrupt little ears.

With all necessary disclaimers in place:

...In a recent national telephone survey of 2,000 Hispanic adults in the United States, the Pew Hispanic Center found that party affiliation of Latino registered voters has not changed significantly since 2004. Slightly more than 40 percent called themselves Democrats; slightly more than 20 percent Republicans.

The survey's conclusion about Latino attitudes toward Republicans is based on erosion of support for the party's position on immigration.

The poll found that the portion of Latinos who believe the Republican Party has the best position on immigration dropped to 16 percent from 25 percent two years ago.

Virtually the entire decline of Hispanic support for the Republican approach comes from foreign-born Latinos, a growing pool of future voters, the poll showed.

But Gabriel Escobar, an author of the survey, said the results do not necessarily bode well for Democrats either.

The Democratic Party showed no significant gains among Latino registered voters and by some measures lost support from 2004 to 2006...

No matter how Bush and Rove pander, new Hispanic immigrants aren't sold. And, by pandering they're increasing the number of those who aren't buying what Bush and Rove are selling.

Meanwhile, no matter how Dean, Reid, and the rest pander, either it isn't enough, or those patriotic Hispanics are able to see through them.

Posted to Politics at 05:26 AM | Comments (1)

North American Union, the short version

In 2005, the CFR came out with a 59-page document called "Building a North American Community". Almost every top government official of the past several decades has been a member of that group, and for that and other reasons one might assume they have a great deal of influence. WND has a summary of their proposal here.

Previously: "Bush Administration Fast-Tracks Formation of North American Union"

Posted to NAU at 02:08 AM | Comments (1)

"Walang tiwala na sa mga congressman"

From this:

Ang baba na talaga ng tingin ng taumbayan sa nga kongresista. Ito ang dating ng pahayag ng Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) sa kanilang posisyon sa impeachment...

Indeed.

Posted to WackyHumor at 11:04 PM | Comments (0)

"Mexican Government Running US Immigration Policy"

Here's part 3 of the interview with a former Border Patrol supervisor.

Posted to Immigration at 03:50 PM | Comments (1)

Senate amnesty bill: higher wages for "guest" workers than Americans

The Senate illegal alien amnesty scheme, in addition to flooding the U.S. with both legal and illegal immigrants, would also sharply devalue the worth of U.S. citizenship. The latest example:

The Senate immigration bill would require that foreign construction laborers here under the guest-worker program be paid well above the minimum wage, even as American workers at the same work site could earn less.

The bill "would guarantee wages to some foreign workers that could be higher than those paid to American workers at the same work site," says a policy paper released this week by the Senate's Republican Policy Committee. "This is unfair to U.S. workers, inappropriate, and unnecessary."

Some no doubt would not have a problem with this. Some of those might be self-flagellating "liberals" trying to atone for the "sins" of their forebears. Others are no doubt interested in reducing the power of those pesky U.S. citizens in order to better retain control.

Posted to Immigration at 12:44 PM | Comments (0)

Harry Reid perpetuates illegal alien "Catch and Release"

From a John Cornyn statement (via this):

An amendment to help DHS end "Catch and Release" was just killed by Sen. Reid. He raised a "point of order" against the amendment, preventing a vote on Sen. Cornyn's amendment.

From an earlier description of the amendment:

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, chairman of the Immigration and Border Security subcommittee, offered an amendment to the pending homeland security funding bill Tuesday that would end the practice of "catch and release" for hundreds of illegal immigrants each week. The Cornyn amendment would require federal judges to take into account national security and border security when imposing any injunction that restricts the Department of Homeland Security's ability to administer immigration laws. The amendment closes a current loophole in the law for illegal immigrants from El Salvador...

In related Cornyn news, WND finally notes his "North American Investment Fund" scheme.

Posted to Immigration at 10:34 AM | Comments (0)

U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez pimps illegal immigration

Welcome to the Clinton administration, Parts 3 and 4:

U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez said the U.S. needs immigrants to meet the employment needs of a growing economy and urged Congress to approve immigration legislation that includes a temporary-worker program.

Gutierrez said there were 4.1 million U.S. job openings in May, many in the hospitality industry, that immigrants are needed to fill because Americans can't or won't do that work.

"We have jobs today that either American citizens aren't willing to do or aren't able to do," Gutierrez, an immigrant from Cuba, told the Senate Judiciary Committee. "Immigrants aren't crossing our borders to look for a handout. They're seeking jobs that are available."

Obviously, those he's refering to aren't "immigrants", they're illegal aliens.

He gets asked a few tough questions in this Lars Larson interview. Note that Gutierrez is also involved in the push for the North American Union.

Posted to NAU at 05:23 AM | Comments (3)

No More Deaths, Derechos Humanos working with Mexican government

The Arizona "humanitarian" organizations No More Deaths (run by Dr. Robin Hoover) and Derechos Humanos (run by Isabel Garcia) have signed an "agreement of hospitality" with the Mexican government that will let those groups assist potential illegal aliens inside Mexico. They will be providing them with "food, water, footwear and basic medical care", which will serve to encourage many to try to cross the border. And, needless to say, some of those will die trying.

Of course, if they were truly humanitarian they would try to assist those "migrants" to stay in Mexico and not try to cross the extremely dangerous desert.

Those signing for Mexico are "Jesus Lopez Quiroz of Mexico's National Institute of Migration and Enrique Flores Lopez of Sonora's State Commission for the Care of Migrants." Derechos Humanos is also known as "Alianza Indigena Sin Fronteras", or the Indigenous Alliance without Borders.

As if all that wasn't bad enough, Isabel Garcia leads Pima County's Legal Defender office (link).

She's a frequent quote source for reporters, so if you see any articles about her group, please send them this background information.

Posted to Immigration at 11:20 PM | Comments (0)

Chicago Democrat wants Cook County to commit crimes

Cook County Commissioner Roberto Maldonado wants the county to hire illegal alien health workers:

The idea is clearly illegal, immigration experts agree, but Maldonado said he will introduce the plan Wednesday to highlight the shortage of bilingual health providers at county facilities.

This highlights that a large segment of Hispanic elected officials are simply racial partisans who have no real interest in doing what's in the best interests of this country. Their only interests are in political power and advancing the interests of their race.

And, some of them are confused over which country they're supposed to represent. Maldonado's two-part plan would cover both illegal aliens and legal foreign workers brought in with the assistance of foreign consulates:

Cook County would sign a pact to provide the consulates of at least 10 Latin American nations, including Mexico, Ecuador and Chile, an ongoing list of vacancies at county hospitals and clinics. County officials and the consulates would work together to select applicants...

...Mexican officials offered qualified support for Maldonado's plan to hire illegal immigrants.

"We support any kind of measure that can benefit the immigrant community," Romero said.

Maldonado is a Democrat, and until such time as he's censured or ejected from the party, the party supports his views.

Note also that this story is similar to one from February: "Dallas school board wants to hire illegal aliens; LULAC connection". Maldonado may have gotten the idea from that case, or the same people might even be behind both plans.

Posted to Immigration at 05:34 AM | Comments (2)

Karl Rove at racial power gathering

Yesterday Karl Rove spoke before the far-left, Ford Foundation-sponsored, pro-illegal immigration racial power group National Council of La Raza ("The Race"). Even the AP admits that they're "left-leaning". Here's one thing he had to say:

"Too many simplify the problem into one word, 'amnesty,'... In an issue this vital, we cannot allow words to be misused."

What Bush and the Senate propose equates to amnesty and it will be perceived around the world as amnesty. It's amnesty. And, the Bush administration and their supporters frequently cloud the issue by intentionally lying and making misleading statements in order to sneak through what they really want. Rove is the last person to suggest using correct definitions of terms.

His comments are a case in point:

"Everything that this country is, everything that we have achieved, everything that we hold, everything that we promise, is because we are a nation of diversity, brought together by immigration, and sharing a common dream... [the immigration "debate" has] clouded the views of some people in America and led them to fail to understand that Hispanics, and all immigrants, are real Americans... It is vital that our county not fall into this trap..."

It's vital that we not fall into the trap of conflating legal and illegal immigration as well as committing logical fallacies such as appeal to tradition. And, "immigrants" are not real Americans. Only native-born or naturalized citizens are Americans. Obviously, Rove has problems with using the right names for things.

His speech only received "polite" applause, and Howard Dean issued a race-baiting statement accusing Rove of crafting an "anti-immigrant platform". No matter how the GOP panders, they will always be out-pandered by the Dems. Obviously, the GOP needs new leaders who realize that looking for voters at a far-left racial power gathering is both useless and contrary to conservative values. If Rove wants to reach out to "Hispanics", perhaps he should consider reaching out to those who support our sovereignty and laws and those who are not members of a far-left organization that has links to extremists.

UPDATE: Here's more on The Race as well as a list of some of the Chicano-centric and possibly separatist schools they fund. And, here's a list of some of those who fund NCLR. And, while KoolAid Central so far has nothing to say about Rove's visit, the site run by Aaron Margolis (brother of B4B's Matt) has so far not deleted this entry from Steve Bowers, their Senior Editor:

Imagine if you will that the White House political strategist met with a White group called "The Race" that was affliated with the Ku Klux Klan and that they, of course, championed white supremacy. Imagine that he met with these folks for the purpose of explaining the Bush Administration's policy regarding this racist group's assimilation into society. Now swap the "White" in the above scenario with Latino, and you have the exact idea of how Karl Rove spent his lunch yesterday... it is shameful that we would have a representative of a Republican administration pandering to these Latino racists... Remember the first term when Bush was a conservative? I'm beginning to think that was a gimmick as well...

As pointed out before, the background graphic of Pardon My English - nowadays the Golden Gate Bridge - used to be a huge picture of Our Leader. When Bush loses the Pardon My English crowd, I'd say he might as well as retire early.

UPDATE 2: The Derb says: The seems to be a lot of heckling and booing. Rove just talks right through it (making it hard to follow some of the address). He got a big cheer at the end when he mentioned Bill Richardson, though. Why? Because Richardson is half-Mexican. It's race, race, race. That's why they call themselves "The Race." ...It is shameful, shameful and disgraceful, that a senior adviser to our Republican President should be truckling and pandering to these Hispano-racists.

As pointed out here, Rove got some boos when he mentioned border security. Richardson said much the same thing and didn't get booed. A commenter: Could this be, er, tribalism at work? Could it even be... raZism?

Posted to Politics at 02:40 AM | Comments (9)

Is Bud Kennedy of the Star-Telegram trustworthy?

Bud Kennedy is a columnist for the Dallas Star-Telegram, and back on June 29 he offered "Few minutes with Minutemen is plenty of time for GOP group":

The Texas Minutemen brought their borderline paranoia to the heart of Aggieland this week.

A Republican club invited the Wise County-based Minutemen to tell about their escapades guarding the Rio Grande. But what they heard was too loony even for Aggies.

When the Minutemen's quirky leader started rambling about a secret plan to "merge Canada and Mexico with the United States," the good Republicans in the home of the George Bush Presidential Library started squirming in their chairs behind half-eaten barbecue plates...

They sound Wacky with a capital-W! Except, then we visit spp.gov, the United States government's website for the precursor to this plan. And, we learn that Bush, Fox, and the leaders of Canada have met to discuss the precursor. And, then we read all the very detailed articles Jerome Corsi has compiled on the plan. All of those details are in the public record and thus would have been available to Kennedy if only he'd looked (assuming of course he didn't).

So, you have to wonder. Are Bud Kennedy and his editors just useful idiots who made an intellectually dishonest mistake, or something else? Whatever the case, it's clear that you should take anything he says with a huge mountain of salt.

Contact their reader's advocate and suggest they do just a bit more research before printing something: dhouse *at* star-telegram.com

Posted to NAU at 08:04 PM | Comments (1)

"Bush Administration Fast-Tracks Formation of North American Union"

Continuing Jerome Corsi's series:

With virtually no mention in the mainstream media, Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez convened on June 15, the first meeting of the North American Competitiveness Council (NACC), an apparently extra-constitutional advisory group organized by the Department of Commerce (DOC) under the auspices of the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP).

A March 31 press release on the White House website, under the title "Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America: Progress," announced the formation of the NACC. The press release noted that the NACC would meet annually "with security and prosperity Ministers and will engage with senior government officials on an ongoing basis." The "SPP Ministers" were not identified. Moreover, the term "Ministers" was an unusual reference to the U.S. government, especially when the founding fathers had taken such pains to rid the U.S. of all terminology that could be reminiscent of monarchical systems such as the British royalty against whom the Revolutionary War was aimed. Evidently, the reference was to Gutierrez, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, the three cabinet officers to whom the extensive SPP working groups organized in DOC are now reporting, as well as their cabinet level counterparts in Mexico and Canada...

Previously: "NASCO Alters Super-Corridor Message"

Posted to NAU at 03:58 PM | Comments (1)

"Trashing the border"

As can be expected, environmental groups are unable or unwilling to effectively oppose the trashing of the border region due to hordes of illegal aliens:

Recently I was at a waist-high border vehicle barrier in a valley northeast of Tecate, Baja California. As far as the eye could see, strewn past barbed wire or collecting knee-deep in culverts, were water bottles, food wrappers, used paper products such as toilet paper and maxi pads, even felt shoe covers designed to obscure tracks.

