Gaming the Border: a Report from Cochise County, Arizona

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRof_dizXH4
WASHINGTON (August 10, 2010) -- Federal officials routinely assure the public that they are gaining control over the Arizona border. Despite these assurances, "Gaming the Border: a Report from Cochise County, Arizona," shows why the border there remains porous, as illegal immigrants avoid the Border Patrol and walk around checkpoints on highways north of the border.

The video opens at the Cochise County ranch of John Ladd, whose family homesteaded the land in 1896. Ladd describes repeated sightings of illegal immigrants from his kitchen window. The report shows video of illegal immigrants running across his property to rendezvous with smugglers driving on nearby Highway 92.

The video also includes multiple scenes recorded by cameras hidden alongside trails through the 14,000-acre ranch. It shows not only dozens of illegal immigrants hiking northward, but also a group of three drug smugglers carrying bundles wrapped in burlap. That is the method smugglers commonly use to move marijuana to points where they rendezvous with vehicles that carry the load northward.

The illegal activity continues despite the fence that marks the border at the southern edge of the Ladd ranch. The report makes the point that the fence isn't much of an obstacle, especially when the Border Patrol is not around.

The video shows that one of the most active smuggling corridors lies just west of the Ladd Ranch, through the Huachuca Mountains. It features excerpts from an interview with an illegal immigrant from Mexico who was part of a group of 11 persons that hiked over the Huachucas in November. After descending into the outskirts of Sierra Vista, the group was met by two vehicles that took them a short distance before dropping them off south of a Border Patrol checkpoint. They then walked around the checkpoint, meeting vehicles farther north that took them to Tucson. The illegal immigrant paid $2,800 to be smuggled from the border to Maryland, where he is now working in two fast food restaurants.

Brandon Judd, president of the union that represents non-supervisory Border Patrol agents in the Tucson sector, also appears in the video. He talks about the Border Patrol's lack of manpower to control the trails through the Huachucas and the flanks of the highway checkpoints.

Hidden Cameras on the Mexican Border

"Hidden Cameras on the Arizona Border 2: Drugs, Guns, and 850 Illegal Aliens" is the Center for Immigration Studies' second web-based film on the impact of illegal alien activity in Arizona. The Center's first video on the subject, "Hidden Cameras on the Arizona Border: Coyotes, Bears, and Trails," has received over 50,000 views to date. This new 10-minute mini-documentary raises the bar, featuring footage of both illegal-alien entry as well as gun- and drug-smuggling. At minimum, the inescapable conclusion is that hidden cameras reveal a reality that illegal-alien activity is escalating.

The hidden camera footage, acquired from a variety of sources, indicates that there is an unfortunate lack of federal law enforcement presence on Arizona's federal land on the border in Nogales, in the Coronado National Forest (15 miles inside the border), and the Casa Grande Sector (80 miles inside the border). Also significant to the story are responses received as part of Freedom of Information Act requests made by Janice Kephart, the Center's Director of National Security Studies, in August 2009. Featured in the film is a 2004 federal government PowerPoint showing the near-complete devastation of a borderland national park due to illegal-alien activity, highlighting the disconnect between the situation on the ground in Arizona and Washington rhetoric
http://newzeal.blogspot.com/2010/07/hidden-cameras-on-mexican-border.html

Thomas Paine on Amnesty

Governor Jan Brewer is getting the job done for Arizona

Governor Jan Brewer is getting the job done for Arizona – reducing spending, balancing the budget, fighting Obamacare and illegal immigration, demanding border security, protecting education, attracting jobs, and leading Arizona’s comeback. Brewer took over during the... largest financial crisis in Arizona’s history. She didn’t create the problem, but she took the lead and solved it. Governor Brewer has reduced state spending by more than $2 billion – the most in state history. Brewer also fought to maintain education and public safety spending at critical levels, recognizing them as key components to job creation. Proposition 100 resoundingly passed statewide with over 64% of the vote. Brewer’s leadership in creating a stable financial environment in Arizona has also attracted over $1 billion in new private investment, creating thousands of new jobs Today, Governor Brewer is a national leader on illegal immigration and border security. She stood up and demanded a secure border and signed into law the toughest immigration policy in the country giving Arizona the power to do the job that the federal government refuses to do. While others stand by with no plans, Governor Jan Brewer gets the job done.
For more information, visit www.JanBrewer.com and www.SecuretheBorder.org.

Politician:233,448 people like this.

On Immigration, the President Speaks Softly

Feature Article:

cato.org/Immigration Reform Bulletin/ July 2010

On Immigration, the President Speaks Softly
By Stuart Anderson, an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute and executive director, National Foundation for American Policy.

Barack Obama's July 1, 2010, speech at American University revealed the president's current thinking on immigration and the prospects for comprehensive immigration reform. With the controversy over Arizona's new immigration law as a backdrop, much of the president's language could be described as forceful and realistic. However, the elements left out of the speech were perhaps as important as the words he spoke.

