3.1. ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
In an Immigration movement driven largely by Spanish-speaking Latinos, there haven't been many, if any, chants of "Yes, we can!" echoing through Chicago in Mandarin ( Wo mun ke yi! ), Hindi ( Hum kar saktay hae! ) or Korean ( Halsu ee da! ) But those rallying cries will take center stage Saturday during a planned Asian "town hall" meeting expected to draw several hundred people eager to have their stories heard. Among several Asian-themed Immigration events occurring nationwide this week, the rally inside the Salvation Army church in North Park is partly an effort to diversify the message of a movement whose mostly Mexican flavor has drawn intense scorn from groups resentful of illegal border crossings. The first of its kind in the city, the event is also a coming-out party of sorts for Asian immigrant organizations in Chicago that have been gaining momentum in their efforts to mobilize a community of roughly 350,000 Asian and Pacific Island immigrants in the region long unwilling to publicly air its problems. "The community is maturing in a different way. in a way to not be afraid to talk about these things," said Tuyet Le, executive director of the Asian American Institute, which is co-coordinating the meeting. "People are seeing this as their own issue." [1]
The procedure for family reunification -- a concept central to the system where a U.S. citizen can sponsor a blood relative's Immigration application -- is filled with cases of Asian immigrant parents and children who have been separated for years due to backlogs in processing. "I'm not justifying the actions of those who enter illegally, but people resort to that because it's easier for them to get in," said Tiza Burke, 60, a Filipino immigrant who said she waited 24 years for an older sister's application to be processed. For Chinese immigrants, such familial separation has undermined the immense cultural value placed on family unity since the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 -- which barred new immigrants from entering the U.S. until it was ified in 1943. Now, many decades later, the impact is still devastating, said Zhu Lei, 55, who arrived from Beijing last year to reunite with U.S.-citizen parents she hadn't seen in nine years. [1]
In a written statement, No More Deaths confirmed Staton has been sentenced to 300 hours of picking up trash from public property and a year of community service. In addition to the sentencing, he is also prohibited form the refuge, according to CNN. In the court case, both sides used the controversial issue of illegal immigration to support their arguments. Staton's lawyer insisted his client's actions were solely humanitarian, while the government said the opposite. Prosecutors said Staton's "actions are not about humanitarian efforts, but about protesting the immigration policies of the United States, and aiding those that enter illegally into the United States." Noting the phrase scrawled on many of the plastic water jugs -- "buena suerte," or "good luck" in Spanish -- the prosecutors said, "The obvious conclusion is that the defendant and No More Deaths wish to aid illegal aliens in their entry attempt." [2]
Those are not immigrants but a invading horde of Illegal Aliens! American tax payers cannot provide free health to non-citizens no matter from where, or what race! Our government fails the most basic and primary task & duty of government, to protect this Nation and its Citizens from invasion and enforce its laws. They refuse to abide by our Constitution, refuse to enforce our Immigration Laws and refuse to honor their Oath of Office! Our Government, past & present, Republican & Democrat, have allowed the invasion of 20 to 30 million criminals and uneducated peons which is the largest invasion of any Nation, at any time, by any means & in direct violation of Article IV, Section IV of our Constitution. This refusal to abide by our Constitution or enforce our Immigration Laws should be classified as Treason of the most foul kind, & as grounds for impeachment & trials for Treason! Not only have they allowed the invasion, they force American tax payers to pay Billions on Billions of dollars to provide Welfare, Prison cells, Educate the invaders numerous children, and free medical care, at the same time the invading horde break numerous laws and massive document fraud, & are destroying our schools, hospitals, communities, culture and standard of living while Robbing, Raping, Killing & Assaulting American Citizens at an rate the terrorist can only dream about. Recent statements in Mexico from both President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary something needs to be done. "Our inability to prevent weapons from being illegally smuggled across the border to arm these criminals causes the deaths of police officers, soldiers, and civilians," Hillary whined. [3]