From California to Texas, illegal immigrants and drug runners leave such calling cards on their trek north.

"This was a beautiful refuge 10 years ago," Mitch Ellis, manager of Arizona's Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, says. "Just stunning." Now, he says, it looks like a "war zone." The refuge shares just 5.5 miles with the Mexican border but is a staging point near the Sasabe border crossing and is crisscrossed by highways that serve as pick-up routes. The sheer amount of foot and vehicle traffic - at least 200,000 to 300,000 crossers a year on the 118,000-acre refuge - makes endangered species conservation a losing battle...

...The carnage makes one wonder why environmental groups aren't out lobbying for a sturdy border fence — instead of arguing against tougher enforcement.

"The unintended consequences of a restrictive border policy with Mexico have resulted in many park, wildlife and natural areas being trampled and trashed by migrants, but also invaded by enforcement activities such as new or upgraded roads, Border Patrol outposts and vehicle damage involved in pursuit and rescue operations," says Rob Smith, the Southwest representative for the Sierra Club...

"The Border Patrol needs to follow the current (environmental) law, which right now they're ignoring," counters Jenny Neeley, southwest representative for Defenders of Wildlife, a conservation advocacy group, adding that "the damage is being caused by border policy." Tougher border enforcement near portals such as San Diego and El Paso, she says, funnels traffic into more remote and environmentally sensitive regions...

Perhaps it's not that difficult to explain the SC's position. Here's a quote from someone who gave their foundation $100 million:

"I did tell Carl Pope [Executive Director of the Sierra Club] in 1994 or 1995 that if they ever came out anti-immigration, they would never get a dollar from me..."

Does anyone seriously believe that that quote has nothing to do with the SC's opposition to immigration enforcement?

Posted to Immigration at 01:51 PM | Comments (1)

Cynthia Tucker still idiot on immigration

She offers "Ignoring the easy solution on immigration":

Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss - then a congressman - was annoyed at the old Immigration and Naturalization Service for trying to enforce the nation's laws. In 1998, when INS agents rounded up illegal workers at the Vidalia onion fields in southeast Georgia, Mr. Chambliss and a handful of other Georgia congressmen denounced the agency. He accused INS of using "bullying tactics."

These days, Mr. Chambliss is better known for his tough stance against illegal workers. A member of a hard-core group of Republicans who have rebelled against President Bush's sensible call for immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship...

...He stands on the same side he's always stood on - the side of big business, which wants to exploit illegal workers without giving them the benefits of legal status...

Your head may have done a Linda Blair as you read that, but don't worry Tucker wasn't similarly affected. To her, it's perfectly logical to claim to be opposed to illegal immigration and its attendant abuses while at the same time supporting legislation that will encourage even more illegal immigration and make the situation far worse.

A head-spinning question for Cynthia: aren't you a "hard-liner" too? After all, you support Bush's plan, so presumably you also support enforcing it. Won't that enforcement involve taking actions similar to those that "hard-liners" want to take now? As in other cases, what's far more likely is that Tucker will support enforcing the new laws that she supports the same way she supports enforcing the current laws.

Previously:
Cynthia Tucker to uncover corruption! (I'm still waiting)
Cynthia Tucker is an idiot
Cynthia Tucker's illegal immigration strawman; a challenge

Posted to Immigration at 11:39 AM | Comments (1)

Pedro Marin has American challenger

Despite being a Puerto Rican and a member of the Georgia house, Pedro Marin has some questionable associations with the Mexican government. They might all be innocent, or they might bit as bad as they appear and the news media is just unwilling to do their job.

Speaking of which, the AJC's Brian Feagans offers an overview of the race between Marin and his 22-year-old challenger, Torriel "Torry" Lewis. Based on Marin's history, he could be a 4-year-old polar bear and I'd recommend voting for him.

As for Marin, he recently helped organize the illegal immigration march and boycott in his state. Another organizer is a former Mexican consul general.

And, as detailed here, he is or was employed as the director of the Mexican Center Of Atlanta at $50,000 per year. (Bear in mind, of course, that he's not of Mexican descent.) That Center was previously housed at the Mexican consulate in Atlanta, and former employees of the Center were consular officials. Apparently shortly before he was selected as director, they were moved out of the consulate. Whether they have any remaining links to the government of Mexico is unknown.

Posted to Politics at 10:38 AM | Comments (0)

Mayor Mike Bloomberg, "The Open Borders Mayor"

Heather MacDonald has the background on Mayor Mike Bloomberg and NYC's illegal alien sanctuary law (Executive Order No. 41).

Also see: Bloomberg: N.Y. Too Corrupt to Function Without Illegals

Previously: Mayor Mike Bloomberg's "Immigrant Muddle"

RFID implants for "guest" workers?

Bloomberg has an immigration plan for you, Citizen

Mayor Bloomberg supports illegal immigration... again!

And, if you want to laugh through your tears, see this picture of mayor mike.

UPDATE: Mayor Fife gets taken to task by the NY Post's readers.

Posted to Immigration at 09:32 AM | Comments (0)

"What Karl Rove Should Tell La Raza"

Somehow I don't think the Panderer in Chief is going to take Human Events' advice:

White House adviser Karl Rove is scheduled to speak tomorrow at the annual conference of the federally funded, left-wing, open-borders-advocacy group, the National Council of La Raza.

If he does not want his speech to look like an act of appeasement, he should confront La Raza on its opposition to commonsense policies designed to secure both U.S. borders and U.S. pocketbooks...

Will Rove defend the immigration reforms passed by President Bush's party in the House and tell La Raza that House Republicans are neither "mean-spirited" nor "radical"? He should. House Republicans deserve Rove's support.

Rove should also flatly and unapologetically tell La Raza their promotion of a liberal agenda under the guise of "Hispanic civil rights" is wrong.

La Raza, for example, supports in-state tuition for illegal aliens at public colleges. Rove should tell them that is a ripoff of U.S. taxpayers...

...Rove should also chastise La Raza for its association with MEChA, an organization whose motto is: "For La Raza toda, Fuera de La Raza nada" ("For The Race everything, Outside the Race nothing"). Rep. Charlie Norwood (R.-Ga.) revealed in a piece published in the May 1 edition of HUMAN EVENTS that according to IRS records, La Raza has helped fund the Georgetown University Chapter of MEChA.

Furthermore, Rove should tell the La Raza conferees that the Bush Administration does not support granting tax dollars to groups that pursue legislative agendas. As Rep. Norwood also reported in HUMAN EVENTS, La Raza received more than $15 million in federal grants in 2004...

La Raza also funds an alleged racial separatist L.A. charter school. Their agenda is crystal clear, and it should be a bit shocking to most that a former president as well as the "brains" behind the current president are willing to give them the time of day.

What's also interesting is that "liberals" don't seem to be trying to take advantage of Karl Rove speaking before a racial power group.

Posted to Politics at 05:20 AM | Comments (1)

Gen. Peter Pace cries for illegal aliens

Alfonso Chardy of Knight Ridder offers the disgusting story "Senate hearing in Miami touts immigrants' contributions":

"My dad came here, sometimes worked three jobs, but the jobs were there for him and the opportunities were there for him," Gen. Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said as he choked back tears during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing at Miami Dade College. "There is no other country on the planet that affords that opportunity to those who come."

It's OK, you're just confused. The issue is about legal vs. illegal immigration, and the levels. No one is trying to shut down immigration in general, and there will still be plenty of opportunities for plenty of people. It's just that - let me try to explain this even more simply - there are billions and billions of people in the world, and we can't give everyone an opportunity. Do you understand now?

Pace's unexpected emotional testimony poignantly underscored the message Senate leaders wanted to send with the otherwise scripted Miami hearing: only a Senate bill they passed in May can deliver comprehensive immigration reform giving more than eight million undocumented immigrants a path to residence and then citizenship.

The five senators who attended the hearing said the enforcement-only House bill passed in December would dishonor the immigrants who served in the armed forces because it would render as criminals some of their relatives -- parents or spouses -- who may be undocumented immigrants.

Actually, it's those five senators who are disgracefully using emotionalism and lies in order to profit politically and in order to help corrupt companies profit financially. Also, their argument shows that they have no intention of abiding by the laws they're pushing, since if their current argument makes any sense now, then it would also make sense once we have millions more illegal aliens coming here because of their new laws. But, thankfully, their argument makes no sense so we don't need to worry about that.

I've been unable to determine the identity of two of the senators at the meeting, but the others were Teddy Kennedy, Mel Martinez, and John Warner.

There's a longer version of the article here, and a similar report from different "reporters" here.

Also testifying was Margaret Stock. Oddly, those who transcribe her remarks tend to forget to mention that in addition to teaching at West Point, she's also an immigration lawyer who's testified on behalf of the far-left AILA.

Clearly, not just U.S. senators and the news media are willing to lie, mislead, and engage in spreading pro-illegal immigration propaganda, but so are leaders of our military.

Posted to Immigration at 03:02 AM | Comments (3)

Dvorak Uncensored?

John C. Dvorak's "Uncensored" site deleted two of my comments I left on the thread "Ah, Mexico? Can You Send More Illegal Aliens To Pick Florida Oranges? What BS!" The following backstory is a bit long, but the bottom line is this: if you want in-depth information on immigration matters, come here. If all you want is hot air without any of the background information, go to Dvorak's site.

The two comments are below. As usual, neither of them are abusive; further, I have trouble seeing how they violate the site's guidelines. What is unique about this situation is that unlike other bloggers deleting my comments, my comments in this case were not antagonistic. I provided additional information in support of the post, and information that the poster is probably not aware of.

The post was created by "Uncle Dave", and I don't know whether it was him or JCD who deleted my comments, but they might want to consider whether they're publishing their site simply to blow hot air, or whether they're interested in something a bit more useful. The post excerpts to this article, and then comes the only "analysis" they provide:

Curiously there is no evidence of any massive return to Mexico anywhere. It's not in California or Texas. Are they swimming home from Florida? So this is a crock for sure. If anything they've taken construction jobs "Americans don't want." How long do we have to tolerate this bullshit?

Please compare that "analysis" with the information contained in my first comment. Their post offers nothing; my comment provides their readers with in-depth information. Would you rather learn about the background of this propaganda, or would you rather read someone who has nothing to offer beyond venting?

As for the second comment, someone mentioned the LAT article described in that comment, and someone else asked "Can you produce a citation for the article describing landscaping jobs paying $35/hr?" I provided the given link to a discussion of the LAT article, and that was deleted as well.

And, an unnamed "editor" has posted the following in the comment asking the question above:

editor: most of the posts with that $30+ citation are just trolls advertising a web site — deleted according to Commenting Guidelines

I didn't post the first comment mentioning those jobs, I simply provided the information in order to help Dvorak's readers understand this issue better. Someone has to, since Dvorak's contributors and editors aren't doing the job.

Previously: Brad DeLong deletes comments

COMMENT #1:
This is just the latest in a very long series of propaganda containing dire warnings from growers. Articles just like this have been appearing for literally decades. No, really:

http://24ahead.com/blog/archives/000905.html

One solution to their "problem" is mechanization, already underway in some Florida groves:

http://24ahead.com/blog/archives/001133.html

And, of course, Bush is on the wrong side:

http://24ahead.com/blog/archives/004682.html

COMMENT #2:
#12: The $35/hour landscaping job refers to a bit of propaganda from the LAT, in which they failed to note that someone complaining about lack of workers was an immigration activist:

http://michellemalkin.com/archives/005225.htm

Posted to Bloggage at 08:29 PM | Comments (1)

St. Peter Catholic Church, Jupiter Florida, supports illegal immigration

From this:

More than 430 Guatemalans [many or most illegal aliens] gathered at St. Peter Catholic Church Saturday and Sunday to meet with Guatemalan consulate officers and apply for the ID card. Many also applied for a Guatemalan passport, which some of them said they had no need for when they crossed the U.S.-Mexico border.

The article hits all the common notes: a consular official says the card doesn't grant legal status, the local police - supporting illegal activity - promote the safety benefits.

In fact:

Joining forces with the Guatemala Consulate for the event made sense to the [Palm Beach Sheriff's Office], [Fernando Alvarez, the Sheriff's Office supervisor of the community relations unit] said. Representatives from Washington Mutual and Bank of America were also at the church.

Previously: Jupiter Florida's illegal alien hiring hall coming soon

Posted to Immigration at 11:42 AM | Comments (1)

AP: Minuteman march turns violent

The Minuteman Project held a march in Hollywood yesterday, and the counter-protesters clashed with the police and several of them were arrested. Of course, from the AP report on the incident, you might be left wondering what really went on:

An officer was injured and several people were arrested during an anti-illegal immigration march involving the Minuteman Project and other groups Saturday evening in Hollywood, police said.

One female officer suffered a minor injury, apparently to her ankle, after clashing with protesters, said Officer Sandra Escalante, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Police Department.

KCAL-TV footage showed counter-protesters along the sidewalks shouting as anti-immigration demonstrators, including members of the Minuteman civilian border patrol group, marched along Hollywood Boulevard.

Escalante said several people were arrested, though it wasn't immediately clear if they were part of the anti-immigration march or the counter-protest.

...Messages left with the Minutemen were not immediately returned.

