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Donate to the ACLU! (BTW: plaintiff attys want $2.4 million from Hazleton)
Thinking about donating to the ACLU?Attorneys who represented the plaintiffs in the Hazleton immigration case filed court papers this afternoon seeking nearly $2.4 million in attorneys fees and costs.There's a list of some of those involved in last year's case here; I think it's safe to assume that the "legal organizations" include at least the ACLU and perhaps the PRLDEF as well.
In a 25 page brief, 37 attorneys from seven different law firms and legal organizations say they are entitled to the money to compensate them for the thousands of hours they spent interviewing plaintiffs, defendants and preparing voluminous court filings for the case.
The city will probably appeal the amount, but even if it's reduced this will serve as a disincentive to those other cities who might consider adopting similar ordinances. And, that will enable even more illegal immigration. Wouldn't those lawyers feel better about themselves if they worked for law firms that ran daytime TV ads for those who "slip and fall"?
UPDATE: This says it's more than $2.3 million, plus $45,000 in costs:
The plaintiffs' petition "illustrates the circus the ACLU brought to this case," [mayor Lou Barletta] said. "They had 20 attorneys sitting in the courtroom at a time, 16 of them doing nothing but running up the bill."That works out to about $300 an hour if we simply divide $2.3 million by 7613, and it's even higher if not all of the amount is just for lawyer's fees. That would seem to be a bit exorbitant for lawyers working for the ACLU in Pennsylvania. Who knew being stalwart defenders of the Constitution could pay so well.
The petition lists 37 lawyers as having worked on the case, most of them from the Philadelphia firm Cozen O'Connor, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund.
They billed a total of 7,613 hours.
The lawyers defended their fee request as reasonable, saying the city repeatedly amended its ordinance in an effort to put it on sounder legal footing - making more work for them.
Posted to Immigration2007b at 03:04 PM
Waukegan: "immigrant rights groups" protest arrests of gang members
From this we see the latest example of just how far "immigrant rights groups" are willing to go:Immigrant rights groups are holding a 24-hour prayer vigil to protest the arrests of 58 Mexican nationals.Possible-but-questionable mitigating circumstances are offered by Ryan Pagelow of the Suburban Chicago News in "Caught in gangbanger deportation sweep":
A crowd gathered outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office Thursday night in Waukegan. Some at the vigil are questioning why people who have already been through the legal system were targeted.
ICE agents arrested 58 Mexican nationals with alleged ties to violent street gangs in the northern and northwest suburbs this week in the largest local dragnet targeting foreign-born street gang members.
Relatives of some of the legal permanent residents swept up in the immigration crackdown focusing on gang members this week said their relatives are no longer involved in gangs, although a spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said only individuals who pose a threat to public safety are being arrested in "Operation Gangs Away."The only one of the organizations mentioned is Casa Mexiquense of Waukegan, which was discussed in this 2004 article:
"People are beginning to open their eyes," said Carlos Sanchez, who is working with Casa Mexiquense to mobilize naturalized citizens in Waukegan.From July of this year, here's a picture of their Margaret Carrasco meeting with Emma Lozano to oppose Waukegan trying to establish a 287g program. They also distributed a brochure similar to the one put out by another CASA; whether it's the same or derived from that isn't known.
Posted to Immigration2007b at 10:55 AM
Ana Marie Cox: Mitt Romney not a Christian
Ana Marie Cox (aka Wonkette) can be seen on the Keith Olbermann Show here saying the following:
"I know Mitt Romney is not himself Christian.... or, that's a point of debate..."
Posted to Bloggage at 09:57 AM
Mitt Romney: Strong Man, for a Strong Country
Watch the following video, I dare you! Do you now doubt that Mitt Romney is not best choice for Leader? What is the matter with you if you have doubts? Remember: Mitt Romney is the only candidate who bent the iron bar at the Algoronok Festival! It was not Rudy Giuliani (spit!) who slew the dragon that was menacing villagers in the Forest of Maglrnka! It was Mitt Romney! Of his virility, have no doubts: he has sired no less than five sons, all of whom stand ready to join in the defense of the Homeland against the Knablors!
Posted to Politics at 06:27 PM
Pamela Constable/WaPo promotes CASA de Maryland, illegal activity
Pamela Constable of the Washington Post offers a slab of pro-illegal immigration propaganda in "Sometimes, A Labor Day/A Trailer in Gaithersburg Is a Haven For Immigrants Hoping for a Better Life". Some of it has been discussed here, including this extremely inflammatory quote she offers from one of the "immigrants":
"A guy hired me the other day to do some painting. I got in his van and right away he turned on the radio. It was one of those stations that is full of hateful talk against immigrants. I just sat in the back and said nothing, but it made me feel like a Jew in Nazi Germany."
A real reporter - and not just someone whose job responsibilities apparently include promoting illegal activity - would have called him on that statement. Constable, of course, let it stand.
She also notes that the center is operated by the CASA de Maryland, which she only describes as a "non-profit". They're obviously much more; her article describes flyers telling what to do in case of an immigration raid and they may be the ones from CASA.
Posted to Immigration2007b at 03:21 PM
AFL-CIO, ACLU, NILC sue DHS over no-match letters; EWIC
From this:...a lawsuit filed against the Department of Homeland Security this week contends that the new rules are discriminatory and will lead to mass firings of legal workers. Even United States citizens will face discrimination if they look or sound foreign, according to the suit.And, from this:
Filed in a San Francisco federal court this week, the 17-page complaint [link] also names the Social Security Administration as a defendant because it says letters informing businesses of discrepancies between employee records and the agency's database would violate worker’s rights and impose burdensome obligations on employers.
But leaders of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a coalition of trade groups representing the politically influential construction, lodging, farming, meatpacking, restaurant, retail and service industries appealed on Monday to the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration to postpone the plan's implementation for six months.DHS spokeshole Russ Knocke says they'll fight the lawsuit "vigorously", something I tend to doubt since Chertoff and Bush are on the same side as EWIC, the ACLU, and the AFL-CIO in supporting illegal immigration.
Raising the possibility of plant closings, autumn-harvest interruptions and other destabilizing consequences for the U.S. economy, 50 business organization members of the Essential Worker Immigration Coalition signed a letter warning of "uncertainties, disruptions, and dislocations throughout broad swaths of the workforce," as well as discrimination against Hispanic and immigrant workers.
Posted to Immigration2007b at 12:48 PM
Over 20% of those without health insurance are not citizens
There's a picture here with Census Bureau figures from 2006 showing that over 20% of those without health insurance are not citizens (~46 million and ~10 million). They don't indicate what percentage of the 10 million are here legally vs. those here illegally, but surely a good percentage are illegal aliens. And, of course, illegal aliens stand a lesser chance of being counted in the Census for various reasons.
Perhaps the point could be made to those Democrats who are pushing Universal Health Care that one of the impediments to their schemes is that many Americans object to picking up the tab for foreign citizens who are here illegally, especially considering that based on their past actions both the Mexican government and their sympathizers would take steps to encourage even more Mexican citizens to come here and take advantage of our largesse. Perhaps if we worked at it we could even force the Democrats to choose between their support for UHC and their support for massive illegal immigration.
Posted to Immigration2007b at 11:42 PM
Mexico: the U.S. demands you make Elvira Arellano a "peace and justice" ambassador!
The recently deported former illegal alien Elvira Arellano now wants to be named as a "peace and justice" ambassador, which would enable her to come back to the U.S., presumably under diplomatic immunity. She had a private meeting with Felipe Calderon, but now the Mexican government just says they discussed some form of visa, and not a diplomatic assignment.
Whatever the case, I say: "please, Mexico, grant her wish!"
Why, they could go even further and encourage her to openly work with the Democratic Party and leading "immigrants rights" groups. We can always dream.
Posted to Immigration2007b at 02:11 PM
Number of ICE agents doing worksite/interior enforcement drops 1000 to 4000
From this:Immigration and Customs Enforcement criminal investigators will no longer be involved in immigration work site enforcement or conduct checks for illegal alien prisoners.
Almost 1,000 ICE Office of Investigations agents will be reassigned exclusively to customs investigations, reducing the manpower involved in detention and removal of illegal aliens to 4,000 nationwide, according to documents obtained by The Washington Times and interviews with ICE union representatives...
Posted to Immigration2007b at 01:48 PM
What's beyond stunning?
Here's another Natalie Merchant/10,000 Maniacs video:
Posted to Celebrities at 11:28 PM
Neo-nazis protest illegal immigration in Omaha... FBI involved?
A February 2006 neo-Nazi (National Socialist Movement) march in Parramore, Florida was organized by an FBI informant, according to documents obtained in an unrelated trial. The FBI wouldn't say what knowledge it had of its informant's actions related to the march.
Now, the same Nazi group is going to be surrounding the Mexican consulate in Omaha this weekend to protest illegal immigration. Could an FBI informant be involved in spurring them to organize that protest? That's certainly a valid question given the Parramore case.
Note also that the Mexican consul knows just how to play this:
Mexican Consul Jose Luis Cuevas believes the racist, anti-immigration group has as much a right as any to express their views-even if he doesn't agree with them. "I have seen every kind of demonstration from pro to totally contrary so they are totally within there right to do it," Cuevas explains.
