Since the article "The Illegal Immigration War on America" first came out as it detailed the religious and secular forces behind the movement, there has been array of public polices debated on this issue. President Bush who has sided with various supporters of illegal immigration like the Vatican, Mexico and various communists groups. In so doing, the President had worked out a detailed plan known as “comprehensive immigration reform” which would enable the illegal immigrants who are already in America to stay, and make the head of household pay a fine and move back to his own country for a year. It would also create a huge guest worker program for illegals.

This plan was shot down by the America public, and conservative talk radio which angered some Republicans who were in favor of the bill. Well as of February 22, 2008 the Bush administration is once again promoting it's agenda by using the failed plan as excuse to make companies pay an increase in fines if caught hiring illegal immigrants. In almost a decade it's the first increase in fines which tells you how slow the government is trying to deter illegal immigration. The Bush administration also seeks higher criminal penalties for companies who heavily violate the illegal immigration laws. Now don't get this wrong, these changes in the law are good as tiny steps in the process of deterring illegal immigration and protecting the borders, but Bush's plan to reward those illegals already here, would not deter what he is doing now in regards to punishing those who hire illegals.

The media harps over and over again, that  "businesses are in a terrible bind" but in reality they are taking advantage of the cheap labor costs. With solid immigration laws enforced and more stronger deterrents made in protecting the border of the US, while rewarding legal immigration would be the solution to solve those business problems. 

Latest News Bits

North Carolina Reverses It's Decision

May 16, 2008

Last November the State provided free admissions at community colleges at the expense of taxpayers for illegal immigrants. Officials just recent reversed the policy, which would not allow the State to provide free education to a certain degree for those crossing the borders illegally. However, illegal immigrants are still allowed to attend non-degree programs and those currently in the system can continue. Some like the PAC declare this a victory, but it's just a drop in the bucket, yet this reversal is considered the toughest policy in the nation. Only legal immigrants should have the opportunity to attend colleges in the US.

St. Bridget Catholic 'Church' is a Safe Haven for Illegals

May 15, 2008

Hundreds flock to St. Bridget in Iowa to avoid being captured by the authorities and being deported back to their own countries respectively. One illegal worker describes how he escaped, and headed to the "safe haven" where sleeping in the pews was the best option. Food is provided for free by the members of St. Bridget. Since the media attention of this particular place with it's function, many are wondering why the police haven't rounded all those illegal immigrants hiding there who generally have forged documents, or stealing someone's identity.

Meat Packing Plant in Iowa

May 12, 2008

A raid was conducted on the meat packing company which resulted in 700 arrests. The raid also sparked concern among special interest groups who are fighting for illegal immigration rights. The meeting was held at the 'Queen of Peace Catholic Church' in Iowa after a noon mass in Spanish.  Handouts were given out which contained detailed information on what to do if they are caught as illegals or someone whom they know are caught as illegals and also provided contact for lawyers whom might represent them in Iowa. 

Databases to check workers' legal status

May 09, 2008

Rep Ryan of Wisconsin introduced a counter bill that create a system which checks for immigration status. ""We think we've come up with a good solution that applies 21st-century technology, that looks out for the rights of individuals and that gives employers what they need in order to make sure they have a safe and secure legal work force," Ryan said. It appears, no bill will be passed this year in regards to background checks of employees.

Catholic organizations Protest Bill

May 08, 2008

There have been over 1,100 bills all over the country this year, which have been dealing with the issue of illegal immigration. But little has been done, even the Congressional Hispanic Caucus April 23 called the Democratic leadership "spineless" for not taking up comprehensive immigration reform. Speaking of bills, a signed letter by various Catholic organizations are protesting a bill introduced in Congress that would force immigrant families to live in a detention center until their immigration cases are resolved. Generally, the United States is hard on those trying to come to this country legally, and are much easier on those who cross the border illegally. This promotes massive illegal immigration.

US Companies Continue to Look For Cheap Labor

May 08, 2008

Despite 7 million Americans out of work, and 5 million more who had to settle for part time jobs in April 2008, there are still some US companies who are complaining about a shortage of workers and as a result, these companies are looking for cheap labor coming across the border illegally. Also, with the raising costs of energy, raw materials, and food costs some companies are looking more towards cheap labor (which includes illegals) in order to cut operating costs.

Checking legal status not pricey, sheriff says

May 08, 2008

Sheriff Chuck Jenkins is disputing a report released Tuesday that places an annual price tag of $3.2 million on a program that allows his deputies to check the immigration status of everyone arrested in Frederick County. ''Much of it is not factual information," said Jenkins (R) on Wednesday. ''The costs are absolutely not true. ... I absolutely dispute it." Jenkins stands by his claim that his department's participation in the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement program will cost county taxpayers nothing extra. ''There are no significant costs," he said. Earlier this year, Jenkins enrolled 26 of his deputies, 16 of whom work at the Frederick County Adult Detention Center, in training to participate in the federal program, known as 287G.

