Border Fences Help the Environment

A new study by the Center for Immigration Studies finds that border fences help, not hurt the environment. Environmental groups have criticized the fences for impeding the movement of jaguars and other migrating animals in Arizona. But the scores of tons of trash left in the Arizona desert along with the destruction of wildlife habitat along the Southwest border by illegal immigrants is more damaging than barriers to prevent illegal entry.

Supreme Court May Hear Gang Asylum Case

The Supreme Court may hear a case involving several youth from El Salvador who claimed asylum based upon the pervasive gang culture there. As part of their asylum claim, they said they would be forced to join gangs if they remained in El Salvador. After they were seized for deportation, Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens referred their case to the full Supreme Court for potential review.

DHS Dismantles "United States" Sign At Border, Claims It's Too Big and A Terrorist Target

Less than a month after opening a brand new border crossing point in New York, the DHS is dismantling a large sign reading "United States" at the station. The building, which was meant to be a showpiece for better design in government architecture, was signed off on in 2007. "The sign could be a huge target and attract undue attention," a spokesman for the DHS said. Debbie Schlussel called the decision "disgusting" at her blog.

Sheriff Arpaio Says Feds Threatened to Take Away Deportation Program in Dispute

The DHS allegedly threatened to terminate a 287(g) agreement with Maricopa County after Sheriff Joe Arpaio released audio tapes of conversations between his deputies and ICE. The release of the tapes was prompted by a dispute over claims by Arpaio that the DHS refused to take several illegal immigrants into custody after they were arrested.

Wal-Mart Wants Health Plan to Cover Illegal Aliens

Dr. John Agwunobi, who leads Wal-Mart's in-store medical clinic unit, said earlier this week he thinks the new national health system should cover illegal immigrants.

Most Arizona Voters Put Immigration Over Health Care in Poll

Over half of Arizona voters surveyed by Rasmussen Reports says immigration enforcement is more important than health care reform. And by a larger 65% to 20% margin, voters feel it is more important to focus on border enforcement than amnesty.

Tell Business Week What You Think About H-1B Visas

Business Week is running an online poll about the H-1B program. Tell them what you think.

50 Page Rap Sheet Not Enough to Get One Woman Deported

Shoumin Chai, a Chinese national recently caught running an ATM theft scam, has a 50 page rap sheet and has been in and out of jail in the U.S. for years. Finally, in 2008 she recieved a deportation order but was released while she appealed it, and continued her crime spree in the U.S.

Couples Learn the Hard Way About Cross-Border Marriage

The San Diego Union Tribune has a story about the all too common problems encountered by people who think getting married will solve their immigration problems. There is a high bar on getting status, especially for people who are in the U.S. illegally and marriage isn't an automatic ticket to a green card.

Illegal Immigration is Not a Victimless Crime

Illegal immigration is far from being a victimless crime, and the latest case of a Border Patrol agent killed in the line of duty shows that, says Carl Braun. The Border Counties Coalition found that compared to the rest of the country, the 24 counties at the Mexican border ranked #1 in drug crimes, federal crimes, immigration crimes and crimes against children.

25 Gang Members Found For Deportation in Chicago

Nineteen gang members were arrested and another 6 found to be already in area jails as part of a Chicago-area anti-gang enforcement program. The effort is part of the Operation Community Shield program from DHS.

House Health Reform Bill Will Allow Illegal Aliens to Receive Taxpayer-Funded Health Care

Critics of America's Affordable Health Care Act of 2009 (AAHCA), the health care reform bill currently working its way through the House of Representatives, have suggested the bill will provide taxpayer-funded health care to illegal aliens. Supporters of the bill maintain that Section 246 will prevent illegal aliens from receiving benefits under the bill. Section 246 states that "[n]othing in this subtitle shall allow Federal payments for affordability credits on behalf of individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States." Section 246 will not prevent illegal aliens from receiving taxpayer-funded health care benefits under the bill. Click here to download FAIR's latest analysis about the health care reform bill.

E-Verify: Successfully Protecting American Jobs

From FAIR's Government Relations team

Last week, Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization and Procurement in the House held a hearing entitled: "E-Verify: Challenges and Opportunities." E-Verify is the federal government program that lets employers voluntarily confirm that new hires are legally authorized to work in the United States.

Gerri Ratliff, the Deputy Associate Director of the National Security and Records Verification of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), testified at the hearing and cited statistics that demonstrate the growth and success of E-Verify. As Homeland Security Today reported, Ratliff testified that: "Not only does the E-Verify Program continue to grow, but it also continues to improve."

