2003 Immigration News Archives

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"Bill Jones speaks out against voting rights for non-citizens"

From Terence Chea of the AP:

Republican Senate candidate Bill Jones railed on Monday against a ballot measure that would grant non-citizens here the right to vote in school board elections, calling it a "slap in the face" to U.S. citizenship and the country's immigration laws.

Speaking on the steps of San Francisco City Hall, the former secretary of state said the charter amendment would violate the California Constitution and erode public confidence in the electoral process. He said encouraging immigrants to become citizens is the best way to expand voter participation...

Oddly enough, Barbara Boxer also opposes the measure.

Whether Terence Chea would characterize Barbara Boxer as "railing" about something is an open question.

Posted at 01:26 PM | Comments (1)

Hillary: 'Secure our borders'

During the Clinton administration, the INS became a virtual recruiting drive for the Democratic party, as described here.

So, when Hillary Clinton remarked in her speech yesterday that we should secure our borders, I laughed a bit. However, there's always the possibility that if they say it enough, they might actually mean it. Unfortunately, the non-liberal media will not press her to fully explain her comment and provide details of what we should be doing.

WND comments on that part of her speech here:

Hillary Clinton surprised a few people around the country and turned a few heads when she talked about how John Kerry would make America safer.

In a nationally televised speech from the Democratic National Convention in Boston, the New York senator and former first lady said, "We need to secure our borders."

Posted at 10:54 AM | Comments (0)

"Politicians Snub Latinos' Real Wishes"

I was working on a similar post, but Dan Stein of FAIR says it much better:

Ranking right up there with the proverbial "Dog Bites Man" headline, a new opinion poll released last week by the Pew Hispanic Center finds that Latinos in the United States are most concerned about education, jobs, the state of the economy and access to affordable healthcare � just like everyone else in the country. Eleventh on the list of things that Latinos are concerned with � several notches below the vague notion of moral values � is immigration...

With the stroke of Bush's or Kerry's pen, millions of illegal aliens can be instantly transformed into guest workers or green card holders, and the man holding the pen can take credit for having "delivered" something to Latinos, even if it is only the 11th item on their wish list. Ironically, in making item No. 11 come true, the politicians who are pandering to them will make their other wishes even more difficult, if not impossible, to attain. Because neither Congress nor the president possesses the authority to repeal the law of supply and demand, amnesty for millions of illegal aliens and their families, expanded guest worker programs and still higher levels of legal immigration would only exacerbate the very problems that most Latinos (and everybody else) worry about...

My post, however, would have wondered whether the "Hisp" part of "Hispandering" is accurate or not. Are Bush's and Kerry's "outreach" to Latinos via Open Borders initiatives really intended to get the "Hispanic vote" so much as to appease those who desire cheap labor at any cost?

And, in Bush's case, could he be looking to demographically change the U.S. in order to make a presidential bid by his nephew possible?

Or, are Bush and Kerry's plans part of their general globalist, NWO agenda? (Not that I believe in any of that black helicopter, Skull & Bones, Bilderberger stuff, mind you.)

In any case, a newly-enspined John Kerry could follow up on Hillary Clinton's remarks of yesterday (see the next post). He could announce a flip-flop on the Kerry Amnesty. Rather than attempting to flood the U.S. with low-wage workers, he could decide to use immigration to America's benefit. By doing so he would enrage the "Latino" "leadership." But, where would they go? And, how many Latinos who are not a member of far-left Racial Identity groups could he attract to his campaign? And, how many disatisfied conservative voters could he bring on board? And, by pledging to increase border security and decrease illegal immigration, he could point out Bush's glaring weaknesses in those areas.

I think he'd come out ahead, all things considered. But, that would require him to show true leadership and take a risk, rather than sticking with the safe bet of playing the usual Democratic race game.

Posted at 10:44 AM | Comments (0)

"Additional [Border Patrol] roundups planned"

From this:

U.S. Border Patrol sweeps to round up and deport undocumented immigrants will continue in San Bernardino and Riverside counties, officials said Saturday.

A newly formed unit at the Border Patrol's Temecula station has arrested 505 illegal immigrants in Southern California since June 4, including a total of 154 in Ontario and Corona. The rest were arrested in Temecula and San Diego County...

"I know they have future operations planned and they have received the support of Washington, D.C. for future operations,' said Richard Kite, senior patrol agent for the Border Patrol's San Diego sector...

Kite would not disclose when or where the sweeps will occur...

Sean Isham, a Border Patrol supervisor, said "an intelligence folder' has been approved for an upcoming operation.

"Whether it's based on citizen calls or agent experiences going out and surveilling a certain area, they compile that intelligence into a folder,' said Isham, who is based in San Diego. "That folder is sent to Washington for approval.'

Hmmm. Window dressing or for real? Will the Bush administration cave in to Racial Identity groups and the Mexican government again, or will they, er, stay the course? Stay tuned.

Previous coverage of the raids starts here.

Posted at 09:38 PM | Comments (0)

"The Fastest Way To [profit from illegal immigration]"

FirstData is the parent company of Western Union, and they're now a major processor of credit card transactions in addition to their original business of money transfer.

As described here, they've also decided to attempt to unseat U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, who represents the district in Colorado where their headquarters are based.

They've been in the news recently because of this article: "Heckling, fistfight mar forum on immigration":

Organizers who brought together a panel of national experts for a forum on immigration reform sponsored by First Data Corp. on Thursday night billed the event as way to foster dialogue on a critical policy issue...

Halfway through, a fistfight broke out, and police arrested a woman friends described as a Hispanic activist after she struck a heckler on the head.

"All the other events have been perfectly calm," said Wendy Carver-Herbert, a slightly shaken First Data Corp. vice president, referring to similar panels in Washington and Chicago.

"We intended this to be a very thought-provoking forum on an important topic that needs to be debated," she said...

...critics blamed the organizers for staging a forum they said was one-sided and shut out the opinion of immigration opponents...

In February, First Data held a "debate" moderated by former CNN Washington Bureau Chief Frank Sesno. The panelists were:

Harry Pachon, president, Tomas Rivera Policy Institute * Cecilia Munoz, vice president, National Council of La Raza (NCLR) * Arturo Vargas, executive director, National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Educational Fund (NALEO) * Sal Gomez, board member, Denver Hispanic Chamber of Commerce * Raul Hinojosa, Ph.D, North American Integration & Development Center/UCLA * Robert Deposada, president, The Latino Coalition

Doesn't sound like there was much debate involved.

They've also created a $10 million "Empowerment Fund," as described in "First Data/Western Union and Latino Advocacy Organizations Call For Action on Immigration Reform"

But, the bottom line is the bottom line here.

At their site, First Data provides the article "The Fastest Way To Make Money" from Time Magazine:

About 100 miles south of Mexico City, in a valley framed by towering pre-Columbian ruins, sits Coatetelco, population 15,000, which has a beauty parlor but no bank. A few people grow maize, chilies and fruit, but remittances--mostly from agricultural or construction workers in Georgia and the Carolinas--account for a staggering 90% of the villagers' incomes. Patricio, 49, who stopped working in the U.S. three years ago, says sending money to Coatetelco has become more convenient and less expensive since his return. At the end of each month, he gets a call from his two sons, who are working illegally in Georgia....

Obviously, there's big money in enabling illegal immigration.

Witness the Bush administration trying to continue allowing banks to accept Matricula Consular cards:

Yesterday that amendment was sustained in the full committee by a vote of 26-25, despite major arm twisting by the Bush Administration to remove the provision. Treasury Secretary Snow wrote Appropriations Committee Chair, Rep. Bill Young, "The Administration believes as a general matter that Americans are better protected if consumers of all nationalities are invited into the financial mainstream."

Shouldn't Presidents support our laws, rather than helping them be broken?

Posted at 04:02 PM | Comments (1)

Arizona hospitals to get reimbursed a fraction of money spent on illegal alien healthcare; employers will not be charged

The Feds are giving Arizona hospitals $42 million a year for four years to help reimburse the costs of (free) healthcare for illegal aliens.

In the past year, the University Medical Center in Tucson lost ten times that amount providing free healthcare for illegal aliens.

The employers of those illegal aliens could not be reached for comment, as they were on their way to the bank.

Posted at 08:40 PM | Comments (0)

"Who's Getting the New Jobs?"

Bob Herbert of the New York Times finds out:

A startling new study shows that all of the growth in the employed population in the United States over the past few years can be attributed to recently arrived immigrants...

Those most affected by the influx of new immigrant workers are young, less well-educated American workers and so-called established immigrants, those who have been in the U.S. for a number of years...

Simply stated, there are not enough jobs being created to accommodate the wide variety of demographic groups in need of work. With that being the case, and with some employers actively recruiting new immigrants, the inevitable result has been the displacement of previously employed workers, especially in the less skilled and lower-income categories...

Someone should alert Kerry's base to the effect the Kerry Amnesty would have on their lives. JumboJack90040 is working on that, but he needs your help. Moby-lize!

Posted at 11:35 AM | Comments (1)

Gallup poll: 49% want immigration decreased

Here's the main findings of a new Gallup poll:

only 14% of Americans wanting to see immigration increased; another 33% want it kept at the present level while 49% want it decreased.

In a more detailed question:

Gallup asked respondents to rate the impact immigrants have on six different aspects of life in the United States. In all but one dimension, more Americans think that immigrants make the situation worse rather than better. This is especially true with respect to taxes and crime, on which close to half the public thinks immigrants make the situation worse. Immigrants are also viewed more negatively than positively in the areas of the overall economy, job opportunities, and social and moral values...

Only 6% think immigrants make the crime situation better, and only 22% think they make the economy better.

It would be helpful if Gallup would include questions about illegal immigration in their polls; I'm sure the numbers would be strongly opposing that form of immigration.

Posted at 01:19 PM | Comments (1)

"Foreign labor: for US, too much of a good thing?"

The CSMonitor crunches the numbers:

More than one-third of all people who ever immigrated to the US have come in the past three decades. Most have been men looking for jobs, legally or illegally, who compete directly with native- born men. George Borjas, a Harvard University economist and expert on immigration economics, estimates that between 1980 and 2000 immigration reduced the average annual earnings of native-born men by $1,700, or roughly 4 percent.

Because most immigrants in those 20 years had relatively little education, the impact of their arrival was greatest on natives who didn't graduate from high school, Borjas found. By adding to the supply of less-educated labor, immigration reduced their wages by 7.4 percent...

Immigration also exaggerates the gap between the rich and poor, Borjas determined. For example, while the poor and less educated in the US see their wages fall sharply because of the influx of new workers, the well-to-do and some businesses benefit from the cheap supply of gardeners, house cleaners, factory workers, day laborers, and so on. So wealth - in the "tens of billions of dollars" a year - is redistributed from labor to buyers of immigrant services, he estimates...

Then there's the drain on government budgets. Providing immigrants with things such as welfare, education, criminal justice, and emergency medical care costs taxpayers a net $11.4 billion to $20.2 billion, a 1997 National Research Council (NRC) report found. That's the total after accounting for the added taxes that immigrants pay into the system. And it surpasses the NRC estimate of $1 billion to $10 billion in benefits to natives - primarily the well-to-do - accruing from having so many immigrants in the labor markets...

A more recent Columbia University study pegs the net cost of immigration at $52 billion a year, or about half of 1 percent of gross domestic product, the nation's total output of goods and services.

"Generally, people don't want to hear these results," says David Weinstein, economist and coauthor with Donald Davis of the Columbia study...

Posted at 01:12 PM | Comments (1)

"Anti-migrant initiative backed"

Ah, the Arizona Republic outdoes itself yet again. "Anti-migrant initiative backed" is their report on a new poll showing overwhelming support for the Protect Arizona Now initiative.

First of all, PAN is not "anti-migrant." It simply attempts to limit illegal immigration. The opponents of the measure will certainly attempt to smear it as anti-migrant, and the Arizona Republic is just doing its part.

Also, considering that 74% of those polled support the initiative, the word "backed" is quite an understatement.

If the Arizona Republic were a supporter of PAN, they would, of course, highlight its broad support in the headline, instead they attempt to minimize it.

About 13% of the respondents were Hispanic, and they were evenly split on the initiative; the pollster (an ASU professor) expects 35% or 40% of Hispanics will support the initiative.

If you'd like to suggest that the Arizona Republic use the correct terminology and refrain from false and inflammatory headlines, click here to send various editors an email.

For a counterexample, the more balanced Douglas Daily Dispatch report "Poll shows voters would deny public assistance to illegals" never once uses "undocumented," and it has a far less inflammatory headline that doesn't attempt to downplay the poll results.

Posted at 12:50 PM | Comments (1)

"Aliens hiding in plain sight"

The Washington Times just ran a series of articles that offers an overview of the illegal immigration problem. They concentrate on our problems with enforcement, and they offer a stark contrast to the usual media blather featuring happy smiling serf laborers:

Aliens hiding in plain sight

Outnumbered in a hunt for aliens

Revolving door at border

Posted at 07:35 PM | Comments (0)

"'Perfectly Logical' Anti-Voter Fraud Bill Faces Tough Road, Says Lawmaker"

From this:

A Colorado congressman is praising a bill recently introduced in the House that would curb voter fraud by requiring voters to actually prove their citizenship.

It is called the Federal Election Integrity Act of 2004 (H.R. 4530). Introduced by Illinois Republican Henry Hyde, it is designed to amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, also known as the "Motor Voter Bill." That Clinton-era legislation has been criticized because it provides no safeguards from illegal aliens being able to register to vote.
That is why one of the stated purposes of Hyde's legislation is to prevent fraud in federal elections. Tom Tancredo of the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus says illegal alien voting has been a serious problem...

Posted at 07:23 PM | Comments (0)

Kansas City Star: Let U.S. citizens eat cake

The Kansas City Star has an editorial about FAIR's suit to prevent Kansas from making U.S. citizens pay greater college tuition than illegal aliens:

Despite the group's acronym, there's nothing "fair" about the attempt by [FAIR] to challenge a new Kansas law regarding college-age children of undocumented immigrants. Misguided and hurtful are more appropriate adjectives.

FAIR filed a lawsuit Monday in a Topeka federal court to block legislation that would allow immigrant students who meet certain guidelines to pay in-state tuition at Kansas colleges and universities... [The plaintiffs] argue that it is not right for them to have to pay out-of-state tuition while students in the country illegally pay less...

What the plaintiffs fail to acknowledge is that they had a choice in deciding to pay higher tuition. If they wanted to pay in-state tuition, they could have attended colleges and universities in their home states.

[The "immigrants" had no free will...] ...The immigrant students aren't replacing or jumping ahead of American-born students. There is plenty of room in Kansas' colleges and universities for those who wish to further their education.

These immigrant students have spent at least three years in Kansas schools. [Some were model students, the slow U.S. immigration system is really to blame... ends on hopeful note.

Those "certain guidelines" are that the students are "illegal immigrants," not "immigrants" as the editorial repeatedly states. The word "illegal" only appears once in the editorial ("... students in the country illegally pay less...") And, they even use "undocumented."

These (illegal) immigrant students are indeed replacing U.S. students. There is only so much money to go around, and the idea that money should be spent on an illegal alien before a U.S. citizen is a patently anti-American idea.

You can send a letter to the editor at: letters@kcstar.com

For more contacts, see this or this.

Their Editorial Page Editor is Miriam Pepper: mpepper@kcstar.com

There's background information about the suit in Suit challenges in-state tuition for illegal immigrants

Knight-Ridder reports on the suit in Suit seeks to prevent tuition break for illegal immigrants in Kansas. While the report is somewhat fair, note how a) the second paragraph uses "immigrants" instead of the correct phrase "illegal immigrants." And, note how only one plaintiff is featured, yet comments from two people on the other side are featured, and the comment from one of the people on the other side comes first. And, the second comments is from Emira Palacios of NPA. That's the group that surrounded Karl Rove's house a few months ago, banging on his windows in support of the DREAM Act.

The author of the Knight-Ridder piece is: Steve Painter at (785) 296-3006 or spainter@wichitaeagle.com

His editor might be Sherry Chisenhall: schisenhall@wichitaeagle.com

Posted at 10:35 AM | Comments (5)

"Kinder, gentler deportation program might not work"

Under a new Bush administration program, we're flying deported illegal aliens back into the interior of Mexico rather than a border city. It's costing each of us at least $100 per alien.

The only problem is it looks like - in addition to education, health care, housing, and all the rest - we're subsidizing vacation pay for their employers:

"I will be going back in 15 days," said [a deportee]...

Seven of eight deportees interviewed within a half-hour period Monday said they would cross the border soon.

"I'll try again in a month," [said another deportee]...

"It remains to be seen what percentage of the thousands caught at the border each week will opt for a free ride home," said Wayne Cornelius, immigration expert at the University of California at San Diego. "But bus tickets are cheap in Mexico, and even from the southern part of the country it should cost only about $100 and take two or three days for the average migrant to get back to the border."

So, once again, here's what the Mexican government and those corporations that employ illegal aliens are taking us for:

• Free healthcare
• Free K-12 schooling
• College educations cheaper than some U.S. citizens receive
• Housing assistance
• Free vacation travel
• ...and much more...

Shouldn't those corporations that employ illegals be picking up those costs, rather than passing them on to the rest of us?

Shouldn't John "Corporate Responsibility" Kerry be calling these corporations to task, rather than proposing amnesties that will bring millions more illegal aliens here?

Posted at 08:37 PM | Comments (0)

"Undocumented workers file suit against car wash"

From the Las Vegas Sun:

Fifteen undocumented Mexican workers filed suit in federal court last week alleging their supervisors at Green Valley Hand Car Wash failed to pay them adequate wages as required by state and federal law.

According to the group's lawyer, Jeffrey Fisher, the workers who filed the lawsuit, all men, frequently had been required to work almost 80 hours a week washing and buffing cars by hand. They were not paid minimum wage for all of the hours they worked, and they did not receive overtime pay, their lawyer said...

[...he said, she said...]

While federal and state law requires employers to pay all of their workers minimum wage for every hour they are at work -- regardless of their immigration status -- exposing the alleged injustice to the courts also means possibly exposing the workers' illegality to immigration officials...

A few of them had purchased Social Security cards for about $100 at the swap-meet on Bonanza Road, the workers said. They had used these forged documents to apply for work at the car wash, they said.

But if any of the workers past or present were illegal, supervisors at the car wash said they did not know that.

"They're all legal," Scully said. "They presented their two forms of ID (when they applied)..."

Uh huh. No, it's not that I don't believe you, it's just that... well, I don't believe you.

The most favorable outcome of this will be a) the plaintiffs will win several thousands each, b) the plaintiffs will collect after having been deported, c) the car wash will realize they could have saved money overall if they'd just hired U.S. citizens instead of illegal aliens.

Keep those suits a-comin'; if there are enough of them employers might wise up to the TCO of serf labor.

Posted at 08:20 PM | Comments (2)

Santa Cruz is truly a special town

Exhibit #1: The Santa Cruz Sentinel article "U.S. Border Patrol denies stepped-up enforcement":

When U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested hundreds of undocumented immigrants in Southern California, they touched off a wave of fear and anger that rippled throughout the state and across the nation.

But the agency, bound by a federal immigration policy frequently at odds with public sentiment, denies the actions it took last month in the Temecula area have been duplicated elsewhere.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the article's author, Donna Jones, is trying to state that the Feds are forced to pursue enforcement despite "public sentiment" being against it. That is, of course, completely wrong. The great majority of Americans want more immigration enforcement.

Unfortunately, quotes from Mario Villarreal, "spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection," make it quite clear that Americans are going to get less enforcement, not more.

Villarreal said the Border Patrol had a "substantial" presence in the Central Coast area in the past, but no longer. The Salinas office, whose agents conducted random stops of suspected illegal residents as late as 2000, has closed.

The nearest Border Patrol office to Santa Cruz County is Livermore, he said. The regional office, which is responsible for the territory between the northern edges of San Bernadino and Los Angeles counties and the Oregon border, has only a "handful of agents," and they are being reassigned in the near future, Villarreal said.

Well, that's a relief. He goes on to say that the border is protected, but the interior is not. Or, words to that effect.

Before reading the following, make sure you aren't drinking water or anything:

"We don’t make policy; we enforce the law," he said. "We are out there 24 hours a day, seven days a week protecting America from anyone who enters illegally and from anyone who wants to do us harm."

Posted at 07:29 PM | Comments (0)

"The Immigrant Gang Plague"

Heather MacDonald (author of the much-linked "The Illegal-Alien Crime Wave") has a new article entitled "The Immigrant Gang Plague". Too much to excerpt, but it's highly recommended. My most important recommendation, however, would be to somehow force community "leaders" and other apologists to read it. Or, even better, vote out of office those who support policies that lead to the situation described in her report. In fact, Santa Ana already did that. Unfortunately, Nativo Lopez still manages to get his name in the papers.

Posted at 09:10 PM | Comments (0)

"Back to Reality" for the Illinois GOP

The Illinois Leader editorializes:

The prospects of a Da Coach for Da Senate made this an interesting week in the soap opera that is Republican electoral politics in Illinois...

We know Republican primary runner-up Jim Oberweis met with party officials for his interview earlier this week. We’re sure he’s waiting with bated breath to see if the gang who can’t shoot straight will deem him qualified to be the GOP Senate candidate...

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Topinka and GOP National disgrace, er, we mean National Committeeman Bob Kjellander are now wooing State Senator Kirk Dillard (R-Downers Grove)...

...as long as Judy Baar Topinka and Bob Kjellander are calling the shots with impunity-and make no mistake about it, they are-three things are clear: one, Illinoisans will not have a clear answer as to what it means to be a Republican in Illinois; two, as a result, Illinoisans will not have an articulate standard-bearer for GOP principles to consider as a US Senate candidate; and, three, the Republican Party in this state will continue to slouch towards electoral irrelevance.

Here's a quote from Dillard:

"...an Oberweis candidacy would present unique problems when it comes to immigration and race and ethnicity, [problems] which I'm not sure we want to take on at this time."

What a wimp.

Contact info for the IL GOP is provided here if you want to suggest they grow a spine. Ted Nugent - yes, Ted Nugent - would certainly be interesting. However, their best bet would seem to be to choose Oberweis and through all their weight behind him.

Posted at 10:02 PM | Comments (0)

"Twenty-Four Americans Challenge Law, Claiming New Policy Discriminates Against American Citizens"

TOPEKA, Kan., July 16 /PRNewswire/ -- A law suit will be filed on Monday, July 19 in Federal Court in Topeka, Kansas, charging that a new state law permitting illegal aliens to attend Kansas public universities at in-state tuition rates violates the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment and other federal laws. The suit is being filed on behalf of 24 American citizens who claim they are being denied the same benefits that Kansas is offering to illegal immigrants...

The suit will be filed by Kris Kobach, a professor of constitutional law at the University of Missouri, Kansas City Law School, on behalf of the plaintiffs who were identified by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). Professor Kobach was formerly a senior advisor to the U.S. Department of Justice on immigration and homeland security...

"The new law in Kansas offers a better deal to illegal immigrants than it does to U.S. citizens and legal immigrants, including some who own property and pay taxes in Kansas," said Dan Stein, executive director of FAIR. "Ironically, a foreign student who legally obtains a visa to attend a public university in Kansas will wind up paying a far higher tuition than someone who broke the law. While this suit is being filed in direct challenge to the Kansas policy, its outcome could affect similar policies in other states..."

The DREAM Act would be a national version of the Kansas law.

About the only argument supporters of the DREAM Act and the Kansas law have are emotional appeals and smears. Tactically speaking, I hope that the 24 plaintiffs are sympathetic, and also that a fair number of them are Of Color to help deflect the expected cries of racism from supporters of illegal immigration.

We'll have to wait and see if the non-liberal press will do stories on any of the plaintiffs with the same emotionalism that they write about the plight of illegal aliens.

Posted at 03:38 PM | Comments (2)

"Smuggling Rings at LAX Targeted"

The LAT intones:

Federal authorities launched a crackdown this week aimed at breaking up smuggling rings that use Los Angeles International Airport to send illegal immigrants across the United States.

In the first coordinated operation to halt human smuggling at the world's fifth-busiest airport, uniformed Border Patrol agents and undercover immigration investigators arrested 64 undocumented immigrants on Tuesday and Wednesday...

"This is not about picking up large numbers of illegal aliens using LAX," said Kevin Jeffery, deputy special agent in the Los Angeles office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "This is about dismantling criminal organizations."

The complaints of ethnic profiling from the usual suspects are first referenced in paragraph 6. And, I want to stress just how much the DHS is going out of its way to assure everyone that they're only using intelligence to search for smuggling kingpins or principals. They are not racially profiling.

The SanFran Chronical story "Officials start crackdown on human smugglers at LAX" stresses the negative, pointing out that the raids will just push the smugglers to other airports in the second paragraph. Surprisingly, the Chronical story doesn't include quotes from the usual illegal immigration advocates.

The AP report, on the other hand, goes in the direction one would expect based on its headline: "More Arrests At LAX, Immigration Groups Fear Profiling". Concerns about racial profiling start in the second paragraph, and over a third of the article is devoted to their cavils. It even includes a quote from Mexico's consul general in L.A. (Someone should tell the AP's reporter or editor that "consul" is the person, "consulate" is the building or office pertaining to a consul, because in their report they confuse the two.)

Posted at 01:17 PM | Comments (0)

Getting to the Facts About the Protect Arizona Now Initiative

OK, so you read the lies from the L.A. Times about Arizona's PAN initiative.

Now, here's "Proposition 200: Cutting Through the Rhetoric and Getting to the Facts About the Protect Arizona Now Initiative":

Large-scale illegal immigration is an important issue in Arizona and much of the rest of the nation, and it is crucial that the facts about Proposition 200 be reported accurately to the voters. What Proposition 200 says and does not say, what it would do and would not do, must be presented accurately so that voters can make an informed choice when they go to the polls on November 2.

The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), the leading immigration policy organization in country, has prepared an analysis of what is contained in Proposition 200, and answers to key questions about the initiative and those who are behind it. "We fully expect that opponents of the initiative will attempt to distort and mislead Arizona voters about Proposition 200," said Dan Stein, executive director of FAIR. "Therefore, it is important for the media and the public to have access to the facts about an initiative that has local and national implications." FAIR staff attorney, Michael Hethmon, is available to discuss and provide additional information about Proposition 200. He can be reached at (202) 328-7004 or at attorney@fairus.org

There's much more. If you live in Arizona, or are otherwise interested, check it out.

Posted at 09:25 PM | Comments (6)

How to make big money with illegal immigration

No, not the "normal" way such as that allegedly employed by Wal*Mart subcontractors, Tyson Foods, and the like.

There are millions to be made by following the laws, rather than trying to break them:

YAKIMA, Wash., July 14 /PRNewswire/ -- A group of legal immigrants residing in Washington state's apple-producing Yakima Valley won a major legal victory yesterday after a U.S. District Court judge certified a class action lawsuit against executives of one of the state's largest orchard owners charging that the executives conspired to depress farmworkers' wages by hiring large numbers of illegal workers to set low wage standards for orchard and packing house work.

The class action lawsuit was originally filed in United States District Court in March of 2000 under the Federal Racketeer and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) and is the first of its kind in the U.S. where legal workers have sued agricultural employers about intentional wage depression through the use of illegal labor.

Now certified as a class action, the suit represents an estimated 20,000 packing house and orchard workers of Zirkle Fruit Company, based in Selah, Washington and those legal workers hired by Selective Employment Agency to work in Zirkle's packing house operations.

Seattle attorney Steve Berman filed the lawsuit on behalf of three named plaintiffs...

Suits like these will raise the TCO ("Total Cost of Ownership") of illegal alien serfs. Hopefully Berman and lawyers who file similar class actions will clean up and the growers will decide that illegal alien serfs just aren't worth it.

Posted at 08:54 PM | Comments (6)

"Malaysia Announces Plans to Expel More Than a Million Illegal Workers"

From the VOA:

The Malaysian government says it is planning a massive expulsion of the estimated 1.2 million illegal foreign workers in the country.

The country's home minister say about 400,000 volunteer corps members will detain and deport the illegal workers. Officials say they are still working on the logistics of transporting and housing so many deportees...

And, from "Government to weed out illegals first":

[Home Affairs Minister Datuk Azmi Khalid] said new laws on the recruitment of foreign workers were also being drafted and there would be amendments to certain legislations to curb the inflow of foreign workers and illegal immigrants.

He warned employers to expel their illegal workers or face hefty penalties.

It's unfortunate that they're going to have a national ID card, but that doesn't mean the U.S. couldn't expel our illegal aliens if we wanted to. If we started cracking down on the employers, untold thousands of illegal aliens would self-deport.

Posted at 12:41 PM | Comments (1)

More on human trafficking

Knight-Ridder: 'Modern slavery' growing in U.S., panel told

Seattle Times: Washington state a hotbed for human trafficking, report says

Posted at 12:32 PM | Comments (0)

Da Fix is in

Despite "storming" out of a meeting:

House Speaker Dennis Hastert and several top Republicans, including state house GOP leader Tom Cross, [are] expected to endorse the idea of a Ditka candidacy Wednesday night at the Navy Pier... unknown whether Ditka will attend...

Why would the GOP be so interested in Mike Ditka? Perhaps they think or know that he'll basically do what they want. He'll be colorful, but he won't rock the boat.

Meanwhile, 2nd place primary finisher Jim Oberweis is largely ignored. His apparent sin? Opposing illegal immigration. If the GOP leadership is behind Ditka, expect him to be "compassionate" just like Bush on this issue.

Posted at 10:07 AM | Comments (0)

"Boosting For Billions"

[This post is originally from 7/10/04; see the next post for an explanation]

After its Kerry-Edwards-Stahl kissyfest, 60 Minutes ran a segment called "Boosting For Billions":

"Boosting" is organized shoplifting, and if you think it's a petty crime, think again.

As Correspondent Steve Kroft first reported in February, approximately $10 billion in merchandise is stolen from stores every year -- and retailers are just beginning to realize that a huge chunk of it is being taken by gangs of highly skilled, well-organized professionals from South America...

There may be as many as a 1,000 of these teams operating every day, and about the only the place they are ever captured is on the videotape in store security cameras...

[A cop] has books containing mug shots, and surveillance photos of 2,500 South American gang members known to be operating in the United States. All of them have been arrested at least once; almost all of them are in the country illegally...

...retailers are trying to push a bill through Congress that would treat shoplifting by these rings as a federal felony with penalties of up to 10 years in jail.

Would it be mean-spirited of The Gap and the rest to suggest that - the horror! - the boosters should just be deported? No new laws necessary, just enforce those we already have.

Would Racial Identity groups hold protests in the streets? After, these gangs sound like they're doing the organized shoplifting Americans won't do.

On the other hand, perhaps these retailers who are losing millions of dollars a year might be willing to help get rid of lax immigration policies.

Posted at 10:07 PM | Comments (0)

"Bush official slammed for stopping illegals sweeps"

WND reports on John and Ken's valiant efforts:

Border Patrol agents who executed highly popular roundups of illegal aliens in Southern California last month – the first of their kind in recent memory – say they've been told to stop such enforcement action, and the Bush administration official in charge of the immigration enforcement has refused to say if there would be additional sweeps in the future.

In an extraordinary radio interview [if that link doesn't work, save or play this one --LW] Thursday on Los Angeles talk-radio station KFI, talk-show host John Kobylt grilled Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security Asa Hutchinson about why the roundups had been ended. The official, a former congressman who works under Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, attempted to defend the Bush administration record on immigration enforcement, but was repeatedly pressured by Kobylt to justify the canceling of the sweeps...

Previous coverage starts here.

Posted at 03:40 PM | Comments (0)

More smears, lies from the non-liberal L.A. Times

The LAT prints a guest commentary from Tamar Jacoby entitled "Anti-Immigrant Fever in Arizona":

Call it Proposition 187 redux. Last week, backers of a ballot measure dubbed "Protect Arizona Now" turned in petitions signed by 190,887 residents of that state calling for the initiative to be put to voters in November. The local political establishment was stunned. No one had expected the measure, which would deny state services to illegal immigrants, to garner anything like that kind of support — over 50% more signatures than required to get it on the ballot. If the signatures hold up, Arizonans will pick up where Californians left off 10 years ago, in another ugly battle over immigration...

More important, unlike in California, most Republican elected officials appear to be opposed to the measure. No member of the Arizona congressional delegation, or any other statewide politician, has supported it. And business leaders, who understand the value of immigrant labor, are adamantly against, at least in private meetings...

We owe a debt of thanks to Tamar Jacoby. That last paragraph neatly lays out where the problem lies, and who's responsible. Many current Arizona politicians and businesses are opposed to the will of the great majority of the people. Hopefully Arizonans will go against the wishes of the elites.

As for the L.A. Times, one wonders why they would print a guest commentary like this. They are supposedly an unbiased, non-liberal news source. Why didn't they change the headline of the commentary? It's obviously false and inflammatory: "opposed to illegal immigration" and "anti-immigrant" are two quite distinct things. Why didn't the LAT vet some of Jacoby's statements? Is it perhaps because the LAT agrees with her?

I urge everyone to send an email to the LAT's readers rep: Readers.Rep@latimes.com

Printing Jacoby's opinion is fine. Parroting her lies and smears is not.

See also:

Opponents of 'Protect Arizona Now': funded by a check-cashing firm

"Graf rips Kolbe at candidate forum" (Graf opposes illegal immigration)

(Via this)

Posted at 12:57 PM | Comments (1)

"D.C. hamstrings border officers"

Here's today's scariest, most disturbing story:

WASHINGTON – Despite increased anti-terror demands, immigration inspectors guarding the nation's borders are laboring under an internal budget crisis that has forced freezes on overtime pay and new hiring – as well as the release of hundreds of illegal immigrants from detention centers.

The funding crisis, which some lawmakers blame on possible financial mismanagement at the Department of Homeland Security, is expected to last at least through the fall...

...detention facilities in some regions have been asked to cut their populations of detained illegal immigrants by as much as 50 percent to save money, according to internal DHS memos obtained by WorldNetDaily. More than 1,600 detainees are in the process of being released inside the U.S. Hundreds more are expected to follow before the election...

Some alarmed members of Congress aren't fully buying [DHS's explanation of problems related to the INS-Customs merger], however.

For example, U.S. Rep. Jim Turner, ranking member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, last month asked the DHS inspector general to conduct an audit of the financial management of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, or CBP. The Texas Democrat says the committee has received "numerous reports" of financial problems at the new DHS bureau, possibly resulting from mismanagement.

...officials say DHS decided to freeze hiring at two of its bureaus: CBP and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, which is responsible for detaining and deporting illegal immigrants...

...inspections supervisors at major airports say they are under pressure to cut back on overtime staffing, especially for secondary inspections...

Even so, veteran immigration inspectors say morale has sunk to new lows since the merger, which they describe more as a "hostile takeover" by U.S. Customs management...

"Washington views the inspector in the field as the enemy," said a supervisor at another major airport, "and is trying hard to get rid of as many older inspectors as possible..."

Money is so tight, in fact, that some major airports have even begun cutting back on supplies used at inspections booths, such as copying paper, pens and latex gloves, officials say...

Worse, DHS is planning to release thousands of jailed illegal immigrants to save money. It spends about $550 million a year to hold the estimated 24,000 detainees around the country.

And headquarters is discouraging border patrol officers from taking new aliens into custody, according to both officials and internal documents.

"They don't want to capture anybody because they're running out of [jail] space and they don't have the money to hold them," a CBP official said.

An internal CBP memo circulated in the Midwest region reveals that the Detention and Removal division, or D&R, of ICE has been told to cut jail populations in half.

"D&R is feeling the budget crunch, too," said CBP official Richard J. Roster in a recent staff memo. "D&R has been told to cut back lock-up numbers by 50 percent."

"For example, down Kansas City way, they raided a chicken feeding farm and picked up 24 aliens. This will have to stop!" he said in his June 21 memo obtained by WND...

Victor Cerda, acting director of detention and removal operations at ICE, called the administration's new plan to release thousands of jailed illegal immigrants to home confinement "a compassionate alternative..."

Posted at 11:31 AM | Comments (0)

JumboJack90040 has a question

The newest member of the John Edwards community has a question:

I'm on the fence, and I hope someone can help me with a few questions.

I read a report where John Edwards said that John Kerry will restore corporate responsibility. That sounds good to me, but I'm worried about John Kerry's plan that would give amnesty to millions of illegal aliens.

Most of those illegal aliens were employed in violation of our immigration laws. Under Kerry's amnesty, those thousands of corporations that have employed millions of illegal aliens won't be held responsible for violation our laws for years.

In most cases those corporations were fully aware that they were hiring illegal aliens, a federal offense. Does John Kerry intend to punish those corporations, or will he just let them get off?

Also, I read a statistic that I didn't know about before. According to Kerry, "Hispanic-American unemployment has soared more than 30% (and) 1.4 million Hispanic-Americans are out of work."

Yet, Kerry's amnesty will encourage millions more low-wage earning illegal aliens to come to the U.S. That will drive down wages for low-income Hispanic-Americans and African-Americans. How does Kerry intend to provide jobs for millions of low-wage earning American citizens if he's inviting millions of low-wage earning illegal aliens to come here?

Like I said, I'm on the fence, so I hope someone can answer my questions.

Let's see how long "JumboJack90040"'s question lasts before it's deemed not fawning enough. My similar posts were deleted from John Kerry's blog.

In any case, I encourage others to "Moby-lize" the cause, perhaps even doing it in a more subtle way.

Posted at 08:43 PM | Comments (0)

"Seattle labeled 'hot spot' for human cargo"

This is what happens when you refuse to enforce the immigration laws:

Sophisticated criminals are smuggling thousands of people from around the world into Washington -- from Canada, through Sea-Tac Airport and through the Port of Seattle.

Federal and local officials believe that many of them are victims of human trafficking -- working in sweatshops, massage parlors, restaurants and farms here and elsewhere. But because many local law-enforcement agencies have no idea how to identify trafficking victims, very few of them have been found. So the federal government plans to launch an Anti-Trafficking Task Force here in the fall to improve enforcement efforts.

Federal experts believe Seattle's many points of entry make the city one of the nation's top human-trafficking hot spots...

[A federal apparatchik says,] "People don't know that it's happening. A good percentage of those who are trafficked are being trafficked for labor reasons -- to work in migrant camps. They're being held in debt bondage. ... It really is akin to a modern day form of slavery."

Seattle being "immigrant-friendly" (in English: turning a blind eye to illegal immigration), leads to an environment where involuntary illegal immigration can thrive. Seattle - like Los Angeles and other big cities - has a "sanctuary law" and forbids their police officers from asking about someone's immigration status. And, like other political organizations, they'll fold at the first hint of a protest from Racial Identity groups or the Mexican government. If Seattle or the Feds want to get serious about reducing modern-day slavery, they'll start getting serious about illegal immigration.

Posted at 11:24 AM | Comments (2)

Kerry, Edwards doublethink immigration

From "Kerry promises Hispanics immigration plan":

John Kerry promised Hispanics on Saturday that he would send Congress an immigration overhaul plan to make it easier for illegal immigrants to become citizens.

"Today, our immigration system is broken," [courtesy Ted Kennedy and others --LW] [he told] the League of United Latin American Citizens.

"In my first hundred days as president, I will send a comprehensive immigration reform bill to Congress," Kerry said...

"Building a stronger America means protecting our values at home," Kerry said. "In the last three years, Hispanic-American unemployment has soared more than 30% (and) 1.4 million Hispanic-Americans are out of work... Millions and millions of hardworking Hispanics who have jobs are getting paid enough to pay the bills..." [sic; presumably that should be "are not getting paid enough..."]

Also Saturday, Edwards [said] "In November, middle-class families will be able to rest assured that John Kerry will look out for their interests, restore corporate responsibility and put our economy back in line with our values."

Both Kerry and Edwards are guilty of classic doublethink.

Edwards supports corporate responsibility, but at the same time they want to turn a blind-eye to those corporations which flagrantly violate our immigration laws. Those employers who've used illegal aliens for years or decades would simply get a pass under the Kerry Amnesty.

And, the Kerry Ammesty will not only not encourage illegal aliens to return to their home countries, it will encourage millions more to come here.

Since about 95% of those new illegal aliens who'll come here will be low-wage workers, they'll drive down already low wages. If Kerry truly cared about un- or under-employed "Hispanic-Americans," he'd seek to reduce the pool of low-wage workers. The Kerry Amnesty will have the exact opposite effect.