Of course, he might at least have added that protests like this will be used by those who support illegal immigration to discredit everyone else who opposes it.
Posted to Immigration2007b at 08:35 PM
Texas governor Rick Perry opposes border fence, in Mexico
Texas governor Rick Perry - supporter of the Trans-Texas Corridor - said lots of things on a trip to Mexico today:..."I don't think [immigration "reform"] is that difficult of an issue if Congress would have the maturity to sit down and really discuss it and cut out all of the mean rhetoric and really talk about what is a solution to this issue," Perry told a news conference.Did I just hear boots off in the distance, or was I just imagining things?
Regarding immigration reform, Perry highlighted the importance of developing a foolproof biometric identification system to track individuals and to ensure that they pay taxes and "live within our laws."
He suggested offering renewable, 24-month visas for those who follow such requirements and "incarceration and/or deportation" for those who do not.Since those are (I believe) two different countries, they will always have competing interests. Thus, it would appear that Perry foolishly thinks people can completely be an asset to both at the same time.
He added that, under such a system, he would support a "free flow of individuals between these two countries who want to work and want to be an asset to our country and to Mexico."
Perry also said Texas has given a blueprint for securing the U.S.-Mexico border to the federal government.Why do our elected officials keep making trips to Mexico and making questionable comments there? A past example comes from WA governor Chris Gregoire but Nancy Pelosi set the gold standard back in 2003.
"We know how to deal with border security, and you don't do it by building a fence," he said. "You do it by putting boots on the ground; you do it by using the technology that's available ... and coordinating very highly with local, state and federal officials.
Posted to Immigration2007b at 02:50 PM
Would a 42 foot ladder industry be such a bad thing? (border fence, Napolitano, Richardson, Perry)
One of the more idiotic, childlike things you'll hear supporters of massive immigration say goes like the following recent quote from Texas governor Rick Perry:
"But the idea that you're going to build a 1,200-mile wall ... is idiocy. It absolutely would not work. If you build a 40-foot wall, then the 42-foot ladder industry takes off."
Did Frank Luntz come up with this "joke"? It's been made by both Bill Richardson and Janet Napolitano; no word on whether Arnold Schwarzenegger has said it as well. Perhaps they got together at a recent border states meeting and wrote down piffle on index cards or something. Or, perhaps the AILA or some similar group started it.
While there are far more worthy questions to ask them, perhaps throwing their absurdity right back at them might help shed some light on their approach to this issue:
"But, governor Perry, wouldn't that result in building up Mexico's ladder industry? Might that not cause some Mexicans to decide to stay home instead of using those ladders? Why, Mexico could even end up being a hotbed of ladder production and a major exporter! Plus, think of all the R&D necessary to build a ladder that's 42 feet high! Why, I think you've put your finger on the solution to the immigration problem!"
Posted to Immigration2007b at 02:48 PM
Thanks, Huckabee: Arkansas Mexican consul opposing immigration laws
Back in 2003, former Arksansas governor and current presidential contender Mike Huckabee asked Vicente Fox to establish a Mexican consulate in Arkansas. They opened that earlier this year, and consul Andres Chao has been a busy beaver:A sweeping [Prop. 200/187-style] Oklahoma law denying benefits and jobs to illegal immigrants raises concerns among the Hispanic community around the region, the region's Mexican consul said Thursday.I'll try to look into whether those lawyers have links to the Mexican government, or whether they're just useful idiots.
Consul Andres Chao said those concerns come as police agencies in northwest Arkansas prepare to send officers to federal immigration training. However, as Arkansas' cost of living remains low, the state and surrounding area will draw immigrants wanting to save money to send home to their families, he said.
"The Hispanic community is worried about this new law," Chao said in an interview with The Associated Press. "They are working together to try to convince (them) that this new law is not perfect. They are doing the jobs over there and they insist there are other options."
...Chao said lawyers working with immigrants groups planned to challenge the law on constitutional grounds. He said the consulate, based in Little Rock, would work to protect the human and labor rights of Mexican immigrants, without mentioning how state laws should treat them...
Chao is also complaining that Steve Womack, the mayor of Rogers, AR has been stonewalling him on a meeting; that city is among others sending their police officers for 287 (g) training, which would allow them to participate in federal immigration enforcement:
Chao said he has scheduled meetings in September with the Rogers police chief and with the sheriffs of Washington and Benton counties.Related:
"It's my point of view that it's better to talk with the community, to know each other and understand the situation and fix it," Chao said. "The (Hispanic) community is worried about this situation. They are wondering what is going to be the next step."
He said the consulate in Little Rock has received numerous calls from people who fear unjustified arrests and deportation.
Mexican consul from Little Rock encourages advocacy for illegal immigration
Posted to Immigration_consul at 02:40 PM
Virginia: Gov. Tim Kaine opposes state troopers enforcing immigration laws (287g)
From this:Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine does not want to create a statewide partnership with federal immigration officials that would allow state agencies to identify illegal aliens and begin deportation procedures, despite calls from the state's attorney general [Republican Robert F. McDonnell] and anti-illegal-immigration groups [such as Help Save Virginia].Some state agencies already do some degree of reporting. Recall that two 9/11 hijackers got Virginia driver's licenses, there was at least one case of fraud at the Virginia DMV.
"The governor does not object to localities choosing to enter into localized agreements with [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement]," said Kevin Hall, Mr. Kaine's spokesman. "He has concerns, however, about asking state troopers to assume primary enforcement of federal immigration responsibilities."
And, recall this absolutely idiotic Tim Kaine quote:
"I don't believe immigration is one of the top issues in Virginia if you ask Virginians... It does matter to a number of people, but compared to jobs, education, health care, transportation, it's pretty far down."
Posted to Immigration2007b at 12:26 PM
A response to a critic, re: switchback
Reader "S. Gupta" writes:
I saw that video of you on the Mt. Wilson Trail. I'm familiar with that trail and with the still shots you included in it of the fence [ed.: about the 2:50 mark]. Others might not have picked up on what you did, but I did! You cheated! You didn't do that switchback! You stopped and took a picture, you didn't stay on two wheels! You're a cheater! Cheater! Cheater!
Well, I've got news for you. Yesterday I went to do this, but as I drove up Lake I saw some smoke coming from the hills, together with water-dropping helicopter. I kept driving, because it looked like I could at least make it to the big transmission towers, and the fire looked to be in the hills behind, perhaps up the Castle Canyon trail. But, when I got to the top of Lake the street had been blocked off so I drove all the way back and did the Mt. Wilson trail.
And, by "did", I mean that first, infamous switchback. Granted, what's beyond the fence isn't a vertical drop but it is pretty steep and if I crashed through and didn't snag on a rock I'd probably be in for a long trip. It's not that it's difficult, only that it's a bit precarious. No dabbing either, Mr. Gupta!
However, the "haterz" will be glad to know that I only made it part way through the first rock garden before I stalled out. I tried to get started from a complete stop, but that didn't work so I walked through that. That's also got quite a bit of exposure; it'd be nice to find something like that without so much of a steep drop.
Posted to OutdoorSports at 03:06 PM
Sen. Larry Craig in "he said/he said misunderstanding"
Normally, a high class site like this wouldn't even acknowledge somethig like this, but it is Larry Craig, so:Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) was arrested in June at a Minnesota airport by a plainclothes police officer investigating lewd conduct complaints in a men’s public restroom, according to an arrest report obtained by Roll Call Monday afternoon...I guess the stress of working on AgJobs got to him.
A spokesman for Craig described the incident as a “he said/he said misunderstanding,” and said the office would release a fuller statement later Monday afternoon.
After he was arrested, Craig, who is married, was taken to the Airport Police Operations Center to be interviewed about the lewd conduct incident, according to the police report. At one point during the interview, Craig handed the plainclothes sergeant who arrested him a business card that identified him as a U.S. Senator and said, “What do you think about that?” the report states...
Posted to Politics at 02:10 PM
California dentists welcome new mandatory dental exams for kindergarteners
California has a new law mandating dental exams for kindergarteners in public schools. But, it has "few teeth" (ouch!), Barbara Feder Ostrov of Mercury News "reports" (link).Children will not be barred from school if they do not get the checkup. Parents who can't afford the exam, lack insurance coverage or simply do not want their child's dental health evaluated can sign a waiver to opt out of the requirement. And because the law does not require treatment of problems identified during screenings, some critics believe it will do little to get poor or uninsured children the dental care they need.It's good to hear them say that, since (at least according to this), the California Dental Association "sponsored" the legislation from Assemblymen Bill Emmerson and John Laird. They've even got a helpful page at their site describing the new law.
Yet dentists remain hopeful that the new rule will help improve the oral health of California's schoolchildren, noting that tooth decay in some kids can be so severe and painful that it keeps them from learning or even eating properly.
After the excerpt above, "reporter" Ostrov backs up their claims with studies and then directs readers to the CDA's site for more information.
