News Digests - Citizens For Immigration Reform (CFIR) - stop illegal immigration, support legal immigration, enforce the law, no anchor babies, punish emplorers who hire illegal aliens

AUSTIN - A North Texas legislator wants the state's top attorney to rule on the constitutionality of a law that allows undocumented immigrants to pay in-state tuition rates.

"If we're in violation of United States law, then we need to correct that," said state Rep. Leo Berman, R-Tyler.

WASHINGTON (October 1, 2008) – A new Center for Immigration Studies Backgrounder finds that immigration law enforcement has been highly effective in fighting gang activity around the country. Local law enforcement agencies that shun involvement with immigration law enforcement are missing an opportunity to protect their communities, according to the authors. Since 2005, ICE has arrested more than 8,000 immigrant gangsters from more than 700 different gangs under an initiative known as Operation Community Shield. The authors can provide statistics for 99 different cities upon request.

The full report is available online at http://www.cis.org/ImmigrantGang. An introductory video has also been produced and is available online at http://www.cis.org/ImmigrantGangsVideo .

Publico (Guadalajara, Jalisco) 9/25/08 (part of "Milenio group)

An ad on the front page of this paper reads as follows:
"Vote for Barack Obama. Remember. If You Are Not Registered You Cannot Vote. Register Today! Vote for Change.com"

http://wsj.com/article/SB122289829299095859.html

Latest Immigration Wave: Retreat

An Illegal Worker Realizes Dream, Briefly; Fewer Are Sneaking In

Massive Latino voter registration drive launched

"This effort will not only put voter registration forms in the hands of Latinos,

but also may help shape the political landscape," said Janet Murgia, president and CEO of National Council of La Raza."

http://www.eagleforum.org/column/2008/sept08/08-09-19.html

The Danger of Vote Fraud in the 2008 Election

September 19, 2008

by Phyllis Schlafly

The most provocative line in the Democratic national platform adopted in Denver is: "We oppose laws that require identification in order to vote or register to vote." Since it's routine to show an ID in order to board a plane and do dozens of other very ordinary things, what's the big deal about showing an ID to exercise the most important privilege of citizenship?

That question is answered in the new book by John Fund called Stealing Elections: How Voter Fraud Threatens Our Democracy." Honest elections absolutely depend on preventing the stuffing of the ballot box by people who are not eligible to vote.

10-10-2008

DPS requiring non-US citizens to provide proof of legality

10/8/2008 4:11 PM

By: News 8 Austin Staff

http://www.news8austin.com:80/content/your_news/default.asp?ArID=221530

The change was made by the Texas Public Safety Commission. The Texas Department of Public Safety has new guidelines affecting non-United States citizens.

"Now in addition to the documentation that's required, you now have to show that you are in the country legally," DPS Spokesperson Tela Mange said.

The driver's licenses also will look different so that those who have them are immediately recognizable to law enforcement officers.

Mexican IDs can be used to get driver licenses - DallasBlog

http://www.dallasblog.com/200810061003707/dallas-blog/
mexican-ids-can-be-used-to-get-driver-licenses.html

Lewisville City Council decides not to pursue official-English resolution

Tuesday, October 7, 2008-By MARISSA ALANIS / The Dallas Morning

News-malanis@dallasnews.com
http://www.txcn.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/tv/stories/
100608dnmetlewisvilleenglish.3964643.html

Al Qaeda Could Exploit U.S. Visa Program, Feinstein Says

Thursday, October 02, 2008
(CNSNews.com) - U.S. Homeland Security officials should adopt a more restrictive approach to the visa waiver program rather than expand it at a time when terrorists are probing for immigration loopholes, said Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) during a recent hearing on Capitol Hill. The visa waiver program allows citizens in participating countries to enter the United States without obtaining a visa or being interviewed or screened in U.S. embassies and consulates. Bush administration officials are “moving aggressively” to expand the program to include 13 new countries before the end of the year.

Landmark Research Shows Relationship between Crime, Illegal Immigration
By Andrew Thomas, County Attorney (Maricopa County AZ) http://www.illegalimmigrationjournal.com/spotlight/andy.cfm?id=63 Why Not Use Immigration to Ease the Financial Crisis?

http://www.nationofimmigrators.com/?p=199

Bloomberg.com has posted a scary article on how America's growing financial crisis might lower our nation's appeal as a world financial center and repository of foreign investments. In a strange coincidence, Wall St. Journal immigration reporter, Miriam Jordan, reported today on the global relocation of people seeking a better, more prosperous life. Her article ("With Millions on the Move, This Guide Maps the Routes to Prosperity") reports on a new study by the Economist Intelligence Unit, confirming that the U.S. still ranks #1 in "attractiveness to immigrants."