With President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton paying regular visits to the neighbor next door, it was only a matter of time before the rumor mill got all wound up and the word reached the fields of Oaxaca. Today, with DHS Secretary Napolitano all but promising immigration reform to an assembled collection of more than 100 pro amnesty groups, businesses and Law Enforcement Associations at the White House, we are certain to see an increase in traffic heading illegally into the U.S. Whether she cam fulfill that promise and when remains a very big question. Unlike previous Amnesty surges though, these future democrats will be greeted by twice the number of Border Patrol Agents and a border fortified with stronger fences and more robust defenses. [4]
With President Obama putting off the immigration reform debate until next year, immigrant rights groups are pushing the administration to suspend tough enforcement practices so illegal immigrants aren't punished under the current system. While acknowledging the need for an overhaul, Mr. Obama last week acknowledged during a visit to Mexico that his agenda is too full and said a solution will have to wait until next year at the earliest -- a backtrack from his campaign pledge to sign a bill in 2009. With immigration reform slipping away, rights groups have begun to use words such as "betrayal" in describing how they feel they are faring under the Obama administration, and several have said the only interim solution would be to suspend some enforcement so illegal immigrants don't get caught up in a system that advocates contend is broken. [5] Mr. Obama has been walking a tightrope on the issue after winning a large majority of Hispanic votes in the 2008 election. He has stepped up some enforcement measures even as he says he wants a solution that would include legalization of illegal immigrants. He also has pushed back the timetable for action until next year at the earliest, saying immigration is in line behind "a pretty big stack of bills." What those interim steps should be depends on one's point of view. [5]
In an address at a border conference last week, Ms. Napolitano seemed to pour cold water on the calls for leniency. "Our job is to enforce the laws that we have now, to do it intelligently, to do it with well-trained professionals who are well-supervised," she said. "We will enforce this law smartly and intelligently, and if and when -- and I believe it is when -- the law changes, we will be prepared to enforce that law as well." She defended the use of a program of electronic worker verification, known as e-verify, to track illegal immigration and said using local police to enforce the laws under a program known as 287(g) is worthwhile, though she said Mr. Obama has added more accountability to the program than existed in the previous administration. [5] The people supporting illegal immigration have changed my mind. Why should we worry about illegals that are just trying to leave their poverish country. Why should we worry about their back grounds. Why should we not give them healthcare. Why shouldn't we give them jobs. [3] Most of the facilities were designed to hold criminals, but the immigrants detained by ICE face only civil immigration proceedings and many have never been convicted of any crime. They include families and people seeking asylum. Only a tenth of the 33,400 beds in use are owned by ICE, and many of those beds are guarded by private contractors. [6]
The result is that in all but a handful of cases, the federal detention of an immigrant involves a payment to an outside company or agency. Many of those contracts were negotiated over the last decade when the government was outsourcing a growing number of services and ICE, under pressure to detain more immigrants who had previously been allowed to remain free, was rushing to add space. "They had to find quick places with beds," said Peter L. Markowitz, director of the Immigration Justice Clinic at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. [6]
We plan to skip all the legal stuff like visas, passports, immigration quotas and laws. I'm sure they handle those things the same way you do here. Would you mind telling your buddy, President Calderon, that I'm on my way over? Please let him know that I will be expecting the following: 1. [3] Brigham said that some families will go through the immigration legal proceedings and be deported. She said others might be released into the community to await hearings. [3]
The county isn't profiting from the money the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement service pays the county for housing the detainees. [3] The facility provides computer linkup services with immigration courts in York County. [3]
"We are like strangers," Zhu said through a translator. She worries the same thing will happen between her and a daughter in Beijing whose nine-year-old Immigration application was rejected last year after she turned 25 and, therefore, aged out of the process. [1] Many grievances over the nation's Immigration system stretch across ethnicities. Some problems -- such as the bureaucracy surrounding temporary work visas for high-tech jobs -- resonate more among Asians. [1] Get alerts when there is a new article from the San Diego Immigration Policy Examiner. [4] Through a Freedom of Information request, the AP obtained ICE's contracts with some of the largest immigration detention facilities; the agency also recently began posting dozens of other contracts online. [6]