Posted at 01:46 PM | Comments (6)

Arizona: "Graf rips Kolbe at candidate forum"

From the Sierra Vista Herald:

SIERRA VISTA -The issues facing Congressional District 8 have changed, and U.S. Rep. Jim Kolbe is no longer the man to represent the critical area that includes much of Arizona's border with Mexico, said Randy Graf.

As Kolbe's Republican primary opponent, Graf, currently an Arizona legislator and leader in the state House of Representatives, said although Kolbe has served the district for 20 years he is out of touch with his constituents and issues...

Graf said Kolbe is so out of touch with his constituents he has even "abandoned Cochise County."

It is ironic that the congressman has scheduled five town halls this month and not one of them is in Cochise County, Graf said...

...Graf said one of the main issues he will dedicate himself to is protecting the border from the influx of illegal immigrants.

He said he believes the military can be put on the border but it will not require the use of tanks, landmines and M-16s.

Rather the military will bring technology to help the U.S. Border Patrol do its job better by using systems to locate illegal intruders, Graf said.

He estimated that between 5,000 and 10,000 members of the military would suffice to provide assistance along both borders - with Mexico and Canada...

Posted at 10:58 AM | Comments (1)

"Candidates Court Illegal Immigrants"

From immigration lawyer Matt Hayes:

On June 30, John Kerry went to Phoenix and spoke before the national conference of the race identity group La Raza. By now most Americans know that “La Raza” is Spanish for “The Race,” and also that the media accept that groups such as La Raza are conspicuously race conscious while being intolerant of others for being so.

This may be why Kerry, a presidential candidate of a mainstream political party, didn't see much of a downside in speaking before such an organization. In Kerry's appearance, Americans can see just how far behind its politicians have left the truth. They can also see that most candidates for federal office will propose almost anything if votes are in the offing...

On closer inspection, it's clear that Kerry's pronouncement could have come right out of Orwell. Not a single individual who could benefit from Kerry's amnesty plan has by any definition "played by the rules..."

Posted at 03:20 PM | Comments (0)

Illinois GOP cedes senate race to Democratic challenger

Amidst all the talk about Jack Ryan and Seven-o-Nine and Mike Ditka, the craven stupidity of the Illinois GOP has been obscured.

It looks like they'd rather cede the race for Senate to the Democrats than nominate someone who's - horror of all horrors - opposed to illegal immigration:

The Illinois Republican Party took another body blow Thursday, as the candidate considered the favorite by a number of GOP leaders dropped out of the running to replace U.S. Senate nominee Jack Ryan.

State Sen. Steve Rauschenberger said his late entry into the race would have made it nearly impossible to raise the money required to compete effectively against Democrat Barack Obama...

Aurora dairy owner Jim Oberweis argues that his second-place primary finish makes him the "logical" choice.

But many Republicans remain uneasy over TV commercials Oberweis ran during the primary attacking President Bush's immigration reform plans. Oberweis insists he only opposed illegal immigration, but the ads drew fire from immigrant groups and Republicans alike.

"There is a group in the party which obviously is enamored with Mr. Oberweis because he finished second," said DuPage County GOP Chairman Kirk Dillard. "[But] an Oberweis candidacy would present unique problems when it comes to immigration and race and ethnicity, [problems] which I'm not sure we want to take on at this time."

After Oberweis, the remaining 10 names on the list are not exactly household names...

Awww, they're "uneasy..."

See:
Jim Oberweis And The Illinois Senate Race
Oberweis ads rile immigrant groups
Survivor Tribal Council snuffs out fourth torch [Oberweis won't be endorsed by paper]
Tancredo endorses Oberweis for (R) Ill Senate
Congressman helps Oberweis push immigration reform
Primary also-rans in line for ballot spot
GOP told thanks, but no thanks [by Rauschenberger].

Most importantly, contact the IL GOP and let them know what you think:

Judy Baar Topinka, Chairman of the IL GOP:
chairman@ilgop.org
Chicago Office
32 W. Randolph, Suite 1700,
Chicago, IL 60601-3405
Phone: 312/201-9000
Fax: 312/201-1271

(To prep you for your phone call, take a look at her book: 'Here We Dough Again'. Oh boy.)

Posted at 11:19 AM | Comments (0)

Bush rebuffed by "Latinos"

President Bush hasn't learned:

President Bush made a pitch for his proposed temporary worker program before the nation's largest Hispanic rights group on Thursday.

Bush, via satellite, addressed the League of United Latin American Citizens convention in San Antonio.

Bush proposed allowing legal and illegal immigrants to work in the United States under renewable three-year permits...

On Saturday, LULAC members are expected to hear from Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry.

Some of the other reports of Bush's speech are similarly vapid.

However, the report "President draws criticism at LULAC convention" has some quotes from attendees:

"America is a nation of open doors, and we want it to remain that way," [Bush] said. "Immigrants bring great strength. For this administration, el sueno Americano es para todos (the American dream is for everyone) and we all deserve a chance at the American dream."

But C. R. Contreras, a LULAC member from San Antonio, said she wasn't impressed by Bush's speech or his Spanish phrasing.

"It was political," she said. "He wants my vote. He spoke one sentence in Spanish of which the tone of voice was negative. He confirmed my decision to vote for Kerry."

..."Current law says that we live in a massive undocumented economy," [Bush] said. "The system is not fair and it's not right. My proposal is humane. We need to bring people out of the shadow of American life."

Some members walked out during Bush's speech or didn't attend the luncheon because he was speaking.

Ray Mancera of El Paso left the ballroom when Bush came on the screen.

"As soon as he came on, I walked out," he said. "I'm not interested in what he has to say. I saw how he hurt minorities as governor and he's still doing that on a national level."

Ramiro Robles, the past national president of LULAC, said Bush has not helped Hispanics.

"He has nothing for us," he said. "He caters to the Hispanic community to break us. But we are educated now and we're going to vote."

These quotes reveal the core fallacy of the Bush/Rove Doctrine. Not all members of the same race, ethnic, or cultural-linguistic group think the same. Even little children can see that, but apparently Bush and Rove cannot.

If Bush were reaching out for the African-American Vote, would he cozy up to Spike Lee? Probably so, but, of course, it wouldn't work.

Likewise, rather than reaching out to "Latinos," perhaps Bush should reach out to those people who support border control and immigration reform. That will include large numbers of "Latinos," but it won't include the relatively small number of "Latinos" who support Open Borders. But, that latter group probably wouldn't ever vote for a Republican anyway.

Posted at 10:56 AM | Comments (4)

The Financial Times on John & Ken against the White House

From the Financial Times of London:

Asa Hutchinson, under-secretary at the Homeland Security Department, surely has a lot on his mind. Now he has to contend with the fall-out from John and Ken, the hosts of Los Angeles' most popular drive-time talk show, who told listeners to give him a piece of their mind.

Brimming with bile, they announced the White House had called to demand Hutchinson's phone number and e-mail address be removed from their KFI 640 station website.

Claiming they had been informed that "thousands" of messages were jamming the system and preventing Hutchinson from getting his job done, the hosts responded by repeating his contact details on air.

Hutchinson's first mistake, by their account, was to call off a series of sweeps by the Border Patrol - which had netted more than 400 undocumented immigrants in the LA area - and to propose that the patrolmen stick closer to the Mexican border. The duo had hailed the actions as a long-overdue counter to the flood of "illegal aliens", who, they have claimed ad nauseam, number 2m in southern California and cost taxpayers $5bn a year.

Hutchinson's second mistake was to imagine that a "swill-spewing spokeshole" (their generic term for all media officials) from the Bush administration would carry any weight with them. "We're terrified!" bawled John Kobylt, relishing the recognition. "It's John and Ken against the White House."

Previous coverage starts here.

Posted at 02:13 PM | Comments (0)

"Slavery in U.S. is growing, Senate told"

From Knight-Ridder:

WASHINGTON - The trafficking of human beings constitutes a "growth industry" in the United States, with more than 15,000 people forced into bondage each year as sex slaves or captive laborers, according to testimony before a Senate panel Wednesday...

Previously: a discussion of the controversy surrounding the NYT report about sex slaves in the U.S.

Posted at 12:48 PM | Comments (0)

Opponents of 'Protect Arizona Now': funded by a check-cashing firm

The 'Protect Arizona Now' initiative seeks to limit illegal immigration by requiring proof of citizenship before voting or receiving some public handouts. They recently turned in more than enough signatures to get on the ballot, and, since 70% of Arizonans support the initiative, it stands a good chance of being passed.

On the other side is a group calling itself the "Statue of Liberty Coalition." The Sonoran Times follows the money:

[The "Statue of Liberty Coalition"] have spent all but $76.45 of the $38,480 they've received in contributions, $15,000 of which was paid to Joel Wright and Associates for polling, with $23,000 to Wright Consulting, at the same address in Strawberry, for consulting fees. STC spent $267.55 on video equipment rentals. The rest was paid to Wells Fargo for bank fees.

Over half of STC's contributions came from two sources,
Los Abogados, the currently defunct Hispanic Bar Association of Maricopa County, contributed a total of $10,000.

The nonprofit organization was dissolved by the Arizona Corporation Commission on January 13, 2004 for failure to file their last two annual reports.

Members include Rep. Ben Miranda, D-16, who called Rep. Randy Graf, R-30, a "racist and an uneducated fool" because of his support of the PAN initiative...

Cambrio Express, listed on the campaign finance report as a check-cashing service, also contributed $10,000.

There is no record of a business by the name of Cambrio Express listed with the Arizona Corporation Commission.

However there is a listing for Cambrio Express under the Cash Now.com website, calling it "a foreign exchange business that can be operated as a stand-alone business or in conjunction with a Cash Now or Cash Express business."

The chairman of the "Statue of Liberty Coalition" is Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox, last mentioned here. At the time, I sent her a polite email asking for clarification of the smears she stated in the article and, naturally, no reply ever came.

And, as can be expected, an Arizona Republic columnist came out in support of the check-cashing funded PAC in "Protecting Arizona from Protect Arizona Now."

Another member of the "Statue of Liberty Coalition" is Chad Campbell. A web search shows a person by that name as the Program Director of the Arizona Advocacy Network Foundation:

The Arizona Advocacy Network Foundation is a broad-based, non-partisan coalition of grassroots and advocacy organizations, individuals, and leaders that promotes social justice and articulates and advocates a people's agenda.

Their "Current Organizational Members" include a few mainstream "progressive" organizations as well as the Young Democratic Socialists.

Posted at 12:33 PM | Comments (3)

John & Ken take on the White House's Director of Radio

From the website of KFI (AM-Los Angeles) talk jocks John & Ken:

Trey Bohn is the Director of Radio, Office of Media Affairs, for the White House and he wants you to stop e-mailing Asa Hutchinson, Undersecretary for the Department of Homeland Security. Trey wants you to use a generic e-mail address, where you letters may or may not be seen. If you get a chance, why not give Trey a call and remind him who pays his salary. Call Trey at (202) 456-3851

If you're completely confused, here's the summary: John & Ken posted the emails and phone numbers of various officials, encouraging their listeners to give those officials a call in support of the recent sweeps against illegal immigrants.

Someone claiming to be from the DHS called and complained, asking that Asa Hutchinson's email be removed. He supposedly couldn't get his work done because of all the calls and emails.

Then, Trey Bohn from the White House called and asked that they stop it.

UPDATE: The Financial Times of London has a report here.

Posted at 03:56 PM | Comments (0)

The White House is complaining about KFI's John & Ken

The previous report "The Feds threatened L.A. radio station KFI?" has been partially confirmed.

According to today's John & Ken show (KFI-Los Angeles), a press secretary at the White House has contacted Ray Lopez, John & Ken's producer, and asked them to stop giving out Asa Hutchinson's phone number. No mention has been made of whether the threat to ban KFI reporters from DHS press conferences stands. However, the fact that the White House is now complaining strongly indicates that the call mentioned in the earlier post was not a hoax.

Apparently Asa can't get his work done because of all the calls from KFI listeners complaining about lax immigration enforcement.

Perhaps if they listened to the vast majority of citizens they wouldn't be facing this problem.

Thankfully, John & Ken don't appear to be giving in.

The White House has offered an alternate email address for Asa, but it apparently is just an unread drop-box.

UPDATE: The complaints are coming from Trey Bohn, the White House's Director of Radio.

Posted at 02:15 PM | Comments (6)

"[California's] biggest threat is illegal immigration"

From U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly:

Illegal immigration, more than any other single factor, is crippling major segments of California's economy, from health care to higher education to jobs. That's why, regardless of the security concerns -- and there are many -- Schwarzenegger should not sign any bill granting driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.

This is not a Republican vs. Democrat issue. Exit polls conducted during last year's recall showed that 39 percent of the recall voters identified themselves as Republican. Yet 70 percent told pollsters the license law that was then in effect should be repealed...

A driver's license would be one more enticement. Instead of offering driver's licenses, we must remove the enticements we now offer.

Anyone, whether here legally or not, should not be denied emergency care. But illegal immigrants use hospital emergency rooms for general care. As a result, 82 percent of the state's emergency rooms lost money in 2002, according to the California Medical Association...

Illegal immigration also hurts our native working poor's ability to attain Section 8 housing. By state law, illegal immigrants are barred from Section 8 housing. But the law is not enforced. So illegal immigrants fill public housing while a several-generation U.S. mother lives in her car with three children because she's on a six-year waiting list.

In California, illegal immigrants attend state universities at in-state tuition rates. That's grossly unfair to a legal high school student who moves out of California for a year, then returns to attend college. That student will pay $16,956 a year more than an illegal student -- who shouldn't be entitled to attend anyway...

It's impossible to return California's economy to a solid footing without addressing illegal immigration. It's true that the federal government needs to step up enforcement, and I am working with my congressional colleagues to do so. But as long as we offer free health care, jobs, heavily subsidized higher education, subsidized housing and other enticements, illegal immigrants will risk life and limb to come here.

For the health of our state's economy, Schwarzenegger should declare any future driver's license bill dead on arrival and begin reversing state laws and policies that serve as a lure to illegal immigrants.

Posted at 12:36 PM | Comments (5)

"Hyde Bill Seeks to Curb Illegal Alien Voting Fraud"

This is good news and hopefully it won't get shot down by those corrupt, anti-American politicians who hope to profit from illegal alien voters:

Rep. Henry Hyde (R-IL) has introduced a bill into the U.S. House of Representatives that would help curb voting fraud by requiring voters to provide photo identification when voting in federal elections.

"The Federal Election Integrity Act of 2004," or H.R. 4530, would specifically amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, also known as the Motor Voter law, to require any individual who desires to register or re-register to vote in an election for federal office to provide the state election official with proof of citizenship to prevent illegal aliens from voting in federal elections...

Posted at 10:08 PM | Comments (3)

"Authorities find 28 illegal immigrants at small hotel in South LA"

Another few weeks, another drop house busted. However, the important things in the AP report are the following:

Police investigating a report of a kidnapping found 28 suspected illegal Mexican immigrants who had been held by smugglers at a small hotel...

A crowd of mostly Hispanics gathered at two corners near the motel, holding large Mexican flags and chanting, "Let them go!"

At one point the crowd of about 30 people blocked the street as three large vans pulled up to take away the immigrants. One person threw a rock at police and struck a squad car. About a dozen officers lined up shoulder to shoulder and cleared the street as the vans departed...

An official from the Mexican Consulate office spoke to some of the immigrants to advise them of their rights to an attorney before they were taken away.

Louis Carrillo, a consulting attorney with the Mexican consulate, said it was the third time in recent months that he had seen Los Angeles police working in tandem with federal immigration authorities.

"That should not be permitted in Los Angeles," he said. "The police department assistance is counterproductive because it can lead illegal immigrants to fear reporting crimes."

This situation is only going to get worse. With enough "immigration" (in English: massive illegal immigration) it will soon be very difficult for even federal agents to bust a drop house. At that point, the "immigration" problem will spiral out of control. If we don't get a handle on it now while we still can, it might be too late.

The way to do that is to make it absolutely clear to your elected representatives that they either vote to stop massive illegal immigration or they won't get your vote. That goes for Bush and any other Republican too.

Posted at 10:00 PM | Comments (1)

Yes, please Cecilia, do take a deep breath

John Kerry is not completely insane. At least in the political sense:

Democrat John Kerry said he opposes state laws that give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, a position that puts him at odds with the Hispanic activists he is courting in the presidential race.

Immigrant advocates have been pushing for the laws, saying they help undocumented workers get around safely. Licensed drivers know the rules of the road and can buy insurance, making streets safer for everyone, they say.

Shortly after Kerry told the National Council of La Raza on Tuesday that he would make immigration reform a top priority to ease the path to citizenship for working immigrants, he took a tougher stance on the issue of driver's licenses in an interview with the Spanish-language network Telemundo.

"I think that driver's licenses are part of the legality of being here and if you've been here a period of time we may work something out as part of that immigration process, but I wouldn't give somebody who is automatically one year in here illegally all the rights and privileges of being here legally," Kerry said in the interview.

"I think that's wrong. That defeats the purposes of the law," he said.

Cecilia Munoz, vice president for policy at the National Council of La Raza, said Wednesday that Kerry's comments "somewhat undercut" his well-received speech before her organization.

"Let me take a deep breath here," Munoz said after hearing about Kerry's comments, then paused before continuing. "I guess what's frustrating is that Sen. Kerry was just at our conference making terrific proposals that would benefit the immigrant community. ... This stand is going to be much less well received."

Munoz said driver's licenses have nothing to do with granting legal status or protecting against terrorism, as other opponents of the laws have suggested...

Guess what? She's wrong, and probably lying.

Details of Kerry's plan to grant a general amnesty here.

Posted at 08:09 PM | Comments (2)

The First Rule of the liberal media is: There is no such thing as the liberal media. Part 4,391,338

The Arizona Republic - always an unbiased source with a completely non-liberal slant - headlines their story about Kerry's threat to declare a general amnesty for illegal aliens as "Kerry vows action for migrants".

The "action" in question is an amnesty for millions of illegal aliens, not "migrants." Could their agenda be any more transparent?

Here are some helpful emails. Please, as always, be as polite as humanly possible:

Ward.Bushee@arizonarepublic.com
Randy.Lovely@arizonarepublic.com
jleach@azcentral.com
llevitt@azcentral.com
jeff.dozbaba@arizonarepublic.com

Posted at 01:05 PM | Comments (0)

"Undocumented immigrants [sic] may get help for college"

From the Fort Worth Star Telegram:

College shouldn't be difficult for Joaquin, who mastered Advanced Placement classes in a language he learned only four years ago and recently graduated 12th in his high school class.

But paying for it will be. The 19-year-old is an undocumented immigrant. He doesn't qualify for federal financial aid, which makes up 90 percent of the average Texas college student's aid package...

Congress is considering the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, which would make some undocumented immigrant students eligible for federal loans, but not grants. The bill would make students who immigrated here five or more years ago at the age of 15 or younger eligible for legal status and federal loans...

In January 2000, he trekked 26 hours across a desert from Mexico with about 50 others to join his father, who was living in North Texas and performing odd jobs. His mother and sister came separately. The family said they paid a smuggler $1,800 each to get them across the border...

Here's a draft of the letter I'm sending to Rex Seline, Managing Editor/News (817-390-7729 rseline@star-telegram.com). Please send your own version.

I've seen several "news reports" very similar to this advocacy piece in other publications. They invariably feature one or two bright illegal aliens who are presented in the most sympathetic light possible. All of the upsides of the DREAM Act are presented, with few of the downsides. If you did a search, you might be surprised. It's almost as if they were all following the same template.

In any case, I'd like to suggest that you break new ground and cover the DREAM Act from a different perspective.

In a future article, could you cover someone who would be negatively impacted by the DREAM Act?

There are only a finite number of colleges, and only a finite amount of money available for discounted college educations. Joaquin (from the "news report") will be in competition with U.S. citizens for those finite discounted college educations.

What that means is there's a good chance that Joaquin will get a discounted college education, and a U.S. citizen will not. For instance, let's assume that there are just 1000 discounted college educations available, that there are 1001 applicants, and that 1000 of of those applicants are U.S. citizens but the 1001st is Joaquin. If Joaquin gets a discounted college education, that means that one of those 1000 U.S. citizens will not.

In other words, there's a good chance that Joaquin - an illegal alien and a citizen of Mexico - will take a discounted college education away from a United States citizen.

Perhaps you could find a citizen who might lose out to an illegal alien and do a sympathetic portrait/advocacy piece on them.

Also, you might want to ask why a) Joaquin can't go to Mexico for a college education, and b) why Mexico apparently is unable to offer him one.

I'll give you credit for including a dissenting voice in the "news report." In a future article perhaps you'll go into more depth on the effect if the DREAM Act passes. Won't that encourage even more illegal aliens to come here with their children to take advantage of the DREAM Act or a similar bill? And, as time goes on, won't those new illegal immigrants take even more discounted college educations away from U.S. citizens?

Also, please give a quick look to this older article: "Eighty-six percent of those surveyed for the Scripps Howard Texas Poll released Saturday said illegal immigration is a very serious or somewhat serious problem..."

I look forward to your next article on this topic.

Posted at 10:06 AM | Comments (1)

"Mexican Official Wants Border Eliminated"

From this:

A new man is in charge of border relations for Mexico and he has some radical ideas for change at the border with the United States.

Arturo Gonzalez Cruz, a 52-year-old Tijuana businessman, says many improvements are needed at the border to benefit trade, including creating more lanes and adding border crossings. Ultimately, Cruz says flat out, he wants to see the border disappear...

In his first hundred days as President, Kerry (see the previous post) would help make Cruz' dream a reality. I say we make sure that neither of them get what they want.

Posted at 11:30 PM | Comments (0)

In his first hundred days, John Kerry would destroy the United States

This news release from Kerry's campaign explains how:

The Kerry Campaign today released the following fact sheet on immigration reform:

Today at the National Council of La Raza's annual conference, John Kerry will continue to talk about his plans to open the doors of opportunity and expand access to the American Dream, including reforming America's immigration laws...

He will offer a reform bill in his first 100 days that allows immigrants to earn legalization, encourages family reunification, and strengthens our border protections...

As President, John Kerry will make it a priority to make the DREAM Act the law of the land...

As President, John Kerry will make [the AgJobs amnesty bill] a reality...

In his first hundred days, John Kerry will also offer a comprehensive immigration reform bill with four basic components. And Kerry will work tirelessly until reform has become law.

Earned Legalization. Under John Kerry's approach, undocumented workers who have lived and worked here for 5 years, who pay taxes, and who are successfully screened for security purposes will have a path to citizenship. Kerry will also expand opportunities to learn English and obtain civic education classes to help immigrants assume all of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

Reuniting Families. Kerry will eliminate the massive administrative backlog and delay that has left many families unnecessarily divided for a decade or more. Our Nation's immigration system must be able to more quickly reunite husbands with wives, parents with children. Legal permanent residents seeking to reunify with spouses and children must be provided a fair and efficient process to do so.

Visa Program with Worker Protections. Kerry will establish a secure channel for a limited number of temporary workers to come into the United States. To protect all working people in the United States, Kerry will ensure that these temporary workers have the protections of U.S. employment and labor laws, including fair wage protections. These protections must be rigorously enforced.

Stronger Border Security. As an integral part of his reform, John Kerry will reach an accord with neighboring countries to improve security along our borders and stop illegal smuggling. He will improve our nation's security databases and watchlists and better control the borders to ensure that people who intend to harm us cannot cross our borders.

The AgJobs amnesty will, like all other amnesties, reward illegal behavior and encourage millions more illegal aliens to come here. Kerry's broader amnesty would have an even worse effect.

The DREAM Act would take discounted college educations away from U.S. citizens and give them to citizens of other countries.

Any lip service Kerry pays to future enforcement of immigration laws should be considered through the lens of history. For instance, the 1986 amnesty was supposed to be conditioned on stringent enforcement. However, those enforcement provisions were gutted by Teddy Kennedy. How are we going to ensure that Kerry's enforcement provisions aren't gutted by his friends on the far left?

Any weakness in our immigration policy - and that's exactly what Kerry's position is - will embolden our "friends" south of the border. If we can't stand up to corrupt third-world governments now, we certainly would not be able to under Kerry's plans.

This report has an excerpt from Kerry's speech:

"It is time to fulfill the promise of America, so that those who work hard and take responsibility and build a better life for them and their families, and live by the rules [*], and pay their taxes and raise their families have a right to share in America and its citizenship in the fullest," the Democratic candidate for president said...

* Except for that minor bit about a) entering or residing here illegally, b) no doubt working here illegally, and c) no doubt using false and thus illegal documents here. Just a few minor points. Oh, and remember to register to vote when you get your driver's license.

Posted at 11:18 PM | Comments (2)

Just 30 people set federal policy

Imagine, if you will, a group of thirty people. Five groups of six people each will do. Keep that image in your mind:

With agents clad in dark riot gear looking on, about 30 activists gathered outsidethe Border Patrol station in Temecula on Monday to protest recent immigration sweeps in Southern California.

Meanwhile, thousands of U.S. citizens have phoned and emailed the DHS and other agencies in support of the sweeps. Yet, somehow, the illegal-alien-supporters win out. Odd, no?

Perhaps it's because those in Washington are afraid being called names:

"We're organized and we're ready to fight this Gestapo-style movement," said Joe Mota, who represented the United Farm Workers at the demonstration.

(BTW, BugMeNot.com is a great resource)

Posted at 02:47 PM | Comments (1)

"50 Congressional Members Call on Border Undersecretary to Stay Course on Legal Raids"

From Congressman Tom Tancredo's site:

Congressman Tom Tancredo (CO-06) today along with 49 Congressmen applauded Border Patrol enforcement in California and urged Undersecretary Asa Hutchinson to resist pressure to halt arrests in the southern California by Democrat members of congress.

Fifty Members of Congress including House Majority Leader Tom Delay, Chairman of Homeland Security Appropriations Harold Rogers, Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner and California Representatives Richard Pombo, Dana Rohrabacher and Darrel Issa have praised the U.S. Border Patrol for its new enforcement actions in southern California. In a joint letter on Friday, the lawmakers asked Homeland Security Undersecretary Asa Hutchinson to "resist outside pressure to curtail it..."

Unfortunately, Hutchinson - or someone above him - has caved.

If you agree with Tancredo, here are some contacts:

Gloria Chavez Public Information Office U.S. Customs and Border Protection 202-927-1422 gloria.chavez@cbp.gov

Asa Hutchinson
Under Secretary for Border & Transportation Security
202-282-8010
asa.hutchinson@dhs.gov

Robert Bonner
Commissioner
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
homeland@mail.house.gov
robert.bonner@dhs.gov

Posted at 08:23 PM | Comments (1)

"Who is in charge of American immigration policy?"

Allan Wall wants to know:

The Mexican government is engaged in a deliberate strategy to influence American immigration policy, increase the population of Mexicans in the United States, slow their assimilation and retain their loyalty to Mexico. This is no secret conspiracy -- Mexican leaders speak openly of it. It is already bearing fruit. If allowed to continue, the inevitable outcome will be effective control of U.S. immigration policy by a foreign power.

Mexico's elite see the United States as a safety valve, where a part of Mexico's population can be exported, to relieve pressure on Mexico's troubled economy. This in turn reduces incentive for real economic reform. Why fix the problems when it's easier to export Mexicans?

The Mexican government works to hinder assimilation of Mexicans in the United States and to retain their loyalty. The goal is to gain control over U.S. immigration policy. And the strategy is working. Notice how U.S. immigration is no longer considered an internal U.S. matter but rather a bilateral issue to be negotiated between the United States and Mexico. Mexican immigration policy, stricter than our own, is off limits from such negotiation, of course.

Some influential Mexicans go even further, speaking openly in terms of a reconquista -- a reconquest of the U.S. Southwest, briefly a part of Mexico in the 19th century...

A great deal of supporting information for the above can be found in the Immigration category.

Posted at 10:20 AM | Comments (0)

"Wall Street Journal Misses the Mark on Immigration Debate"

Bobby Eberle of gopusa.com discusses the most recent WSJ smear attempt:

...How can conservatives such as myself stand up and discuss immigration reform in the context of border security when the Wall Street Journal is labeling us as "anti-immigrant?" Not once in the Journal's editorial was the topic of border security mentioned. Not once did the editorial mention that many conservatives rightfully believe that rewarding illegal behavior only encourages more illegal behavior. Shortly after President Bush's announcement of his guest worker program, illegal immigration shot up "dramatically" according to the National Border Patrol Council. However, if conservatives step forward and discuss this in a logical manner, the name-calling starts and the shouts of "I can't hear you" begin.

Publications such as the Wall Street Journal should recognize that the immigration issue is more than just an economic issue of cheap labor. They should also realize that a great many Americans, including myself, are deeply concerned about the security of our country, and we realize that an important battle in the war on terror is making sure our homeland is secure. We are taking the fight to the terrorists, and at the same time, we must make it as difficult as possible for the terrorists to take the fight to us. Squelching debate through hit pieces and name calling does nothing to address the real immigration and security problems facing America. Of all publications, the Wall Street Journal should know better than that.

Posted at 10:17 AM | Comments (1)

The Feds threatened L.A. radio station KFI?

[UPDATE #3 (7/6/04): despite UPDATE #2, this story appears to have been partly confirmed. See the post The White House is complaining about KFI's John & Ken]

[See UPDATE #2, which is rather important.]

The Department of Homeland Security has reportedly threatened to bar KFI reporters from DHS news conferences. KFI, at 640AM in Los Angeles, is one of most listened-to news-talk stations in the country and can be heard throughout Southern California and on the Internet.

The DHS will reportedly deny KFI reporters access unless KFI hosts John & Ken stop their current campaign requesting that their listeners contact the DHS in support of the recent immigration sweeps in Southern California.

Bowing to pressure from a few Congressmen, the DHS has placed these sweeps under review ("Official says SoCal immigration sweeps violated federal policy")

John & Ken do not encourage their listeners to harass the DHS in any way. They have simply been asking their listeners to contact the DHS and let their voices be heard. So far, the DHS has received thousands of emails and phone calls in support of the sweeps.

The right to "petition the government for a redress of grievances" is a fundamental American right enshrined in the First Amendment. John & Ken are simply encouraging the public participation of their listeners. Any government attempt to stifle these attempts is contrary to our most fundamental principles.

Many news organizations might disagree with John & Ken's positions on the sweeps. However, all news organizations should feel threatened when the government attempts to restrict access simply because talk-show hosts upset government agencies by encouraging listeners to pursue their First Amendment rights.

I urge all news organizations to look into this matter and to hold accountable anyone who has been responsible for this threat against our most basic rights.

Addendum:

John & Ken discussed the threat from the DHS at approximately 6:45pm on Friday June 25, 2004. Other listeners have confirmed that they said this.

From John & Ken's web site:

If you want to thanks the San Diego Border Patrol for taking care of business, you can e-mail them at SDC.PIO@DHS.GOV

Contact Asa Hutchinson, Under Secretary for Border & Transportation Security and tell him that you want the Border Partol to do their job! Call at 202-282-8010 or e-mail him at asa.hutchinson [atsign] dhs.gov. Also, contact Robert Bonner, Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection who sent out a memo for the Border Patrol to stop the sweeps at homeland [atsign] mail.house.gov or robert.bonner [atsign] dhs.gov.

Contact your Congressman! Click here, and simply find your Congressman and let them know that if they don�t support the Border Patrol Sweeps, then they WILL NOT get your vote in November!

UPDATE: It should be noted that John & Ken broadcast Monday through Friday from 3pm to 7pm Pacific time. Thus, this threat was discussed at the end of their show. Hopefully they will have more information on Monday.

UPDATE 2: I listened to their show on Monday but I didn't hear anything about this. So, I called KFI...

Unfortunately, they don't know whether the DHS threat was legitimate or not. The person who made the DHS threat called in and did not leave a message or phone number.

And, KFI has contacted Asa Hutchinson's secretary. She says KFI will not be banned and everything's hunky dory between DHS and KFI.

So...

I should have called KFI first and gotten the details. I at least could have included the bit about the call's legitimacy being in doubt in the post.

Posted at 12:01 PM | Comments (7)

"Amnesty for Illegals? Try Again"

The Christian Science Monitor comes out against both Bush's and the Democrat's plans:

The Latino vote has some chance of tipping the presidential election this year. That's why both Democrats and Republicans are dancing around different ideas about amnesty for illegal aliens.

Actually, amnesty isn't a word used too much anymore in the immigration debate. Since the amnesty of 1986, opposition has grown stronger against rewarding those who bust US borders, especially after Sept. 11.

Still, the "almost amnesty" proposals are worth some campaign debate. The issue has been helped along by two recent studies. One, from the Center for Immigration Studies, found the average yearly earnings of US-born men between 1980 and 2000 decreased by an estimated $1,700 as the number of immigrant workers rose. The other study, by the Inter-American Development Bank, calculated that the 16.7 million Latin American-born adults in the US send back more than $30 billion each year to their home countries, while contributing $450 billion to the US economy. One third of those adults are illegal aliens. Such benefits and costs of illegal immigration, however, are secondary to the corrosive effects of such massive lawbreaking.

The debate also has been enlivened by the work of Harvard Prof. Samuel P. Huntington...

Immigration is certainly a worthy issue for campaign debate. But proposals that are simply a backdoor approach to amnesty and designed mainly to woo a small percentage of votes are a stealthy way to a bad solution for a serious problem.

Posted at 12:11 PM | Comments (0)

PBS's Hypocrisy Revealed: PBS station opposes day-laborer center

From CEO of DC’s PBS Station Mad About Day Laborers Next to Studio:

Earlier this week [August 1, 2003], Sharon Percy Rockefeller, CEO of WETA, the Washington, DC PBS station really located in Arlington County, Virginia, lashed out at the county board for voting to build a pavilion, to house day laborers waiting for work, next door to WETA’s studios where the PBS NewsHour and Washington Week are taped.

“WETA balks at having day-labor shelter next door,” declared the headline over the July 31 story in the Northern Virginia Journal about WETA’s reaction to the Tuesday night vote by the all-Democratic county Board of Supervisors.

See the previous post about PBS's new Farmingville documentary.

As can be expected, there are two sets of rules. PBS and other elites follow one set, while the rest of us are supposed to watch Farmingville and read its execrable "discussion guide" and follow a different set of rules.

The elites are able to isolate themselves from the negative impacts of their policies that they want to impose on the rest of us.

The solution is to demand accountability on the part of your elected representatives.

The specific solution in PBS's case is to stop donating money to them and encourage your elected representatives to cut their funding.

Posted at 10:18 AM | Comments (0)

Lies from PBS? Say it ain't so.

PBS's new documentary 'Farmingville' was broadcast on many PBS stations tonight. It covers a Long Island community's reaction to a sudden influx of illegal immigrants.

From PBS's synopsis:

The shocking hate-based attempted murders of two Mexican day laborers catapult a small Long Island town into national headlines, unmasking a new front line in the border wars: suburbia. For nearly a year, Carlos Sandoval and Catherine Tambini lived and worked in Farmingville, New York, so they could capture first-hand the stories of residents, day laborers and activists on all sides of the debate.

Lou Dobbs calls it "[o]ne of the most important documentaries in years", but others say it's strongly biased in favor of illegal immigration. FAIR says it "Distorts Views of the Community". And, many of the visitors to PBS's discussion forums say it's biased as well. I have not seen it yet.

However, the documentary comes with its own discussion guide, and that might give us some clues to the documentary's intent. The guide could fairly be described as a pro-illegal immigration brochure. It gives the upsides to massive illegal immigration, and attempts to counter or sidestep the downsides.

Part of the brochure has been repurposed and placed in HTML pages on PBS's Farmingville site in their special features section. Because it forms a core part of their description of the documentary, that would tend to indicate that the views it expresses are endorsed by PBS.

The documentary makers had a web chat, and the transcript is here. The transcript makes clear where they stand as well as their misconceptions. Those misconceptions range from small things like the derivation of the word wop on up. In the web chat, they also attempt to subtly smear those who hold opposing viewpoints as racists.

Dan Stein of FAIR is given a chance to answer a few questions at PBS's site, however they're mostly meaningless questions and PBS does not provide an opposing view of the documentary itself.

There are past reports on the documentary here and here.

It'd be helpful if interested parties could look through at least the materials at PBS's site and point out all the lies and misrepresentations. Then, that hefty compilation could be sent to PBS and the documentary's sponsors. More importantly, the compilation could be sent to Congress with the suggestion that they use it as PBS not serving the community as their charter says they should.

Posted at 11:03 PM | Comments (1)

"Loose Cannon in Utah"

Human Events has an overview of Chris Cannon and today's primary that might send him packing:

Congressman Chris Cannon of Utah apparently is in real danger of losing his seat in Congress, and apparently that’s causing him to employ extreme measures.

Cannon faces serious GOP primary opposition from former state legislator Matt Throckmorton. In the Republican state convention, Throckmorton forced Cannon into a primary election happening today. Throckmorton hammered Cannon’s mass immigration stance, as well as his support for the controversial No Child Left Behind education law.

Throckmorton, a solid conservative who is 100 percent pro-life and for enforcing immigration laws, has found an easy target because of Cannon’s immigration stance (Americans for Better Immigration grade: D)...

Posted at 11:00 AM | Comments (1)

"Post-Americans: They've just 'grown' beyond their country."

Mark Krikorian nails the Wall Street Journal's latest desperate smear attempt:

The Wall Street Journal editorial page published another of its periodic eructations on immigration last week. This one was essentially a campaign ad for Utah Congressman Chris Cannon, the administration point-man on immigration in the House of Representatives, who was forced into a primary (being held today) because of his avid support for illegal-alien amnesties...

So why all the ink, why the lead editorial with 25 column-inches of smears, innuendo, and half-truths? (Full disclosure � some of it's about me personally.) Why the belabored efforts to paint pro-life, pro-Second Amendment, anti-tax traditionalist conservatives like congressmen Tom Tancredo and John Hostettler as part of a cabal of ChiCom-loving, baby-killing white supremacists?

Because for post-Americans, there can be no legitimate opposition to their open-borders views. To the degree that Cannon is facing political trouble, it must be because his opponent is "running hard on xenophobia," as the Journal writes, "courtesy of deep-pocketed restrictionists." (Attention any "deep-pocketed restrictionists." Call me!) To concede that supporters of more moderate immigration levels and tighter enforcement might be anything other than racists or "humanity-is-a-virus" leftists would be to acknowledge the legitimacy of a nationalist, as opposed to a post-nationalist, worldview; in other words, to admit that borders have value, rather than being awkward anachronisms that interfere with business...

My discussion of the pro-Cannon smear is here.

Posted at 10:10 AM | Comments (0)

"A Hospital on Border Going Over the Edge"

The L.A. Times reports from the front lines:

BISBEE, Ariz. — Besieged by illegal immigrants who jam its emergency room, then disappear without paying, tiny Copper Queen Community Hospital is growing desperate.

The 13-bed private facility lost $800,000 caring for migrants last year and $500,000 the year before. At this rate, hospital administrator Jim Dickson predicts, he'll shut down in three years, leaving the town of Bisbee without a hospital...

Posted at 01:37 PM | Comments (0)

Second-hand smears

Professor Bainbridge quotes approvingly from the WSJ's latest smear. See the previous post for why he shouldn't.

Posted at 02:41 PM | Comments (0)

The WSJ gets desperate(r)

The WSJ has an editorial supporting - you guessed it - illegal immigration and the politicians who are paid to support it, contrary to the wishes of the vast majority of their constituents.

As you can imagine, it's filled with smears:

Mr. Cannon tops the restrictionists' target list because he's been one of the few politicians in either party to expose the extreme nature of their underlying agendas, which has less to do with immigration per se and more to do with environmental extremism and population-growth concerns influenced by the discredited claims of the 19th-century British economist Thomas Malthus...

Huh? This WSJ-only meme has already been discredited (See also this and this). And, note that their readers are - as usual - opposed to their pro-illegal immigration stance.

Why, you might ask, is the WSJ supporting a politician so desperate that he has to have an aide beg for money from illegal aliens? Because, of course, they're desperate themselves.

Posted at 12:51 PM | Comments (0)

"Groups May Sue to Halt Arrests by Border Patrol"

From the LAT:

Latino community leaders and civil rights groups on Tuesday said they might take legal action to stop a U.S. Border Patrol crackdown on suspected illegal immigrants in San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

"The only way to stop this is if the community comes together," said UC Riverside political science professor and local organizer Armando Navarro. "All of a sudden, the Border Patrol is hitting different parts of Southern California away from the border. Something is going on."

Hold on for a second, please. The L.A. Times is accepting quotes and statements from Armando Navarro? You mean, this guy?