Many people only glance at headlines or don't pay full attention to news reports, so based on what appears to have happened, this AP report is highly misleading. Only some of that can be attributed to the fact that they apparently didn't have a reporter on scene. And, of course, the in the past the AP, Reuters, and other news groups have attempted to smear the MMP by any means necessary.

To get a better idea of what went on, see the videos here, here, here, or here (From this site). There's an SOS thread here and several pictures here. From the other side comes this.

Note that in the videos you can see the expected signs: ANSWER, one with "The Worker's Struggle Has No Borders" together with a picture of Che Guevara, another from the International Action Center, etc. And, there's that post at ANSWERLA's site promoting the counter-protest. Why doesn't the AP look into that side of things? Why doesn't it mention that the counter-protesters are just a tad on the left side of the spectrum?

In the videos, the LAPD appears to have been a bit more aggressive than I saw them during the "peace" protests in 2003 and 2004. Some of that may have been over the line. However, given the violent incidents that ANSWER and other groups have initiated (Garden Grove, Baldwin Park), perhaps they were just being cautious.

7/11 UPDATE: A press conference is being held to denounce "LAPD brutality":

Join the National Lawyers Guild, ANSWER Coalition, Latino Movement USA and other progressive organizations for a press conference to denounce last weekend's attack by the Los Angeles Police Department on the immigrant rights movement. Speakers will include Jim Lafferty and Carol Sobel, National Lawyers Guild; Juan Jose Gutierrez, Director, Latino Movement USA; Ian Thompson, Attorney, ANSWER Coalition; victims of police violence at the protest and other guests.

Posted to Immigration at 10:41 AM | Comments (3)

Macarena Hernandez: PIIPP pimping DREAM Act

Macarena Hernandez of the Dallas Morning News offers a PIIPP ("pro-illegal immigration puff piece") called "Good kids are counting on Dream Act". As described below, this article is extremely similar to other articles in this genre. About the only difference is that most start with the sucker punch; in the current case she leads off with a first paragraph with background on immigration "reform":

[...background para deleted...] If that's the case, then I think these leaders need to hear from Carla [1], a bright, ambitious 17-year-old Dallas student who will be directly affected by whatever they decide. This is what she'd tell them:

After watching her mother clean other people's bathrooms for 14 years, she wants something more for her life. She's worked hard, and she's now poised to graduate from high school in the top 10 percent of her class [2]. She wants to go to a good college, but she can't – unless Congress acts. Because Carla (who asked that her last name not be used [3]) is in this country illegally [4], she doesn't qualify for most financial aid. Even if she manages to work her way through school with a low-paying job – the only kind available to her – without legal status, she would be blocked from pursuing her profession... [5]

[1] The sympathetic subject is introduced.
[2] All the subjects of these articles seem to be in the top of their class.
[3] And, almost all of them - we're told - ask that their last names not be used.
[4] Eventually, all these articles inform the reader that the sympathetic subject is here illegally.
[5] And, some of them point out that they won't be able to work anyway. (See [2]'s link.)

Look at the other posts in this category to see just how generic this article truly is. I have trouble believing how anyone could take seriously papers that print such outright propaganda.

Posted to Immigration_piipps at 01:48 PM | Comments (1)

Why does the Washington Post support illegal immigration?

The WaPo reports on the difficult journey of a Guatemalan who wants to enter the U.S. illegally ("Meeting Danger Well South of the Border" by N.C. Aizenman). Since the Washington Post has endorsed illegal immigration, isn't their article a bit in bad taste? Shouldn't they try to keep under wraps the nitty gritty details of what they in effect support? Or, do they hope that enough of their readers are over-emotional and under-rational enough to be unable to figure things out?

UPDATE: Sully links but offers little opining. In the past he's supported illegal immigration.

Posted to Immigration at 01:43 PM | Comments (1)

Ralph Reed, former illegal immigration enabler

Ralph Reed is apparently making pro-enforcement noises, but his history is quite a bit different.

Posted to Immigration at 09:59 PM | Comments (0)

Mayor Mike Bloomberg's "Immigrant Muddle"

From the NY Post:

Mayor Bloomberg stood before a U.S. Senate panel studying immigration Wednesday and unloaded testimony larded with contradictions and, to be kind, half-truths.

But he did it with passion, so nobody seemed to notice - or care - that he pulled his "facts" from thin air...

...The fact is that the city's financial-services and tourism sectors are the engines that drive New York City's economy - and neither is dependent on illegal-immigrant labor.

And Bloomberg knows it...

... And he poked fun at the federal law that says "employers are not even permitted to ask probing questions" about immigration status.

But wait.

By executive order, the mayor himself prohibits city employees from asking such questions of suspected illegals.

Indeed, Bloomberg's directive actually goes further. It instructs city agencies to "encourage aliens to make use" of municipal services - among them welfare, health care and public-school placement...

Posted to Immigration at 01:16 PM | Comments (1)

Los Angeles Times on Aztlan; LAT now 10% more American

The Los Angeles Times' David Kelly offers the slightly balanced report "Vision That Inspires Some and Scares Others: Aztlan". This is actually a step up for the Times: instead of simply apologizing militant Chicano attempts to reclaim "their" land away, they offer a somewhat more balanced view. Of course, it's not a view completely on the American side, but such baby steps should be encouraged.

It also contains this:

In David Horowitz's book "The Professors: The 101 Most Dangerous Academics in America," [Armando] Navarro gets his own chapter. Horowitz writes that he "advocates the overthrow of the U.S. government by Latinos and reclamation of the southwestern United States by Mexico."

Navarro, in his office surrounded by photos of himself with Fidel Castro and former Nicaraguan leader Daniel Ortega, shakes his head.

"I never said that," he said.

Well, on this page you can hear this quote:

"Ladies and Gentlemen, what this means is a transfer of power, it means control, and it is the young people, the people who are now moving to develop an agenda for the twenty first century they are going to be in a position to really make the promise of what the Chicano movement was all about in terms of self-determination, in terms of empowerment, even in the terms of an Aztlan...."

Whether that counts is left for the reader to decide. Returning to the LAT article:

Still, [Navarro] tries to allay fears of a resurgent Aztlan.

"There is no reconquista conspiracy. I have no CIA — no Chicano Intelligence Agency. There is no evidence to suggest there is some secret plan," he said. "We are returning as a people to a place that was once ours. Does that mean I have dual loyalty? I was an officer in the U.S. Army for eight years. This is all a fabrication of fear mongers."

He paused for a moment.

"We are only doing what any good Jew would do for Israel."

Say, did you know that Navarro has links to Democratic politicians like U.S. Rep. Joe Baca Sr? Why, there are even videos.

Posted to Immigration at 11:24 AM | Comments (2)

MoveOn: "Grand Oil Party" bumper stickers

MoveOn is proud to announce that they're distributing bumper stickers saying "Grand Oil Party" (get it?) And, it's been a wonderful success: they've already distributed 70,000 of them. Of course, that success is measured in "liberal" terms: they're giving them away for free.

You do only get one for free, you have to pay for more than one. But, every free sticker you "order" represents one or two fewer dollars that people like George Soros will have to spend on, say, Al Franken's senate run.

So, do your bit and get your free sticker here.

Posted to WackyHumor at 11:08 AM | Comments (1)

Brad DeLong deletes comments

I left two comments on the entry "Greg Mankiw Explains Why Economists Favor Immigration" from UC Berkeley professor Brad DeLong. Both were deleted.

Since both comments have a bit more heft than some other comments which were not deleted, and neither comment is abusive, I have to wonder what's going on. Has DeLong suddenly realized that he and the other "economists" have no argument?

The two comments are in the extended entry.

July 9 UPDATE: Oops, he did it again. The comment he deleted this time is at the end as "COMMENT #3". He must realize exactly how weak his arguments are.

Related:

The Independent Institute's Open Letter on Immigration (Delong, Mankiw, and others signed on)

"Brothers Judd" deletes comments

Banned by ThinkProgress and QAndO

Banned by RedState

Banned by DailyKos

COMMENT #1:
Apparently these economists are unable to make a simple distinction between legal and illegal immigration. What's worse, they seem unable to think beyond simple, first-level economic impacts.

For instance, illegal immigration leads to political corruption. What economic impact does that have?

What economic impact does giving the government of Mexico even more political power inside the U.S. have?

What economic impact does companies being able to choose between cheap labor and innovation have?

What are the non-economic impacts of massive legal or illegal immigration, especially from one country or region?

Perhaps they need to think about this in a bit more depth and consult people who have an ability to see the big picture.

------
COMMENT #2:
I continue to be amazed that some "liberals" attempt to claim that there's no reconquista movement, however loosely constructed it is.

Do they think people will just believe what they say without doing any research? Do they hope to have any credibility remaining after people do that research?

All you have to do is google a few related terms, and you'll find a ton of evidence, questionable statements, and questionable links.

For instance, here's a quote from a 1996 Black Issues in Higher Education article:

The Chicano activists' mission at that time -- as documented in the book "MAYO: Avant-Garde to the Chicano Movement in Texas" by University of California-Riverside Professor Armando Navarro -- "was to eliminate and replace the gringo," says Jose Angel Gutierrez, director of the Center for Mexican American Studies at the University of Texas-Arlington.

How many Mexican-American politicians can you find who have links to Navarro?

Or, take a look at this video:

youtube.com/watch?v=FgbCB8QlQWw

That's the Speaker of the California Assembly, Democrat Fabian Nunez.

For more, see all the replies to this thread:

huffingtonpost.com/alex-koppelman/cnn-stands-by-lou-dobbs-_b_21617.html

"Liberals" need to come up with a new excuse for the Democratic Party's support for racists.

-----
COMMENT #3:
Since my comments on the other thread were deleted (lonewacko.com/blog/archives/005235.html), this might not be here long. But, here's my reply to the NYT article:

---
First, cute photos of undocumented workers in the shadows. A bit hamfisted, but what do you expect?

David Card says: "If Mexicans were taller and whiter, it would probably be a lot easier to deal with."

What Card fails to realize is that many Mexicans are in fact both tall and white. Those are the leaders of Mexico (such as the Spanish-Irish Vicente Fox), and they're the ones who are sending us their excess population. One against Card.

And, if all those illegal aliens were indeed tall and white, and everything else were the same as it is now, there wouldn't be an illegal immigration problem: all those millions of illegal aliens would have been deported long ago.

It's largely because most of the illegal aliens from Mexico are not white that illegal immigration supporters such as the MSM and others are able to racialize this issue and smear anyone who simply wants to enforce our laws.

As for the economics, they don't really matter. The economic effect of illegal immigration is clustered somewhere around zero. It might be slightly good, or somewhat bad. But, no one is arguing that it's very good.

Now, compare the possible benefits to the negatives:

* increased corruption in the U.S. as companies that profit from illegal immigration donate to politicians who look the other way

* increased numbers of low-wage workers coming into a high cost of living country (resulting in people living in garages or even tents in backyards)

* lowered wages for our own low-wage workers, many of whom have simply stopped looking for work

* increased chance of worker abuse and workplace injuries and deaths (much higher for illegal aliens)

* entrenching the corrupt Mexican government rather than forcing them to reform

* assisting the government of Mexico meddling in our internal politics

* assisting attempts to weaken U.S. citizenship and sovereignty

* foreign citizens marching in our streets demanding rights to which they aren't entitled

* among other diseases, drug-resistant tuberculosis

So, one the one hand you might get a small economic benefit. But, at what cost? All things considered, is illegal immigration really worth it?

Posted to Bloggage at 09:08 AM | Comments (4)

"Badnarik Gets Real with Voters"

Failed libertarian presidential candidate Michael Badnarik has come up with at least one good idea: he's signing a contract with those who might elect him (OK, they won't, but play along) for Congress. The contract will say that if he violates the terms he won't be allowed to run again. Plus, the headline is funny.

Posted to Politics at 11:47 AM | Comments (1)

Is The Anchoress really Ken Mehlman?

A data point in support of one of my favorite theories.

Posted to Bloggage at 11:45 AM | Comments (1)

What Chris Cannon's win really shows

Kaus:

Bilbray ran on a platform of opposition lto illegal immigration. Meanwhile, Cannon ... also ran on a plaform of opposition to illegal immigration... I would guess that voters who responded to [a pro-enforcement] TV message [from Cannon] were not sending rousing message of support for the Bush/Kennedy/McCain "path to citizenship" approach... Cannon's victory is even harder to interpret as a rejection of the Sensenbrenner enforcement-only approach because Cannon's campaign featured a ringing endorsement from one James Sensenbrenner...

The Cannon win shows that lying about your record and what you really support is a winning position for the GOP.

Posted to Politics at 11:43 AM | Comments (2)

"NASCO Alters Super-Corridor Message"

Jerome Corsi continues his series on the plan to create a North American Union with the news that NASCO now offers blurbs on their website attempting to debunk unnamed press articles about their scheme. Corsi provides evidence supporting his claims.

