VP Biden: No to Closing the Border, Yes to Avoiding Air Travel and Subways

Vice President Biden went on NBC "Today" and said that he advised his family to stay off airplanes and subways because of the new swine flu. However, in the same interview he said that it would be impractical to close the U.S. border with Mexico because the swine flu has already spread to the U.S. and several other nations. You can read the story from MSN.com here. What are your thoughts about the VP's comments?

Mass Amnesty Has President Caught Between a Rock and a Hard Place

If President Obama, and his filibuster-proof majority in the Senate and clear majority in the House of Representatives, moves forward on amnesty, the President will still want to give the appearance of bipartisanship. But the President's close relationship to organized labor, a major constituency of Democrats, may make enactment of amnesty very difficult.

In the past, organized labor has been divided over amnesty. Recently, the two factions have bridged the divide and have come together behind a proposal that includes amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants currently in the U.S. but which also creates a commission to determine how many foreign workers will be allowed to enter the U.S. in the future. The commission would be authorized to increase immigration levels as the economy grows and decrease immigration levels as the economy slows.

This proposal, which has not been received well by Republican Senators who have supported amnesty in the past, gives the unions everything they want. The unions get mass amnesty today, which will lead to more dues paying members in the short term, while deferring whether business has the ability to bring in competitive laborers in the future.

Overlooked however, including in this article, is that amnesty will allow millions of illegal aliens to take jobs away from U.S. residents during a worsening economy. Amnesty will give all sorts of benefits to lawbreaking illegal aliens at U.S. taxpayers' expense.

Instead of just talking about putting America back to work, Congress should enact real immigration enforcement to help Americans find work. America must enact immigration reform that doesn't reward criminal behavior. That plan must set border security and workplace enforcement as top priorities.

Rewarding bad behavior will only lead to more bad behavior. We learned this from the last mass amnesty program in 1986. Since the 1986 amnesty, America's illegal immigration problems have only gotten worse.

Senate Subcommittee to Hold Hearing on Amnesty

From FAIR's Government Relations team
The Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and Citizenship will hold a hearing on Thursday, April 30 at 2:00 PM entitled "Comprehensive Immigration Reform in 2009, Can We Do It and How?"

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) took over the chairmanship of the Immigration, Border Security and Citizenship subcommittee after Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) stepped down from the post late last year. As a Member of the House of Representatives, Schumer - who will preside over the hearing - was instrumental in brokering a compromise on the highly ineffective Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, a bill that granted amnesty to millions of illegal aliens in exchange for false promises that provisions in the bill would stem the tide of illegal immigration. In a Newsday interview last Friday, Schumer stated that the problem with the 1986 amnesty was that "no one believed it was tough enough on illegal immigration, and it didn't give enough flexibility on future legal immigration."

While the hearing will not focus on any specific piece of legislation, FAIR has obtained a list of several witnesses the Democratic majority has invited to testify:

- J. Thomas Manger, Montgomery County, MD Chief of Police - Manger has been an outspoken critic of the 287(g) program, which allows Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to enter into agreements to train state and local law enforcement agencies in the enforcement of federal immigration laws.
- Alan Greenspan, Economist and Former Federal Reserve Chairman - Greenspan has repeatedly called for eased restrictions on immigration. In March 2007, Greenspan spoke positively about immigration saying that America should open the immigration floodgates in an effort to suppress the wages of American workers. In his own words: "Our skilled wages are higher than anywhere in the world. If we open up a significant window for skilled workers, that would suppress the skilled-wage level...."The Baltimore Sun has suggested that Greenspan will argue at the hearing that granting amnesty to millions of illegal aliens will somehow benefit the economy.
- Dr. Joel C. Hunter, Member of President Obama's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships - Hunter, who also serves as the Senior Pastor at the Northland Church in Longwood, Florida, is a member of "Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform" - an organization that supports amnesty for illegal aliens.
- Eliseo Medina, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) International Executive Vice President - Medina recently endorsed an amnesty bill outline authored by the two most prominent labor union coalitions: AFL-CIO and Change to Win. SEIU is a member of the Change to Win coalition.
- Doris Meissner, Migration Policy Institute (MPI) Senior Fellow - Meissner was the Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization Services under President Bill Clinton and has advised the Obama Administration on immigration policy.

True immigration reformers will have at least one ally at the hearing. Kris Kobach, whose impressive resume includes working as Senior Counsel for the Immigration Reform Law Institute (FAIR's legal affiliate) and as a Professor of Immigration Law and Constitutional Law at the University of Missouri (Kansas City), will testify at the hearing, as well. Kobach is an expert in the inherent authority of local law enforcement to make immigration arrests, having published an article in the Albany Law Review on this issue. Additionally, Kobach was involved in overseeing the implementation of the first two 287(g) agreements as Counsel to the U.S. Attorney General from 2001 to 2003 and has testified before Congress in support of this valuable program.

The hearing can be viewed by following this link and clicking on the "Webcast" button. Also, FAIR's Government Relations staff will Twitter live from the event. You can follow that stream here.

FAIR urges you to call the Members of the subcommittee and tell them that you are opposed to amnesty:

Democratic Members:
- Chuck Schumer (NY) (Chairman): (202)-224-6542
- Patrick J. Leahy (VT): (202)-224-4242
- Dianne Feinstein (CA): (202)-224-3841
- Dick Durbin (IL): (202)-224-2152
- Sheldon Whitehouse (RI): (202)-224-2921
- Ron Wyden (OR): (202)-224-5244

Republican Members:
- John Cornyn (TX) (Ranking Member): (202)-224-2934
- Chuck Grassley (IA): (202)-224-3744
- Jon Kyl (AZ): (202)-224-4521
- Jeff Sessions (AL): (202)-224-4124

Was Mass Amnesty Dealt a Blow by Specter's Switch?