"Ladies and gentlemen, what [the displacement of whites, blacks, and Asians by Hispanics in California] means is a transfer of power, it means control, it means whose going to influence. And it is the young people, the people who are now moving to develop an agenda for the twenty first century. They are really 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, and even in the terms of the idea of an Aztlan!"

Or, this guy?

I'm not going to liken it to the L.A. Times taking quotes from Tom Metzger at face value, but it's too close for a "responsible" news organization like the Times.

Posted at 08:30 PM | Comments (0)

"Many New Jobs Going to Noncitizens"

From the LAT:

Immigrants are filling nearly three out of every 10 new jobs in the rebounding U.S. economy, a development that may dilute the political dividend to President Bush from an election-year recovery, a study to be released today concludes...

No doubt Kerry - whose Campaign co-chairman is a former member of a racial separatist group - would do better...

Posted at 08:24 PM | Comments (1)

"America's insane asylum for terrorists"

From Michelle Malkin:

Do you know how the alleged "shopping-mall" bomber entered our country? He didn't cross the border illegally. He didn't sneak in on a ship. He came through the front door at America's invitation.

Nuradin M. Abdi, who was indicted last week for plotting with al-Qaida to blow up an Ohio shopping mall, flew here from Somalia and received bogus "refugee" status in 1999, according to authorities. Prosecutors allege that Abdi then fraudulently obtained a refugee travel document, which he used to fly to Ethiopia for jihad training. After returning, Abdi blended back into the American landscape along with tens of thousands of other refugees from a country known to be a breeding ground for Islamic terrorists. Columbus, Abdi's home base, is home to more than 30,000 Somalis — the second-largest Somali community in the United States, after Minneapolis...

Not every Somalian refugee or asylum-seeker is a terrorist, of course. But the system for screening out the well-meaning from the menaces is completely overwhelmed. Claims of "credible fear of persecution" are almost impossible to document but are rarely rejected. Federal homeland security officials are unable to detain asylum-seekers for background checks without the civil liberties brigade screaming "racial profiling." And there is still a woeful shortage of detention space — just 2,000 beds nationwide — to hold those with suspect claims...

Posted at 02:05 PM | Comments (0)

"[NY Employment] Agencies Sued Over Low-Paying Jobs"

From the NYT:

rustrated that so many companies in New York State pay less than the minimum wage, Attorney General Eliot Spitzer announced a new strategy yesterday to attack the problem: sue the employment agencies that steer thousands of workers into these low-paying jobs each year.

Mr. Spitzer announced lawsuits against four employment agencies and settlements with five others to stop them from supplying workers to businesses that often pay just $3 or $4 an hour, far less than the $5.15-an-hour federal minimum wage. He said nine other agencies were under investigation.

The vast majority of workers who use these employment agencies are Hispanic immigrants, Mr. Spitzer said, noting that the agencies typically steer these workers to greengrocers, dry cleaners and restaurants...

Posted at 02:00 PM | Comments (0)

Aide to U.S. Rep. Chris Cannon (R-UT) solicits campaign contributions from illegal aliens

This is pretty brazen. Since the solicitation was made on a radio show and it was taped, it can't be denied. From 'Illegal plea for illegals' cash?':

As Rep. Chris Cannon sat by, one of his aides urged any illegal aliens listening to a Spanish-language radio talk show to funnel money into his campaign by giving it to U.S. citizens who could donate it legally.

However, federal law not only bans political donations from foreign nationals, it also bans such funneling through citizens, too — and the solicitation or receipt of it.

Still, Marco Diaz, an aide to Cannon, R-Utah, told Radio Unica in Spanish on May 22, "If you are undocumented you must find, we welcome this money, but you have to find someone who is legal in order to donate money."

A couple other ways to get Cannon his money were discussed on the show, such as through the U.S. citizen children of illegal aliens.

The 6/14/04 entry here has quotes from both the show and the Federal election laws.

Previous Cannon coverage starts here.

Posted at 01:46 PM | Comments (1)

"Don't offer tuition break; enforce law"

Dan Stein of FAIR has an editorial about Kansas' new law that takes discounted college educations away from U.S. citizens and gives them to citizens of other countries:

Empathy for the situation of young people who are caught in this kind of legal limbo is understandable. The problem is that in signing the in-state tuition bill, Sebelius transferred the responsibility for the predicament of these kids from where it correctly belongs -- on their parents, who knowingly violated our laws -- to the hardworking, law-abiding citizens of Kansas. Second, it contributes to the self-fulfilling prophecy that illegal aliens aren't going anywhere, so we'd better placate them.

While a taxpayer-subsidized college education for their kids may not have been the primary motivation for parents to enter the United States illegally, it is one more incentive to remain here illegally. The federal government does nothing to enforce immigration laws, while state and local governments not only assure illegal aliens that they will not report them to federal immigration authorities, but also encourage these families to take advantage of myriad social programs and benefits.

There is an alternative. Instead of requiring law-abiding residents to shell out for one costly social benefit after another, Kansas can actively discourage immigration law violators from taking up residence in the state by denying illegal immigrants nonemergency benefits and by actively cooperating with federal immigration enforcement authorities.

There is another very costly consequence of Sebelius' decision to grant in-state tuition benefits to illegal aliens. The state is now liable for violating the civil rights of U.S. citizens from the other 49 states who are protected by federal law from discrimination in favor of illegal aliens in the provision of postsecondary education benefits. A number of aggrieved students have already come forward, and the Federation for American Immigration Reform is moving forward with a lawsuit to protect their rights and the rights of all persons legally resident in Kansas...

Posted at 01:40 PM | Comments (0)

"When the feds come knocking"

From the Times, er, the Trenton Times:

His name is Ruben. The 32-year-old father of four grew up in Guatemala but lives in Trenton now. His hope is to someday live the American dream...

[100 more lines of sub-Sally Struthers advocacy for illegal aliens deleted]

Rather than bog you down with the rest of this "news report," here's the letter I sent to Brian S. Malone, the editor of the Trenton Times:

I have a few questions on "When the feds come knocking" by Eva Loayza.

There are several "yes, but" spots in this story. For instance, why doesn't Ruben stay in Guatamala and try to improve that country? If hundreds of thousands of Guatamalans stayed home, wouldn't that put pressure on the government to do something other than draining their country of their most energetic citizens?

Why didn't your reporter raise any of those "yes, but" points?

Why is this story written more like a weepy advocacy piece than a real news report?

When was the last time the Trenton Times covered immigration matters from the perspective of those who are negatively impacted by massive illegal immigration? Certainly it shouldn't be that difficult for a resourceful reporter to find such people.

If you would like to send your own polite email, here's his address: bmalone@njtimes.com

Posted at 09:28 PM | Comments (0)

"GOP Immigration Stance Far From Reagan Reforms"

From immigration lawyer Matt Hayes:

In exchange for legal status for the group [the 1986 illegal alien amnesty --LW], Reagan insisted that the magnet attracting illegal aliens to the United States be removed by extinguishing any incentive for U.S. employers to hire illegal aliens. In tandem with the amnesty, Reagan campaigned for employer sanctions for hiring illegal aliens, sanctions so stringent that many at the time regarded them as draconian.

Reagan reasoned that if an employer were fined for hiring an illegal alien (as much as $1 million in the worst cases), any payroll savings achieved by the hiring would be wiped out by the fine. In effect, it would be more expensive to hire illegal aliens than to hire Americans or lawful permanent residents. The few illegal aliens who continued to take the gamble and cross the border would be intercepted by a robust and more generously funded Border Patrol.

While Reagan’s 1986 immigration reforms can at least be called rational, they were a failure. Today, there are between 8 million and 11 million illegal aliens in the United States. The majority of them crossed our southern border and has found employment — illegal employment, but employment nonetheless. This is attributed to Sen. Ted Kennedy’s eventual gutting of the enforcement mechanism for Reagan's employer sanctions, and successive administrations refusing to give our Border Patrol the resources it needs to achieve its mission...

Posted at 01:36 PM | Comments (0)

"[L.A.] Officials Get Tough on Rent Subsidies"

No more Section 8 (subsidized housing) for illegal aliens:

The change in policy means that thousands of undocumented immigrants who receive housing assistance will lose their monthly subsidy or face higher rents. The regulation, which has existed since 1995, prohibits undocumented immigrants from receiving assistance in public housing developments or through Section 8, a federal program that provides help with monthly rents...

The decision is the latest fallout from a funding crisis that surfaced in February and threatened the Housing Authority with being placed in a federal receivership. An agreement between the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the agency gives federal officials greater control over Housing Authority matters and requires local officials to abide by all HUD regulations.

Predictably, pro-illegal-alien advocates are having a cow. It's things like this that can create a backlash, and cause more harm than good. We need to crackdown on employers. Otherwise it looks like we're inviting illegals with one hand and telling some of them they need to live on the streets with the other.

Posted at 01:32 PM | Comments (0)

"Border Patrol checks 'interior'"

The Washington Times reports on the recent arrests of illegal aliens in the interior. (Previous coverage of this here).

It contains this interesting bit:

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Robert C. Bonner, who oversees the Border Patrol, in August overturned an order by the agency's sector chief in San Diego directing agents not to arrest illegal aliens on city streets or to question them except along the border.

Mr. Bonner... ordered Chief William T. Veal to recall an Aug. 8 memo ordering his 1,600 agents to make arrests only along the U.S.-Mexico border or at highway checkpoints.

Chief Veal, who has since retired, issued the memo after protests from the Mexican Consulate over the arrests in San Diego of illegal aliens seeking to obtain Mexican identification cards.

Mr. Bonner said the Veal order was "overly broad and restrictive" and should be rescinded. He has since directed the Border Patrol to review its enforcement policies nationwide and, last month, named Tucson sector Chief David Aguilar, considered an aggressive enforcement proponent, to head the Border Patrol...

Chief Veal... said in his memo that the future of Border Patrol operations was dependent on the elimination of the perception that agents were conducting neighborhood sweeps.

The memo prohibited agents from initiating arrests in cities, residential areas, near workplaces and locations where day laborers gathered, and from making arrests while driving to their assignments. It also described the agents' main priority as the "maximum containment" of illegal immigration at the border and preventing terrorists from entering the country...

Posted at 01:27 PM | Comments (1)

"Political, business elites tell us how to fix immigration"

A panel of political and business elites - convened by the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations - has determined that we must declare an amnesty for the 8 million (or so) illegal aliens in the U.S.: 'Panel urges immigration reform, Newcomers are called key to future'.

That's nice. Hey, thanks for your input, and let us know how that works out for you. And, most of all, good luck in your future endeavors.

Posted at 01:17 PM | Comments (0)

AP: "Agents of the Oppressor Hunt Terrified Immigrants of Color"

The AP reports on the INS/BICE actually doing its job:

LOS ANGELES (AP) - U.S. Border Patrol agents have made more than 150 arrests in a sweep for illegal immigrants through communities far from the Mexican border, a practice authorities say will continue indefinitely.

In some cases, agents stopped people on streets or as they stepped off buses in Corona and Ontario, cities roughly 40 miles east of Los Angeles...

"This is kind of new, I guess, for most folks, but it is within the mission of the Border Patrol to detain, arrest and apprehend illegal aliens," said Angel Santa Ana of the Border Patrol's San Diego office...

This AP report was posted by several papers, and the story behind the story is the headlines the various papers used.

The link above is to the Bakersfield Californian, and the report there has the title 'Agents crack down on illegal immigrants in S. California'.

However, several other sites posted this article under the title 'Crackdown terrifies Southern California immigrant communities'. Because the same article was printed under that title in different papers, it's safe to assume that's the original title as provided by the AP.

Now, obviously, the AP's original title is not just inflammatory, it's inaccurate. The INS/BICE is arresting illegal aliens. They aren't terrorizing immigrant communities.

If you'd like to suggest that both the titles and contents of AP reports should be checked for accuracy before being published, please send a polite email to the papers that printed it under the original AP title. Here are the links to this article and contact information for each:

Palm Springs Desert Sun
rick.green@thedesertsun.com

Sarasota (FL) Herald Tribune
advocate@heraldtribune.com

Monterey (CA) Herald
mheditor@montereyherald.com

San Luis Obispo (CA) Tribune
sduerr@thetribunenews.com

San Jose Mercury News
dsatterfield@mercurynews.com

Click here to send emails to all

Posted at 09:47 AM | Comments (0)

"Immigration [to the UK] 'six times' more than official figure"

Story here.

Previous coverage of Europe's immigration problems here.

Posted at 09:17 PM | Comments (0)

Anyone who doesn't want Mexican trucks on American highways is a XRM-SBAH

I believe that Former North Carolina Commissioner of Motor Vehicles Edward L. Powell, Republican candidate for the Fifth Congressional District, is a XRM-SBAH*. In fact, just today he strongly condemned the recent Supreme Court decision that allows Mexican trucks to use the highways of the United States:

Powell said, “This is another direct result of the disastrous North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which has already virtually destroyed our textile and furniture industries in the Fifth District. NAFTA now threatens to destroy another vital part of the Fifth District, our trucking industry and its drivers and employees, in addition to the potentially deadly highway safety considerations."

“As the former head of highway safety in North Carolina, I can foresee deadly consequences for our citizens with these mechanically faulty Mexican trucks driven by non English speaking, inexperienced reckless drivers on American streets and highways. In addition, these Mexican trucking companies will take away large portions of our trucking business from our trucking companies in the Fifth District destroying these jobs just like “free trade” has destroyed our textile and furniture jobs. I can foresee the strong likelihood of Mexican trucks hauling drugs and other contraband into our country with our eagerness to do “free trade."

What a XRM-SBAH! Let the trucks come! Wealth for all!

Posted at 09:09 PM | Comments (0)

Federal Court OKs Suit Against Tyson for Hiring Illegal Aliens

From this:

A lawsuit by former employees of Tyson Foods, Inc. against their employer may go ahead, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Thursday. The four former workers are seeking damages as a result of Tyson's use of illegal aliens to depress wages. They sued the company under a provision of a 1996 law that made the intentional employment of illegal aliens for financial gain a violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act...

Posted at 11:43 AM | Comments (2)

"Growing Problem Demands a Plan"

The L.A. Times' Steve Lopez wonders why California's "leaders" aren't planning for the future. He mentions the Public Policy Institute of California as one of the few groups that's paying attention to out of control immigration and growth. They're working on a report on this topic ('Taking on the Future: California in 2025'), but it won't be available until next year.

Posted at 11:41 AM | Comments (0)

Another pointless immigration debate

CNN apparently held a round table on immigration, and here's the transcript: Sesno Reports: Press One for English. Eleanor Holmes Norton serves as one of the Voices of Stupidity, Mark Krikorian serves as one of the Voices of Sanity, and Ted Leonsis, vice chairman, America Online serves as the Voice of Inanity.

It would have been much better with many fewer participants who could provide an in-depth discussion, rather than Sesno constantly turning to Leonsis for his heart-warming but pointless view.

Posted at 11:27 AM | Comments (0)

New Study Finds That Illegal Immigration Costs Arizona $1.3 Billion a Year

From FAIR:

Illegal immigration now costs Arizona taxpayers about $1.3 billion annually, finds a new report, "The Costs of Illegal Immigration to Arizonans," published by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). The report shows a nearly nine-fold increase in the costs of illegal immigration during the past decade, and that the burden on the state's taxpayers continues to grow rapidly. The average native-born-headed household in Arizona now bears more than $700 a year in additional costs due to mass illegal immigration to the state, finds the report.

...Only a small fraction of these and other costs incurred by the state are offset by an estimated $257 million a year that illegal aliens pay in taxes to the state.

Posted at 03:20 PM | Comments (0)

Business Week: Unchecked Immigration a Key Factor in Keeping America's "Working Poor" Poor

FAIR reports:

In a display of unusual candor, Business Week recognized recently the negative impact immigration - coupled with globalization - has in perpetuating an army of permanently poor, hard-working Americans. In its May 31, 2004 cover story "Working... and Poor," the financial magazine states that a flood of immigrants, mostly from Mexico, is swelling the low-end labor pool and throwing least-skilled Americans into direct competition with people willing to work for pennies on the dollar...

Posted at 03:15 PM | Comments (0)

"[U.S. Rep. Chris Cannon (R-UT)] Denies He Supports Amnesty for Illegal Immigrants

Of course, there's a little bit of a catch:

Craig Nelsen, ProjectUSA director, wants the National Arbitration Forum to create a panel of impartial lawyers to evaluate immigration legislation Cannon supports and decide whether it fits the definition of amnesty...

Cannon spokeswoman Meghan Riding called the Project USA proposition a "clever bit of theatrics." She said Cannon's bills are available on the Internet, "where folks can read them, contact us if they have questions and make their own decisions."

For most people, his refusal will serve as pretty good proof that it is indeed "amnesty." Whether his plan meets the legal definition (?) of amnesty doesn't really matter. It will serve as a huge incentive to immigrate here illegally.

Previous Cannon coverage starts here.

Posted at 02:52 PM | Comments (0)

"Border Jumpers Leave Their Imprint on a Besieged Town"

The L.A. Times reports from Calexico, California:

Each day, the runners tumble out of holes cut in the 15-foot-high steel fence in front of Noemi Parra's home on the U.S. side of the border. The illegal immigrants race through her front yard, duck under the clothesline and hurdle her neighbors' bushes before disappearing.

When the Border Patrol is nearby, immigrants shake the doorknobs on her house, plead for help and sometimes try to burst inside uninvited.

"In the beginning I was scared. Now I'm used to being locked inside my house," said Parra as she watched a group of men sawing noisily through the steel fence across the street...

A recent police meeting with residents to discuss the problem of illegal immigrants running across yards was interrupted by an immigrant running across the yard...

Posted at 02:46 PM | Comments (0)

"The 1965 Immigration Act: Anatomy of a Disaster"

Here's today's history lesson.

Posted at 04:16 PM | Comments (0)

"Fabricating a Statistic in the Immigration Debate"

The L.A. Times questions Sen. Tom McClintock's math. McClintock wrote the following:

This year, nearly 7,500 qualified California residents — who would otherwise be entering California state universities as incoming freshmen — are likely to be turned away for lack of funds. Meanwhile, approximately 7,500 illegal immigrants will receive heavily subsidized university educations at a cost of between $45 million and $65 million annually at those same universities.

They think the 7500 figure is too high.

If McClintock used bad data to arrive at that number he should correct it. However, it's certainly at least interesting to see the L.A. Times jump all over an immigration restriction editorial like this.

Posted at 05:56 PM | Comments (1)

NYT: "Border Desert Proves Deadly for Mexicans"

From the NYT:

At the bottleneck of human smuggling here in the Sonoran Desert, illegal immigrants are dying in record numbers as they try to cross from Mexico into the United States in the wake of a new Bush administration amnesty proposal that is being perceived by some migrants as a magnet to cross...

In FY2002, just 13 (thirteen) companies were fined for immigration violations. Reduce the demand, and you'll reduce the supply.

Posted at 03:52 PM | Comments (0)

GOP incumbents face challenges on immigration

From this:

Immigration is turning into an election battleground among Republicans, with several challengers running primary campaigns against leading congressional supporters of legalizing illegal aliens.

Rep. Christopher B. Cannon, Utah Republican and a prominent legalization supporter, failed to win 60 percent of the vote at a Republican nominating convention a little more than a week ago. Now, he faces a primary next month against Matt Throckmorton, a former state legislator who is running hard on the immigration issue...

"The odds are still with [Mr. Cannon], given the percentage at the convention and he's an incumbent, but here's a four-term congressman who basically gets a 43 percent vote of no-confidence from his own party's regulars," [Roy Beck of NumbersUSA] said. "For those of us who are making the argument to members of Congress that the fact that amnesties are being considered at all is a sign of great disconnect with the American population — this helps confirm that..."

Previous Cannon coverage starts here.

Posted at 12:08 AM | Comments (0)

"Immigrant Voters Could Change Election Landscapes"

From FOX:

A scattered movement growing across the country would buck decades of conventional wisdom and allow non-citizens the right to vote in local elections, a move that proponents say would give immigrants the ability to directly impact government in their communities.

"We’re a stronger society as a whole if we have a good quality of life and everyone participates," said Ron Hayduk, political science professor at the City College of New York and a supporter of the movement.

"There is a greater likelihood that our representatives will be responsible to everybody," Hayduk told Foxnews.com. "This is a mechanism to make sure they are held accountable."

Everyone, Ron? Gosh, Ron, do you think there's any possibility that other countries might cause people to immigrate here just so they could vote in our elections? And, in that case, just who would our representatives be resposible to? The elites of Mexico? The ChiComs? Perhaps we should allow foreign governments to donate money to candidates as well. Why not? Anything less would be unfair and mean-spirited.

Another Voice of Stupidity in this article is from the World Policy Institute. Sidney Blumenthal and Eric Alterman are on the Advisory Board of their Journal, and Katrina vanden Heuvel is on their main Advisory Board. Yes indeedy.

Previous coverage of voting for citizens of other countries starts here.

Posted at 03:36 PM | Comments (0)

"1970s Law Laid Groundwork for Out of Control Immigrations"

Here's a history lesson.

Posted at 09:00 PM | Comments (0)

"Border Agents Warn of Influx"

The L.A. Times has a report on millions of illegal aliens poised to enter the U.S. due to talk of amnesty. They obtained internal border patrol documents that, among others, have this to say:

"Possible terrorist cell groups may exploit this high influx phenomenon," one agent wrote. "[O]ur immigration system may in fact become over burdened to the point that many individuals may fall through the cracks allowing subjects that may be affiliated with terrorist groups to enter the country without being identified, or stopped."

See also the earlier AP report 'Illegal Entry From Mexico to U.S. Spikes'.

Posted at 03:37 PM | Comments (1)

Subsidizing Illegal Immigration

From CA Sen. Tom McClintock:

This year, nearly 7,500 qualified California residents – who would otherwise be entering California state universities as incoming freshmen – are likely to be turned away for lack of funds. Meanwhile, approximately 7,500 illegal immigrants will receive heavily subsidized university educations at a cost of between $45 million and $65 million annually at those same universities.

Is it just me, or is there something wrong with this picture?

Under a law signed in 2001 by Gov. Gray Davis, an illegal alien who has graduated from a California high school after three years of attendance – all while in violation of U.S. immigration laws – is entitled to attend a community college or state university at the in-state tuition rate previously reserved for legal California residents.

The subsidy is substantial. At the University of California, proposed student fees for a California resident will be $6,028 next year. Non-residents will pay the full cost of $22,504. The difference is paid by California taxpayers.

Under this bizarre law, American citizens from other states pay more than three times as much as illegal aliens to attend California schools. An American citizen who moves to California from Arizona will pay $12,946 to attend the California State University. While she is waiting tables to pay her tuition costs, her taxes will be used to subsidize illegal immigrants who are paying only $2,776 to attend the same school...

California's law is similar to the anti-American DREAM Act, which would be national.

Posted at 11:35 AM | Comments (0)

Houston Chronicle says BICE should ignore "undocumented workers"

From the editorial 'ON ICE: Immigration agents right to hunt terrorists, crooks':

In recent weeks the Houston office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been falsely accused of conducting mass and indiscriminate raids on places where illegal immigrants live and work. When ICE officials denied conducting any such raids, U.S. Rep. John Culberson and other conservative ideologues asked why the agency wasn't doing its duty by rounding up illegal immigrants...

[...there are more pressing concerns like terrorism, smuggling, etc...]

...With all that and more to accomplish, it is no wonder that ICE agents in Houston are not raiding construction sites, schools, churches and other places where honest but undocumented workers congregate. Even the most resentful opponent of uncontrolled immigration would not wish ICE to reorder its priorities and leave the field to ever-bolder terrorists and vicious criminals.

Previous coverage of BICE not doing their job starts here.

Terrorism and smuggling are certainly important, however part of BICE's supposed job is to prevent illegal immigration. I'm sure they can work a little workplace enforcement into their busy schedule.

Please contact the Chronicle's editor and let him know what you think: jeff.cohen@chron.com

I wonder if he considers himself an Open Borders ideologue, or perhaps a liberal ideologue.

Posted at 11:29 AM | Comments (0)

"Tenn. Legislature approves bill barring illegal immigrants from using driver's licenses as IDs"

From the AP:

A bill passed Wednesday will transform Tennessee from a haven for illegal immigrants seeking driver's licenses to the state with the strictest driver's license policy in the nation, state officials say.

The legislation, approved 96-2 in the House after it passed the Senate earlier this week, now goes to Gov. Phil Bredesen, whose administration developed the bill.

"The changes we're making today are necessary given the ongoing threat of terrorism that exists in this country," sponsor Rep. Phillip Pinion said before the 96-2 vote. "If we'd had this (across the country) the 19 hijackers would not have been able to get on the airplanes that caused the terrorist attacks of 9/11..."

This isn't a full restriction; illegal aliens can get "certificates of driving" which are marked as not valid for ID purposes. Whether they would be considered as ID is not known.

Posted at 04:28 PM | Comments (0)

L.A. Times uses a two-level proxy to attack those opposed to illegal immigration

Here's a community commentary ("Day-laborer issue is about one thing, and it's not 'concern'") from Burbank resident Alfred Aboulsaad. It concerns Home Depot's plans to build a store in Burbank. They'd construct a day laborer center on-site, and pay the city of Burbank $94,000 a year to run it.

Note that this appeared in the Burbank Leader, which appears to be owned by the Times. Thus, it's a two-level proxy.

My first idea was to find out whether Mr. Aboulsaad is an employee of MALDEF or HomeDepot. However, he appears to be (or have been) a "help desk analyst."

I didn't attend the Burbank meeting in question, but perhaps I should have. Could there be a chance he's mischaracterizing some of the comments made? One might think that based on the canards he uses in the rest of the article. If it's correct that "[n]ot one of those people speaking had a solution or even a viable suggestion" that just speaks to those commentors, it doesn't mean that there are not very good arguments to be opposed to illegal immigration.

In any case, let's all give HomeDepot a call at 1-800-553-3199 and find out whether they support illegal immigration explicitly or implicitly.

Posted at 12:19 PM | Comments (0)

Cannon "shocker:" immigration issue forces primary battle

Here's more on mass-immigration-advocate Chris Cannon (R-UT) having to face Matt Throckmorton in the Utah GOP primary.

This has national implications because of Cannon's role as Bush's "point man" on immigration matters. Cannon admits that the reason he has to go to the primary is because of his stance on immigration. So, send this news to your local politicians if their immigration policies are similar to Cannon's.

Previous Cannon coverage starts here.

UPDATE: Here's more on the primary.

Posted at 12:04 PM | Comments (0)

Campin' with the coyotes

Illegal alien smugglers appear to have a new tactic. Rather than stashing illegals in drop houses, they're temporarily parking them out in the desert. Of course, that leads to things like not having water for a few days, and even worse things.

If we could start doing workplace enforcement again - including heavy fines and imprisonment for employers - demand would drop dramatically and with it supply.

Posted at 02:41 PM | Comments (0)

A setback for the bad guys

Mass illegal immigration advocate and U.S. Rep. Chris Cannon (R-UT) will now have to face challengers in the Utah GOP primary. That's the first time he's had to do that since 1998, and his stance on immigration probably had a great deal to do with it. Cannon is referred to as President Bush's "point man" on immigration, and he's also a recipient of the Excellence in Leadership Award from MALDEF.

Let's hope that Matt Throckmorton beats him in the primary; most of their positions are the same except for their stance on immigration.

Previous coverage of Chris Cannon starts here.

Posted at 06:38 PM | Comments (0)

"Hispanics will help build future of U.S."

From a KC Star report on the 'Latino Civil Rights Summit 2004':

Jose Angel Gutierrez, a Dallas lawyer and author, said it best as Friday's luncheon speaker: “We are the future of America. Unlike any prior generation, we now have a critical mass. We're going to Latinize this country...”

Gutierrez said people from Mexico, Central and South America are not immigrating to the United States. They are simply migrating because this land had been theirs. Spain had held it, and before that it had belonged to the indigenous people. Hispanics should never put up with others telling them to go back where they came from. “You don't have to apologize to anybody,” Gutierrez said...

Do you think the author of the piece, Lewis Diuguid, did a little googling before writing this? Remember, Diuguid is a member of the KC Star's Editorial Board, so he probably should do his research. If he had, he would have found these earlier quotes from Mr. Gutierrez:

The border remains a military zone. We remain a hunted people. Now you think you have a destiny to fulfill in the land that historically has been ours for forty thousand years. And we're a new Mestizo nation. And they want us to discuss civil rights. Civil rights. What law made by white men to oppress all of us of color, female and male. This is our homeland. We cannot - we will not- and we must not be made illegal in our own homeland. We are not immigrants that came from another country to another country. We are migrants, free to travel the length and breadth of the Americas because we belong here. We are millions. We just have to survive. We have an aging white America. They are not making babies. They are dying. It's a matter of time. The explosion is in our population.

And, this classic:

"We have an aging white America. . . . They are dying. . . . They are ******** in their pants with fear! I love it!" "We have got to eliminate the gringo, and what I mean by that is if the worst comes to the worst, we have got to kill him."

If you'd like to suggest that Lewis Diuguid do a bit of research before quoting people who should be shunned by mainstream society, please send a polite email to the KC Star's Reader's Rep: readerrep@kcstar.com

Posted at 12:06 AM | Comments (2)

What if Kerry doesn't support the Democrat's Plan to Give Away the Store?

Kerry is apparently not jumping at the chance to endorse Teddy Kennedy's plan to Give Away the Store: see 'Kerry Hesitates as Democrats Promote Immigration Plan'.

Perhaps Kerry realizes this would create a huge backlash from his constituents. For instance, consider the following:

Separately on Tuesday, a Harvard scholar released a study estimating that immigration reduced the wages of U.S. male workers by an average of about 4% from 1980 to 2000, with heavier losses for high school dropouts, Latinos and African Americans. George J. Borjas, a leading immigration economist, said immigrants added to the supply of low-skilled workers, pushing down wages...

Perhaps this is a good chance to educate Kerry's natural constituencies about the effects of the Kennedy plan on their lives.

Posted at 01:26 PM | Comments (0)

How biased is the Arizona Republic?

Let's take a look at the AZ Republic's reprint of the L.A. Times story about the Democratic Mass Illegal Immigration Plan. Bear in mind that both identify the author as Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar and are (more or less) the same article.

The AZ Republic version is named 'Alternative on migrants: Dems set to offer more lenient plan on immigration'.

The L.A. Times version is named 'Dueling Immigration Ideas Frame a Key Election Issue: Democrats counter Bush's guest-worker concept with a move toward citizenship'.

But, that's not the worst part.

The AZ Republic's version has replaced every occurence of the word "illegal" with "undocumented" or similar. No, really. For instance, here's the first paragraph of the Times story:

Congressional Democrats, playing catch-up with President Bush's guest-worker proposal, plan to introduce an immigration reform bill Tuesday that would put millions of illegal immigrants on the path to citizenship but restrict the entry of future workers.

And, here's the first paragraph of the AZ Republic story:

Congressional Democrats, playing catch-up with President Bush's guest-worker proposal, plan to introduce an immigration reform bill Tuesday that would put millions of undocumented immigrants on the path to citizenship but restrict the entry of future workers.

Posted at 10:52 AM | Comments (1)

'No Illegal Alien Left Behind' Bill Introduced

Here's FAIR's response to the Democratic Party's attempt to give away the store:

Legislation unveiled today by Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) would guarantee legal U.S. residence for virtually every illegal alien living in the U.S. and countless millions additional relatives who would be permitted to join them in this country. Under the Kennedy-Gutierrez legislation, most, if not all, of the estimated 8-13 million illegal aliens in the country would be granted immediate amnesty, and nearly all existing limits on people seeking admission to the U.S. would be lifted.

In addition to granting amnesty to illegal aliens and moving their relatives to the front of the immigration queue, the bill would allow newly legalized immigrants to sponsor additional relatives to come to the United States, even if they lack the means to fulfill their commitments of support. The legislation also waives existing re-entry bars for illegal aliens who have been removed, allowing them to return to the U.S. to claim amnesty...

Posted at 10:42 AM | Comments (1)

The Democratic Party's plan to give away the store

The Democrats are proposing a new immigration "reform" plan, and - surprise! - the L.A. Times has obtained a pre-release copy. The proposal is authored by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-Ill.).

It would basically allow almost all illegal aliens in the U.S. to become citizens. Even worse, "recent arrivals would not be shut out." In other words, expect another few million to cross our borders in expectation of receiving an amnesty from whoever wins the presidency.

But, wait! It gets even worse: "The Democratic proposal is largely silent on enforcement."

Since this is being proposed by Democrats, one way to fight it is to educate their voting base - such as blacks - about the effect that massive illegal immigration will have on their lives. I'm sure Moby has a plan.

Posted at 09:53 PM | Comments (0)

U.S. Rep. wants to know why the INS isn't doing its job

Earlier I discussed the town hall meeting in Houston where a BICE (new name for the INS) official assured illegal aliens that the INS was not conducting workplace raids. I.e., a BICE official told illegal aliens that he wasn't doing his job.

The meeting got some attention:

Now U.S. Rep. John Culberson, R-Houston, wants to know why not.

"I am appalled and outraged that federal law enforcement officials would hold a meeting with lawbreakers to tell them they won't enforce the law," Culberson said in an interview Thursday.

Culberson, who sits on the House Appropriations Committee, said he will do anything in his power to make immigration officials understand that "if they expect to get funded, they must enforce the immigration laws."

While not calling for an official investigation, Culberson said he will conduct his own inquiry to find out what is happening in Houston...

Posted at 07:29 PM | Comments (1)

INS, Houston police assure "immigrants" that the laws aren't being enforced

Welcome to Wacky World. The INS called a town hall meeting in Houston to calm the fears of illegal aliens. You see, there's a rumor going around Houston's illegal alien community that the INS is actually doing its job and conducting raids.

The INS called the meeting to inform the illegal aliens that they are, in fact, not doing their job. The Houston Police chimed in with confirmation that they are prevented by local laws from following federal laws:

The rumors have persisted for weeks, causing illegal immigrants within the Hispanic community to flee or hide.

"People are staying home. They don't even go to work, they don't go shopping, they don't go have fun, because they are scared. And it's not true -- that's not happening," said Escamillo.

"We are not conducting mass raids of work sites, of schools, of construction sites. That is not the case," said ICE official Joe Webber.

Other reports on the meeting - which was held almost all in Spanish - are here, here, and here.

Yes, it does seem like a bad Twilight Zone episode.

Posted at 08:47 PM | Comments (1)

"Illegal Entry From Mexico to U.S. Spikes"

From the AP:

After a four-year decline, illegal immigration from Mexico is spiking as several thousand migrants a day rush across the border in hopes of getting work visas under a program President Bush (news - web sites) proposed. Many also are trying to beat tighter security to come in June.

The U.S. border patrol told The Associated Press that detentions — which it uses to judge illegal migration rates — jumped 25 percent to 535,000 in the six months ending March 31 compared to a year ago.

Repeat after me: "Amnesties - or even the talk of amnesties - do not encourage illegal immigration. Karl Rove's plan was a brilliant political ploy! Everything is going to turn out A-OK!" Pass the Kool-Aid, George.

Posted at 11:29 AM | Comments (0)

"Illegals policy angers leaders [Arlington County, VA]

From this:

Virginia lawmakers and the state attorney general yesterday expressed dismay that Arlington County plans to ignore a new law aimed at cracking down on illegal immigrants in the fight against gangs and terrorists.

Delegate Robert G. Marshall suggested cutting state funding to Arlington's police force or even shutting off the county's water if local officials opt not to implement the law...

The law, which takes effect July 1, permits local police to arrest any illegal immigrant who previously was convicted of a felony and deported...

Arlington County Board Chairman Barbara Favola was not available for comment yesterday...

See this post for some prime quotes from Ms. Favola. I hope a law-abiding challenger to her is available.

Posted at 09:56 AM | Comments (0)

"Human tsumani"

The Washington Times has a long, depressing piece on (largely illegal) immigration to Los Angeles: 'Human tsumani'. The Voice of Stupidity is provided by political scientist Raphael Sonenshein, who used to work for Maxine Waters.

Is there some way to force "liberals" and liberaltarians to not just read this article, but to live with the impacts it describes? Kinda like how slum lords are occasionally forced to live in their own buildings. Yeah, I like that idea. Let's find Chris Cannon an apartment in Pico-Union.

Posted at 12:08 AM | Comments (2)

"Immigration fuels school-building frenzy"

From this:

The last time anyone undertook a project as massive as the Los Angeles Unified School District's current construction program, gymnast Mary Lou Retton was America's sweetheart...

The 10-year, $10 billion project, the biggest school-construction program in the nation, is nothing if not ambitious. The LAUSD plans to build 160 schools between 2002 and 2012, as well as expand and update some of its existing 800 facilities.

And yet when the project is officially completed in eight years, it won't be enough. That $10 billion will buy 162,000 seats, but projections are that, by 2012, the district will need an additional 33,700 seats, Mr. McConnell said.

Such is the size of the immigration wave into Los Angeles. With the state growing by about 600,000 people per year, virtually all of it from immigration, the school system can't keep pace with the growth...

Posted at 02:53 PM | Comments (0)

Illegal alien drop house busted in Watts

The LAPD and the BICE busted a drop house in Watts in which over 110 illegal aliens were held captive. The house is 1100 square feet, and the doors were chained shut while the smugglers demanded more money. 88 of the aliens are now in BICE custody awaiting deportation.

The smugglers escaped, and the aliens are out thousands of dollars.

While we can occasionally bust drop houses, the more intelligent way to reduce the number of such incidents is to make it unprofitable to hire illegal aliens.

The backstory is the most interesting part of this:

Local law enforcement officials say the only thing unusual about the case is the large number of people found in the house — and the active involvement of federal immigration officials.

LAPD Cmdr. Jim Tatreau said that the department has encountered numerous safe houses and human-smuggling rings that federal officials chose not to handle.

In many of these cases, he said, the immigrants were released into the streets after police ensured that they are in decent health and not victims of other crimes because the LAPD does not have authority to hold them.

LAPD rules prohibit officers from seeking deportation proceedings against illegal immigrants who have not committed a crime, Tatreau said.

City Councilwoman Janice Hahn, whose district includes Watts, said the immigration agency has largely abdicated enforcement responsibilities in Los Angeles.

"The federal government is turning a blind eye to what's happening at the border," Hahn said.

Posted at 01:16 PM | Comments (0)

"[Idaho] County Commissioner Bills Mexican Government For Illegal Aliens"

From this:

Thousands of migrant farm workers are here legally but many are here illegally. It was that portion of the migrant labor population that Canyon County Commissioner Robert Vasquez singled out for special attention today suggesting that the Mexican government should reimburse local taxpayers for their expenses. "My fellow American's, constituents, friends and neighbors expect their county commissioner to spend the taxes on services for American's not on illegal alien's healthcare, education or detention."

That is why Vasquez today showed off a $2 million bill he is sending to the Mexican consulate in Salt Lake City. Vasquez says Canyon county has tallied up $1.4 million in housing illegal aliens in the county jail, and $575,000 on welfare services for illegal aliens over the last two years. "The reality is we are securing the borders of Iraq but we are not securing the borders of the United States, that is the reality..."

As can be expected, a member of the Race Industry is on hand to provide a stock argument:

But officials with the Idaho Migrant Council say Vasquez is missing the point. They say without illegal aliens a lot of the crops here in this country would end up rotting in the ground, according to Dr. Albert Pacheco, the council's director. "They would, because no native born American wants to work for those wages to work for those conditions and I think historically if we look at it America it has been built and has prospered based on illegal immigration."

Pacheco also suggests that Vasquez' use of words like "fight" and illegal "invasion" is subtle hate speech. "I think he is trying to pander to the racism and the ignorance that still exists in this country."

In other words, shut up. As for the actual argument that Pacheco tried to present, the line about crops rotting in the fields has been trotted out before, and it's usually false. See 'The Mirage of Mexican Guest Workers' and 'In Florida Groves, Cheap Labor Means Machines'.

Note also that the Idaho Migrant Council is one of those groups supporting U.S. Rep. Chris Cannon's AgJobs amnesty.

Posted at 11:57 PM | Comments (0)

How to make "liberals" drop support for the DREAM Act

Bleeding heart leftie TalkLeft directs us to yet another demonstration in favor of the anti-American DREAM Act. (Note the URL is at MTV and that the article is basically an advocacy piece. For an earlier demonstration for the DREAM Act, see the post Karl Rove meets his new "voters".)

