Latinos---Immigration and You

Quote of the day

2006-03-27T14:09:00.000-07:00

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?

2006-03-09T07:25:00.000-07:00

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

2006-03-01T16:07:00.000-07:00

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

2006-02-22T07:52:00.000-07:00

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

2006-02-01T16:37:00.000-07:00

Need a driving certificate? Go to Tennessee!

2006-01-31T16:49:00.000-07:00

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

2006-01-31T16:28:00.000-07:00

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

2006-01-26T14:52:00.000-07:00

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.

Lend 'em your ear

2006-01-25T16:21:00.000-07:00

Boy. The Virginia General Assembly can't stand immigrants, huh? According to an article in today's Washington Post, it's proposing a number of bills that target illegal immigrants.

Here are some in the House:
HB 892 Would prohibit admission of illegal immigrants to public colleges and universities; HB 1050 Illegal immigrants would be ineligible for any post-secondary educational benefit, including in-state tuition.

Here are some in the Senate:
SB 629 A business could sue another business in the same field for economic damages if the second business employed people it knew or should have known were illegal immigrants; SB 677 Illegal immigrants would be barred from receiving in-state tuition at public institutions.

Instead of shutting the immigrants out, the Virginia General Assembly needs to understand why they're coming to the United States. Help 'em out! Listen to them! Geez.

The "iron curtain" along the U.S./Mexico border

2006-01-24T16:37:00.000-07:00

The National Alliance for Human Rights, "a network of individuals and organizations committed to the promotion of human rights, social justice, and political empowerment," held an emergency meeting in San Bernardino, Calif., recently. The meeting’s agenda focused "on strategically formulating a Mexicano/Latino coordinated response to the pending federal and state immigration legislation being considered in Washington and Sacramento and on the escalating nativist attacks on the Mexicano/Latino communities."

“Understanding the horrific anti-immigrant political climate rampant throughout the country and the severity of the consequences of the racist (Rep. James) Sensenbrenner legislation, in particular the building of an Iron Curtain along the U.S./Mexico border, Mexicanos and Latinos in this country are under a state of siege reminiscent of the McCarthy Era, the difference being that the Bush Administration and nativist Republicans are targeting not communists, but us as their targets of persecution,” Armando Navarro, NAHR coordinator, said.

Warning posters = 'source of dependable information'

2006-01-24T15:59:00.000-07:00

This poster was released by the Humane Borders group today--and some people aren't happy about it.

"What's next? Are they going to buy them bus tickets to Chicago?" said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington-based think tank. "It's clearly a bad thing for Mexico to be encouraging illegal immigration."

According to the Humane Borders' blog, it "offers humanitarian assistance to those in need through more than 70 emergency water stations on and near the U.S.-Mexican border." This morning, Humane Borders Inc. and Mexico's National Commission for Human Rights announced a "joint migrant safety education project" at a press conference in Mexico City.

And this was on a Humane Borders Jan. 19 press release: "The need for dependable information is urgent. On January 11, more than 1,800 migrants passed through the El Tortugo checkpoint, approximately 21 miles south of Sasabe, Arizona. This is alarming because it is both early in the annual migration and the numbers are higher than in any previous year. The percentage of migrants who are women and children is also increasing."

The map shows migrant deaths (as red dots) on the Arizona desert and warns that crossing through the desert is extremely dangerous. Mexico's National Commisision for Human Rights has agreed to print and distribute these warning posters and maps as a way of informing migrants of the actual dangers in the desert and as a way of assisting migrants in making responsible decisions.

"We are not trying in any way to encourage or promote migration," said Mauricio Farah, one of the commission's national inspectors. "The only thing we are trying to do is warn them of the risks they face and where to get water, so they don't die."

Farah also said migration "is a human right" and that "the United States should be grateful" the commission is doing something to curb the death toll, because "hundreds of thousands of Mexicans help maintain their economy."

And, according to the Associated Press, Mexicans working in the United States are a huge source of revenue for Mexico, sending home more than $16 billion in 2004, Mexico's second largest source of foreign currency after oil exports according to the country's central bank.

Amen to that! No wonder Mexican President Vicente Fox isn't doing anything about immigration. It's keeping his country rich!

Day laborers = human beings

2006-01-23T09:38:00.000-07:00

Finally-- the first nationwide study of day laborers!

A study just released, ''On The Corner: Day Labor in the United States,'' by professors from the University of Illinois at Chicago, the University of California, Los Angeles, and New York's New School University, state that the immigrant day laborers who wait for work on street corners across the United States have families and attend church regularly, and the people who hire them are more likely to be individual homeowners than construction contractors.
The study also found that one in five has been injured on the job and nearly half have been cheated out of pay.

These day laborers are human beings with families. Three-fourths are here illegally and 59 percent are from Mexico.

And 100 percent of them should be protected. They shouldn't be taken advantage of. Ever.

Who's going to fight for their rights? The day laborers probably aren't because they're afraid.

Who's going to step up to the plate here? Congress gets paid a lot of money, right? Hopefully Congress will get their hands on this study and start doing some work with it.

Study shows day laborers with deeper roots here than expected
Associated Press - January 23, 2006
BY PETER PRENGAMAN

'Dellios for president!'

2006-01-20T20:15:00.000-07:00

Kudos to this Tribune reporter that said this: "In my four years of reporting from Mexico, it has been difficult to reconcile this notion of criminality with many of the undocumented immigrants I've met."

Hugh Dellios, Tribune foreign correspondent, wrote this in a January 15, 2006 article "Immigration will test Mexico---and the U.S."

Dellios also wrote that "most Mexicans are outraged when Americans equate Mexican laborers with border threats such as rock-throwing smugglers, murdering drug traffickers and terrorists. But even some reform advocates believe the two issues may have to be dealt with simultaneously to fix an immigration policy they say promotes criminality and border threats."

I'm making my sign now: Dellios for president!!

Poor, poor Mexicans

2006-01-20T19:57:00.000-07:00

So Mexican immigrants are a theat? Give me a break.

The U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Antonio Garza, issued a five-page statement defending tough Mexican border measures. Oh yeah--and he's also a former official from Texas and a friend of President Bush. Why doesn't that surprise me?

"There is no human right to enter another country in violation of its laws," Garza wrote. "Illegal immigration is a threat to our system of laws and an affront to the millions around the world, including in Mexico, who play by the rules in seeking to come to the United States."

According to an article in the Jan. 16 Tribune, this letter was the first response by U.S. officials in Mexico to a crescendo of attacks on proposed security legislation passed by the U.S. House in December. The legislation would provide $2.2 billion to build 700 more miles of fence along the U.S.-Mexico border, make illegal immigration a felony and enable U.S. soldiers and police to enforce immigration laws. Mexican President Vicente Fox has called the legislation "shameful."

Mexican officials insist it would make the border more dangerous without stopping the crossing of determined immigrants who know that plenty of jobs are waiting for them on the U.S. side. The U.S. Senate is scheduled to debate the legislation in February, along with proposals to create a guest-worker program to allow more immigrant job-seekers to enter the U.S. legally. The House legislation did not include those proposals.

And I said this before--why do Mexicans come to the United States anyway? For better jobs. Maybe in July, when Mexico gets a new president, the poor (and I do mean poor) people over there can finally get some help.

Soon, no more Fox

2006-01-20T19:39:00.000-07:00

Mexican President Vicente Fox can't run for re-election this July. But there are three top candidates: Lopez Obrador, 52, a former PRI-ista who later joined the leftist Democratic Revolutionary Party and led anti-government demonstrations on the oil platforms of his native Tabasco state. He was also mayor of Mexico City from 2000 to 2005 (with an 80 percent approval rating).

Felipe Calderon, 43, is a lawyer with a master's degree from Harvard University and served as his party's president at the age of 34. He was the Fox appointee in charge of pushing the president's reforms to Mexico's outdated energy sector, which ultimately stalled, but supporters say he would be a better deal-broker than Fox.

Roberto Madrazo, 53, is an avid marathoner and son of a PRI stalwart. He defeated Lopez Obrador in a bitter, protest-marred contest to be Tabasco state governor in 1994, so this year's race has elements of a personal feud.

Two other candidates from far smaller parties are in the race. One is Patricia Mercado, a feminist running with the Alternative Party, and the other is Roberto Campa, a former PRI leader running with the New Alliance Party.

Who can fill Fox's botas? Will we finally see an immigration fix? Stay tuned.

(Source: "Reform, stability vie in Mexican race - Disappointment with Fox may feed desire for order, not change" by Hugh Dellios, Tribune foreign correspondent. Published January 19, 2006.)

Not the answer

2006-01-20T19:21:00.000-07:00

A recent letter to the editor by Omar Duque, vice president for communications at the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, says that the new H.R. 4437 (the Border Protection, Anti-Terrorism and Illegal Immigration Control Act) in the U.S. House "is a step in the wrong direction."

I agree that the "H.R. 4437 focuses solely on the enforcement side of immigration and calls for a mandatory program for all businesses to verify the legal status of their employees."

So what happened to the guest worker program? This bill isn't the immigration answer we were looking for. I think it's time to go back to the drawing board!

Mayor Gutierrez?