BENTON COUNTY : Van stop snares 12 illegal aliens

May 07, 2008

A 19-year-old van driver likely faces a federal human trafficking charge after he was stopped along Interstate 540 by a Benton County sheriff 's deputy and found with 12 illegal aliens in the back of the vehicle, police said Wednesday. The driver of the van, Osvaldo Cruz-Arellanes, told police he was being paid to smuggle the 12 occupants to Chicago, Memphis, Pennsylvania, Virginia and other locations, the sheriff's office said in a news release. Deputy Corey Coggin wrote in a report that the 12 people were "packed" in the back of the van, with some of them "balled up lying on the floor."

Illegal Immigrant Linked to Terrorism

May 2, 2008

Nada Prouty, the Lebanese immigrant who parlayed a sham marriage into U.S. citizenship and key jobs at the FBI and CIA, worked on several counter-terrorism investigations, including the 2000 bombing of the U.S.S. Cole in Yemen, her lawyer said in court documents Thursday.

"Nada Nadim Prouty accepts full responsibility for her actions and is deeply sorry for her misconduct," attorney Thomas Cranmer of Troy wrote in a 32-page sentencing memo filed in U.S. District Court in Detroit, for her sentencing May 13. Thursday's filing offered the first details of what the former Taylor resident did for the government.

"With her language skills and cultural background, Ms. Prouty made invaluable contributions working on highly sensitive and often dangerous counter-terrorism cases," Cranmer wrote, urging U.S. District Judge Avern Cohn to sentence her to probation rather than 6-12 months in prison as recommended by federal sentencing guidelines.

Seventeen sailors were killed in the Oct. 12, 2000, suicide attack on the Navy guided missile destroyer U.S.S. Cole.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Chadwell said he couldn't comment on Cranmer's filing.

Prouty pleaded guilty in November to accessing a classified FBI computer system to find out whether she or her family members -- including brother-in-law Talal Chahine, fugitive owner of the La Shish restaurant chain -- were being investigated for terrorist activities and to obtain information about Hizballah investigations.

"At no time did she ever compromise or jeopardize the integrity of her case assignments through improper behavior or inappropriate conduct," Cranmer said, adding that CIA polygraph tests confirmed that Prouty did not pose a threat to national security....

She also helped investigate the 2002 assassination of U.S. AID diplomat Lawrence Foley in Jordan and helped link the slaying to Abu Musab al-Zarkqawi, the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq.

After joining the CIA in 2003, Cranmer said, she worked in Baghdad following the American invasion.

"Through the sixth month of her pregnancy, Ms. Prouty was in the streets of a city at war in order to protect the American forces fighting there," Cranmer wrote. "On a number of occasions, she was trapped out side the safety of the U.S. Green Zone and was fired on before she was exfiltrated to safety."

Prouty resigned from the CIA last November before pleading guilty in Detroit. In pleading guilty, she surrendered her U.S. citizenship and agreed to be deported, though she likely will be allowed to stay in the U.S. because of the jobs she held at the FBI and CIA, authorities said.
 

Although authorities said there was no evidence that Prouty was a Hizballah operative, the episode raised questions about how she cleared multiple federal background checks to acquire U.S. citizenship and land jobs at two of the nation's most sensitive intelligence agencies without someone discovering that she had engaged in citizenship fraud....

Protesters in Favor of Illegal Immigration Take to the Streets Once Again...May 1, 2008

It's now become an annual event since 2006. Protestors demanding the freedom for anyone to cross the US borders at will. Although this year is a slow year for them because there is no bill pending that would restrict or reform illegal immigration laws, and the US economy is slowing down as a result, there are less jobs for illegals. So many organizers of the protests are focusing in on voter registration instead. Since this is an election year, they want to influence political officials to make laws favoring their position on illegal immigration.

A Study Commissioned by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

The study reports a one billion dollar cost on a future crackdown by the government on people who are not working legally in the United States. Also the study claims the plan will hurt legal workers' wages as well. It strongly recommends not to use part of the plan that requires employers to fire those who social security number doesn't match their name.

Texas wants to introduce tougher laws on Illegals

In response to a major illegal immigration bust where hundreds were arrested at Pilgrim Pride plants who were using false social security numbers. State Representative Leo Berman calls for tougher actions to stop people from crossing the US border illegally. 

North Carolina Debates Illegal Immigration

The House wants to vote on the limitations on how far an employer should check for illegal immigrants. Vote expected soon. North Carolina recently the past few years have been one of controversies about illegal aliens. In 2007, a law was passed that community colleges must accept illegal aliens unlike past years where they could be prohibited. Those in favor of the law say it's needed to keep crime down and also the United States needs to give these students who are in the country illegally, a good education.