Previously: "Bush Administration Erases U.S. Borders With Mexico and Canada"

Posted to NAU at 05:42 AM | Comments (2)

A lone wacko in San Diego

More to follow:

Posted to California at 12:30 AM | Comments (1)

"Biff" responds to DNC response to GOP immigration hearings

The Dems are playing immigration-related radio commercials in Spanish. The speaker is former BP sector chief and Congressman Silvestre Reyes:

...Now, instead of acting to secure our borders and pass immigration reform; Republicans are holding hearings, just so they can keep scapegoating immigrants. They think that's how they'll win elections in November...

Someone calling himself "biff" has posted the following comment on the thread about this at the DNC's site, and I find "biff"'s thoughts particularly insightful:

Nora: the "ad guy" you're talking about is our Chairman, Howard Dean. He's the one who determined that the GOP is scapegoating immigrants. And, a powerful charge it is.

I would go a bit further however, and I encourage the DNC to be as welcoming to immigrants as possible. We already support what amounts to an open border, why not make that official policy? Wouldn't that be the best way to get the Hispanic vote?

The DNC should just come right out and say that our party supports a completely open border. Voters appreciate honesty!

Democratic leaders: listen to "biff"! He's got your best interests at heart!

Posted to Immigration at 11:51 PM | Comments (1)

San Diego immigration townhall hearing

It was held in the building you see off in the distance. And, that's as close as I got.

I tried to attend today's big Immigration Townhall Meeting on immigration at the Imperial Beach Border Patrol station in San Diego. I got there about an hour after it had started and after the 40 (forty!?!?) people allowed inside had already been allowed inside the station. About another 100 were reportedly allowed to congregate outside the station, but I didn't even get that far. But, as the picture above shows, at least I got a view of where it was held.

If you find any reports on what went on, please leave a link in the comments. (The real media was allowed in).

And, yes, indeed, this was a collossal waste of time and money. Now, it's off to do some touristy things here.

UPDATE: On second thought, I was actually physically closer to the Place Where Democracy Is Kept, although I was visually further away:

Posted to Immigration at 01:36 PM | Comments (1)

July 4th for realists

Eight Steps To Destroy America

Oikophobia

Immigration and Social Disintegration

Aztlan and Amalgamation

Posted to Politics at 11:53 AM | Comments (0)

1996: "Building Aztlan: Chicano Movement Springs Back to Life" (187flashback)

The extended entry has a disturbing article that appeared in the apparently considered-mainstream journal "Black Issues in Higher Education". For future reference.

This is especially an interesting article for MEChA/reconquista apologists.

Building Aztlan: Chicano Movement Springs Back to Life
Rodriguez, Roberto. Black Issues in Higher Education Reston:Apr 4, 1996. Vol. 13, Iss. 3, p. 22

Some Chicano scholars say the beginning of the Chicano activist movement was the defense of Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City) in 1521, which pitted the indigenous Mexican population against Spanish invaders. Others define it as the end of the Mexican-American War in 1848, when Mexico lost half of its territory to the United States and Mexican residents became, as one scholar put it, "strangers in their own land."

Little scholarly disagreement exists, however, as to the time frame of the emergence of the modern Chicano movement -- it can be directly pegged to the mid-1960s, a time coinciding with the last great thrust of the Black civil rights movement.

In essence, the Chicano movement embodied an across-the-board push for civil and human rights that placed an emphasis on increased entry, presence and relevance in the racially barricaded and cloistered bastions of American higher education. This led to colleges and universities becoming targets of protest -- and a resultant opening of doors and minds that led to the creation of Chicano studies.

Ada Sosa-Riddell, director of the Chicana/Latina Center at the University of California-Davis, says that Chicano studies represents one of the long-lasting legacies of the Chicano movement. However, with the advent of the anti-affirmative action mood of the country, she says, danger is in the air.

"But you can't destroy Chicano studies. You would have to burn the literature," says Sosa-Riddell.

In fact, many scholars maintain that the anti-immigrant, anti-affirmative action stance of politicians nationwide has been responsible for a resurgence of Chicano activism on campus.

Purposefully Pursued Agenda

During the 1960s, the Chicano movement was actually comprised of several components: boycotts to improve the lives of farm workers; demonstrations to end Jim Crow-style segregation and police repression; demands for land-grant equity; protests to improve educational opportunities; and organizing for political representation and self-determination.

In time, other areas of concern were added, such as: gender equality, access to higher education and immigrant rights. A cultural rebirth was proclaimed, triggered by a rediscovery and appreciation of meztizo/indigenous roots and a positive self-definition.

This cumulative activist agenda became popularly known as the Brown Power movement. An important psychological component of this major Chicano effort of self-assertion and determination was often misunderstood, or not known by, the general population. It was known as "building Aztlan" -- or nationhood.

To many Chicanos, Aztlan -- which is derived from the name of the Aztec homeland, Aztlan -- represents the U.S. Southwest and what they believed was the ancestral homeland stolen from Mexico during the Mexican-American War. Although there were those in the movement who literally interpreted this notion as reclamation of this "lost land" by fighting for an independent, sovereign nation (even from Mexico), all involved in the movement interpreted "building Aztlan" as a spiritual building -- or bonding -- of a people on common ground.

`Competing Definitions'

The 1960s and `70s were an exciting time, says Lea Ybarra, associate provost for academic affairs at California State University-Fresno. "We felt we could make a difference."

Ybarra enrolled at CSU-Fresno (then known as Fresno State University) in the mid-1960s when there were only a handful of Chicano and Chicana students. Today, there are more than 4,000.

Luis Arroyo, professor and chair of Chicano and Latino studies at California State University-Long Beach, says that the Chicano movement was unified when it was simply a movement for dignity and self-respect.

But, he contends, once an attempt was made to give the movement an ideology, "We began to develop competing definitions as to what the movement was."

To this day, those competing definitions continue to shape how scholars define what the movement was or wasn't, when it started, when and if it ended and what it should be.

The Missing Generations

What differentiates the Chicano movement from earlier Mexican civil rights struggles is its national character, its mass nature and its strong student base at colleges and universities.

Prior to World War II, Mexican Americans were virtually invisible on college campuses. It was not until the 1960s -- as a result of educational opportunity programs -- that Chicanos streamed onto campuses in unprecedented numbers.

Their prior absence was generally due to discrimination in the educational system. The exception, particularly in the 19th century, were the children of landed elites.

As such, there was no intellectual tradition in the Mexican-American community in higher education similar to that which exists in the African-American community. The reason, says Carlos Muñoz, Chicano studies professor at the University of California-Berkeley, is that because after the Mexican-American War, whites did not feel a responsibility to educate Mexican Americans. Thus, there was never a push to create Mexican-American colleges, similar to the Black colleges, says the author of "Youth, Identity and Power," a book that chronicles the Chicano movement.

Absent a large presence in higher education, Mexican-American scholars debated the issues of the day in newspapers, as opposed to lecture halls.

Arturo Madrid, the Murchison Distinguished Professor of Humanities at Trinity University in San Antonio, TX, says that contrary to popular belief there is an untapped wealth of literature in Mexico about the Mexican-origin population in the United States prior to 1960. During the 1950s, the era of McCarthyism, large-scale deportations of Mexicans were both indiscriminate and selectively targeted against Mexican political, labor and community leaders -- "against anyone that was suspect," he says.

With a few exceptions, the effect was to leave in place a less combative Mexican-American intellectual leadership, says Madrid.

Movement Linkage

Felix Gutierrez, director of the Freedom Forum's Pacific Media Center, whose parents were journalists and student-activists during the 1930s through the 1950s, says that political activism has always been a part of the Mexican-American community. "What people were talking about in the 1960s, we were living in the 1950s," he says.

Gutierrez himself represents a link between an organization known as the "Mexican-American Movement" from the 1930s to the 1950s (and whose motto was "Progress through Education") and the 1960s movement. He, along with Ralph Guzman, were the faculty advisors for the first United Mexican American Student organization at California State University-Los Angeles.

While Gutierrez sees the birth of the Chicano movement as a resurgence of the earlier 1930s-50s movement, he distinguishes the 1960s as "a period of turbulence."

One of the principal parts of the country where that turbulence manifested itself was in Crystal City, TX, where, in 1963, Chicanos took over the City Council in a part of the country that had long been dominated by an agricultural elite.

The Chicano activists' mission at that time -- as documented in the book "MAYO: Avant-Garde to the Chicano Movement in Texas" by University of California-Riverside Professor Armando Navarro -- "was to eliminate and replace the gringo," says Jose Angel Gutierrez, director of the Center for Mexican American Studies at the University of Texas-Arlington.

Struggling against Jim Crow institutions, Chicano activists also won school board elections in South Texas, but soon found out that Anglos remained embedded in power as teachers and administrators. This knowledge, says Angel Gutierrez, is what triggered the creation of La Raza Unida Party -- the first and only political party for Chicanos: "We became the electoral arm of the Chicano movement."

Black Civil Rights Ties

Elizabeth Martinez, author of "500 Years of Chicano History" and a past director of the New York chapter of the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), says that the Chicano movement had more than symbolic links with the Black civil rights movement.

Martinez notes that in 1965, as a member of SNCC, she delivered a speech at the historic farm worker's march from Delano, CA, to Sacramento -- in solidarity with the United Farm Workers union. In 1968, on behalf of SNCC, she traveled to Albuquerque to connect with the Chicano land struggle in New Mexico and to help found the newspaper, El Grito del Norte (The Cry of the North). "I went for two weeks and I stayed for eight years," she says.

Movement Resurges

Many scholars maintain that ever since the death of farm labor leader Cesar Chavez in 1993 there has been a resurgence in the Chicano movement, particularly at colleges and universities nationwide.

This new activism peaked in 1994 when hundreds of thousands of junior and senior high and college students across the country walked out of schools and held marches and rallies in opposition to California's anti-immigrant Proposition 187. "The mass mobilization against 187 reaffirmed the need to be unified," says Angela Acosta, a graduate student at the University of New Mexico.

"The Chicano movement shaped my life," says Acosta. Yet, as someone who worked against 187, she believes the new movement is no longer limited to Chicanos but encompasses Latinos, immigrants and other people of color.

Genevieve Aguilar, a senior at Hanks High School in El Paso, says the Chicano movement is "definitely not dead" -- that it lives in students like herself who battle against people who believe that racism no longer exists and who don't see a need for Chicano or Latino programs.

When students ask Aguilar, who has been a member of the education-oriented National Hispanic Institute since she was in the ninth-grade, why there isn't an institute for whites, she has a ready answer.

"There is: It's called government."

Posted to Immigration at 07:30 AM | Comments (8)

187flashback: miscellaneous articles

The extended entry has two miscellaneous articles from 1994. For future reference.

Multiethnic Coalition Building in Los Angeles
Coleman, Craig S.. Korea Times (Monthly English Ed.). Los Angeles, Calif.:Aug 2, 1995. Vol. 4, Iss. 8, p. 7
Multiethnic Coalition Building in Los Angeles.

This publication is a conference report from a 1993 two-day symposium held at CSU Los Angeles following the 1992 Los Angeles Riots. The theme of the symposium and this publication is on developing inter-racial coalition building. Black, Latino, Asian, and White scholars and community leaders participated in the symposium.

This publication presents thirteen papers covering the conditions of diversity, efforts at coalition building, the difficulties related to coalition building, models of multiracial coalitions, and the development of an action agenda.

Edward Chang, associate professor of Ethnic Studies at UC Riverside comments "On April 29, 1992, the image of Los Angeles as a model of a multicultural city was shattered as the city exploded into violence and flames. While the 1992 Los Angeles civil unrest was ignited by rage among African Americans, it unmasked tensions between different ethnic and racial groups."

Armando Navarro's article 'The Latinoization of Los Angeles' provides significant demographic data on the changing ethnic composition of Los Angeles County. "In 1980, roughly 90 percent of those who lived in Watts were African American. By 1990 its was about 50 percent Latino. Even in Koreatown, Latinos outnumbered Koreans. Latinos comprised 48 percent and Koreans 23 percent."

This publication provides a variety of different insights into the challenging tasks or organizing multiethnic coalitions. The contributors argue that coalition are by necessity usually only useful as temporary organizations to promote specific causes. Long-term coalitions have difficulties in remaining united as they expand their causes and issues.

The authors collectively fear the "Balkanization" of Los Angeles society and politics. Ultimately it is in the best interests of Los Angeles's many ethnic communities to build single-issue coalitions which can effectively achieve their collective short-term goals.

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Lideres latinos lanzan el "Plan Riverside" para proteger a los inmigrantes
La Opinion Los Angeles, Calif.:Feb 12, 1994. Vol. 68, Iss. 150, p. 1A
Líderes latinos lanzan el 'Plan Riverside' para proteger a los. inmigrantes

Líderes y representantes latinos de cinco estados y doce ciudades de la Unión Americana empezaron a pedir desde ayer el apoyo de la población latina para el Plan de Riverside, un proyecto que propone la "reorganización, movilización, y la toma del compromiso", para proteger e impulsar los derechos humanos y civiles de los inmigrantes garantizados por la Constitución.

El Plan contiene la postura política de más de 450 representantes de diversos sectores latinos que se reunieron en Riverside el mes pasado.

La propuesta establece que los inmigrantes son un patrimonio y no una carga y que, por ello, tienen derecho a la atención médica y a la educación.

También apunta que los latinos contribuyen a la economía y que más que quitar generan empleos, y dice además que para solucionar el problema de la inmigración se debe fortalecer la economía nacional, y la economía de países como México y otras naciones de Centroamérica.