2005-12-14T17:12:00.000-07:00

Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) has decided to run for only one more term in Congress as he explores a bid for mayor of Chicago. And he is a prime House sponsor of a major immigration bill the Senate is poised to consider--introduced in that chamber by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.).

Gutierrez is the first Hispanic lawmaker Illinois sent to Washington, initially elected in 1992 to represent the 4th Congressional District.

So we'll see what happens.

Mayor Gutierrez rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?

Immigrants a many

2005-12-14T17:06:00.000-07:00

There are 35.2 million foreign-born people living in the United States -- about 12.1 percent of the population, according to a report Monday by the Center for Immigration Studies.

And the Associated Press reports that if the trend continues, immigrants will soon make up an even larger portion of the population than they did during the last immigration boom, at the beginning of the 20th century, the report said.

Check out these photos

2005-12-14T17:01:00.000-07:00

According to the Associated Press, immigration reform groups are frustrated by the federal government's response to illegal immigration and worried that undocumented workers are depressing wages. So what are they doing? Going to workplaces throughout the United States --in Southern California, Texas, Chicago, and Virginia -- to take photos of construction bosses and anyone else picking up day laborers. Then what do the groups do? Post the photos on Web sites (like www.wehirealiens.com and www.operationshameonyou.org/). And, at times, the groups even include home addresses and license plate numbers. They also turn their footage into immigration officials. But how do these groups know who's illegal or not? Just because they speak Spanish doesn't mean they're illegal! The system is broken and needs some fixin'.

1 more year to go

2005-11-30T16:52:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, Mexican President Fox said this after President Bush promised tighter security along the U.S./Mexico border: ``We are still optimistic that next year we can finalize what we have been working on for a good number of years, reaching an agreement and the U.S. Congress approving the initiatives that are there."

Well, Bush better hurry up and make an appointment with Fox 'cause he only has one more year in office.

Mexico's Fox Says U.S. Needs Immigration Reform
By REUTERS
Published in the New York Times - November 29, 2005

Bush: We're going to protect the border

2005-11-30T16:31:00.000-07:00

President Bush spoke about border security and immigration reform this week. Here's a transcript of that speech (from the Washington Post):

President Bush Delivers Remarks on Border Security and Immigration Reform
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base,--Tucson, Arizona
Monday, November 28, 2005

President Bush finally speaks

2005-11-30T16:25:00.000-07:00

President Bush has been in the news this week with a plan--to let illegal immigrants obtain a three-year work visa that could be extended for another three years. But some Illinois groups don't like that idea.

The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights says the idea doesn't make sense. That after a worker is here for six years it's not ideal for him/her to just "pick up and go."

And the fact that Bush said his plan "would not create an automatic path to citizenship" is bothering the president of the Little Village Chamber of Commerce, Salvador Pedroza: "I think legalization is a must. I hope President Bush will rethink that...For the people in Mexico and other countries, it's good news. For the people already here, it's not good news."

According to the Pew Hispanic Center, there are at least 10.3 million unauthorized immigrants in the United States; 5.9 million unauthorized immigrants from Mexico; and 400,000 unauthorized immigrants in Illinois.

I think Bush needs to go back to the drawing board.

Here we go again

2005-11-18T09:27:00.000-07:00

About 100 illegal immigrants--mostly from Mexico--were arrested at a Wal-Wart construction site in Allentown, Pa. this week.

According to AP reports, more than 50 federal immigration agents, joined by the U.S. Labor Department, Social Security Administration and state police, raided the construction site near Pottsville, about 80 miles northwest of Philadelphia.

The site was being investigated because the locals were complaining about the immigrants looking for work there. And the workers were getting paid only $8 an hour.

"You've got a situation here where illegal immigrants are coming into Schuylkill County and taking (local union workers') jobs for eight bucks an hour. They are working for poverty wages, and creating unemployment because our skilled tradesmen are out of work," Schuylkill County Sheriff Frank McAndrew said.

I highly doubt that Wal-Wart officials didn't know that this illegal hiring was going on. And isn't the founder of Wal-Wart one of the richest people on the planet? Gee--and I wonder why.

Where's Mexico's president?

2005-11-16T17:37:00.000-07:00

This is exactly what I've been saying for months. We need to look at why Mexicans are leaving their country to work here in the United States. Gery Chico, senior partner at the law firm of Chico and Nunes and former president of the Chicago Board of Education, wrote an editorial in today's Sun-Times about this.

Chico: "The answer is simple: not for the freedom or material benefits of America, but for the jobs. They want to work; no, they need to work, to support their families here and in Mexico. Overwhelmingly, they love their home country, but they need to eat. So, if we're concerned about having so many immigrants coming from Mexico, perhaps we should not focus on building higher walls and more restrictive laws, but on encouraging Mexico to create jobs for its people."

That's exactly what I've been writing in this blog. Mexican President Vicente Fox needs to wake up. Fox--Create more jobs for your people!!

Say no to milk

2005-11-09T17:23:00.000-07:00

Two Mexican immigrants say that Republican dairy owner Jim Oberweis and a Lake in the Hills subcontractor paid them well below minimum wage to clean three suburban Oberweis ice cream shops. We're talking $3.23 an hour instead of the $350 they were each promised for 2 weeks. How many people can survive on $3.23 an hour?! Let me put that into perspective folks---imagine getting paid $258.40 for 80 hours of work. Yeah sure--that's a lot better than the 8 cents an hour they'd get paid in Mexico. So why do you think they came to work in the United States in the first place?

And Jim Oberweis is running for Illinois governor next year. So Illinoisans: you now know who NOT to vote for next year.

Something is really wrong here. Mexican President Fox and President Bush really need to put on the cowboy boots and talk--pronto.

And say no to milk--Oberweis, that is.

Suit: Oberweis milked illegal labor
Chicago Sun-Times - November 9, 2005
BY RUMMANA HUSSAIN, Staff Reporter

(Stupid) quote of the day

2005-11-04T06:49:00.000-07:00

"Illegal aliens continue to funnel directly into many of our local communities and adversely impact our way of life by overwhelming our schools, inundating our health care system and, most concerning, threatening our safety," said Hunter, who was working on the bill with Rep. Virgil Goode, R-Va.

Lawmaker Wants Fence On 2,000-Mile U.S.-Mexico Border
Fence Would Cost Billions Of Dollars
AP-November 3, 2005

Will Bush ignore the issue?

2005-11-02T12:34:00.000-07:00

Bush May Skirt Topic of Immigration Reform

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: November 2, 2005

MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Nearly every time President Bush travels south of the border, he promotes the idea of allowing more foreigners to work legally in the United States.
But Bush is likely to skirt the issue when he heads to Argentina this week to attend the Summit of the Americas, largely because the proposal has stalled in Congress -- where many Republicans argue that securing U.S. borders should take priority.

2005-10-04T13:49:00.000-06:00

According to the Pew Hispanic Center, the illigal immigrants coming to the United States outnumber the ones that are here legally. Check out this commentary from today's Chicago
Sun-Times:

Immigration crackdown finally gains momentum
October 4, 2005
BY JOHN O'SULLIVAN

Fox: 'Security is a shared responsibility'

2005-09-07T17:22:00.000-06:00

Violence and illegal immigration on the Mexican border is not only a problem that Mexico has to fix--it's a problem that the United States has to fix, too. According to a Sept. 5 New York Times article, Mexican President Vicente Fox had this to say:

"Security is a shared responsibility." Then, referring to the United States, he said, "I don't understand that now they only cast blame and accusations, and they do not collaborate or cooperate so that together we can resolve this problem."

On the changes in immigration policy, he said: "There is will on the part of President Bush, according to what he has expressed publicly, and what he has expressed in conversations with us. So, I trust that in the coming weeks and months, we will succeed finally in arriving at a positive resolution for the benefit of both countries."

Kudos to New York

2005-09-07T17:10:00.000-06:00

According to the Associated Press today, in New York, about 43 percent of public school students speak a language other than English at home. So instead of just ignoring these students (and the fact that the parents have to ask friends and family to translate) the school district spent $7.5 million to expand its translation and interpretation unit.

Yes, this is a good thing. But I'm sure someone out there will turn this into something negative and complain (as if their ancestors spoke only English when they came here). To you I say "wake up!"

Promises, promises

2005-09-04T21:23:00.000-06:00

On Aug. 29, two weeks after the Democratic governors of Arizona and New Mexico declared states of emergency along the border, President Bush was in El Mirage, Ariz., defending his administration's efforts to control the nearby border with Mexico. He promised residents a huge federal campaign that will deploy more agents and provide more detention space to stop those trying to sneak into the country.

"We have an obligation to enforce the borders," Bush said. "I understand it's putting a strain on your resources. . . . What I'm telling you is there's a lot of people working hard to get the job done, but there is more we can do."

Bush Pledges Action on Borders
Southwest Is Promised Agents, Jail Space for Illegal Immigrants
By Peter Baker, Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, August 30, 2005

Not many hits on this website

2005-09-04T20:53:00.000-06:00

I'm sure there aren't many employers using Website.

According to the Associated Press, a small group of businesses is quietly testing a Department of Homeland Security program that can check immigration status with a few clicks on the Internet.