"While a delay in enacting immigration reform is far from ideal, there are immediate actions that the Obama administration can take to ameliorate the human suffering caused by the misguided focus on failed enforcement measures," said Oscar Chalon, executive director of the National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities. The White House referred questions about halting or modifying enforcement to the Department of Homeland Security, where Secretary Janet Napolitano has been fielding questions about the administration's approach as she travels the country. [5]
RANKED RECOMMENDED SOURCES
(6 source documents numbered in order of appearance in text)
3. Berks County might stop housing illegal aliens
5. Fresh fight looms over immigration - Washington Times
1. Asians to meet on immigration: Town hall in Chicago expected to detail difficulties many have in reuniting with loved ones -- chicagotribune.com
6. Fed payments for holding immigrants vary widely - washingtonpost.com
4. Video proves that rumors of "amnestia" again drive illegal alien traffic north
2. Man Sentenced for Leaving Water for Immigrants « HipHopWired.com
3. Berks County might stop housing illegal aliens
5. Fresh fight looms over immigration - Washington Times
1. Asians to meet on immigration: Town hall in Chicago expected to detail difficulties many have in reuniting with loved ones -- chicagotribune.com
6. Fed payments for holding immigrants vary widely - washingtonpost.com
4. Video proves that rumors of "amnestia" again drive illegal alien traffic north
2. Man Sentenced for Leaving Water for Immigrants « HipHopWired.com
We still do have laws on immigration, and I applaud anyone who follows them as a path to American citizenship. To those who choose to enter the country illegally, I say a one-way ticket home would be a helluva lot cheaper than housing, medical care and education for you and your family - and so it should be. [1] Immigration is a FEDERAL issue, local law enforcement is not able to deal with it so let the federal government pick up the costs instead of having every state deal with the problem without the authority to do anything about it. [2]
Last week, the Obama administration announced a series of "major reforms" in the detention of illegal immigrants, including placing federal employees inside the largest facilities to monitor detainee treatment. In doing so, John Morton, the new director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, acknowledged the current system is both inconsistent and lacks oversight. "There isn't a uniform rhyme or reason to it," he said. Morton pledged to review all the agreements ICE has to detain illegal immigrants at 350 different facilities, an operation that will cost $1.7 billion this year. [3] FILE - In this May 22, 2009 file photo, the new director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Assistant Secretary John Morton stands with the skyline as a backdrop during a news conference at the Port of Miami. [3]
Huachuca, AZ August 21, 2009While overall Border Patrol apprehensions and illegal traffic appear to be down across the Southwestern U.S., rumors of "amnestia" are once again driving illegal aliens to El Norte. It happens every year and there is usually a delay from the time the media starts talking about "immigration reform" again to when the illegal traffic begins to increase. [4] The immigration process is soooo inefficient. To those who are here illegally. you are part of what keep people out. If people didn't overstay their visas others could come in and the process wouldn't be so cumbersome. Those are here illegally CANNOT be reqarded for their actions. [5] The issue goes deeper than immigration. What drives this is the way this culture shows disrespect for our laws & helping yourself without asking thinking you are entitled without giving, our all for one and one for all culture means( we act as one when trying to make a better life and living conditions for everyone). [1] DHS creates new ???Social Network??? on NING to discuss border and immigration issues. [4] Comments 0 Tags: Arizona, humanitarian, immigration, littering, No More Deaths. [6]
RANKED RECOMMENDED SOURCES
(6 source documents numbered in order of appearance in text)
4. Video proves that rumors of "amnestia" again drive illegal alien traffic north
1. Berks County might stop housing illegal aliens
3. Fed payments for holding immigrants vary widely - washingtonpost.com
6. Man Sentenced for Leaving Water for Immigrants « HipHopWired.com
5. Asians to meet on immigration: Town hall in Chicago expected to detail difficulties many have in reuniting with loved ones -- chicagotribune.com
2. Funding resolution moves forward on immigrant jail costs :: The Temecula Valley News
4. Video proves that rumors of "amnestia" again drive illegal alien traffic north
1. Berks County might stop housing illegal aliens
3. Fed payments for holding immigrants vary widely - washingtonpost.com
6. Man Sentenced for Leaving Water for Immigrants « HipHopWired.com
5. Asians to meet on immigration: Town hall in Chicago expected to detail difficulties many have in reuniting with loved ones -- chicagotribune.com
2. Funding resolution moves forward on immigrant jail costs :: The Temecula Valley News