El plan sugiere la movilización y participación política de todos los latinos para combatir la ola antiinmigrante que se ha desatado en el país.

"No podemos permitir que nos sigan vejando y que nos sigan utilizando para sus fines políticos. Nosotros los latinos contribuimos a la economía de este país y nos merecemos el respeto y la igualdad de derechos que apunta la Constitución", declaró ayer el doctor de Estudios Armando Navarro, director del Centro de Estudios Ernesto Galarza, de UC Riverside.

Navarro estuvo acompañado de unos cincuenta representantes de diversas organizaciones locales.

Cerca de unas 60 organizaciones latinas distintas avalan la propuesta que será presentada en otras ciudades del país.

El Plan de Riverside se presentó ayer por la mañana en Riverside y al mediodía en Los Angeles. En los próximos dos días se presentará en Bakersfield, Sacramento y San Diego, en California; además de Albuquerque, Nuevo México; Tucson, Arizona; Chicago, Illinois; y El Paso, San Antonio, Harleguin y Houston, Texas.

El punto medular del proyecto pide la reorganización y la reactivación de marchas contra cualquier propuesta considerada antiinmigrante. También pide que los latinos obtengan su ciudadanía para que participen en la política de manera directa.

El documento, dijeron ayer los presentes, será presentado a los representantes políticos latinos de todo el país para diseñar "una estrategia" compacta a fin de apoyar o combatir leyes o propuestas que afecten a los inmigrantes.

El documento también contiene reivindicaciones laborales y exige poner alto a la militarización de las fronteras como medio de controlar la inmigración de los indocumentados.

Asimismo, pide a las agencias gubernamentales que cesen cualquier colaboración con el Servicio de Inmigración y Naturalización (INS), o la Patrulla Fronteriza.

Algunos participantes dijeron ayer que con el proyecto se intentarían resucitar las movilizaciones de protesta que surgieron en los sesentas durante la Moratoria Chicana. No obstante, también advirtieron que, sin la participación de todos los latinos, "ningún plan será resultados".

"Necesitamos que ustedes que nos están viendo en su televisor se levanten y participen", dijo José De Paz, director ejecutivo de la Coalición de Trabajadores Inmigrantes de América, conocida también por las siglas CIWA.

Otros representantes expresaron que la defensa de los derechos de los latinos no se podría realizar si no hay una masiva participación.

Los líderes que se juntaron ayer en la Placita Olvera dijeron que el próximo 20 de febrero se reunirán con los políticos latinos en Sacramento para "afinar detalles", y adoptar algunas recomendaciones sugeridas por el Plan de Riverside.

También se planea incorporarlo en la agenda de varias actividades políticas que se realizarán en diferentes partes del estado.

Posted to Immigration at 06:30 AM | Comments (0)

"Latino Summit Response to 187" (1995 187flashback)

The extended entry has a few reports about 1995's Latino Summit Response to 187 which was discussed in this entry about Fabian Nunez.

Paper: Press-Enterprise, The (Riverside, CA)
Title: Hispanics call illegal immigration issue racist
Author: Skip Morgan
Date: January 5, 1994
Section: LOCAL
Page: B01

RIVERSIDE

A coalition of Hispanic activists vowed yesterday to fight back
against what they see is an attempt by Gov. Wilson and other politicians to
use the illegal immigration issue to incite racist attacks against
their community. Speaking at a news conference at the Cesar Chavez
Community Center, eight Hispanics - including a priest, real estate agent and
school administrator - said the governor and others were whipping up
racial hatred by blaming undocumented immigrants for the state's economic
problems.

The Rev. Patricio Guillen, a Catholic priest who heads the San
Bernardino-based community service organization Libreria del Pueblo, called
the governor a mean-spirited political opportunist for pushing a series
of measures, including barring children of undocumented immigrants from
public schools.

"To strike out at the weakest members of society shows the mental IQ
the governor has," Guillen said.

Mel Alviso, president of the Inland Empire Association of the
Mexican American Educators, was also critical of the governor's proposal to
ban children of undocumented immigrants from public schools.

"They are trying to gut educational programs for Latino children,"
said Alviso, affirmative-action officer for the San Bernardino Unified
School District.

Fabian Nunez, of the Alliance for Immigration Rights, criticized a
questionnaire sent to voters by more than a dozen Assembly Republicans,
including Ray Haynes and Ted Weggeland of Riverside County. Critics
charged that the surveys included questionable statistics about the cost
of illegal immigration and questions worded to produce anti-immigrant
responses.

"They are making their figures up and promoting rampant racism,"
said Nunez, a Pomona resident.

Tony Aguilar, vice president of the California Hispanic Chambers of
Commerce, called on Hispanics to register to vote and back Hispanic
candidates.

"A lot of these misstatements and immigrant bashing would not be
there if we had legislators of our own choosing," said Aguilar, a Palm
Springs real estate agent.

The Press-Enterprise was accused of singling out Mexicans in its
report in last Sunday's paper of a survey of residents' views on illegal
immigration. Maria Anna Gonzales, executive director of the Institute
for Social Justice, a San Bernardino-based Hispanic advocacy group,
criticized the newspaper for using an accompanying photograph of Mexicans
waiting to cross the border at Tijuana.

"Rather than sending a photographer to Tijuana, you should send one
up to Canada," Gonzales said.

The Press-Enterprise and eight Southern California newspapers
sponsored the poll. The survey noted a division between Hispanics and anglos,
with anglos more likely to see undocumented immigrants as a serious
problem.

Of those responding to the survey, 80 percent believed racism played
some role in the anger against illegal immigration and more than half
said politicians were using illegal immigrants as scapegoats for the
poor economy and other problems. On the issue of education, half of anglos
and 85 percent of Hispanics thought children of illegal immigrants
should be allowed to attend public schools.

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"Lideres latinos analizan el fracaso ante la 187: Se inaugura en Riverside una nueva cumbre sobre la crisis de inmigracion"
Marrero, Maria del Pilar. La Opinion Los Angeles, Calif.:Jan 14, 1995. Vol. 69, Iss. 121, p. 3A

Líderes latinos analizan el fracaso ante la 187: Se inaugura en. Riverside una nueva cumbre sobre la crisis de inmigración

Por María del Pilar Marrero

Reportera de La Opinión

Realizada hace un año en Riverside, la ``Cumbre de Líderes Latinos sobre la Crisis de Inmigración'' produjo un llamado a la organización comunitaria y a enfrentar unidos la campaña de la Proposición 187.

Este año, con el amargo sabor de la derrota en la boca, la reunión tiene más bien el carácter de un análisis de conciencia, un análisis necesario para dar una respuesta a la pregunta: ``¿en qué fallamos?''

Cerca de quinientos académicos, sindicalistas, activistas, abogados, estudiantes y líderes comunitarios se reunieron ayer al inicio de dos días de sesiones, que intentarán contestar la interrogante.

Prácticamente todos están de acuerdo en que algo falló: la mejor evidencia es la aprobación de la medida por los votantes de California, 59% a favor y 41% en contra.

Pero cuando se trata de analizar las razones de este resultado es cuando se evidencian, en el movimiento proinmigrante, las divisiones a los que algunos atribuyen la aparente ineficacia de la campaña en contra de la 187.

Las dos corrientes básicas que dividieron el movimiento anti-187 se encontraban presentes en la reunión: aquellos que promovían la movilización comunitaria y la denuncia agresiva contra los que recomiendan el camino diplomático, los ataques legales combinados con las campañas de ciudadanía.

En dos días de sesiones, la reunión pretende analizar las razones del triunfo de la 187, sus consecuencias y ponerse de acuerdo en una estrategia a seguir para la ``movilización en defensa de la comunidad latina''.

Armando Navarro, director del Instituto de Investigaciones Políticas Ernesto Galaza de la Universidad de California en Riverside, cree que a pesar de estas diferencias, al movimiento proinmigrante no le queda más remedio que encontrar puntos en común.

``La comunidad latina está viviendo una crisis sin precedentes que exige que de este tipo de reuniones salga algo concreto'', indicó Navarro. ``Durante la pasada campaña se hizo obvio que el pueblo tiene hambre de liderazgo''.

Jorge Mancillas, profesor y activista de la Universidad de California en Los Angeles, indica que el movimiento falló en gran medida porque no supo convencer a otras comunidades, aparte de la latina, de que la 187 también era su problema.

``Los negros triunfaron en su movimiento de derechos civiles porque no lo presentaron como un problema exclusivamente suyo sino de una situación que atentaba contra los derechos de una mayoría de los estadounidenses'', indica Mancillas.

Mancillas dice no estar muy seguro de que la reunión dará como fruto una estrategia unificada. ``Hemos caído en la trampa de la división'', señaló.

Quizá nada más ilustrativo de este problema que el reclamo que realizó durante la sesión de ayer, la activista Mauricia Miranda, líder de los vecinos de Temple Beaudry, al abrirse una sesión de preguntas durante un panel de expertos.

La activista, quien se levantó de entre el público, dijo que el movimiento ``ya no necesita más organizadores de escritorio''.

``Los líderes deben salir a la calle a rifársela, a organizar a la gente, a educar al pueblo'', espetó Miranda, quien además se quejó de que la entrada a la reunión era muy cara.

``Yo soy pobre y vine aquí de `raite''', agregó Miranda, quien terminó pagando una entrada de diez dólares.

José de Paz, de la Asociación de Trabajadores Inmigrantes de California, está de acuerdo en que el movimiento ``debe ir hacia adentro, a crear conciencia política en la comunidad'', pero indica que también hay que aprovechar todos los recursos que setienen.

``Los líderes de escritorio también hacen falta, los académicos, los abogados'', indica De Paz. ``Lo que sí está claro es que la solución tenemos que buscarla entre nosotros mismos y no esperar a que alguien nos resuelva el problema''.

-------
"Immigration conference to explore Proposition 187"
La Voz Denver, Colo.:Jan 4, 1995. Vol. XXI, Iss. 1, p. 10
The passage of Proposition 187, its impact on the state's Latino community and the national immigration crisis, will be the focus of the Second National Latino Leadership Summit Conference on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 13 and 14, 1995, at the University of California, Riverside. Prop. 187, approved by voters in the Nov. 8 election, would deny public education, public assistance and most health benefits to undocumented immigrants. The summit conference is sponsored by the Ernesto Galaraza Public Policy and Humanities Research Institute at UCR.

"Proposition 187: A Post-Election Analysis of Its Implications" will feature a comprehensive spectrum of panelists, including social science researchers, human rights attorneys, top officials from the state's public educational institutions, Latino elected officials, Latino Journalists, and community and student leaders from throughout the Southwest.

The topics to be addressed include:

A voting patterns analysis of Prop. 187 focusing on why so many Californians supported the proposition and why some Latinos voted for it.

Enforcement of Prop. 187 by the state's educational institutions, including the University of California and California State University systems and the state's public schools.

The court battle to overturn the proposition, featuring attorneys from the Multicultural Education Training and Advocacy, the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund.

Public policy implications of Prop. 187 for California and the nation, presented by Latino federal and state elected officials from California, Arizona, Texas, Colorado, Illinois, and New Mexico.

The impact of Prop. 187 on the state and the nation's economy, health care, social services and law enforcement.

The response to Prop. 187 by Mexico, Central America, the Organization of American States, and the United Nations.

The media response to the proposition, featuring journalists from the Los Angeles Times Publication "Nuestro Tiempo" and Felix Gutierrez, Executive Director of the Freedom Forum.

"The passage of Proposition 187 makes this Summit Conference one of the most important forums for the immigrant and Latino community in many years. The participants will analyze the implications and ramifications if Proposition 187 is deemed constitutional by the courts as well as the mind-set that is impelling the pro-187 movement to other states throughout the nation," said Armando Navarro, Director of the Ernesto Galarza Institute.

"The conference challenges Latinos to develop specific public policy and strategy recommendations that can change this nativist and xenophobic mind-set that threatens to create a balkanization of U.S. society," he said.

The summit is expected to draw 450 participants. For information and registration, contact Maria Anna Gonzales at (909) 787-2196.

---------
Paper: Press-Enterprise, The (Riverside, CA)
Title: Hispanic groups plan fight against Prop. 187
Author: Joe Gutierrez
Date: January 14, 1995
Section: A SECTION
Page: A03

RIVERSIDE

With the fate of Prop. 187 in the courts, California's Hispanics
must educate themselves, unite as a political force and vote if they are
to be a force in local, state and national issues, conferees at UCR said
yesterday. Educators, community leaders, lawyers, political activists
and students yesterday stressed those themes during the first day of a
conference at the University of California, Riverside. Participants
discussed strategies to empower the growing Hispanic community and to stop
anti-immigrant legislation and initiatives.

One of the goals of the conference was the unification of the
Chicano activists of the 1960s and '70s and the Hispanic youth of today, said
Armando Navarro, director of the Ernesto Galaraza Public Policy and
Humanities Research Institute at the university. They must work together
to fuel the activism that surfaced during the failed attempt to stop
passage of Prop. 187 last year, he said.

"We've got to continue that mobilization and revitalize the student
movement," Navarro said during a fiery speech that opened the
conference. "We have got to put aside our differences, divisions and deal with
reality."