Ratliff cited the following statistics about E-Verify:

• E-Verify is now being used to determine work authorization for 1 in 4 new hires across America. That means employers who are using E-Verify are protecting American jobs by ensuring that they hire only legal workers.
• So far in 2009, about 6 million new hires have been checked by E-Verify. That means E-Verify has verified almost as many employees so far this year than E-Verify verified all of last year.
• USCIS expects that E-Verify will run a total of 12.3 million checks in 2009. That means that 12.3 million jobs will go to legal American workers this year, instead of to illegal aliens.

It is pretty hard to argue with the success of E-Verify.

Florida Hospital Wins Health Cost Case

A jury ruled that a Florida hospital that repatriated an illegal immigrant to Guatemala did not act unreasonably. The man was injured in an accident and required millions of dollars of care. Dan Stein, President of FAIR, commented on this case during an interview with MSNBC on Friday.

New FAIR Cost Study: Pennsylvania

With a rapidly growing illegal alien population of about 140,000 persons, nearly tripling since 2000, the state of Pennsylvania's illegal immigrant population costs the state's taxpayers about $728 million per year for education, medical care and incarceration. The annual fiscal burden amounts to about $150 per Pennsylvania household headed by a native-born resident. Click here to download the complete study by FAIR's research team.

Arpaio Says Feds Are Already Refusing to Take Illegal Immigrants

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said he had to release 3 illegal immigrants caught during a recent crime sweep because the DHS refused to take them into custody. The illegal immigrants did not have criminal histories beyond illegal entry, and under new DHS policy the agency is not processing them for removal if caught by local police. The change was supposed to take place later this year.

Obama Administration Talks Tough on Deportations, But Guts 287(g)

The New York Times reports on the plans made by the Obama Administration to continue implementing Secure Communities, a program started under President Bush that seeks to identify and deport illegal aliens booked into local jails. The administration has pledged to make the program nationwide by late 2012. [entry edited 7/27]

La Raza on the Defensive As Annual Convention Opens

The Chicago Tribune reports on the image problems of La Raza, which finds itself getting heat for supporting mass amnesty for illegal aliens. The controversial group came into the public eye again during confirmation hearings for Judge Sonia Sotomayor.

Latest from FAIR: House Committee Vote Will Lead to Taxpayer-Subsidized Health Care for Illegal Aliens

Click here to view FAIR's latest Action Alert about new legislation that contains several loopholes that would give taxpayer-funded health insurance to illegal aliens and give illegal aliens handouts, in the form of so-called "affordability credits," to pay for health insurance. Rep. Dean Heller (R-NV) attempted to close these loopholes through an amendment which was rejected on a party-line basis. Read all about it here and see what you can do to ensure that the House bill doesn't provide taxpayer-funded benefits to illegal aliens.

Guatemalan Foreign Minister Visits U.S. and Pushes for Amnesty

Ambassador Miguel Angel Ibarra of Guatemala is using his U.S. visit to push for amnesty. Guatemala, like many Central American nations, has become dependant on remittances sent back by illegal immigrants (or ones working under the perpetually temporary amnesty of TPS), and has been hit hard by the construction depression in the U.S. Get the whole story here.

NY Assemblyman Focuses on Illegal Immigration

Rep. Greg Ball says he wants to help local police in the Hudson Valley enforce immigration laws to stop an epidemic of drunk driving along with other crimes committed by illegal aliens. The recent deaths of a mother and child at the hands of an illegal alien drunk driver have enflamed residents already upset by the continuing presence of illegal aliens in their community. LoHUD.com has the whole story here.

California Still A Big Destination for Immigrants

California's share of new immigrants has declined from one-third to one-fourth over the past 20 years, new data shows. But, given the size of the overall immigration flow this is no large relief to the Golden State, which has been driven to the edge of default and bankruptcy due in part to the huge costs of illegal immigration and legal immigrants on that state. Read Dan Walters' whole story in CityWatchLA.com.

Schumer Talks Tough on Employment Verification, Except When it Comes to Actual Systems Working Now

Sen. Chuck Schumer believes in employment verification, just not now, or with systems we know work, like E-Verify. The latest AP coverage of his efforts to talk up enforcement again includes his talking down a system already in place and working - E-verify. Stolen identities are indeed a serious problem in the U.S., but the argument used by Schumer and others against E-Verify doesn't hold water. E-Verify is not the reason identity thefts occur - and E-Verify is not a global solution for the problem of identity theft. The intransigence of the Social Security Administration in its behind the scenes opposition to effective sanctions for identity theft; the "cost of business" attitude by credit-card companies that are happy to pass the costs of identity theft on to consumers; the IRS which refuses to help with the problem of people working under stolen identities; and a broken immigration system that has led to millions of illegal aliens in the U.S. are some of the main reasons why identity theft is exploding. The Associated Press has the whole story here.