The Virtual Fence To Help Secure the Border is no longer a Reality

The 20 million dollar high tech fence between AZ and Mexico which had many problems concerning production in the past. Recently, the "Virtual Fence" project has been declared as scrap and will not be used says the US Department of Homeland Security.

The Border Fence Under Fire Once Again

Not long after the Bush administration's plan to expedite the building of the fence, a build up of opposition with it's own plan has formed. Leading the way is a Democrat Lenny Thompson who is the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. Along with 13 other congressmen who vowed to fight the completion of the fence along the US southern border. They claim it's against the law to build such a fence which would help prevent illegals and drug smugglers from entering the country.

US Attorney Sets His Own Border Patrol Laws

John Culberson (R-TX), a US Attorney in Texas is openly refusing to enforce the border laws because he is only prosecuting cases involving more than 500 pounds of drugs. Anything less than that, Culberson said, "will be home in time for dinner." (April 07, 2007)

Progress on the Border Fence

The Bush administration plans to speed up building the border fence by using its authority to bypass more than 30 laws and regulations in an effort to finish building 670 miles of fence along the southwest U.S. border by the end of this year, federal officials said Tuesday.

Invoking the two legal waivers — which Congress authorized — would cut through bureaucratic red tape and sidestep environmental laws that currently stand in the way of the Homeland Security Department building 267 miles of fencing in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, according to officials familiar with the plan...

...As of March 17, there were 309 miles of fencing in place, leaving 361 to be completed by the end of the year to meet the department's goal. Of those, 267 miles are being held up by federal, state and local laws and regulations, the officials said...

The American Civil Liberties Union is arguing in favor of free education for illegal immigrants in Virginia claiming the attorney general's interpretation of the state law is wrong. (March 27, 2008)

Mexican President Flippe CarCalderon in his state of the Union address 2007, said; "We strongly protest the unilateral measures taken by the U.S. Congress and government that have only persecuted and exacerbated the mistreatment of Mexican undocumented workers," he said. "The insensitivity toward those who support the U.S. economy and society has only served as an impetus to reinforce the battle...for their rights. Mexico does not end at the border, wherever there is a Mexican, Mexico is there..."

On Feb 13, 2008 --Mexican President Flippe CarCalderon addresses a joint session of the California Legislature on the economic impact of illegal immigration. Then calling an end to US border enforcement laws, while encouraging California to invest in Mexico. "We need to make migration legal, safe and organized...Our nations will never find prosperity by closing their doors." He said.

Feb 1, 2008 --Mexico demands the United States to stop using tear gas when the border patrol are defending themselves. A young 15 year old girl was struck by a canister in the face while she was throwing rocks at the border patrol agents. Mexico contends the use of tear gas was unacceptable under any circumstances and wrote a letter to the US Embassy demanding a full investigation and punishment of the agents who use tear gas.

Gov. Janet Napolitano, a Democrat, signed a law that will take effect in January. Employers who hire illegal immigrants can lose their business licenses. This has scared a few illegals who are moving back to their own country.

Colorado has adopted several immigration procedures. One gives employers 20 days to check and photocopy documents such as driver's licenses and Social Security cards, which new workers present to prove their legal status. This measure hasn't really deterred hardly any illegals from moving out of the state. A federal judge ruled the measures unconstitutional in July.

May 2006 --President Bush calls for 6,000 National Guard troops to protect the border temporarily. The President also called for a 50 percent increase in the number of Border Patrol agents. Under the Bush plan, agents would increase from it's current number 12,000 to 18,000 in 2008.

Secure America with Verification and Enforcement

(The SAVE ACT)

H.R.4088
Title: To provide immigration reform by securing America's borders, clarifying and enforcing existing laws, and enabling a practical employer verification program.

H.R. 4088 was first introduced last October 2007, and is now in route of making it's way through Congress as of March 11, 2008 (and for future tracking of the Bill's progress click here). The Bill would allow employers at a low cost verify it's workers to see if their are legal or not using the internet. Details of the requirement include:

In the first year, all government agencies would be required to use the verify system who have 250 or more employees.

In the Second year, all private businesses with a 100 or more employees would be required to use the verify system for all new hires.

In the Third year, all businesses with 20 or more employees would be required to use the verify system for all new hires. 

In the Fourth year, all businesses must run all their employees through the verify system.

This bill does have opposition as the Bush administration wants tougher penalties on those companies who hire illegal immigrants. There is always something not complete about these bills that government officials find excuses for in order to hinder progress in securing the US borders.

More Updates to follow on this issue of Illegal Immigration