What she doesn't do is contact anyone who might wonder about what links the CDA has to those who sponsored or voted for this legislation. "Following the money" is so old skool, dontcha know.
Posted to California at 01:09 PM
"Mexico's new robber barons" (Carlos Slim)
Eduardo Porter - a member of the New York Times editorial board who's apparently a Mexican citizen - offers a discussion of the world's richest man - Mexico's Carlos Slim - here. I haven't yet found it at the NYT's site; perhaps it won't appear since they're one of the enablers of the elites that he decries:
Slim's treasure is equivalent to slightly less than 7 percent of Mexico's total production of goods and services - one out of every 14 dollars' worth of stuff made by all the people in the country... The income distribution in the United States may be fast approaching Mexican levels of inequality, but in relative terms, [Bill Gates] isn't even in Slim's league. His $58 billion fortune is less than 0.5 percent of the nation's GDP... It takes about nine of the captains of industry and finance of the 19th and early 20th centuries - Rockefeller, Cornelius Vanderbilt, John J. Astor, Andrew Carnegie, Alexander Stewart, Frederick Weyerhaeuser, Jay Gould and Marshall Field - to replicate the footprint that Slim has left on Mexico... ...But the momentous scale is not the most galling aspect of Slim's riches. There's the issue of theft... ...When competitors were eventually allowed in, Telmex kept them at bay with some rather creative gambits, like getting a judge to issue an arrest warrant for the top lawyer of a competitor... ...The United States today is heading toward a Mexican-style social contract. The concentration of 44 percent of the nation's income among the top 10 percent of taxpayers is on a par with Mexico's disparities. It's getting hard to find government officials in Washington without deep ties to corporate interests...
This follows the WSJ's "The Secrets of the World's Richest Man" (link) earlier this month, which has much more on how he gained his wealth. In a slightly unexpected move, they criticize him on the same grounds as Porter. And, of course, like the NYT, the Wall Street Journal is one of the enablers of the income disparity in Mexico.
Posted to Immigration2007b at 12:59 PM
Sacramento County whistleblower fired: non-emergency healthcare to illegal aliens
From this:The Sacramento County physician [medical director for that county's indigent services program] fighting to end the county's practice of providing medical care to illegal immigrants was fired earlier this month.The case was dismissed on an apparent technicality, and he's appealing. What the SacBee fails to point out is that Rogers claims that U.S. citizens were deprived of services due to the money that was spent on illegal aliens.
Dr. Gene Rogers said he was terminated Aug. 6 "in retaliation for whistle-blowing."
...In his 2003 suit, Rogers alleged the county was putting public funds at risk by providing nonemergency medical care to undocumented residents -- in violation of federal law...
There's a sympathetic editorial on the case here. The one firing him was Lynn Frank, that county's Health and Human Services director. Another person mentioned is Program Manager Nancy Gilberti.
Dr. Rogers filed a lawsuit in 2003 after county officials "stonewalled" him when he questioned why they were cutting budgets while still providing non-emergency medical treatment to people who have no legal right to be in the country.
The lawsuit is currently under appeal in federal court, but its impact was felt in the state capital, causing a nervous Latino Legislative Caucus in California last year to push through a bill by state Sen. Deborah Ortiz that explicitly allows counties to "opt" to provide non-emergency medical care to illegal immigrants. Sacramento County also responded, Dr. Rogers said, by seeking to alienate him from his prior relationships with county medical staff and by methodically preparing to fire him - with a little humiliation thrown in along the way...
Posted to Immigration2007b at 10:24 AM
Breaking: Watergate 2? Burglars break into politician's office
Breaking... In what may in fact turn out to be "Watergate 2", burglars have broken into a politician's office and have taken unspecified things, also leaving unspecified evidence behind... Developing... now trying to determine where, when, to whom...
This just in... dateline: Hartford Connecticut... politician is Senator and presidential candidate Christopher Dodd... never mind...
Posted to WackyHumor at 07:45 PM
National Council of La Raza won't denounce Elvira Arellano (Ruben Navarrette)
Even Ruben Navarrette - someone brazen enough to write a column defending his friend and Mexico's propagandist Rob Allyn - doesn't support the case of Elvira Arellano. Leaving aside the other things he says in his latest, he did do a bit of a public service by trying to get the take of the National Council of La Raza ("The Race"; NCLR) on her case. He doesn't appear to have gotten a straight answer from NCLR Vice President Cecilia Munoz:
"We have questions about whether going after people one at a time ultimately has much of a payoff in terms of effectiveness... What's the strategy behind our immigration enforcement? Are we trying to round up everyone and send them out? Because if that is our policy, then we're going to fail... We're not just sort of levitating people out of the country with no impact... We should be making deliberate judgments about what our immigration priorities are, and I'm not sure that going after workers who are also parents is our most effective strategy. It's certainly not a cost-free strategy... It is really very upsetting to see parents torn away from their children... And you wonder: If this is our enforcement strategy, what kind of country are we becoming?"
One might expect a "mainstream" group like NCLR - the one that Karl Rove pandered to a while back despite them funding extremists - to at least utter some verbage about how they don't support convicted criminal defying deportation orders, or about how they don't support someone using a false identity to gain work at an airport, yet I guess that was just a bit too difficult for them.
Posted to Immigration2007b at 12:54 PM
Elvira Arellano L.A. protest draws several hundred
Christopher Weber of the Associated Press informs us that supporters of the recently-deported illegal alien Elvira Arellano (what he calls "immigrant rights activists") marched through downtown Los Angeles yesterday. The high estimate of those attending is 2000 from the organizers, with the unnamed authorities saying it was just 600. The main organizer was Juan Jose Gutierrez from Latino Movement USA, but other just as questionable groups were there such as ANSWER's L.A. branch and CHIRLA, a group that has allegedly collaborated with the Mexican government.
Other organizers are listed on this poster (la.indymedia.org/uploads/2007/08/weare_elviraarellano_march8.2007.jpghxbxfy.jpg), including:
* We Are America Coalition
* Hermandad Mexicana of the San Fernando Valley
* NALACC
* an SEIU local
* Our Lady Queen of Angels Church
* ONE-LA IAF (the Industrial Areas Foundation, founded by Hillary Clinton idol Saul Alinsky; see the previous link)
* March 25th Coalition
* CARECEN
* Rapid Response Against the Raids Network
* L.A. County Federation of Labor
* New Sanctuary Movement (another possible Mexican government link)
* UCLA Labor Center (write chancellor *at* conet.ucla.edu with your thoughts)
There's at least one wonderful photo here:
la.indymedia.org/news/2007/08/205765_comment.php
And, here are some of the videos and their highlights:
* some U.S. flags; several AnswerLA.org signs; even a "No justice, no peace" sign
youtube.com/watch?v=_B1zvugbrNg
* someone doing crowd control... in an "SEIU Security" jacket: youtube.com/watch?v=zY6HpDlSwT8
* small U.S. flags, with a large red banner in the background saying: "Raza Si, Migra No"; a small sign demanding voting rights for all
youtube.com/watch?v=LYzcAGAjQwU
* a child holding a "America USA has become like Nazi Germany"; a large "Stop the Raids" banner from CHIRLA
youtube.com/watch?v=zgRx0ljIa20
* Mexican flag waving; a sign from the Party for Socialism and Liberation with a picture of Che and the slogan "The Worker's Struggle Has No Borders"
youtube.com/watch?v=b-l4Xf8cBq8
* A few U.S. flags, but more Mexican flags
youtube.com/watch?v=8xqSpwLii70
youtube.com/watch?v=vsGZ2Z1JixE
Posted to Immigration2007b at 12:34 PM
Is attrition working in Oklahoma? (Arizona too?)
If states and cities enforce immigration laws to the extent that they're able, will that reduce the numbers of illegal aliens in those localities? Of course, one of the stock false choices that politicians and others offer is between massive deportations and a massive amnesty; they rarely acknowledge attrition, although the New York Times begrudgingly was forced to do so recently. And, attrition seems to be working in Oklahoma:Thousands of Hispanics have fled the Tulsa, Okla., area in the shadow of a looming state law that limits benefits and mandates deportation for illegal aliens, according to a report from KTUL television in Tulsa.Of course, these could be scare tactics from supporters of illegal immigration; note that those claiming the drop in population probably have an axe to grind and that they're refering to "Hispanics" and not illegal aliens, which is probably an attempt to racialize the issue.
The state of Oklahoma recently approved a new law that requires deportation for illegal aliens who are arrested, and limits benefits and jobs to those individuals. The report said in East Tulsa, where a community of Hispanics has grown over recent years, there's been a sudden drop in population...
UPDATE: Bearing in mind that such reports have to be taken with a grain of salt, Daniel Gonzalez of the Arizona Republic offers "Migrants fleeing as hiring law nears". He says:
based on interviews with undocumented immigrants, immigrant advocates, community leaders and real-estate agents, at least several hundred have left since Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano signed the [employer sanctions] bill on July 2That bill will take affect on January 1; note that one of those "advocates" or "leaders" is Elias Bermudez of Immigrants Without Borders, thus the grain of salt.