I'm sure a lot of employers don't mind hiring illegal immigrants because they can pay them below the minimum wage. And the illegal immigrants are going to keep their mouths shut because they're afraid of getting deported--and mostly, they're afraid of losing their job because below minimum wage is a lot better than what they'd get paid in their own country. And that's a shame.

Firms Testing Web - Based Immigration Check
Associated Press - Sept. 4, 2005

If the money's not yours, stay out of it

2005-09-04T20:31:00.000-06:00

A group that claims it's the Indiana chapter of the Minuteman Project, a group of volunteers that are trying to stop illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexican border, were protesting at Bank Calumet in Hammond, Ind. yesterday. They're upset because this bank lets people with an Individual Taxpayer ID Number transfer money to friends and family in other countries, open a bank account, and apply for a mortgage. (Illegal immigrants are issued Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers by the IRS so they can pay taxes and file tax returns.)

On Aug. 16, Bank Calumet launched a Web site in Spanish and a Hammond couple were introduced as the first to secure a mortgage through Bank Calumet's pilot program by using an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (Fifth Third Bank and Harris Bank also have done Individual Taxpayer Identification Number loans, but not in Northwest Indiana).

Almost all Hammond banks now accept the Individual Taxpayer Identification Number and a Mexican-government issued identification card (a matricula consular) to open savings and checking accounts.

The Minuteman Project should keep their noses out of money that's not theirs.

Protesters at Hammond bank: No loans for illegal immigrants
Bank Calumet defends loan program, says goal is to promote home ownership
BY KEITH BENMAN

He's in the wrong profession

2005-08-23T16:15:00.000-06:00

According to a recent article in the Washington Post:
"Schwarzenegger supports the construction of a fence along California's border with Mexico and recently praised the Minuteman Project, which has conducted civilian patrols of the border."

Schwarzenegger needs to go back to acting.

Homeland Security launches $1.5-million ad campaign

2005-08-23T16:00:00.000-06:00

Maybe some TV ads will stop illegal border crossings. Well, at least the The U.S. Department of Homeland Security thinks so.

The agency is launching a $1.5-million campaign called No Mas Cruces en La Frontera, or No More Border Crossings.

The Spanish-language public service announcements call attention to the practice of smugglers stuffing children into vehicle compartments that could become death traps.

According to the Associated Press, their release coincided with the launch of another media campaign by the U.S. Border Patrol to call attention to the dangers of clandestine border crossings.

TV ads began airing last week in the Mexican state of Michoacan, and were due to begin this week in U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston. The campaign unveiled Thursday will target cities closer to California's Mexican border.

U.S. Campaign Aims to Deter Illegal Aliens
By ELLIOT SPAGAT, The Associated Press
Friday, August 19, 2005

Something to think about

2005-08-23T15:53:00.000-06:00

Now this is a scary thought: fifteen of the 19 hijackers in the Sept. 11 attacks legally entered the U.S. on travel visas; three were admitted with business visas; the 19th entered on a student visa.

John Keeley of the Center for Immigration Studies said more expansive visa rules would lead to illegal immigration and other problems.

"The student (visa) category has to be examined closely because it has been savagely exploited by terrorists in the past," he said. "We have the best colleges and universities in the world, and they're here for American students primarily."

Group Pushes for Changes in Visa Policy
By REBECCA CARROLL, The Associated Press
Friday, August 19, 2005

Definitely worth a trip to the newsstand

2005-08-17T21:33:00.000-06:00

The current issue (Aug. 22, 2005) of Time magazine is worth a read:

"...like any immigrant group that has shaped mainstream U.S. culture before fully asserting its economic or political power, the nation's 41.3 million Hispanics are just getting warmed up. While they command nearly $600 billion in buying power, they are only starting to attract the marketing attention on Madison Avenue that they merit, and their political clout similarly lags behind their sheer numbers. The country's largest ethnic minority, Hispanics promise to help remake America in the 21st century as vitally as African Americans did in the 20th."

The 25 Most Influential Hispanics in America
From music to politics to business, Hispanics are remaking America.
TIME presents 25 titans leading the Latino charge into the 21st century

Someone you should know

2005-08-17T21:29:00.000-06:00

This Salvadoran immigrant deserves a standing ovation:

Pablo Alvarado
The New Cesar Chavez
By Sonja Steptoe, Time (online edition)

New Mexico, Arizona declare a state of border emergency

2005-08-17T21:19:00.000-06:00

First New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson declares a state of emergency and now this.

Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano declared a state of emergency along the Mexican border on Monday in an effort to fight illegal immigration and Mexican drug cartel activity in the state.

Napolitano put aside $1.5 million in state emergency funds to these border counties: Yuma, Cochise, Pima and Santa Cruz.

"The federal government has failed to secure our border, and the health and safety of all Arizonans is threatened daily by violent gangs, coyotes and other dangerous criminals," said Napolitano. "These funds provide our law enforcement community with another valuable tool to fight crime related to illegal immigration."

Arizona governor declares state of emergency along Mexican border
by Mike Sunnucks, The Business Journal of Pheonix
Aug. 16, 2005

Farrakhan said Fox was right

2005-08-17T21:13:00.000-06:00

Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan said Mexican President Vicente Fox was right to say that Mexican immigrants take jobs "that not even blacks want."

Farrakhan said Sunday that blacks do not want to go to farms and pick fruit because they already "picked enough cotton."

"Why are you so foolishly sensitive when somebody is telling you the truth?" he said.

Farrakhan: Mexican president was right
He says blacks don't want jobs that immigrants take
Monday, August 15, 2005

Quote of the Day

2005-08-17T21:09:00.000-06:00

"Among Latinos in the United States, there's a majority that views immigrants favorably, but there is a significant minority concerned about unauthorized immigration into the country and its impact," said Roberto Suro, director of the Pew Hispanic Center.

Hispanics Split on Driver's License Access for Illegals
Tuesday, August 16, 2005

'Immigration is good'

2005-08-11T08:05:00.000-06:00

William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., said lawmakers need to implement immigration reform, while striving to bring minorities' education and salary levels in line with whites.

Quote of the day:

''Immigration is good for the United States ... it's important for us to keep our doors open, but we need to keep an eye on the people coming in. While initially it will be a state problem, eventually it will be a national issue, and education is the best way to deal with it.'' --William Frey

Texas becomes majority-minority with Latino growth
Associated Press - August 11, 2005
BY ALICIA A. CALDWELL

Finally--protection for Illinois day laborers

2005-08-10T09:04:00.000-06:00

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich recently signed a bill giving temporary workers more rights to fair wages and workplace conditions. The Illinois Department of Labor will see that the new law is enforced.

According to the Illinois DOL, there are about 300,000 day and temporary laborers in Illinois.

A lot of workers wait for job offers on street corners or in Home Depot parking lots. Some look for jobs at places like the Albany Park Workers Center, 4174 N. Elston Ave., opened since late 2004.

New law protects day laborers
State wants workers to be treated fairly
By Erika SlifeTribune staff reporter
Published August 10, 2005

The answer is right here

2005-07-31T21:50:00.000-06:00

This guy knows what he's talking about. Read on...

L.A. Times - July 31, 2005
THINKING OUT LOUD: IMMIGRATION
A 'free market' includes labor
By Douglas S. Massey (Douglas S. Massey is a professor of sociology and public policy at Princeton University)

And in case you missed this one:
Bush officials back off immigration bills
Cabinet secretaries are absent from a congressional hearing on reform legislation.
By Michael Doyle / Bee Washington Bureau
Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Someone needs to start paying attention

2005-07-31T21:20:00.000-06:00

There was an editorial in today's NY Times that made me think how lucky I am to have a nice place to sleep tonight.

The editorial talked about a hidden labor camp: "The existence of a hidden labor camp a cell phone's throw from where white-collar professionals take the train to Manhattan is as good a reminder as any of how firmly immigrant laborers are rooted in the suburban soil. It has happened not just on Long Island but also in California, Arizona, the Midwest and the South. The thousands of men filling jobs at the bottom of the labor market are a large-scale economic phenomenon, and no amount of wishful thinking will make them disappear."

There was a conference at Hofstra University in Hempstead last week that spoke of this very subject. The event, organized by the National Day Laborer Organizing Network in California, released an examination of day laborers by the Center for the Study of Urban Poverty at U.C.L.A. The researchers interviewed 2,667 workers in 143 cities. They reported that some workers have education, but often not much, and are cheated and robbed by their employers. They are harassed, intimidated and insulted, and suffer debilitating injuries because of the hard work they do - construction and demolition mostly - and their lack of medical care.

The researchers also found that the laborers are mostly hard-working family men, drawn here mostly from Central America by the promise of jobs that no one else will do.

And the workers make a lot more money here in the United States than in their own countries. That's why they put up with their employers' abuse. That's why they live in labor camps.

And kudos to the National Day Laborer Organizing Network in California and the Center for the Study of Urban Poverty at U.C.L.A. for bringing this issue out into the open.

Someone needs to start paying attention.

Mexican immigrants moving to new places

2005-07-31T21:08:00.000-06:00

Mexican immigrants are no longer concentrated in only California, Chicago, and the Southwestern states. According to the Pew Hispanic Center in Washington, D.C., last year only 38 percent of the nation's Mexican immigrants lived in California. That's down from 58 percent in 1990.