Bill Gates Visits India To Push for More H-1B Visas

Bill Gates took time during his visit to India to give out foundation money to again say he favors more H-1B visas. Gates also said he was pleased that Microsoft would be working on India's new national ID card system, which one assumes will be used to prevent illegal employment. Click here for the full story.

California Slashes Budget But Ignores Illegal Immigration

Details are now emerging about the budget deal hammered out by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the state legislature. Most state programs will have broad cuts. But, as William Busse notes, the impact of illegal immigration on California's state budget continues to be ignored.

Shuler Readies New E-Verify Bill

Rep. Heath Shuler (D-NC) will introduce a bill soon that would require employers to verify the eligibility of their employees through the E-Verify system. Shuler has introduced similar measures previously.

Florida Case Throws High Health Care Costs of Illegal Immigration into Spotlight

Relatives for a disabled illegal immigrant repatriated to Guatemala by a Florida hospital have sued. The case could go to the jury this week. At issue is the high cost of uncompensated care for illegal immigrants in the U.S.

Police Chiefs Favoring Amnesty Meet in Phoenix

The Police Executive Research Forum held a retreat sponsored by the Carnegie Corporation in Phoenix to issue a statement in favor of mass amnesty. The group believes that a combination of guest-worker programs, a path to legal status (amnesty), and more federal enforcement are needed.

Michelle Malkin - ObamaCare for Illegal Immigrants

Michelle Malkin weighs in on the side of an amendment defeated last week in the House that would have required status verification for patients under the new national health care system. The amendment would have required checks with existing databases to make sure people were eligible for benefits.

Number of H-1B Petitions Disapproved or Withdrawn Tops New Petitions

The number of H-1B petitions filed is almost equal to the number rejected or withdrawn, a situation that reflects low demand for workers in general says IDG News. The level of scrutiny on job-shops has increased dramatically, with many being asked to provide information about job duties and other material that they did not disclose before.

Immigration From Mexico Drops Compared to 2005

The Pew Hispanic Center says immigration from Mexico has dropped by 40 percent since 2005, based on surveys. The number of Mexicans returning to Mexico has remained relatively the same, however.

Mexican Drug Cartels Continue to Expand to U.S.

Michael Cutler of Family Security Matters says that the influence of Mexican drug cartels continues to expand throughout North and South America, especially in the U.S. He notes that immigration enforcement in the interior of the U.S. is one of the primary ways we can deal with this through charging and deporting criminal aliens involved in the drug trade. An amnesty with no criminal check is a green light for the cartels to place people around the U.S. with no fear of prosecution.

Schumer Talks Tough on Employer Enforcement

Sen. Chuck Schumer said that the E-verify system was flawed because it was not reliable during a Senate hearing this week. Schumer says he favors a biometric form of identification instead of E-verify.

DHS Changing Enforcement

USA Today has a roundup on changes made by the Obama administration to immigration enforcement. They include gutting worksite enforcement raids, and focusing on auditing employers. The administration also stopped a Bush administration plan to require employers to take action when they receive a "no-match" letter from the Social Security Administration.

ObamaCare Expected to Cover Up To 12 Million Illegal Immigrants

Last week, the House defeated an amendment by Rep. Dean Heller (R-NV) that would have prevented illegal aliens from getting benefits under the new national health care plan. The measure then passed the House Ways and Means committee.

Retreating from REAL ID

Rep. James Sensenbrenner along with other members of Congress responsible for passing the REAL ID act have an op-ed in today's Washington Post defending the legislation. They explain that the PASS ID bill being debated now would gut REAL ID and return us to a 9/10 level of security.

More Smugglers Take Sea Route As Border Tightens

New border fencing along the California-Mexico border means that more illegal immigrants are trying to cross by sea. The New York Times covers increased enforcement by the Coast Guard and DHS to stop both the increase in drug and human smuggling along the California coast.

Despite Budget Problems California Continues to Pay Welfare for Illegal Immigrants

California's Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program is among the most generous in the country. About one-tenth of the total households receiving TANF funds in California are headed by illegal immigrants, mainly due to U.S. born children.

Amnesty Lingering in the Background

Barbara Simpson says that amnesty is likely the next project for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. She notes that increasingly the Border Patrol and police are being hamstrung by new regulations limiting their ability to enforce the law.

Rep. Lamar Smith - Administration Wrong to Tamper With 287(g)

Rep. Lamar Smith says the Obama administration is wrong to disregard Congressional intent in changing the 287(g) program. He notes that as one of the co-authors of the legislation, the clear intent of Congress was for all crimes to trigger immigration scrutiny, and not to give a pass to illegal immigrants who have yet to murder someone.

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Prepares for Fall Amnesty Fight

Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) says the Congressional Hispanic Caucus is gearing up for a fall fight over amnesty legislation. According to Gutierrez, they expect Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to introduce an amnesty bill soon that will be debated sometime after the August recess. Gutierrez also complained about the administration decision to require E-verify for federal contractors.