Posted to Immigration2007b at 12:24 PM
Immigration "reform" will be perceived as amnesty
One of the standard games that president Bush, members of his administration, the presidential candidates, and other politicians play is to claim that "comprehensive immigration reform" is not amnesty. They then go on to define amnesty as immediate citizenship or similar and say that because their scheme involves fines and the like it isn't amnesty.
Of course, what they consistently fail to note is that millions and millions around the world would perceive any form of legalization, "regularization", "adjustment of status", or whatever other term you want to use as amnesty.
In this post I'll try to collect data points helping illustrate that point.
* "2 Va. counties OK immigration crackdown"/Sarah Karush/Associated Press/August 25, 2007/link
For Martinez - who has lived in Manassas, in Prince William County, for two years - the resentment against illegal immigrants came as a surprise. "It broke my heart," the 41-year-old Mexico City native said of the [Prop 200/Prop 187-style] measure. "We were all thinking there would be an amnesty" declared by the federal government.
(Note of course the AP claim that the measure was enacted because of "resentment").
Posted to Immigration2007b at 12:14 PM
Judge Michael Bennett: using false identity results in no deportation order
I'm sure there are hundreds or thousands of U.S. citizens in prisons for purchasing birth certificates of those who died as children, assuming their identities, and then obtaining other identity documents such as SSN cards and passports. However, I guess there were "mitigating circumstances" in this case:[U.S. Immigration Judge Michael Bennett] on Friday allowed a prominent Portland-area union organizer and illegal immigrant to return to Mexico voluntarily instead of deporting him, calling his repeated use of a false identity "unfortunate" and a "tragedy."Perhaps a reporter should look into the other "close calls" that judge has made, and also look into what usually happens to U.S. citizens who do the same thing.
...Assistant Chief Counsel Margaret Rosenast of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security had asked for a removal order, commonly called deportation. Removal orders prohibit people from legally returning to the United States for a period of a few years to a lifetime, said Dorothy Stefan, chief counsel for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Seattle office, which includes Oregon.
...Cobian entered the United States illegally in 1989. He later purchased the birth certificate of Jose Luis Mendoza, a California boy who had died as a child, and assumed the little boy's name. In 1996, he used the name to apply for a Social Security card and later used the false identity to obtain a U.S. passport as well as legal residency status for his wife, also a Mexican immigrant. His wife was unaware that her status was based on fraudulent documents.
...The judge made it clear that Cobian's crimes -- especially his use of a false identity to obtain legal residency status for his wife -- were serious. He said deportation would have been the expected outcome.
But he said that he had the legal ability to exercise his discretion in the case and had decided to do so, describing the decision as a "close call." The judge said he wanted to bring finality to the case.
"I do wish you the best, sir," Bennett told Cobian.
Posted to Immigration2007b at 12:08 PM
Canada: Quebec police admit to infiltrating SPP protest
The Surete du Quebec has admitted that the three "black bloc"-style protesters at the recent Security and Prosperity Partnership meeting in Montebello were in fact police officers as a union leader has previously claimed. However, the Quebec police claim that they weren't there as "agents provocateurs" but were in fact there to prevent violence. For the backstory, see Les agents provocateurs at SPP protest in Canada?
In related news, the North American Union apologists entry has been updated.
UPDATE: Even if you support police going undercover at protests, and even if you support them posing as black bloc members rather than, say, hippies, it's a bit difficult to support the fact that one of the cops had a rock in his hand. While he never used it, why did he have a rock in his hand? For that extra touch of the echt?
Posted to NAU at 11:24 AM
ACLU: did the Crystal Lake Police Department violate the First Amendment?
Someone call the ACLU!An event by the Illinois Minuteman Project scheduled for Saturday has been canceled after the Crystal Lake Police Department demanded a $3,500 payment for security costs from the hotel where the event was to be held.If the event had been scheduled for a public location, I'm pretty sure the PD's actions would be unconstitutional. I don't know whether because the protesters were going to be in a public area means that their decision was likewise unconstitutional.
Regardless of how one feels about the Minutemen, the request by the police department is inappropriate. The Minutemen were planning to hold a private event on private property at the Holiday Inn in Crystal Lake. The supposed security need was for protesters – the McHenry County Peace Group – who were going to be on public property near the event...
Posted to Immigration2007b at 11:20 AM
Seattle ferry "unusual behavior" persons: where are they from?
I don't want to get into the issue of the two persons who supposedly have been exhibiting "unusual behavior" on a ferry in the Seattle area except to point out that the photos (seattle.fbi.gov/pressrel/2007/public082007.htm) to me seem to say "We are from a land or neighboring lands formerly associated with the Soviet Union." I have a few leading possibilities, but what say you, bearing in mind that almost all people from whatever countries named are not terrorists or sympathizers thereto and that the people in the photo may be completely innocent, etc., etc., etc., etc.?
Posted to Terrorism at 09:56 PM
Feinstein, Reid, growers to push AgJobs amnesty (yes, again)
Senator Dianne Feinstein apparently gave a speech today where she promised to bring back the AgJobs farmworkers amnesty scheme, which would cover at least 1.5 current illegal aliens. Harry Reid already promised to bring it back, perhaps attached to some other bill such as the Farm Bill.Step one in the plan for passage calls for farmers and their allies to emphasize anew the dangers of losing an agricultural work force.They've been working on that for a while, with sympathetic "news" sources promoting "crops rotting in the fields" articles.
"Agriculture is going to push this thing," Manuel Cunha, president of the Fresno-based Nisei Farmers League, said Wednesday... Recently, Cunha took part in an immigration conference call with White House officials who are maneuvering in their own way.
[...Step Two involves Reid's schemes...]
Step three in the AgJobs game plan relies on employer anxiety over a new Bush administration plan for cracking down on companies that hire illegal immigrants. Two weeks ago, the White House announced plans to send out tens of thousands of so-called "no-match" letters...
Posted to Immigration2007b at 07:28 PM
Saul Arellano, Karla Barguiarena, and Child Protective Services
Karla Barguiarena of Houston's KHOU offers a disturbing interview with Saul Arellano, son of deported illegal alien Elvira Arellano. The article only gives a preview of the bias; the video is where you can see her bias in full flower. It's over 7 minutes long and unedited, for which I'm actually thankful: you can hear the "reporter" asking a series of leading questions, such as trying to get him to say that president Bush is "mean". Unfortunately, he had only said that a bit half-heartedly, and she then asks him why he (supposedly) said Bush was mean. SA replies, "I don't know", which the reporter then follows with, "yes you do". And, in two other places when asked what he wants Bush to do, SA immediately launches into what is obviously a scripted response ("...stop the raids and deportations...", etc. etc.)
The video and the article show the dangers of having racial advocates posing as reporters. But, on a more important note I think it's time to call Child Protective Services.
Posted to Immigration2007b at 02:24 PM
Elvira Arellano, Mexican lawmakers to push immigration "reform"
It looks like Elvira Arellano is going to be the gift that keeps on giving: she'll continue to push for an amnesty from Mexico, and she'll be assisted in that by Mexican politicians. Her radicalism (see the fifth update to that link) can be used to discredit all of her future efforts and those with whom she's linked; if we're lucky some additional U.S. leaders might decide to help her cause.From this (via this):
...Mexican authorities and activists wasted no time in trying to capitalize on Arellano's new cachet, scrambling to align themselves with Arellano and gently suggesting what the newest chapter in her life should look like.Yes, the "struggle".
On Wednesday, Arellano, 32, plans to travel to Mexico City, where on Thursday she plans to stand with a group of Mexican congressmen to denounce the U.S. Congress for not passing more lenient immigration reforms.
Plans are also under way for Arellano to headline a Sept. 12 rally near Tijuana's border with California, an appearance meant to coincide with a demonstration planned in Washington...
...Rosario Ibarra, a prominent human-rights activist in Mexico City, suggested that Arellano use her celebrity to chastise the Mexican government for not providing enough economic opportunities to keep its people in the country.
Raul Rios, a Mexican congressman from Arellano's home state of Michoacan, suggested she should push Mexican consulates in the U.S. to do more to help undocumented immigrants. "We should start by fixing our own house," Rios said, adding he helped to create a nonpartisan coalition on immigration issues to work with Arellano.
"Elvira is an example, not just for those who live in the United States but for immigrants all over the world," said Jose Jacques [Medina], a Mexican congressman from California. "I think she can convert herself into an icon for a struggle that is even more global, that addresses the root causes of migration."
UPDATE: From the AP:
A Mexican Senate committee passed a measure Wednesday urging President Felipe Calderon to send a diplomatic note to the United States protesting the deportation of an illegal migrant who took refuge in a Chicago church for a year.
The committee also approved a scholarship to help her 8-year-old U.S.-born son, Saul, who is an American citizen and stayed in the United States.
..."We cannot remain quiet in view of this injustice and must ask for firm action from our authorities," Mexican Sen. Humberto Zazue said.
He accused the United States of violating international deportation accords by denying her access to the Mexican Consulate in Los Angeles.
..."For me it is very important that our government take a strong stand to defend all of us who decide to migrate to another country," [EA] said.
