Category: Immigration

Harry Reid Fiddles As GOP Addresses Border

Harry Reid Fiddles As GOP Addresses Border

When President Obama attacks Republicans or the Bush administration a pulsating W appears on the left side of his forehead. It’s a mystery.

 

President Obama, in a bitterly partisan and divisive press conference, yesterday, Aug. 1, condemned the Republican-controlled House of Representatives for failing to pass legislation addressing the border crisis.

So what did the GOP-controlled House do in response? They passed a bill addressing the border crisis.

And what is going to happen to this bill? Nothing, because the Democrat-controlled Senate has taken a recess.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in fact will be in Cherry HIll on Monday to campaign for New Jersey Democrats.

Priorities are priorities one supposes.

Hat tip Teri and Don Adams of Independence Hall Foundation.

Harry Reid Fiddles As GOP Addresses Border

Barack Obama DACA Cruelty

Courtesy of National Review

Barack Obama’s disdain for the slow, grinding mechanisms of government has become unmistakable of late. So it is little surprise that, frustrated by congressional inaction on his proposal for “comprehensive immigration reform,” the president last month declared that he would “fix as much of our immigration system as I can on my own.” The result, intimated by White House senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer last week, is a “very significant” executive action to be unveiled by the end of the summer. If reports of the contents of the order are credible, not only will the action fail to “fix” America’s immigration system, it will further undo the constitutionally prescribed separation of powers that this administration has already done so much to weaken.

The White House is reportedly weighing two options for executive action similar in kind to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that was implemented — also by executive fiat, via memorandum — in 2012. One option would grant temporary legal status to illegal-immigrant parents of U.S. citizens, authorizing them to remain in the country and to work here. The second option would do the same for illegal-immigrant parents of DACA recipients. These actions could affect anywhere from 3 to 6 million people.

Although the specifics are unknown, any unilateral action of this magnitude and type would be unprecedented. Permission to work would secure for millions of illegal immigrants the benefits of lawful status despite the absence of a green card or a pathway to citizenship. Already illegal immigrants, taken in toto, represent a net drag on the American economy of $55 billion a year, according to the Heritage Foundation, since they and their families make use of direct benefits (such as Social Security and Medicare), means-tested welfare benefits, public education, and other government-funded resources. The tacit moral sanction granted by a new DACA-type program would ensure that program participants are eventually guaranteed these services.

It is not unlikely that a new program would, like DACA, be pitched as a temporary measure. DACA deferrals, for instance, are given in two-year increments, after which recipients must renew their grant. But these “temporary” programs are no such thing. Consider Temporary Protected Status, established in 1990 to provide for illegal immigrants who, for reasons of war or natural disaster, cannot return to their home countries at the moment, but who do not qualify as refugees. Not one TPS beneficiary has been deported because his status expired. TPS status still shields Honduran refugees fleeing Hurricane Mitch, which struck in 1998. By this precedent, there is no reason to believe the Obama administration will aggressively enforce any new, supposedly temporary program.

In addition, any new DACA-style program will have the tendency to encompass persons beyond its target demographic. As U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officers report in the wake of DACA, anyone who appears to be under the maximum deferral age — that is, any illegal immigrant who appears younger than 33 years old — is presumed to be eligible for DACA. As of March 31, some 550,000 “DREAMers” have received permits under the order, but the program has functionally shielded from investigatory and/or enforcement actions probably 2 to 3 million illegal immigrants. No doubt a similar presumption would obtain under a new program, protecting millions who are technically ineligible.

DACA also belies the claim that unilateral executive actions are simply large-scale enactments of prosecutorial discretion, pragmatic measures necessitated by the federal government’s lack of resources. DACA has proven to involve a massive expenditure of both time and money that has required USCIS officers to table entrance applications from legal immigrants to accommodate the deluge of applicants from illegal immigrants. A de facto amnesty of 5 million illegal immigrants would overwhelm an already inundated system.

The problem, though, is finally one of constitutional order. Is Congress — and, through it, the electorate — responsible for the laws governing America’s borders? Or does one man get to decide who may enter and work in the United States? The assumption by the president of the ability to unilaterally welcome or reject migrants is a rank violation of the separation of powers. The president would no longer be enforcing existing law; he would be writing it anew at will on a scale heretofore unimagined.

Earlier this month Texas Republican senator Ted Cruz introduced a bill (S. 2666) that would cut off federal funds for the continued implementation of DACA and would prohibit any “agency or instrumentality of the Federal Government” from using federal resources “to authorize any alien to work in the United States” who was not lawfully admitted under the Immigration and Nationality Act. Although the bill is unlikely to pass the Democrat-controlled Senate, it will put pressure on red-state Democrats to defend their decision to countenance this executive-branch power grab.