While Sen. Specter's switch to the Democratic side of the aisle means that Republicans will have a much harder time restraining the excesses of one-party rule, his switch may have a negative effect on the administration's push for mass amnesty. Sen. Specter's support for mass amnesty (he co-sponsered the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act in 2006, which sought to obtain amnesty for longtime illegal immigrants and to increase the number of guest workers) could have had a sizable impact in garnering support from the GOP side and drafting a bipartisan bill. As Dana Goldstein wrote yesterday, the loss of bipartisan support could represent a setback for an amnesty push. Check out the analysis provided by Congress Daily, as well as this article in Forbes.com to see how this switch affects the make up of the U.S. Senate.

Are Mexican Authorities Violating Our Borders?

According to an annual report by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) 147 foreign government incursions occurred in 2008, a 359 percent increase from the previous year. So why did our government seek to keep the report secret? I thought we were supposed to be securing our borders? Read the expose' in the Washington Times by Torrey Meeks.

Possible Downside to Specter Switch: Immigration

Dana Goldstein, writing on the group blog of The American Prospect, thinks that today's party switch by Sen. Arlen Specter represents a setback for President Barack Obama's plans for mass amnesty. Get the whole story here.

Sheriffs want to test immigration ruling

Pima County (AZ) Sheriff Clarence Dupnik wants to run a little test.....he wants to start asking students whether they are in this country legally. Read the latest in today's East Valley Tribune.

Census reps: Legal status not important

As far as the 2010 U.S. Census is concerned, it does not matter if a person is a legal citizen. As a matter of fact, the new, simplified census form doesn't even ask if members of a household are citizens. WMICentral.com has the latest about the 2010 Census.

Napolitano: Closing border not the answer to flu

Dept. of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano stressed the need for personal responsibility in preventing the spread of swine flu. This despite her acknowledgment that asymptomatic flu carriers could enter the country and her refusal to shut down the border. Read The Hill's coverage of this emerging story.

A change of perspective comes on immigration

After ignoring the illegal immigration issue for a long time, freelance writer Ann Lewis' "Ah-hah!" moment came as she looked at the newspaper's front page picture of a long snaking line of nearly 1,000 people, standing in the hot sun at a job fair. Read her gripping article in today's Ashville Citizen-Times.

45% View Homeland Security's Napolitano Unfavorably

According to the lastest Rasmussen polls only 30 percent have a favorable opinion of Dept. of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. Following her department's release of a controversial report on right-wing extremist groups last week, 23 percent say their view of her is very unfavorable. Read about the latest report at RasmussenReports.com.

Immigration: Trouble at ICE

Guy W. Farmer, a semi-retired journalist and former U.S. diplomat, thinks that the idea that we can enforce our immigration laws without workplace enforcement action is absurd. Read his analysis in the Nevada Appeal.

LA County Spends $44 Million On Welfare For Children Of Illegal Immigrants In March

The city of Los Angeles Department of Public Social Services reports that the cost of illegal immigration to Los Angeles County taxpayers exceeds over one billion dollars annually. KTHS News breaks down the costs here.

Illegal Immigrants Will Get Stimulus Jobs

Studies predict illegal immigrants living and working in the U.S. could take up to 300,000 construction specific jobs, or 15 percent of the two million jobs the new taxpayer-financed $787 billion stimulus bill will create. Read the whole story from American Daily Review.

Welcome to the Revamped Stein Report

Today, everyone at FAIR is pleased to unwrap our redesigned Stein Report. We've kept the same basic arrangement, but it was time for a fresh look and we think you'll be happy with the end result.

DREAM Act to Provide In-State Tuition Benefits for Illegal Aliens!

The recent reintroduction of the DREAM Act 2009 has revived the debate about the fairness of offering in-state tuition benefits to children of illegal immigrants. Watch this CNN clip in which FAIR's Media Director, Ira Mehlman debates Gumecindo Salas, Vice President of Governmental Relations with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities.

Ira discusses why U.S. taxpayers should not be held responsible for children of those here illegally and stresses the negative effect this plan would impose on U.S. legal residents competing for limited admission slots and financial aid in our colleges.

Bill bars illegal aliens from state colleges

The Missouri state House of Representatives voted 125-30 on Thursday to approve a bill that would bar illegal immigrants from attending Missouri public universities. Supporters of the legislation argue that state resources shouldn't be used to benefit illegal immigrants. The Springfield News-Leader has the latest.

Economy May Force Obama to Abandon Plan to Overhaul Immigration

Bloomberg's Nicholas Johnston writes that while President Obama has said he remains "committed to fixing our broken immigration system" this year, the current economic recession and highest unemployment rate in more than 25 years would make it difficult for him to push legislation that would legalize millions of immigrants in the country illegally and create a new guest-worker program. Read the story here.

WA Senate: Send jailed illegal immigrants to feds

In an attempt to cut spending in light of a $9 billion deficit through the next two-year budget cycle, Washington Governor Chris Gregoire and the Washington State Senate passed a measure that clears the way for the state Department of Corrections to send imprisoned illegal immigrants to federal custody and likely deportation. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer has the story.