Posted to Immigration2007b at 07:34 PM
Potemkin President: 2002 guidelines to protect Bush from seeing protesters
The guidelines for appearances by president Bush was recently obtained by the ACLU under an FOIA request, and it details the many ways that both Bush and the media were to be blocked from seeing protesters:
any event must be open only to those with tickets tightly controlled by organizers. Those entering must be screened in case they are hiding secret signs. Any anti-Bush demonstrators who manage to get in anyway should be shouted down by "rally squads" stationed in strategic locations. And if that does not work, they should be thrown out... It directs the White House advance staff to ask local police "to designate a protest area where demonstrators can be placed, preferably not in the view of the event site or motorcade route."
The "Presidential Advance Manual" is in this PDF.
Much of this could have already been figured out, but it's good to have their tactics in a formal form. It's also interesting to note that the manual is from October 2002, just over a year after 9/11 and while Bush's popularity was still above 60% (link).
Posted to Politics at 05:35 PM
New Jersey Attorney General: ask immigration status of all charged with serious crimes
From this:Attorney General Anne Milgram today ordered all local police officers in New Jersey to inquire about the immigration status of suspects charged with serious crimes, and to notify federal immigration authorities if there is reason to believe the suspect is in the country illegally.The directive is in this PDF file; it doesn't apply to victims, witnesses, and those asking the police for help.
The requirements, which go into effect immediately, apply to suspects arrested for specific indictable offenses and for driving while intoxicated, Milgram said. If the suspect is unable to prove he or she is legally in the United States, the police officer is required to notify Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, she said. The policy also specifies that prosecutors and courts be notified...
...The 7-page directive also sets guidelines for municipalities that apply to federal immigration officials for Section 287(g) authority, which deputizes local, county and state officers to enforce federal immigration laws. While the directive grants the full exercise of federal immigration authority at county jails and state prisons for incarcerated undocumented immigrants, Milgram said, street cops participating in 287(g) could invoke federal immigration authority only after an arrest is made...
Posted to Immigration2007b at 05:31 PM
Les agents provocateurs at SPP protest in Canada?
At the recent Security and Prosperity Partnership meeting in Canada, Canadian police may have used agent provocateurs in an attempt to discredit the crowd. We have received this communique:
Video footage of the arrest of police officers posing as demonstrators at Montebello, August 20, will be shown today at a news conference at the offices of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada. "We have proof that the three individuals who were "arrested" after being exposed as "agents provocateurs" were, in fact, members of the Quebec police force," says CEP President Dave Coles, and we plan to do what it takes to bring this matter to justice." CEP Secretary-Treasurer Gaétan Ménard, Barb Byers of the CLC and Council of Canadians President Maude Barlow will also be in attendance.
There's video of the incident here; it's a bit hard to follow if you aren't Canadian. There's a news report on the protesters here; video of a tear gas attack here; far-left "immigrants rights" protesters here; supposed Communists/anarchists burning an American flag here; and, if you want to see a dirty hippy who speaks broken English with a French/Canadian accent together with an incompetent juggler, click here. Needless to say, it would probably be best if those type of people sought their therapy elsewhere.
Posted to NAU at 11:27 AM
Bush doesn't deny North American Union
From this:President Bush today sidestepped a direct question about whether he'd be willing to categorically deny there is a plan to create the North American Union.Here's that portion of Bush's thoughts:
Instead, he ridiculed those who believe that is taking place as conspiracy theorists.
"We represent three great nations. We each respect each other's sovereignty. You know, there are some who would like to frighten our fellow citizens into believing that relations between us are harmful for our respective peoples. I just believe they're wrong. I believe it's in our interest to trade; I believe it's in our interest to dialogue; I believe it's in our interest to work out common problems for the good of our people.Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper also got his digs in, saying there wasn't going to be a NAFTA superhighway and that it wasn't going to be "interplanetary" either. He also stated that much of the talks involved jellybean standards. What a joker!
"And I'm amused by some of the speculation, some of the old – you can call them political scare tactics. If you've been in politics as long as I have, you get used to that kind of technique where you lay out a conspiracy and then force people to try to prove it doesn't exist. That's just the way some people operate. I'm here representing my nation. I feel strongly that the United States is a force for good, and I feel strongly that by working with our neighbors we can a stronger force for good.
"So I appreciate that question. I'm amused by the difference between what actually takes place in the meetings and what some are trying to say takes place. It's quite comical, actually, when you realize the difference between reality and what some people are talking on TV about."
I note that even Mike Huckabee (link), John McCain, Mitt Romney, and Rudy Giuliani have issued stronger (sounding) oppositions to the plan. Are the comments above simply yet another example of Bush being an idiot, or does he know more than they do?
UPDATE: Here's video of Bush making his statement from Wolf Blitzer's show (link). It's almost like Bush is trying to make people think there's a conspiracy. Instead of looking into the matter, both Wolfie and Suzanne Malveaux get a chuckle out of the whole idea that some could be pushing for a NAU. They truly are crack "journalists".
Posted to NAU at 10:38 AM
Elvira Arellano gets hero's welcome in Mexico
I'm not entirely willing to take the Los Angeles Times' word for it, but the recently-deported Elvira Arellano may have been given a rousing welcome in Mexico. A good portion of that country has no respect for our immigration laws, thinking like her that they have a right to immigrate here under any circumstances. And, 58% think the U.S. southwest rightfully belongs to Mexico. Obvious to many outside the Beltway, that's an extremely dangerous situation. Is it good public policy to allow people who think like Arellano to come here?...rarely has Tijuana welcomed a deported immigrant the way it has embraced Arellano this week.
Since Arellano was arrested in Los Angeles and returned to Mexico she's engaged in a whirlwind of public appearances where she's been heralded as a hero for defying U.S. authorities by taking sanctuary in a church.
...in Mexico, Arellano's experience is portrayed as a story of principled resistance, of a woman who fought before becoming one of the thousands of illegal immigrants who file sadly back into this border metropolis every year.
"You've become the voice of all the Elviras in the U.S.," said Heriberto Garcia, of Mexico's National Commission on Human Rights, an independent organization...
...Callers to talk shows pledged their support. She has been invited to meet with federal lawmakers in Mexico City today.
"Elvira unites Latinos behind her," blared a headline from the Frontera newspaper.
...Mexican media were falling over themselves giving her the spotlight, which they believed she richly deserved...
Posted to Immigration2007b at 10:28 AM
AVWatch: Tony Villar on Elvira Arellano; Mexico complains about consular protocol
Elliot Spagat of the Associated Press offers a two-fer. First up, former MEChA leader and current Hillary Clinton campaign co-chair and Los Angeles mayor Tony Villar (aka Antonio Villaragosa, Mayor Reconquista) has thoughts on the Elvira Arellano matter:"Until we resolve the status of the estimated 12 million undocumented people living and working in the United States by giving them some meaningful pathway to citizenship, families will continue to be torn apart."Not quite as fiery as I would have liked; unfortunately he's at least smart enough to realize how much of a liability explicitly supporting her would be.
And, while we're on the topic, Mexico is complaining about a possible violation of consular protocol (irony noted):
Arellano asked to speak with Mexican officials in Los Angeles but was denied, [Luis Cabrera, Mexico's general consul in San Diego] said. She was not given access until hours later, at San Diego's Otay Mesa immigration detention center.
Mexico's Foreign Relations Department issued a statement saying that denying Arellano access to the consulate may have violated "bilateral arrangements established for a safe and orderly repatriation and to allow for immediate consulate access when the defense requests it."
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was unaware of any request that Arellano made to speak with Mexican officials in Los Angeles, and Arellano was given extensive access in San Diego Sunday night, agency spokeswoman Lauren Mack said.
Posted to Immigration2007b at 10:00 AM
Huffington Post prints GOP recruitment post (Eric Stoner, Bryan Farrell)
Eric Stoner ("a writer based in New York, whose writings have appeared in many publications, including The Nation") and Bryan Farrell ("a researcher for Rolling Stone and an independent journalist in New York") offer "Fear and Loathing on the Jersey Shore". The (presumed) couple went abroad (i.e., left Manhattan) and spent a weekend in in the sticks:
Down on the boardwalk we observed a scene that would be recognizable to most Americans: teenagers, junk food, and trinket shops selling an assortment of "ironic" t-shirts. It's not unlike a shopping mall or arcade, pandering to a gluttonous consumerism that is all too distinctly American.
It goes on like that. And, I don't think it's a satire, nor do I think it was intentionally meant as a GOP recruiting tool. It just reads like it. I congratulate Arianna on returning to her roots.
Posted to Bloggage at 08:15 PM
Tancredo: Newark victims families should sue city for negligence
From this:Presidential candidate Tom Tancredo is urging the families of three young murder victims to consider suing the city of Newark for negligence, saying [in Newark] its lax immigration policy [as a sanctuary city] is at least partially to blame for the execution-style slayings.He then played the outsider card and accused Tancredo of trying to "inflame" the community.
Mayor Cory Booker, who has said involving city police in immigration matters would hurt the relationship between police and the immigrant community, repeated that contention today, citing the conclusions of a Clinton administration study on the issue.