Perhaps that can assist in the Republican campaign to retake the Senate. The campaign to restore immigration laws, and the rightful place of Congress in our constitutional order, will take much longer.
Barack Obama DACA Cruelty

Barack Obama DACA Cruelty

500 Illegals Pennsylvania Bound

500 Illegals Pennsylvania Bound it is being reported.

Old friend Tom Flocco sent links to a couple of stories here and here regarding how more than 500 children who have illegally  crossed our southern border have been sent to Pennsylvania.

Tom had some not-so-nice things to say regarding Republican Pennsylvania congressman Jim Gerlach, Patrick Meehan and Charlie Dent and their apparent support of the matter.

We are inclined to cut the trio some slack as protecting children harmed  by Barack Obama’s irresponsibility and cruelty is going to inevitably cause some stink to stick to one.

Still, our more compassionate political representatives (the Republicans) are going to have to make sure that those coming here really are children and not teenagers with teardrops tattooed to their faces and address rumors saying such.

500 Illegals Pennsylvania Bound

 

500 Illegals Pennsylvania Bound

 

Build Border Wall

By Chris Freind

The humanitarian crisis engulfing the United States — tens of thousands of parentless Central American children pouring across the southern border — will surely increase in scope. And the reason is simple: America continues to send the message that we welcome illegal immigrants with open arms, even young ones traveling alone.

That’s not just insane, but downright cruel.

It’s one thing if illegal immigrant advocates lobby for amnesty and open borders, but openly encouraging parents to send their children on a perilous journey is heartless. And make no mistake: That’s exactly the message being sent. Not surprisingly, the biggest advocate of all is the U.S. government.

The influx of these children has taken the immigration issue to a whole new level. And here’s the underlying short-term problem: While most are eventually designated for deportation (the key word being “eventually”), it often takes years to get a hearing in immigration court. In the meantime, the children are left in a scary, isolated limbo, not living a productive life, and, worst of all, remain far away from where they belong: at home, with their parents and families.

The parents, not seeing their children return home a short time after sending them off, assume deportations are not taking place, and that their kids have been officially accepted into American society as part of an open amnesty program. As the old shampoo commercial said, those parents tell two friends, and they tell two friends, and so on, to the point where it becomes widely perceived that sending more children to America is the right thing to do.

But it’s not.

With so many dangers confronting these defenseless children during their trek to America, from sickness to being taken advantage of by unscrupulous adults in a host of horrible ways, we should be doing everything in our power to stop this exodus from Central America. Now. That would be the humanitarian thing to do.

Instead, as is the case for every major issue we face, we look to tactics, not strategies, to solve the crisis, amounting to Band-Aids on hemorrhaging wounds. America has lost its gift of foresight, becoming reactive instead of proactive and jettisoning its ability to eliminate problems before they start, or, at the least, confronting them head-on with the iron will to solve them.

A glaring example of this is the clamor, on both sides of the aisle, to better fund and staff our immigration courts as a way of alleviating the massive backlog of cases, now exponentially higher given the influx of children. (There are 243 immigration judges, an average of one to every 1,545 pending cases).

Nice idea, but it misses the whole point. Ramping up the immigration courts will never solve the problem, because it doesn’t address it. More courts, judges and hearings may slightly alleviate the supply side of illegal immigration, but does nothing to cut down the demand. Until we get serious about reforming a broken immigration system, which neither party has any interest in doing, things will only deteriorate, and more people will attempt to cross the order for the perceived amnesty. Tensions will continue to escalate between citizens and illegal immigrants they see as threatening their physical and economic security, and the situation will become measurably uglier. And when that occurs, no one wins.

Here are some common sense solutions, which, if articulated correctly, would be reasonable to the vast majority of Americans, while providing compassion to people who yearn for the better life America provides:

1. Build the border wall. This is the single most important step to fixing the problem, as a formidable barrier will instantly send the message that America has gotten serious about stopping illegal border crossings. When families in Central America understand this, they will stop sending their children into harm’s way, saving countless lives. Since we have a $17 trillion debt, funding the wall won’t be an issue (what’s a few billion more?), but costs could be controlled by utilizing nonviolent prisoners and illegal immigrants to construct it. If we were smart, we would also stop giving foreign aid to any nation that encourages illegal immigration, and that refuses to accept their citizens whom we deport. That funding alone would be enough to build the wall.