THAT'S DEBATABLE: Governor defends illegal immigrants

Recently, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said ignorant bigots make claims that illegal immigration is to blame for the state's fiscal woes. See what three California state politicians had to say about Gov. Schwarzenegger's statements.

ACLU takes city to task over license checkpoints

The Escondido, CA, Sheriff says that license checkpoints have helped reduce the number of hit-and-run accidents from more than 600 a year in 2004 to 433 last year - a drop of more than 25%. However, the ACLU accuses the department of using the program to apprehend and deport illegal immigrants and are resulting in suspicion and resentment among many Latinos. Read the story from San Diego's Union Tribune.

Immigration policy can wait until current storm passes

The Tampa Tribune thinks that while immigration policy is an important issue, we need to first get people back to work, get the stock market working again and build consumer confidence, while enforcing the laws we already have on the books. Read the complete article here.

Arpaio critics push to make sheriff's post an appointed position

Seems like foes of Sheriff Joe Arpaio are looking at looking at a new avenue to unseat the popular sheriff - making it a politically appointed position. The Phoenix Business Journal's Mike Sunnucks writes about efforts by Sheriff Arpaio's foes to put the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in control of this position.

County moves against illegal immigration

Another local jurisdiction is getting tough on illegal immigration. The Greenville, South Carolina, County City Council voted to adopt an ordinance that will allow it to shut down businesses that knowingly hire illegal immigrants. Rudolph Bell has the whole story in today's GreenvilleOnline.com.

Napolitano Says Border Crossing Rules Won't Be Stalled

Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano today said new U.S. border crossing requirements will go into effect June 1 and acknowledged she has not decided whether more fencing should be built along the nation's boundary with Mexico. Read today's article in Congress Daily.

McCain gets conservative primary challenger

AZ Senator John McCain will face a challenge in the Republican senatorial primary. Former Minuteman founder Chris Simcox will formally announce his Senate bid on Wednesday. Read the story in today's issue of CNNPolitics.com.

The high cost of illegal immigration

Ronald Mortensen, writing for Standard.net, thinks that the Salt Lake City police department's policy of sacrificing enforcing immigration laws to maintain good relations with Utah's rapidly growing illegal alien community may be good for the illegal aliens but it is bad for Utah citizens because illegal immigration and identity theft go hand-in-hand. Read his analysis and commentary here.

Agreement Could Backfire on Immigration Reform

Organized labor's recent announcement of a unified front in support of comprehensive immigration reform (including amnesty to the estimated 12 million immigrants in this country illegally) could disrupt what's left of the delicate bipartisan balance on one of the most politically charged issues in Congress. Read the analysis by Jared Allen in The Hill.

Georgia Gets Tough on Illegal Immigration

A measure recently approved by the State of Georgia General Assembly will require jailers to alert federal agents when they encounter an illegal immigrant charged with misdemeanors of a "high and aggravated nature." The only thing missing to put this measure into law is Gov. Perdue's signature. Read the whole story from this weekend's Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Jobless Rates Pose Threat to Immigration Reform

There is a great deal of pressure on the Obama administration from mass amnesty advocacy groups to address illegal immigration this year. Under the current economic condition, this could be a very risky endeavor for the White House reports Roll Call in this article.

In New Jersey, Bills Offering In-State Tuition to Illegal Immigrants Face a Fight

A blue-ribbon panel convened by Gov. Jon S. Corzine to study immigration matters unanimously supported a proposal to offer in-state tuition benefits to illegal immigrants in a report issued last month, and the governor has also endorsed the idea. However, the New York Times reports that even the most hopeful immigrant advocates in New Jersey concede that these developments may not be enough to push the proposal.

Napolitano Misstates U.S. Immigration Law During CNN Interview

By Julie Kirchner, Executive Director of FAIR
Immigration reformers have been watching closely as the Obama Administration has been quietly, but systematically, dismantling all effective immigration enforcement programs. E-Verify, 287(g) and worksite enforcement are only a few of the most prominent programs the Obama Administration has undermined. And while U.S. immigration laws go unenforced, President Obama has committed to pushing for amnesty legislation this year, in essence stating that enforcing our immigration laws is too burdensome and not worth the resources.

The Obama Administration's decision to abandon the enforcement of U.S. immigration laws was only highlighted Sunday morning when Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano bungled the fundamentals of U.S. immigration law during an interview on CNN's State of the Union. Napolitano appeared on the show, hosted by John King, to discuss the latest intelligence report, border security, immigration reform, and a host of related issues. During the interview, the discussion turned to Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Arizona. King asked Napolitano to respond to Arpaio's statement that he hoped the federal government would prosecute all aliens who cross the border illegally. Napolitano responded:

"Well, you know, Sheriff Joe, he is being very political in that statement, because he knows that there aren't enough law enforcement officers, courtrooms or jail cells in the world to do what he is saying.

What we have to do is target the real evil-doers in this business, the employers who consistently hire illegal labor, the human traffickers who are exploiting human misery.

And yes, when we find illegal workers, yes, appropriate action, some of which is criminal, most of that is civil, because crossing the border is not a crime per se. It is civil. But anyway, going after those as well." (CNN Transcript: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0904/19/sotu.01.html)

ENTRY WITHOUT INSPECTION IS A CRIME: In fact, pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1325, crossing the border illegally is a crime--a misdemeanor for the first offense and a felony for the second and subsequent offenses. But of course, ignoring or mischaracterizing the law is a very convenient way for those in power to avoid the laws they find most inconvenient. Sadly, statements such as these are also a signal that Americans will have to wait a long time before their government articulates any credible immigration enforcement policy.