Jeffrey S. Passel, a demographer with the Pew Hispanic Center, said that nationally, most Mexican-born residents have long been concentrated in California and Texas.

''If you go back 15 or 20 years, there weren't very many Mexicans outside of core settlement areas of the Southwestern states and the Chicago area,'' he said.

In the early 1990s, he said, California's ailing economy and rising anti-immigrant sentiments pushed some Mexican immigrants into new places with abundant jobs such as North Carolina, Georgia and New York City.

Northeast Sees Mexican Immigration Rise
Associated Press - NEWBURGH, N.Y.
July 31, 2005

Defining 2 Senate immigration bills

2005-07-31T21:01:00.000-06:00

There was an article in the July 28 L.A. Times that assessed two competing Senate immigration bills, one proposed by John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Ted Kennedy (D-Mass), the other by Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas). I think President Bush needs to read it and take notes:

No Bush, no border reform
by ANDRÉS MARTINEZ

Give themselves up? I don't think so.

2005-07-31T20:52:00.000-06:00

Marcela Sanchez writes an article in the July 28 Washington Post about a bill introduced last week by Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Jon Kyl, R-Ariz. The bill demands the undocumented to present themselves to government officials, pay a fine and submit for deportation. Once in their countries of origin, they can apply for a new guest-worker program that would grant them a temporary work visa but would send them back for at least one year once that visa expires.

Sanchez says the bill "shows little concern for getting millions of undocumented immigrants to accept its terms and yet requires their cooperation for success."

Now what undocumented immigrant is going to give themselves up to government officials? I say none. And once in their native country, are they really going to receive a temporary work visa? I think not (and if they do, it'll take a very long time to get one).

Sens. Cornyn and Kyl need to go back to the drawing board 'cause this idea ain't gonna' work.

30 children stranded, thanks to immigration agents

2005-07-31T20:37:00.000-06:00

There has to be a better way.

About 30 children were left without their parents after immigration agents raided Petit Jean Poultry plant in Arkadelphia, Ark. and took away 119 workers. Authorities said 115 were from Mexico, two were from Honduras and the others were from El Salvador and Guatemala. All face possible deportation.

And some of those arrested were able to call and arrange care for their children, others were not. Thank goodness a local church, La Primera Iglesia Bautista, helped make arrangements.

Temple Black, a spokesman for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in New Orleans, said Friday that each person arrested was asked whether they had children and they all said they did not.

I find that very hard to believe.

30 Children Stranded by Immigration Raid
By MELISSA NELSON, The Associated Press
Saturday, July 30, 2005

Confused? So are the feds.

2005-07-23T15:21:00.000-06:00

When Homeland Security was created in 2002, a reorganization split up responsibilities once handled by the old Immigration and Naturalization Service--a time when Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents worked hand in hand.

Well. times have changed.

According to a report by Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents (who transport illegal immigrants to jail) are doing a lot of the work--work that's supposed to be shared with Customs and Border Protection agents.

Lawmakers and experts have called for an agency merger. Homeland Security Acting Inspector General Richard Skinner is expected to issue another report on the merger matter within a month.

Hopefully, Skinner will make the smart decision---bring the agencies back together and rewrite everyone's job description.

Agency Discusses INS Agents' Workload
By LARA JAKES JORDAN, The Associated Press
Wednesday, July 20, 2005

Hispanic students beware

2005-07-23T15:15:00.000-06:00

Geez. Hispanic students can't even go on class trips anymore.

In 2002, four students went to Buffalo, N.Y. for a high school trip and during the trip, one wanted to visit Niagara Falls. So federal agents looked into the immigration status of all four students and it was discovered that they came to the United States illegally when they were infants.

According to the Associated Press, the students said they faced aggressive questioning about their identification, country of birth and when they were brought into the country. Three of the students testified that border officials made racially offensive comments in their presence.

On Thursday, a U.S. immigration judge threw out the deportation case.

At least someone's thinking.

Quote of the Day

2005-07-15T10:53:00.000-06:00

"I absolutely believe that the next attack we have will come from somebody who has come across the border illegally," says Eugene Davis, retired deputy chief of the Border Patrol sector in Blaine, Wash. "To me, we have no more border security now than we had prior to Sept. 11. Anybody who believes we're safer, they're living in Neverland."

U.S. Policy Lets Illegal Immigrants Go
By PAULINE ARRILLAGA, The Associated Press
Sunday, July 3, 2005; 2:53 PM

Police--stay in your own lane

2005-07-13T09:45:00.000-06:00

People are acting crazy again. This time, in Jaffrey, N.H.

A police officer in Jaffrey thinks he works for the feds.

According to the July 13 New York Times, in April, a Mexican illegal immigrant, Jorge Mora Ramirez, stopped his car to make a phone call and an officer charged him with criminal trespassing and held him for one night. Apparently, the officer tried to get federal officers to arrest him but they didn't consider the immigrant a priority so the police decided to take matters into their own hands and arrest this 21-year-old Mexican.

The case went to court on Tuesday. And the Mexican government is paying for Ramirez's lawyers.

One defense lawyer, Randall Drew, said: "What the state is attempting to do here it so step into the federal government's shoes and determine whether a person is licensed or able to remain in the United States."

The prosecutor, Nicole Morse, said: "Just as with a sex offender, the hope is that they will go and register with the state. And if they don't, then they are violating the law. Indeed, the state's interest in this case is security. Being able to identify people who are in our community is essential to the police being able to maintain and keep the peace."

Comeon lady. The Mexican was making a phone call on the side of the road that day in April. He's not a terrorist--he's a construction worker. And he wasn't trespassing on private property (which is what the law refers to)--he was making a phone call.

But police are going to do what they want to do. But still, someone needs to remind them to stay on their own turf.

Rally in Chicago today focuses on immigration

2005-07-01T09:13:00.000-06:00

There's a Minuteman rally today in McKinley Park (Chicago's South Side). One of the organizers of the rally is Emma Lozano, executive director of Centro Sin Frontreras (Center Without Borders): "The Minuteman have been putting out an image of immigrants, trying to drum up hatred and stir up the most negative fears. We don't want them to feel welcome in Illinois."

And yes, there are some Minuteman organizers in Chicago. Rick Biesada, co-founder of the Chicago project, is an ex-Marine. And, according to today's Chicago Tribune, Biesada said on a recent radio show: "In the old days, they used to hang these suckers."

There's another organization against immigration called the Midwest Coalition to Reduce Immigration, based in Lombard. The executive director is Dave Gorak. The group's website even has a number for people to report illegal immigrants. The Tribune reports that the tip line received 68,536 calls in 2005.

Biesada has also said, "I'm doing this for my grandchildren."

Well Biesada, I hope your grandchildren have another role model.

March on, raza!

Join the July 1 rally in Chicago--Say 'NO' to the Minuteman Project

2005-06-30T09:30:00.000-06:00

UIC's MESA (Mexican Students de Aztlan) group is having a march for immigrants' rights:

Friday, July 1, 2005
10 a.m.
3100 S. Ashland (by Archer)

The march will run south on Ashland to 43rd St.
A rally will take place at noon at Ashland and 43rd St.

One march
One voice
One people
Calling on all people of good conscience
Don't let the Minuteman Project define our people!!

A survey? That's news to me.

2005-06-30T09:13:00.000-06:00

"Illegal immigration increased as a result of President Bush's proposed immigration reform," said Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, an organization which opposes Bush's immigration plan. It obtained the survey results through Freedom of Information Act requests.

Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.), also critical of the proposal, sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff demanding to know why the January 2004 poll was conducted and why it was not previously disclosed.

An official of the Department of Homeland Security rejected the group's assertions, saying they were based on a survey that was not completed.

"I don't know how they can draw any conclusions based on inconclusive findings and information taken out of context," said Kristi Clemens, an assistant commissioner in customs and border protection.

The survey was originally scheduled to last six months but ended after a few weeks. Clemens said its existence was leaked to the news media, which, she said, "compromised" the poll and prompted the office to end it. She said the agency had designed the questions "to predict any trends" so it could head off any potential problems.

Yeah, sure. Sounds to me like the government just didn't want to disclose the survey information. Typical.

Immigration Plan May Have Gone Awry
By Brian FalerSpecial to The Washington Post
Thursday, June 30, 2005

Visit the Mexican Consulate

2005-06-30T08:45:00.000-06:00

If you're an immigrant and need information about things like visas, citizenship, ID cards, and passports, check out Chicago's Consulate General of Mexico website or go to its new building at 204 S. Ashland (even Mexican President Vicente Fox was there for the opening). And for those who can't make it to the building, the consulate sends out mobile units to communities several times a month--and the units help people obtain IDs & bank accounts, and assist with travel, citizenship, and much more. Its most recent mobile unit was at Iglesia San Esteban Martir in Carpentersville yesterday.

So a message to all immigrants--take advantage of the Mexican consulate! The number is (312) 738 2383 and it's open Monday - Friday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. (for passports, the hours are from 7 a.m. to 10:30 AM).