If (despite the financial turmoil) our nation remains the destination country of choice for immigration, why are our legislators and the Administration not scurrying to adopt more welcoming investment- and employment-based immigration laws?

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF La RAZA – News Release - Sept. 30, 2008

http://www.nclr.org/content/news/detail/54169/

CITI AND THE CITI FOUNDATION AWARD $1,000,000
TO THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF LA RAZA

Dems want DHS to target criminal illegal immigrants
By Chris Strohm, CongressDaily

The Homeland Security Department has been given an infusion of cash to carry out controversial immigration enforcement operations around the country, but the Democratic-controlled Congress wants the agency to prioritize finding and deporting the most dangerous illegal immigrants.

Congress gave Immigration and Customs Enforcement about $5 billion in the department's fiscal 2009 appropriations bill, which was signed into law Tuesday by President Bush as part of the continuing resolution to keep the federal government functioning in the new fiscal year.

The bill specifically directs ICE to spend $1 billion on finding and deporting illegal immigrants who have committed violent crimes.

Full story: http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=41127&dcn=e_gvet

10-23-2008

More Korean families make sacrifice to send kids to study in the U.S.

October 19, 2008

By KATHERINE LEAL UNMUTH / The Dallas Morning News
kunmuth@dallasnews.com

Many Korean parents believe their children must become fluent in English to achieve career success in a globalized economy.

* * *

The Economist - October 4-10, 2008 - page 58

Immigration and the European Union

. . .Europe is in a global competition to attract talent, but most EU members are disadvantaged by language: English is the new lingua franca.

FRAUD

VOTE FRAUD
http://www.house.gov/hensarling/rsc/doc/pb_102008_votefraud.pdf.

This RSC Policy Brief, which has been updated periodically throughout the year, features a non-exhaustive list of examples of vote fraud reported in the media and highlights the legislative proposals introduced to increase—or arguably to decrease in some cases—the integrity of elections nationwide. Feel free to send any examples of media-reported vote fraud to paul.teller@mail.house.gov.

USCIS Finds High Rate of H-1B Visa Fraud
USCIS released a report last week revealing high levels of fraud and "technical violations" within the H-1B nonimmigrant visa program. The H-1B program allows employers to petition for an alien to come to the U.S. to fill a vacancy in a "specialty occupation." To qualify for one of the 65,000 H-1B visas available annually, an applicant must attain the equivalent of at least a bachelor's degree. (H-1B Benefit Fraud & Compliance Assessment, September 2008)

BORDER

FBI Investigates Border Shootout

By Ray Pedraza Monday, October 13, 2008 at 1:18 p.m.

http://www.team4news.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=206109

Alleged drug smugglers and Border Patrol agents exchange gunfire in western Hidalgo County
http://www.newschannel5.tv:80/2008/10/17/999975/

Deputies Back Patrolling All Parts of River - Friday ,
October 17, 2008 Posted: 06:53 PM

Law enforcement agencies team up after recent shootings

EDINBURG - Law enforcement on the U.S. side of the border says violence against officers will not be tolerated. Officers say they won't hesitate to use lethal force if they are fired on.

Border Patrol agents, DPS troopers, and Hidalgo County officials are teaming up to send a strong message, after recent shooting shootings between drug smugglers and law enforcements.

They're trying to stop the escalating violence from coming across the border. Yesterday's shootout in Matamoros serves as a reminder about why these tactics are necessary.

There's been a boost in police presence on and off the river. Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Trevino says deputies were once told to stay off the levees in Hidalgo County to prevent them from becoming targets.

But with the new taskforce in place deputies are back on patrol, covering all parts of the river.

IRS Opened Back Door for Illegal Aliens to Enter U.S. Credit Market

(CNSNews.com) – Internal Revenue Service rules have opened up a back door through which illegal immigrants can obtain an Individual Taxpayer Information Number (ITIN), which in turn helps them enter the U.S. credit market. The IRS uses ITINs to process tax payments owed by people who are not eligible for a Social Security Number. Although the IRS states explicitly that ITINs are not to be used for any purpose other than tax administration, banks across the country are accepting ITINs to open new accounts and extend lines of credit to customers who are not eligible for a Social Security Number.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/
10/17/AR2008101702414.html

Pelosi: On overhauling immigration laws in the new Congress. Excerpt from the Washington Post:

Pelosi also said Congress would have to tackle the politically sticky job of overhauling immigration laws in the new Congress, after a bipartisan measure collapsed last year.