"Local law-enforcement officials should not be going out asking, inquiring and investigating whether people are documented or undocumented," Booker said. He said such behavior "creates a chill in which often the most marginalized and vulnerable citizens in my city do not feel comfortable engaging with the police. It's an environment I will never tolerate as mayor."
Posted to Immigration2007b at 08:02 PM
Not much reporting at SPP meeting (Montebello, Canada)
The leaders of the U.S. (George Bush), Canada (Stephen Harper), and Mexico (Felipe Calderon) are meeting in Montebello, Canada to discuss the SPP ("Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America", spp.gov). Some say, and I tend to mostly agree, this is the precursor to a North American Union in which the three countries would be joined EU-style.As could be expected, the mainstream media isn't doing their job and reporting on what's actually involved and trying to find out what it all means.
The best of a bad lot is "Police tear gas, pepper spray protesters at Montebello summit" (link), and only because it contains actual mainstream thoughts from some of those opposing the summit:
...Susan Howard-Azzey, a homemaker from St.catharines, Ont., criticized what she called the lack of transparency and consultation in the SPP process.* "Clashes erupt at summit protest" discusses how most of the protesters are a bit wacky, without trying to discuss the stands of those who aren't (link).
"I'm not impressed that the SPP is making such big decisions on behalf of Canadians without consulting us and when we go out to the streets we're criminalized."
A group of powerful business executives has been invited to make a closed-door presentation Tuesday at the summit on changes they believe the continent needs. No such invitation was extended to scientists, environmentalists, or other social activists.
...Maude Barlow of the Council of Canadians said people shouldn't be fooled about who really sets the agenda at these summits: the 30 business leaders who sit on the North American Competitiveness Council.
The group comprises leaders from 10 companies in each country and includes corporations like Wal-Mart, General Electric and weapons-maker Lockheed Martin. They advise the three national governments on facilitating trade.
Barlow called for a moratorium on the "profoundly anti-democratic" SPP until the citizens of all three countries are consulted and their elected representatives are given oversight over the business-driven initiative...
* Jim Rutenberg of the New York Times offers "Bush's Talks With Neighbors Are Overshadowed by Storm", which contains nothing of note. It mentions the protests in the final paragraph without going into any detail.
* The interview Ray Suarez conducted with former Canadian PM Kim Campbell and former Mexican foreign minister Jorge Castaneda is likewise insipid (link), and doesn't even discuss the protests.
* "SPP deal could create common border standards" (link) describes some of the things they're discussing:
* Working on biometric systems -- incorporating unique identifiers like iris scans and fingerprints -- to improve the security for passports, visas, permanent resident cards, transportation credentials and other border documents.Related:
* Implementing immigration measures that include requirements for admission and length of stay, visa decision-making standards, border lookout systems for wanted individuals, and the possibility of entry and exit procedures, and
* Devising ways to share data on high-risk travellers such as suspected terrorists and other criminals.
Ben Feller/AP whitewashes Bush Canada trip (SPP)
Posted to NAU at 07:48 PM
Minnesota bridge: officials knew of "remote but real possibility of the eight-lane freeway bridge failing"
From this:
Internal MnDOT documents reviewed by the Star Tribune reveal that last year bridge officials talked openly about the possibility of the bridge collapsing -- and worried that it might have to be condemned... The documents provide the first look inside MnDOT's decision-making process as engineers weighed benefits and risks, wrestling with options to prevent what they believed was a remote but real possibility of the eight-lane freeway bridge failing.
Posted to Miscellania at 07:25 PM
Elvira Arellano arrested by "La Migra"!
Convicted criminal Elvira Arellano has been arrested by ICE in downtown Los Angeles. Apparently Telemundo is trying to rile up their audience, but La Opinion only has a brief report (laopinion.com/supp2/?rkey=00000000000002163320).
Will this result in massive riots as supposed Americans who put their race ahead of their country join with foreign citizens who are here illegally to support attempts by some to refuse to abide by our laws? Or, will it go largely unnoticed except by those outside the far-left who'll stage a few small protests? Will corrupt priests like Cardinal Roger Mahoney rally 'round Elvira, or will they decide that for the sake of their little remaining credibility it's best to leave the issue be? Did ICE do this to show that no one is above the law, or did they do it in order to provoke a reaction from the left and use that to get the amnesty they want?
I suspect that come tomorrow people will respond to the name "Elvira" by saying, "You mean, the horror movie presenter?", but we shall see.
UPDATE: "Immigrant Rights Activist Elvira Arrellano Arrested in LA -- Solidarity Actions in Chicago Tonight and Tomorrow" (chicago.indymedia.org/newswire/display/79065/index.php). Hopefully Democratic politicians won't let the community down and will decide to stand in solidarity with Arellano and in support of massive criminality.
8/20 UPDATE: She was deported to Tijuana late last night (laopinion.com/primerapagina/?rkey=00000000000002166700), and will continue the struggle from the Mexican side of the border. "Citizen Saul" remains in the U.S. with Emma Lozano. U.S. Reps. Luis Gutierrez and Bobby Rush will be pushing private citizenship bills. The final paragraph of the article notes that CHIRLA ("Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles"; allegedly has collaborated with the Mexican government) is urging people to express their outrage... by calling Julie Myers of ICE. La Opinion - always willing to help out - even includes her phone number.
Note to GOP and Dem politicians: wouldn't supporting Elvira be a great way to reach out to the Hispanic vote? Many hacks have said that in order to get that supposed vote it's necessary to support amnesty; what difference is there really between that and supporting Elvira? Many or most of those who would have been amnestied are guilty of working under a false Social Security number, with some going even further than Arellano did and engaging in identity theft. The only thing unique about her is that she was unlucky enough to be caught and convicted.
If you're going to support millions of unconvicted lawbreakers in a corrupt plea for votes, surely supporting just one convicted lawbreaker shouldn't be a problem, right?
UPDATE 3: As always, Biff knows best! Please, Democrats, heed his call and stand up for immigrants rights.
UPDATE 4: Unfortunately, so far support from the "mainstream" left appears to be a bit lacking. Patty Kupfer - head of The Sojourners' Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform - offers a sympathetic post (blog.beliefnet.com/godspolitics/2007/08/sanctuary-movement-activist-ar.html) and links to their magazine, which features her on the cover (sojo.net/index.cfm?action=magazine.article&issue=soj0709&article=070910a). And, Atrios says (atrios.blogspot.com/2007_08_19_archive.html#8506770275171716290):
You know, there are aspects of the immigration issue where I think well-intentioned people can have wide disagreement on, but I just can't think of any good reason to support the deportation of the parents of American citizens.
Meanwhile, an unknown party has posted a diary entry wondering why John Edwards isn't jumping on this issue.
UPDATE 5: I called attention to this page that Emma Lozano and Arellano wrote (somosunpueblo.com/Unify_and_Focus.html) before (cached here), but I think this is a good paragraph to throw back at anyone foolish enough to support her:
We have taught that our people did not come here because of the American Dream but because of what the American nightmare did to our countries of origin. We have asserted that our demand to be here and to be fully enfranchised here is a right not a privilige and a destiny of our people to transform this nation.
UPDATE 6: The useful idiots/peacenik collaborators at the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) is "gravely concerned" other her deportation, claiming that she was "ripped away" from Saul (link). In fact, she can always take him with her. Christian Ramirez, an "AFSC national immigrants' rights coordinator", met with her in Tijuana. Their release ends with:
Instead of giving free rein to repressive worksite raids and other punitive enforcement measures, this country needs constructive immigration policies that enable Elvira Arellano and other undocumented parents to remain with their children and find a path to legal residency and citizenship.
Based on her quote above, you might say it's her manifest destiny to get on that path.
Posted to Immigration2007b at 07:45 PM
George Stephanopoulos/ABC Democratic "debate": no immigration questions
What is George Stephanopoulos of ABC News trying to hide from his viewers? Obviously, one thing he's trying to hide is a grown-up discussion of immigration matters: neither August 5's GOP "debate" nor today's Democratic debate featured any questions about immigration. There's not a single instance of "immig*", "undocumented", or "aliens" in the whole transcript (link).
Immigration is where almost all of the candidates are weakest, and it's a salient issue to millions of Americans. Yet, Stephanapolos refuses to discuss it. Why?
The next time you see someone like a journalism professor or newspaper editor pretending that MSM reporters are anything other than hacks and propagandists, ask them about this point: why won't Stephanopolos discuss this issue?
Posted to Politics at 10:42 AM
Thanks, liberals & libertarians: 71% support "foreigners-only" ID card
More irony: those "liberals" and "libertarians" who support illegal immigration in the belief that it will lead to more freedom are making things worse, creating a problem that the majority of Americans realize need to be fixed. That leaves an opening for someone with a "fix", such as Rudy Giuliani with his "foreigners-only" ID card. That would eventually become a national ID card, resulting in much less freedom, the opposite of what those "liberals" and "libertarians" want (or pretend to want).
And, it's a popular idea. From the latest Rasmussen poll:
By a 71% to 16% margin, voters also favor a proposal that would require all foreign visitors to carry a universal identification card as proposed by another GOP Presidential hopeful, Rudy Giuliani. Seventy-four percent (74%) also favor the creation and funding of a central database to track all foreign visitors in the United States.