On Mexico's window: A 'help wanted' sign

2005-06-27T08:40:00.000-06:00

July 2 marks the fifth year that Mexican President Vicente Fox has been in office. Most people believe this guy hasn't done a thing.

The Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, ruled Mexico for 70 years until Fox became president. So what happened to Fox's promise to create jobs and stop crime, help the poor, win a new immigration deal with the United States, fix education, and expose the corruption in Mexico's government and judicial system? What has Fox done exactly? Well, we know he gave important government jobs to PRI members. So much for cleaning house.

"I think Fox didn't know what to do with the PRI," said Dulce Maria Sauri, a senator who was PRI president in 2000. "During the campaign, it was very useful to paint the PRI as the devil. But to govern, that was not enough. Fox's plan was to get the PRI out of Los Pinos, but then he didn't know what to do. He opened the door to the transition, but then he stood there paralyzed in the doorway. He wasted his political power."

But Fox is proud that he ended PRI rule: "The revolution to me was breaking the 70 years of authoritarian dictatorship." When Fox was elected, Mexicans danced in the streets. Today, they're probably begging for food and crying.

"My government is not a failure. You don't build up a country in six years. Mexico was so far behind that we will need a generation to solve all the problems completely."

Mexico's previous president, Ernesto Zedillo, was a Yale-educated economist; Fox is a Harvard grad. I guess schooling didn't prepare them for this job. Guys--it's time to look for another profession.

For Mexico's Fox, a 'Revolution' Unfulfilled
By Kevin Sullivan and Mary Jordan, Washington Post Foreign Service
Monday, June 27, 2005; Page A01

A security risk in Knoxville

2005-06-21T08:20:00.000-06:00

According to a report by the Department of Energy's inspector general, 16 illegal immigrants gained access to a weapon site--Y-12 National Security Complex--near Knoxville, Tenn. Apparently, the 16 construction workers used fake green cards to get access badges. And since classified information was available in a construction trailer for all to see, security was compromised (it was later reported that the workers didn't have access to any classified documents).

So now, people at the plant are paying more attention to security. Hopefully, those in charge of security will be the ones blamed. And I'm guessing the immigrants were thrown into an interrogation room and questioned for hours and hours--with no interpreter, food or water.
No one ever reports about that though. Typical.

Illegal immigrants accessed nuclear weapons facility
But Department of Energy report says nothing was compromised
From Michael McManus, CNN Washington Bureau
Tuesday, June 21, 2005

Latino farmworkers win $1.05 settlement

2005-06-17T11:23:00.000-06:00

A group of Latino farmworkers will share one of the largest discrimination settlements in the agriculture industry--$1.05 million. Complaints started as far back as 1989. The workers, mostly Hispanic women, said they were sexually harassed--one said she was raped. When one longtime employee complained about the harassment, she and her crew were fired. Women also said the company denied them job opportunities based on their gender.

The settlement stems from a 2003 lawsuit brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on behalf of Virginia Mejia, Rosario Taylor and several dozen other women against Rivera Vineyards in California's Coachella Valley.

"In the farmworker industry, there is fear of retaliation," Santos Albarran, outreach manager for the Los Angeles EEOC, said. "A lot has to do with the language barrier, for one. The other is stress about government agencies. Because it's such a close-knit industry, they can be blackballed."

The company denied the allegations. The company also agreed to reinstate workers who were wrongfully terminated. Sure--I'd want to go back and work at a place that rapes women & treats them like trash.

Rivera Vineyards should be shut down.

$1.05 Million Settles Farmworkers' Case
washingtonpost.com -
June 16, 2005

$257 million for what?

2005-06-17T11:00:00.000-06:00

Have you heard about this one? A $250 million contract (with a $2 million price that skyrocketed to $257 million) to place remote video surveillance cameras along parts of the United States' northern and southern borders was awarded in 1999 to a company called International Microwave Corp. which was later acquired by L-3 Communications Government Services Inc.

GSA reported to the House that the program wasn't run correctly.

U.S. border surveillance system became fiasco
Thu Jun 16, 2005
By Alan Elsner
WASHINGTON (Reuters)

HDO vs. new Latino group?

2005-06-17T10:04:00.000-06:00

The Hispanic Democratic Organization should do more for the Hispanic community. Although it is a 1173-member political group, you think they'd do more than just break the law (according to the June 12 Sun-Times, federal investigators are said to be looking into whether HDO wields a clout-heavy hand in city hirings). HDO is run by a former top aide to Mayor Daley, Victor Reyes.
And Al Sanchez, head of Streets and San, was one of the people who helped form HDO at a bar on 95th & Ewing in 1989 or 1993 (depends on if you believe what insiders say or what the official files say). And Sanchez was former 10th Ward Ald./former mayoral candidate Edward Vrdolyak's precinct captain.

Today, the Chicago Tribune reported that Latino leaders plan to announce the forming of a new research advocacy group, Latino Action Research Network. Heading the group is Jesus "Chuy" Garcia, a former state senator. The group says it's not going to compete with HDO and it plans to help mold Latinos who want to run for office.

In case you haven't noticed, there are a lot of Latinos in Chicago. In the 90s, Chicago's Latino population grew by 68 percent to 1.4 million.

In a statement, HDO leader Victor Reyes said, "I welcome any person or group that wants to help empower the Hispanic community."

And here's an interesting fact: "Chuy" Garcia was defeated by an HDO-backed candidate, state Sen. Antonio "Tony" Munoz (D-Chicago).

Considering their history, what we don't need is petty arguments between "Chuy" and Reyes. What both organizations really need to do is work together to help the Hispanic community--especially on the immigration issue. U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) supports the new Latino Action Research Network, too---and for years he's fought for many Latino issues such as immigration. So both of you--give Gutierrez a call and take notes. And check your attitudes at the door.

It's like watching paint dry

2005-06-16T16:52:00.000-06:00

The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights looked over about 800 face-to-face interviews with legal permanent residents and new Illinois citizens and found that 80 percent said applying for citizenship was difficult. Apparently, language, financial and education barriers are to blame. Some said that the citizenship test is too hard and the cost of applying ($320) prevented them from becoming citizens. Well, maybe the Secure America and Orderly Act will help--and hopefully, soon.

The Illinois coalition supports the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act, S. 1033 and H.R. 2330. Its website reads:

America’s current immigration system is broken, and comprehensive immigration reform offers a real solution to the backlogging of families separated because of bad laws, promoting safer borders and national security, and sustaining a strong economy...We are a nation of immigrants all aspiring for opportunity and the American dream. Immigrants are fundamental to who America is through their key participation in our economy through their hard work and talent, contributing to taxes, Social Security, and more.

The bill includes border security initiatives that involve multiple partnerships; a state reimbursement program for the incarceration of undocumented aliens convicted of crimes; a worker visa program (workers will have to pay a $500 fee and clear security, medical, and other checks); and undocumented immigrants in the United States can register for temporary visas (valid for six years).

Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) is also pushing for this act, along with Senators McCain (R-AZ) and Kennedy (D-MA), and Representatives Kolbe (R-AZ) and Flake (R-AZ).

Rep. Kolbe stated in a May 12 news release: “This is a comprehensive bill that doesn’t try to solve the hemorrhaging immigration problem with a band-aid – this bill is major surgery. The majority of the illegal immigration is happening in Arizona, and I will not stand by and let southern Arizona be the doormat for this country’s failed immigration policy. They are illegal immigrants – they have broken the law and must be punished. That is why this legislation includes strict fines and penalties for those already in this country illegally and tough punishments for employers who hire illegal immigrants. More importantly, it provides the secure identification document so an employer can know the person seeking work is here legally."

It's about time! But let's see if (and when) this bill is approved. (Kind'a like watching paint dry, I say.)

Better make some room

2005-06-13T13:04:00.000-06:00

It's a known fact that Hispanics form the nations largest minority group (half of them are under 27). But did you know (or notice) that one of every seven people in the United States is Hispanic? And, with continued immigration, this number is going to grow. And now, according to a Census Bureau report released last week, today's immigrant is younger--one of every five kids under age 18 in the United States is Hispanic.

Ain't no stoppin' us now...

Report Describes Immigrants as Younger and More Diverse
By JOHN FILES
NY Times - June 10, 2005

Wake up and smell the cafe

2005-06-07T12:28:00.000-06:00

Now people are renting their Social Security numbers? I must admit, I've never heard of that. But I guess it beats buying a fake social security card from someone on the corner (and those can cost a lot of money). Plus, working with a name linked to a number recognized by Social Security - even if it is just borrowed or leased - avoids problems (like getting fired).

According to the New York Times, each year, Social Security receives millions of W-2 earning statements with names or numbers that do not match its records. Nine million were reported in 2002, many of them just simple mistakes. In response the agency sends hundreds of thousands of letters asking employers to correct the information.

"It's the safest way," said Mario Avalos, a Stockton accountant who every year does tax returns for dozens of illegal immigrants. "If you are going to work in a company with strict requirements, you know they won't let you in without good papers."

Once again, people are doing whatever they can to work in the United States. And why?

Is Mexican President Vicente Fox doing anything about this?!?! Seems to me that the higher ups in Mexico need to wake up and smell the cafe.

Virginia decides to back off

2005-06-06T16:25:00.000-06:00

Looks like Virginia isn't going to make immigration arrests after all.

