Quote of the day

The Catholic Diocese of Gary doesn’t ask for paperwork when it provides food, shelter and assistance finding a job for the many migrant workers that flock to the area’s many Hispanic and Eastern European enclaves, said Rev. Steve Gibson, pastor of St. Mary Church. That won’t change, even if immigration laws do, Gibson said.

“For us it’s a moral issue. You don’t just turn your back on people who need help,” Gibson said. “They would probably have to surround all the Catholic churches with the National Guard and take us all to prison.”

In the mood for a protest?

If you live in Illinois, there's going to be a huge protest tomorrow -- March 10 -- for those against the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005 (H.R. 4437) and the Minuteman Project:

WHERE & TIME: Departure is at Union Park, Ashland & Lake at noon
Rally point is at Chicago's Federal Plaza (230 S. Dearborn) from 2 p.m. - 5 p.m.

On Friday, December 16, 2005, the House of Representatives passed the H.R. 4437, introduced by Rep. Sensenbrenner (R-WI), by a vote of 239 to 182.

Now this part boggles my mind: the law turns any relative, employer, co-worker, or friend who helps an undocumented migrant an "alien smuggler" and a felon, punishable by imprisonment. So you're telling me that I can't even take my migrant friend to the store?!?!?!? Unreal.

The Philadelphia Media Center has a great summary of this bill on its website. Here are a few of the highlights about the bill:

This bill would make unlawful presence in the United States a federal aggravated felony! There are 11 million immigrants who live within the United States without legal status (one-sixth of whom are children). Because aggravated felons are ineligible to obtain legal status in the United States, this would make some of the most commonly accepted forms of immigration relief, including asylum and the Violence Against Women Act (for battered spouses of US Citizens and green card holders), nearly impossible to obtain.

Also, even though it is a federal law, the bill would make state and local law-enforcement, most of whom have no knowledge of immigration law whatsoever, responsible for enforcing immigration violations. It would also require seven million employers to implement a national employment authorization verification system for all immigrant employees, within the next two years, an impossible task, using an existing database that already lacks certain basic privacy safeguards.

This law also turns any relative, employer, co-worker, or friend who helps an undocumented migrant an "alien smuggler" and a felon, punishable by imprisonment. The criminalized forms of assisting an undocumented immigrant could be as innoccous as driving a neighbor to the grocery store or providing shelter to a survivor of domestic violence. It is in direct violation of the Civil Rights Act, which states that public services cannot be denied on the basis of national origin; suddenly, hospital emergency rooms would have to ask for immigration documents before admitting a pregnant woman. An undocumented woman could call the police on her abusive husband and find herself locked up instead, for the "crime" of living in the United States without a visa.

This law would empower police to demand "papers" of anyone, at any time, forcing even United States citizens to carry proof of their U.S. Citizenship with them at all times.

It would open the door for selective enforcement to be used for purposes of ethnic and political intimidation. It would criminalize student visa holders who drop a class or work visa holders who change jobs. It would put three million US Citizen children of undocumented immigrants in danger of losing their parents at any minute. The bill would also make it much easier for U.S. government officials to deny citizenship to lawful permanent residents (green card holders) who apply for naturalization, at their own discretion and on the basis of secret evidence that is not subject to review.

Finally - prayers are being answered

Can I get an "Amen" for the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago?!?! They announced several events today to join a nationwide Catholic Campaign for Immigration Reform. The archdiocese even recruited about 200 immigrants to speak at masses and other church events about it.

There's a bill in Congress that, according to religious leaders, will even throw you in jail for knowingly assisting an illegal immigrant. Unreal.

A bill sponsored by U.S. Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) would legalize millions of the nation's undocumented immigrants. The Catholic priests are collecting signatures in support of this bill. Priests are also fasting and holding prayer vigils.

"This is part of our gospel mandate, to welcome the stranger," said Kevin Appleby of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' immigration office. "This is part of being Catholic."

Priests speak out for illegal workers
But they fear legislation that threatens their aid
by Oscar Avila, Tribune staff reporter
Published March 1, 2006

The Minuteman Project wasn't (and isn't) invited

So the Minuteman Project isn't going to protest at the March 4 Patriots Day parade in Laguna Beach, Calif.

According to an AP report, the group sued to be allowed to march in the parade. A judge then refused to order parade organizers to include the Minuteman Project.

So what's Jim Gilchrist, co-founder, going to do now? He said the group will attend as spectators---all 1,500 of them. Gilchrist also said that the Project has been invited to participate in a March 25 San Juan Capistrano Swallows Day Parade.

But Doug Magill, Swallow's Day publicity chairman, said he only told the Project how to apply.

Cartoon of the day

Need a driving certificate? Go to Tennessee!

People are taking bribes---and if you thought Chicago, you're wrong. This stuff is happening in Tennessee.

In July 2004, Tennessee was the first state to offer this driving certificate for illegal immigrants (created in 2004 to satisfy homeland security concerns while allowing illegal immigrants to drive with certified proficiency).

And even though it's not valid as a form of identification, people are paying hundreds of dollars on the black market and traveling hundreds of miles to get one.

According to the AP, two major federal arrests in recent months exposed shuttles bringing South and Central American immigrants from as far away as New Jersey to state licensing centers in Knoxville, where the immigrants got certificates using fake residency papers.

It also reported that, last week, a third sweep revealed an alleged conspiracy in which prosecutors say state license examiners in Murfreesboro, outside Nashville, accepted bribes to provide illegal immigrants with driver's licenses and certificates without testing.

The disclosures come as Tennessee's certificate system is being studied as a possible model for handling "non-conforming drivers" under the Real ID program recently enacted by Congress that will set a national standard for driver's licenses by 2008.

Lawyer Mike Whalen, who represents a woman accused of bringing as many as 100 immigrants from New Jersey to Knoxville for certificates, said the government is making too much of the problem. His client represented workers, not terrorists, he said.

"Somebody went through the roof and said, 'Remember 9-11, every one had driver's
licenses,'" he said. "Well, none of these Mexican immigrants are in flight
school anywhere. There is a difference."

Just a thought

The first Republican primary for Illinois governor was held on Jan. 25 in Naperville, Ill.

When illegal immigration came up, State Sen. Brady (Bloomington) said he largely agreed with Businessman Jim Oberweis but not to the point of "rounding them up in your helicopter and dropping them in Soldier Field" — a reference to a harsh television commercial Oberweis used two years ago when running for the U.S. Senate.

I forgot all about that stupid commercial. Luckily, I don't buy Oberweis milk or ice cream. (And if I did, I would have stopped two years ago.)

No more maps

This just in.

And remember - Mexican officials say it's not because the United States complained so much (yeah, right). But a spokesman for Mexico's Human Rights Commission said its plan to distribute maps to migrants wanting to enter the United States illegally has been axed. And the decision to cancel the program was made out of concerns that anti-immigrant groups would learn where migrants likely would gather.

Sounds a little fishy to me.