Common sense tells us that a secure border wall would absolutely cut down the “supply” side of not just illegal immigrants, but drug traffickers and terrorists. Protecting our children and eliminating al-Qaeda’s free pass (possibly with a nuclear weapon) should be top priorities. For proof of effectiveness, look at Israel’s success with its wall. Walls work. Build it. Now.

2. There is no need to militarize the border, as some advocate. The smart utilization of current resources (and a secure wall) would be more than adequate. The numbers tell the story: The southern border is 2,000 miles long. As of 2012, there were over 21,000 Border Patrol agents. Even if we take 3,000 agents out of the equation (more than enough to patrol the Florida shores and those sneaky Canucks), that leaves nine agents per mile, which is an extraordinarily high staffing level. Making America into a military state is anathema to what we stand for and totally unnecessary.

3. Marketing America’s legal immigration policies in Central American nations is not mutually exclusive to instituting “self-deportation” policies for illegal immigrants. America is the most generous nation on Earth regarding legal immigration, and immigrants have always made America stronger. But the emphasis must be on entering the country legally.

One easy and cost-effective way to cut down on undocumented workers skirting the law is to mandate that all employers utilize the free E-Verify system, which quickly determines the legal status of a potential hire. Companies that do not comply should face stiff penalties. This is a win-win, as stringent law enforcement measures on businesses would also serve to eliminate lavish public benefits enjoyed by illegal immigrants — the mammoth costs of which are borne by taxpayers.

4. We must place partisan politics aside and reasonably deal with illegals already here. Failure to do so will only exacerbate an already bad situation.

We can document the workers already here by issuing long-term or lifetime work visas (after they pass a criminal background check), while permanently denying them citizenship and possibly levying fines. In doing so, they would begin paying their “fair share” through taxes and lessen the financial burden on U.S. citizens.

That’s not amnesty, but the only realistic approach to finally solving a huge, decades-old problem. It penalizes lawbreakers, documents millions (bringing them out of the shadowy underworld) and makes them, and Americans, considerably safer. It would increase tax revenue and make formerly illegal workers pay into benefits programs.

Solving America’s illegal immigration crisis amicably and reasonably, while protecting the most vulnerable of any society — the children — can be summed up by the quote, “The solutions are simple; they’re just not easy.”

For everyone’s sake — Americans, immigrants, and especially the youngest generation — it’s time to finally roll up our sleeves and get the job done.

 

Build Border Wall

Border Crisis Rally At I-95

Border Crisis Rally At I-95

About 35 concerned citizens, including several Delaware County Patriots, rallied at the Exit 1 overpass of I-95 in Boothwyn, Saturday, July 19, to call attention to swarming of the our southern border by illegal aliens and the negligence by the Obama administration in dealing with the mater.

The rally lasted from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and was among the hundreds that occurred across the United States to call attention to the problem.

“The constant honking and thumbs up from both the thousands of cars on I-95 and also the hundreds of cars passing by on the heavily traveled overpass road, in addition to positive comments from walkers, was heartening and indicated overwhelming support for our viewpoint,” said rally participant Joanne Yurchak.  “Hopefully, people are starting to wake up and realize that something has to be done before the damage that the current administration is doing to America can no longer be reversed.”

She noted that it is not  only children entering the country but gang members, criminals and terrorists.

BorderRally2

Some of the signs at Sa;turday’s border crisis rally at I-95.

 

Border Crisis Rally At I-95 on the overpass in Boothwyn

In action on the overpass

Brat Scares Amnesty Establishment

Dave Brat’s earthshaking defeat of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, June 10, in Virginia’s 7th District Congressional Republican primary should sound the siren for those who equate “immigration reform” as “amnesty, amnesty, amnesty or you’re a bigot.”

This would be most of the Republican establishment.

OK, you got your wake up call.

And here’s your bonus clue: instead of putting “amnesty” in the lead of your immigration reform proposals put “enforcement”. Work from the premise that our immigration and border control laws are necessary and just.

Really, simply say these words:  our immigration and border control laws are necessary and just.  Watch the mouths drop on the mainstream commentators and editorial writers. Watch them start to sputter. Watch the rest of America applaud.

Most of us conservatives don’t hate Mexicans — or  Irish, Chinese, Hondurans etc. who also have an illegal presence here. Most of us don’t think that they are evil people. Most of us understand that if we were in their shoes we might skirt the law to live in America if given the chance.

Imagine a red light. A driver who rolls through one is not a monster. But suppose  a cop rather than a ticket upon catching one gives him free food, health care and a college education. So much for orderly traffic. The system breaks down and the roads become unusable.

The first step in immigration reform should be to require that every government agency at every level have EVerify to check the immigration status of applicants.

Yes, this includes school districts.

The second step is to allow law enforcement officers at all levels to enforce the law they have sworn to duly uphold.