Recent Polls Show Lack of Support for Amnesty

From FAIR's Government Relations team
Some interesting polls released earlier this week highlighted likely voters' rejection of mass amnesty for illegal aliens but strong support for more border security and enforcement. A Rasmussen poll which came out on Tuesday, April 14, reported that 66 percent of likely voters nationwide want improved border security and a reduction in illegal immigration. This stood in deep contrast with America's political establishment where only 32 percent think that more border security and reduced illegal immigration are the answer.

In another poll released on the same day by Rasmussen only five percent of voters name immigration as the most important issue facing our country throwing cold water on the mass amnesty's special interest groups' consensus that immigration reform should be a priority for the current administration.

From an economic perspective, a Pew Hispanic Center study also released this week underscored a growing dilemma in the immigration debate. According to the study, illegal immigrants' children born in the United States are American citizens, and they are nearly twice as likely to live in poverty than those with American-born parents. The study clearly shows that mass amnesty is not an economically viable option for this nation.

A more detailed analysis of this study and polls will be included in next week's issue of FAIR's Legislative Update, so stay tuned.

DHS Report Raises Eyebrows Among Conservatives

The recent unclassified Dept. of Homeland Security report that warns against the possibility of violence by unnamed "right-wing extremists" concerned about illegal immigration, increasing federal power, restrictions on firearms, abortion and the loss of U.S. sovereignty and singles out returning war veterans as particular threats was subject of a segment on the Lou Dobbs show on April 17. FAIR's President Dan Stein appeared on the program to discuss this new disturbing report.

Illegal immigrants detained, then freed to work

FAIR's Ira Mehlman wants to know what DHS Secretary Napolitano means when she says that she would "get to the bottom" of what happened in a recent workplace enforcement action in Bellingham, WA. CNN.com gives the details of a case that has caused much controversy.

Special Birth Certificate for Children of Illegal Immigrants Proposed

A new ballot initiative that would require illegal immigrants to get a special birth certificate for their American born children has been proposed in California. Read the latest about this proposal at SanDiego6.com.

Why reforming immigration is risky business for Obama

There is much political pressure on President Obama from many mass amnesty special interest groups to address immigration reform, and according to FAIR's Bob Dane "It is very obvious that the groundwork is emerging for a massive amnesty, probably in the fall." John Ibbitson of Toronto's Globe and Mail takes a closer look at the potential risks of pushing this polarizing issue to the Obama administration in this article.

Immigration Amnesty Is Unpopular Outside the Beltway

Bonnie Erbe thinks that President Obama should leave immigration alone until the nation comes closer to reaching some sort of consensus on what should be done. Read her insightful blog in today's Opinon section of USNews.com.

On Immigration, Large Gap Remains Between Mainstream America and Political Class

Rasmussen's latest poll shows some real differences of opinions between likely voters and the political establishment when it comes to reducing illegal immigration. Read about the results on RasmussenReports.com and access a video about the issue here.

Hispanic groups call for Census boycott

A group that says it represents 20,000 evangelical churches in 34 states, issued a statement this week urging illegal aliens not to participate in the 2010 Census unless Congress gives them amnesty. Read the whole story from USAToday.

Wall Street Still Finds Ways to Hire Foreigners

Some big U.S. banks that have received billions of dollars from the government are shipping some of their newest recruits overseas in order to comply with a federal law that restricts their ability to hire foreign workers for U.S. jobs. Companies such as J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., Citigroup Inc., Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Morgan Stanley are offering international jobs to foreign students whom they have recruited from U.S. colleges and graduate schools. Read the story in today's Wall Street Journal.

Tax Day Special: Immigration Tax-Credit Scandal

Tax Day is the perfect time to examine less-familiar facets of the tax code, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). The EITC functions as a wealth transfer to the poor, while today's mass immigration imports poverty. The combination of these two factors makes a needless tax burden on native-born American families that much worse. Read the analysis from James R. Edwards Jr. in today's National Review Online.

Gov't views opponents of abortion, illegal immigration as possible threats

Department of Homeland Security officials have issued a report which links people with pro-life, anti-illegal immigration views, teachers of end-time prophecies, and veterans of war with "right-wing extremist" groups. The report has generated a flood of negative responses by many groups, and the American Legion was quick to publish a response in this Washington Times article.

US to name border czar to watch Mexican border

An Obama administration official says that Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on Wednesday will name Alan Bersin "border czar" to oversee issues related to drug-cartel violence along the U.S.-Mexico border and the hundreds of thousands of people who try to enter the U.S. illegally through the Southwest. Mr. Bersin, a former federal prosecutor, will work with international officials and their counterparts in the U.S. and border states. Read today's story from the Associated Press.

Voters Don't Rank Immigration As A Priority Issue

Despite reports that President Obama plans to begin a push for mass amnesty over the next few months, a new Rasmussen poll says that only five percent of voters name immigration as the most important issue facing our country. Most voters have consistently said that securing the borders to prevent illegal immigration is more important than legalizing the status of immigrants already in the country illegally. Read about this latest poll here.

Lawmakers approve illegal immigrant license ban

State of Maryland legislators passed a new law that will prevent illegal immigrants from holding Maryland licenses as of July 1, 2015. Legislators have wrestled all session with how to end Maryland's status as the only state east of the Rocky Mountains that issues licenses to illegal immigrants, with many worried the state had become a magnet for fraud. Read today's story from Examiner.com.