At TalkLeft, I provided the story of "Mike Jackson" to illustrate why this is horrible, anti-American legislation:

Mike - a U.S. Citizen from Alabama - wants a discounted college education. If Mike can't get a discounted college education, he won't be able to go to college, and he'll be forced to go work at Wal*Mart as a stocker.

Mike knows that there are only a finite number of discounted college educations available. There are only a limited number of colleges, and there's only a finite amount of money available for discounted college educations.

Mike is very worried about the DREAM Act. Under the DREAM Act, a citizen of another country could take Mike's hope at a college education away.

Mike wonders, "Why should a citizen of another country get the discounted college education I should have gotten? How could anyone support explicitly anti-American legislation like this? Shouldn't we give discounts to our own citizens before the citizens of other countries? Those citizens of other countries are eligible for free or discounted educations in their own countries. It's just not fair!"

Let's support Mike Jackson and all the other citizens who will have their discounted college educations taken away by a student from another country. Most of those citizens who will be affected by the DREAM Act are People of Color like Mike.

Mike doesn't exist. However, I have no doubt I could find thousands or tens of thousands of students who'd be adversely affected by this horrible bill.

Posted at 03:53 PM | Comments (0)

Guilty "liberals" at Sierra Club choose smears over fact

From the AP report 'Sierra Club chooses establishment candidates in board election':

Sierra Club leaders beat back efforts by anti-immigration forces trying to gain control of the nation's largest environmental group, persuading members to defeat the challengers by a landslide in board elections...

An increasingly vocal faction of the San Francisco-based Sierra Club has advocated a tougher stance on immigration, calling U.S. population growth the greatest danger to the environment.

Leaders of that faction have accused the club's leadership of unfairly trying to influence the election by using club resources to back candidates picked by the nominating committee.

Lies by the "non-liberal" press didn't help. For instance, the lie above about the challengers being "anti-immigration." Sure, it's a step up from calling them "anti-immigrant," but it's still a smear. The challengers aren't "anti-immigration," they prefer restrictions on immigration. Maybe next election the press can be encouraged to lie less.

Posted at 12:09 PM | Comments (0)

"Activist accused of smuggling 2 into U.S."

Stifle your schadenfreude:

A high-profile Latina activist upset over a series of deportations involving young, undocumented Phoenix residents was caught Thursday trying to smuggle two of them back into the United States from Mexico in the trunk of her car, officials said.

Ana Lizabeth Roman de Harvey, 40, of Phoenix, was charged Friday with felony alien smuggling and a misdemeanor charge of conspiracy to make illegal entry...

She faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the felony charge...

Ramon de Harvey was upset after a tense meeting with Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, city officials and other Latino leaders Monday about a March 28 incident in which at least eight juveniles [some of whom were alleged gang members --LW] were sent back to Mexico because they could not prove they were living in the United States legally...

Ramon de Harvey came to the United States illegally in her late teens and became a citizen in 1993. Her work with LULAC and the Phoenix Police Department's Hispanic advisory board has made the native of El Salvador a well-known face in the immigrant community and on the political scene...

"She's not a smuggler," said Salvador Reza, who worked with Ramon on Palomino's day labor center. "She's an activist that takes her job so serious that she's willing to risk it. She gets something into her head, thinks it's for the 'good of the cause' and doesn't care what the consequences are. She follows her heart but just doesn't use her brain."

(Via this)

Posted at 10:52 PM | Comments (0)

NYT, Bloomberg against non-citizen voting

The New York Times has an editorial ('A Citizen's Right') opposing voting for non-citizens. They mention that Mayor Mike Bloomberg is also opposed to it:

This page believes that it is in the nation's best interest to encourage people who live here permanently to become citizens and throw in their lot with the interests of the United States. Extending the most important benefits of citizenship to those who still hold their first allegiance to another country seems counterproductive.

On the other hand, the Houston Chronicle has a news article slanted towards voting by non-citizens ('Immigrants' voting rights becoming a major issue'). It should come as no surprise that "liberal" blogger TalkLeft supports non-citizen voting; see my excoriating comments here. I'm sure countries like Mexico and China would just love to have their citizens voting in our elections. I mean, more than they do so already.

Posted at 11:08 PM | Comments (0)

It must be sob story season

Yesterday I covered the AP story of the Mexican legal immigrant who faces deportation because she was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder. I didn't discuss the case itself so much as AP's treatment of it and their treatment of other more important news stories. It includes the following line:

Now she faces another ordeal - the prospect of being torn from her family and sent back to a country she no longer knows...

Today, Radley Balko alerts us to this 4/8/04 Richmond Times-Dispatch article about another immigrant in a similar situation. It includes the following line:

O'Brien is still there three months later, awaiting possible deportation to a country she no longer knows and far away from the family she has raised in America.

What a coinkydink! It could in fact be just a coincidence. Or, some advocacy group or other could be feeding these reporters quotes which they then incorporate into their articles. Why spoil perfectly good verbage?

For an example of how something like this might work, consider this article:

Since late November [2002], the Mexican government, via its Consulate Offices in the U.S., has planted the exact same Op-ed, give or take a comma or two, into at least 17 major U.S. dailies...

Posted at 11:16 AM | Comments (1)

Dissing Sam Huntington

On March 14, 2004, the L.A. Times ran an editorial that tried its best to counter Samuel Huntington's Foreign Policy essay 'The Hispanic Challenge'. The editorial was entitled:

Wrongheaded Assault on a 'Brown Peril'

Just so there's no mistake, that was the exact title, punctuated as shown. The editorial starts with the following, once again retaining the original punctuation:

"The best Injun is a dead Injun." "The Yellow Peril." "The Red Menace." To this colorful array of prejudices and many others past and present, Harvard professor Samuel P. Huntington now adds the latest object of hate and suspicion: "the Brown Menace."

Based on the fact that "Brown Menace" is put in quotes, as is "Brown Peril," wouldn't you think those two phrases would appear in Huntington's essay? Well, if you did, you'd be wrong. The only place the word "brown" appears is in a discussion of massive immigration perhaps leading to the development of white nationalists:

These new white nationalists do not advocate white racial supremacy but believe in racial self-preservation and affirm that culture is a product of race. They contend that the shifting U.S. demographics foretell the replacement of white culture by black or brown cultures that are intellectually and morally inferior.

Haven't you already lost when the only argument you can present is one obtained by misquoting or misrepresenting the other's argument? I have to tell you, I'm shocked the L.A. Times would sink this low. Oh, wait, no, actually I'm not shocked.

I haven't been following the anti-Huntington screeds spewing forth on the "non-liberal" newspapers throughout the land, but I'd imagine that a good number of them employ the same device, safe in the knowledge that most people are not Foreign Policy subscribers nor are they compulsive googlers for said magazine's articles.

Now, a new anti-Huntington editorial has arrived that also makes similar mistakes. It's in a much smaller market, namely readers of the University of Miami's rag: 'Lost in translation Perdido en la traducción'.

Of the many problems, one is that the supposed Huntington quote "lack initiative and accept poverty" is a) taken out of context, and b) is actually a quote from someone else. Another problem is that the second supposed Huntington quote - "low work ethic" - does not appear in Huntington's essay.

One thing that does appear is an unflattering portrayal of Miami.

At least former Mexican foreign minister Jorge Castaneda's attempt to counter Huntington's argument (also printed in the L.A. Dog Trainer) didn't distort his message, even if it ended up showing just how right Huntington is.

Posted at 07:33 PM | Comments (0)

"Bush 'amnesty' blamed for rise in illegals"

And here you thought the Bush/Fox Amnesty was just a harmless political ploy that would have no real effect except on the electorate:

The number of illegal aliens being apprehended on the southwestern border has jumped 25 percent in the first three months of 2004 compared with last year, and some are blaming President Bush's immigration proposal in January for enticing immigrants across the border...

The increase in apprehensions was driven by a spike within the two Arizona sectors, Yuma and Tucson, which saw increases of 60 percent and 51 percent, respectively...

Mr. Bush says his plan doesn't amount to an amnesty, but [Rep. Tom Tancredo, Colorado Republican and chairman of the House Immigration Reform Caucus] said that's how those in other countries see it.

"The rest of the world knows exactly what he said. A Mexican peasant in Chiapas interpreted it correctly," he said.

Posted at 11:45 AM | Comments (1)

Does "AP" stand for "AgitProp?" - Part 2 of a long series

Part 1 of this series discussed the "possible hate crime" the AP reported on back in February. It concerned an illegal alien mother and daughter who were murdered in Fremont, CA. On the slimmest evidence, the AP's Justin Pritchard declared it a possible hate crime and tried to lay the blame for their murders on the fact that, as illegal aliens, they did not have driver's licenses. Gil Cedillo since used their murders for political purposes. As of a month ago, the murders were unsolved.

Part 2 of this series concerns AP reporter Laura Wides.

Today she has a long piece on a legal Mexican immigrant who is trying to fight deportation after being convicted of conspiracy to commit murder ('Paroled Mexican woman fights deportation'). Our goal here is not to discuss the merits of the woman's case, but AP's coverage of the story.

Laura Wides' latest piece goes into the legal issues of the case. It discusses the history leading up to the murder. It appears that Laura Wides interviewed at least five or six people for this piece. And, I'm sure she spent some time confirming statements made by the woman, her lawyer, and others. And, it's written in a weepy, Struthersian style that makes you almost want to pick up your phone and donate to her defense fund:

"Now she faces another ordeal - the prospect of being torn from her family and sent back to a country she no longer knows..."

"...a permanent U.S. resident whose ailing mother and eight siblings are U.S. citizens..."

"From the yard of the detention center, Suarez, now 43, catches glimpses of the life she missed."

"Suarez's nightmare began in 1976..."

Now, compare the AP's coverage of this story to their coverage of the previous post, 'Central American and Mexican consulates to aid Calif immigrants'. That story is far more important. It will have a far greater impact on people in the U.S. and other countries. Where are the interviews, including from those who might say this is a bad thing for America? Where is the backstory? Go read the original report; one might be forgiven for confusing it with a press release from the Mexican consulate.

If foreign countries are forming pacts to help their citizens evade our laws and to give the corrupt elites of those countries even more political power within our country, shouldn't the AP be covering that pact with the same force with which they cover weepy Sally Struthers pieces?

Send your comments to info [AT] ap.org.

Posted at 10:14 AM | Comments (0)

"Central American and Mexican consulates to aid Calif immigrants"

From the AP:

Consuls from Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica and Mexico say they're uniting forces to improve the quality of life for Hispanic immigrants in California.

The consuls announced a plan Wednesday to work with U.S. officials and community groups to provide joint education and legal assistance in areas of health, immigration and labor rights...

"The question is not, 'what do the countries gain from uniting?', it's 'what do we stand to lose by not doing it?'" Guatemalan Consul Fernando Castillo said before signing the agreement in Los Angeles' Olvera Plaza, where the city was founded by Spanish settlers more than two centuries ago.

The consuls maintain the United States relies on migrant labor, while Central American countries and Mexico rely on the revenue those migrants send home...

The consuls will begin the new effort with an event to raise awareness about civic participation. They also plan to hold a health fair to highlight programs available for immigrants and share legal resources to help those detained by immigration authorities.

But they were clear that as diplomats, they will not get involved in the upcoming U.S. elections, and their focus remains Los Angeles County, which has roughly 4 million Central American and Mexican immigrants, the largest concentration in the country...

You gotta wonder. Do these people have hypnotic powers or something? How are they able to tell outright lies and make pacts designed to evade our laws and sign those pacts in our own country, yet no members of the press nor politicians notice that something is deeply wrong?

For an introduction to how Mexican consuls work with community groups to evade our laws, see the Washington Times article 'Mexico lobbies for alien amnesty'.

Posted at 10:32 PM | Comments (2)

"Ruling Aids Illegal Workers"

The L.A. Times reports on a 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision that makes it easier for illegal aliens to sue their employers ("Ruling Aids Illegal Workers"):

"Granting employers the right to inquire into workers' immigration status in cases like this would allow them to raise implicitly the threat of deportation and criminal prosecution every time a worker, documented or undocumented, reports illegal practices," Judge Stephen Reinhardt wrote in the ruling. Reinhardt said such inquiries would discourage workers from coming forward, and "countless acts of illegal and reprehensible conduct would go unreported."

While it does give rights to illegal aliens, it also makes those workers less attractive to prospective employers. One of the main reasons employers hire illegals is they're less likely to complain. And, that makes them cheaper overall. However, recent suits have ratcheted up the total costs to employers and will hopefully serve as a disincentive to hire illegals. Why not hire a legal resident or a citizen, and avoid headaches?

Posted at 02:15 PM | Comments (0)

Relax! Plus, burqas are now in fashion

In the April 4 NYT, historian Niall Ferguson discussed that the formation of "Eurabia" was one possible result of massive Muslim immigration to Europe:

The French historian Alain Besancon is one of a number of European intellectuals who detect a significant threat to the continent's traditional Christian culture. The Egyptian-born writer Bat Yeor has for some years referred to the rise of a new ''Eurabia'' that is hostile in equal measure to the United States and Israel...

A youthful Muslim society to the south and east of the Mediterranean is poised to colonize -- the term is not too strong -- a senescent Europe...

Now, two lesser lights inform us he's being alarmist ('Scot’s vision of Islamic Europe is condemned as ‘alarmist’):

Angus Calder, the Edinburgh-based historian, said Mr Ferguson was seeking to alarm and shock, while Neal Ascherson, the author and journalist, accused him of "playing along with fundamentalist panic"... Mr Calder said yesterday: "Ferguson is a clever man but his basic position tells me he has taken free market liberalism to an insane pitch. I would not deny that it could happen but I think he is being alarmist.

"He is definitely not a racist but he is a historian who fizzes with ideas, not all of them considered long and hard enough."

Mr Ascherson said: "The idea that they (Muslims) are coming to get us, that they will invade, settle and conquer us, is ridiculous. He is having fun, pulling our legs and enjoying himself...

Well, that puts my mind at ease. It could happen, but he's being alarmist about it. And, it's all just a jolly jape, too! The Herald article includes a history lesson at the end that our two apologists might want to pay attention to. As well as quotes such as this: "Islam will return once more to Europe as a conqueror and as a victorious power." And, of course, there's all that talk about al Andalus.

Posted at 02:35 PM | Comments (2)

More peace-loving Kerry supporters

MoveOn.org is holding bake sales across the country in order to raise money for Kerry.

There are only a few in general Northeastern L.A. Most are on the Westside, such as this lovely event:

MECHA for Kerry and Bustamante (10 baker(s)/helper(s))
Santa Monica Library on Montana
Santa Monica, CA
WE will set up out front on the Montana side of the Library. The UCLA group and USC will have competitive tables to see who can raise the most money for our cause. We are waiting to hear from CSU Northridge and from Santa Monica City College. All are welcome; if you come to protest our event - rest assured that we will take care of you - do not protest us.
Friday, April 16, 01:30 PM

Ah, peace-loving liberals! For a recent example of other peace-loving Kerry supporters, see “The Margolis Incident”.

UPDATE: As indicated above, most of these bakesales are in the Westside. There are none in Inglewood. There are none in the Compton area. The only one in the northern South L.A. area is at USC, which doesn't count.

UPDATE 2: There are now two general South L.A. bake sales, one near LaBrea/Adams, the other near Western/Adams. The Crenshaw area is still bake sale-free. Perhaps they could cut a one-day-only deal with the Nation of Islam.

Posted at 09:05 PM | Comments (0)

Some people should be out of a job

Check out the quotes in the story "Are the suburban counties inviting terrorists?"

An official with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said jurisdictions that fail to check the immigration status of people receiving tax-funded rent subsidies are opening the door to terrorists.

"Those are the vulnerabilities that people have exploited in the past to commit acts of terrorism," said ICE spokesman Garrison K. Courtney.

The Washington Times first reported last week that Arlington and Montgomery counties are the only jurisdictions in the metropolitan area that do not perform the immigration check, creating a loophole that allows illegal aliens to receive county rent assistance. [See "Illegals escape subsidy scrutiny" and the earlier "Sanctuaries for crime"]

Officials in Montgomery and Arlington counties defended their hands-off policy, saying that catching illegal immigrants isn't their responsibility.

"It is the federal government's role to check the borders and monitor for illegal aliens. It isn't my job," said Barbara Favola, Democrat and chairman of the Arlington County Board... Miss Favola also said an immigration check would be insulting to people seeking aid dollars. "We really work at developing a trust level with all our residents in Arlington," she said. "I want to be a friendly and welcoming place, period — to anyone who comes within our borders."

..."We are not in the immigration business," [a spokesman for Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan] said. "If the federal immigration service needs more staff, they need to lobby Congress for more staff, not rely on local governments to do [the job]..."

"Where there is no federal requirement," he said, "we adopt the position that we are in the service business and we do not want to impede the delivery of those services."

Help for Ms. Faviola might be on the way: "For [Arlington] County Board & School Board: [GOP] nominees or endorsees will be selected at an Arlington Republican canvass election, to be held Monday, May 10..." That's assuming, of course, that a Republican can be found who will do his job.

The page "Montgomery County Executive Encourages Illegal Immigration, Charges FAIR" has a lot more information on Douglas Duncan, who is truly a supporter of illegal immigration.

Posted at 08:37 PM | Comments (0)

"Way Too Many People in Paradise"

L.A. Times columnist Steve Lopez expresses his middle-class dissent about massive immigration:

Only those who commute, work for a living or breathe air should have any concerns about the latest news out of paradise.

I'm talking about the story informing us that in the last three years, 1 million additional people have taken up residence in sunny Southern California...

Millions more are expected to join the party in the years to come, and once they get acclimated to local customs, every last one of them will be the lone occupant of a slow-moving vehicle traveling an insane distance from home to work...

Immigration is a federal rather than a state responsibility, but California gets more immigrants than any other state. So why can't the congressional delegation at least speak up for tighter control of illegal immigration? Better yet, why not lobby for investing in south-of-the-border development the way we are investing in Iraq?

He also touches on the current battle for control of the Sierra Club, quoting one of the leaders of the restrictionist side. And, unlike other articles in the L.A. Times and elsewhere, he doesn't verge into the Restrictionists Are Nazis thing. So, congrats to Steve for finally seeing a glimmer of light.

Posted at 11:06 AM | Comments (0)

"Is Bush's base beginning to crumble?"

Howard Fineman in Newsweek asks the titular question:

Can the unshakeable be shaken? Is it already shaking? These are relevant questions as Condi Rice testifies and Iraq turns ugly. Especially since 9/11, a key feature of the political landscape has been George W. Bush's granite-like Republican/conservative base. But fissures are appearing and the war may widen them. Facing a close race with Democrat John Kerry, the president can't afford to spend much time reassuring his friends. But he may have to...

But varying elements of the GOP "base" have developed grievances that could, if nothing else, disillusion some voters on the margins, keeping them home instead of at the polls on Election Day in swing states the president needs to carry. Some of the grievances:

1. Immigration. A firm stand against illegal immigration is a bedrock belief of most conservatives - indeed, of most Americans. But activists on the right are furious at the administration, which is eager to court Hispanic voters, for its proposals to grant what amounts to amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants. Conservative anger has been stoked by the president's brother, Jeb Bush, who has proposed to allow illegal immigrants to acquire driver's licenses. The assumption - probably the correct one - is that the governor of the key state of Florida would not have made such a move without first checking with his brother the president, or Rove.

I'm speechless. The word "undocumented" doesn't appear above. They're actually calling things by their true names.

For more information, visit my extensive Immigration category.

Posted at 10:20 PM | Comments (0)

"Open Borders, Closed Wallets"

From this:

A Republican fundraiser learns firsthand that the GOP grassroots resent the president’s amnesty proposal.

The telephone rang and an old wealthy conservative friend answered. After the usual pleasantries, I told him I was a co-host for the upcoming Jan. 15 Bush-Cheney event at Atlanta’s World Congress Center and pitched him for $2,000 to attend and see the president on a rope-line. For $20,000, I explained, he could have a personal audience and photograph with the commander-in-chief. Before I could even finish my last sentence, though, I was cut off. “You should know I wouldn’t be writing a check after his crazy amnesty proposal.”

I was not surprised, replied that I was as disgusted as he was, and pressed on with my next call. Same response—but angrier. “Why are you even helping Bush?” was the question from the third conservative donor on my list. The fourth rejection was emphatic—“I’m not giving him a dime because of that immigration announcement.” The fifth person got right to the point: the president “is pandering to the open borders crowd.” No check. My sixth target, who said he was “maxed out” to the campaign, was the only one to “support” the president: “Bush has given up on immigration, but I’m not concerned. Let’s deal with the Democrats on other issues.”

There was more of the same on my second day dialing for dollars, so I gave up. Then I warned the Georgia Bush-Cheney chairman, Jamie Reynolds, that I was failing to receive checks because of the president’s stand on illegal immigration. His response was a polite admission that he had heard rumblings too but that we all should press on...

Posted at 02:01 PM | Comments (0)

"Tancredo Pleads With Bush to Reverse Amnesty Plan as Illegal Immigration Spikes"

From this:

Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) pointed to illegal immigrant apprehension rates by the U.S. Border Patrol for 2004 on Monday as evidence that President George W. Bush's temporary worker policy has not lowered illegal immigration, but has rather increased it dramatically.

"I hate to say this to the president, but I told you so," Tancredo exclaimed.

Tancredo, who serves as the chairman of the Immigration Reform Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives, has been adamantly opposed to the Bush "guest worker" plan from the beginning. He and the other members of the caucus have been warning Bush that providing amnesty to aliens rewards illegal behavior and will further exacerbate an already serious problem with illegal immigration in the U.S.

Border Patrol Public Information Officer Rob Daniels, who is stationed at the Tucson Sector of the Border Patrol, reports more than 200,000 illegal aliens have been apprehended to date in 2004, a 50 percent spike over last year.

In fact, more than 60,000 detainees were captured in March, an incredible 85 percent jump over the March 2003 statistics.

Tancredo said the numbers will only get worse because April and May tend to be busy months for illegal immigration activity as aliens attempt to avoid the oppressive summer heat...

Posted at 01:57 PM | Comments (0)

An incompetent attempt to take down Samuel Huntington

The Chicago Tribune's Alfredo Lanier attempts to counter Samuel Huntington's 'The Hispanic Challenge' in the editorial 'Latino migration dividing America'. (use 'anonymous' as the username and password)

I'm not going to fisk the whole thing, just a couple things from it.

Lanier says this: "there is no evidence whatsoever that a reconquista--a reconquest--of the land lost by Mexico to the U.S. in the 19th Century is brewing in the Southwest."

Is Lanier lying, or just completely uninformed? Has he never heard of Aztlan, or the "liberation" of it as promoted by racial separatist groups? Some members of those separatist groups are now academics and politicians, so they do have a bit of power. Perhaps we should send Lanier a copy of Mexifornia so he could educate himself a bit. I hear it's a popular book, I'm surprised he's never heard of it.

Lanier gets even worse:

If Huntington is troubled by Mexican-Americans' failure to assimilate and their potentially separatist tendencies, he would not be altogether comfortable in Miami either. There, Cuban-Americans have assimilated so well they have taken over the place, leaving some native Miamians feeling like foreigners in their own city.

It's a puzzling concern. Huntington admits the obvious--Cuban refugees revived Miami's near-dead economy by making it the financial and commercial capital of Latin America. Politically, Cuban-Americans also assimilated with a vengeance. As Huntington points out, the mayor of Miami, plus the mayor, police chief and state's attorney of Miami-Dade County, plus several U.S. representatives and state legislators, are Cuban-American or of Cuban descent.

Isn't that the ideal of Americanization?

Huntington's treatment of Miami referred to how many "Anglos" feel unwelcome there, and how they feel that the Cubans took over and kicked them out. Excerpt:

The Cuban and Hispanic dominance of Miami left Anglos (as well as blacks) as outside minorities that could often be ignored. Unable to communicate with government bureaucrats and discriminated against by store clerks, the Anglos came to realize, as one of them put it, "My God, this is what it's like to be the minority."

Once again, is Lanier lying, did he misread that section of Huntington's article, or does he think that form of discrimination is OK and represents Americanization?

See also Jorge Castaneda's attempts to counter Huntington here. At least Castaneda knows what he's talking about.

Posted at 12:35 AM | Comments (1)

Jorge Castaneda proves just how right Samuel Huntington is

Samuel Huntington's 'The Hispanic Challenge' describes how current Hispanic immigration presents a unique challenge to America. In the L.A. Times, former Mexican foreign minister and current Mexican presidential candidate Jorge Castaneda tries to counter his argument ('Addition to the Melting Pot Requires a New Recipe Book'):

And they lead, in [Huntington's] view, to one fundamental trend: Mexican immigrants are not assimilating into the American melting pot the way other ethnic groups have in the past. If this is even partly true, then Huntington's concern for the future is warranted...

Former Melrose Place actress Daphne Zuniga     deals with her Oppression yesterday.

But despite Huntington's pessimism, the reality is that such an outcome is not inevitable for Mexicans in the U.S.

U.S. history includes several examples — including the Irish — in which broad assimilation occurred without immigrants' losing their traditions or links with their native country.

Irish traditions? Irish links? Few Irish-Americans know anyone in Ireland. Most Irish would have trouble discerning Irish traditions among Irish-Americans. For most Irish-Americans, their celebration of Irish traditions consists of getting drunk every March 17th.

Why can't it be the same for Mexicans? It is true that many previous groups of immigrants didn't face a language barrier, and that they probably didn't face racism as acute as Mexicans today face. But that does not mean it cannot happen.

The most relevant criticism of Huntington's argument is that it describes a situation he characterizes as undesirable but makes no effort to offer a solution. That, in part, is why his argument has been so controversial and why he's faced charges of racism — unfairly in my opinion. Huntington is a conservative, but he is not a racist.

Mexican immigration does have distinctive traits that do make difficult, if not impossible, the automatic assimilation that characterized previous waves of immigration. This is not a question of lack of will; it is a matter of history.

That is why the United States must make a major effort to construct a new type of assimilation that is both voluntary and effective...

Ah, here we finally get to the point where Castaneda proves Huntington's point. According to Castaneda, we need to change our way of assimilation to accomodate these new immigrants. Sorry, it doesn't work that way. And, these changes that Castaneda suggests run counter to America principles.

His suggestions:

1. amnesty for illegals
2. fighting discrimination against Mexicans
3. dual citizenship ("Mexico has helped with this process in the recent past")
4. Mexicans in Mexico should consider Mexicans in the U.S. as part of the overall Mexican Nation
5. a guest worker agreement

As Castaneda himself says, "Huntington's concern for the future is warranted" if we have to radically change our system to meet the needs of these new immigrants. No other immigrant groups have required such changes, and that includes the Irish. All of these proposals are bad for America.

Proposal #2 above is disingenuous at the least. While anti-Hispanic or anti-Mexican discrimination does exist, the fact remains that once a Mexican makes it over our southern border he automatically becomes a member of a Protected Class, sometimes having more rights than U.S. citizens. Those new Protected Minorities are automatically enrolled into the forces of the Victimization and Race Industry. Perhaps Castaneda is referring to the extremist position that any form of border control is a form of discrimination.

However, the worst idea of all is that of dual citizenship, which automatically leads to divided loyalties. From the Revolutionary War on, this country has not looked at all favorably on those who have such divided loyalties.

If Castaneda's proposals aren't acted on, what is he going to do? Perhaps he could propagate militant activities in the U.S. Oh wait, he's already done that, and with some success.

Posted at 01:16 PM | Comments (1)

"The high-immigration Right is on the warpath"

From Mark Krikorian in National Review:

The high-immigration Right is on the warpath, trying to delegitimize all conservatives who stand between them and the illegal-alien amnesties they crave. Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal ran an outrageous piece � slamming National Review, Fox News, various Republican congressmen, and my own organization as being part of a restrictionist cabal of baby-killing, white-supremacist, Chi-Com lovers. [See my excoriation of the WSJ's smear article in the comments here --LW] Of my Center for Immigration Studies, the Journal's Jason Riley wrote, among other things, that despite the fact that CIS "may strike right-wing poses in the press," we nonetheless "support big government, mock federalism, deride free markets and push a cultural agenda abhorrent to any self-respecting social conservative." The fact that none of this is even remotely true didn't stop the flood of adjectives from continuing, with CIS described as "repugnant" and a "big fan of China's one-child policy," and by implication "neo-Malthusian," eugenicist, and an opponent of free trade, to boot!

...Believe it or not, there are numerous liberals (though few members of their elites) who are concerned about admitting a million-plus immigrants a year. The divide is between the patriotic and the non-patriotic Left. Liberals who worry about America's poor oppose mass immigration; liberals whose advocacy for the poor stems from their loathing for America want more immigration. Liberals who love America's environment and quality of life are concerned about immigration; liberals who express their hatred for America through environmentalism support more immigration...

Now, since they brought it up, let's look at which elements of the Left the high-immigration Right has allied itself with.

On June 6, 2002, Rep. Cannon received the Excellence in Leadership Award from the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF), a leftist group created by the open-borders Ford Foundation. At the fundraising banquet where he received the award, he said that "We love immigrants in Utah. And we don't make the distinction very often between legal and illegal. In fact, I think Utah was the first state in the country to legislate the ability to get a driver's license based on the matricula consular [the Mexican government's illegal-alien ID card] and of that I'm proud." (listen to his speech, taped from C-SPAN, here). In this speech he also praised pregnant women sneaking into the United States in order to have U.S.-citizen children; recognized the member of his own staff who was "translating what MALDEF would like to do into legislative language"; and described himself as an example of the phenomenon that, in politics, "as you come to the extremes, you actually get close together."

In light of Cannon's high-profile advocacy on immigration, it's curious that his campaign website contains no mention of immigration, neither on the "issues" nor "legislation" pages. Perhaps he thinks his constituents might not be thrilled by his support for illegal-alien amnesties and mass immigration. In fact, at a 2002 convention of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (listen to his AILA speech here), he jokingly welcomed the assembled immigration lawyers to move to Utah to help him deflect a primary challenge based on his support for illegal-alien amnesties. And he faces the same challenger again this year, while the issue is being highlighted by billboards in his district...

There much more, go have a look. I discussed Chris Cannon's "expose" here. That post also includes his email address and phone numbers in case you want to politely let him know just how wrong he is.

(I will point out, however, that instead of 'der Nationalrat das Volk' it should read 'der Nationalrat des Volkes,' AFAIK.)

Posted at 11:46 AM | Comments (6)

Michelle Malkin on the Karl Rove harrassers

Malkin discusses the NPA harrassment of Karl Rove in 'A closer look at left-wing thuggery':

...NPA members are funded by the usual suspects -- "progressive" charities such as the Tides Foundation, Ben & Jerry's Foundation, and the MacArthur, Ford and Rockefeller foundations. But they are also funded by your tax dollars. My research shows that the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Environmental Protection Agency and Massachusetts Department of Education have given tens of thousands of dollars in grants to NPA members. Their agenda is the usual big government, race card-playing, entitlement mentality claptrap: "homeowner security" (more government minority home loans), "workplace rights and training" (more government job programs), "good policing" (a ban on racial profiling), and "promoting security and opportunity for immigrants" (more benefits for illegal aliens)...

Previous coverage starts here.

Posted at 03:35 PM | Comments (0)

"Sierra Club must save its soul"

From the NY Daily News:

Dick Lamm, public policy gadfly and former Democratic governor of Colorado, is being denounced these days as a right-wing extremist, neo-Nazi and racist. His offense is that he is one of three men running for the Sierra Club board of directors on a platform of limiting immigration to protect the environment. In response, the leadership of the club and its allies have been playing the race card with berserk ferocity. Among the charges are "environmental racism" and the "greening of hate."
These arguments assume that any urge to cap or slow immigration is a form of anti-Latino or anti-Asian bigotry. "It's hate," the Sierra Club executive director Carl Pope said of the splinter group endorsing the insurgent candidates...

Pope has shamelessly tried to connect Lamm, Morris and Pimentel to the most extreme anti-immigration people. He told The New York Times: "If somebody who isn't a Nazi is put on the ballot by the American Nazi Party" it can be difficult to tell the candidate from his dubious backers. Good grief. Next we will be hearing that Franklin Roosevelt may have been a commie because Stalin fought on his side during World War II...

Early media coverage has focused on incendiary charges of a hostile takeover of Sierra by extremists. Soon the media will figure out that the club is actually conducting a smear campaign.

This disgraceful effort by the Sierra Club has turned the spotlight on the leadership itself, its lack of candor about who its powerful donors might be, and its tactic of trying to sway an election with ugly charges. The organization should act quickly to make things right.

"Soon the media will figure out that the club is actually conducting a smear campaign"? And here I thought the media was a willing participant in the smear campaign. For an example, see the dissection of an L.A. Times article on the election.

Posted at 12:55 PM | Comments (0)

Even more on the Karl Rove harassment

Tasty Manatees has a very informative post about the leaders of the NPA harassment of Karl Rove. It turns out that the two leaders mentioned by the WaPo are school teachers. They may have commandeered students and school buses for their stunt, or they may have done it all legal like. In any case, they put those kids in harm's way, and TM has their supervisor's contact info.

Previous coverage starts here.

UPDATE: See FAIR's comments on the DREAM Act here.

Posted at 10:47 PM | Comments (0)

CNN announces new press release service

CNN has a new feature, and it's free! If you send CNN your press release, they'll weave it into a news story, even if they had a reporter there to report on it himself. Such a deal!

Of course, there are a few restrictions. First, your press release must be from a far-left group promoting an "action." Like, oh, say, harrassing Karl Rove chez lui. See 'Group protests outside Rove's house'. They even left out the bit about the protesters banging on Rove's windows, making it sound much more of a peaceful protest than as described in the WaPo. See this post and the previous one for more information.

Previous coverage of the Rove harrasment is here, and previous coverage of the DREAM Act is here.

Posted at 10:25 PM | Comments (1)

Jorge Castaneda running for president of Mexico

Former Mexican foreign minister Jorge Castaneda is running for president of Mexico as an independent.

In addition to his many other noteworthy accomplishments, Castaneda uttered the following back in Nov. 2002:

[Mexico's foreign minister Jorge] Castaneda said Mexican officials will begin rallying unions, churches, universities and Mexican communities.

"What's important is that American society sees a possible migratory agreement in a positive light," Castaneda said. "We are already giving instructions to our consulates that they begin propagating militant activities -- if you will -- in their communities."

There's more on the presidential race in Mexico here.

There are several examples of those militant activities here, here, and here.

Posted at 02:38 PM | Comments (0)

Karl Rove meets his new "voters"

This is funny, annoying, disturbing, heartening, and shocking all at the same time:

Several hundred people stormed the small yard of President Bush's chief political strategist, Karl Rove, yesterday afternoon, pounding on his windows, shoving signs at others and challenging Rove to talk to them about a bill that deals with educational opportunities for immigrants [sic: it should read "illegal immigrants" -- LW]...

The crowd then grew more aggressive, fanning around the three accessible sides of Rove's house, tracking him through the many windows, waving signs that read "Say Yes to DREAM" and pounding on the glass...

And after about 30 minutes of goading by protesters in English and Spanish, Rove agreed to meet with two members of the coalition on the condition that the rest of the protesters board their buses and leave his street. The group obliged.

Rove opened his garage door and allowed Palacios and Inez Killingsworth to enter. The meeting lasted two minutes and ended with Rove closing the garage door on Palacios while she was still talking... Rove told them "he hoped we were proud to make his 14-year-old and 10-year-old cry..."

Closing the garage door on them is pretty sweet. In fact, I think the whole experience might do Karl some good. He actually got a chance to meet those people he thinks are going to vote for the Republicans. I'd say the chance of any of those "immigrant's rights advocates" of voting Republican is about one in a million.

I only hope some of them were waving Mexican flags, discussing how they were working closely with the Mexican consulate, building Communism, and all those other good Republican things.

This same group tried this same s*** last year at the offices of FAIR. Can you count all the lies in their press release?

Or, can you count all the lies in the press release for their Rove harassment? What's sad is the WaPo has simply parroted one of the main lies: the DREAM Act doesn't affect "immigrants," it affects "illegal immigrants." A big difference that both NPA and the WaPo gloss over.

For an earlier example of the elites getting a taste of their own medicine, see 'CEO of DC’s PBS Station Mad About Day Laborers Next to Studio'.

Posted at 11:31 PM | Comments (0)

"As Border Woes Strain Arizona, U.S. and Mexico Talk"

The NYT reports on the illegal alien situation in Arizona. As you read the excerpt, consider this astonishing fact: in FY2002, just 13 (thirteen) companies were fined for immigration violations. (source)

Now, here's the excerpt:

...In recent months, there has been an eruption of illegal immigration and related violence in Arizona, and with it has come a realization by federal officials: no matter how many hundreds of thousands of migrants they catch and send back over the border, many will return time and again unless the government finds better ways to keep them out of the country and out of harm's way.

Officials from Mexico and the United States began meeting last week in Mexico City on a plan to repatriate Mexican border crossers by sending them deep into their country, closer to their hometowns, rather than simply returning them near the border.

American and Mexican officials agreed in February to explore the repatriation plan, which is similar to a program that was scrapped in the mid-1990's. Though Mexico had resisted the idea in recent years, American officials saw the willingness to reconsider the plan partly as a sign of good will in response to President Bush's recent call for a temporary worker program. However, officials made clear that there were still potentially major issues involving logistics and financing [in English: Mexico wants more of our money --LW] to be worked out and that some issues remained off limits.

"We would never allow someone to be sent back to their hometown if they didn't agree to it," said a Mexican diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity because the negotiations were continuing. "The program has to be voluntary. That issue is not even on the table."

Asa Hutchinson, an under secretary in the Department of Homeland Security, said that American officials were committed to the repatriation idea and that "if it has to be voluntary, we'll make it work..."

While most other parts of the southern border have had a decline in illegal crossings, Arizona has recorded a 34 percent jump in the past six months. Federal officials say tightened security in areas like Southern California and Texas has pushed smuggling rings to Arizona, which now accounts for about 40 percent of all illegal entries. The shift to Arizona has brought with it a sharp increase in violent extortions and drug seizures as well as the deaths of dozens of migrants left in the desert, law enforcement officials say...

Once again: in FY2002, just 13 (thirteen) companies were fined for immigration violations.

Posted at 09:27 PM | Comments (0)

Chris Cannon [R-UT] is "loose with facts, demeans American public discourse"

From the SteinReport:

(Washington, D. C. - March 26, 2004) The FAIR Congressional Task Force today issued the following statement regarding comments made by Rep. Christopher Cannon:

At a recent hearing in the U.S. House of Representatives, Utah Rep. Christopher Cannon tried to indict American immigration reform activists with a series of smears, frauds and half-truths designed - at least in his mind - to discredit all Americans who believe in sensible immigration and border reform policies. In making these assertions, Congressman Cannon crosses the line into the realm of fabrication, taking what is a strength - the broad based nature of the nation's immigration reform lobby - and trying to make it into a weakness.

Contrary to Cannon's wild assertions, FAIR and the FAIR CTF have never taken any position on sterilization, abortion, eugenics or euthanasia.

Rep. Cannon claims that he has exposed the "anti-life" agenda of those who want better immigration enforcement and lower overall immigration levels. In repackaging tired, old and hackneyed allegations - mostly old lies and gross distortions - Cannon uses classic "red jacketing" or a heinous form of guilt by association by passing off inaccurate information about third parties and seeking to paint everyone with the same distorted brush. Rep. Cannon demeans the nature of American political discourse and deserves the censure of all right-thinking Americans...

...unfortunately for Rep. Cannon, his cheap labor agenda - rewarding law breakers and promoting taxpayer rip offs -- is opposed by most of those he purports to represent. He has also pursued reckless and obstructionist policies that are a clear threat to national security. He opposes improvements in state/local enforcement cooperation, opposes stronger border regulation, opposes effective interior enforcement, opposes efforts to deter illegal immigration by denying access to benefits and opposes any effort to rationalize the immigration system to reduce the overall flow and its burden on America's communities...

You can read Cannon's "expose" here and in this .doc file. He seems to want to compete with Dave Neiwert and the WSJ in the smear category.

For one small example, he quotes a Denver Post column that states that the group American Patrol "sends vigilantes to the southern border to capture illegal immigrants who sneak in." That's false. That group only observes illegal aliens and reports them to the Border Patrol, it does not attempt to apprehend illegals. Using the term "vigilantes" is indicative of the author's biases.

Cannon's "expose" references an easily discredited WSJ editorial. (As usual, the reader responses to this article are almost all negative. I don't know if they plan it that way or what.)