The third step is to impose painful sanctions on governments sworn to uphold the law who publicly declare they won’t. This means consequences for all who declare their cities to be sanctuaries. The consequences can include loss of funding and greater presence of federal law enforcement. Remember our immigration laws are just and necessary.

The fourth step is one of diplomacy aimed specifically at Mexico. Americans must be allowed to own property in Mexico along the border without being bound to a Mexican real estate bank. Mexico also must become safer. It had a murder rate as of 2012 of 22 per 100,000. This five times that of the United States which is 4.7 per 100,000. Mexico has strict gun control. We must push to get that nation to adopt the Second Amendment so they actually have the right to bear arms rather than just keep them in their homes. Oh, just imagine the heads that would spin when this is proposed. Yes, we must encourage the sane, law-abiding Mexicans who want to be left alone to be armed rather than arm the thugs in that nation which is perversely what our policy has been under the Obama administration. Finally, we have to bring home Marine Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi.

At that point we can start talking about cutting some slack to those who have been living here illegally for a long time and have assimilated into this country as a productive member of their community. Note this would not include gang members.

Brat Scares Amnesty Establishment

Brat Scares Amnesty Establishment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gutless GOP Fears Immigration Reform

Since the president’s State of the Union address is one week away, the annual debate on immigration reform will be in full swing. With the consistency of a broken record, ideologues on both sides will push for hard-line measures — to the absolute delight of the Washington establishment, which knows that doing so will kill any chance at a good bill.

Immigration reform hasn’t gone anywhere in decades, making one thing abundantly clear: Despite saying all the right things to appease their bases, neither party’s ruling class wants any part of it.

The Democrats benefit from illegal immigrants because many become aligned with that party, and yes, some even vote. More significant, labor unions — a de facto arm of the Democratic Party, misguided as it is — enjoy the current system because unchecked illegal immigration increases their ranks, swells their coffers, and generates more support to the party.

Republicans cower from reform for two reasons: First, they erroneously believe that pushing immigration issues hurts their standing with the Latino electorate. It doesn’t. Their lack of vision and inability to explain to Latinos how traditional Republican principles would make their lives better (lower taxes, energy independence, competitive schools, right to work) are what kills Hispanic support for the GOP. Second, too many influential big business constituencies lobby against reform since they benefit from cheap, under-the-table labor — pocketing the difference while consumers get the screws.

However, should the unthinkable occur — a chance at comprehensive reform — here are some ideas that should be on the table:

1. Leave the rhetoric behind and do not demonize illegal immigrants. It’s not their fault that the United States deliberately fails to enact strong measures to deter illegal immigration. Most are simply trying to make a better life for themselves and their families, often enduring unspeakable hardships, from terrifying border crossings to not seeing their loved ones for years. That said, we must not get caught up in emotional sob stories. There is a legal way to enter America; doing so illegally, and staying here, are crimes that must be dealt with fairly, but strictly. As President Reagan aptly stated, “A nation without borders is not a nation.”

2. America is, by far, the most generous nation on Earth regarding legal immigration, annually allowing entry to over one million. But since legal immigrants are being slapped in the face every time someone enters illegally, perhaps we should halt admitting the former until we enforce laws controlling the latter.

3. Build the border wall — period. It is disgraceful that the wall is not yet completed, despite authorizations to do so. Costs could be controlled by employing non-violent prisoners and yes — illegal immigrants — to finish construction, with funding derived from drug seizures. Unquestionably, secure (and fully constructed) border walls substantially cut down the “supply” side of equation. Just ask Israel.

And it’s not just illegal immigrants crossing, but drug traffickers and terrorists. If nothing else, protecting our children and eliminating al-Qaida’s free pass with a suitcase nuclear weapon should be everyone’s top priorities. Or we could wait until Phoenix and New York get vaporized before stopping illegal border crossings, though that might be a tad late.

4. Institute self-deportation policies. Employing stringent law enforcement measures on businesses, levying taxes and eliminating lavish public benefits all level the playing field for legal workers, and would end much of the free ride enjoyed by illegal immigrants. Many will find it so onerous that they will return home on their own accord.

Those pushing mass deportation are simply insane. It would literally take an army to find and deport the 12 to 20 million illegal immigrants, and the price tag would be astronomical. Worst of all, it would turn the U.S. into a bigger police state than it already is.

5. Federally mandate that every business utilize the free E-Verify system, which quickly determines the legal status of a potential hire (currently, its use is at the discretion of each state). This front line tool ensures a legal workforce. Companies in noncompliance should face stiff penalties — from hefty fines to the loss of business licenses, and criminal prosecution should be employed where warranted. Hitting businesses where it hurts the most — the pocketbook — always proves effective.

