Tax and spenders hurt immigration

More than $17 billion a year is spent on American-born children of illegal aliens. Thirty percent of all prison inmates are illegal aliens, costing us $3 billion a day. One estimate claims illegals cost the working class $200 billion in suppressed wages. Illegal aliens have a crime rate 2.5 times that of llegal immigrants, according to the Center of Immigration Studies. According to a House report, Homeland Security reported 4,000 to 10,000 illegal aliens crossed the Southern border from “terrorist countries.” Millions of pounds cocaine, meth, heroin and marijuana crossed into our country from the South. According to the Heritage Foundation’s Ray Welser, “Mexicans living in the U.S. sent home more than $23 billion in remittances in 2006.” Illegal immigrants committed nearly one million sex crimes (960,000), between January 1999 through April 2006, according to a study by Violent Crimes Institute and cited by a House panel. And you think the Iraq war is costing us too much money?

ACLU Partners with Mexico to Interfere in Enforcement of U.S. Laws

The ACLU and Mexico’s Commission on Human Rights have pledged to work together to protect migrants’ human rights along the U.S.-Mexico border. The groups say they’ll challenge Operation Gatekeeper and other federal programs that put migrants’ lives in danger. KPBS reporter Amy Isackson has details.

Operation Gatekeeper is the federal government’s attempt to stem the flow of illegal immigrants in San Diego in the mid-1990s.

The government built miles of border fencing and beefed up the Border Patrol.

Illegal traffic in San Diego dropped. But people continued to cross in more dangerous areas. Deaths soared.

Kevin Keenan is Executive Director of the ACLU in San Diego. He says the problem is not going away.

Los Angeles Mayor Interfering With Federal Business

The federal government doesn’t have many powers, but one that it does have is to set the rules for immigration into the United States. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa apparently thinks he has the authority to override this power however and has boldly called for the government to actually think twice about rounding up illegal aliens. Aliens, who by their very nature of being in the United States illegally, are criminals.

Villaraigosa accused federal officials of targeting “established, responsible employers” in industries that rely on “workforces that include undocumented immigrants.”

“In these industries, including most areas of manufacturing, even the most scrupulous and responsible employers have no choice but to rely on workers whose documentation, while facially valid, may raise questions about their lawful presence,” he wrote in the March 27 letter.

Ah yes another Kool Aid drinking liberal who actually thinks calling employers who violate the law “responsible” is a reasoned argument. Way to pander for votes you screaming, barking moonbat!

One can only wonder what other criminals the Mayor of Los Angeles doesn’t want arrested for their crimes. Bank robbers? Murderers? Forgers? The list could be endless …

Where is Ramos and Compean Pardon?

For Release: March 26, 2008
Contact: David Almasi at (202) 543-4110 x11 or dalmasi@nationalcenter.org

Bush Criticized for Pardoning Drug Offenders, Embezzler While Leaving Border Patrol Agents Behind Bars

Washington, D.C. - The chairman of the Project 21 leadership network is condemning President George W. Bush’s issuance of a new set of presidential pardons March 25 that includes forgiveness for drug smugglers, an embezzler and others but not for jailed Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean.

Ramos and Compean entered prison in January of 2007 after a controversial ruling on their actions in apprehendng a fleeing drug smuggler.

“I believe the President’s stolid refusal to pardon Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean is the most unconscionable act of disloyalty he has perpetrated upon those sworn to protect our well-being. I know this feeling is shared by many other patriotic Americans,” said Project 21 Chairman Mychal Massie. “This sends a disturbing signal to the men and women who protect our borders, not to mention how it must affect the morale of those serving overseas.”

On February 17, 2005, Ramos and Compean pursued Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila on foot after Aldrete-Davila abandoned a van containing 743 pounds of marijuana worth an estimated $1 million. During the chase, Ramos shot at Aldrete-Davila in the belief that Aldrete-Davila had drawn a gun of his own. Aldrete-Davila escaped across the U.S.-Mexico border, and Ramos assumed Aldrete-Davila was unhurt. In fact, Aldrete-Davila had been shot in the buttock.

U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton later charged that Ramos and Compean violated Border Patrol policy by pursuing Aldrete-Davila without supervisor approval, moving spent shell casings and improperly reporting the fired shots. Aldrete-Davila was granted immunity to testify against the agents. Ramos and Compean were sentenced to 11 and 12 years in prison, respectively. They are currently in solitary confinement in maximum-security prisons.

The Ramos and Compean convictions have been questioned by many, who point to the following: During the trial, jurors were not told of Aldrete-Davila’s continued drug trafficking, for which he has now been arrested and indicted. Jurors were also unaware that a fellow agent who testified against Ramos and Compean is a life-long friend of Aldrete-Davila - a violation of Border Patrol Policy in itself.

T.J. Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council, a labor union which has organized workers at the agency, testified before the U.S. Senate that a medical examination of Aldrete-Davila supported the agents’ description of events and complied with Border Patrol and Justice Department policies.

The convictions of Ramos and Compean are currently on appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit.

“Leaving good cops behind bars is unconscionable,” added Project 21’s Massie. “President Bush can argue he is granting mercy only after sentences are served, but we cannot forget that he immediately commuted the sentence of his friend and political ally Scooter Libby. Similar clemency should be given to Ramos and Compean, if not a full pardon. If he refuses, we can only hope that the next president will not only do so but also treat our courageous border guards with the respect they deserve.”