Study: Illegal immigrants having more kids in US

An interesting study released Tuesday by the Pew Hispanic Center highlights a growing dilemma in the immigration debate: Illegal immigrants' children born in the United States are American citizens, and they are nearly twice as likely to live in poverty than those with American-born parents. For more information about this study click here.

Judge Halts Investigation Into ID Theft in Colorado

A lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado against the Weld County district attorney, Kenneth R. Buck, and Sheriff John Cooke, was successful in convincing a state judge to order a halt Monday to an identity theft investigation that has implicated more than 1,000 suspected illegal immigrants. Dan Frosch of the New York Times gives the whole story in this article.

Labor Groups Immigration Deal Boosts Mass Amnesty Effort

John Sweeney, president of the A.F.L.-C.I.O., and Joe T. Hansen, a leader of the rival Change to Win federation have agreed to join forces to support an overhaul of the immigration system. The move provides President Obama significant support among unions as he prepares for a major push for mass amnesty for the millions of illegal aliens in the U.S. in the midst of an economic recession. Read all about it in the New York Times.

Illegal Immigration's Negative Effect on Our Healthcare System

When unveiling his first federal budget in February, President Obama remarked that his budget makes an "historic commitment to comprehensive health care reform." The White House also said that the President's health care plan is "important in ensuring long-term economic recovery." It is disappointing to see that as the current administration attempts to address the dual challenges of fixing a struggling economy and addressing runaway healthcare costs it continues to ignore the impact illegal immigration has on state budgets and health care costs.

In the following April 2008 video, a Florida hospital administrator with the Martin Memorial Medical Center (located in Martin County, Florida) testifies before the House Committee on State Affairs in the Florida Legislature. She details the cost of providing health care to illegal aliens in her hospital - costs that could easily drive her hospital into bankruptcy. The witness's testimony includes the following facts:

From 2001 to 2003, the hospital provided an Illegal alien patient with "over $1.5 million in health care services" before the hospital forcibly returned the illegal alien to Guatemala at the hospital's own expense of $30,000. The family of the illegal alien is now suing the hospital for returning the illegal alien to his home country. The administrator notes that the hospital has spent more than $250,000 defending this suit.

At the time of the testimony, the hospital had been treating an illegal alien patient from Mexico with severe brain damage. The illegal alien had been in the hospital for over 760 days and the hospital had incurred costs of $1.5 million to provide medical care because the alien was uninsured and indigent. The testimony detailed that the hospital had contacted the Mexican consulate and U.S. authorities to alleviate the burden of providing uncompensated care but neither government had responded.

In 2007, the Florida Hospital Association estimated that Florida hospitals had provided more than $100 million in costs for illegal alien health care.

Ongoing care for illegal aliens is a significant problem for hospitals as they are not able to turn patients away. The official used the example of dialysis treatment for renal (kidney) failure, citing that her hospital is currently providing recurring health care for 6 illegal alien patients who receive treatment every three days without any reimbursement.

A large percentage of babies born in the hospital are from illegal alien parents.

Between lawsuits brought on by illegal aliens and their families, and the refusal by the Mexican government to care for their own citizens, the burdens that illegal immigration places on the American health care system is an issue that the Obama administration should be taking head on. Instead, the administration talks about providing amnesty to illegal aliens.

Emanuel Now Backs Mass Amnesty

While Rahm Emanuel once predicted that a push for mass amnesty for the millions of illegal aliens in the U.S. wouldn't be considered until the second term of a Democratic president, he now says conversations on the issue will begin this year to lay the groundwork for possible action in 2010....and he's made it clear through his actions that the mass amnesty special interest groups can count on his help. Read the whole story from the Wall Street Journal.

Jailing illegal immigrants costs us now - and later

Allen County Sheriff Ken Fries is a no-nonsense cop who simply wants to enforce the law - including immigration laws many politicians and special-interest groups have deemed politically correct and perhaps even racist. Read Ken Leininger's editorial in the News Sentinel about the price San Francisco is paying for its "santuary city" designation.

Arrest Data Add Fuel to Debate on Illegal Residents

Prince William County Police Chief Charlie T. Deane said that the new immigration enforcement policy in his county has definitely "had some impact." The policy was crafted after many residents blamed illegal immigrants for overcrowding in their neighborhoods and for general lawlessness. Read the article from Sunday's Washington Post.

Will the climate ever be right for mass amnesty?

"There's no way the American people are going to understand a move, a big move for an immigration amnesty now as anything other than a naked party power grab of putting party interest above public interest," said Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform. Could the timing not be worse for this administration to push for mass amnesty? Read today's article by Kristi Keck in the Politics section of CNN.com.

H-1B Visa Demand Plunges with Economy

While demand for the controversial H-1B visas is falling sharply in light of the current economic environment, for technology companies like Microsoft and Cisco Systems the demand is still strong. In addition to the 65,000 visas for workers with undergraduate degrees, the government grants another 20,000 H-1B visas for foreign graduates with advanced degrees. The U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services said almost all of those slots have been filled. Read the full story in today's eWeek.com.