The estimated 12 million immigrants in the U.S. illegally "are part of the U.S. economy. We cannot send them all home, and we cannot send them all to jail, so we have to address it," Pelosi said.

Any solution would have to be bipartisan, she said, so it may require sacrificing some of Democrats' past priorities, such as giving illegal immigrants a path to citizenship.

"Maybe there never is a path to citizenship if you came here illegally," Pelosi said. "I would hope that there could be, but maybe there isn't.

10-29-2008

Judicial Watch to Texas Attorney General: Texas State Legislature Has Authority to
Stop Illegal Alien Sanctuary Policies

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it has sent a letter to Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott with the following message: The Texas State Legislature has the authority to prohibit local government agencies from implementing sanctuary policies that benefit illegal aliens.

Judicial Watch sent the letter, dated September 18, 2008, in conjunction with two organizations, Texans for Immigration Reform and Immigration Reform Coalition of Texas, both of which were invited by Attorney General Abbott to submit their views on the matter. Members of the Texas State Legislature have sought the opinion of Attorney General Abbott as they consider legislation that would invalidate illegal alien sanctuary policies and support the use of local law enforcement agencies in enforcing federal immigration laws. (Much of the letter is applicable to other states considering reigning in local sanctuary policies.)

The following is a key excerpt from Judicial Watch’s letter:

Question

Does the [Texas State] Legislature have the authority to prohibit local governmental entities from serving as “sanctuaries” for undocumented persons?

Answer

Yes, the [Texas State] Legislature may prohibit local governmental entities from serving as “sanctuaries” for undocumented persons to the extent that a local government adopts any restriction or limitation on communication between local police or officials and federal immigration authorities regarding a person’s immigration status. Any such enactment by the Legislature would be entirely consistent with federal law and would help remove any doubt as to the authority of local governments to adopt such policies.

“Sanctuary policies are dangerous and illegal. Texas legislators not only have the power to shut down sanctuary policies, but they also have a responsibility to the citizens of Texas to shut them down,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “Sanctuary policies violate federal immigration laws and often allow illegal alien criminals back on the streets to prey upon innocent U.S. citizens. Sanctuary policies for illegal aliens must be abolished not only in Texas but in every single state in the country.”

To view a copy of Judicial Watch’s letter to Texas Attorney General Abbott visit www.judicialwatch.org. To join Judicial Watch’s nationwide campaign to abolish illegal alien sanctuary policies, visit www.sanctuarybusters.org.

10-31-2008

Growth in Population and Health Care

http://www.usatoday.com:80/news/washington/2008-01-21-immigrant-healthcare_N.htm

Excerpt

The growth in population is fueled by illegal aliens and that according to the estimates from Pew Hispanic Center 59% of the nation’s illegal immigrants are uninsured, compared with 25% of legal immigrants and 14% of U.S. citizens. Illegal immigrants represent about 15% of the nation’s 47 million uninsured people — and about 30% of the increase since 1980.

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/IT-Infrastructure/
Abusing-the-H1B-System-to-Fix-the-Washing-Machine/

Abusing the H-1B System to Fix the Washing Machine By Kevin Fogarty
2008-10-27

The Department of Homeland Security says it suspects error or fraud in 20 percent of H-1B visa applications filed by U.S. employers seeking foreign technology workers. An audit of H-1B visa applications by the DHS found faked degrees, forged qualifications and fictitious references on applications filed by U.S. companies, including one that sought a so-called business development analyst to fix washing machines in a Laundromat.

The Department of Homeland Security suspects error or flat-out fraud in as many as 20 percent of H-1B visa applications filed by U.S. employers seeking foreign workers.