Many of Cannon's "revelations" have already been answered in the Front Page Magazine article 'Lies about the Immigration Reform Movement'.

See this page for Cannon's contact information:

118 Cannon House
Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-7751
Fax: (202) 225-5629
Email: cannon.ut03@mail.house.gov

Posted at 02:26 PM | Comments (0)

"Southwestern schools root out illegal pupils"

From the CS Monitor:

From kindergartners to 12th-graders, these children routinely cross the US-Mexico border to attend Arizona schools. Some use fake documents. Others stay with US relatives. All pose as full-time US residents to obtain a better education than they would receive from Mexico's public schools.

Now, however, a growing number of school districts in the Southwest are cracking down on the presence of illegal immigrants in their classrooms as education budgets tighten.

The moves are touching off a deeper moral debate that underlies almost every issue dealing with illegal immigration: Is it better to help the immigrant children and thus improve their lives, or is their presence behind American desks robbing taxpayers - and schools - of much-needed money?

They aren't "immigrant children." They're citizens of another country. That country should take charge of educating its citizens, and not leech off our educational system.

While this might have the slight benefit of indoctrinating those children, it will also imprint in them the idea that America is a great big sucker.

And, there is another factor to consider in this debate. If the Mexican government can't educate its own citizens, perhaps those citizens will agitate for reform. Educating their citizens provides the Mexican elite with a safety valve and delays reform.

[Kelt Cooper, the superintendent of the Nogales Arizona Unified School District] estimates that up to 10 percent of his district's approximately 6,000 students may still live in Mexico. Each costs the district about $5,000 per year to educate, in what he calls "a fraud on the government and the taxpayers..."

To get a clearer picture of how many children cross the border, Arizona superintendent of public instruction Tom Horne has asked the state attorney general to investigate the scope of the problem. He says taxpayers deserve nothing less, especially since "state budgets are tight all over right now. People naturally feel uneasy if they feel their government is tolerating a scam without looking behind the surface."

In Chula Vista, parents increasingly complain that children from Tijuana add to crowded classrooms. In response, Chula Vista officials now require parents to provide proof of residency each year. While anger simmers, however, many Chula Vista residents are afraid to speak out, fearing they'll be labeled as racist. But when the San Diego Union Tribune highlighted the district in a recent story, the newspaper received a flood of e-mail supporting the crackdown...

Not all border community members want to keep Mexican children out. From her perch behind the counter at Andres Tienda general store in Nogales, Mercy Johansen watches youngsters pass by on their way to Arizona schools every day. The mother of two grown children, her heart goes out to them. "I think that all children should have the right to a good education, no matter where they live," says Ms. Johansen. "These kids are our future, on both sides of the border."

Ah, the good ol' "end the article with an idiot" trick. Perhaps Ms. Johansen should take her bleeding-heart-of-Sally-Struthers mindset one step further and sponsor one of those children.

Posted at 12:31 AM | Comments (1)

The disturbing ties of some of George W. Bush's Latino advisors

From the older article 'Los Amigos de Bush: The disturbing ties of some of George W. Bush's Latino advisors':

Those who say that George W. Bush has scant knowledge of foreign affairs don't understand his family's relationship with Mexico.

If one event could be said to make that relationship visible, it had to be the state dinner given eleven years ago by President Bush for Mexico's president, Carlos Salinas. It was an elegant yet boisterous gala, where the biggest movers and shakers in Texas and Mexico congregated and celebrated. This group was to become W's Mexican legacy, a gift of ties and connections passed on from the father to his son.

What was not visible was that the group included two men with numerous links to drug cartel figures. These men helped George W. Bush win the Latino vote in Texas. Which raises a few questions: How did these guys get into the Bush circle? What else do they do for him? And, to rephrase a famous query, what did the presidential candidate know and when did he know it?

It goes into great depth regarding Bush's very questionable ties with some bad people.

I found out about this article from Steve Sailer's 'The Bush Betrayal: Maybe He's Not Thinking But Feeling - Family Feeling, Mexican Style' in which he tried to figure out why Bush would propose the Bush/Fox Amnesty.

Posted at 11:27 PM | Comments (0)

"American Dynasty: Aristocracy, Fortune, and the Politics of Deceit in the House of Bush"

The book American Dynasty: Aristocracy, Fortune, and the Politics of Deceit in the House of Bush by Kevin Phillips is on my list of things to read. Here's the blurb from Amazon:

The Bushes are the family nobody really knows, says Kevin Phillips. This popular lack of acquaintance—nurtured by gauzy imagery of Maine summer cottages, gray-haired national grandmothers, July Fourth sparklers, and cowboy boots—has let national politics create a dynasticized presidency that would have horrified America’s founding fathers. They, after all, had led a revolution against a succession of royal Georges.

In this devastating book, onetime Republican strategist Phillips reveals how four generations of Bushes have ascended the ladder of national power since World War One, becoming entrenched within the American establishment—Yale, Wall Street, the Senate, the CIA, the vice presidency, and the presidency—through a recurrent flair for old-boy networking, national security involvement, and political deception. By uncovering relationships and connecting facts with new clarity, Phillips comes to a stunning conclusion: The Bush family has systematically used its financial and social empire—its "aristocracy"—to gain the White House, thereby subverting the very core of American democracy. In their ambition, the Bushes ultimately reinvented themselves with brilliant timing, twisting and turning from silver spoon Yankees to born-again evangelical Texans. As America—and the world—holds its breath for the 2004 presidential election, American Dynasty explains how it happened and what it all means.

An adapted version of a chapter from the book is in 'For Texas’ Elite, Is Open Immigration The New Slave-Holding?'

Posted at 10:42 PM | Comments (0)

"In Florida Groves, Cheap Labor Means Machines"

Some Florida orange growers are getting smart and using machines rather than foreign serf labor. From the NYT:

IMMOKALEE, Fla. — Chugging down a row of trees, the pair of canopy shakers in Paul Meador's orange grove here seem like a cross between a bulldozer and a hairbrush, their hungry steel bristles working through the tree crowns as if untangling colossal heads of hair.

In under 15 minutes, the machines shake loose 36,000 pounds of oranges from 100 trees, catch the fruit and drop it into a large storage car. "This would have taken four pickers all day long," Mr. Meador said...

But as globalization creeps into the groves, it is threatening to displace the workers. Facing increased competition from Brazil and a glut of oranges on world markets, alarmed growers here have been turning to labor-saving technology as their best hope for survival...

"The rest of the world hand-picks everything, but their wage rates are a fraction of ours," said Galen Brown, who led the mechanical harvesting program at the Florida Department of Citrus until his retirement last year. Lee Simpson, a raisin grape grower in California's San Joaquin Valley, is more blunt. "The cheap labor," he said, "isn't cheap enough..."

Investment in technology generally happened when the immigrant spigot was shut. After the bracero program ended and some farm wages began to rise, scientists at the University of California at Davis began work on both a machine to harvest tomatoes mechanically and a tomato better suited to mechanical harvesting...

In line with the last paragraph, consider this quote from "The Mirage of Mexican Guest Workers":

...California Farmer reported in 1963 that if the flow of braceros stopped, tomato growers and canners "agree the State will never [again be able to plant] the 100,000 to 175,000 acres planted when there was a guaranteed supplemental labor force in the form of the braceros..."

Reality, however, never confirmed these dire predictions. In 1960 some 45,000 farm workers (mostly braceros) had harvested 2.2 million tons of processing tomatoes. By 1999, it took only 5,000 workers to operate machinery that harvested some 12 million tons. Thanks to these efficiency gains from mechanization, the real price of processing tomatoes declined 54 percent while per capita consumption rose 23 percent...

California Farmer was lying in 1963, and the same groups are lying today.

Posted at 01:52 PM | Comments (0)

Guest Worker Residency Bill Is Taking Root in the Senate

The L.A. Times reports on the AgJobs bill:

The so-called AgJobs bill, which also would make it easier for growers to import foreign guest workers, has 55 co-sponsors — including Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) — in the 100-member Senate, its authors said Wednesday.

Sens. Larry E. Craig (R-Idaho) and Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) said they hoped in the next few weeks to increase that number to more than 60. That would give the bill enough support to overcome delaying tactics on the Senate floor and force a vote on its passage...

The chairman of the [House] Agriculture Committee, Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), is opposed to AgJobs...

At a hearing on guest-worker programs Wednesday, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee on immigration, Rep. John N. Hostettler (R-Ind.), contended that such programs reduced wages for American workers and that legalization of undocumented migrants encouraged more to come illegally.

"We have an untried alternative — simply to enforce employer sanctions — that would year by year brighten the prospects for American workers," he said...

...administration officials remained noncommittal about whether the president would support the bill...

"If we were able to gain the support of the president of the United States, this would go through the Senate of the United States in two hours," [Sen.] Kennedy said...

I previously discussed the AgJobs bill here. As stated above, it's supported by Barbara Boxer. The previous post has a list of the 400 organizations who support AgJobs. Most are the ultimate in special interest groups. Big ag business, grower's organizations, racial groups, radical groups, and so on. Some might even have connections with foreign governments. They don't have America's best interests at heart.

Posted at 12:43 PM | Comments (0)

We're being sued by Mexico

No kidding. There's a case before the International Court of Justice entitled Avena and Other Mexican Nationals (Mexico v. United States of America).

It concerns Mexican citizens who face the death penalty in the U.S. Judgment will be rendered on March 31. Read the latest press release here, the first press release here, and the document index here.

This appears to be part of a larger attempt by Mexico to tie us up in litigation and force us to change our policies to fit their agenda. See, for instance, the earlier post "Mexico files human rights complaint against U.S. to the United Nations." This page suggests the possibility that Mexico might use the World Court to get compensation for their nationals who've died trying to get across our border. This CS Monitor report has some background.

Posted at 11:14 PM | Comments (0)

"Stealth Invasion"

This long, sourced, and highly recommended article describes how agents of the Mexican government have infiltrated politics in Utah. They succeeded in defeating a bill that would stop illegal alien driver's licenses. Here's the summary:

Working through its consulates in the United States, the Mexican government is waging a war of subversion against our nation — with the silent complicity of Washington.

The next time someone regurgitates AILA talking points, just give them the link.

Posted at 02:54 PM | Comments (0)

Time to make some phone calls

From the John and Ken (KFI radio-Los Angeles) blog:

We have contacted all the Republicans in the State Senate and the State Assembly asking one question- how will you be voting on Senator Gil Cedillo’s Illegal Alien Driver License Bill (SB1160)?

...If you DO NOT see your Senator or Assembly member, then they have replied with a big fat NO to SB1160. For those who have not replied to any phone messages or seem to be on the fence about the issue, we have kindly made available their contact information. We urge you to call them and let them know that SB1160 is wrong for California.

Seem To Be “On The Fence”

1. Bill Maze ® District 34, Visalia
Capital Office: 916-319-2034
District Office: 559-636-3440
E-mail here

2. Abel Maldondo ® District 33, San Luis Obispo
Capital Office: 916-319-2033
District Office: 805-549-3381
E-mail here

3. Bonnie Garcia ® District 80, Cathedral City
Capital Office: 916-319-2080
District Office: 760-321-8410
E-mail here

UPDATE: Apparently they were able to get in touch with Steve Samuelian, and he's said he won't support the bill.

UPDATE 2: Like Samuelian, they took Dave Cogdill off the list.

Posted at 02:18 PM | Comments (0)

Remember the Alamo

There's a new Alamo movie coming out in a couple weeks (official site here). It features Dennis Quaid, Billy Bob Thornton, Jason Patric, and Patrick Wilson.

You can buy the novelization of The Alamo here.

You can buy the Original Uncut Version of the John Wayne version (1960) here.

And, if you'd like to read about President Bush forgetting about The Alamo, click here. Imagine, a U.S. President selling out the country on the 168th anniversary of the storming of the Alamo.

Posted at 01:54 AM | Comments (0)

"Attacking Illegal Immigration From The Left"

RightWingNews links to this column about illegal immigration. It's by Marty Nemko, and it's generally opposed to illegal immigration and the current immigration system.

What's extra interesting is that Mr. Nemko is apparently a leftie.

Posted at 10:17 PM | Comments (0)

Mexico Arrests 42 [Government Employees] for Migrant Trafficking

From the AP:

Mexican police have arrested 42 immigration agents and other government employees accused of running a network that smuggled illegal immigrants into the United States, officials said Tuesday.

The suspects, arrested in raids last week in 12 of Mexico's 31 states, allegedly smuggled Cubans, Uruguayans, Brazilians, Asians and Central Americans through the southern border and guaranteed them safe passage into the United States. It was unclear how the ring operated in the United States.

Attorney General Rafael Macedo de la Concha said his office was asking U.S. law enforcement agencies for help in determining whether any Americans were involved in the ring...

Those arrested included agents and ex-agents of Mexico's National Immigration Institute, the INM, the very agency Mexico relies on to detect illegal migrants and prevent the country from becoming staging base for migrants from other countries.

Even more chilling was the fact that seven of the 26 INM agents arrested were assigned to Mexico's Grupo Beta, a special force designed to protect immigrants...

For extra fun, flip back and forth between this story and the earlier story "Mexico asks to help oversee U.S. border protection plan."

Posted at 10:08 PM | Comments (0)

Truth must be ultimate weapon for Sierra Club

From the Arizona Republic:

Mark Twain said, "A lie can travel halfway round the world while the truth is putting on its shoes." It's astonishing how the media have been stampeded into a feeding frenzy by mostly one-sided stories charging that an army of racist, anti-immigrant, animal-loving vegetarians is about to take over the venerable Sierra Club...

In recent years, the environmental movement has lacked courage to address the root cause of most environmental problems: rapid and apparently endless U.S. population growth. With our high levels of consumption, we Americans are stealing the resources of the world from other species, other peoples and future generations.

The longer the environmental movement and its flagship, the Sierra Club, shirk their responsibility to speak out forcefully for a policy of U.S. population stabilization - that includes both reduced levels of fertility and immigration - the worse off all future generations will be...

Posted at 03:23 PM | Comments (0)

Miami Herald "endorses indentured servitude"

That's what the Stein Report says regarding the Miami Herald's editorial supporting the AgJobs bill ('A win-win for growers, farmworkers, America'). That bill would provide an amnesty for half a million illegal aliens. As history shows, amnesties simply lead to more illegal immigration. One amnesty leads to more illegal immigration, which requires another amnesty, which leads to more illegal immigration, repeat.

As for the claim that the editorial supports indentured servitude, judge for yourself:

...AgJobs sets up a process by which illegal immigrants already working in agriculture could earn legal status. They would have to continue to toil in the fields a certain number of days for at least three more years to be eligible for residency, which would assure farmers of a legal labor pool.

At the same time, the bill provides better protections for the farmworkers who now too often are exploited by unscrupulous growers, directly or through labor contractors. The result should lessen abuses such as those documented last year in The Herald's series Fields of Despair: modern-day indentured servitude, slave wages, indecent housing and perilous working conditions. And it would benefit the honest growers who want to treat farmworkers fairly and won't have to worry about being fined for having illegal workers on their payroll...

I believe they'd have to be required by contract to work for the specified period for it to meet the legal definition of "indentured servitude." However, the requirements of this program come dangerously close.

I've included a list of the 400 organizations that support AgJobs below. I've divided them into categories. You tell me if these organizations have your best interests at heart. (Here's a hint: People for the American Way, AILA, MALDEF and all the rest do not. These are the ultimate in special interest groups).

There's also a list of good and bad immigration bills here. And, see "Florida Farmworkers Sue Dairy Owned by Family of Sen. Graham Over Wages."

The original list of the 400 supporters is here, and to see the categorized list, click the 'MORE' link directly below.

Usual suspects:
PEOPLE FOR THE AMERICAN WAY
SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER

Businesses:
VLASIC PICKLE GROWERS (OH)

U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
U.S. HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
BIRDS EYE FOODS
DEERE & COMPANY
TYSON FOODS INC.
COBANK
FIRST PIONEER FARM CREDIT
MONROVIA GROWERS (CA, OR, GA, NC)
YANKEE FARM CREDIT
HARRY SINGH & SONS (CA)
John Harris Farms Inc (CA)
LASSEN CANYON NURSERY, INC. (CA)
CONNLEAF, INC (CT)
H.F. BROWN INC. (CT)
THE LYMAN FARM, INC. (CT)
LIVE OAK VILLAS, LLC (FL)
SKINNER NURSERIES (FL)
FARM CREDIT OF MAINE
ANGELICA NURSERIES (MD)
BELL NURSERY (MD)
JOHN SHORB LANDSCAPING, INC. (MD)
MARYLAND AQUATIC NURSERIES, INC.
QUINN'S KINGSVILLE FARMS (MD)
ROBIN HILL FARM NURSERY (MD)
SPEAKMAN NURSERIES, INC. (MD)
LEITZ FARMS LLC (MI)
ZELENKA NURSERY, LLC (MI)
FARM CREDIT OF WESTERN NEW YORK
LAKE PLACID GROVES LLC (NY)
TORREY FARMS (NY)
WILLET DAIRY(NY)
LATINO COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION (NC)
ZELENKA NURSERY, LLC (NC)
HIGH STAKES FARMS (OH)
EL VISTA ORCHARDS (WEXFORD, PA)
FIVE FORKS FRUIT (WAYNESBORO, PA)
AMICK FARMS (SC)
ELLISON'S (TX)
MIDLAND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORP. (TX)
UNDERWOOD FRUIT AND WAREHOUSE COMPANY (WA)

AGRI-PLACEMENTS INTERNATIONAL
COOPERATIVE PRODUCERS, INC.
COOPERATIVE THREE, INC.
COUNCIL OF NORTHEAST FARMER COOPERATIVES
DAIRYLEA COOPERATIVE
RANCH ONE COOPERATIVE, INC. (FL)
PRO-FAC COOPERATIVE (NY)
NASH PRODUCE COMPANY, INC. (NC)
PETER ORCHARDS (GARDNERS, PA)
GARDENS BEAUTIFUL GARDEN CENTERS (WI)

UNIVERSAL IMMIGRATION SERVICE (CA)

Ethnic organizations:
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF LA RAZA (NCLR)
MEXICAN AMERICAN LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATION FUND (MALDEF)
LEAGUE OF UNITED LATIN AMERICAN CITIZENS (LULAC)
WILLIAM C.VELASQUEZ INSTITUTE
LA CLINICA DE LA RAZA (CA)
EL CENTRO DE LA RAZA (WA)
GRUPO MEXICO OF WASHINGTON STATE
INSTITUTO DEL PROGRESO LATINO (IL)
EL CENTRO, INC. - KANSAS
EL PUEBLO, INC (NC)
PINEROS Y CAMPESINOS UNIDOS DEL NOROESTE (PCUN) (OR)
FUNDACION SALVADORENA DE LA FLORIDA
GUATEMALAN UNITY INFORMATION CENTER (FL)
IMMOKALEE MULTICULTURAL MULTIPURPOSE COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY, INC. (FL)
MUJER (FL)
CENTRO ROMERO (IL)
CONGUATE (IL)
CENTRO SAN MARTIN DEPORRES (MS)
Comite de Apoyo a los Trabajadores Agricolas (NJ)
MEXICAN AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY
CENTRO HISPANO CUZCATLAN (NY)
CENTRO INDEPENDIENTE DE TRABAJADORES AGRICOLOS (CITA) - (NY)
CENTRO SALVADORENO, INC. (NY)
HIGH COUNTY AMIGOS INC. (NC)
VENEZUELAN AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF OKLAHOMA
CASA OF OREGON
JÓVENES INMIGRANTES POR UN FUTURO MEJOR (TX)
UMOS (WI)
IVAN KOHAR PARRA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, LATINO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CENTER (WI)
LATIN AMERICAN COMMUNITY CENTER (DE)
LATIN AMERICAN YOUTH CENTER (DC)
CENTRO CAMPESINO (FL)
CARLOS ROSARIO INT'L CAREER CENTER AND PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL
CENTRO PRESENTE (MA)
CASA OF MARYLAND
CENTRO DE LA COMUNIDAD, INC (MD)
MIGRANT AND REFUGEE CULTURAL SUPPORT, INC. (MIRECS) (MD)
MASSACHUSETTS FARM BUREAU
CENTRO DE SALUD FAMILIAR LA FE (TX)

KOREAN AMERICAN RESOURCE & CULTURAL CENTER (KRCC), CHICAGO
NATIONAL KOREAN AMERICAN SERVICE & EDUCATION CONSORTIUM (NAKASEC)
YKASEC - EMPOWERING THE KOREAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY (NY)
KOREAN RESOURCE CENTER, LOS ANGELES

IRISH IMMIGRATION CENTER (MA)

ARAB AMERICAN INSTITUTE (AAI)

SALVADORAN AMERICAN NATIONAL NETWORK
POLISH AMERICAN CONGRESS

CENTER FOR PAN ASIAN COMMUNITY SERVICES (GA)
ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY SERVICE ASSOCIATION, INC

Growers associations:
AGRICULTURE COALITION FOR IMMIGRATION REFORM
AMERICAN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYERS
NATIONAL CATTLEMEN'S BEEF ASSOCIATION
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE DEPARTMENTS OF AGRICULTURE
AMERICAN NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION
UNITED EGG PRODUCERS
NATIONAL CHRISTMAS TREE ASSOCIATION
UNITED FRESH FRUIT & VEGETABLE ASSOCIATION
U.S. APPLE ASSOCIATION
U.S. CUSTOM HARVESTERS, INC.
WESTERN GROWERS ASSOCIATION
WESTERN RANGE ASSOCIATION
WESTERN UNITED DAIRYMEN
AMERICAN HORSE COUNCIL
AGRICULTURAL AFFILIATES
NATIONAL POTATO COUNCIL
NEW ENGLAND APPLE COUNCIL
NATIONAL CHICKEN COUNCIL
NATIONAL MILK PRODUCERS FEDERATION
SOUTH EAST DAIRY FARMERS ASSOCIATION
NORTH EAST DAIRY PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION
NORTHWEST HORTICULTURAL COUNCIL
WINEAMERICA, THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN WINERIES
WINEGRAPE GROWERS OF AMERICA
AMERICAN MUSHROOM INSTITUTE
AMERICAN FROZEN FOOD INSTITUTE
GULF CITRUS GROWERS ASSOCIATION
SOCIETY OF AMERICAN FLORISTS
PERENNIAL PLANT ASSOCIATION
SOUTHERN NURSERY ASSOCIATION
ALABAMA NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION
ARIZONA NURSERY ASSOCIATION
ARKANSAS GREEN INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION
ALLIED GRAPE GROWERS (CA)
ALMOND HULLERS AND PROCESSORS (CA)
CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF NURSERIES AND GARDEN CENTERS
CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF WINEGRAPE GROWERS
CALIFORNIA APPLE COMMISSION
CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF WINEGRAPE GROWERS
CALIFORNIA FLORAL COUNCIL
CALIFORNIA FARM BUREAU FEDERATION
CALIFORNIA GRAIN AND FEED ASSOCIATION
CALIFORNIA GRAPE & TREE FRUIT LEAGUE
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE FOR RURAL STUDIES
CALIFORNIA LANDSCAPE CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION, INC
CALIFORNIA SEED ASSOCIATION
CALIFORNIA STRAWBERRY COMMISSION
CALIFORNIA WOMEN FOR AGRICULTURE
IMPERIAL VALLEY VEGETABLE GROWERS ASSOCIATION
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA GROWERS ASSOCIATION
NURSERY GROWERS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Raisin Bargaining Association (CA)
VENTURA COUNTY (CA) AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION
VENTURA COUNTY (CA) FARM BUREAU
NISEI FARMERS LEAGUE (CA)
COLORADO NURSERY ASSOCIATION
COLORADO SUGAR BEET GROWERS ASSOCIATION
NORTHERN COLORADO ONION ASSOCIATION
CONNECTICUT FARM BUREAU
CONNECTICUT NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION
DELAWARE NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION
FLORIDA CITRUS PACKERS, INC.
FLORIDA FARM BUREAU FEDERATION
FLORIDA FRUIT AND VEGETABLE ASSOCIATION
FLORIDA NURSERYMEN & GROWERS ASSOCIATION
FLORIDA STRAWBERRY GROWERS ASSOCIATION
INDIAN RIVER CITRUS LEAGUE (FL)
WESTERN CAROLINAS HORTICULTURAL ALLIANCE
TURFGRASS PRODUCERS INTERNATIONAL
PACIFIC EGG AND POULTRY ASSOCIATION
SUGAR CANE GROWERS CO-OP OF FLORIDA
GEORGIA GREEN INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION
IDAHO FARM BUREAU
IDAHO FOOD PRODUCERS
IDAHO GRAIN PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION
IDAHO GROWER SHIPPERS ASSOCIATION
IDAHO NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION
POTATO GROWERS OF IDAHO
SNAKE RIVER FARMERS ASSOCIATION (ID/MT)
ILLINOIS LANDSCAPE CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION
ILLINOIS NURSERYMENS' ASSOCIATION
INDIANA NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION
KANSAS FARM BUREAU
KANSAS NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION
KENTUCKY NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION
MAINE NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION
MARYLAND NURSERY& LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION
MASSACHUSETTS NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION
MISSOURI NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION
MONTANA NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION
NEBRASKA NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION
NEVADA LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION
IRRIGATION ASSOCIATION OF NEW JERSEY
NEW JERSEY NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION
EMPIRE STATE COUNCIL OF AGRICULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS (NY)
NEW YORK FARM BUREAU
NEW YORK STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY
NEW YORK STATE APPLE GROWERS ASSOCIATION
NEW YORK STATE CHERRY GROWERS ASSOCIATION
NEW YORK STATE NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION
NEW YORK STATE VEGETABLE GROWERS ASSOCIATION
NORTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION OF NURSERYMEN
NORTH CAROLINA FARM BUREAU
NORTH CAROLINA LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION
NORTHERN OHIO GROWERS ASSOCIATION
OHIO FARM BUREAU FEDERATION, INC.
OHIO FRUIT GROWERS SOCIETY
OHIO LANDSCAPERS ASSOCIATION
OHIO NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION
OHIO VEGETABLE & POTATO GROWERS ASSOCIATION
OKLAHOMA NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION
HOOD RIVER GROWER-SHIPPER ASSOCIATION (OR)
OREGON ASSOCIATION OF NURSERIES
OREGON FARM BUREAU
PENNSYLVANIA FARM BUREAU
PENNSYLVANIA LANDSCAPE & NURSERY ASSOCIATION
SOUTH CAROLINA GREENHOUSE GROWERS ASSOCIATION
SOUTH CAROLINA NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION
SOUTH CAROLINA UPSTATE TREE GROWERS ASSOCIATION
RIO GRANDE VALLEY SUGAR GROWERS, INC. (TX)
TEXAS AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVE COUNCIL
TEXAS NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION
TEXAS POULTRY FEDERATION
TEXAS EGG COUNCIL
TEXAS BROILER COUNCIL
TEXAS POULTRY IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION
TEXAS PRODUCE ASSOCIATION
TEXAS SEED TRADE ASSOCIATION
TEXAS STATE FLORIST'S ASSOCIATION
TEXAS TURKEY FEDERATION
TEXAS VEGETABLE ASSOCIATION
TURFGRASS PRODUCERS OF TEXAS
UTAH FARM BUREAU
UTAH NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION
SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA NURSERY AND LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION
VIRGINIA GREEN INDUSTRY COUNCIL
VIRGINIA NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION
WASHINGTON GROWERS CLEARING HOUSE ASSOCIATION
WASHINGTON GROWERS LEAGUE
WASHINGTON POTATO & ONION ASSOCIATION
WASHINGTON STATE NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION
WASHINGTON SUSTAINABLE FOOD & FARMING NETWORK
COMMERCIAL FLOWER GROWERS OF WISCONSIN
GROUNDS MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION OF WISCONSIN
NORTHERN CHRISTMAS TREE GROWERS & NURSERY (WI)
WISCONSIN LANDSCAPE CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION
WISCONSIN LANDSCAPE FEDERATION
WISCONSIN NURSERY ASSOCIATION
WISCONSIN SOD PRODUCERS
OFA - AN ASSOCIATION OF FLORICULTURE PROFESSIONALS
FLORIDA CITRUS MUTUAL
IOWA NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION
MICHIGAN FARM BUREAU
MICHIGAN NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION
MINNESOTA NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION
NEW JERSEY FARM BUREAU FEDERATION
RHODE ISLAND NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSN, INC.
TENNESSEE NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION

Lawyers:
AMERICAN IMMIGRATION LAWYERS ASSOCIATION (AILA)
NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT LAW PROJECT
HISPANIC LAWYER'S ASSOCIATION OF ILLINOIS
LAW OFFICE OF SHIRLEY SADJADI (IL)
LAW OFFICE OF DOUGLAS W. WORRELL, CHTD. (IL)
NEBRASKA APPLESEED CENTER FOR LAW IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST
BRENNAN CENTER FOR JUSTICE AT NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW
OREGON LAW CENTER
MIGRANT LEGAL ACTION PROGRAM (DC)
LEGAL AID SERVICE OF BROWARD COUNTY, INC. (FL)
MIGRANT FARMWORKER JUSTICE PROJECT, FLORIDA LEGAL SERVICES, INC.
MICHIGAN MIGRANT LEGAL ASSISTANCE PROJECT
FARMWORKER LEGAL SERVICES OF NEW YORK
ADVOCATES FOR BASIC LEGAL EQUALITY (OH)
NATIONAL LEGAL AID & DEFENDER ASSOCIATION (NLADA)
NATIONAL ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN LEGAL CONSORTIUM (NAPALC)
CALIFORNIA RURAL LEGAL ASSISTANCE FOUNDATION (CRLAF)

Religious:
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ECUMENICAL COUNCIL
MARIN INTERFAITH TASK FORCE FOR THE AMERICAS
CHRISTIAN BROTHERS (NY) [The Wine Company?]
NATIONAL FARM WORKER MINISTRY

EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AMERICA
GENERAL BOARD OF CHURCH AND SOCIETY, THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
ST. JOSEPH THE WORKER CHURCH (MN)
IMMACULATE CONCEPCION CHURCH (NC)
UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST JUSTICE AND WITNESS MINISTRIES (OH)
VIRGINIA COUNCIL OF CHURCHES
WASHINGTON ASSOCIATION OF CHURCHES (WA)
WISCONSIN COUNCIL OF CHURCHES

CATHOLIC CHARITIES USA
THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH, USA
CATHOLIC MIGRANT FARMWORKER NETWORK
CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF THE DIOCESE OF SANTA ROSA (CA)
CATHOLIC CHARITIES, SAN DIEGO
CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF ORLANDO, INC.
FLORIDA CATHOLIC CONFERENCE
IMMIGRATION OUTREACH OFFICE, CATHOLIC CHARITIES/ ARCHDIOCESE OF DUBUQUE
CATHOLIC CHARITIES ARCHDIOCESE OF NEW ORLEANS
OFFICE OF HISPANIC MINISTRY, CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF JACKSON (MS)
RICH SMITH, PASTOR OF ST. ANN CATHOLIC CHURCH, PAULDING, MS
THE SOCIAL CONCERNS COMMITTEE OF THE CATHOLIC COMMUNITY OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI (MS)
DAUGHTERS OF CHARITY IN ST. LOUIS (MO)
COMMISSION ON PEACE AND JUSTICE OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF ALBANY, NY
PUBLIC POLICY COMMITTEE, ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF ROCHESTER, NY
RURAL AND MIGRANT MINISTRY (NY)
OFFICE OF HISPANIC MINISTRY, CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF CLEVELAND
CATHOLIC HISPANIC MINISTRY, DIOCESE OF KNOXVILLE (TN)
CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA
REFUGEE AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES, CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF RICHMOND

EPISCOPAL FARMWORKER MINISTRY (NC)
LATIN AMERICAN ACTION TEAM, GIDDINGS-LOVEJOY PRESBYTERY (MO)
EN CAMINO, MIGRANT AND IMMIGRANT OUTREACH, DIOCESE OF TOLEDO

OUR LADY OF VICTORY MISSIONARY SISTERS (CA)
SISTERS OF LORETTO (CO)
SISTERS OF THE HUMILITY OF MARY - INDIAN RIVER (FL)
SISTERS OF CHARITY (IA)
MISSION EFFECTIVENESS, SCHOOL SISTERS OF NOTRE DAME, ST. LOUIS
Sisters of the Humility of Mary - Villa Maria, Pennsylvania - (Sister Ruth Mary Powers)

FRANCISCAN FRIARS OF ST. BARBARA PROVINCE (CA)
HOLLABAUGH BROTHERS, INC. (BIGLERVILLE, PA)
OREGON FARM WORKER MINISTRY
MID-SOUTH INTERFAITH NETWORK FOR ECONOMIC JUSTICE (TN)
LUTHERAN PUBLIC POLICY OFFICE OF WASHINGTON STATE
MIGRATION AND REFUGEE SERVICES DIOCESE OF TRENTON

State (?) organizations:
IDAHO COMMISSION ON HISPANIC AFFAIRS
ILLINOIS COALITION FOR IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE RIGHTS
ILLINOIS MIGRANT COUNCIL
EASTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY'S BILINGUAL BICULTURAL EDUCATION TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM
STATE HORTICULTURAL ASSOCIATION OF PENNSYLVANIA
FEINSTEIN CENTER FOR CITIZENSHIP & IMMIGRATION SERVICES (RI)
HISPANIC COMMITTEE OF VIRGINIA
VIRGINIA JUSTICE CENTER FOR FARM AND IMMIGRANT WORKERS
WASHINGTON STATE COMMISSION ON HISPANIC AFFAIRS
OFFICE OF INTL. STUDENT SERVICES, UNIV. OF WISCONSIN-PLATTEVILLE

Unions:
AFL - CIO
UNITED FARM WORKERS (UFW)
UNITED FOOD AND COMMERCIAL WORKERS UNION (UFCW)
SERVICES EMPLOYEES INTERNATIONAL UNION (SEIU)
FARM LABOR ORGANIZING COMMITTEE, AFL-CIO (FLOC)
LABOR COUNCIL FOR LATIN AMERICAN ADVANCEMENT (LCLAA)
CULINARY WORKERS UNION, LOCAL 226 - NEVADA
UNION OF NEEDLETRADES, INDUSTRIAL AND TEXTILE EMPLOYEES (UNITE)
UNITED FOOD AND COMMERCIAL WORKERS UNION (UFCW) LOCAL 1442 (CA)
EL PASO CENTRAL LABOR UNION
COALITION OF FLORIDA FARMWORKER ORGANIZATIONS
SOUTH CENTRAL FEDERATION OF LABOR, AFL-CIO (WI)

Other/Uncategorized:
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ELECTED AND APPOINTED LATINO OFFICIALS (NALEO)
AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE (AJA)
TOGETHER IN AMERICA
JEWISH COMMUNITY ACTION (MN)

FARMWORKER JUSTICE FUND (FJF)
ASSOCIATION OF FARMWORKER OPPORTUNITY PROGRAMS (AFOP)
ESSENTIAL WORKER IMMIGRATION COALITION
A. DUDA & SONS
AL FRENCH, FORMER USDA DIRECTOR OF AG LABOR RELATIONS
NATIONAL IMMIGRATION FORUM
CAMPAIGN FOR LABOR RIGHTS
NATIONAL MIGRANT AND SEASONAL HEAD START ASSOCIATION
FOR OUR GRANDCHILDREN
GULF HARVESTING, INC.
LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE ON CIVIL RIGHTS (LCCR)
MOARK LLC
MAFO
NORTHEAST FARM CREDIT REGIONAL COUNCIL
PAN AMERICAN RECRUITING
NORTHWOODS AGRI WOMEN
TELAMON CORPORATION
Housing Assistance Council
AMANECER (AZ)
CENTRAL AMERICAN RESOURCE CENTER (CA)
COALITION FOR HUMANE IMMIGRANT RIGHTS OF LOS ANGELES (CHIRLA)
LOS ANGELES COALITION TO END HUNGER & HOMELESSNESS
ESTES VALLEY MULTICULTURAL CONNECTIONS (CO)
BIG CYPRESS HOUSING CORPORATION (FL)
CARIBBEAN IMMIGRANT SERVICES INC. (FL)
EVERGLADES COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, INC.
EVERGLADES HAMMOCK, INCORPORATED
FAIR FOOD AMERICA (FL)
FARMWORKER ASSOCIATION OF FLORIDA, INC
FARMWORKERS SELF-HELP (FL)
THE FELLSMERE COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT PROGRAM (FL)
FLORIDA IMMIGRANT ADVOCACY CENTER
FLORIDA IMPACT
LITTLE MANATEE HOUSING CORPORATION (FL)
PINELLAS SUPPORT COMMITTEE (FL)
REDLANDS CHRISTIAN MIGRANT ASSOCIATION (FL)
RETAIL SYSTEMS CONSULTING (FL)
SARASOTA/MANATEE FARMWORKER SUPPORTERS
UNITE FOR DIGNITY, INC. (FL)
GEORGIA RURAL URBAN SUMMIT
IDAHO COMMUNITY ACTION NETWORK
IDAHO MIGRANT COUNCIL
CHICAGO JOBS WITH JUSTICE
DISCIPLES JUSTICE ACTION NETWORK (DISCIPLES OF CHRIST) (IL)
HEARTLAND ALLIANCE FOR HUMAN NEEDS & HUMAN RIGHTS (IL)
IMMIGRATION PROJECT (IL)
THE MIDWEST IMMIGRANT & HUMAN RIGHTS CENTER (IL)
PROJECT IRENE (IL)
THE RESURRECTION PROJECT IN CHICAGO
CENTRAL INDIANA JOBS WITH JUSTICE
IMMIGRANT RIGHTS NETWORK OF IOWA AND NEBRASKA
IOWA PROJECT
MASSACHUSETTS IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE ADVOCACY COALITION
MISSISSIPPI IMMIGRANT RIGHTS ALLIANCE (MIRA!)
HUMAN RIGHTS ACTION SERVICE. ST.LOUIS (MO)
NEW JERSEY IMMIGRATION POLICY NETWORK, INC.
RURAL HOUSING INCORPORTED (NM)
CABRINI IMMIGRANT SERVICES (NY)
CAYUGA MARKETING, LLC (NY)
NEW YORK ASSOCIATION FOR NEW AMERICANS
WORKPLACE PROJECT (NY)
NORTH CAROLINA JUSTICE AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CENTER
STUDENT ACTION WITH FARMWORKERS (NC)
TRIANGLE FRIENDS OF THE UNITED FARMWORKERS (NC)
VITALINK (NC)
IMMIGRANT WORKER PROJECT (OH)
FARMWORKER HOUSING DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (OR)
NORTHWEST WORKERS' JUSTICE PROJECT (OR)
Friends of Farmworkers (PA)
PENNSYLVANIA IMMIGRATION AND CITIZENSHIP COALITION
TENNESSEE IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE RIGHTS COALITION
EQUAL JUSTICE CENTER (TX)
HOUSTON COMMUNITY SERVICES
MIGRANT CLINICIANS NETWORK, INC (TX)
HAMPTON ROADS COALITION FOR WORKERS' JUSTICE
MARSING AGRICULTURAL LABOR SPONSOR COMMITTEE (WA)

Posted at 01:53 AM | Comments (0)

Poll: Texans believe illegal immigration is a serious problem

From the AP, discussing the Scripps Howard Texas Poll:

A vast majority of Texans believe illegal immigration from Mexico is a serious problem, but they are split over President Bush's plan to provide undocumented workers with temporary work visas...

Eighty-six percent of those surveyed... said illegal immigration is a very serious or somewhat serious problem. Ni
e percent said it is not very serious and four percent said it is not serious at all.

Meanwhile, 48 percent of the respondents said they favored Bush's plan to allow undocumented workers to stay in the United States for several years working at jobs Americans don't want as long as the immigrants return to their native countries. Forty-five percent opposed the plan.

Bush's plan has the most support among Hispanics, with 55 percent favoring the proposal and 40 percent opposing it. Forty-nine percent of Anglos support Bush's plan and 45 percent are opposed. Fifty-six percent of blacks oppose the plan while 37 percent support it... Sixty-nine percent of Texans said the U.S. government is not doing enough to stop unauthorized immigration.

"Anglos?" But, I digress.

This poll's results would be even more opposed to Bush's plan if more facts about the plan and our laws had been provided.