The latter is also a Giuliani idea.
In other results, the border fence is supported 56 to 31 (Republicans: 75% for), with cutting off federal funding to sanctuary cities being supported 58 to 29 (Republicans: 73% for).
UPDATE: Right on cue:
"The question is: in what circumstances will people be asked for their IDs?" said Jay Stanley, a privacy expert at the American Civil Liberties Union. "Will dark-skinned foreigners be asked for their IDs while a Caucasian person isn't?"
Well, OK, if you insist. Then I guess to avoid that we're all going to have to get one of the cards. You've still got freedom, however. You'll get to choose whether to ID yourself using a retinal scan or a cheek swab.
Posted to Immigration2007b at 07:13 PM
Letter: 22 House members oppose North American integration talks on Bush Canada visit
From this:Twenty-two members of the U.S. House of Representatives – 21 Republicans and a Democrat [Rep. Nancy Boyda, D-Kansas] – are urging President Bush to back off his North American integration efforts when he attends the third summit meeting on the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America next week in Montebello, Quebec.
They make it clear that continuing any such agenda at this point would be disregarding growing apprehension in Congress about the plans.
"As you travel to Montebello, Canada later this month for a summit with your Canadian and Mexican counterparts, we want you to be aware of serious and growing concerns in the U.S. Congress about the so-called Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) you launched with these nations in 2005," the letter said...
Posted to NAU at 12:33 PM
Ben Feller/AP whitewashes Bush Canada trip (SPP)
Ben Feller of the Associated Press offers what's called here "Bush to Tighten Ties With Mexico, Canada". After an initial smackdown, it reads a bit like a Commerce Department press release:Never fond of interrupting his Texas vacation, President Bush is doing it this year to bolster ties with the leaders of Canada and Mexico, two friendly neighbors and vital partners.At least he admits it, but perhaps Feller could have spelled out what "integration" means. Then:
Bush joins Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Mexican President Felipe Calderon in Montebello, Quebec, on Monday [at the North American Leaders' Summit] in hopes of expanding cooperation among their countries, which enjoy the largest trading partnership in the world.
...Instead, the broad theme is economic prosperity, built around several topics: border security, competitiveness with India and China, product safety and energy solutions.
..."What's really important is that they continue to reflect the significance of North American integration -- the fact that there are post 9/11 problems, but they aren't going to undermine trade and investment," said Charles Doran, a scholar at John Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies.
...Still, many people in Mexico are wary of U.S. intervention [relating to drugs], fearing it could threaten their sovereignty. That is a common worry in cross-border efforts.Tell us more about that. Oops, he didn't.
Protests are expected, although the resort will be under tight security and access is limited.Why there would be protesters isn't explained, nor does he discuss the curious security cordon they'll establish.
Then, an offhand reference to the SPP (spp.gov):
The first meeting, in Texas, launched a partnership in which the countries have tried to harmonize their security and economic programs.
Posted to NAU at 12:10 PM
Lindsey Graham wants biometric Social Security card
How ironic that the pro-illegal immigration efforts of "civil libertarians" like the ACLU will make it easier for those who want to control the populace to push through their schemes:U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham said Tuesday he will introduce legislation to replace all paper Social Security cards with plastic biometric cards that can't be duplicated, so employers can be certain of the legal status of their workers...
...Employers need a system they can rely on to determine the legal status of potential workers, so Graham said he plans to introduce a bill this fall to replace all Social Security cards over the next 10 years at a cost of $8 billion to $10 billion. The new cards would be tamperproof.
"The documents used to get a job in America, a Social Security card, is a piece of paper that's easily, fraudulently duplicated," Graham said at the University of South Carolina, where he demonstrated a program employers can use to check the legal status of workers along with Homeland Security Department Secretary Michael Chertoff...
Posted to Immigration2007b at 12:03 PM
Media alert: Elvira Arellano has left the sanctuary (L.A., DC on tour)
Elvira Arellano - the illegal alien who was ordered to be deported after being convicted of using a false Social Security number and who's been holed up in a Chicago church for a year and who's only a sympathetic figure to those on the far-left - has left her "sanctuary" and is currently on a road trip.
The first stop: Los Angeles' La Placita Catholic Church, aka Our Lady Queen of Angels. They're already participating in the "new sanctuary movement", so perhaps they'll take her in. Apparently there will be a march tomorrow organized by the March 25 Coalition.
Along for the ride: the Rev. Walter "Slim" Coleman, husband of what could charitably be called Arellano's "agent", Emma Lozano of Centro Sin Fronteras. They refused to tell the AP whether "Citizen" Saul Arellano is with her; the Chicago Tribune says he flew ahead.
Next stop: Washington DC for a September 12 prayer meeting and lobbying effort.
In a normal world, the DHS would ignore her and perhaps try to undercut her case by, say, publicizing her court documents or discussing the various links of her associates. However, with corrupt officials like Michael Chertoff around, one cute trick they might play would be to arrest her in as public a fashion as possible in order to enrage the left.
If we were lucky, we could get Democratic leaders to back her efforts. However, with even the Chicago Tribune and Sun-Times opposed to her efforts that might be a bit difficult.
While Mayor Richard Daley, Governor Rod Blagojevich, and U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez are backers, Barack Obama and Dick Durbin unfortunately realize how much of a liability supporting her would be. But, perhaps if we worked at it they could be brought around to support "immigrants rights".
Posted to Immigration2007b at 10:32 PM
Mexican trucks to be allowed to carry cargo on U.S. highways (NAFTA)
Mexican truckers are currently limited to operating withing 25 miles of the border, but a new one year pilot program will soon start allowing 100 companies to travel anywhere they want. All that's standing in the way is approval of safety plans by the Transportation Department's inspector general; if problems are found they'll be corrected first. This was announced today, and in the Federal Register so it wasn't exactly like the Bush administration was trying to shout about it from the rooftops. And:
The Transportation Department acknowledged that most of the 2,300 public comments on the project challenged its safety and economic effects. But the agency concluded the demonstration, involving about 10 percent of the Mexican truckers who applied, "is sufficient to determine whether the safety oversight program" can ensure there will be no erosion of highway safety.
I'd imagine there will be such an erosion, but paid or amateur hacks will be on call in the case of an accident to blame it on other things.
Related:
Dems temporarily block Bush admin Mexican truck scheme; forgetting something?
Bush administration lets Mexican truckers past border zone
Posted to Immigration2007b at 05:18 PM
Watch for the "Clergy Response Teams" (quell citizens after martial law)
The following is an actual news report from Shreveport's KSLA (text here and in extended entry) discussing how the DHS is working with local religious leaders as part of "Clergy Response Teams" who would tell the citizens to give up their guns and abide by any martial law restrictions.Speculation on this here; note that back in 2006 Prison Planet posted this:
A Pastor has come forward to blow the whistle on a nationwide FEMA program which is training Pastors and other religious representatives to become secret police enforcers who teach their congregations to "obey the government" in preparation for a declaration of martial law, property and firearm seizures, and forced relocation.Full text of the article:
In March of this year [2006] the Pastor, who we shall refer to as Pastor Revere, was invited to attend a meeting of his local FEMA chapter which circulated around preparedness for a potential bio-terrorist attack, any natural disaster or a nationally declared emergency.
The FEMA directors told the Pastors that attended that it was their job to help implement FEMA and Homeland Security directives in anticipation of any of these eventualities. The first directive was for Pastors to preach to their congregations Romans 13, the often taken out of context bible passage that was used by Hitler to hoodwink Christians into supporting him, in order to teach them to "obey the government" when martial law is declared.
Could martial law ever become a reality in America? Some fear any nuclear, biological or chemical attack on U.S. soil might trigger just that. KSLA News 12 has discovered that the clergy would help the government with potentially their biggest problem: Us.
Charleton Heston's now-famous speech before the National Rifle Association at a convention back in 2000 will forever be remembered as a stirring moment for all 2nd Amendment advocates. At the end of his remarks, Heston held up his antique rifle and told the crowd in his Moses-like voice, "over my cold, dead hands."
While Heston, then serving as the NRA President, made those remarks in response to calls for more gun control laws at the time, those words live on. Heston's declaration captured a truly American value: An over-arching desire to protect our freedoms.
But gun confiscation is exactly what happened during the state of emergency following Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, along with forced relocation. U.S. Troops also arrived, something far easier to do now, thanks to last year's elimination of the 1878 Posse Comitatus act, which had forbid regular U.S. Army troops from policing on American soil.
If martial law were enacted here at home, like depicted in the movie "The Siege", easing public fears and quelling dissent would be critical. And that's exactly what the 'Clergy Response Team' helped accomplish in the wake of Katrina.
Dr. Durell Tuberville serves as chaplain for the Shreveport Fire Department and the Caddo Sheriff's Office. Tuberville said of the clergy team's mission, "the primary thing that we say to anybody is, 'let's cooperate and get this thing over with and then we'll settle the differences once the crisis is over.'"