6. Until the illegal immigration issue is settled, there should be no government (a.k.a. “taxpayer”) assistance of any kind — local, state and federal. No drivers’ licenses, no community college, no benefits. No matter how compelling the arguments may be to lend assistance, illegal immigration is against the law. Government assistance to illegals is unequivocally aiding and abetting criminals. Change the law, but don’t ignore it whenever convenient. To do so leads to a total societal breakdown.

7. Illegal immigrants who have been convicted of crimes should serve their time and be deported immediately, yet they are routinely released back into our society — where they commit more crimes (statistics show that their recidivism rate is very high). Why aren’t they deported? Because their home countries don’t want them. Guess what? Tough. Pass the bill that was introduced five years ago that eliminates American aid to any country refusing its citizens. We’ll see how quickly they change their tune.

8. Most controversial of all, we need to address the illegals already here. We cannot deport them all; neither should we give them amnesty. A reasonable approach would be to document them and issue a long-term or lifetime work visa; permanently deny them American citizenship and the right to vote; require them to pass a criminal background check; have them begin paying taxes immediately; and levy a significant fine (deducted in installments directly from paychecks).

Some will call that amnesty, but it’s actually something else: Realistic. It penalizes lawbreakers, documents millions by bringing them out of the shadowy underworld, and makes them, and American citizens, considerably safer. It would increase tax revenue and, for the first time, make formerly illegal workers pay into the benefits programs. This system would also have the effect of making some return home, since they would quickly find that having to compete fair-and-square in the workforce is not easy, especially when there is a significant labor surplus and real unemployment near 15 percent.

There are no easy answers to illegal immigration, and neither side will ever be fully satisfied. But one thing is certain: if Congress fails to act soon, the situation will get exponentially worse for everyone.

In that case, Congress should receive no amnesty — and face immediate deportation from voters.

 Gutless GOP Fears Immigration Reform

 

Ron Johnson Illegal Immigration Vote

Ron Johnson Illegal Immigration Vote — Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin has explained why he was one of the 32 nay votes for the 1,187 “comprehensive immigration reform” bill (S. 744) that passed his chamber, June 27.

 

“My bottom line in deciding whether or not I support this bill has always been that it must solve the problem. Unfortunately, I’ve come to the conclusion that it will not.  The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reaches this same conclusion in its evaluation of the underlying bill, finding that the bill will only reduce illegal immigration by 25 percent.  That means an estimated 7.5 million more illegal immigrants will come to this country by 2033, recreating the uncertainty and fear in the next generation of children whose parents decide to come here illegally or overstay their visas.

“It’s not surprising that CBO reached this conclusion when you look at the amount of money we are spending on safety net benefits and other costs associated with this bill.  CBO estimates that the bill will increase federal direct spending by $262 billion over the next 10 years.  Most of those outlays would be for increases in refundable tax credits and in spending on health care programs for non U.S. citizens.  That is why I introduced an amendment to prevent noncitizens from accessing the Earned Income Tax Credit.  This amendment did not even get a vote, despite that fact that a recent National Journal poll found that 77 percent of all Americans oppose making newly legalized immigrants ‘eligible for government benefits . . . before they become citizens.’

 

Johnson noted that he is not against reform and that there were things he liked in the bill such as the way it would have replaced ” the H-2A agriculture visa that has not worked with a much more workable system, ”

Give him credit or reading the stupid thing which is more than I would have done as the assumption is safe to make that 1,187 page pieces of legislation are intrinsically corrupt  and should be automatically rejected.

With regard to the Pennsylvania contingent, Bob Casey, the Democrat, voted aye as expected as he is a good little mindless pawn for puppeteers who run things in D.C. while Pat Toomey, the Republican, voted nay.

All the nays were cast by Republicans albeit 14 members of the GOP voted for the bill.

Here is the roll call.

The bill now goes to the House where all thinking people must pressure their congressman to kill it.

Hat tip Stephen Kruiser at  PJMedia.com

Ron Johnson Illegal Immigration Vote

Supreme Court Ruling On AZ Voting Was Win For Good Guys

J. Christian Adams, the former Justice Department civil rights attorney who has made a crusade of fighting abuses by the Obama Administration, is saying the Supreme Court ruling overturning Arizona’s requirement that proof of citizenship be presented when voting is actually a huge win for the good guys despite the hand-wringing occurring in some conservative circles.

Adams says that only a insignificant technical point was overturned while allowing Arizona to continue the citizenship mandate via other means.  He said the corrupters lost big and know it.

Read his explanation here.