Amnesty + No Border Fence = Disaster

The White House's director of intergovernmental affairs, Cecilia Munoz, is calling for mass amnesty....but what she is not calling for is any sort of fence to secure the U.S.-Mexican border. This is in stark difference with the recent results of a Rasmussen national survey showing vast support for continued construction of a fence along the U.S.-Mexico border and the use of the military, if necessary, in border areas. Read Marc Rotterman's article in FoxNews.com's Fox Forum.

No, You Can't!

In a recent editorial, Mark Cromer a senior fellow for Californians for Population Stabilization (CAPS), explains why he thinks that President Obama's attempt at mass amnesty will fail.

Just five months ago, as Barack Obama became the president-elect and the economic slump began turning into an avalanche, the chances that the incoming president would make "immigration reform" a priority in his first year registered somewhere between zero and none.

Legalizing tens of millions of people who broke into the country and putting them on competitive par with the millions of jobless Americans desperately looking for work has about as much political pizzazz as proposing liquor stores be allowed to sell assault rifles with no waiting period--probably even less.

But a lot of hard-to-imagine things have come to pass since November, from the feds throwing a trillion dollars into the boiler rooms of the nation's sinking financial ships to Washington D.C.'s bureaucratic brain trust effectively taking over two-thirds of America's domestic auto industry. The nationalization of the healthcare system is more likely to happen now than ever before.

And it now seems almost certain that this year will also see President Obama endorse and aggressively push for the largest mass amnesty in the history of nations--fighting hard to legalize with the stroke of his pen as many as 30 million men, women and children who came to the United States illegally and put them on a path to citizenship.

Obama recently met with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and vowed to fight for an amnesty plan this year, which must have been music to their ears. The ethnocentric caucus currently numbers 24 members out of 435 House seats, but a mass amnesty would quickly amount to an ethno-demographic freight train that would dramatically increase the caucus's electoral powerbase. Considering that 23 of the 24 caucus members are Democrats, their demand for amnesty comes with some partisan cover for the president--they're on the same team.

And if there is any doubt as to just how critical the Hispanic caucus believes amnesty is to its agenda; consider that its members acknowledged that they spent their entire meeting with Obama discussing only immigration reform. No discussion of the economy, no talk of the unemployment figures, no dialog over healthcare, and certainly no consideration of the deficit or the national debt--nope, just amnesty.

As surprising as this may seem given the collapsing economy and growing misery among the American public, it's for those very reasons that launching another frenzied campaign for amnesty this year makes sense. Quite simply, they see it as their last chance for a long time to come. And given the stakes, there is no question they intend to double-down and go for broke to put an amnesty bill on Obama's desk before the end of this year.

The network of ethnocentric Latino groups, led by the National Council of La Raza, are expected to pour more than $18 million into the campaign for mass amnesty, a spending spree that is almost certainly going to be supplemented by millions more dollars from business interests determined to keep hungry Americans off their job sites. (If amnesty seems counter-productive to businesses that gouge profits from cheap, illegal labor, then ask yourself why they have long supported it? The answer is that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and its allies know amnesty will trigger an even greater wave of illegal immigration; one that will explode the underground labor market and drive wages even lower.)

Their new campaign will promote the same core messaging that their previous, failed drives for amnesty have featured: a) illegal immigrants are working jobs that lazy Americans refuse to do; and b) opponents of "immigration reform" are xenophobic, anti-Latino bigots that hate immigrants and enjoy hurting children. This year they may also claim that their opponents boil puppies and eat spiders, just for good measure.

The Obama administration will use the same claim in the fight for amnesty that it honed during its battle for the trillion-dollar stimulus package: insisting that "immigration reform" has to happen right now, that our economic recovery depends on it and that he won't brook a prolonged debate on the issue.

In short, he will try to ram it through the House and Senate as fast as he did the stimulus package, crossing his fingers that Congress won't read this bill before the vote either.

The national media will dutifully fall in behind amnesty--again--intoning dire warnings against Nativist impulses and nationalistic sentiments, warnings that they oddly failed to direct at the half-million people who poured through downtown Los Angeles three years ago this spring waving a sea of Mexican flags, shouting "Viva la Raza!" and chanting prophetically "Si se puede!"

So as Obama prepares to swing for the fences with another amnesty bill, and with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as his base coaches, the fate of any amnesty will come down to another congressional caucus--the Blue Dog Democrats. While amnesty proponents are again likely to find enough votes to get a bill through the Senate; a bulwark of House Republicans is likely to unify against it.

If the majority of the 51 conservative Democrats in the Blue Dog caucus join them, then the bill will die in the House.

The more palatable Obama and Pelosi attempt to make an amnesty to the Blue Dogs--by adding harsher enforcement measures--they risk losing key liberal votes that are already under pressure from labor. And if the bill seems dead in the House, then fewer senators will be willing to stick their necks out with a risky vote on a doomed bill.

This political maneuvering, most of which occurred behind closed doors during previous attempts at amnesty, is certain to reignite the prairie fire of opposition that is still smoldering across a country staggering from successive economic blows. The fire next time will burn even hotter for politicians that vote for amnesty--no matter how loud the McCarthyesque screams of 'Racism!' become.

It may be infuriating that Obama is preparing to push for amnesty with the country in this condition; but it's a pyrrhic victory for its supporters. It shows how desperate they are and how they understand their chances of success grow slimmer with each passing day.

As for Obama, ironically, it may prove to be a win-win proposition: If amnesty passes, he will be remembered as the president (along with Bush) that set the Democrats on path to a permanent majority.

But if he fails, he's done with it early enough to recover with Main Street voters and can tell the Latino lobby and their big business allies that he gave it his best but the American people finally told him "No, you can't."