For instance, consider this: "48 percent of the respondents said they favored Bush's plan to allow undocumented workers to stay in the United States for several years working at jobs Americans don't want as long as the immigrants return to their native countries."

There's no such thing as a "job Americans don't want." There are only wages and conditions Americans won't accept. Most Americans wouldn't sign up for slavery, indentured servitude, or dangerous jobs that should be done by machines.

And, the poll's respondents should have been reminded about birthright citizenship. Those guestworkers will have children, those children will be U.S. citizens, and that means they're not going home.

If those facts had been figured into the poll, there probably would have been 70% opposed to Bush/Fox Amnesty.
There's a more detailed article, complete with quotes from Daniel Griswold and others and a nifty graphic, here. It includes this Griswold chestnut:

"In some ways, it’s a common sense answer," Griswold said. "We have more people here illegally than ever before. What the government is doing to stem illegal immigration has failed."

Bravo Sierra, good buddy. The fact is the government has abandoned workplace enforcement. In FY2002, just 13 (thirteen) companies were fined for violating our immigration laws.

I have a feeling that if Daniel Griswold had lived 150 years ago one of his arguments would be "But, the South's economy will collapse."

Posted at 02:04 PM | Comments (1)

Mexico asks to help oversee U.S. border protection plan

I put this in the 'Immigration' category, although I think 'WackyHumor' would also work. Story here.

Posted at 09:22 PM | Comments (0)

Is Mexico Thwarting U.S. Immigration Enforcement?

From Matt Hayes, an immigration lawyer:

Most people know that Usama bin Laden's terror group, Al Qaeda (Arabic for "the base"), derives its name from the Mujahideen database that bin Laden developed through the 1980s and 1990s. Using "the base," bin Laden could call on a corps of operatives to carry out missions.

There is growing evidence that the Mexican government, in similar fashion, is working with a group called the Instituto de los Mexicanos en el Exterior ("Institute of Mexicans Abroad") to use its matricula consular database to deploy illegals to state legislatures and city councils across America. There, the illegal aliens - Mexican nationals who have been provided a matricula consular card - pack the gallery and seek to apply pressure against legislators who sponsor or intend to vote for bills that enhance immigration law enforcement...

California Assemblyman Dennis Mountjoy recalls the floor debate on a California measure, SB 60, which would have allowed illegal aliens in California to qualify for a state driver's license. Referring to the former name of the territory ceded to the United States by Mexico as part of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo of 1848, Mountjoy took the floor and said, "This bill paves the road to Aztlan."

"Then everyone in the gallery stood up and applauded," Mountjoy said.

For another example, consider this post where Napa's City Council voted in favor of accepting Matricula Consular cards:

The City Council vote was met with cheers by the audience of about three dozen people, including San Franciso's consul general of Mexico... "I always say the hardest part is getting the first one to do it," said Consul General Georgina Lagos Donde, adding that she hopes the Napa vote influences other cities in Wine Country... "I've already been in touch with the mayors of Sonoma and Petaluma," she said.

Posted at 02:31 PM | Comments (0)

High-tech firms warn of devastating job shortage

'Strapped Employers Hope to Expand Visa Program' inform us that high-tech employers are looking for loopholes in the H1-B program. Apparently they're unable to find enough high-tech workers.

Meanwhile:

One out of every four high-technology jobs in developed countries today may be outsourced to emerging markets like India by 2010, according to a report by the research firm Gartner.

Posted at 09:39 PM | Comments (0)

Homeland Security official dead in Tucson

This is definitely strange:

FOX 11 News has learned that one of the highest ranking Homeland Security officials in Arizona is dead.

Thomas DeRouchey, interim director of the ICE office in Phoenix, was found dead. But mystery surrounds his death and both local and federal agencies are saying little.

Thomas DeRouchey, interim special agent in charge of the Phoenix Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was on the way to an announcement of a new federal border initiative by Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Asa Hutchinson at Davis Monthan Air Force Base.

DeRouchey was found dead in his car on Interstate 10...

"The firefighters did find him in a car in the median and he was deceased," said Katie Heiden, a spokesperson for Northwest Fire in Tucson.

Heiden confirmed that DeRouchey was alone in the car and a weapon was found in the car...

ICE spokesperson Russell Ahr told the Associated Press that DeRouchey's death occurred in a "one vehicle accident", but local paramedics say they responded to a call of "gun shots" and not an accident. Ahr claimed there was damage to DeRouchey's vehicle.

DeRouchey had been a federal agent since 1988. He was named interim head of the Phoenix office of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office last summer...

He had conducted several recent raids of illegal alien "drophouses" as part of Operation ICE Storm, which was designed to combat illegal alien smuggling.

According to the Arizona Republic:

Virginia Kice, an ICE spokeswoman, said the circumstances surrounding DeRouchey's death are under investigation. The Marana Police Department, however, ruled his death a suicide.

Witnesses saw DeRouchey's government-issued Chrysler Concord swerve out of control about 8:35 a.m. and slam into a median guardrail on I-10 near Tangerine Road in Marana, northwest of Tucson, said Sgt. Tim Brunenkant, a Marana police spokesman.

Marana investigators say DeRouchey apparently died from a self-inflicted gunshot to the head, Brunenkant said. Police did not recover a suicide note from the vehicle, he said.

Now stop that! Laughing at the Marana Police Department is not allowed here.

How about a more realistic explanation? He was engaged in a car-to-car gun battle. If he shot his gun it was at the other car; if he has a self-inflicted wound it was an accidental side-effect of the gun battle. Another possibility is that he was run off the road, shot, and the gun was planted.

Or, someone was in the car with him, either someone he trusted or a kidnapper of some kind.

Or, it could have been an accident, but wouldn't the wound be somewhere other than his head in that case?

I rather doubt that many people have committed suicide while driving down the freeway.

There's more on the Marana PD here:

"A most unusual investigation of a most unusual police department. Cavanaugh began his investigation after a patron of the New West Nightclub, where nearly every member of the Marana Police Department — including the chief — had moonlighted at one time or another, was killed by bouncers. Although authorities ruled the death occurred accidentally as the man was being restrained, witness accounts, as well as 52 injuries on the victim’s body, raise the possibility that it was murder. Using this case as a window into the workings of the local police, Cavanaugh dug for 18 months, examining thousands of pages of documents and developing dozens of sources inside the department and out. The result: an intermittent series that paints a shocking picture of unsavory associations, conflicts of interest, plummeting morale, incompetence, favoritism, witnesses intimidation, and an atmosphere of distrust so severe that officers sometimes felt it necessary to conceal investigative files from their chief. Although most of Cavanaugh’s sources inside the department unfortunately but understandably insisted on remaining anonymous, their accounts are nevertheless convincing both because of their consistency and the way in which they are supported by documents and named sources. Cavanaugh tells his story in a vivid narrative that is fascinating even to this reader living 3,000 miles away. It is a rare investigative story that is both a compelling read and a valuable public service..."

That article appears to be from 2002, because on February 4, 2004 the following article appeared:

A year ago, the Marana Police Department was in far different shape than it's in today.

The department’s chief, David R. Smith, had resigned amid questions over the handling of a homicide investigation.

Shortly after that, a state audit showed staff members had low morale and worried about inadequate training and a lack of communication within the department.

Turning around the employees' outlook and the department's public reputation were big priorities for Richard Vidaurri when he took over as chief of police last February, he said. Today, he feels he's well on his way to meeting that goal.

Oh my.

Posted at 11:18 PM | Comments (1)

Ireland moves to eliminate birth citizenship

From 'Govt to hold referendum on citizenship rights':

The Government has announced plans to hold a referendum to change the citizenship rights of people born in Ireland.

At present, anybody born in Ireland is entitled to citizenship under constitutional changes contained in the Good Friday Agreement.

However, the Government wants to limit this right to the children of people who have been living in Ireland for a number of years.

Justice Minister Michael McDowell said the move was an attempt to ease pressure on maternity wards that is allegedly being caused by the existing citizenship rights...

See also these similar earlier stories:

- Britain rethinks open-door policy for newcomers

- Dutch race policy 'a 30-year failure'

- Blair calls crisis meeting over EU migrants

- 'I heard that Britain is the best place for us to go now. It doesn't treat refugees like animals'

- Bad day for multi-culturalism / "The Dutch have had enough."

- Republic in illegal immigrant crackdown

- Genteel xenophobia is as bad as any other kind (from al Guardian)

- Europe and Japan have to rethink immigration

Posted at 12:49 AM | Comments (0)

Bush refuses to pay for the trouble he causes

[As you read the following, recall that in FY2002, just 13 (thirteen) companies were fined for immigration violations. That's drastically down from prior years.]

From Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)'s site:

A bipartisan group of senators is calling on the Bush Administration to add $850 million in funding to the federal budget to assist states with the cost of incarcerating undocumented criminal offenders.

In a letter initiated by U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and signed by eleven other Senators last week, the group urged President Bush to reconsider his proposed elimination of funding for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP)...

The letter stated: “We write out of deep concern over your Fiscal Year 2005 Budget proposal to cut funding for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) by 100 percent. In addition, we are concerned that you propose eliminating this program altogether based on the Office of Management and Budget's assessment of the program.”

...In California , where around 15 percent of state prison inmates are undocumented, the funding is vital to the state's correctional system.

According to this:

...the budget Bush sent Congress last month included no funding for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program. Bush has zeroed out funding for the program in past budgets too, but Congress has always restored some money...

Paying for jailing criminal aliens is projected to cost California more than $700 million in the state fiscal year beginning in July.

A White House spokesman referred calls to the Department of Homeland Security, which referred calls to the Department of Justice, where a spokeswoman did not immediately return a call for comment.

Once again, in FY2002, just 13 (thirteen) companies were fined for immigration violations. I think it's time for Bush to go back to Crawford.

The other signers of the letter are: Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Barbara Boxer (D-CA) [yes, that Barbara Boxer --LW], Maria Cantwell (D-WA), John Cornyn (D-TX), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Pete Domenici (R-NM), Bob Graham (D-FL), Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Jon Kyl (R-AZ), John McCain (R-AZ), Charles Schumer (D-NY).

Posted at 10:01 PM | Comments (1)

Bush has forgotten the Alamo

The Alamo was stormed 168 years ago today.

That's a long long time, and George Bush has obviously forgotten all about it:

A text of President Bush's joint news conference with Mexican President Vicente Fox on Saturday...

BUSH: Hola, que tal? Bienvenidos.

Mr. President, Laura and I are pleased to welcome you and Marta to Crawford...

I will work to ensure a system of safe and orderly migration. Earlier this year, I proposed a temporary worker program, not an amnesty program, that will offer legal status as temporary workers to undocumented men and women who were employed in the United States when I announced this proposal.

OK, it's not an amnesty. And, illegal aliens are "undocumented." No lie like a Big Lie.

Under this program, America will also welcome workers from foreign countries who have been offered jobs by American employers that no American has filled.

Here's what administration representative Margaret Spellings had to say:

"We do envision that [the Bush amnesty/guestworker plan] would be open to any type of employee and any type of employer, such as nurses, teachers, high-tech workers, low-skilled workers. This is a concept that can apply broadly"

Americans aren't going to be willing to be nurses for $10 an hour, but hundreds of thousands of nurses around the world would consider that a fortune. If an employer advertises a nursing job at $10 an hour, they won't get any Americans to fill that job, and Bush's statement above will be true.

I oppose amnesty, placing undocumented workers on the automatic path to citizenship. This program will match willing workers with willing employers, without disadvantaging those who have followed the law and waited in line to achieve American citizenship.

This new temporary worker program will strengthen both the American and Mexican economies. The United States will benefit from the labor of hardworking immigrants.

The average Mexican immigrant costs $50,000 over his lifetime (taxes paid - services used). That's a transfer from other Americans to his employer. A better statement would be: "Some big corporations in the United States will benefit from the labor of hardworking immigrants."

Mexico will benefit as productive citizens are able to return home with money to invest and spend in their nation's economy.

They've got three years in which to have kids here. If they have kids here, they aren't going home and we aren't going to be able to force them to go home. Sell it to someone else, George.

This system will be more humane to workers who will be protected by labor laws and able to establish their identities. It will live up to the highest ideals of free nations.

Serf labor is not a very elevated ideal.

Mr. President, thank you for the excellent dialogue we had today. Thank you for the leadership you provide for our neighbor and friend. And thank you for being a friend to Laura and me. Bienvenidos...

If this were a movie, it would be a horror movie whose protagonist is a retarded kindergartner and millions of people would be yelling "Georgie, he's not your friend!" at the screen.

Q (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): The question is on the immigration policy. The government of Mexico wanted to know what the date certain would be for this new program, or what proposals you have for temporary immigrants. How do you believe it will affect the upcoming election process?

BUSH: Yes. Well, we just -- the president just discussed the border crossing cards, the issue of the border crossing cards. And he discussed the professional visas. And so we're making progress.

"Is there anything else I can do for you, el Presidente Fox, sir?"

I put forth what I think is a very reasonable proposal and a humane proposal, one that is not amnesty, but, in fact, recognizes that there are good, honorable, hard-working people here doing jobs Americans won't do.

And I certainly hope that Congress takes this issue up, but there's no telling what's going to happen in an election year. So it's very difficult to give a date. The date that matters to me is the date in which I laid out what I think is a reasonable plan, which was in January.

At least if it was President Kerry saying these things he'd have a "D" next to his name.

UPDATE: Sometimes Reuters is useful. Their report is entitled "Bush Gives Mexico's Fox Concession on Borders."

Posted at 01:22 PM | Comments (0)

"Mexico lobbies for alien amnesty"

Drudge has had a link to the Washington Times piece 'Mexico lobbies for alien amnesty' for a bit now.

It goes into how the Mexican government is using so-called American so-called human rights groups and other traitors/dupes to gain influence for Mexico in the U.S.

Nothing in there is news to me; I've been pointing to various stories along these lines for some months now in my Immigration category.

However, it's a good intro and it's also good that it's getting a lot of attention on Drudge.

Posted at 11:40 PM | Comments (0)

The WSJ is getting desperate

Their latest editorial 'Lou Dobbs Takes On the World' has more than a whiff of desperation about it. All they have is ad hominem attacks and attempts to impugn his motives. Along the way, they act as apologists for the liberal media. The WSJ seriously doubts what Lou Dobbs says because the rest of CNN and the rest of the media doesn't cover it. I guess they're able to completely forget about media bias when it's biased in their direction.

Reason Magazine is another Dobbs basher and, like the WSJ, it's frequently not on the topics he covers so much as cavils about quotes on his homepage and the like.

Here's past WSJ coverage:

A "Conservative" Statement of Principles on Immigration

"Earth to WSJ"

My comments on "Our Border Brigades: The nativist right is wrong."

"Let Their People Come"

See the quote from the WSJ here about immigrants depressing wages.

Posted at 10:55 PM | Comments (0)

A Bob Graham flashback

This page from almost four years ago has statements about the AgJobs amnesty proposal. It includes this bit from Sen. Bob Graham:

Senator Graham said Congress should pass S. 1814 because nearly half the agriculture workers in the U.S. are here illegally, a situation that causes problems for farmers and farmworkers. He said these workers must receive legal status because "they live in the darkest shadows of our society." Graham also said the current H2A program is too "administratively burdensome" for growers to use when they need to.

Now, flash forward almost four years to this Feb. 1, 2004 post: "Florida Farmworkers Sue Dairy Owned by Family of Sen. Graham Over Wages":

A dairy farm owned by the family of U.S. Sen. Bob Graham [D - FL] is being sued by farmworkers who claim they are not being paid minimum wage. Attorney Greg Schell, who represents the workers, said the alleged violations of federal law occurred over the past four years and involved as many as 200 workers employed by Graham Farms in Glades County. Graham Farms is a division of The Graham Cos., and the senator is a director of that firm...

Posted at 12:08 AM | Comments (0)

Good bills and bad bills

Here's a handy listing of good and bad immigration bills: 'Proposed Immigration Bills in the 108th Congress'. You can also quickly send free FAXes to your congresscritters from the page. There's another list here. You can look up a bill's status here.

Posted at 10:53 PM | Comments (0)

Boxer foes court Bush, but oppose immigration plan

From the San Diego Union-Tribune:

The four candidates seeking the GOP nomination to run for the U.S. Senate [generally agree with Bush except] on one issue – President Bush's plan to allow millions of illegal immigrants to have temporary legal status – the candidates have been willing to openly criticize the president.

...As a group, they've taken a tougher stance on immigrants than the president, reflecting a split in the Republican Party between hard-liners and those wishing to accommodate illegal immigrants and their employers.

...[Proposition 187] - passed but later overturned in court – soured relations between Republicans and Latino voters for years.

By contrast, Bush, while governor of Texas, courted Latinos, enjoying good relations with voters and Mexican government officials. [NOTE: Lonewacko suggests googling "Bandar Bush" for an example from another country.]

Bush said his plan, announced last month, would make U.S. laws "more rational and humane" by allowing immigrants with a job to have a three-year renewable work permit.

Under the plan, the immigrant gets a temporary worker card allowing him to travel back and forth to his home country.

...Kaloogian called the president's immigration plan unworkable because it will encourage more immigration... [Kaloogian opposes Bush's plan, but wants to support Bush on other matters...]

...[Toni Casey] opposes the president's plan because she believes it amounts to amnesty for illegal immigrants, and prefers a guest-worker program instead.

..."I compliment the president for bringing the issue up, but I don't think the measure fits California," [Bill Jones] said.

...[Rosario] Marin said she opposes amnesty for illegal immigrants...

...Republican analyst Allan Hoffenblum said the division between the Senate candidates and Bush reflects some anger against immigrants in California.

"I think you saw candidates playing to their audience," he said after a debate at the state Republican convention earlier this month in Burlingame.

He also said that hard-liners might be on the rise within a Republican Party that has tried for years to win back Latino voters turned off by Proposition 187 in 1994.

"Some of us said we thought we learned our lesson in 1994," he said. "But now some hard-core immigrant-bashers are creeping back."

First of all, Rosario Marin is indeed opposed to amnesty. However, she supports the Bush/Fox Amnesty, because she doesn't think it's amnesty. In other words, while she might have problems with Bush's plan, she generally supports it. I've included several quotes in the extended entry supporting my contention; click 'MORE' directly below to read them.

As for the article itself, I've highlighted in blue places where the word "immigrant" or "immigration" should have either been preceded by that other word "illegal" or should not have been personalized (i.e., "illegal immigration" should have been used instead of "immigrant.") Some of those instances might not be the reporter's or editor's fault.

I also find the section headings a bit "interesting:" "Bashing immigration Various ideas" and "Rise of hard-liners Former Mexican." Huh?

Also, contrary to what Allan Hoffenblum or the CW states, Proposition 187 was initially supported by Latinos, believe it or not. The problem was a) lies told by the opposition, and b) anti-immigrant messages from its proponents. The problem would appear not to have been 187 itself so much as the selling efforts of both sides. See this:

In 1994, the campaign for Proposition 187, the anti- illegal-immigrant ballot initiative in California, degenerated into a racially charged referendum on the state's demographic evolution. While early polls indicated the heavily American-born Latino electorate didn't feel much solidarity with illegal immigrants, a growing belief that the initiative's supporters were not distinguishing between illegal and legal immigrants — or foreign- and American-born Latinos — led Latino voters to soundly reject the measure. But it still passed.

Allan Hoffenblum and others have learned the wrong message from 187.

Click 'MORE' directly below to see the Marin coverage where she supports the Bush/Fox Amnesty:

A look at how Marin stands on some key issues

IMMIGRATION REFORM -- Supports Bush efforts to reform immigration but said, "Before I would support legislation involving any of the ideas he has proposed, I would require that we dedicate the resources and personnel necessary to securing our borders." Calls on Mexico to do its part in securing the border. "Mexico must help us to secure our common border on its side to stop illegal immigration."

Boxer Gets Backing From Latino Group in Primary

she received glowing introductions from state Sen. Gil Cedillo (D-Los Angeles) and Los Angeles City Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa [NOTE: both are former members of the racial separatist organization MEChA -LW]

Race for Boxer's U.S. Senate seat subdued

Marin, who came to the United States from Mexico as a teen-ager, strongly supports President Bush's plan to create a guest worker program for immigrants now in the country illegally. Kaloogian has repeatedly attacked the president's proposal. Jones and Casey also oppose it, but less vociferously.

Senate candidate Marin blames Mexico for illegal immigration

Former U.S. Treasurer Rosario Marin, one of four Republican candidates challenging Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer, said Thursday that economic and legal problems in Mexico were primarily to blame for this country's "failed immigration policy."
Marin, a Mexican immigrant, called on leaders of that country to stimulate the economy of Mexico by restructuring its tax system, encouraging private investment and funding $50 billion in repairs to its national power grid...
Valerie Walston, spokeswoman for Republican senatorial candidate and former California Secretary of State Bill Jones, criticized Marin for failing to address key issues closer to home such as the granting of driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants.

A fighting chance against Boxer

On immigration, Messrs. Jones and Kaloogian oppose President Bush's recent proposal for a kind of guest-worker program, but the program is supported by Ms. Marin. Mr. Jones said the Bush administration "has not protected the border." Mr. Kaloogian wants to stop illegal immigrants sending money back to their home countries by requiring banks to check for "the proper identification" - a matter we believe is separate from the immigration issue.

Ms. Marin supports President Bush's guest-worker program and insists that critics are wrong in calling it an amnesty program. "Some of the candidates want to trash our president," she said. "I want to help our president." She also favors prodding Mexico to reform its anti-business policies to encourage job growth there so immigrants feel less compelled to go north.

Marin Draws a Contrast to Past GOP Candidates

Marin is the only one of the candidates to support Bush's immigrant guest-worker plan, which has been criticized by some Republicans as a faulty "amnesty" policy. Latinos, on the other hand, criticize Marin for being blindly loyal to the president.

"She makes a good house Mexican for the Republicans," read a mass e-mail by Steven J. Ybarra, a Democratic National Committee official...

Marin, occasionally looking up from her printed remarks, called Bush's guest-worker plan a good first step, but she spent most of her time criticizing Mexico for not doing enough to stem the flow of illegal immigration.

Afterward, Marin was repeatedly questioned about whether she backs legislation that would withhold federal aid to states that approve driver's licenses for illegal immigrants...

The reporter persisted. Marin called the legislation a "Band-Aid" approach but did not give her stance.

Posted at 02:20 PM | Comments (4)

Bush immigration plan could affect techies

Here's an older story from ZDnet:

Details of President Bush's plan to tackle illegal immigration remain fuzzy, but the program could create a new way for technology employers to bring in foreign workers.
If so, the stage will be set for another round of debates about the practice of temporarily importing guest workers for tech tasks--already a sore spot for critics of the H-1B and L-1 visa programs.

"Should the Bush proposal be implemented, it would be disastrous for American programmers, engineers and everyone in the country who can't make a living on the stock market alone," said John Miano, founder of software programmer advocacy group the Programmer's Guild.

...But in a speech last week at the Cato Institute, an administration official indicated the program could extend to highly skilled positions as well. Margaret Spellings, assistant to the president for domestic policy, said details of the program have yet to be worked out. But she said the program will be "non-sector specific" and mentioned nurses and teachers as possible workers covered by the program...

As I discussed here, this is just one of the strange things Margaret Spellings had to say:

"We do envision that [the Bush amnesty/guestworker plan] would be open to any type of employee and any type of employer, such as nurses, teachers, high-tech workers, low-skilled workers. This is a concept that can apply broadly"

Posted at 03:01 PM | Comments (2)

"Rise of the Off-the-Books Workforce"

From an LAT guest editorial "Rise of the Off-the-Books Workforce: Native-born workers are being displaced by new immigrants":

If you scrutinize the U.S. labor market numbers from the last two years of economic recovery, you're left with what seems to be a paradox. Since the recession's low point, in November 2001, the number of employed people 16 and older has risen, but the number of jobs on the formal payrolls of employers remains below recessionary levels...

...Employment gains are among the self-employed and contract workers, or in the informal "gray" and "black" labor markets. People are doing temporary day work or contracting that's kept off the books. These don't tend to be highly paid jobs or jobs with benefits like health insurance, and they are often performed by immigrants, especially undocumented immigrants...

...the employment numbers demonstrate that the president's proposal cannot be defended on economic grounds.

The numbers suggest that native-born workers — particularly teenagers and young adults without college degrees — are being displaced by new immigrants. Indeed, last year the employment rate for teens reached a record low, down 9 percentage points since 2000. These are the very people who might benefit from the unskilled jobs now going to foreign workers. Over the last two decades, two-thirds of all the new jobs created in the U.S. have been ones that required at least some college. The earnings gap between college graduates and high school graduates has widened, as has the gap between high school graduates and dropouts. Large increases in unskilled immigrant workers have helped fuel real-wage declines at the bottom of the labor market and increased earnings inequality. Any policy that supports this trend cannot be justified.

The proposed guest-worker program will expand supply in an already oversupplied labor market, foster the further development of a substratum outside of existing laws and customs that regulate employment, and further diminish the chances of teens and other young adults, especially from low-income and minority communities, to get valuable work experience.

Immigration can play an important role in the long-term economic prosperity of the nation. But a guest-worker program that expands immigration in the middle of a jobless recovery is not the answer. Rather than rush into a faulty program to encourage foreign workers, we need to engage as a nation in a sustained and comprehensive national debate on how to best align immigration policy with our nation's short- and long-terms skill requirements — and with the goal of achieving greater economic justice for native-born workers.

Posted at 01:58 PM | Comments (0)

The Bush/Fox Happy Fun Immigration Solution

Unfortunately, we can't call the Bush/Fox Amnesty an "amnesty" anymore (see "The Nativists in the California GOP Must Go").

So, we need to find a new name. Perhaps "The Bush/Fox Massive Illegal Immigration Incentive and Open Borders and Gift to Corrupt Employers Plan" would work. No matter what we call it, it will be considered an amnesty by millions of people around the world. It will reward illegal immigration. And, as common sense and experience tell us, anything that rewards illegal immigration will lead to more illegal immigration.

As for the "nativists," I'm sure there are some in the CA Repubs. I'm also sure that many of them - and many Democrats as well - are simply opposed to corruption and employers who like cheap compliant labor and shoving all of the welfare and social costs off on the rest of us.

If one wants to call those opposed to illegal immigration "nativists," then there certainly are a lot of nativists around: 74% of respondents answered "Should Not" to this question: "Do you think the United States should or should not make it easier for illegal immigrants to become citizens of the United States?"

Consider Bainbridge's comment: "Do they really think we could deport all the undocumented workers in this country without resorting to Gestapo-like tactics - or even with such tactics? Do they really think we could prevent undocumented workers from entering this country even with such tactics?"

Allow me to devastate his argument with one quick fact: in FY 2002, only 13 (thirteen) employers were fined for hiring illegal aliens.

Maybe we should start throwing a few of Bainbridge's corporate buddies in federal prison for immigration violations. That would work wonders.

See my Immigration category for several articles with the details on why the Bush/Fox Amnesty is a horrible idea. For instance, "Flawed Assumptions Underlying Guestworker Programs", "Past has cautionary lessons for guest-worker programs", "Guest worker program offers lessons: Bush might profit by German experience", "Immigration, Saudi Style", and "Correcting the Record About President Bush's Immigration Proposal".

(Bainbridge might want to consider the comments here, including this: "Reporters and opinion writers generally commit the felony of assuming that all U.S. Latinos, regardless of where they reside, or their national origin or place of birth, will react as voters in some homogenous bloc! ...nobody seems to recognize that Latinos most likely to vote for Mr. Bush, Republican or not, are conservative, law-abiding, hard-working, patriotic, middle-class people. They are not automatically supportive of their taxes going for free services to people not entitled to them. Nor are they likely to approve of the flaunting of immigration laws by anybody, be it an irresponsible employer or an illegal employee...")

Posted at 10:06 PM | Comments (1)

U.S. plans to ship illegal immigrants deep into Mexico

From the AJC:

MEXICO CITY -- U.S. and Mexican officials agreed Friday to tighten security along their border and devise a plan to repatriate illegal immigrants to their home states in the interior of Mexico rather than deporting them to cities along the border...

U.S. agents deport thousands of illegal immigrants a month to Mexican cities just across the U.S. border. From there, migrants usually try to cross again. Repeat attempts are often part of the deal migrants cut with smugglers...

It's a good first step if they follow through on it. Perhaps this is a test balloon to see if racial activists will squeak loud enough to get it stopped.

The headline uses the phrase "illegal immigrants," which is better than what other papers might do: use the phrase "immigrants" and mislead people into thinking we're going to be deporting non-illegal-aliens. However, the headline also says "deep into Mexico" rather than "deep into Mexico, where they originally came from."

Also, it bears repeating that in FY 2002, only 13 employers were fined for hiring illegal aliens. Let me know when America's favorite corporatist starts putting some of his buddies in federal prison for violating our immigration laws.

Posted at 01:52 PM | Comments (1)

Flawed Assumptions Underlying Guestworker Programs

From the Center for Immigration Studies:

On January 7, 2004, President Bush announced his outline for a vast guestworker program that would be used to amnesty illegal aliens already in the United States as well as provide for the importation of new foreign workers.1 In the extensive discussion of the proposal since then, there has been no detailed examination of the assumptions underlying this or any other guestworker proposal. This paper seeks to remedy that oversight, and will focus on Mexican immigration, since people from that country make up a majority of the illegal population. Although the debate has been centered on Mexicans, the president's plan would, of course, apply to all nationalities.

• Immigration is inevitable... [The discussion of this and the other assumptions is too long to post]
• The poor are overpaid...
• Jobs Americans won't do...
• Free trade requires open immigration...
• Guestworkers will go home...
• No significant cost to taxpayers...
• Foreign labor won't slow innovation...
• It is administratively feasible...
• It aids national security...
• There are no alternatives...

Fixing the Problem

Employer Sanctions. Congress in 1986 finally prohibited the employment of illegal aliens in an effort to turn off the magnet of jobs attracting illegal aliens. But enforcement was lackluster at best and, in response to political pressure, the INS has in recent years essentially discontinued worksite employer sanctions enforcement. In FY 2002, only 13 employers were fined for hiring illegal aliens. To make employer sanctions work requires a number of steps, including: A large, permanent increase in the number of investigators doing worksite enforcement and prosecutors pursuing law-breaking employers; a national computerized system that allows employers to verify the work-eligibility of new hires (there is an ongoing pilot program which has been well-received by employers); and much stiffer fines and jail time for employers caught knowingly hiring illegal aliens.

Other Interior Enforcement. Following the model of employer sanctions, we need to cut off other important choke points to illegal aliens by requiring verification of legal status. These should be events that are central to modern life but which do not take place so frequently that turning them into such choke points would bog down society's business. For instance, legal status should be checked when obtaining drivers licenses, bank accounts, mortgages (or perhaps any loan above $10,000, similar to anti-money-laundering rules), enrolling in higher education, etc. Likewise, the Social Security Administration and the Internal Revenue Service must be required to maintain ongoing, systemic cooperation with immigration authorities to identify people using fraudulent or stolen identities. Finally, legislation like the CLEAR Act is needed, in order to strengthen cooperation between federal immigration authorities and state and local police.

Border Enforcement. Despite significant increases in funding in recent years, efforts at the border are still inadequate. At any given time, there are perhaps 1,800 Border Patrol agents along more than 2,000 miles of border with Mexico. The Border Patrol needs to be at least double its current size and the border needs a system of fences and other barriers to help the agents in their work.

Legal Immigration. While jobs are one of the magnets that draw illegal immigrants to the United States, the other, equally important, magnet is family and friends, the networks that make it possible to immigrate illegally in search of work in the first place. And these networks are created and nurtured by ongoing legal immigration. Communities of recent immigrants serve as magnets and incubators for illegal immigration, providing housing, jobs, and entree to America that would otherwise be very difficult to secure. And with at least one-fourth of each year's "legal" immigration made up of illegal aliens using the system to launder their status, the immigration system has evolved into a permanent, rolling amnesty for illegals. Limiting family immigration to the husbands, wives, and young children of American citizens would be especially useful in stemming illegal immigration since it would serve to end chain migration. With the end of chain migration, the networks that drive illegal immigration would gradually atrophy, as immigrants here had less frequent and intimate contact with their home communities, moved to different neighborhoods, and assimilated into the American mainstream.

Transitional Assistance. Finally, Congress can help allay the concerns of employers who have become dependant on unskilled foreign labor through transitional funding for research and development into new labor-saving technologies. This would be especially fruitful in agriculture, since the U.S. Department of Agriculture banned federally funded mechanization research during the Carter Administration. By promoting this kind of research — whether in agriculture, construction, light manufacturing, or elsewhere — the federal government can help reduce the demand for labor which it fostered by permitting and encouraging unskilled immigration in the first place.

This examination of the assumptions underlying a guestworker program demonstrates that they are without foundation. Congress can use this information to finally bring an end to the period of mass illegal immigration - or it can supercharge illegal immigration by enacting a guestworker program.

Posted at 02:09 PM | Comments (0)

"Bush Bill Would Aid Mexico's Meddling in U.S."

From Mark Krikorian in Newsday:

There has been much well-deserved criticism of President George W. Bush's proposed amnesty and guestworker plan. But its possible effect on America's sovereignty has seldom been mentioned, even though that may be the most harmful in the long term.

Although the president's proposal is not specific to Mexico, it would benefit that nation the most. Some 5 million of the estimated 8 million illegal aliens here are Mexican, and Mexico would likely be one of the main sources of the new guestworkers and increased permanent immigration also called for in the Bush plan.

This is important because, in the 1990s, Mexico embarked on a campaign of extending its political authority into the United States - not just over Mexican immigrants, but also naturalized and native-born Americans of Mexican ancestry. There are 10 million Mexican-born people in this country (including 5 million illegals) plus more than 10 million additional Americans of Mexican descent.

Now, this is not the fantasy of reconquista - retaking the Southwest, lost in the 1846-'48 Mexican War. Instead, it is an attempt to set up a special status for people of Mexican origin, like the status Europeans enjoyed in China in the 19th century.

There's nothing secret about this effort. President Vicente Fox once referred to himself as president of all 118 million Mexicans - the 100 million in Mexico and the (then-)18 million in the United States, the majority of whom are U.S. citizens. And this is a long-term proposition for them: In June 2001, Juan Hernandez, former head of Fox's cabinet-level office for relations with Mexicans abroad, said on ABC's "Nightline," "I want the third generation, the seventh generation, I want them all to think, 'Mexico first.'"

There are several elements to the Mexican government's campaign:

Dual citizenship... (also see this)

Consular network... (see "Mexico to begin "propagating militant activities" in the U.S.")

IDs for illegals...

Mexico's efforts to extend its authority over a large part of the American population represents the most serious threat to our sovereignty since the Civil War. The president's amnesty/guestworker proposal, which would lead to vastly increased legal (and, inevitably, illegal) immigration from Mexico, would hugely accelerate this trend.

Posted at 10:50 PM | Comments (0)

California's failed assimilation policy

From California Insider:

Sixty percent of non-English speaking children who begin attending California schools after kindergarten never become fluent in English, according to a study released today by the Legislative Analyst. And even for children who begin school here in kindergarten, immigrants from different countries master English at very different rates. Native speakers of Hmong and Spanish, for instance, learn English far more slowly than speakers of Mandarin and Korean. The differences are clear by the second grade, when more than 80 percent of Mandarin- and Korean-speaking students score at a level 3 or higher (out of 5) in reading English on the state's special test for English learners. Among students who speak Spanish or Hmong, fewer than 30 percent reach that level by the second grade. The findings raise important new questions about the cultural differences that might lead to the different results, and about the different techniques used to teach children English...

The article includes a revealing chart. You can read the full report here. It includes the following:

The economy of our state will be affected by the education system's ability to help EL ["English learner" --LW] students quickly learn English and master the academic skills identified in the state's content standards. One-third of California's kindergarten students are identified as ELs. As the large cohort of "baby boomers" retire from the workforce, employers will look to the product of our K-12 and higher education system for replacement workers. If our schools are not successful with EL students, we may have failed not only the students, but also failed to adequately provide a trained workforce for the state's economy.

I'm sure if Nanci Pelosi doesn't have a plan, then John Vasconcellos does.

Posted at 12:27 AM | Comments (2)

How you can stop amnesty for illegal aliens

From "GOP senators, officials back alien proposal":

The administration rolled out its top immigration officials and several senior Republican senators yesterday to endorse publicly a guest-worker program offered by President Bush that could give legal status to the 8 million to 12 million illegal aliens now in the United States.

One by one, the officials and the senators told the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on immigration, border security and citizenship that the Bush plan, outlined Jan. 7, would fix a broken immigration system, allow U.S. businesses to hire needed workers, bring illegal aliens into the mainstream economy and assure greater homeland security...

They're lying. Just plain, straight-out lying. See my 'Immigration' category for the details. For instance, see "Correcting the Record About President Bush's Immigration Proposal".

What can you do?

Call the Senators on the subcommittee and tell them what you think. No amnesties of any kind ever (and no lying about whether something is an amnesty or not).

Here's the contact info for the Senators:

Republican Members:

Saxby Chambliss, GA (Chairman)
416 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
Phone 202-224-3521 | Fax 202-224-0103

Charles E. Grassley, IA
135 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3744

Jon Kyl, AZ
730 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-4521 Fax: (202) 224-2207

Mike DeWine, OH
140 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-2315 Fax: (202) 224-6519

Jeff Sessions, AL
335 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4124 Fax: (202) 224-3149
E-mail: senator@sessions.senate.gov

Larry Craig, ID
520 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2752 Fax: 202/228-1067

John Cornyn, TX
517 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2934 Fax: 202-228-2856

Democratic Members:

Edward M. Kennedy, MA (Ranking Democrat)
317 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4543
E-mail: senator@kennedy.senate.gov

Patrick J. Leahy, VT
433 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4242
E-mail: senator_leahy@leahy.senate.gov

Dianne Feinstein, CA
331 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3841 Fax: (202) 228-3954

Charles E. Schumer, NY
313 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-6542 Fax: 202-228-3027

Richard J. Durbin, IL
332 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2152 Fax (202)228-0400
E-mail: dick@durbin.senate.gov

John Edwards, NC
225 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3154 fax (202) 228-1374

Posted at 11:56 PM | Comments (0)

"Anti-Immigration Candidates Sue Sierra Club Over Board Election"

From the LA Times:

Anti-immigration candidates trying to take over the Sierra Club's governing board have filed a lawsuit against the national environmental organization, alleging that its leaders are breaking state law by using club money and resources to oppose them in upcoming board elections.

The legal maneuver, immediately denounced by Sierra Club leaders, is the latest turn in what has become a bitter battle for control of the 750,000-member group, one of the nation's oldest and most powerful environmental advocates.

If elected, the candidates — former Colorado Gov. Richard D. Lamm, Cornell University professor David Pimentel and Frank L. Morris, a former executive director of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation — would help form a new majority on the Sierra Club's 15-member board that would call for population control and curbs on immigration.

Most of the Sierra Club's current leaders vehemently oppose the takeover attempt, which has attracted support from an array of strange political bedfellows including animal rights groups and anti-Semitic websites...

..."You have to have disinterested elections," Lamm said in an interview, adding that he was greatly offended that Sierra Club leaders had linked him with extremist groups simply because he supports has [sic] immigration control. "I don't mind being blamed for what I believe in, but I am a hunter and fisherman. I am not an animal-rights activist. The biggest thing, of course, is that charge of racism. There is a terrible character assassination going on."

If you aren't a Sierra Club member, it might not be too late to join the Sierra Club in order to vote for these candidates.

Regarding the current LAT article, notice that the phrase "anti-immigration" is used no less than five times. However, it also says they would "call for population control and curbs on immigration." In other words, the article is internally inconsistent: they aren't really "anti-immigration," they just favor reduced immigration. Not the same thing, but what would you expect from the LAT?

Also, Lamm says he "was greatly offended that Sierra Club leaders had linked him with extremist groups." Which is exactly what the LAT article attempts to do: "...an array of strange political bedfellows including animal rights groups and anti-Semitic websites." I guess we know which way the LAT is going to vote.

Contact the LAT's reader's representative Jamie.Gold@latimes.com if you agree with my comments on the article.

[Also posted here.]

Posted at 12:47 AM | Comments (0)

"Hate crime possible in deaths of immigrant mother, daughter"

That's the title of the AZCentral/Arizona Republic version of the AP report I excoriated earlier.

As noted, the AP report appears in over 60 newspapers under titles similar to "Police see possible hate crime in California". The AZCentral report is the same as the AP report, except for the headline.