"A number of the police we met with realized if they want immigrants to report crimes and be witnesses, they can't be in fear of being arrested," said Deborah Sanders, executive director of the Capital Area Immigrants' Rights Coalition.

Va. Police Back Off Immigration Enforcement
Other Legislation, Fear of Abuse Cited
By Mary Beth Sheridan, Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, June 6, 2005

What about the kids?

2005-06-06T16:07:00.000-06:00

There are people around here that don't like this very much:
any child born on U.S. soil is a citizen; a 1982 Supreme Court ruling requires public schools to accommodate any school-age child regardless of immigration status.

"That Supreme Court decision was probably the single most devastating decree that undermined immigration controls," said Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform.

So what rights should immigrants' children have?
I say leave them alone and let 'em live the American dream in peace.

States, Cities Deal With Immigrants' Kids
By DAVID CRARY, The Associated Press
Saturday, June 4, 2005

Jerks a-plenty

2005-06-01T12:46:00.000-06:00

This must happen often but we don't hear about it in the news much.

On May 25, a former senior customs inspector, Robert Butman, pleaded guilty to threatening to deport an illegal immigrant if he didn't get $10,000.

According to the Chicago Tribune, a business owner agreed to pay the $10,000 to deport an employee who had sued the owner for sexual harassment.

Butman could get more than 7 years in prison for this. Sentencing is July 27.

We'll see if that'll make the papers.

And it's unfortunate that illegal immigrants get taken advantage of by jerks like Butman.

I'm ready--Mexican flag and all

2005-06-01T11:03:00.000-06:00

There was a lot of noise going on in Las Vegas on Sunday--and it wasn't happenin' inside the casinos.

The Minuteman Project and other activists met at the Las Vegas convention center for a two-day summit called "Unite to Fight Against Illegal Immigration." And that upset quite a few people.

More than 150 demonstrators waved Mexican flags and screamed "racists, go home!"

Miguel Marrientos, president of the Las Vegas Mexican-American Political Association, said that the Minuteman Project and its followers are "creating division among Americans. We don't need it."

According to a May 29 AP report, Minuteman Project founder Jim Gilchrist said that a declaration of war is committed every time a Mexican flag is planted on American soil. "If this isn't a declaration of war, I don't know what is," he said.

Gilchrist--Why don't you do us all a favor and bury your head in the soil. And I'll be the first one there to plant a Mexican flag.

Added stress coming to a DMV near you

2005-06-01T10:45:00.000-06:00

If you're going to a driver's license facility soon, expect added stress--to the tune of about $50 I'm guessing.

Thanks to Bush signing the Real ID Act two weeks ago, we're going to end up paying a lot more to renew our driver's license. Real ID requires driver's license applicants to provide either a passport or at least four documents with their Social Security number, address and other pertinent information.

According to a May 31 article in the Baltimore Sun, the Congressional Budget Office estimates Real ID could cost states about $100 million over the next four years, while the National Conference of State Legislatures says states might have to spend $500 million to $750 million to comply.

Apparently, this new law is supposed to keep driver's licenses out of terrorists' hands.

"No one realized that it was a problem that states were giving licenses to anyone who wanted one," said Colleen Gilbert, executive director for the Coalition for a Secure Driver's License, which has pushed for license reform since the attacks 3 1/2 years ago. "But obviously, the 9/11 hijackers knew that, and they took advantage of it. They did that before, and they will do it again."

Gilbert also said that the legislation isn't meant to hurt the average day laborer but that "security has to come first."

Sorry to break the news Gilbert, but this is going to hurt day laborers, you, me--everyone.

Time to stock up on the aspirin 'cause once this system is adopted, there will be headaches -- and I'm talking migraines people.

Where have the black leaders been?

2005-06-01T09:57:00.000-06:00

I found this letter to the editor in today's Chicago Sun-Times. It's by Dave Gorak, executive director, Midwest Coalition to Reduce Immigration.

He said Jackson accomplished nothing when he went to Mexico to meet with Mexican President Vicente Fox. He then asks where have the black leaders been?

"Were Jackson a responsible leader, he and other prominent blacks would've gone to Washington years ago to meet with our president to demand an end to an immigration policy that has turned back the economic and political clock on black Americans and made them this nation's second largest minority."

Definitely a must-read.

Black leaders snoozing on immigration
June 1, 2005

Cell phones--a lifeline for some

2005-06-01T08:31:00.000-06:00

Thank goodness this cell phone worked.

On Sunday, 23 illegal immigrants used a cell phone to call for help after getting lost in the Arizona desert.

And, according to a May 31 AP report, last weekend about 12 migrants were found dead.

Smugglers and guides (a.k.a. coyotes) have been using cell phones for years.

Ron Bellavia, commander of the Border Patrol search, trauma, and rescue operations in the agency's Tucson sector, said: "The fact of having a cell phone aids us in knowing that they're out there, but not necessarily in finding them. It would be way too far of a stretch to think that they have a cell phone on them and they're safe."

Go back to rap music

2005-05-31T14:05:00.000-06:00

In Bill O'Reilly's column this week, he said a Fox News co-worker stopped him in the hallway and said: "You don't like immigrants very much, do you, Bill?" O'Reilly then writes, "I gave my usual answer, which is if I were a poor man with a family in Mexico, I'd jump the border as well. I don't blame the aliens, I blame the corrupt Mexican government, which cannot build an effective economic infrastructure, and a cowardly U.S. government, which will not enforce immigration laws."

Well Bill--you could have fooled me.

If I had a choice, I'd rather hear you complain about rap music.

New African American/Latino Coordinating Council formed

2005-05-25T12:37:00.000-06:00

Gery Chico, former head of Chicago's Board of Education, wrote a commentary in the Sun-Times today that said Fox's remark that Mexican workers are only taking the jobs that "not even blacks want to do" is "a catalyst to get things rolling." He also said "this is a unique opportunity for African Americans and Hispanic Americans to start a true, meaningful, communitywide dialogue to discuss common issues faced by these two groups."

Rev. Jesse Jackson also wrote a commentary in the Sun-Times (on May 24) that said Fox's comment "played to stereotypes and fostered division." Jackson also said he and Fox agree that we all must focus on trade and immigration reforms and "the reality is that our trade and immigration policies are defined largely by and for corporations that are shipping good jobs abroad, and importing undocumented workers who can be exploited as cheap labor at home. We need to focus on a trade policy and an immigration policy that work for workers on both sides of the border--not for companies that fly only the flag of profit."

Jackson also mentioned that last week, the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund, Southwest Voter Registration and Education Project, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights, and others created a new African American/Latino Coordinating Council that will work together on trade, worker rights, health care and living wages, and immigration.

Chico is also a former national board member of the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund, and serves on the board of the Chicago Urban League.

So it's about time a partnership's been formed (and this info. is more exciting than the grip-and-grin photo of Fox and Jackson that's been floating around in the newspapers lately).

Fox is smarter than that

2005-05-22T18:31:00.000-06:00

Mexican President Vicente Fox was on Rev. Jesse Jackson's radio program this weekend and no, he didn't apologize.

''I very much regret the misinterpretation,'' said Fox. Jackson thanked Fox for ''showing a contrite spirit.''

Unfortunately, in Mexico, the color of your skin determines where you fall in the social ladder. But Fox needs to be careful what he says next time. And who is Fox trying to kid anyway? On the radio, he was just going through the motions; he just wants Jackson off of his back.

After all, this former Coca-Cola executive and Harvard University grad should know what the heck he's doing (and saying)--right?

Mexico's Fox defends comments on radio
AP - May 22, 2005

Was Fox taught anything in school?

2005-05-22T18:21:00.000-06:00

I read a commentary in the May 20 L.A. Times that really made me think. It talked about how people in the United States are going to Mexico to chase their American dream. Look at Cancun for example--it was a place made strictly for tourists.

And the Census Bureau says that Latinos are the fastest growing population in the United States. So sorry folks--Latinos aren't going to go away. And it's unfortunate that many Latinos come to the United States to chase their American dream. And why? Because they're not making a dime working in Mexico. This is a huge problem that Mexican President Vicente Fox really needs to fix.

The article also talked about "gradual integration of the American and Mexican economies." Fox--now there's a thought! You're a Harvard grad. Didn't all that schooling teach you anything?

Quote of the day

2005-05-22T18:19:00.000-06:00

"President Fox has opened a door," Rev. Jesse Jackson said in an interview. "Just like the bus driver who put Rosa Parks off the bus. He opened a door for us talk about the system of denial."

(Source: "Uneasily, a Latin land looks at its own complexion," NY Times, May 19, 2005)

Bush--are you listening?

2005-05-22T18:10:00.000-06:00

Congressman Jim Kolbe said last week's immigration legislation to Congress "doesn't try to solve the hemorrhaging immigration problem with simply a Band-Aid. This is major surgery."

This much-needed legislation comes from Senators John McCain and Edward Kennedy and Representatives Jeff Flake and Jim Kolbe, both Republicans from Arizona, and Luis Gutierrez, a Democrat from Illinois.