Some voter mobilization was apparent during last November's
election, when the state's Hispanic population turned out in record numbers,
according to the Southwest Voter Research Institute.

Though the increased number of Hispanic voters wasn't enough to stop
Prop. 187, the November election showed a proportional increase of
Hispanic voters from 1990's election, said Cynthia Contreras of the
institute. In 1994, Hispanics made up 11 percent of the voters, up from 7
percent of the vote in 1990, Contreras said.

"We did turn out, but not enough to make a significant conclusion,"
Contreras said.

The institute also said the state's Hispanic voters were crucial to
Sen. Dianne Feinstein's victory over Michael Huffington. Hispanics
voted 3-1 in support of Feinstein, who won election by a slim majority.
Huffington, who has yet to concede, has asked the Congress to investigate
the election, which he claims was fraudulent.

About 350 people attended yesterday's session, discussing ways to
stop Prop. 187's implementation at schools, the ongoing fight in court,
and the initiative's impact on the economy, health care and social
services. Speakers blasted Gov. Wilson and conservative politicians for
using scare tactics to pass Prop. 187.

But with each comment, almost every speaker stressed the need to
unite the Hispanic community.

Rudy Acuna, a professor at California State University, Northridge,
said more than talk was needed. Hispanics must also be willing to work
hard and raise funds to pay for the costs to organize the community.

"We have to tax ourselves . . . These conferences are good to let
out our frustrations, but we have to work," Acuna said. "Unless we are
willing to do something about it, we shouldn't talk about it."

During a discussion of the ongoing lawsuits against Prop. 187,
attorney Deborah Escobedo warned that, though the case was in the courts,
now was not the time for the Hispanic community to become complacent.

Escobedo said that, if the initiative ever became law, especially at
the schools, she would advocate civil disobedience.

The day was filled with passionate speeches, but perhaps the most
emotional moment came from Saul Figueroa, student body president at
California State University, Dominguez Hills.

His voice began to quiver as he spoke of the proposition.

"We will change this because it is criminal," he said.

--------
Paper: Press-Enterprise, The (Riverside, CA)
Title: Youth seen as key to revitalizing Hispanic movement - At a
conference, student activists make plans to maintain momentum. More walkouts
are promised.
Author: Joe Gutierrez
Date: January 15, 1995
Section: A SECTION
Page: A08

RIVERSIDE

Hispanic activists see passage of Prop. 187 as a double-edged sword.
The initiative makes undocumented immigrants ineligible for social
welfare programs and public schooling, which activists call a racist attack
on the Hispanic community.

But Prop. 187 also spurred statewide protests and walkouts by
Hispanic youth, which if properly channeled and nurtured could revitalize the
Chicano student movement that began in the 1960s and 1970s, leaders at
a UCR conference said yesterday.

It was with that theme in mind that long-time Hispanic activists
gathered with Hispanic students from around the state and the Southwest
United States at the University of California, Riverside, to discuss ways
to organize, reach out to other minority groups and gain political
power.

Students in attendance offered their own plans of actions, including
one that could be used in their communities to fight Prop. 187.
Enforcement of the initiative has been ordered stopped pending court
challenges.

"We're at a critical juncture," said Armando Navarro of the Ernesto
Galaraza Public Policy and Humanities Research Institute, which set up
the two-day conference that began Friday. He said the conference was
designed to unite the "leadership of the past and the leadership of today
with the youth leadership."

Between 270 and 300 people attended yesterday's portion of the
conference.

Throughout the day, the longtime activists talked of the events that
created the movement, offering advice and direction. They also offered
self-criticism, saying that Prop. 187's passage could have been
prevented with a more active and vocal Hispanic community.

"We didn't do our homework. We have no one to blame but ourselves,"
said former state Sen. Art Torres, who lost his bid to be elected state
insurance commissioner by about 5 percentage points. "We ought to be
ashamed of ourselves."

Gloria Romero, a visiting professor at the Department of Chicano
Studies, Loyola Marymount College, credited students for making people
aware.

"I want to thank the students for the walkouts. You kept us on our
toes," Romero said.

Olivia Farfan, a student at UCR and chairwoman of the Movimiento
Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan, or MEChA, on campus, said young people can
learn from the leaders of the 1960s and 1970s, but they will try not to
make the same mistakes, such as letting their movements die down.

"We got content too soon. There was a period when we didn't do as
much," Farfan said. "We have to make sure we keep it (the movement)
alive."

Farfan and other students had their own strategies and game plans
for fighting Prop. 187.

About 40 students from colleges, universities and several high
schools met for more than four hours Friday night to come up with a plan
that could guide students on ways to help their community, Farfan said.

Under the plan, the students would reach out to the community to
work on issues involving education, immigration, health care, economic
empowerment and communication, and to mobilize people on other specific
issues.

Farfan, who said she is a legal immigrant from Mexico, said the plan
stands a good chance to work because there is already a network of
students belonging to MEChA at schools in the state and across the country.

Farfan said student walkouts will continue. She said walkouts would
give students a strong voice and make people aware of problems.

"That's what caught the attention of the parents and the people,"
Farfan said. "It was very positive."

--------
Paper: Press-Enterprise, The (Riverside, CA)
Title: Parents' request: Keep students close to home - A Hispanic group
wants students to attend schools in their neighborhoods, rather than be
bused away for desegregation reasons.
Author: Mark Acosta
Date: January 28, 1995
Section: LOCAL
Page: B01

RIVESIDE

Hispanic residents sent a message to the Riverside Unified School
District last night: Let our children attend neighborhood schools. La
Raza Coalition, an umbrella group of Hispanic organizations, announced
its endorsement of neighborhood schools, joining a growing debate on the
merits of the district's desegregation plan.

The movement to have children attend schools close to home picked up
steam recently. On Jan. 17, parents from the predominately white Canyon
Crest Hills area persuaded the school board to let their children
attend the nearby Amelia Earhart Middle School. Now minority residents of
Casa Blanca and the Eastside - whose children are bused to provide
ethnic balance in schools - are demanding the same opportunity.

"What's happening is the middle-class Anglo community was able to
get its point across and achieve what it wanted," La Raza Coalition
spokesman Gilberto Chavez said. "La Raza hasn't been able to do it in a
whole year."

Chavez said coalition members will join Canyon Crest Hills parents
to demand that the school board allow all children to attend
neighborhood schools. They will state their case at the Feb. 6 school board
meeting, he said.

Riverside schools spokeswoman Bonnie Polis said last night that the
district is not discriminating against minorities. The district has
listened to and is studying their concerns, she said. No final decisions
have been made about middle school attendance boundaries affecting
minority communities.

School trustees, however, voiced support for the concept of
neighborhood schools at their Jan. 17 meeting.

Residents of the mostly Hispanic Casa Blanca area have asked the
district to let its children attend Gage Middle School, which is closer to
home. Superintendent Anthony Lardieri has pledged to help Casa Blanca
parents find a way to transfer their students to Gage or get seats on
buses to avoid walking long distances to school.

But about 15 Hispanic residents who gathered last night in the
Centro De Aztlan at Lincoln Park said they remain frustrated with the
district.

"It's still entrenched in the old style," said Paul Chavez, a Casa
Blanca native and Eastside resident who sits on the city's Eastside
Neighborhood Advisory Committee. "Whatever they need to do, we're the first
ones to be moved."

Sergio Henriquez, a Rubidoux resident who attended nearby Rubidoux
High School, said attending school close to home fosters the best
education. Youths will know each other from the neighborhood and the school
campus, creating unity instead of tension.

"I know practically everybody in my neighborhood," said Henriquez, a
member of Riverside Community College's Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano
de Aztlan. "You spend the beginning of your life in school so you
should be comfortable where you're at."

Posted to Immigration at 05:30 AM | Comments (0)

"Latino Leaders Rallying Troops" (1995 187flashback)

The extended entry has yet another in this series. For future reference.

Paper: Press-Telegram (Long Beach, CA)
Title: LATINO LEADERS RALLYING TROOPS
Author: Laura Flores
Staff writer
Date: January 14, 1995
Section: LOCAL NEWS
Page: B1

Proclaiming an economic and political battle must be launched against
anti-immigrant efforts such as Proposition 187, more than 375 people
gathered at UC Riverside on Friday to discuss ways to mobilize an often
reluctant and divided Latino community to fight.

''We must recommit, reorganize and remobilize to defeat the mindset of
racism and fear that's the source behind Proposition 187,'' said
Armando Navarro, director of UC Riverside's Ernesto Galarza Public Policy
and Humanities Research Institute. ''To do that we have to completely
revitalize our own mind-set. ... We have to come to a consensus. ...
Our armies have no battle plan; we have to show our power.''The first
day of the two-day conference sponsored by the university brought
together educators, students, politicians and community leaders from
California, Texas and Arizona. Discussions included the impact of Proposition
187, efforts for similar legislation in other states, and the
immigration reform proposed by the Republican majority in Congress.

The majority of the speakers emphasized the need for a massive effort
by a coalition of Latino organizations to register Latino citizens to
vote, help legal residents to become citizens and earn the right to
vote, and legalize those who are eligible but haven't done so.
Proposition 187 is only the tip of the iceberg, many said. There are many bills
aimed at taking away the rights of not only illegal but legal
immigrants, they warned.

''Without voters, all of this is a lot of talk,'' said Leonel Castillo,
a former INS commissioner. ''Without votes, the politicians will not
listen. ... We have the energy here to change the community and win for
ourselves an enormous amount of power.''

And while Proposition 187 can be proven unconstitutional in the courts
right now, that doesn't mean amendments could not be passed in the
future that would allow for such legislation, attorneys said. ''Don't look
to the lawyers as the saviors of the community, this is our collective burden,'' said Deborah Escobedo, an attorney working on one of the state lawsuits against Proposition 187. ''This is a political battle, and this is not a time to be complacent and think it's just a legal battle.''

Others called for acts of nonviolent civil disobedience and economic
boycotts.

''The white power structure is interested in the green dollar and has
benefited from Latino consumers and our buying power,'' said Jose Angel Gutierrez of the University of Texas. ''Now is the time to show our
strength by boycotting California.''

Gutierrez said boycotts of California and California businesses are
slowly gaining steam in states such as Arizona and Texas and should be
done here as well. He said he intends to spend little or no money while
he is here and is staying with friends so as not to patronize a hotel...

Posted to Immigration at 04:30 AM | Comments (0)

Armando Navarro, CHIRLA, CARECEN, NLG, Proposition 187 article from 1995 (187flashback)

The extended entry contains a 1995 article about Proposition 187, including the "Latino Summit Response". More later.

Paper: The Dallas Morning News
Title: Proposition 187 likely to spur protracted fight - Both sides say
measure already having big effect
Author: Frank Trejo
Date: January 30, 1995
Section: NEWS
Page: 1A

LOS ANGELES - Just a couple of months after one of the most divisive
electoral battles in California history, both sides have reached
agreement on one point:

Proposition 187, the ballot initiative limiting benefits to
undocumented immigrants, already has had profound and possibly lasting
effects.Even though legal challenges have prevented its implementation,
California residents say the measure is a wake-up call for the state and the
nation.

Some say it has given rise to racism with scores of people being
denied services or harassed. Others say the proposition served notice
that taxpayers no longer will tolerate illegal immigration.

Some say it has revived the Chicano rights movement, led once again
by young people, supplemented by the old guard. Others say it has
encouraged additional efforts to limit benefits to legal and undocumented
immigrants across the country.

"It's had a long-lasting effect, and it's not going to go away,"
said Bob Kiley, a consultant for Save Our State, which led the Proposition
187 effort. "It's going to be here through the 1996 election and will
be a topic of debate during the '96 election."

In California, immigrant advocates say they are seeing a backlash
from the measure.

"Even without it being implemented, it already is having damaging
effects not only for undocumented immigrants but also legal immigrants
and the Latino community in general," said Carlos Vaquerano, a native of
El Salvador who is community relations director at the Central American
Refugee Center in Los Angeles. [also known as CARECEN -- LW]

The proposition, overwhelmingly approved by voters in November,
prohibits undocumented immigrants from receiving most public services and benefits, including public education and nonemergency health care. It also requires police, schools and hospitals to report suspected undocumented immigrants.

Mr. Kiley said that despite the legal challenges that have stalled
the law, "We've already won."

Immediately after the November election, public medical facilities
reported a drop in people seeking services, and some schools reported
drops in enrollment that many attribute to immigrant fears.

Accurately measuring the proposition's effect is difficult, said
Georges Vernez, director of the Center for Research on Immigration Policy at the Rand Corp., a nonprofit public policy research institute based in Santa Monica, Calif.

"(Proposition 187) certainly has helped bring out latent feelings many people have against immigration, but I wouldn't attribute all that to 187," he said. "The difficult economic situation in California probably has more to say about how people feel about immigration now, than 187 has had."

[over-emotional claims from former illegal alien]

Opponents of the proposition say that after the election, they were
flooded with reports of discrimination and harassment.

Bobbi Murray, spokeswoman for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant
Rights of Los Angeles, said her organization received about 150 calls a day. [CHIRLA allegedly has collaborated with the Mexican government --LW]

...Proposition 187 proponents dismiss the reports of discrimination as
isolated and exaggerated.