Illegal immigrant voting a reality in some states

In Takoma Park, Md., non-citizens have been able to vote in local elections since March 1992. While voting rights for non-citizens sparks controversy, many other states allow residents without U.S. citizenship a chance to vote in some elections. Click here for the whole story from the Metro West Daily News.

Pushing immigration reform in a recession?

The New York Times reports that Barack Obama will push for immigration reform, including mass amnesty for illegal aliens, as a top priority this year. How wise is it of the President to spend political capital on mass amnesty in the middle of an economic recession? Read today's editorial by Ed Morrissey in HotAir.com.

Obama to Push Mass Amnesty Bill

Confirming what many of us had previously heard, President Obama plans to begin the push for a mass amnesty effort for illegal aliens, likely to rouse passions on all sides of the highly divisive issue. Cecilia Munoz, deputy assistant to the president and director of intergovernmental affairs in the White House and a former Sr. Vice President at the National Council of La Raza, said the President will enact a "policy reform that controls immigration and makes it an orderly system." The bill will include a path for illegal immigrants to become legal. Read the New York Times story here.

Bad News - Sen. McCaskill Now Supports DREAM Act

Jo Bannies, political reporter for the St. Louis Beacon News, reported on its Web site on Tuesday evening that Missouri's junior Senator Claire McCaskill "....will probably vote for the DREAM act...." reversing her prior opposition to the same legislation in 2007. We hope that Sen. McCaskill will reconsider her support for this legislation whose sole purpose is to create a tiered system to grant amnesty to illegal aliens who arrived in the U.S. before the age of 16. For more information about the DREAM Act 2009, click here.

Feds count H-1B applications as engineering unemployment spikes

It has been 13 years since the government issued fewer than 65,000 H-1B visas, the maximum number of regular visas that can be awarded under the current cap. However, despite the economic recession government officials expect more than enough applications will again be submitted to reach the annual visa cap. Read about it in this issue of Computerworld.

Latinos drive record surge in U.S. naturalizations

Nearly half of the record-setting 1 million new U.S. citizens sworn in last year were Latino immigrants -- a 95 percent increase among that ethnic group from the previous year, according to an analysis by an Hispanic advocacy organization. Read about the latest data in today's Houston Chronicle.

Massachusetts legislators extending a hand to illegal aliens

Two separate stories in today's Metro West Daily News report about efforts by two state representatives to offer benefits to illegal immigrants. In the first article, Ashland Rep. Sannicandro favors giving illegal immigrants driver's licenses in the name of safety and security. In the second article, in state Rep. Richardson said that cities and towns should have the option to grant illegal immigrants voting rights in local elections to draw them closer into their communities. What are your thoughts?

Sharpton calls for Arizona sheriff to step down

U.S. civil rights activist Al Sharpton has called for Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio to step down in light of accusations of racial profiling coming from mass-amnesty special interest groups. Sheriff Arpaio's answer? "I'm never going to resign." Read the whole story from Reuters here.

Big Legal Victory in the Golden State for Immigration Reform

By Michael Hethmon, General Counsel Immigration Reform Law Institute
With almost no notice from the media or immigration bar, the California Supreme Court -- the most influential state high court in the nation on immigration law -- has issued an opinion that significantly expands the authority of state and local governments to enforce federal immigration law and of state courts to adjudicate violations of such laws.

The decision involved a teenager caught smuggling illegal aliens into the U.S. near Calexico. His attorneys tried to argue that the local juvenile court did not have the authority to find that the minor had violated the federal alien smuggling statute. The state Supreme Court disagreed, holding that states have the police power to punish immigration violations, and state court can adjudicate federal immigration crimes - something that FAIR and IRLI have noted for years.

As long as a state law does not independently determine an alien's immigration status, Congress has invited state and local governments to cooperatively enforce federal immigration laws. No statute precludes other federal, state, or local law enforcement agencies from taking other action to enforce this nation's immigration laws.

Congress has established a regime of cooperative federalism, in which local, state, and federal governments may work together to ensure the achievement of federal criminal immigration policy.

Nebraska bill prohibits public benefits for illegal aliens

The Nebraska legislature passed Bill 403 last Friday, which prohibits public benefits for illegal aliens, and requires their verification for benefits, public employment, and state tax incentives. Read all about this important step at the state level here.

Colorado senate kills immigrant tuition bill

After a heated debate, five democrats sided with republicans in the Colorado senate to defeat a bill that would have given in-state college tuition to illegal immigrants who have attended Colorado high schools for at least three years. Read the article from the Durango Herald News here.

Advocates Want Halt on Immigration Enforcement to Ensure Accurate Census

As the 2010 Census approaches, some lawmakers want to suspend immigration enforcement actions over the next year, in the name of statistical accuracy. Read the whole story in the Politics section of FoxNews.com.

Aunt's case indicative of immigration non-enforcement

Commenting about the curious immigration case of President Obama's aunt Zietuni Onyango, FAIR's Ira Mehlman says with or without the aunt's case, there is an ideological commitment by the Obama administration not to enforce U.S. immigration laws. Read the article here.

Gutierrez Tours For Illegal-Alien Amnesty

U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill. continued his 17-city mass amnesty tour with a stop in Philadelphia on Saturday. Speaking at the Iglesia International chapel, Mr. Gutierrez urged congregants to support granting amnesty to illegal aliens. Read today's story from The Bulletin.