This bill includes a new temporary visa program that would allow foreign workers to fill jobs. Also, undocumented immigrants already in the country would be eligible for these visas (which could last up to six years). To apply for permanent status, these workers would have to go through security checks and requirements to pay back taxes and fines of $2,000 or more. And they'd also have to understand English.

Hopefully immigrants won't have to stand in long lines and fill out tons of forms that are difficult to understand. This bill sounds like a good plan and it's supported by some heavy hitters.

President Bush-- are you listening?

EDITORIAL
Major immigration surgery
NY Times - May 20, 2005

Lost in translation or a bad case of machismo?

2005-05-19T13:10:00.000-06:00

Mexican President Vicente Fox met with Rev. Jesse Jackson in Mexico City yesterday. And the meeting only lasted for a little over an hour. Also, Fox didn't participate in a news conference right after because he had to rush to northern Mexico. A little rude--especially since Jackson flew all the way there from Chicago.

And speaking on Fox's behalf was Foreign Secretary Luis Ernesto Derbez: "This relationship, which today became closer for the Mexican government, is one more avenue, one more process of mutual support in the search for a common objective that is integrated, complete migratory reform."

Jackson said: "(Fox) now realizes the harmful effects of (his comments on Friday). He seeks to correct it by acting and by reaching out."

Chicago Sun-Times columnist Mary Mitchell said in her column today that Fox "forgets there are lazy people in every race." Also, Mitchell said that Jackson let Fox off the hook too easy; Jackson should have told Fox he was wrong.

I agree.

Maybe there's a cultural difference going on here. The things that Fox says in Mexico doesn't necessarily translate to the same thing here in the United States. Maybe that's what happened. Or maybe Fox just doesn't want to admit that he was wrong (the word machismo comes to mind here).

Fox agreed to appear on Jackson's radio show this Sunday. We'll see if Fox apologizes then.

What about education for Spanish-speaking children?

2005-05-17T13:30:00.000-06:00

There was a commentary in today's Chicago Sun-Times that talks about segregation going on in schools today--the kind that hurts Hispanic children who speak only one language--Spanish.

There are a lot children in schools today that don't know English. So what happens? They're thrown in classrooms and, since they don't understand what's being taught, they don't learn. They're lost, frustrated, and forgotten. This shouldn't be happening in schools today. A lot of parents don't know about "structured English immersion" programs that set out to integrate Hispanics and other immigrant children into classrooms with English-speaking kids as soon as possible. Why? So these kids don't fall behind.

This is probably one of the many reasons why only 52 percent of Hispanics graduate from high school.

And that's a shame.

Separate, unequal classes set bilingual education back
Chicago Sun-Times Commentary- May 17, 2005
BY SARAH MEANS LOHMANN AND DON SOIFER

Jackson, Sharpton win a free trip to Mexico

2005-05-17T11:54:00.000-06:00

Thanks to Mexican President Vicente Fox's controversial comment last week, Jackson and Sharpton will be visiting Mexico soon.

Fox shocked many with this statement last Friday: ''There's no doubt that the Mexican men and women -- full of dignity, willpower and a capacity for work -- are doing the work that not even blacks want to do in the United States."

At first, Fox's spokesperson said that the president's comment wasn't meant to offend anyone. It was simply meant to defend the Mexican immigrants being shortchanged by the immigration measures set up by the United States (one being a wall along the Mexico-California border). Rev. Jesse Jackson told CNN that Fox's comment was "unwitting, unnecessary and inappropriate."

This week, Fox changed his tune after talking to Rev. Jackson and Rev. Al Sharpton, saying that he "regretted" what he said. Fox also agreed to meet in Mexico with Jackson, Sharpton, and a group of black leaders from the United States to talk strategies between blacks and immigrant groups.

I'm not sure what Fox meant by his comment last week but it sure did get a lot of people mad. Kudos to him for wanting to iron things out.

And by the way - maybe the group can type up a list of pointers on immigration and policy and give it to Bush. He needs all of the help he can get on that subject.

Fox apologizes for anti-black comment
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
By Traci Carl, The Associated Press
MEXICO CITY

Can't we all just get along?

2005-05-17T10:40:00.000-06:00

"Save Our State," a Ventura-based group that's against illegal immigration said at a rally Saturday that a piece of public art called "Danza Indigenas" has inscriptions on it that are anti-American.

The art's 20-foot arch has "It was better before they came" and "This land was Mexican once, was Indian always and is, and will be again" written on it.

The work was made 12 years ago by Judy Baca and commissioned by the city. Baca said that the words "it was better before they came" was said by a "white man" complaining about the arrival of Mexican-Americans after WWII.

It's important to remember that there were people here when Christopher Columbus "discovered" America. Seems to me like "Save Our State" needs to sign up for an updated history class -- and learn how to play nice.

Foes of illegal immigration rip monument as 'anti-American'
May 16, 2005
AP--Baldwin Park, Calif.

Kudos to Martin Sheen

2005-05-11T11:07:00.000-06:00

Kudos to Martin Sheen for supporting the United Farm Workers union.

In a May 11, 2005 e-mail from the UFW, Sheen had this to say: "As an actor, I have been fortunate to be offered many interesting roles to play in movies and on TV. But I have another, more important job, a real-life role that I take very seriously -- that of citizen.

"In 2005, in the country I love, it is shameful that hard-working people like Ana are treated with so little respect by those who profit so richly from their labors."

We need more people like Sheen to fight for farm workers' rights.

Can I get an 'Amen'?

2005-05-11T10:51:00.000-06:00

The Roman Catholic Church announced that it's heading a national campaign to educate church members about the need for immigration reform. Members of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops were in Washington yesterday, telling President Bush and Congress to set up reforms that would, among other things, widen legal entry for undocumented workers.

Chicago Bishops Gustavo Garcia-Siller and John R. Manz announced this much-needed campaign.

Can I get an "Amen"?

From the May 10, 2005 Sun-Times Metro Briefs section:
Church urges immigration reform

Get out of Tennessee while you can

2005-05-09T17:08:00.000-06:00

Tennessee and Utah are the only two states that issue two different driver's permits: a license, for citizens and permanent residents; and a certificate for driving, mostly for those who cannot prove they are here legally (with the words "not valid for identification" written on it). And the state doesn't accept the "matricula consular" cards from the Mexican Consulate as a form of identification either.

Also, according to the National Immigration Law Center, Tennessee was one of 12 states that didn't require proof of legal residence to drive legally. Back in May 2001, if you had a Social Security number, you could drive. But, after 9-11, that changed.

Jerry Gonzalez, a civil rights lawyer in Nashville, said a separate document for illegal immigrants is wrong.

"My problem is it treats lawful aliens differently," Gonzalez said. "They're being punished and treated like second-class citizens, and for what? So illegal aliens wouldn't have a scarlet letter."

Let's see if the people with the certificates will be treated fairly--especially by law enforcement.

Immigrants in Tennessee issued certificates to drive
New York Times - May 9, 2005

Atty. Gen. Gonzales--where are you?

2005-05-03T18:49:00.000-06:00

Seems like federal appellate courts are being inconvenienced by a huge immigration caseload. The cases are coming from the Board of Immigration Appeals, a body appointed by the U.S. attorney general.

For example, the San-Francisco based U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals had 965 cases in 2001; in 2004, that number rose to 4,835. It serves California, eight other states, plus two territories.

"Three years ago, immigration cases were 8% of our calendar," 9th Circuit Judge Michael Daly Hawkins said. "Today, as we speak, that percentage is 48%."

So I guess it was a bad idea when the BIA was cut in half, from 23 to 11 members, as a cost-saving measure in 2002.

So what do you have to say about this Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales?

Immigration Pleas Crushing Federal Appellate Courts
L.A. Times - May 2, 2005

Get your IDs out (4 to be exact)

2005-05-03T17:48:00.000-06:00

States have three years after this bill becomes law to meet some ID standards or their driver's licenses won't be accepted by the feds as identification.

A proposed law, accepted by the House and Senate, will require motor vehicle bureaus to demand four types of IDs from Americans who want driver's licenses.

It isn't clear how this law will affect U.S. citizens wanting to renew their licenses. Governors and state motor vehicle bureaus say that this change will cost too much money and, plus, they'll feel like immigration officers.

We'll see how this one turns out (AP reports that the House will take this up later this week and the Senate won't vote until after it reconvenes May 9).

House, Senate accept immigration proposal
AP - May 3, 2005

Congress may require closer scrunity to get a driver's license
NY Times - May 3, 2005

Tough stand likely on IDs
Congress appears ready to discourage driver's licenses for illegal immigrants, tighten rules on asylum and patch a border fence.
L.A. Times - May 3, 2005

Don't let the door...

2005-05-03T17:33:00.000-06:00

Last weekend the Minuteman Project ended its April watch along the Arizona border, resulting in 335 arrests of illegal immigrants.

"This could not have been done without all of you. You did this together--you the people," co-organizer Chris Simcox said to a group of volunteers.

And to the "vigilantes," I say !Adios!

Border volunteers claim 335 arrests
AP - May 2, 2005

Mexico should hand over more cash

2005-05-02T09:57:00.000-06:00

On 4/22, I reported on this blog that, between 1942 and 1949, there was a guest worker plan known as the "bracero" program. About 2.5 million Mexican laborers worked in fields or on railroads in the United States during this time. Ten percent of workers' paychecks were withheld for savings and pension funds that were promised to be payed to them once they returned to Mexico (an incentive for migrants to return home). Well, they never received their money.