Such clergy response teams would walk a tight-rope during martial law between the demands of the government on the one side, versus the wishes of the public on the other. "In a lot of cases, these clergy would already be known in the neighborhoods in which they're helping to diffuse that situation," assured Sandy Davis. He serves as the director of the Caddo-Bossier Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.
For the clergy team, one of the biggest tools that they will have in helping calm the public down or to obey the law is the bible itself, specifically Romans 13. Dr. Tuberville elaborated, "because the government's established by the Lord, you know. And, that's what we believe in the Christian faith. That's what's stated in the scripture."
Civil rights advocates believe the amount of public cooperation during such a time of unrest may ultimately depend on how long they expect a suspension of rights might last.
Posted to Privacy at 12:31 PM
Bush admin scam: Social Security "no match" letters will have little effect ("tough" new DHS policy)
This has to be read in its entirety to be believed. The Bush administration can't even keep a scam going for a few days.Days after unveiling a major crackdown on businesses that hire illegal immigrants, the Bush administration is now quietly admitting that its most heavily touted weapon in pursuing employers will be virtually useless.
...But Homeland Security officials acknowledged this week that because of a privacy provision in the IRS code, immigration officials will actually have no way of knowing which employers have received "no-match" letters, which have complied and which have not...
...Left untouched, however, was section 6103 of the IRS code - a privacy provision the government has long interpreted to mean that Social Security officials are forbidden from sharing tax information with other agencies...
..."I think this is viewed as more of a self-enforcing thing," said John Gay, top lobbyist for the National Restaurant Association, which represents about 1.4 million estimated employees in California. "This is another tool in their kit. It's easier to establish a violation with these rules."
Tom Nassif, president of the California Grower's Association, said any "no-match" letters a company receives will come out during a civil trial if that business is ever cited for immigration violations...
...[Steven Camarota, research director for the Center of Immigration Studies] said he suspects the Bush administration hopes the business community, whose division over the recent Senate immigration compromise bill helped lead to its failure, will be galvanized into action by the threat of economic upheaval.
"They don't really want to upset the apple cart, they just want to tip it back and forth and act like they're doing something," Camarota said of the administration's rules.
...Nassif agreed but called it a risky gamble with the country's economy...
Posted to Immigration2007a at 11:02 AM
Block a bulldozer for Al Gore! (civil disobedience against global warming)
According to Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times (Times Select; excerpt) Al Gore not only "vibrates with passion [about global warming]", he wants young people to take direct action. Now, certainly, civil disobedience is perfectly justifiable in many cases, but I don't think Big Wooden Al is either Gandhi or Thoreau, even as he tries to assume their mantles for his own ends.I ran into Al Gore at a climate/energy conference this month, and he vibrates with passion about this issue -- recognizing that we should confront mortal threats even when they don't emanate from Al Qaeda.
"We are now treating the Earth's atmosphere as an open sewer," he said, and (perhaps because my teenage son was beside me) he encouraged young people to engage in peaceful protests to block major new carbon sources.
"I can't understand why there aren't rings of young people blocking bulldozers," Mr. Gore said, "and preventing them from constructing coal-fired power plants."
Posted to MultiCultiCult at 11:39 PM
Supporters of immigration laws threatened by John McCain
Senator John McCain claims that he's received death threats over his immigration stance and Associated Press writer Steven Paulson, while noting that McCain "declined to elaborate on the threats" otherwise took him at his word and refers to the threats as "unprecedented". He probably isn't lying, but then again he's probably received such threats over the course of his career. They might have picked up due to the fact that many people are upset about this issue; with more people involved, there's a greater probability that those already predisposed to make such threats will actually make them.
Other than that, he's simply playing the victimization card, and doing so before a group of co-elites at the Aspen Institute. No doubt similar scenes have played themselves out all throughout history, as, for instance, those in the drawing rooms of St. Petersburg marveled at the beliefs of the serfs.
Like Lindsey Graham and other name-callers, he's simply trying to portray his opponents in as bad a light as possible. Back in June, Jeff Zeleny of the New York Times discussed other supposed threats, and, like Paulson he took the "Grand Bargainers" at their word. Kyrsten Sinema played the same game, as did a Mexican consul.
Continuing the righteous-victim-of-yahoos* theme:
McCain acknowledged that the immigration issue, along with his support for the war in Iraq, had cost him politically. "Look, I've got to do what I know is right for this country. These issues I have to take head-on," he said.
* "Y is for Yahoo" by William Kristol, 04/10/2006, link
Posted to Immigration2007b at 01:51 PM
BP sector chief: "The Border Patrol is not equipped to stop illegal immigrants"
While newspapers have been known to take things out of context, I'm having trouble seeing how that could have been done in this case:Border Patrol agents dont have the responsibility of apprehending illegal immigrants, Carlos X. Carrillo, chief patrol agent for the Laredo sector, said at a town hall meeting Wednesday. "The Border Patrol is not equipped to stop illegal immigrants," Carrillo said, noting that illegal narcotics are also not on the agents priority list.8/28/07 UPDATE: He's "apologized":
"The Border Patrol mission is not to do any of those things," he emphasized.
The Border Patrols mission is to keep the country safe from terrorist and terrorist weapons, he said. Carrillo added that when and if terrorists come into the country, the agents will be ready...
Carrillo said the Carrizo cane along the river is an environmental challenge. He said that before enforcing any type of fence, the Carrizo canes need to be addressed, allowing agents to patrol and spot traffic in the river...
"It's painfully obvious to me that I could have done a better job of articulating my talking points... As long as the resources are made available to the people who can make it happen, we will certainly do everything we can to ensure that a zero tolerance policy is brought forward. But to initiate a program like this, without the funding, would not be wise."12/01/07 UPDATE: There's video and a transcript of his remarks here.
Posted to Immigration2007b at 10:41 AM
EWIC, NILC have a scheme to block DHS no-match push
From this, we receive word that Laura Reiff of the Essential Worker Immigration Coalition tried to block funding for the recently announced supposed push by the DHS to enforce the Social Security number no-match regulations. They apparently didn't find anyone willing to help them out, so, together with attorney Monica Guizar from the National Immigration Law Center, they're trying a new tack:
Among the ideas under consideration are seeking approval of a resolution under the Congressional Review Act, a rarely used tool that allows Congress to review and overrule regulations, or raising the question of whether the rules violate the Regulatory Flexibility Act, which require agencies to consider the impact of their regulatory actions on small businesses.
Anything to "help" "immigrants".
Posted to Immigration2007b at 08:02 PM
Giuliani Vows to End Illegal Immigration (WhiteOut, rubber stamp makers celebrate)
Rudy Giuliani has vowed to end illegal immigration as we know it. Under his plan, a new governmental organization will scour the web, editing pages to change the words "illegal immigration" to "legal immigration" (all site owners will be required to put their passwords in a government database for their and our safety). Likewise, the same group will access newspapers' computer systems and do a search-and-replace of those two terms. Millions of gallons of WhiteOut [TM] will need to be ordered for materials that are already printed. And, border patrol agents will each be issued a set of rubber stamps and inking pads to welcome any "guest" who can make it over the border.
I kid! At least, I think I'm kidding. Certainly, in the past, Giuliani has praised "undocumented aliens", but that was last decade.
Posted to Immigration2007b at 04:29 PM
The video that could make Mitt Romney president
I don't want Mitt Romney to be president, but if I did I'd work night and day to get as much attention as possible to this NSFW video: link. Once again: the end of it is NSFW.
Now that's a smear! And, sleazy too, and one that only a small percentage of the population would not be disgusted by.
So, if you have a DailyKos account, or want to send it to Crooks & Liars or even democrats.org, feel free. Let's get the word out about this Romney fellow!
Posted to Politics at 11:28 PM
Illegal alien drunk driver kills three, could get three or four years
Under a plea deal, an illegal alien who killed three young Americans while drunk in a head-on collision could get a little over four years in prison. Lee County, North Carolina Assistant District Attorney Mike Beam made the bargain that would allow him to plead to involuntary manslaughter with 16 to 20 months for each count; minus 10 months time served that would result in a sentence of 38 to 50 months.
According to his lawyer:
He's very, very sorry. It's a tragic accident.
Posted to Immigration2007b at 11:12 PM
Rudy Giuliani names immigration advisory board
Rudy Giuliani has named a few people as advisors on immigration matters. Their bios are here:
* Robert Bonner, former Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection
* C. Stewart Verdery, Jr., former Assistant Secretary for Policy and Planning at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
* Victor Cerda, former Assistant Secretary of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the DHS
* Michael Petrucelli, former Acting Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
* Nicolle Sciara Rippeon, former Deputy Chief of Staff for Bonner
* Ray Shepherd, Member, former Staff Director and Chief Counsel of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
* Jan Ting, Assistant Commissioner at the Immigration & Naturalization Service under Bush I
With such high-powered advisors, surely Giuliani won't have any problems answering tough questions about this issue. So, please go to his campaign appearances, ask him those questions (especially about his "foreigners only" biometric ID card scheme which would eventually become a national ID card), and upload his responses to video sharing sites.
Posted to Immigration2007b at 10:36 PM