PRO-IMMIGRATION PRESIDENTS

Even during backlashes against immigrants, U.S. presidents throughout history have tended to be moderating influences, even vetoing restrictive legislation in the early 1900s, such as President William Howard Taft's veto of legislation to impose a literacy test on new immigrants. Given the country's diversity today, we do not know whether a presidential candidate espousing anti-immigrant views could win a general election or how such an individual would govern once in office. In 1995, in the wake of Prop 187 in California, President Bill Clinton at first endorsed the recommendations of the Jordan Commission to reduce legal immigration, yet later he backed off that endorsement.

American presidents in contemporary times have used proimmigration rhetoric in speeches and the July 1 speech by President Obama was no exception. In the speech, the president declared, "Of course, the tensions around immigration are not new ... we've always defined ourselves as a nation of immigrants— a nation that welcomes those willing to embrace America's precepts. Indeed, it is this constant flow of immigrants that helped to make America what it is."¹

The president placed current fears about immigration in historical context: "Now, we can't forget that this process of immigration and eventual inclusion has often been painful. Each new wave of immigrants has generated fear and resentments towards newcomers, particularly in times of economic upheaval. Our founding was rooted in the notion that America was unique as a place of refuge and freedom for, in Thomas Jefferson's words, ‘oppressed humanity.' But the ink on our Constitution was barely dry when, amidst conflict, Congress passed the Alien and Sedition Acts, which placed harsh restrictions on those suspected of having foreign allegiances. A century ago, immigrants from Ireland, Italy, Poland, other European countries were routinely subjected to rank discrimination and ugly stereotypes ... So the politics of who is and who is not allowed to enter this country, and on what terms, has always been contentious."

THE ECONOMIC CASE FOR IMMIGRATION

President Obama tied America's prosperity to immigration. He stated, "The scientific breakthroughs of Albert Einstein, the inventions of Nikola Tesla, the great ventures of Andrew Carnegie's U.S. Steel and Sergey Brin's Google, Inc.—all this was possible because of immigrants." And he cited the broader benefits of immigration to the U.S. economy. "So this steady stream of hardworking and talented people has made America the engine of the global economy and a beacon of hope around the world. And it's allowed us to adapt and thrive in the face of technological and societal change."

He cited the case of an immigrant entrepreneur to connect, at least indirectly, immigration to job creation, rather than job displacement. "Just a few weeks ago, we had an event of small business owners at the White House. And one business owner was a woman named Prachee Devadas who came to this country, became a citizen, and opened up a successful technology services company. When she started, she had just one employee. Today, she employs more than a hundred people."

ELEMENTS OF IMMIGRATION REFORM

Despite its pro-immigration stance, the Obama administration has not been specific on what elements should (or should not) be part of a broad immigration bill. Nor has it suggested what should be in a scaled-down package, should Congress seek to move a smaller bill. The president responded to this criticism, in part, by stating what he viewed as the "essential elements of comprehensive immigration reform." The elements include:

• granting legal status to those in the country illegally after such individuals "register, pay their taxes, pay a fine, and learn English";
• providing "farms a legal way to hire the workers they rely on, and a path for those workers to earn legal status"; and
• passing the DREAM Act, which would provide legal status for illegal immigrants who came here as minors and completed high school.

WHERE ARE THE VISAS?

While President Obama made a case for comprehensive immigration reform, he stopped short of endorsing the wider use of temporary visas for lower skilled foreign workers. This is unfortunate because research has shown that opening legal avenues to work would be the most effective way to reduce illegal immigration, eliminate migrant border deaths, and prevent criminal gangs from engaging in human smuggling.

Support for visas in agriculture is considered to be on safe political grounds, since growers and the farm worker's union both support legislation called AgJobs. That bill would streamline the temporary visa process for agricultural workers while also granting legal status to those who have been working in U.S. agriculture unlawfully. The DREAM Act has gained a degree of bipartisan support as well.

The president appeared to allude to the need for more legal avenues to work without making any specific recommendation. At one point in the speech he said, "But our borders are just too vast for us to be able to solve the problem only with fences and border patrols. It won't work. Our borders will not be secure as long as our limited resources are devoted to not only stopping gangs and potential terrorists, but also the hundreds of thousands who attempt to cross each year simply to find work." However, rather than using this correct observation to argue for temporary visas, he then asserted the need for more sanctions against employers: "That's why businesses must be held accountable if they break the law by deliberately hiring and exploiting undocumented workers. We've already begun to step up enforcement against the worst workplace offenders."

The opposition to wider use of temporary visas comes primarily from the AFL-CIO and a number of Democrats on Capitol Hill. (Republican opposition to immigration reform has focused on providing legal status to those illegally in the United States.) In this regard, the president missed an opportunity to make the case that comprehensive immigration reform must include a wide use of temporary visas. That not only would be good policy but is the type of signal that Republicans like Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) have sought from the president.