Mexico's Senate recently approved a $27 million fund. Some farmworkers who worked in the San Joaquin Valley say this isn't enough. The San Joaquin Valley is home to at least 3,000 ex-braceros who might qualify for reimbursement, said activist Leonel Flores.

"We are in favor of the years the funds will apply for, but we are not in favor of the amount of money," said 69-year-old Bernardo Bretado, a former bracero and local member of the Union of Ex-Braceros. "It's very little money. There's more than 100,000 ex-braceros [or heirs in the United States and Mexico]."

I agree. Mexico needs to fork over some more cash.

Proposal dissatisfies braceros
Some say Mexico is offering too little compensation.
by Vanessa Colón / The Fresno Bee - Saturday, April 30, 2005

This happens--a lot

2005-04-29T16:00:00.000-06:00

This 24-year-old woman from Puebla paid a woman $1400 to help her cross the Rio Grande to get to the United States. Along with her brother and boyfriend, she made it across on a boat to McAllen, Tx. The group was then promised a ride to a Border Patrol checkpoint at Sarita but were dropped off in Raymondville, 52 miles short of their desired goal. The three tried jumping on a train but the woman slipped. Her legs were sliced off.

She's now recovering in a Texas hospital and is allowed to stay in a mission with her brother and boyfriend until she recovers. They will probably be deported.

The woman said: "Like everybody in Mexico, I have dreams and aspirations. They're not destroyed, just halted."

A lot of illegal border crossings end up like this--a lot of them with an ending much worse. We just don't hear about it in the media that often. But it happens. And it happens a lot.

Migrant who lost her legs keeps faith
Associated Press - April 29, 2005

REAL ID likely to pass today

2005-04-28T11:13:00.000-06:00

Looks like Congress is going to approve the REAL ID package today (legislation deterring illegal immigrants from obtaining drivers licenses), along with several other immigration provisions attached to an Iraq spending bill.

Nine states already allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses. California did for a while but Gov. Schwarzenegger changed it.

According to CNN today, recent polls show California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's approval rating at an all time low of 40 percent.

Gee governor, where were you born again?

Fresno Bee - April 28, 2005
Drivers license bill likely to pass
Opponents vow to fight legislation that targets illegal immigrants.
By Michael Doyle / Bee Washington Bureau

Congress too slow

2005-04-27T09:53:00.000-06:00

Congress needs to hurry it up regarding the immigration issue.

OPINION
Fresno Bee - April 25, 2005
Stalled reform
Conflicting immigration agendas slow progress in Congress.

Canada--tag, you're it!

2005-04-26T17:58:00.000-06:00

The Minuteman Project announced today that it's going to look into taking its group to the Canadian border. The group doesn't know when it's going to set up lawnchairs in Idaho, Michigan, North Dakota, and Vermont. The group also wants to start patrols around San Diego, Calif. by June and the rest of the Mexico border by October.

This is getting fun, isn't it?

Arizona Border Patrol Looks to Canada

By LARA JAKES JORDAN

The Associated Press
Tuesday, April 26, 2005

Quote of the day

2005-04-26T17:52:00.000-06:00

"A bunch of grandmas and grandpas on lawn chairs have been able to shut down the border," said Grey Deacon, a Minuteman spokesman. "People are now asking if we would bring the Minutemen to their town. All I can say is, there's a lot of planning going on."

(Source: "Illegal Immigration Fears Have Spread," L.A. Times, April 25, 2005.)

Kudos to Maryland

2005-04-25T11:48:00.000-06:00

Apparently, some immigration consulants aren't working out too well in Maryland. People are reporting to the Maryland Hispanic Bar Association that their immigration applications are not being filled out correctly. And, as a result, some people are even being deported. So much for lending a helping hand.

And I'm sure the immigrants can't pay for lawyers so they give the immigration consultants money (probably the only money they have) to help them out. And in Spanish the word "notario" means that the person is like a lawyer. So that adds to the confusion.

According to today's Washington Post, the Maryland General Assembly passed legislation this month that would give people who use immigration consultants more protection. A few other states already have these kind of laws that protect immigrants. Under the law, immigrant consultants are limited in the services they can provide, and victims have the right to sue to get their money back and to collect damages. This Maryland legislation, called the Immigration Consulting Services Act, is waiting for Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s signature. It passed the House 121 to 5 and the Senate unanimously.

It's about time someone's looking out for the little people.

For Immigrants, Help Can Be Risky
By Krissah Williams, Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, April 23, 2005; Page E01

Five years and counting

2005-04-22T16:08:00.000-06:00

I bet California Sen. Dianne Feinstein sure is happy. This Tuesday, the Senate rejected a guest farmworker bill that the senator believed would be a "huge magnet" for illegal immigrants. The bill (addressing H2A visas) would have legalized approximately 500,000 of the 1.6 million people working farm jobs, half of them illegally. And the bill only took 5 years to create.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, about 10 million to 13 million undocumented immigrants how live in the United States, filling a wide range of jobs.

The Senate offerred no fix -- at least not yet -- on the broken U.S. immigration system. Hopefully it won't take 'em another five years.

Deeply split Senate rejects guest farmworker bill
Bipartisan measure 5 years in making was attached to war funding package
Carolyn Lochhead, Chronicle Washington Bureau
Wednesday, April 20, 2005

Another example of the poor getting robbed

2005-04-22T15:46:00.000-06:00

Between 1942 and 1949, there was a guest worker program known as the "bracero" program. Approximately 2.5 million Mexicans worked in the United States during this time. Ten percent of workers' paychecks were withheld for savings and pension funds that were promised to be payed to them once they returned to Mexico (an incentive for migrants to return home). Well, they never received their money.

Mexico's Congress just approved a $27 million fund for ex-braceros who worked here between 1942 and 1964.

According to the AP, activists say about 300,000 workers may have been jilted. Wells Fargo Bank, in charge of transferring some of the money to Mexico, said they have few documents related to this case. And Mexican officials say they never received the money.

Once again, another example of the poor man getting screwed.

Mexican government gives final approval for payments to former "bracero" farmworkers
MEXICO CITY (AP) - April 21, 2005

Adios Minuteman Project

2005-04-21T11:25:00.000-06:00

Well, looks like the Minuteman Project is packing up the lawn chairs and calling it a day.

The 750 or so volunteers announced yesterday that they're going to remain at the Arizona border until the end of the month. But after that, the group is going to focus on businesses that employ illegal immigrants, fight for immigration reform, and organize Minuteman branches nationwide.

Project leader Jim Gilchrist, a retired accountant from Aliso Viejo, Calif., said: "Because of the phenomenal success of this grass-roots project in such a short time, the Minuteman Project has declared an unconditional victory in its efforts," he said in an open letter to supporters Wednesday. "We have simultaneously brought national awareness to our national security crisis, of which porous borders and illegal alien and drug traffic are components. The Minuteman Project will take the next few months to reorganize, expand, and to become larger, better, stronger."

Ray Borane, the mayor of Douglas, Ariz., said: "It doesn't surprise me that they ended it. As soon as the media packed up and left, they left as well. All they accomplished was being a hindrance to the Border Patrol and creating international hard feelings. Their biggest accomplishment was getting the media's attention. It was, as the Mexicans say, all song and no opera."

I couldn't have said it better myself.

The Times - April 21, 2005
Border-Watch Group to Stop Patrols
By David Kelly, Times Staff Writer

Open mouth, insert foot

2005-04-21T11:05:00.000-06:00

The last time I checked, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wasn't even born in the United States. So I don't know where he gets the nerve to say that the United States should "close the borders."

He said this on Tuesday while speaking to -- believe it or not -- the Newspaper Association of America. I bet you after that comment the reporters had a field day. And immediately after he said "close the borders," an aide quickly explained to reporters that the governor meant to say we needed tighter border security. (Nice try.)

Schwarzenegger apologized--blaming it on a "language problem." He said, "And the bottom line is, I misspoke and I'm sorry if that, you know, offended anyone. But it was a language problem, because I meant securing our borders rather than closing our borders...I think we have a terrific relationship with Mexico. I have done myself four movies in Mexico. I love to go on vacation in Mexico. I think we have a great trade relationship with Mexico. We're good friends."

Well Mr. Governor, with stupid comments like that, you won't have many good friends left.

L.A. Times - April 21, 2005
Governor, Nuñez Retreat From Daring Statements
Schwarzenegger had urged the border be closed; Assembly speaker had threatened to tie up budget talks over workers' comp.
By Peter Nicholas, Times Staff Writer

Leave this mom alone

2005-04-21T10:44:00.000-06:00

According to NBC 5 reports, there's a 50-year-old mother of four from Melrose Park that faces deportation. An IRS audit revealed that Teresa Figueroa purchased a fake Social Security card so she could work. Her hearing on April 29 will determine if she'll be deported or not. A group of people are trying to enlist the support of U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel and, on Wednesday, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights held a prayer vigil.

I can understand the courts deporting a murderer...but not a mother. What the heck is wrong with the system?