Exclusive Interview with Bob Dane of FAIR

FAIR's own Director of Communications Bob Dane talks about immigration policy, border enforcement, Speaker Pelosi's recent comments, and what to expect in the coming months in this exclusive interview with All Right Magazine.

A Shift to Make the Border Safe, From the Inside Out

Agents are still assigned to stop drugs and illegal immigrants from entering the United States. But hundreds of additional agents are being redeployed to stop the weapons and cash that flow into Mexico. Read the New York Times article about Secretary Napolitano's shift in tactics away from workplace enforcement.

States move against in-state tuition for illegal immigrants

While the U.S. Senate and Congress introduces the Development Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, a bipartisan measure to make it easier for undocumented students to become permanent residents, many states are explicitly refusing to allow undocumented students to pay in-state tuition fees at colleges. Read the whole story from the Christian Science Monitor.

NEW FAIR Podcast: The DREAM is Back....But Only for Illegal Aliens

Find out what's unfair with the DREAM Act, and how you can help stop it.

Thought dead in 2007, the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act of 2009, or DREAM Act, was re-introduced into the Senate and House on March 26. For those not familiar with the DREAM Act, this legislation creates a tiered system to grant amnesty to illegal aliens who arrived in the U.S. before the age of 16. While the Senate bill limits eligibility to aliens who are younger than 35 as of the date of enactment, the House bill contains no age limit for eligibility.

With states like California cutting back on enrollment levels at their state colleges, it seems foolish to introduce legislation that will give not only placement but also financial preferential treatment to illegal aliens over legal citizens of this country - especially during these tough economic times. Listen to Dan Stein, President of FAIR, and Julie Kirchner, Executive Director of FAIR, share their thoughts about this legislation and the reasons behind its reintroduction on Capitol Hill in this NEW two part podcast.

Sen. Gillibrand Changes Tune on Illegal Immigration

New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's recent comments about immigration and her co-sponsorship of the DREAM Act is leaving many scratching their heads. Read the story here as reported by WROC-TV.

Arizona Sheriff Snubbed by House Panel on Immigration

On Thursday, two House Judiciary subcommittees examined allegations of unconstitutional immigration enforcement tactics mainly taking aim at Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona. The interesting thing was that Sheriff Arpaio did not attend the hearing because he wasn't invited. Read the story from today's Politics section of FoxNews.com.

Perry asks U.S. to share illegal immigrants' data

Texas Gov. Rick Perry has requested that top Department of Homeland Security officials resolve "vulnerabilities" that have allowed illegal immigrants to hold onto valid Texas driver's licenses and slip undetected through the state's jails. Read the whole story from the Houston Chronicle.

Catch and Release

Watch this FoxNews video about the release of illegal aliens by the Dept. of Homeland Security and then offered work in return for cooperation in the Yamato factory investigation. Hear FAIR's own Ira Mehlman comment about this case.

Microsoft Files Substantially Fewer U.S. Visa Apps

In recent years, U.S. immigration officials have been overwhelmed by applications for H-1B visas, which let U.S. companies employ foreign guest workers in highly specialized jobs for three years. But worldwide recession and major layoffs at companies such as Microsoft and International Business Machines Corp have changed the picture. Read the whole story here.

Illegal Immigration Caused Tragedy In My Family

A drunk illegal immigrant tragically impacts the life of a Virginia family. Ray Tranchant shares his painful experience in today's Human Events.

Census Bureau: We'll Work with 'Community Organizations' to Count All Illegal Aliens in 2010

The acting director of the U.S. Census Bureau, Thomas Mesenbourg, told CNSNews.com that the bureau intends to work with community organizations to make sure every illegal alien in the United States is counted in the 2010 Census. Read the article and see the video on CNSNews.com.

Seattle Case Raises Questions About Shift In Enforcement

The disclosure Wednesday that illegal immigrants in Seattle were given permission to work in the country has triggered alarms on Capitol Hill that the Obama administration is making a fundamental shift in the enforcement of the nation's immigration laws. Read the whole story from Congress Daily.

DHS chief supports E-Verify

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said today she supports the controversial employee verification program called E-Verify and wants to see it extended beyond the Sept. 30 expiration date. Read the whole story here.

Visa program for skilled workers under attack

As U.S. employers start applying today for visas for foreign workers, the hiring of talent from other countries is facing heightened scrutiny and the threat of greater restrictions as domestic unemployment soars. Read the complete story here from ChicagoTribune.com.

Illegal immigration is a threat to America's national security

David Rehbein, national commander of the 2.6 million-member American Legion (www.legion.org), writes in TucsonCitizen.com about the need for more enforcement of our immigration laws and immediate securing of our borders...and definitely no amnesty for illegal immigrants. Read his editorial here.

Hezbollah uses Mexican drug routes into U.S.

News that the terrorist group Hezbollah is using the same southern narcotics routes used by Mexican drug kingpins should be a wake up call to the administration that it is time to secure our border. Read the Washington Times' exclusive story that has national security and counterterrorism experts worried.

A Champion for the Census?

Should immigration law enforcement operations be stopped so that illegal aliens won't be afraid to be counted in the upcoming 2010 Census? The New York Times certainly seems to think so in this editorial.

Obama's aunt becomes symbol in immigration debate

President Obama's Kenyan aunt's request for asylum is being reconsidered under a little-used provision in U.S. immigration rules. The strange case of Zeituni Onyango has put the president in a tough position both personally and politically. Read all about it here.