An audit of H-1B visa applications by the Department of Homeland Security's USCIS (U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services) division found H-1B visa applications filed by U.S. employers used fake educational degrees, forged letters or signatures on supporting documents such as those attesting to the qualifications or experience of the applicant, and fictitious work histories and references

Program begins in Harris County TX
Full story: http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=41275&dcn=e_gvet

Homeland Security launches program to find illegal immigrants in jails
By Chris Strohm, CongressDaily

The Homeland Security Department will launch a program Monday aimed at identifying illegal immigrants held in county and city jails across the country, but critics worry that nonthreatening individuals could be ensnarled in confusing deportation proceedings or denied legal protections. With an infusion of funding from the Congress, the department's Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency has started an aggressive effort to find illegal immigrants who are incarcerated and enter them into deportation proceedings. ICE says its initial focus is on finding and removing illegal immigrants who have been convicted of violent crimes or those convicted of major drug offenses. The program will allow local law enforcement agencies to automatically compare the fingerprints of their prisoners against FBI criminal databases and Homeland Security immigration databases. When law enforcement officials run a check on fingerprints against the FBI's Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System, a check will automatically be done against Homeland Security's Automated Biometric Identification System. The program will begin with the Harris County Sheriff's Office in Texas, with the goal of being expanded to about 50 other local law enforcement agencies by the spring.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/
2008/10/23/AR2008102303365_pf.html

Renewed Crackdown On Illegal Immigrants
U.S. Plans to Target 140,000 Employers

By Spencer S. Hsu Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, October 24, 2008; A12

The Bush administration in its final weeks will revive a stalled crackdown on U.S. companies that hire illegal immigrants, issuing a new regulation and asking a federal judge to lift a ban on the measure, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced yesterday.

If the court agrees, the government could begin mailing notices to 140,000 employers regarding suspect Social Security numbers used by an estimated 8.7 million workers, pressuring businesses to either resolve discrepancies or fire workers within 90 days.

Critics said the move would probably set off a new round of litigation that could outlast the president's waning term and leave the thorny issue of immigration enforcement to President Bush's successor to manage amid an economic downturn.

National Association of Former Border Patrol Officers

http://www.nafbpo.org

Entorno a Tamaulipas (Tamaulipas) 10/28/08

A wave of Mexicans returning from the US in automobiles and arriving at Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, are completely filling the vehicle inspection center. Many are returning to reside while others said they were en route to visit and would wait out the situation in the US. The exit of Mexicans from the US is expected to increase after November

http://www.newschannel5.tv/2008/10/23/1000201/
ACLU--Border-Patrol-Checkpoints--Unconstitutional--

ACLU: Border Patrol Checkpoints "Unconstitutional"

Thursday , October 23, 2008

Checkpoints Called Unconstitutional

Group wants restriction on checking cars

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The American Civil Liberties Union is speaking out against Border Patrol checkpoints. The ACLU says the government is abusing its power to stop and search you at checkpoints within 100-miles of the U.S land and coastal borders. That includes the Sarita and Falfurrias checkpoints north of the Valley.

The Department of Homeland Security says the changes are the result of post-9/11 anti-terrorism efforts. But the ACLU calls it a "constitution-free zone."

Caroline Frederickson is the National Legislative Director with the ACLU. She says, "The problem right now is that the Congress did pass legislation that gave them some authority, and then they, of course, took it the extra mile or the extra hundred miles, I should say, and so we'll be trying to make sure that both in the regulations and in the statutes itself, that there are much more strict guidelines as well as protections for people who are stopped unreasonably and give them a redress potential."

The ACLU is calling on Congress to pass legislation forcing the Border Patrol to have specific reasons for inspecting cars at checkpoints

1.http://townhall.com/columnists/AmandaCarpenter/
2008/10/22/msnbc_teams_up_with_acorn,_la_raza

MSNBC Teams Up With ACORN, La Raza by Amanda Carpenter

MSNBC has launched a news project with a variety of left-wing special interest groups to boost their Election Day coverage and help viewers experiencing problems at the polls.

One of the groups involved in MSNBC's "Election Protection" project is the Association of Community Organizers for Reform Now. ACORN has been involved in rampant voter registration fraud across the nation this election cycle and is actively supporting Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama for president.
______

The National Council of La Raza, U.S. Pirg, NAACP, the Human Rights Campaign, the National Gay and Lesbian Law Association, Sierra Club and the Service Employees International Union are among Election Protection's many partners.

ACORN is not listed as a partner on the Election Protection's main website, but is listed as a partner on a promotional flyer that is available on the website

Texas legislator asks for ruling on allowing undocumented immigrants to pay in-state tuition

http://wsj.com/article/SB122289829299095859.html

Latest Immigration Wave: Retreat

An Illegal Worker Realizes Dream, Briefly; Fewer Are Sneaking In

Massive Latino voter registration drive launched