Massie wrote about the Ramos and Compean case in a commentary published in The Washington Times on December 28, 2007. This commentary is available at http://tiny.cc/MassieRamosCompean online.

Project 21, a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization sponsored by the National Center for Public Policy Research, has been a leading voice of the African-American community since 1992. For more information, contact David Almasi at (202) 543-4110 x11 or project21@nationalcenter.org, or visit Project 21’s website at www.project21.org/P21Index.html.

Geno’s Emerges From Star Chamber Unharmed

The prosecution of Joe Vento, proprietor of Geno’s Steaks in Philly, is apparently over. The Star Chamber failed to get the best of him over a controversy that began when he dared to post a sign in his window stating “THIS IS AMERICA: WHEN ORDERING PLEASE SPEAK ENGLISH.”

Well, that just pissed off assorted liberals like pro-illegal alien activists and your typical nebby do-gooders who felt something needed to be done about this.

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (AP) — A Philadelphia agency has ruled that English-only signs at a famous cheese steak shop are not discriminatory.The Commission on Human Relations says in its Wednesday ruling that the signs at Geno’s Steaks do not violate the city’s Fair Practices Ordinance.

Once again we have clear evidence that when you stand up to liberals you can, and often will, beat them. Mr. Vento refused to back down on the issue and now the hand wringing by the left can continue as they wonder how he could be so insensitive!

Of course the question is obvious. That question is, if you can’t speak English how could you order from the menu? Would Geno’s be required to provide menus in every language on the face of the planet as well as a translator for each language as well to avoid ever possibly discriminating against someone, somewhere that couldn’t speak English? And do you have any idea how insanely expensive that would be if you think he should?

Let’s go over this one more time. Geno’s is a PRIVATE business. They can refuse to serve anyone they want for whatever reason they want. And people can chose not to go there if they don’t like his policies. It’s called liberty. Learn it. Live it. Love it.

Rep. Gayle Harrell’s rally touts bill targeting illegal aliens

JUPITER — About 200 cheering, stomping and whistling supporters came out Saturday to support State Rep. Gayle Harrell, R-Port St. Lucie, as she rolled out a bill that would forbid towns from helping illegal immigrants at labor hiring halls. “You are standing up for America,” she told the crowd in the parking lot of El Sol Neighborhood Resource Center, one such labor hiring hall. “We have forces against us, and we need an uprising to get this bill passed,” Harrell said of her House Bill 821. “We must do everything possible to deal with this problem so that our legal citizens get jobs and can go to school. With 980,000 illegal aliens, Florida has the fifth-largest illegal alien population in the country.”

Virtual Fence Virtually Fails

Well, they tried. They tried to convince Americans that a “virtual” fence along the United States/Mexico border would be a great way to stop illegals from crossing into the country. But reality has caught up with the proponents of the virtual fence:

The Bush administration has scaled back plans to quickly build a “virtual fence” along the U.S.-Mexico border, delaying completion of the first phase of the project by at least three years and shifting away from a network of tower-mounted sensors and surveillance gear, federal officials said yesterday.Technical problems discovered in a 28-mile pilot project south of Tucson prompted the change in plans, Department of Homeland Security officials and congressional auditors told a House subcommittee.

Though the department took over that initial stretch Friday from Boeing, authorities confirmed that Project 28, the initial deployment of the Secure Border Initiative network, did not work as planned or meet the needs of the U.S. Border Patrol.

The announcement marked a major setback for what President Bush in May 2006 called “the most technologically advanced border security initiative in American history.” The virtual fence was to be a key component of his proposed overhaul of U.S. immigration policies, which died last year in the Senate.

Investigators for the Government Accountability Office had earlier warned that the effort was beset by both expected and unplanned difficulties. But yesterday, they disclosed new troubles that will require a redesign and said the first phase will not be completed until near the end of the next president’s first term.

Well, there is always a good old fashioned fence. How about giving that a whirl?

Undocumented immigrants will get ‘No Pass’ on border

Starting Monday, every undocumented immigrant caught crossing the border between Mount Cristo Rey and the Paso del Norte Bridge will be prosecuted, Border Patrol officials said Friday. Captured migrants are now fingerprinted, and if they have no criminal history, can be returned to Mexico within hours without being formally deported or serving jail time. The new, zero-tolerance program, called “No Pass,” is reminiscent of Operation Streamline, which started in 2005 in the Del Rio, Texas, sector and has spread to Laredo, Texas, and Yuma, Ariz.

US to raise fines on employers of illegal immigrants

WASHINGTON — The Bush administration said Friday that it plans to significantly raise fines for employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants, part of a broader effort that includes improved border security after Congress failed to pass immigration-related legislation in 2007. The hikes in employer fines will be the first since 1999. The new policy is the latest aimed at the most sensitive pressure point in illegal immigration: businesses that employ the workers. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has intensified raids on rogue companies in the last three years, prosecuting executives on criminal charges and arresting workers, who often use valid Social Security numbers, for identity theft.

Obama, Clinton would consider suspending immigration raids

During a Democratic presidential debate in Austin, Texas, Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton said they would consider suspending work site immigration raids until Congress passes an immigration overhaul which includes a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. Clinton said she would request such legislation in the first 100 days of her administration. “When we see what’s been happening, with literally babies being left with no one to take care of them, children coming home from school, no responsible adult left, that is not the America that I know,” Clinton said.