"As far as we know, they didn't get a lot of calls, just a few silly
examples of people asking for green cards," said Ron Prince, an Orange
County businessman and chairman of Save Our State. "Discrimination was
never really the issue. It's just a diversion by opponents."

He and other supporters say anti-proposition forces are turning an
economic issue into a racial one.

[...another anecdote which latter evidence proved probably had nothing to do with 187...]

For some, Proposition 187 has served as a rallying point for efforts
to rejuvenate a Chicano movement in the Southwest.

This month, several hundred representatives of academic institutions, legal and grass-roots organizations, as well as student groups, gathered in Riverside to discuss how to respond to Proposition 187.

"This Proposition 187 is a declaration of war against the Chicano population of this country," said Armando Navarro, director of the Ernesto Galarza Public Policy and Humanities Institute at the University of California at Riverside. Dr. Navarro and others urged a coordinated effort to fight what they called anti-immigrant and anti-Latino measures across the country.

Among those attending the conference were Jose Angel Gutierrez, director of the Mexican American Studies Center at the University of Texas at Arlington, and a founder of La Raza Unida Party of the 1970s. Also present was Reies Lopez Tijerina, who in 1967 led a small band of fellow land grant advocates in an armed raid on the Tierra Amarilla County Courthouse in northern New Mexico.

Numerous speakers called the growing sentiment against undocumented
immigrants in the United States a reaction to the "browning of
America." There were calls for continued protests, marches, boycotts and legal fights.

...All this has the Los Angeles chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, a civil-rights organization made up of lawyers, preparing for a protracted fight.

"Thousands of health care workers and educators already have said
that if Prop 187 goes into effect, they will not enforce it," said James Lafferty, executive director.

Lawyers from the organization already are helping defend more than
50 students who were arrested or expelled from school for protesting
against Proposition 187.

This month, the guild conducted training for legal professionals wanting to defend protesters or file discrimination
lawsuits.

The national organization also will bring volunteer lawyers, law
students and legal workers to California this summer to deal with problems from Proposition 187.

The effort, Mr. Lafferty said, is similar to one conducted in 1964
when the group sent legal assistance to Mississippi to help civil rights workers.

But Mr. Lafferty acknowledged that there is a significant difference.

"There really was a lot of support around the country for what the
protesters were doing in the South," Mr. Lafferty said. "Today, I don't see that resource of basic decency vis-a-vis immigrants."

Posted to Immigration at 03:30 AM | Comments (0)

Proposition 187 news articles (187flashback)

For future reference, the extended entry contains a few news articles from 1994 and 1995 concerning California's Proposition. Other articles will follow.

Note that Fabian Nunez is currently the Speaker of the California Assembly. While Nativo Lopez is fairly extremist, in the boycott case he was less extremist than Nunez.

Paper: Press-Enterprise, The (Riverside, CA)
Title: Prop. 187 sails to easy passage - The immigration measure fares
well in Riverside County.
Author: Jack Robinson
Date: November 9, 1994
Section: A SECTION
Page: A01

...Supporters and opponents agree the next likely step is a court
challenge. Parts of the law written to take effect Jan. 1 likely will be suspended by injunction until its legality is settled.

Fabian Nunez, executive director of the Pomona-based Alliance for Immigrant Rights, declared that legal challenge will be announced today by a coalition of organizations.

"That is the hope we still have," Nunez said. Opponents hope the
courts "will in essence bring justice to the injustice that has been
brought on our community by Proposition 187," he said.

Opponents say a key weakness in Prop. 187 is a 1982 U.S. Supreme
Court ruling that struck down a similar Texas law. Attorneys for the
opposition say the court is unlikely to reverse that decision.

...As the measure appeared to be headed to a big win, opponents last
night looked for reasons to cheer. Many said the measure will invigorate
Hispanic voters and strengthen the Democratic Party.

"We're angry, hopeful, happy that this has galvanized the Latino
community," said Kevin de Leon of the non-profit One-stop Immigration and
Education Center of Los Angeles.

"The Republicans have lost the Latino vote forever in the state,"
proclaimed state Democratic Party chairman Bill Press...

...Funded by the California Teachers Association and other major
donors, the opposition campaign raised far more money and made far more noise
than the low-key Yes campaign.

----------------
Paper: Houston Chronicle
Title: Immigrant activists announce boycott of Disney, Nabisco
Author: PAUL FELDMAN, PATRICK McDONNELL
Date: December 9, 1994
Section: ANEWS
Page: 27

LOS ANGELES -- Activists who unsuccessfully fought California's
Proposition 187 at the ballot box unveiled formal boycott plans Thursday
against two U.S. corporate icons -- the purveyors of Mickey Mouse and Oreos
-- in an effort to capitalize on the economic clout of Latino consumers
and others opposed to the immigration initiativeBoycott organizers,
who are hoping to win support throughout the United States and Latin
America, are targeting Walt Disney and RJR Nabisco because of major
donations by corporate officers to the re-election campaign of Gov. Pete
Wilson and other pro-187 Republican candidates.

"We want to sensitize companies like Disneyland that make earnings
from immigrants," Fabian Nunez of La Alianza in Pomona said outside the
main entrance to the Anaheim tourist mecca. "These corporations need to
be sensitive to the people that make them wealthy."

...Sponsoring the action against the tobacco and food conglomerate is
the California Latino Civil Rights Network, an activist group that
helped organize a large anti-187 march in Los Angeles last spring.

The Disney boycott is being led by Coordinadora '96, a coalition of
leaders of smallish grass-roots immigration rights groups including
One-Stop Immigration of Los Angeles and La Alianza. The group said its
boycott will also concentrate on Chevron -- another substantial
contributor to Wilson's campaign -- and on national convention business slated
for California.

Thursday's actions are the latest in a series of Latino-led boycotts
-- some seemingly spontaneous, others, like Thursday's moves, planned
in advance -- against donors to Wilson, who made his support for
Proposition 187 a centerpiece of his re-election effort.

Organizers made it clear that additional companies would be targeted
because of their financial support for Wilson and other Republicans.
The GOP helped bankroll the pro-187 campaign, and Wilson ran a series of
tough pro-187 TV ads

----------------
Paper: The Orange County Register
Title: Groups denounce Disneyland boycott - RALLY: Hispanic and labor
groups say union workers would suffer from action proposed by Prop. 187
foes.
Author: MIKE GORDONThe Orange County Register
Date: December 10, 1994
Section: METRO
Page: b05

As the Disneyland marquee flashed "Welcome" in six languages, labor
unions and Hispanic groups Friday announced their opposition to a proposed
boycott of the theme park by groups who fought Proposition 187.

Representatives from six groups _ including Hermandad Mexicana
Nacional and the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union Local 681 _
criticized boycott plans by anti-Prop. 187 activists, saying the move
lacks broad support from the Hispanic community."We want to make clear
to the Latino community that broad-based national and state Latino
organizations oppose the boycott," said Nativo V. Lopez, co-national
director of Hermandad.

"Our message is one of caution. Our message is one of reuniting our
community, of healing wounds and assisting those who are eligible to
get citizenship status," he said.

Disneyland employs about 700 Hispanics.

..."We are not anti-union," said Fabian Nunez, national coordinator of
the National Coordinating Committee for Citizenship and Civic
Participation. "This is the question of the dignity of a community. The Latino
community is sick and tired of being used as political scapegoats."

The coalition has targeted Walt Disney Co. and RJR Nabisco because
of campaign donations each made in this year's campaign for governor.

Posted to Immigration at 02:30 AM | Comments (1)

Reid, Durbin concede in Mexican elections; Villaraigosa now mayor; Cedillo, Nunez reelected

MEXICO CITY (AP) - Hard fought races to become actual Mexican Senators ended in defeat earlier today for Sens. Harry Reid (D-NV) and Dick Durbin (D-IL). They had been on the ballot in Guerrero and Oaxaca, respectively.

Because of U.S. rules and regulations, they are allowed to run for office in foreign countries. While Mexican rules prohibit anyone who is not a native citizen from running for anything above dog catcher, Reid and Durbin apparently believed that if they could just get a foothold they could give Mexico as much help avoiding enforcing its laws as they have given to their current employers.

"Despite this loss, I am still a Mexican Senator in my heart," a disconsolate Reid noted from his palatial compound outside Searchlight, Nevada. During his concessions speech, Dick Durbin received thunderous applause when he stated, "I might have lost this race, but I will continue to act like a Mexican agent!"

In other election news, Antonio Villaraigosa was elected alcalde de Los Angeles, and Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez and (CA) Senator Gil Cedillo were elected to continue to represent Mexican interests in Alta California.

Posted to WackyHumor at 07:37 PM | Comments (1)

Luis Gutierrez supports national sovereignty, language, culture

U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) is a sleazy ethnic demagogue who spoke at March's illegal immigration rally in Chicago. In 2001, he had this to say:

"The existence of nations is not a matter of whim... Nations have a common land, language, life and history, which translates into a common culture." ("Guitierrez Says Puerto Rico Is A Nation", August 29, 2001, EFE News Service)

Just one problem with the quote: he was talking about Puerto Rico, not the U.S. Based on his history, it's highly questionable whether he would ever say anything similar to that about the U.S., the nation that he supposedly represents.

Posted to Politics at 03:14 PM | Comments (1)

"Brothers Judd" deletes comments

The obscure blog "Brothers Judd" - run by Orrin Judd with the technical assistance of his brother Stephen - has deleted the last four comments I left there. Since none of the comments were more abusive than usual and all were on-topic and I daresay informative, I'm left with the usual explanation when things like this happen: that site realizes that its position is extremely weak and is afraid of contrary opinions.

Of course, since most of their immigration-related posts consist of extended excerpts of a news report combined with a title featuring a smear like "nativist" or similar, together with a snarky throwaway line at the end, the weakness of their argument is largely self-evident.

Oddly, some of my comments are still there on earlier entries:
2006/03/were_all_paying.html
2006/03/its_a_living_ju.html
2006/03/sinking_islands.html
2006/03/lazy_native_but.html
2006/03/dont_look_for_p.html
2006/02/its_a_demand_si.html
2006/01/he_and_tancredo.html

The deleted comments are in the extended entry.

Previously in this series: I was banned by ThinkProgress and QAndO. And, of course, I was banned from RedState despite having posted 75 or so entries there. In 2003 I was banned by DailyKos.

(link)
Hispanic immigrants have the exact same values we do

Based on years of personal experiences, that's only true for a segment. That's not true for a large and growing segment. For instance, see the penultimate paragraph here: humaneventsonline.com/article.php?id=14010

"The first thing everyone wants to do when they get on the lifeboat is raise the ladder behind them."

I have a site that answers such childlike arguments (http://ImmRef.com), but that's one I haven't gotten to yet. So, as even third-graders realize, lifeboats can only hold so many people and have a limited amount of resources. And, we have to make sure that those we invite into the lifeboat are not going to make things much worse for the current inhabitants. That's just good lifeboat management.

Click my link for a brief introduction to this subject. Based on some of the comments, I think a more in-depth knowledge of this subject is needed.

----------------
(link)
Meanwhile: Migration of working-age people has devastated many Mexican villages.

Of course, it has a devastating impact here in the U.S. as well. For instance, U.S. companies helped send home that $20 billion, much of which was gained through illegal activity.

In other words, those companies profited from illegal behavior.

Then, they donate money to politicians that allow further illegal behavior.

Most non-corrupt, responsible people realize that such political corruption is extraordinarily dangerous.

----------------
(link)
1. Has the WaPo ever looked into all the money politicians receive from those companies and their industry groups that employ illegal labor? Have they ever - even just once - attempted to find out whether that money causes those politicians to refuse to enforce our immigration laws?

2. If we capitulate to the demands of those foreign citizens who are marching in our streets now, millions more will come here knowing that all they need to do is march in our streets to get what they want. We'll look weak to our enemies around the world.

Saving a few dimes on asparagus soup pales in comparison to corruption and a loss of sovereignty, and I suggest keeping track of all those who think that's a good trade.

----------------
(link)
Let's look behind the story:

In 2002, the Denver Post collaborated with the Mexican government and helped them spread pro-illegal immigration propaganda to their readers. Click the link for more on that paper.

In that light, one might understand why they'd falsely identify Lamm and Tancredo as "immigration foes" and talk of "nativists". And, one can understand why they fail to understand the fundamental differences between then and now.

Posted to Bloggage at 11:26 AM | Comments (2)

Libertarian Party votes down most of their platform

Stunning news from Portland, Oregon, as the Libertarian Party's website reports that all 300 delegates have voted down most of the planks of their platform at their annual convention.

The LP - always the rebel - tells us what was kept in, not what was removed.

However, it appears that that following were the excised bits:

Individual Rights and Civil Order
# THE WAR ON DRUGS
# SAFEGUARDS FOR THE CRIMINALLY ACCUSED
# JUSTICE FOR THE INDIVIDUAL
# AMERICAN INDIAN RIGHTS

Trade and the Economy
# THE ECONOMY
# TAXATION
# INFLATION AND DEPRESSION
# FINANCE AND CAPITAL INVESTMENT
# TRADE BARRIERS
# UNIONS AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING

Domestic Ills
# POLLUTION
# CONSUMER PROTECTION
# EDUCATION
# TRANSPORTATION

I might be wrong since, once again, they go about this backwards.