REACTION TO THE SPEECH

Rep. Flake attended President Obama's speech on the same day the Congressman spoke at a Cato event on Capitol Hill to argue for the use of temporary visas to "control" the border through market-based mechanisms. In a press release, Rep. Flake said, "The President needs to understand that states like Arizona are moving ahead with immigration reform measures of their own because the federal government has failed to act. The best thing he can do to head off state laws he disapproves of is to push Congress to act on comprehensive reform. Yet, the President's speech today seemed more like a nod to his base rather than a genuine effort to move comprehensive immigration reform."²

In the Miami Herald, columnist Andres Oppenheimer wrote, "My opinion: Obama's speech was an effort to maintain the support of U.S. Hispanics, who are increasingly frustrated by the president's failure to take action on immigration reform despite his campaign promises to do so. The Hispanic vote will be crucial for Obama's Democratic Party to avoid a defeat in November's congressional elections. But Obama did not offer any carrots to Republicans, nor any new ideas to sway public opinion toward much-needed immigration reform."³

To date, no effort has been made to endorse or advocate for smaller elements of an immigration reform agenda that might gain political support, even though the president's speech identified measures that had already gained some degree of bipartisan support, such as AgJobs. The Economist opined, "Good speech. Good plan. So why the cynicism? Because making a speech, and having a plan, are not the same as doing something. And Mr. Obama does not intend to do anything right now. He is not proposing a particular piece of legislation."⁴

The president ended his July 1 speech on a high note, reading from the Emma Lazarus poem that appears at the base of the Statue of Liberty. "Give me your tired, and your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to be free ... Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" These are fine words. Both supporters and critics will continue to look for concrete actions and serious proposals to accompany the words.

¹ Quotations and excerpts of the speech are taken from "Remarks by the President on Comprehensive Immigration Reform," American University School of International Service, Washington, D.C., July 1, 2010, as appeared on the website of the Wall Street Journal.
² Statement of Rep. Jeff Flake, July 1, 2010.
³ Andres Oppenheimer, "Immigration speech all words, no action," The Miami Herald, July 4, 2010.
⁴ Lexington, "Not good enough," The Economist, July 10, 2010, p. 33.

Click here to download the July 2010 Immigration Reform Bulletin (PDF).

The Cato Institute
1000 Massachusetts Ave NW
Washington, DC 20001

Bank of America Credit Cards For Illegal Aliens

Bank of Illegal Aliens in America
By Michelle Malkin • February 13, 2007 09:21 AM

http://michellemalkin.com/2007/02/13/bank-of-illegal-aliens-in-america/
Higher standards…except for illegal aliens

Bank of America has introduced a new credit especially and exclusively for law-breaking immigrants. Really. The story is on the front page of the Wall Street Journal today. It’s subscription-only. Here are the details:

Bank of America defends the program, saying it complies with U.S. banking and antiterrorism laws. Company executives say that the initiative isn’t about politics, but rather about meeting the needs of an untapped group of potential customers.

“These people are coming here for quality of life, and they deserve somebody to give them a chance to achieve that quality of life,” says Brian Tuite, the bank’s director of Latin America card operations and one of the architects of the program.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/immigration/bankofamerica.asp

Look at Missouri's Illegal Immigrants

SO WHY IS EVERYBODY SO UPSET ABOUT ARIZONA ???
AND
WHY ISN'T CALIFORNIA BOYCOTTING MISSOURI ?????

Simple solutions to not so complex problems!

The "Show Me" state has once again showed us how it should be done. They
need more publication and exposure on this. Let's pass it around.

In 2007, Missouri placed on the ballot a proposed constitutional amendment
designating English as the Official language of Missouri . Nearly 90% voting
in favor!

English became the official language for ALL governmental proceeding in
Missouri . It also means no individual has the right to demand government
services in a language OTHER than English.

In 2008 a measure was passed that requires the Missouri Highway Patrol and
other law
enforcement officials to verify the immigration status of any person
arrested, and inform federal authorities if the person is found to be here
illegally.

It allows Missouri law enforcement offices to receive training to enforce
federal immigration laws . The bill makes it clear that illegal immigrants
will NOT have access to taxpayers benefits such as food stamps and health
care through Missouri HealthNET.

In 2009 a measure was passed that ensures Missouri 's public institutions of
higher
education do NOT award financial aid to individuals who are here illegally.

The law also requires all post-secondary institutions of higher education to
annually certify to the Missouri Dept. of Higher Education that they have
NOT knowingly awarded financial aid to students who are unlawfully present
in the United States .

So while Arizona has made national news for its new law, it is important to
remember
Missouri has been proactive in addressing this growing problem.

Missouri has sent a clear message that illegal immigrants are NOT welcome in
our state and they are certainly NOT welcome to receive public benefits at
the cost of Missouri taxpayers!

Article in "The Ozarks Sentinel" Editorial Opinion - Nita Jane Ayre s, May
13, 2010.