Apparently, an editor at AZCentral felt that the AP report wasn't biased enough, and had to be tweaked to make it even more biased. I sent a polite email to AZCentral, and I suggest you do the same:

AZCentral.com:

Leon Levitt
Executive Vice President/Digital Media
(602) 444-8396
llevitt@azcentral.com

John Leach
Editor, Digital Media
(602) 444-8746
jleach@azcentral.com
AZ Republic:

Ward Bushee Editor 602-444-8087
ward.bushee@arizonarepublic.com

Jeff Dozbaba News Editor 602-444-4379
jeff.dozbaba@arizonarepublic.com

Randy Lovely Managing Editor 602-444-8790
randy.lovely@arizonarepublic.com

UPDATE: There's more on AP bias here and here.

Posted at 02:29 PM | Comments (0)

"Border-Crossing Students Outrage Parents"

From this:

SAN DIEGO — Mexican teenagers have been crossing the border to attend school in America for years as the schools they attend collect more tax dollars for enrolling them...

A Fox News crew recently watched while students left Southwest High School for the day and got on a trolley that took them down to the border where they crossed over to go home for the evening.

Parents in the Sweetwater School District are outraged because they say students are now forced to go to schools that are overcrowded, and they say they've begged the district to implement tougher enrollment standards but the district insists the problem isn't widespread.

The district counters that they have very stringent residency rules and require students to show proof of residency before being enrolled. But the district admits it receives $5,400 each year from the state for each student enrolled, which some parents contend is the real issue.

Posted at 10:51 PM | Comments (3)

"Past has cautionary lessons for guest-worker programs"

From the CS Monitor:

...And today, with President Bush urging Congress to create a new guest-worker program, his tale highlights some of the cautionary lessons that similar programs in the US and Europe hold.

Among them, experts say:

• Such programs are often set up with the needs of employers in mind - making workers vulnerable to exploitation.

• Even if guest workers aren't put officially on a path to permanent residency, many stay in the host nation for good.

• The creation of a new legal status for guest workers doesn't necessarily slow illegal immigration.

...Since World War II, "the Swiss tried it with the Italians and Spanish, the Germans tried it with the Turks, and the French with the Algerians," says Paul Heise, professor of economics at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pa. "Everywhere, it has been a disaster for both the welfare of the workers and the moral character of the employing country."

The biggest problem of all, some say, is that once workers and their families become established in a new country, they do not want to leave. "The main lesson of previous guest-worker programs in the US and across Europe is that there is nothing more permanent than a temporary worker," says Rosemary Jenks, of Numbers USA, which works to limit immigration. "History has yet to find an effective and humane way to make them go home."

Often, workers develop families and roots in their adopted countries but cannot become citizens and thus live a kind of second-class status...

Posted at 03:07 PM | Comments (0)

A "Conservative" Statement of Principles on Immigration

A statement/open letter/mess of lies entitled "A Conservative Statement of Principles on Immigration" appeared in Friday's Wall Street Journal (more about the WSJ here and here).

The WSJ is subscription-only, but a copy is available here:

[America is a nation of immigrants, heart-warming platitudes, etc. etc...]

Conservatives believe in legal immigration.[related folderol deleted]

Conservatives oppose illegal immigration. We believe there is a right way and a wrong way to immigrate to the United States. However, as conservatives we believe that our laws must reflect reality and common sense, and be both fiscally responsible and avoid the loss of innocent life. Our current immigration laws do not pass this test.

Bzzzt! It's not the laws at fault, it's our current level of enforcement of them. See this for examples. For a quick example: "In San Diego County, only one owner, whose company hired workers for major hotels, has been prosecuted since 2000, and he was given probation. No business has been fined.".

Between 1990 and 2000, the United States increased the number of U.S. Border Patrol Agents from 3,600 to 10,000. During that same period illegal immigration rose by 5.5. million.

What statistic did they forget to include that would give a clear picture of the problem? Oh yeah, the bit about workplace enforcement being sharply down from past years. And, the several amnesties in the past two decades haven't done much good either, as illegal aliens have come here in droves expecting to be rewarded with yet another amnesty.

Moreover, over the past 8 years, more than 2,000 men, women, and children have died attempting to cross into America and seek the opportunity to work and achieve a better life. The status quo is unacceptable and clinging to the status quo – or tougher versions of it – is neither conservative, nor principled. It has become clear that the only viable approach to reform is combining enforcement with additional legal avenues for those who wish to work in our economy, while also addressing the situation of those already here in the United States.

It's unfortunate that those people have died. Perhaps if employers weren't able to employ people regardless of their immigration status, and perhaps if there weren't so many incentives to come here, many fewer would attempt to cross the desert. Most nations - especially those that have been invaded - would be quite grateful for such a natural barrier to invasion.

[Speaking for all conservatives, we support the Bush/Fox Amnesty, etc. etc...]

[We believe strongly in assimilation, etc. etc...]

signed by: Stuart Anderson, Jeff Bell, Linda Chavez, Larry Cirignano, Cesar V. Conda, Francis Fukuyama, Richard Gilder, Hon. Newt Gingrich, Ed Goeas, Tamar Jacoby, Hon. Jack Kemp, Steve Moore, Grover Norquist, Richard W. Rahn, Hon. Malcolm Wallop

Who?

UPDATE: The fact that the Other Side always predicates its arguments on omitting key facts makes their conclusions trivially easy to refute.

Perhaps just once someone on the Other Side could say something like, "We realize the laws work. It's just that we can't enforce them. Racist organizations will use the liberal media against us, and the large manufacturers, agbusinesses, and retailers whose teats we suck might dry up the milk. Plus, we like the idea of a serf class."

Fat chance of that happening, but at least it would be intellectually honest.

Posted at 02:35 PM | Comments (0)

Does "AP" stand for "AgitProp?" - Part 1 of a long series

Part 1 of this series will discuss the article "Police see possible hate crime in California" by Justin Pritchard of AP. It concerns a brutal double murder in Northern California:

FREMONT, Calif. - Maria Esperanza Hernandez usually got a ride to her 5 a.m. shift at a nursing home, but this time, she had to walk the four miles through the night. Her daughter was so concerned, she joined her.

They never made it.

Hernandez and her 19-year-old daughter, Maria del Carmen Castillo Hernandez, were bludgeoned to death with a 30-inch-long tree branch Sunday as they walked down a suburban street.

It sounds horrible. But, where could this AgitProp be? Let's read on:

Police searching for a suspect have not ruled out the possibility that the killings were a hate crime because the attacker was described as white and the victims were from Mexico.

That's certainly an interesting paragraph. I'm sure there are many things the police haven't ruled out. According to other reports, it could have been a botched robbery, a botched sexual assault, or many other things. There are no doubt an infinite number of possible motives that the police have not ruled out.

Why would the author of this article - and the person who wrote the headline - focus on it being a hate crime? And, should we assume that all white-on-Mexican crimes are hate crimes, as the author seems to be implying?

You might wonder why this paragraph would appear in a crime blotter report, but the reason shall soon become clear. Let's read on:

Because the victims were illegal immigrants, they could not have obtained driver's licenses even if they could afford to buy a car. That has become a flashpoint in the case among Hispanics because a law to allow undocumented immigrants apply for licenses was repealed after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger took office.

"It's a very difficult political situation," said Fily Cuellar, Maria Esperanza Hernandez's nephew and the girl's cousin. "She was not able to get a license, so then they had to walk. And this happened."

Holy Moses! Here I thought this was a story about a crime, and it's suddenly been morphed into a heart-wrenching story designed to encourage us to give driver's licenses to illegal aliens. Should we blame Schwarzenegger for their deaths? Even if they'd had a license, they couldn't afford a car; should California now pass out automobiles to anyone who can make it over our border in order to prevent 1-in-a-million crimes like this from occurring in the future? How many similar cases have occurred in, say, the past decade? A dozen, two dozen? This is the Sally Struthers approach to policy: if it would prevent just one extremely rare tragedy like this, let's give driver's licenses to illegal aliens despite all the millions of people it would negatively impact. When is AP going to publish a story about them?

And, isn't it a bit unseemly to tie the deaths of these two people to the issue of driver's licenses for illegal aliens? I'd just like to discuss the issue without having obvious attempts to emotionalize the issue in the way.

Shouldn't the AP reporter be raising some of these same points, rather than basically serving as a spokesman for the movement?

Compare and contrast the AP report with a few articles written by Lisa Fernandez which appeared in various Northern California newspapers.

In the article "Fremont slayings present mystery" from Feb. 3 it just says: "Relatives at the Newark home, which was overflowing Monday with visitors, said Hernandez didn't have a driver's license." It doesn't go into Schwarzenegger, or Gil Cedillo's bill, or anything else like it.

However, on Feb. 5, the same author has this to say in "Cops ask help in double slayings": "The family... are frustrated that the mother had to walk four miles in the dark to work at a nursing home -- the result of California laws that prevent undocumented Mexican immigrants from getting driver's licenses."

Then, on Feb. 8 the same author breaks out a standard poor-illegal-immigrants-struggling-for-better-life story in "Slain mother, daughter struggled as immigrants" and "Slayings put spotlight on life in shadows" (same story, different title). It again goes into the driver's licenses:

``We came here to progress and be better,'' said Filberto ``Fily'' Cuellar of Hayward, one of the many relatives who followed the Hernandezes from Mexico to California. ``Why did this happen? Because she didn't have a license.''

However, it also contains a rather shocking statement about motives in the case, given the statements in the AP report:

Fremont police do not consider the boyfriend a suspect. They have no evidence the crimes were racially motivated, or a sexual assault, or a robbery.

It's not really a contradiction; the statement from AP and the above statement are consistent. However, what's different is the emphasis.

That last paragraph is also less presumptive than other reports. See "Mourners recall mother, daughter" and "Mom, daughter remembered" (same story, different title) by Robert Airoldi and Jennifer Kho:

Investigators have said the killings -- which occurred in Fremont -- do not appear to be the result of a robbery, sexual assault or domestic violence, but have not ruled out anything. They also have not determined if it was a hate crime, since the killer was described as white, Fremont Detective Bill Veteran said.

Is it the Det. Veteran who's leading the hate crimes charge, or is it the reporters? Is this part of the last report based on the statements made in the AP report?

Whatever the status of the hate crime portion of the various reports, the fact remains that the AP and other reports are obvious attempts to influence the debate over driver's licenses for illegal aliens.

The AP report has appeared in over 60 newspapers nationwide. If you want to do a good deed, contact a newspaper near you, and suggest they stop spreading AP's AgitProp. You can contact AP at info@ap.org and Justin Pritchard at jdpritchard@ap.org.

Posted at 01:25 AM | Comments (0)

"Sheriff has volunteers shadowing school buses after attack heightens safety concerns in rural areas"

From the Sierra Vista [AZ] Herald:

County Sheriff Larry Dever said members of the Sheriff's Assist Team, a group of volunteers, have begun shadowing school buses in Palominas and Sierra Vista school districts.

The main purpose is to add another layer of protection to children from potentially dangerous illegal immigrants, Dever said...

Most recently, a Hereford woman and her daughter were allegedly accosted by three illegal Mexican immigrants The three men allegedly pulled the woman and her daughter from their vehicle, then stole it.

There have been other incidents. There was a carjacking at Valley View School in Palominas a few months ago. In a separate incident, a car was stolen from an elderly couple in Parker Canyon, Dever said.

There also have been numerous reports of groups of illegal immigrants passing near children as they waited for their school buses.

"The potential for conflict and tragedy is significant. Everybody in the community is concerned," Dever said...

Posted at 11:49 PM | Comments (0)

"U.S. soccer team hears Osama chants in Mexico"

From this:

ZAPOPAN, Mexico - The Mexican crowd hooted "The Star-Spangled Banner." It booed U.S. goals. It chanted "Osama! Osama! Osama!" as U.S. players left the field with a 2-0 victory.

And that was in a game against Canada on Thursday before just 1,500 people...

See also 'Anti-Americanism in L.A.' from 1998:

Why would about 91,000 of the 91,235 fans in the Coliseum on Sunday night act as though they hated the United States? Why would U.S. citizens and residents blow horns and boo loudly enough to drown out the U.S. national anthem? Why would those who attend U.S. schools and receive U.S. medical care feel it necessary to pelt any U.S. player running near the stands with water and beer?... What took place in the L.A. Coliseum was a two-hour orgy of anti-Americanism, an explosion of hatred against the United States...

And this, which also featured chants of "Osama":

Last month, another soccer match was held between the French and Algerian teams outside Paris. France's national anthem, the Marseillaise, was booed by 60,000. Spectators in corporate boxes were told to lock themselves in, as Algerians began to chant the name of Osama bin Laden. When youths ran onto the field waving Algerian flags, the stands erupted in wild cheering. Spectators fled...

Posted at 01:42 PM | Comments (0)

"Florida Farmworkers Sue Dairy Owned by Family of Sen. Graham Over Wages"

From this:

A dairy farm owned by the family of U.S. Sen. Bob Graham [D - FL] is being sued by farmworkers who claim they are not being paid minimum wage.
Attorney Greg Schell, who represents the workers, said the alleged violations of federal law occurred over the past four years and involved as many as 200 workers employed by Graham Farms in Glades County. Graham Farms is a division of The Graham Cos., and the senator is a director of that firm...

Schell said the workers allege they are being paid $4 an hour when minimum wage in Florida is $5.15 an hour. He said the company adds "some kind of bonus which they say brings the gross pay over the minimum wage."

"But they keep no records so there is no way to prove that is true and the workers say they are owed money."

Failure to keep wage records also is illegal. Schell said the total owed the workers could amount to two hours pay per day for the time each was employed by the farm.

"It could come to hundreds of thousands of dollars," said Schell, of the Migrant Farmworker Justice Project, a farmworker advocacy group.

It's suits like this that will make alleged serf-masters like former Democratic presidential candidate Bob Graham think, "Why didn't I just hire legal immigrants or citizens and pay them a fair wage in the first place? I would have saved money, aggravation, and the possibility of a prison sentence."

Lawyers could play a big part in reforming our immigration system. Some companies that only employ legal immigrants and citizens have sued those that hire illegal aliens for unfair competition.

Other possibilites for class actions - this a bit far-fetched - are to sue companies who do things like Graham's company are alleged to have done for not paying their fair share of the social costs associated with their "cheap" labor.

It's just wishful thinking on my part, but I wonder if Nanci Pelosi has a few problems along these lines. She owns two small vineyards in Napa. No doubt it wouldn't be too difficult to go there and interview people who've worked on Nanci's farm.

(Via the Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler)

Posted at 12:11 PM | Comments (2)

"Global HMO"

From an Investor's Business Daily editorial:

For those who think that illegal aliens are a good deal because they will work for such low wages, consider this figure — $9 billion.

That rather large sum is Rep. Dana Rohrabacher's low-end estimate of how much is spent each year on health care for illegal immigrants, not by themselves but by others.

So while illegal alien labor might be cheap for businesses that employ undocumented workers, it isn't, as Rohrabacher points out, for taxpayers...

Rohrabacher's bill, should it become law, will have, at best, a modest impact on illegal immigration and the costs taxpayers bear for them. But if it stirs people to their senses and leads to an eventual — and rational — denial of health care and other government services to illegal immigrants, it would have a much larger effect.

Too bad the effect would be diminished, because the message of the president's de facto amnesty plan will still provide a strong incentive for more illegals to enter and wait until the next amnesty comes. As long as that's the case, the U.S. will continue to serve as HMO to Mexico, if not the world.

Posted at 10:57 PM | Comments (0)

"Earth to WSJ"

From Mark Krikorian:

Now, I like the Wall Street Journal. But its editorials on immigration always have a whiff of the Soviet about them. Like an apparatchik blaming the collapse of the USSR's agriculture on 75 straight years of bad weather, the Journal's writing on immigration has no connection to reality. Tuesday's lead editorial claims that the United States has tried in vain for two decades to enforce the immigration law, and now it's time to try something new (namely, the president's guestworker/amnesty proposal ). The piece is laced with the usual libertarian contempt for conservatives, with such leftist smears as "extreme," "restrictionist right," and "nativist wing of the GOP," and even refers to "undocumented," rather than illegal, aliens...

The problem is that the "new thinking" we need is a commitment to enforce the law. Over the past 20 years, we have done almost nothing to control immigration except beef up the Border Patrol...

What follows is a short list of some of the ways that enforcement attempts have been scuttled by politicians and industry. Send this article to anyone else who says "we tried and we failed."

I discussed the WSJ editorial here.

Posted at 09:34 PM | Comments (0)

'Illegal': Slur or accurate label?

This moderately balanced AJC article looks at both sides of the oldspeak/newspeak language wars: is it "illegal aliens" or "undocumented immigrants?"

Unfortunately, the author doesn't look at the law. The United States Code - the law of the land - uses the term "illegal aliens." For instance, see "Authorizing State and local law enforcement officials to arrest and detain certain illegal aliens"

It's interesting to analyze news reports' use of these terms. As I previously discussed, a San Jose Mercury News story got almost everything wrong.

And, here's a correction of an Arizona Republic story.

I think if you keep hammering this point about language home, and keep showing the statements of the "leaders" quoted in the article for what they are, eventually it will sink in.

Posted at 09:07 PM | Comments (1)

The Letter to Bush and Hastert Warning about the President's Immigration Plan

From this:

Conservative Congressman Tom Tancredo (R.-Colo.) recently joined 22 fellow GOP Congressmen in a letter to the President and House Speakder Dennis Hastert detailing the public's negative reaction to the White House's immigration proposal...

Below is a copy of the original letter as sent by Rep. Tancredo's office:

---------------

Dear Mr. Speaker:

We have serious concerns regarding the immigration policy President Bush announced earlier this month. We collectively agree that the United States has a severe and undeniable immigration problem; however, the proposal articulated by the Administration does not address the problem appropriately. In fact, in our view, it will further exacerbate the problem and create discontent amongst the Republican Party.

Since the President’s speech, our offices have been inundated with calls from dismayed constituents expressing vehement opposition to the Administration’s proposal. It is a matter of great concern to us that these constituents – politically active American citizens – are so disillusioned by the proposal that many of them will become disenchanted with not only the Administration, but with Congress as well. If we do not listen to our constituents on this matter, our influence and effectiveness in Congress could be jeopardized. Simply put, we cannot continue to allow our immigration laws to be violated and ignored – and illegal aliens are by definition criminals.

We agree with the President’s sentiment that it is unfair to reward illegal immigrants. Although the President has argued that his proposal is not an amnesty, a careful reading of his proposal indicates otherwise. Amnesty pardons those who have broken a law. Ignoring the fact that illegal aliens are working in the United States illegally, and making them eligible for legal status and citizenship is de facto amnesty. And if past is prologue, it is clear that this amnesty proposal will encourage even greater numbers of aliens to enter our country illegally.

The contradictions within the Administration’s proposal, and what amounts to an offer of amnesty to law violators, have left many of our core supporters dismayed, angry, and confused. As patriotic Americans, our conservative base wants to see the laws of our nation upheld. We are a nation of immigrants, but we are also a nation of laws. Respect for the rule of law is a core conservative value.

Mr. Speaker, it is our hope that you will recognize the problems the Administration’s proposal has created for our constituents. We would be more than willing to work with you to craft a solution to America’s immigration crisis that is more in line with the principles of our Party and our national traditions.

Thank you for your continued leadership and sensitivity to the concerns of all Members of the Conference.

Sincerely,

C.L. "Butch" Otter, M.C.
Virginia Brown-Waite, M.C.
Virgil H. Goode, Jr., M.C.
Michael Simpson, M.C.
Jeff Miller, M.C.
Zach Wamp, M.C.
Todd Akin, M.C.
Lamar Smith, M.C.
Walter Jones, M.C.
Philip Crane, M.C.
Scott Garrett, M.C.
John J. Duncan, Jr., M.C.
Jim Ryun, M.C.
Ernest J. Istook, Jr., M.C.
Nathan Deal, M.C.
Steve King, M.C.
Thomas Tancredo, M.C.
Donald Manzullo, M.C.
Cliff Stearns, M.C.
Dana Rohrabacher, M.C.
Steven LaTourette, M.C.
Elton Gallegly, M.C.
Roscoe Bartlett, M.C.

Posted at 04:55 PM | Comments (0)

Bush "guest worker" program to be "open to any type of employee"

Mark Krikorian writes about a Cato Institute panel on the Bush/Fox Amnesty here. Of particular note are the remarks made by Margaret Spellings, "assistant to the president for domestic policy, and point person for the president's immigration proposal":

my director of research, Steven Camarota, briefly mentioned the alternative to the president's amnesty plan: using consistent, across-the-board enforcement of the immigration law to cause attrition of the illegal population over time. The White House response?

[Spellings]laughed...

Then she suggested, "You need to come visit Austin, Texas."

When a political aide cynically laughs about enforcing the law, you know it's time for a change. We didn't elect Bush to hire people who mock our laws.

You can see the entire 80 minute video here. Her laughter is around the 59 minute mark.

Here are two other statements Margaret Spellings made:

"We do envision that this would be open to any type of employee and any type of employer, such as nurses, teachers, high-tech workers, low-skilled workers. This is a concept that can apply broadly"

Asked "Will the children of "guest workers" automatically become citizens?", her response was: "Anyone who is born in the United States is presumed to be a citizen, and we do not support changing that. So I guess the answer is yes."

In other words, our "guest workers" will have children and will be here to stay.

And, those earning $40 or $60 or $100 or $200 per hour will be in for a rude awakening as a million people from China and India start bidding on their jobs.

Are you a teacher, a nurse, a high-tech worker, or another type of high-wage worker? I'd suggest contacting other members of your profession via online message boards and letting them know what Bush wants to do to you.

(It might not be all bad; maybe one day 'Cato Institute Analyst' might be one of those "jobs that Americans won't do")

Posted at 12:37 AM | Comments (1)

"Calif. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher Receives Death Threat Over Immigrant Bill"

From this:

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (AP) - The offices of Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher received dozens of threatening telephone calls Tuesday, including one death threat, after he authored a bill that would limit health care services for immigrants.
Information on the threats was turned over to police. "It will be forwarded to out detectives," said police Lt. Tom Donnelly.

The bill, introduced last week, would require hospitals to report a patient's immigration status before they could be reimbursed for treatment. Patients found to be in the United States illegally could be deported.

Threatening calls began after the bill was discussed on a New York radio station Tuesday. The office received so many calls they stopped answering the phone...

Relax, they're just here to make the threats Americans won't make.

Posted at 09:28 PM | Comments (0)

"Guest worker program offers lessons: Bush might profit by German experience"

From the AJC:

As the United States contemplates a proposal by President Bush to temporarily legalize some foreign workers with the expectation they will eventually return to the land of their birth, the German experience may provide a cautionary tale.

More than 40 years after the first Turkish guest workers arrived to help the country rebuild --- Germany had Marshall Plan funds and other post-World War II reconstruction money but was short of manpower --- a significant number are still here.

Many of the immigrants live in ghettos. Many, even children, do not speak German. Housing and education are substandard. Crime is high. Unemployment, 18 percent among Berliners, is 35 percent among the city's Turks.

About three of every four Turks in Germany are not citizens, even after decades in the country. Many play no role in the nation's political life. They feel the sting of bigotry and keep to themselves...

By 1970, 3 million foreign-born people lived in Germany, making up nearly 5 percent of the population. The program ended in 1973, when the worldwide oil crisis slowed the German economy.

But as relatives came to Germany to join the workers, the number swelled to 7.3 million by late 2001...

In addition, she said, it is difficult to enforce temporary programs when there is great economic disparity between the new country and the country of origin. While the program proposed by Bush is aimed primarily at workers already in the United States illegally, it would also apply to prospective workers abroad.

People familiar with the German experience say there are lessons for all concerned. Kangal, in addition to recommending that workers learn the language earlier than he did, said the host country should enter the arrangement with open eyes.

If a country needing cheap labor hires another country's least-qualified workers, it will get poorly educated and unsophisticated people ill-equipped to learn the language and assimilate...

The U.S. and Germany are, of course, quite different societies. However, there are many parallels between the German experience and what we've had to date. Assimilation was not pursued in Germany, and it is not pursued in the U.S. Thanks to multiculturalism, there is very little pressure in the U.S. for immigrants of any kind to assimilate and learn English.

Posted at 12:21 PM | Comments (0)

"Enforcement Blues"

From Mark Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies comes this article:

A recent Cato Institute forum revealed the true attitude of many in the White House about immigration-law enforcement.

The forum (watch the Real Video file here) featured, among others, Margaret Spellings, assistant to the president for domestic policy, and point person for the president's immigration proposal. Everyone gave the speech he was expected to, but it was during the Q&A that things got interesting. One of the other panelists, my director of research, Steven Camarota, briefly mentioned the alternative to the president's amnesty plan: using consistent, across-the-board enforcement of the immigration law to cause attrition of the illegal population over time. The White House response?

Ms. Spellings laughed.

Then she suggested, "You need to come visit Austin, Texas."

...Spellings's dismissal of the very idea of immigration-law enforcement confirms the worst fears of observers inside and outside the immigration agencies: that the new laws envisioned by the president's proposal wouldn't be enforced any more vigorously than the old ones, leading to yet more illegal immigration and a need for further amnesties down the road...

...it's up to Republicans to adopt the immigration service and provide the political support necessary for any enforcement agency to do its work. If not, no immigration plan — whether it's the president's or anyone else's — is going to work.

At the risk of being churlish, I'd like to suggest that Margaret Spellings find a new job. I don't think she has a full grasp of what her job is all about.

UPDATE: There's much more on Margaret Spellings and the Bush/Fox amnesty here.

Posted at 11:30 PM | Comments (0)

Is the Wall Street Journal funded by the Ford Foundation?

No, but they are definitely part of the Open Borders Conspiracy.

Case in point: an editorial entitled "Our Border Brigades The nativist right is wrong."

You can leave comments at the page above, and read comments from other users. Here's my reply:

Your editorial reads like a left-wing screed, starting with the use of the word "nativists" in an attempt to smear your opponents and ending with the newspeak "undocumented immigrants."

While the chart is nice, it's also misleading. A better chart might include the money spent on interior enforcement, specifically workplace enforcement. How many employers have been fined or put in federal prison over the past few years? Perhaps you would care to tell your readers that instead of misleading them to believe that following our laws has failed. (See for instance this: "In San Diego County, only one owner, whose company hired workers for major hotels, has been prosecuted since 2000, and he was given probation. No business has been fined."

"Somehow draining the terror swamp in the Middle East seems a lot more vital to U.S. security than stopping busboys from crossing the Rio Grande."

A brief look at history will show you that any country that can't control its borders is in serious trouble.

"But there's no guarantee that even this--so insulting to American traditions--would work."

Illegal immigration is not an "American tradition." There are many other differences between current illegal immigration and that that occured in the 1800s and early 1900s. Most of those immigrants came through entry points, and were pre-selected by the shipping companies that brought them here. And, most people who came here did so for good and severed ties with the "old country."

"Or how about mass roundups and deportations?"

Why not get more hysterical, and suggest cattle cars and gulags?

"so if a policy keeps failing for nearly two decades maybe some new thinking is in order."

The policy of weak workplace enforcement has definitely failed. The policy of endless amnesties has also definitely failed. Remember how the 1986 Amnesty was supposed to be the last one? If the Bush/Fox Amnesty is passed, millions more illegal immigrants will come here in expectation of the next "last amnesty."

"immigrants today allow some industries to survive and expand"

Cheap serf labor does no one any good. If you care about American industry, encourage them to develop automation and improve productivity.

See, for instance "The Mirage of Mexican Guest Workers" from 80 Foreign Affairs No. 6: "...political leaders have often belatedly discovered that admitting temporary low-wage workers unnaturally sustains industries with low productivity and wages, such as garment manufacturing, labor-intensive agriculture, and domestic services. In consequence, the economy's overall productivity and growth suffer..."

The vast majority of Americans do not support the Bush/Fox Amnesty. Hopefully they'll make their voices heard in upcoming elections.

UPDATE: They didn't print my response, but several responses to this article are now available.

Almost all of the responses are negative:

-"The idea that we have tried to control our borders is absurd. We do not make the slightest attempt, and there are huge rewards from all directions for illegals."

- "The real story here, is how politicians have, for decades, ignored the clearly expressed will of the American people to stop illegal immigration and deport these law breakers."

- "I think you are wrong on just about every point you make in this editorial on border/immigration failures. Your name-calling of the majority of Americans who rightly want to control the influx of Illegal Immigrants, is repulsive."

- "Why not just declare open borders? After all, a few hundred million Chinese would help companies keep down wages marvelously. That way, U.S. citizens would be free to concentrate on high-value-added, knowledge-based jobs--at least those few not exported to India and China. The WSJ's disregard for the common American weal is disheartening."

Plus many more...

Posted at 10:37 PM | Comments (0)

"Mexican-illegals flow rises 66% in 12 years"

From this:

A report from a Mexican government agency released today says the number of Mexicans entering the U.S. illegally increased by 66 percent from 1990 to 2002.

According to the German news agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur, the study was conducted by the National Population Council, or Conapo. It found the number of illegals coming from Mexico each year now exceeds 1 million. The report says about one-third of those who enter illegally, 390,000 annually, achieve their goal of staying in the U.S.

Deutsche Presse-Agentur reports the number of Mexicans living in the United States went from 4.3 million in 1994 to 9.5 million in 2002, according to U.S. estimates.

It is estimated Mexicans in the U.S. sent approximately $12 billion back to Mexico last year...

Posted at 09:04 PM | Comments (0)

"Infinite Ingress"

The L.A. Times Magazine has a long article about immigration here.

"Wait!" you're thinking, "I don't want to read another Struthersian, lie-filled screed from the liberal hacks at the Times!"

You don't have to, because this article actually makes some sense for a change:

A human wave is breaking over California, flooding freeways and schools, bloating housing costs, disrupting power and water supplies. Ignoring it hasn't worked.

By birth, by foot, by automobile, from other states and other countries, legally and illegally, people have arrived in California for decades in unrelenting swells, human surf breaking steadily on a vast shore. Occasionally a big set rolls in and harasses state and local officials trying to determine how many new classrooms to build or where to bury the trash, but Californians take it in stride. You can complain, but what good would it do? You can complain about winter, too, but it comes anyway.

We tolerate endless strip malls, foul air, contaminated runoff, window-rattling boom boxes and the weekend crush at Costco and Home Depot. We remain composed in the face of runaway housing prices, electricity shortages, crowded schools and—well, maybe not crowded schools. That one rankles. But what we suffer even less well than crowded schools, the thing that makes even the most tolerant Californians notice that their cities have become overstuffed, is all the endless, miserable, stinking, standing traffic. In Los Angeles, in San Diego, in Sacramento, in the Bay Area, freeway traffic sits like an automotive still life, then inches along as we fume in the fumes. On a roadside in San Jose after a fender bender, a driver grabs another driver's small dog, Leo, and throws the helpless animal into oncoming traffic.

This is what it has come to in California. We live in the Age of Leo.

If projections through 2040 by demographers in the state Department of Finance prove accurate, conditions will only get worse. Much worse. New residents continue to wash over California's borders, but the state is neither attempting to restrain growth nor building adequate infrastructure to accommodate it. And the boat continues to fill...

Via John & Ken.

Posted at 04:56 PM | Comments (0)

"W's Immigration Fallacy"

Heather MacDonald succintly shows the errors in Bush's thinking:

PRESIDENT Bush's proposal to legalize the country's 10 or so million illegal aliens rests on a fallacy: that immigration enforcement has failed to stem the tide of illegal aliens. Therefore, the argument goes, amnesty is the only solution to the illegal-alien crisis.
But immigration enforcement has not failed — it has never been tried. Amnesty, however, has been tried, and it was a clear failure that should not be repeated again.

For decades, the country's immigration enforcement has looked like this: a largish number of Border Patrol agents clustered at the border with Mexico, then a vast empty space beyond where illegal immigrants are home free — as if a football team had placed its entire defense on the line of scrimmage.

Roughly 2,000 immigration agents have been responsible for all interior enforcement, a massive portfolio which includes checking work sites, eradicating document fraud and alien smuggling, and apprehending criminal aliens. Their numbers are dwarfed by the millions of illegal aliens, the hundreds of thousands of employers who hire them, and the tens of thousands of counterfeiters and smugglers who facilitate their passage.

This dearth of enforcement resources has had the most dire consequences in the workplace. It is the lure of jobs that draws most aliens across the border illegally. The highest priority of immigration enforcement should be to disengage that jobs magnet by penalizing employers who hire illegals. The opposite is the case: A combination of inadequate manpower and weak laws has ensured that illegal aliens and their employers enjoy near immunity from detection and prosecution...

Posted at 12:29 PM | Comments (0)

"Bush's immigration plan hurts re-election war chest"

From this:

President Bush's immigration initiative has angered conservative Republicans so much that some are refusing to donate to his re-election campaign, according to a Bush fund-raiser in Georgia.

Phil Kent, a member of the host committee for a Bush fund-raiser in Atlanta yesterday, said he was told by several would-be donors that they would not attend the $2,000-per-person event because of the president's announcement last week on immigration reform.

"I was soliciting checks right after the announcement, and I lost two checks from people who had wanted to come, but wouldn't," Mr. Kent said. "They specifically said this is just rewarding lawbreakers.

"That was the constant theme," he added. "And even among some people who wrote the checks, there's grumbling..."

A little grumbling here, a few lost contributions there, and pretty soon the newly-unemployed Rove and Ridge might be blamed for what was previously known as the Bush/Fox Amnesty.

Posted at 01:04 AM | Comments (0)

"The strange case of immigration politics"

From Tony Blankley:

President Bush's recent, lamentable proposals on illegal immigrants highlight, yet again, that both the Republican and Democratic Parties heed neither public opinion nor their primary governing responsibility to defend and protect the United States, as it relates to illegal immigration...

I might agree with the president's proposals if they followed, rather than preceded, a failed Herculean, decades-long national effort to secure our borders. If, after such an effort, it was apparent that we simply could not control our borders, then, as a practical man I would try to make the best of a bad situation. But such an effort has not yet been made. And why it has not been made reveals a singular failing of the American political system...

Posted at 01:00 AM | Comments (2)

"Good Idea, Bad Plan: Why the president's immigration plan won't work."

From Fred Barnes:

...Consider how the proposed plan would be seen by a poor but ambitious young man in Mexico. He knows that getting in line for legal immigration would probably never get him to America and that staying in the United States on an illegal basis has its drawbacks. But now there's a legal alternative: Get across the border, find a job (a menial, entry level job will do), and sign up for a 3-year work permit that's renewable. This is quite an incentive. If the Bush plan passes, word will spread fast that now's the time to get to the United States any way you can.

AGAIN, let's applaud the thinking that underpins the Bush plan. And let's praise illegal immigrants for their moxie in getting here and making America a better country. But let's not have any illusions about the practical impact of the plan, which is that more will come and few will leave.

Posted at 12:57 AM | Comments (1)

"Bush gives country away"

From Joseph Farah:

President Bush's plan to legalize 8 million to 12 million illegal aliens – maybe considerably more – is one of the most irresponsible, dangerous, reckless proposals to come out of Washington in my lifetime.

And that's saying a lot...

...It's not strong enough to call Bush's proposal "irresponsible." It is borderline seditious. And there is a widespread perception he is making this move because he believes there is personal political gain in it.

That is hardly "compassion," Mr. President. That is the worst kind of cynicism. That is the worst kind of selfishness. That is the worst kind of example a leader could set for the nation.

Shame on Bush. Shame on his party for standing by quietly as he sets out to destroy the fabric of our nation...

Posted at 12:46 PM | Comments (0)

"Raids on illegal workers drop"

This article is from December 1, 2003, but it's still quite timely given the promises that after this amnesty we'll finally enforce the laws we should have been enforcing all along:

When federal agents swept into Wal-Marts across the country and arrested 245 floor cleaners they were reviving an increasingly rare practice.
Politics and economics weaned the federal government from workplace crackdowns of illegal employees years ago. The government has busted steadily fewer employers and arrested fewer illegal employees since the late 1990s, according to federal immigration data.

Immigration officials often attribute the marked decline in workplace enforcement to a new focus on national security, saying that agents who once raided restaurant kitchens and construction sites have been reassigned to airports and nuclear plants.

But, in fact, the decline began four years before Sept. 11, 2001, as the frenetic economy drew foreign nationals into bottom-rung jobs Americans wouldn't take, and as federal immigration policy-makers focused on deporting criminals and fortifying the U.S.-Mexico border.

On some occasions when agents did swoop in, lawmakers howled to protect important business constituencies...

Bush/Ridge/Rove/Fox promise that this time, after this one last final amnesty, they will finally enforce the laws. No, really.

Except, even if they mean it (which I doubt), the same howls will be heard from the same people, and the same lack of enforcement will ensue. We'll still have illegal aliens. In fact, we'll have even more as millions move to the U.S. in expectation of the next amnesty (otherwise known as the one last final amnesty).

Posted at 12:27 PM | Comments (0)

"Correcting the Record About President Bush's Immigration Proposal"

FAIR has released a rather scathing critique of the Bush/Fox Amnesty. Read it here. For instance:

Q. Is this amnesty?

A. You bet it is. Any program that allows millions of illegal aliens to receive legal status in this country is an amnesty. The difference between this amnesty and the one signed by President Reagan in 1986 is that this one includes an interim guestworker status for people transitioning from illegal alien status to legal permanent residency. Under the president's plan, current illegal aliens would be given guestworker status for up to six years and be eligible for Social Security numbers and driver's licenses. It is absolutely not credible to believe that under the circumstances any of these people will ever leave, or that they will not be granted permanent residence. In addition, because it allows them to bring family members to join them, amnesty will be extended to countless millions more.

President Bush also promises "enhanced workplace enforcement again those who violate the immigration laws." The obvious question is: Why has there been virtually no workplace enforcement over the past three years of his administration? Why should anyone believe, after years of empty promises by Republican and Democratic administrations, that this time they will keep their word? Why doesn't the president begin "enhanced work place enforcement" today? He does not need any additional legislation to do that. It is already the law.

Read the whole thing, and be sure to send it to anyone who supports Bush's plan.

Posted at 12:35 AM | Comments (1)

"Americans Worried About Immigration, Oppose Bush Plan"

The results of the recent CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll are available here.

74% of respondents answered "Should Not" to this question: "Do you think the United States should or should not make it easier for illegal immigrants to become citizens of the United States?"

Posted at 12:31 AM | Comments (0)

Has Prince Bandar been advising Bush on immigration?

From Mark Krikorian's article "Immigration, Saudi Style":

...one question has not been asked during the week the Bush proposal has been debated: What would America's labor market, and society and polity, look like if Bush's plan were actually implemented?

Some have suggested that immigration promotes the "Brazilianization" of our economy, as the rich benefit from the importation of servants while native-born blue-collar workers see their wages suffer.

This is certainly true with regard to mass immigration as a whole, but the president's specific proposals suggest a different country as a model: Saudi Arabia. That country, and its Gulf neighbors, are home to a permanent guestworker class, millions strong, lacking any real possibility of becoming full members of the host society. These foreign workers are very large in number, with the six million in Saudi Arabia accounting for about one-quarter of the kingdom's population. And they have virtually no chance of becoming citizens, even after living there for decades...

Terence P. Jeffrey makes similar points in "Just Enforce the Immigration Law":

If Congress enacts President Bush's immigration reform plan, liberals immediately will begin pushing to convert it into an unambiguous amnesty by asking questions the plan's Republican defenders will have a hard time answering: Can it be squared with our national ideals of meritocracy and equality before the law? Or will it create an unsustainable caste system in the American work force?

As President Bush explained it, the plan would transform "the millions of undocumented men and women now employed in the United States" and "those in foreign countries who seek to participate in the program and have been offered employment here" into a legally recognized population of "temporary workers." But, as Democrats will certainly point out, these millions will not be granted full political and economic participation in American society...

You'll note that the UCLA study from former MALDEF president Joaquin Avila called the current situation 'apartheid', suggesting that illegal aliens be allowed to vote. Under the Bush/Fox Amnesty, his plan would probably eventually be adopted.

Posted at 12:26 AM | Comments (0)

"Backers say Bush plan goes beyond immigration"

White House spinmeisters now assure us that the Bush/Fox Amnesty is not only not an amnesty, it's an economic and Homeland Security issue:

President Bush's political strategists, taking note of the unpopularity of his immigration initiative as reflected in public-opinion polls, expressed confidence yesterday that the proposal will gain support as it is recast as an economic and homeland security issue.
"Once people have had a chance to educate themselves about the proposal and what it does, support for it will grow," said Christine Iverson, spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee...