Of especial note, they've kept in their open borders immigration policy.

(Obligatory joke about libertarians begins)
Next week: coverage of the Star Trek Foundation Universal Government Party convention, which will be held in the same room at the Portland Motel 6. Many LP members well be staying on due to the large overlap between membership in the two parties.
(Obligatory joke about libertarians ends)

Posted to Politics at 11:02 AM | Comments (0)

"Comprehensive Moral Squalor"

This is a bit... strong:

The Hagel-Martinez Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006 is a swindle wrapped in a deception inside a lie. Although marketed as immigration reform, the bill provides corporate welfare on an unprecedented scale. Hagel-Martinez is a historically significant bait and switch that will diminish the prosperity of the average citizen.

The goal of this malignant legislation is to restructure the American economy. Since it is logistically impossible for Corporate America to export all lower income jobs, business yearns to fill those positions with cheap imported labor. Under Hagel-Martinez, legal immigration will double and the percentage of work visas going to unskilled laborers will more than triple. Given that low cost workers are being recruited specifically to reduce the wage scale, the immigrants will not be making enough money nor paying sufficient taxes to pull their own weight. Subsidizing the social program needs of the Fortune 500’s burgeoning coolie workforce will be the responsibility of the middle class...

The same author also has a long series on former GE CEO Jack Welch in regards to the "Gore victory".

Posted to Immigration at 11:25 PM | Comments (0)

Pelosi: 'Republican Record on Border Security Is an Unmitigated Failure'

Nanci Pelosi has ordered the following to be promulgated:

The primary obligation of elected officials is to protect the American people and to protect our borders.

"Reports that the Bush administration cannot muster even half of the National Guard troops scheduled by the end of this month for deployment at the border demonstrate yet again that the Republican record on border security is an unmitigated failure. It is unacceptable that nearly five years since 9/11 our nation's borders remain in a perilous state of insecurity...

Needless to say, that's rich. In "Nanci Pelosi, supporter of sweatshops, opponent of citizens and laws" I offer the following 2003 quote about the WalMart raids:

"We think there might be a better way to go about this because the fact is that it is against the law for the employer to hire these people so there should be more focus on the employer and less in these terrorizing raids."

It's statements like that that encourage illegal immigration. In fact, she almost sounds like a Wal*Mart flack.

She's called illegal aliens her "constituents" and she supports allowing people to access federal buildings using Mexico's Matricula Consular card.

In short, Nancy Pelosi is as strong a supporter of illegal immigration as president Bush. While she's right about the National Guard, she and Bush are still on basically the same side of the issue.

Posted to Immigration at 05:11 PM | Comments (0)

Clinton, Rove to speak before National Council of La Raza (The Race)

The National Council of La Raza ("National Council of The Race"), a far-left, Ford Foundation-sponsored racial power group, will be holding its annual meeting at the Los Angeles Convention Center on July 8-11. Speakers will include former President Bill Clinton, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS).

Others involved are a who's who of people who one wishes were given sinecures somewhere so that they could be kept from further harming the rest of us:

* Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina
* John Wilhelm, President, UNITE HERE!
* Eliseo Medina, International Executive Vice President, Service Employees International Union
* Maria Elena Durazo, Executive Secretary-Treasurer, Los Angeles County Federation of Labor
* Arturo Rodriguez, President, United Farm Workers of America
* Irasema Garza, Director of Women's Rights, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO.
* Congresswoman Hilda Solis (D-CA)
* Dr. Monica Alonso Gonzalez, Regional Advisor, Pan American Health Organization
* Dr. Maria Rangel, Epidemiologist, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
* Dr. Garth Graham, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health, Office of Minority Health.
* Bob Iger, President and CEO, The Walt Disney Company
* Lynn Pike, President of Bank of America, California. Bank of America is the title sponsor of the NCLR Annual Conference.
* Antonia Hernandez, President, California Community Foundation
* Stewart Kwoh, President and Executive Director, Asian Pacific American Legal Center
* John Mack, President, Los Angeles Police Commission
* Cesar Perales, President and General Counsel, Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund (PRLDEF)
* Tavis Smiley (as a moderator)
* Univision anchor Maria Elena Salinas
* community leader Dr. Walter Sava
* Arturo Moreno, owner of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
* attorney and longtime activist Vilma Martinez
* former NCLR President Raul Yzaguirre

Posted to Immigration at 03:53 PM | Comments (4)

Fabian Nunez denies making racist speech (Prop. 187)

In 1995, current Speaker of the California Assembly Fabian Nunez spoke before the "Latino Summit Response to Prop 187" at UC Riverside and "allegedly" said, among other things, this:

There's only two forms of power in this country and in this world. One is economic power, We certainly don't have the economic power because we don't own the means of production, but there's another form of power, and that's the power of the masses. So you can be as revolutionary as you want, you can be Chicano nationalist, you can be Mexican-American, you can be Hispanic, you can believe in the concept of Aztlan, you can believe in the concept of multi-culturalism. Somebody can say 'Everybody here is wrong, I am the only one that has reached revolutionary completeness'. But the bottom line is that if we do not mobilize our community we are not putting together a setting - the parameters to establish a massive movement in our community... we can mobilize one million people and bring Washington to a standstill, and those rednecks that are out there making decisions for the betterment of their communities will think twice before they push forward anti-immigrant legislation against our community...

You can hear an audio tape "allegedly" featuring Nunez here, with additional clips here and here. The group at the first link is running excerpts of the audio clips in TV commercials in Sacramento.

Those commercials have lead to what is probably a first: a mainstream reporter (Malcolm Maclachlan of Capitol Weekly) asked ("Anti-immigrant ad targets Nunez") Nunez about his remarks, with interesting results:

A spokesman for Nunez denied that the voice was the Speaker's, and otherwise refused comment.

Now, there's certainly the possibility that the person on the audio tape who said those things was someone else at the confab. Much less possible is it's a fake, and someone who sounds like him was hired to say those things. However, on information and belief, this site is going to say that with 99.44% certainty that is indeed Nunez saying those things.

In any case, this surely must be the first article of its kind:

"I personally think these were racist comments," [Assemblyman Ray Haynes, R-Murrieta] said of the statements by Nunez and others. He added, "Some of my Democratic counterparts figured they could say whatever they wanted and their comments would never appear on the news. Thus far, the media have proven them correct."

Indeed. The Los Angeles Times and other California newspapers are quite willing to buy into Nunez' version of reality, in which he and others make racist, anti-American comments but never a dissenting word is said about them.

Posted to California at 12:07 PM | Comments (6)

Attend the Congressional Field Hearings

There are three field hearings scheduled on immigration "reform". Sen. Arlen Specter is holding one on July 5 in Philadelphia, and the House is holding one on the same date in San Diego and then in Laredo on July 7.

Times and exact locations here.

If you're in the area, please attend. Especially in the case of the Specter hearings. While I have little doubt that he'll be interested in hearing the other side, at the least you might be able to stand outside passing out flyers or holding a sign.

Posted to Immigration at 11:06 AM | Comments (0)

Immigration laws squeeze cherry, grape farmers; Mike Johanns

Various newspapers have printed an infinite series of propaganda featuring various growers complaining about how their crops are rotting in the fields because of a lack of cheap foreign serf labor. Even Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns recently got into the act.

First, the article "Grape growers squeezed" from the San Francisco Business Times contains this:

"[The claimed labor shortage is a result of] those crazy Minutemen and now the National Guard," [Joseph Ramazzotti, owner of Ramazzotti Vineyards & Wines in Geyserville] said of increasing border patrols.

Oddly enough, the article "Pick your theory, but valley is short of cherry harvesters" by Michael Rose of the Oregon Statesman Journal contains something similar:

The worker shortage has left [cherry farmer Terry Drazdoff] exasperated -- and time isn't on his side. He also is railing at the government's decision to put National Guard troops on the Mexican border to prevent illegal immigration.

It also contains this no-it's-not-The-Onion quote from Drazdoff:

"Why did President Bush do this before harvest?"

While the article - like all of the rest in this series - assumes that illegal immigration is acceptable, it isn't 100% a puff piece. And, it does contain this:

Back at Drazdoff's farm, the farmer might soon have to decide between shifting to mechanical harvest and letting his crop rot. The migrant workers, who have brought in the harvest at his farm for decades, might be permanently replaced by picking machines.

Wouldn't that be better overall? Shouldn't that be something our politicians - elected to represent American interests - should be promoting instead of cheap foreign serf labor? Unfortunately, the Bush administration and most of Congress put the interests of cherry growers ahead of the interests of everyone else. A case in point:

Speaking to family farmers and farm leaders [on June 9] at the California Farm Bureau Federation, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said he is encouraged by the positive steps made toward national immigration reform and believes a comprehensive, bipartisan bill will emerge from a House-Senate negotiations process.

Johanns' visit to the Farm Bureau was the last stop during a two-day swing through California to rouse support for comprehensive immigration reform, an approach favored by the president. Earlier that day, he toured a cherry-packing facility in Stockton. He also spoke to a group of farm leaders in Fresno the previous day.

...Johanns said a comprehensive approach will assure border security.

"How are you going to have effective border control if you don't have a comprehensive plan?" he asked. "How are you to have effective border control if you say to California farmers, 'We know if you don't get labor, you're not going to get your crops in, but so what?' Is that effective?

Our elected leaders enforcing our laws is the only way we could have border security. Johanns' statement is essentially blackmail: the Bush administration will only enforce laws if the laws are changed to suit it. And, of course, there's absolutely no guarantee that Bush would enforce the changed laws. People like Johanns would be trotted out to explain why the changed laws would have to be changed again before they would be enforced.

[there's a "growing labor crisis"; pimps AgJOBS; Johanns explains how the amnesty scheme isn't amnesty: amnesty must involve "someone waving a magic wand"...]

At OG Packing in Stockton, Johanns got a firsthand look at some of the challenges California producers face during their height of production. Tom Gotelli, whose family farms cherries and operates the packing facility, led the secretary through the plant where workers were washing, sorting and packaging the very labor-intensive crop.

"There's no better example of the need for immigration reform than right here at this facility," Johanns said to a group of reporters after touring the packinghouse. "This plant is here because of labor. You take the labor out of the equation, and you've got a very serious problem. But that could be said about anybody who is in this business."

I have little doubt that a good portion of that cheap labor could be automated away. Instead of importing a foreign serf class, we could build and export cherry machines. Or, we could just leave the cherry "industry" out to twist in the wind, letting them know that there are things that are much more important.

He noted that while immigration reform is a big issue to California, "it's not an issue unique to California." As former governor of Nebraska, Johanns said he saw how the immigration issue affected beef producers in a state that does not border another country.

That's about all I'm going to quote. For more on Johanns, see Ag Sec'y nominee "Fought to Protect Giant Meatpackers from Immigration Law Enforcement"

Previously in this series: "Allied Grape Growers admits using illegal alien labor; McCain, Johanns".

Posted to Immigration at 03:31 AM | Comments (3)

Non-"liberal" coverage of immigration, Iraq, terrorism, multiculturalism, Los Angeles, California, privacy, and occasionally celebrities and wacky humor...

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All Posts(links to each post by title)

• Bush gives argument against any sort of illegal alien amnesty scheme
• Santorum confused about Al-Jazeerah.info. So was DailyKos
• "Wikipedia Celebrates 750 Years Of American Independence"
• Special Order 40 video
• The "migration meltdown in Britain"
• Tony Snow spins massive illegal immigration in Reason Magazine
• Nets, jets, and reverse colonization
• Tamar Jacoby: the Americans can be forced to accept a massive illegal alien amnesty
• DHS spent $34 billion like drunken bureaucrats
• Alberto Gonzales to promote Bush/Fox/Kennedy amnesty scheme Monday July 31, 2006
• "Comprehensivly Wrong" (reply to WSJ open borders letter)
• "California now resembles Mexico"
• Chertoff promotes "Guest" Worker Program at House meeting
• The Senate amnesty: an "Administrative and National Security Nightmare"
• Jill Capuzzo/NYT: corruption, illegal activity are good for Riverside, New Jersey
• Is Michelle Nichols of Reuters a liar?
• Dan Weintraub is wrong on illegal immigration
• Howard Dean: "George Bush is worse than Kanz'qaep!"
• Mike Pence amnesty "would allow unlimited immigrants"
• Gilchrist, Corsi to premiere Minuteman book

My trip to Alpine County What not to do, again (September 1-2, 2002)

Boston Market Cornbread Temperatures Please help contribute to this important study (August 28, 2002)

Did The Gap Put Celebrities at Risk? An Open Web Letter to The Gap (May 20, 2002)

Humphreys Peak Arizona's highest point (May 19, 2001)

Go Heavy, Go Slow, Get Lost Bay Area highpoints (December 14, 2000)

Hubris in New England The highpoints of RI, CT, and MA (October 8, 2000)

Let's go to Utah Zion, Bryce, and Grand Canyon (August 14, 2000)

Your host, climbing Monkey Face (5.14d)

Your host's arm (circled)

Your host's hopelessly outdated conditioning progress

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