I think once people have educated themselves about what this proposal really does, they're going to either stay home or write in Tom Tancredo.

Posted at 12:15 AM | Comments (0)

Immigration Policy: Last Straw For Conservatives?

From Paul Weyrich:

...the President has come up with a policy decision that may cause enough of his coalition to vote for a third party or to stay at home. I believe his re-election is endangered if the race turns out to be close. I am referring to the immigration program that the President announced last week. I have received dozens of e-mails telling me that the President has crossed the line with them. Thursday, I did a drive-time radio show in San Antonio. Caller after caller, including one Hispanic, said they had voted for Bush but they could not do so again...

...Whatever [Bush's] motivation, he is making the oldest mistake in politics. He is abandoning his base. His father did that when he raised taxes after pledging not to. It cost him the election...

Posted at 05:04 PM | Comments (0)

"Job Creation in Mexico's Economy Is a Better Solution to the Migration Problem"

From the L.A. Times:

If Americans have misgivings this week about President Bush's plan to extend workers' rights to illegal immigrants from Mexico, they should look to the future, when many more migrant laborers will no doubt begin flowing across the border.

That's because the root cause of illegal immigration is the lack of employment opportunities in Mexico's poor economy. And that economy is getting worse, not better.

"We are in the fourth year of employment decline," says Mexico City-based economist Rogelio Ramirez de la O. The country needs to create 800,000 jobs a year just to keep up with new entrants to the labor force. Instead it has lost 1.2 million jobs in the last three years...

But a U.S. guest-worker program isn't the real answer. As Ramirez so rightfully points out: "Mexico cannot continue to pass on our responsibility for job creation to another government."

Posted at 12:41 PM | Comments (0)

"No incentive to immigrate the legal way: Workers, employers won't bother with Bush's temporary visa plan"

From Hal Netkin in the L.A. Daily News:

When my Mexican immigrant wife, Ines, and I visited her family in Mexico three years ago, one of my brothers-in-law, Alejandro, and his family thought that because my wife is a naturalized U.S. citizen, that she could petition for their swift legal immigration to the U.S.

U.S. citizens may petition for siblings of any age, but not for the siblings' spouses or children. We agreed to fill out the necessary paperwork to start the petition process for Alejandro (and three of Ines' other siblings) once we returned to California, and Alejandro could later legally petition for his family.

Two months after our return to Van Nuys, Ines was shocked to receive a telephone call from Alejandro in Oxnard, California, working as an ice cream vendor. Alejandro had illegally entered the U.S. for a job, which would allow him to send money home in support of his family. Alejandro's decision not to wait several years for a visa was based on most every Mexican's knowledge that once in the U.S., it is virtually legal to be illegal.

Within a year, two more of my brothers-in-law followed Alejandro's path of illegal entry...

Posted at 12:21 PM | Comments (0)

Price Signals and the True Cost of Illegal Immigration

From PrestoPundit:

Rich folks with illegal nannies and servants are getting services without paying the true cost of labor -- in other words, illegal immigration is providing a government subsidy for the pampered lifestyles of the well to do. It is doing the same for wealthy firms of all sorts -- from agribusiness to international hotels to Walmart. The market tells us that the value of this illegal foreign labor is no more than a pittance -- indeed at the margin a good deal of this labor would be replaced by improved capital goods or simple technological innovation, if our borders were secure .. and if the government subsidy for this labor didn't exist...

He also links to this report:

"Based on estimates developed by the National Academy of Sciences for immigrants by age and education at arrival, the lifetime fiscal impact (taxes paid minus services used) for the average adult Mexican immigrant is a negative $55,200...

This reduction in wages for the unskilled has likely reduced prices for consumers by only an estimated .08 to .2 percent in the 1990s. The impact is so small because unskilled labor accounts for only a tiny fraction of total economic output."

See also his post about Immigration and class warfare:

If the American people are against massive illegal immigration why are politicians, academics and the media for it? Answer? This is class warfare folks, and the elite classes in America are after privileges and power they can't have without the moral power they gain from paternalistically "caring for" an ever growing poverty class -- and the material privileges they can enjoy from the dirt cheap labor immigrants can provide scrubbing the floors, cleaning the pools, raising the kids, building the second homes, clearing the tables and cleaning the toilets, etc.

(See the discussion of the Ford Foundation's ties with the UCLA voting-for-illegal-aliens study here.)

He has more on the Bush/Fox Amnesty here, here, here, here, and here. Scroll backwards for even more.

Posted at 11:08 PM | Comments (0)

Immigration: Impacts on Southern California

The blog "2Blowhards" has excerpts from several L.A. Times and WSJ articles about illegal immigration's impact on SoCal. The articles generally point out the problems with the immigration policies favored by those two papers. The comments at the post are pretty good, unlike those at, say, Hit & Run.

Posted at 10:56 PM | Comments (0)

"The Illegal-Alien Crime Wave"

From City Journal:

Some of the most violent criminals at large today are illegal aliens. Yet in cities where the crime these aliens commit is highest, the police cannot use the most obvious tool to apprehend them: their immigration status. In Los Angeles, for example, dozens of members of a ruthless Salvadoran prison gang have sneaked back into town after having been deported for such crimes as murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and drug trafficking. Police officers know who they are and know that their mere presence in the country is a felony. Yet should a cop arrest an illegal gangbanger for felonious reentry, it is he who will be treated as a criminal, for violating the LAPD’s rule against enforcing immigration law.

The LAPD’s ban on immigration enforcement mirrors bans in immigrant-saturated cities around the country, from New York and Chicago to San Diego, Austin, and Houston. These “sanctuary policies” generally prohibit city employees, including the cops, from reporting immigration violations to federal authorities...

...In Los Angeles, 95 percent of all outstanding warrants for homicide (which total 1,200 to 1,500) target illegal aliens. Up to two-thirds of all fugitive felony warrants (17,000) are for illegal aliens...

[much snipped for brevity]

Posted at 10:50 PM | Comments (1)

"55% oppose plan on immigrant jobs, poll shows"

From this:

More than half of Americans oppose [the Bush/Fox Amnesty] a poll indicates.

Just over half, 55 percent, said they oppose the plan, while 42 percent favor it, according to a CNN-USA Today-Gallup poll out Monday.

By a 2-1 margin, those in the poll said immigrants hurt the economy by driving wages down for many Americans rather than help the economy by providing low-cost labor. In 2000, people were split on that question.

When asked whether the United States should make it easier for illegal immigrants to become citizens, 74 percent said no -- up from 67 percent in August 2001 ("Americans Clearly Oppose Amnesty for Illegal Mexican Immigrants").

Posted at 03:53 PM | Comments (0)

3 Illegal Immigration Myths

From Right Wing News:

Myth #1) There's no way to get rid of the 8-12 illegal aliens who are already here so we might as well give them some sort of legal status: What a load of tommyrot that is. Getting rid of the majority of illegal aliens who are already here is actually fairly EASY.

Now, why do I say that? Because the illegals aren't coming here to see the Grand Canyon or because they like the climate, most of them want to get WORK. So, if we get serious about enforcing the law, lay down a few massive fines or better yet, put a few flagrant violators who knowingly hire large numbers of illegals in jail, and that's all it'll take to get the rest of the business owners in line. If you crack down on the people who are employing the illegals, the jobs will dry up, and most illegal aliens will self-deport. That's just common sense...

At the same time, we also need to limit social services to illegal aliens, otherwise those who aren't able to find work might consider staying here on the public dime.

Click the link for the other two myths.

His previous post has some shocking statistics on criminal aliens.

Posted at 12:44 AM | Comments (4)

"The Mirage of Mexican Guest Workers"

The highly recommended article "The Mirage of Mexican Guest Workers" from Foreign Affairs magazine (80 Foreign Affairs No. 6, November/December 2001) is required reading for anyone concerned about the Bush/Fox Amnesty. It was written in response to the amnesty Bush had proposed shortly before 9/11, however it's just as timely as if it was written last week. The authors are Philip L. Martin (UC Davis) and Michael S. Teitelbaum (Alfred P. Sloan Foundation).

Unfortunately, the full text is not available online. You can buy a copy here, or do as I did: go to your local library.

Here are some excerpts:

The only problem with this "win-win" scenario is that it will not work. Bush's proposal [the 2001 proposal --LW] ignores the fact that virtually no low-wage "temporary worker" program in a high-wage liberal democracy has ever turned out to be genuinely temporary. On the contrary, most initially small (and often "emergency") temporary worker programs have grown much larger, and lasted far longer, than originally promised.

...guest worker programs are virtual recipes for mutual dependence between employers and the migrants who work for them. Employers naturally grow to depend on the supply of low-wage and compliant labor, relaxing their domestic recruitment efforts and adjusting their production methods to take advantage of the cheap labor. History has shown that in agriculture (where many Mexican guest workers would be employed), a pool of cheap workers gives farm owners strong incentives to expand the planting of labor-intensive crops rather than invest in mechanized labor-saving equipment and the crops suitable for it...

...political leaders have often belatedly discovered that admitting temporary low-wage workers unnaturally sustains industries with low productivity and wages, such as garment manufacturing, labor-intensive agriculture, and domestic services. In consequence, the economy's overall productivity and growth suffer...

Proponents of a new Mexico-U.S. often portray it as a legal and humane alternative to what has become a huge problem - the unauthorized mass migration of Mexicans to the United States. Such advocates seem blind, however, to the unequivocal lessons of history. Far from mitigating illegal immigration, the two countries' last major temporary worker program actually initiated and accelerated its flow. During the so-called bracero ("strong-armed one") program from 1942 to 1964, the number of unauthorized Mexicans slipping across the border actually expanded in parallel with the number of authorized temporary workers; the illegal flows then continued to accelerate after the program's termination... Today, scholars largely agree that the 22 years of bracero employment created the conditions for the subsequent boom of unauthorized Mexican migration...

...California Farmer reported in 1963 that if the flow of braceros stopped, tomato growers and canners "agree the State will never [again be able to plant] the 100,000 to 175,000 acres planted when there was a guaranteed supplemental labor force in the form of the braceros..."

Reality, however, never confirmed these dire predictions. In 1960 some 45,000 farm workers (mostly braceros) had harvested 2.2 million tons of processing tomatoes. By 1999, it took only 5,000 workers to operate machinery that harvested some 12 million tons. Thanks to these efficiency gains from mechanization, the real price of processing tomatoes declined 54 percent while per capita consumption rose 23 percent...

Posted at 11:53 PM | Comments (0)

"What's Right on Immigration?"

Professor Stephen M. Bainbridge of UCLA has a Tech Central Station column about the Bush/Fox Amnesty. Due to time constraints, this will just be a brief Fisking:

If there are freeloading illegal immigrants sponging off the welfare state, as some of the more extreme voices on the right claim, this plan does nothing for such immigrants.

It does nothing against them, but anyway, "the devil is in the details."

Employers will benefit because they will be able to fill low-wage jobs without having to break the law or worry about the INS raiding them...

They don't worry now. Enforcement is way down from past years. Other than Wal*Mart, when's the last time you heard about an employer being raided?

Finally, creating a workable guest worker program is the humanitarian thing to do. The border crossing has become quite hazardous. Once they make it here, illegal immigrants are highly vulnerable to exploitation by unscrupulous employers.

Those illegal aliens who move in to replace the illegal aliens who've been bumped up a pay grade will face the same exploitation from the same employers.

In any event, what else would the critics have us do? There are somewhere between 8 and 12 million undocumented aliens in the U.S. At least three quarters of a million more arrive each year. Stepped up border enforcement hasn't stopped people from coming to this country.

How about, say, enforcing the current laws? If employers thought they might face large fines or even jail time, they would definitely think twice about hiring illegal aliens. The problem would eventually take care of itself. We can't complain that the system doesn't work when the problem is that we haven't been working the system.

Also, consider the quote from this post:

"[people like Gray Davis and President Bush] live in an echo chamber of elites, where the received wisdom on immigration is all the same..."

And, liberal blogger PG had an interesting suggestion:

the employers who hire illegals (and they are a minority; only 3% of all employers, by the GAO's count) calculate that they make more money by acting unethically. The monetary penalties for violating the law multiplied by the likelihood of getting caught equals a number much smaller than the profits of the behavior.

Those pansies at the AFL-CIO just want "enhanced penalties," but this form of white-collar crime should include criminal penalties. Those found responsible for knowingly or negligently engaging in violations of employment law (including hiring of illegal immigrants and any traffic in forged documents) should serve time in prison. The employer who has to factor possible prison time into her calculations of whether to permit undocumented workers to be hired is less likely to do so.

If prison is such a bloody good deterrent, we ought to use it more often to make people who are really freaked out at the thought of it behave properly. Jill from Human Resources is going to take the Big House more seriously than Leon from the Corner Crackhouse.

UPDATE: This article discusses the lack of enforcement: "In San Diego County, only one owner, whose company hired workers for major hotels, has been prosecuted since 2000, and he was given probation. No business has been fined." Once again, we can't say the system doesn't work if we're just ignoring the laws currently on the books.

Posted at 02:55 PM | Comments (1)

"Americans oppose increase in immigration"

Discussing a recent Gallup poll and a 2002 Zogby poll:

Most Americans adamantly oppose both increasing the amount of legal immigration to the United States and legalizing those immigrants now here illegally, the two key elements in President Bush's immigration overhaul proposal.

On no other foreign policy issue do average Americans disagree more with government and business leaders and other "elites" than on immigration.

"The number of people who want immigration increased is very small," said Steven A. Camarota, research director for the Center for Immigration Studies. "If 55 or 60 percent of the public wants less immigration, a third wants it the same and 7 percent wants it more — [Mr. Bush] is going for that 7 percent..."

But a Gallup poll from June found only 13 percent of Americans thought immigration should be increased, while 47 percent said it should be reduced and 37 percent said it should be kept at its present level.

Opposition has remained high for several years. A Zogby poll from 2002 found that 58 percent of Americans wanted to reduce immigration, 65 percent disagreed with amnesty and 68 percent felt the United States should deploy military troops to the border to curb illegal immigration.

Meanwhile, 60 percent of Americans believe present immigration levels are a "critical threat to the vital interests of the United States." But when the poll asked the same question of government officials, business leaders and journalists, only 14 percent thought so.

An exit poll... [in the California recall election] showed that 30 percent of California voters said they were somewhat or much more likely to vote against [California governor Gray] Davis because he signed the law [to give driver's licenses to illegal aliens]. Only 8 percent of voters were somewhat or much more likely to support him because of it.

"How did Davis get it so wrong?" Mr. Camarota said. "The reason is, he and people like George Bush live in an echo chamber of elites, where the received wisdom on immigration is all the same..."

Posted at 02:18 PM | Comments (1)

"Real Cost of Bush's Immigration Plan Staggering"

From Capitol Hill Blue:

The U.S. General Accounting Office released findings Thursday that show the federal agency that oversees immigration applications has a massive backlog and is inadequately funded to meet existing, much less increased demand...

It remains unclear how the massive costs of implementation and monitoring will be paid for as the federal budget deficit promises to reach a record of more than half a trillion dollars in 2004.

In a Jan. 5 letter to the top members of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, GAO reports that from fiscal 2001 through 2003, the agency's operating costs exceeded the fees collected from applicants by almost $460 million.

The GAO review of immigration application fees and processing was required by law under the Homeland Security Act of 2002.

The audit agency also reports that CIA has not met the goal, set in March 2002, of a 6-month processing time for immigration applications and that the agency has no system to track the status of individual applications as they move through the process...

But most important is the fact that despite a funding increase of $80 million annually starting in 2002, the number of pending applications had increased by 59 percent, or more than more than 2.3 million to around 6.2 million by Sept. 30, 2003, the end of the fiscal year...

Maybe we could hire some illegal aliens to do the work for us.

Posted at 02:06 PM | Comments (0)

"Six Reasons Amnesty Is a Bad Idea"

I've listed Allen Wall's six reasons below, but reading the whole article is highly recommended:

1. AN AMNESTY ENCOURAGES MORE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
2. AN AMNESTY IS A SLAP IN THE FACE TO LEGAL IMMIGRANTS WHO PLAY BY THE RULES
3. IN CASE YOU HADN�T NOTICED, THE INS HAS ENOUGH PROBLEMS WITHOUT AN AMNESTY
4. AMNESTY IS A SECURITY BREACH
5. NO AMNESTY SHOULD PRECEDE OUR DEALING WITH MORE BASIC QUESTIONS
6. AMNESTY, AND EMIGRATION IN GENERAL, DOESN�T REALLY HELP MEXICO ANYWAY

For those who don't know, Allen Wall is an American who lives and works in Mexico, and most of his articles are quite good.

While you're still at FrontPage Magazine, you might want to read the article "A Rebuttal of Paul Gigot on Alien Amnesty" by Robert Locke. It was published on September 10, 2001.

Posted at 11:03 PM | Comments (2)

NoAmnesty.com

NoAmnesty.com is a new website sponsored by the National Border Patrol Council:

The National Border Patrol Council is the labor organization that represents all 10,000 non-supervisory U.S. Border Patrol employees...

On January 7, 2004, President George Bush outlined his proposals for immigration law reform. The National Border Patrol Council finds his proposal to be a slap in the face to each and every man and woman who has ever worn the Border Patrol uniform. Border Patrol Agents risk their lives on a daily basis protecting the citizens of the United States, and many have lost their lives doing so. The President has apparently decided that cheap labor and votes outweigh obedience to laws and the sacrifices of dedicated law enforcement officers...

Their website contains CapWiz links so you can easily tell President Bush and your Representatives what you think of the Bush Amnesty.

Posted at 10:13 PM | Comments (0)

"Immigrants blamed for crime"

From the Arizona Republic:

Ads blaming illegal immigration for higher crime rates began airing this week in the Valley in an effort to sway public opinion before Arizona's Feb. 3 Democratic presidential primary. [MP3 available here --LW]

Some Hispanic leaders call the ads racist and are considering some kind of counterattack, while conservative groups believe the media spots are needed to decrease immigration and therefore reduce crime and an influx of immigrant labor.

One ad began airing on television and radio stations in the Phoenix market on Monday and will continue through the month. It cites an increase in homicide and home invasion rates and states, "Police say it's caused by illegal immigration."

Edmundo Hidalgo, chief operating officer for Valley-based Chicanos por la Causa, said his organization is discussing waging a campaign to counter the anti-immigration message...

...The Phoenix ad is part of a national media campaign to galvanize public support against any program that would make it easier for immigrants to work in the United States and any form of amnesty for undocumented immigrants already living here, said Roy Beck, a spokesman for the Washington, D.C.-based Coalition United for a Secure America...

..."In my eyes, it's real tunnel vision on those people's part," said Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox (email: mrwilcox@mail.maricopa.gov), whose district includes central and southwest Phoenix. "We have a president bringing immigration out of the dark. . . . I think they're very racist."

I listened to the radio ad, and I don't know what Supervisor Wilcox is talking about. The ads discuss illegal immigrants committing crimes. Perhaps the facts and figures in the ads are wrong, however I didn't hear anything racist in the ad. Unless, simply discussing one of the many downsides of massive illegal immigration is considered racist in and of itself. She seems to think bringing the subject of immigration out of the shadows is a good thing, why doesn't she want to discuss all sides of the issue?

I've sent her an email asking her to say specifically what is racist about the ads. If I receive a reply, I'll print it in a future post.

I also note that the Arizona Republic reporters or their editors have made some errors in the story that might lead some people to misunderstand this issue. I've emboldened the mistakes above.

For instance, the article uses the phrase "immigrant labor" three times, yet in fact what is being referred to is not laborers who are in general immigrants, but laborers who are illegal immigrants. A story that is factually correct would make that distinction.

Other phrases are used incorrectly as well:

• "decrease immigration"
• "immigrant labor" (three times)
• "anti-immigration message"
• "immigration issue"
• "undocumented immigrants" (twice)

And, of course, the title of the story is inaccurate and prejudicial. "Immigrants" aren't being blamed for crime, "illegal immigrants" are.

Further, I doubt whether Roy Beck is opposed to programs "that would make it easier for immigrants to work in the United States." I suspect he said that he was opposed to programs that would make it easier for illegal immigrants to work in the United States.

There is a big difference between those two statements; leaving out the word "illegal" in this case tends to prejudice the reader against Mr. Beck.

I also sent an email to editors at the Arizona Republic (Ward Bushee ward.bushee@arizonarepublic.com, Jeff Dozbaba jeff.dozbaba@arizonarepublic.com, Randy Lovely randy.lovely@arizonarepublic.com) suggesting they review this article, especially the supposed quote from Roy Beck, printing an update as necessary.

Posted at 10:49 PM | Comments (1)

Bush admits: "I was wrong about amnesty."

In a shock admission just released by the White House, President Bush announced that he had changed his mind completely on his recent proposal that would give amnesty to millions of illegal aliens.

"After much deliberation, I've decided to change my mind about my recent proposal," Bush stated. "I realize that the United States is a country of laws, and I refuse to support and encourage law-breaking. Furthermore, any form of amnesty will act to the detriment of the millions of people around the world who have been patiently waiting for legal immigration for many years. Line-jumping is a fundamentally un-American idea."

"The very fact that we have millions of illegal immigrants in the U.S. - and the fact that it would be almost impossible to deport them - indicates an extremely dangerous problem for this nation. The solution to this problem is not to encourage further illegal immigration, but to make illegal immigration an unprofitable endeavor," he continued.

"I am calling for a full enforcement of our immigration laws both at the border and in the interior. Any companies that employ illegal aliens will face the strictest possible penalties. I realize this may not be very popular with certain labor-intensive industries. However, it is in their best interest. We cannot allow our industries to be dependent on near-serf labor. Instead they must modernize like other industries have. Progress and modernization are the American way."

"Further, proposed legislation such as the DREAM Act makes no sense, and is fundamentally un-American. Why should illegal aliens pay lower tuition than U.S. citizens?

"I realize now that any form of amnesty - whether called an amnesty or not - will simply lead to more and more illegal immigration. The seven amnesties in recent history brought us to the current situation, as did lax border and interior enforcement and other factors. We cannot repeat the same mistakes and expect a different result."

"It is untenable that we should have millions of citizens of other countries in the U.S. It is quite an unsafe situation, and leads to America being forced to bend to the will of other countries. That I will not stand."

"We will continue to be a nation of immigrants and we will accept hundreds of thousands of legal immigrants each year. However, as president I will not allow, support, or condone law-breaking and line-jumping."

"Karl Rove has just entered my office and handed me a card," Bush continued. "Let's see what's written on it. 'April Fool's, America!'"

Posted at 10:15 AM | Comments (1)

"The criminal raid on Social Security"

Michelle Malkin:

My 8-week-old son's Social Security card recently arrived in the mail. On the back, there's a stern warning: "Improper use of this card or number by anyone is punishable by fine, imprisonment or both."

Welcome to the world of government theft and selective enforcement, my boy.

While innocent babes who have yet to earn a penny are threatened with jail time for misusing Social Security cards, the Bush administration appears set this week to turn the ailing government pension program into an international relief fund for illegal alien workers who used counterfeit Social Security cards and stolen numbers to secure illegal jobs.

Unlike the bedtime stories I tell at night, I am not making this up...

Posted at 12:43 AM | Comments (1)

What's the deal with the Ford Foundation?

That's what I want to know.

Consider this interview:

"I don't think there's any question that the principles involved in the Ford Foundation now -- the current president Susan Berresford, her predecessor Franklin Thomas, and the people who -- on the staff who control the giving of the Ford Foundation -- have as its objective to destroy the immigration controls of this country, and they have funded organizations, litigation, ethnic lobbies, and others that have worked mightily for 30 years to dismantle and destroy U.S. interior immigration law enforcement.

The ethic is to create, of course, a multiethnic or multicultural society. They use very neg -- very objective language when they try to describe the grants, but what, clearly, Susan Berresford and others want to do is carry on an agenda that carries -- goes all the way back to Emma Goldman and the radicalization of labor movements in 1910 and '20, Bill, to create essentially a population that the left elite can control..."

Whether the conclusion drawn in the second paragraph accurately represents their goals or not, the first paragraph can't be denied.

Case in point:

A UCLA study says California's constitution should be amended so the state's four and a-half million non-citizen adults can vote in local elections... Study author Joaquin Avila says cities wouldn't be ordered to let non-citizens vote, but would have the choice to do so.

When this story first broke, I considered this guy just a wacky academic with yet another wacky "study." The very idea is preposterous, but, for those who don't think that same way, this editorial discusses some of the many reasons this is a very bad idea.

Is Mr. Avila just a wacky academic? No. In fact, it turns out that Mr. Avila worked for MALDEF as a "staff attorney (1974-76), Associate Counsel (1976-82), and as President and General Counsel."

MALDEF was created from scratch by the Ford Foundation, as this article describes in great depth.

Not only that, but the Chicano Studies Research Center where Avila works was started with a Ford Foundation grant.

Lou Dobbs Tonight on CNN did a segment on Avila's "study," and the transcript is here: "a UCLA spokeswoman called me after my interview with Mr. Avila today, trying, it seemed, to distance the university from this study. She said it's not a UCLA report. And I asked her, Well, isn't the UCLA Chicano research organization funded by the university, and she said, Yes, partially, also by the University of California."

Is UCLA a willing participant in this, or are they just pawns being used to give respectability to the Ford Foundation's agenda?

I'll ask them, and print whatever reply I receive in a future post.

Posted at 12:53 AM | Comments (1)

Tom Ridge: "This time we mean it. No really. Really! We really mean it this time!"

According to "Homeland security chief endorses legalizing undocumented immigrants":

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge told a Miami audience Tuesday that the country should legalize millions of undocumented immigrants living in the country.

"The bottom line is, as a country we have to come to grips with the presence of 8 to 12 million illegals, afford them some kind of legal status some way, but also as a country decide what our immigration policy is and then enforce it..."

"I'm not saying make them citizens, because they violated the law to get here," he said. "So you don't reward that type of conduct by turning over a citizenship certificate. You determine how you can legalize their presence, then, as a country, you make a decision that from this day forward, from this day forward, this is the process of entry, and if you violate that process of entry we have the resources to cope with it."

Isn't legalization a reward for illegal behavior? Is Ridge so incompetent that he doesn't realize the internal inconsistency of his statement?

What do we do after Ridge's pledge to finally enforce immigration laws in the interior turns out to be just more BS? Interior enforcement has dropped sharply over the past few years. This article has all the details. If Ridge is unable or unwilling to enforce our immigration laws in the interior now, what makes anyone think he will do so in the future? What happens in another decade when there are millions more illegal immigrants here, yet another amnesty? Won't this "non-reward reward" of legalization - as well as the prospect of a yet another amnesty - just encourage further illegal immigration?

Why don't we give a try to enforcing our current immigration laws in the interior like we used to and see what happens?

At the same time, we could discourage future illegal immigration by not accepting Matricula Consular cards, giving illegal aliens driver's licenses, giving illegal aliens a better deal on college tuition than citizens, and all the rest.

Posted at 01:07 PM | Comments (1)

The Great Immigration Debate

For some reason, a large (for this blog at least) number of comments have recently been posted in this 6-month-old post about the DREAM Act. Go there, and enjoy the fun.

On a related note, I recently deleted six comment spams advertising Viagra. And here I thought only the third, second, and first-tier blogs were afflicted with that.

Posted at 09:33 PM | Comments (0)

Nanci Pelosi, supporter of sweatshops, opponent of citizens and laws

Nanci Pelosi (D-San Francisco) is upset by the recent raids on illegal immigrants at Wal*Mart:

"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," Pelosi said.

Let's leave aside the fact that Nanci - an elected U.S. representative - was speaking in a foreign land (Mexico) and accusing her own government of terrorizing people. No, that's to be expected.

Instead, let's concentrate on Nanci's solution. Is she really serious about enforcing our laws against employing illegal aliens? If so, one wonders how the government could build a case against a company without first showing that they had illegal aliens working for them.

In fact, it turns out she's in favor of enforcing our immigration laws by giving not just a limited amnesty, but one covering millions of illegals:

Pelosi said the Wal-Mart raids showed the need to legalize undocumented workers in parts of the economy other than just the agricultural sector.

So, according to Nanci, we should find a way to enforce our laws by changing the laws so they don't have to be enforced. Call it San Francisco logic.

Nanci appears to have friends in the news media as well.

The Christian Science Monitor's report on the raids is also biased towards non-enforcement, and it includes this rather shocking statistic: "In 1990, 14,311 employers were fined for hiring illegal immigrants. That number dropped to 7,115 by 1998 and 178 by 2000..."

This article, while having nothing to do with Nanci, hints at the root of the problem: "Because too many elected officials and other movers and shakers are in bed with agribusiness, legislation benefiting farm workers remains illusory."

And, here's a ground-level report Nanci might want to pay attention to:

"I don't like it. I don't like it at all," frequent Walmart shopper and Gatlinburg resident Tina Styles said. She argues that bringing in foreign workers could be cheaper, but the practice cheats locals.

"Well, I think there's a lot of people here in Sevier County that need jobs," she explained. "And I don't know why they have to bring other people in to do those jobs."

Shopper Scott Humeniuk is Canadian. The former hockey player and his wife are here on a student visa.. Humeniuk says there are proper channels to go through to work in the U.S.

"It's a headache because of the fighting and stuff with the government and paperwork," he explains, "but i mean hey, that's it. There's no two ways about it."

On the other end of the scale, the NYT gives a bleeding heart account of the plight of one of those arrested:

Now Mr. Zavala feels cheated, saying he worked as hard as he could pursuing the American dream, only to face an immigration hearing that could lead to deportation for himself, his wife, Eunice, and their three children, 10, 7 and 5 years old... "My family's not happy about this," said Mr. Zavala, who said he paid a "coyote" $2,000 to smuggle him into the United States three years ago.

I guess his first tip-off should have been the part about paying someone to smuggle him into the U.S. Perhaps he could sue the coyote?

And, last but not least, bear in mind that some of these people were paid as little as $2 per day. Look at what Nanci supports.

UPDATE: FAIR says much the same thing, albeit in a much nicer fashion:

"It appears that what the Congresswoman really wants is no enforcement at all... Anything that equates, or even gives the appearance of equating, the law enforcement policies with this country with the actions of international criminals is both wrong and damaging to our ability to confront real terrorist... The idea that the House Minority Leader would publicly criticize federal immigration enforcement authorities for doing precisely what is in their job descriptions and what Congress has authorized them to do only emboldens those who violate our immigration laws...

Posted at 09:24 PM | Comments (6)

Winning friends and influencing people

What do you think of these statements?

"By populating the United States with millions of Canadians who are tied economically, politically and linguistically to Canada, we are able to exert enormous influence and pressure on U.S. policy and its dealings with Canada."

"By populating the United States with millions of French who are tied economically, politically and linguistically to France, we are able to exert enormous influence and pressure on U.S. policy and its dealings with France."

"By populating the United States with millions of members of the Chinese Communist Party who are tied economically, politically and linguistically to Communist China, we are able to exert enormous influence and pressure on U.S. policy and its dealings with Communist China."

All of those statements, were they to be made, are obvious threats to U.S. sovreignty.

Any one of them would hopefully cause U.S. politicians and the U.S. media to stand up, take notice of the issue, and do something about it.

Any U.S. citizen who supported those countries in their hypothetical efforts would rightly be called a traitor.

The statements above weren't made, however, this one was:

"By populating the United States with millions of Hispanics who are tied economically, politically and linguistically to Mexico, we are able to exert enormous influence and pressure on U.S. policy and its dealings with Mexico."

As discussed in this interview with Tom Tancredo, that statement was made by Juan Hernandez, head of Mexico's since disbanded Ministry of Mexicans Living in the United States.

Hernandez was the guy who said on Nightline "I want the third generation, the seventh generation, I want them all to think ‘Mexico first.’"

At what point in time are the political and media elites going to wake up to the fact that this is a very real and present danger? I think statements like that are just about as explicit as threats get, yet some refuse to see there's a problem. Either that, or they're just on the other side.

In any case, reading the whole Tancredo interview is highly recommended. It also includes this disturbing news:

I [Tancredo] surreptitiously received a State Department memo from the U.S. Embassy in Managua [Nicaragua] that stated they required assistance in aiding Nicaragua in advancing a matricula-card program.

Posted at 01:11 AM | Comments (2)

What part of "illegal alien" doesn't the L.A. Times understand?

The Sunday L.A. Times has an editorial ("Maywood's Mean Money Machine") which purports to be about the attempts of a small L.A. suburb to increase revenues by impounding cars at a traffic checkpoint. However, it soon turns into a pro-illegal-immigration essay. The editorial's author, Frank del Olmo, promises Part Two of the editorial on Monday. However, through the miracle of the Internet, I'm going to give you Part Two today.

Firstly, let's examine Part One of the editorial. About half of it is about Maywood's attempts to increase revenues through the rush-hour checkpoint. However, the other half concerns our protagonist, Flor Cervantes, who "[falls] victim" to the checkpoint and gets her car taken away because she doesn't have a driver's license. You see, Ms. Cervantes is an illegal alien, and doesn't have a driver's license. In a perfect world (as opposed to the L.A. Times' Bizarroworld), everyone would recognize that Ms. Cervantes shouldn't be here in the first place. That's why we call her an "illegal alien." I don't support taking her car away just because she's here illegally. However, whether she's got a job, house, home, family, pets, children, whatever here, she shouldn't be here in the first place, and we should recognize that and at the very least encourage her to go home.

In the editorial, Flor is truly presented as a victim. Using language that an NLP practitioner would envy ("Any working mother can envision herself [in this situation]...") Ms. Cervantes is presented as a hard-working mother of kids, just taking a shortcut in order to get home as soon as possible. She's an "immigrant," not an illegal alien. Just a hard-working mom. Someone most people can envision and even identify with, right? (Perhaps the L.A. Times could even provide a MIDI loop of violins to accompany their editorial).

Frank del Olmo could certainly have concentrated on Maywood's checkpoint. He could certainly have found a (real, as opposed to quasi-) citizen who had been affected by the checkpoint. He could have discussed whether there are legal problems with the checkpoint, or a safety issue with holding it at rush-hour. He even makes a slight attempt at some real reporting, making a phone call to the tow company involved.

But, apparently none of that is what del Olmo and the L.A. Times were after.

Instead, he wants to turn this checkpoint into - wait for it - a call for either a) driver's licenses for illegal aliens, or b) a full amnesty. (Along the way, for good measure, he complains about a traffic sign being only in English.)

Certainly there are problems with this checkpoint. And, there are legal solutions. For instance, challenging it in court. Or, even easier, just boycotting Maywood businesses. Apparently, however, that was too straightforward for the L.A. Times.

Instead, we're implicitly presented with a Rube Goldbergian solution. If the cars of illegal aliens are seized, why don't we just ignore federal laws and help those illegal aliens avoid the federal laws and implicitly change their status so they aren't illegal aliens? Certainly, that would be a way to avoid poor, sympathetic illegal alien working mothers from having their cars impounded, no?

So, looking in my crystal ball, I'm going to guess that tomorrow's editorial will be all about illegal immigration. It will most likely contain several attempts to blow smoke up our collective asses. Frank del Olmo will support the "regularization" and further importation of millions of poeple, all of whom quite coincidentally are of the same ethnic group as he is. And, also quite coincidentally, most of whom would be customers for the L.A. Times' sister rag La Opinion. Tomorrow's editorial will most likely feature several specious and misleading statements, such as that old chestnut: "they take jobs that (real, as opposed to quasi-) Americans won't do." Lord knows, no American citizens have ever worked in fast-food restaurants or upholstery businesses.

Hey, maybe I'll be wrong. Maybe del Olmo and the L.A. Times will report on this issue like an unbiased, real newspaper would.

We'll soon see.

(LAT link via Hit & Run)

For the truth about driver's licenses for illegal aliens, see this post.

Posted at 09:07 PM | Comments (10)

Let's go hiking!

I enjoy the occasional rough and rocky trail. Sometimes I'll ignore the dirt part of a trail and just step from rock to rock as a bit of boulder hopping practice. The picture to the right is of a trail in Arizona, and it looks like it might serve the same purpose. However, instead of avoiding the dirt parts of the trail, I'd avoid this:

Discarded pants and plastic bags are caught in a sotol plant. Hundreds of discarded water jugs are only the beginning of the problem. Jumex drink cans, tuna tins, Coca-Cola containers, pants, shoes, women's underwear and discarded feminine hygiene products, chips and bread bags, emptied canned fruit containers, hats and a tequila bottle blanket the landscape...

To Cottingham and her fellow hikers, the problem seems overwhelming. It's just one example of pristine Sonoran Desert turned into a trash dump. Many southern Arizonans see it every day. About $2 million in newly approved federal funds should help address - though admittedly not solve - the problem in the short term, according to the Arizona congressman who helped secure the money. But some fear it's like trying to dam a river with a wine cork...

An environmental specialist with the tribe, Ken Cronin, says about 1,500 immigrants sneak through the reservation daily. Each leaves an average of eight pounds of trash - totaling six tons - a day, he said.

"It's just blanketed," Cronin says of the tribal land. "It's pretty tremendous; there's a pretty severe visual impact."

Yet another indirect cost that labor-intensive industries are sticking us with so we can enjoy "cheap" lettuce and "cheap" chicken.

Where's the Sierra Club on this? Same place they always are.

Posted at 10:31 AM | Comments (0)

"Ariz. Republicans say they'll fight bill to cut entrant costs"

From the Arizona Daily Star:

Republicans in Arizona's congressional delegation have joined their Democratic colleagues in opposing an initiative aimed at reducing the financial burdens created by illegal immigration...

In announcing the initiative earlier this month, supporters claimed illegal entrants are siphoning away tax dollars through welfare programs as government officials fail to stanch an "invasion" from Mexico. Many Democrats and Hispanics immediately criticized the measure as racist.

Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., called it "mean spirited" and said it has the potential to be as divisive as the bitter debate over the Martin Luther King jr. holiday...

[State Rep. Randy Graf of Green Valley] said [the opposition to the initiative] appeared to be part of "an orchestrated effort" by the highest echelons of the Republican Party who are concerned about wooing Hispanic voters.

"It's the only thing that can be motivating them," he said, adding that the Republican National Committee and "even the White House" could be involved.

Here are those responsible:

Senators:
John McCain
Jon Kyl

Representatives:
Jim Kolbe
Rick Renzi
Trent Franks
John Shadegg
J.D. Hayworth
Jeff Flake

If you support Grijalva's statement, be sure and follow the link (this).

Posted at 02:49 PM | Comments (0)

"Guestworker amnesty not wanted, not needed"

From the article "Unemployed in the U.S.":

The Chamber of Commerce crowd and its liberal immigrant-advocate buddies just don't get it.

Unemployment has risen to 6.4 percent, the highest unemployment rate in nine years. Businesses cut 30,000 jobs in June alone, mostly in factories.

America's manufacturing sector lost 95,000 jobs in April. Forty-eight thousand other jobs disappeared the same month.

The combined elimination of American jobs in February and March was 477,000...

But the unpatriotic business lobby and its strange bedfellows of anti-Americanism keep pushing their Faustian bargain: a mass amnesty of illegal aliens that's dressed up as a "foreign guestworker" program.

Washington-based agriculture lobbyists are pushing as "urgent priorities" "adjustment of status" (a euphemism for legalizing illegal aliens) and foreign agricultural guestworkers. For instance, the National Council of Agricultural Employers wants Congress to "allow experienced farm workers who are out of status an opportunity to become documented..."

In contrast to unscrupulous businesses' Washington mouthpieces, America's Main Street small businesses don't want a guestworker program and oppose amnesty. The National Federation of Independent Business finds in member surveys that small business owners by nearly 3-to-1 oppose "temporary guest worker programs to ease worker shortages." And only 16 percent of business owners actually favor "amnesty to illegal immigrants who have worked in this country for a specified number of years" that business lobbyists in Washington are pushing...

Compare the above with the statements made in the article "[SC] State House bill would crack down on illegal immigration":

One local state representative said he disagrees with Altman's bill. Rep. Fletcher Smith, D-Greenville, said he welcomes all immigrants — be they legal or illegal — as long as they are not terrorists.

"I don't have any problem with them being here," said Smith. "I think they are some of the hardest-working people around and I think any time you have competition in the labor force, you get a better product..."

A University of North Carolina demographics expert said that while federal authorities may be hunting terrorists, any crackdown on immigrant laborers may spur a "backlash" from employers in construction, poultry processing and other