Anti-Enforcement Documentary to Air on PBS

The documentary "Swift Justice" by a Denver film company is targeted at immigration enforcement, painting the raids at the Swift meatpacking plants in the worst light possible. The United Food and Commercial Workers, which supports amnesty, fronted much of the films cost. The film will be re-edited for PBS stations.

WSJ: Don't Blame Businesses for Illegal Hiring

The Wall Street Journal runs an editorial critical of the Obama administration for going after employers. E-verify is a bugbear of particular potency for the Journal editors, who have spent many editorials attacking any program that would increase the accountability of businesses for the workers they hire. The Journal editors make the final mistake of again repeating their mantra that we have illegal immigration because we don't let enough cheap labor in. The reality is that employers prefer illegal workers precisely because they can be exploited.

SC Chicken Plant Charged With Hiring Illegal Workers

The Columbia Farms subsidiary of the House of Raeford was charged with hiring illegal immigrants at a Greenville, S.C. processing plant. A Columbia Farms spokesman said the company had followed all federal laws and expected to be cleared of the charges.

The DHS Changes to 287(g): What's the True Impact

The Heritage Foundation has a new policy memo that concurs with the FAIR analysis: it explains why the Obama administration changes to 287(g) intentionally make the popular program less effective. By limiting the check of immigration status to individuals who committed "major" crimes it will prevent police from deporting illegal immigrant criminals until they kill someone, or commit another serious crime. Also, the new policy requires prosecution of the illegal immigrant for all offenses before deportation can begin - which imposes a substantial resource drain on local prosecutors and judges.

DHS Opens Floodgates to Ludicrous "Domestic Violence" Political Asylum Claims

With no regard to the prospect of massive fraud, abuse and delays, the DHS has changed a long-standing policy that denied claims of asylum based on non-political situations such as domestic abuse. The change comes in the case of a Mexican woman who fled her abusive husband in Mexico, and is a sop to "gender-asylum" advocates who want to use the asylum system to pursue a broader political agenda.

Bonnie Erbe: How Immigration Driven Population Growth Ads to Water Demand, Problems

Bonnie Erbe explains in her latest column that despite a near doubling of U.S. population in the last 50 years, no one wants to focus on the obvious impact this has on our nation's water resources. As she notes, regions that used to be considered to have abundant potable water are not experiencing drought conditions, like Georgia.

FAIR: Administration Continues to Dismantle Immigration Enforcement

Today's testimony by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano in support of S. 1261, Providing Additional Security in States' Identification Act of 2009 (PASS ID), is the latest calculated step by the Obama administration in its relentless campaign to dismantle the immigration enforcement capability of the country. "When it comes to our nation's security, PASS ID would turn the clock back to September 10, 2001," warned Dan Stein, president of FAIR. "The main beneficiaries of this legislation would be terrorists, people seeking to evade our immigration laws, and state bureaucrats who continue to resist implementing a 21st century system for establishing people's true identities." Read FAIR's press release here.

How Health Reform Can't Avoid the Immigration Issue

James R. Edwards tells National Review readers that any attempt to cover the uninsured will have to deal with immigration. In addition to the 9-10 million illegal immigrants without insurance, there are additional millions of legal immigrants without insurance. He notes that since 1989, immigration has accounted for 71 percent of the rise in those without health insurance. Ultimately, voters will realize that any health care program that expands care without eligibility tests will involve taking money from taxpayers and giving it to illegal aliens.

Massachusetts Looks to Cut Benefits for Legal Immigrants

Massachusetts new budget cuts health care benefits for immigrants who were previously covered by the state's health care plan. The cuts will remove coverage from 30,000 immigrants who had been covered by the state's experimental universal health insurance plan. Under the 1996 welfare reform law, in order to discourage welfare use by legal immigrants (who are supposed to be supported by their sponsors) they are not eligible for federal welfare benefits for 5 years. Some states such as Massachusetts do pay these immigrants some benefits during those 5 years.

Fed Up, Canada Tries to Yank the Welcome Mat for Illegal Aliens from Mexico

Mexicans wishing to visit Canada must now have a valid visa, the Canadian government said. The reason for the change was cited as the booming number of fake refugee claims by Mexicans coming to Canada, which clogged the system so much that deserving refugee claims were lost in the system.

Census Boycott by Hispanics Divides Ethnic Lobby

The Rev. Miguel Rivera with the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders says that he is supporting a Census boycott by Hispanics because of the lack of an amnesty for illegal aliens. He feels that because the Census numbers are used by other power brokers for Congressional apportionment as well as grant money to the states, withholding Census participation will bring them around to passing amnesty.

Obama Administration Plans Immigration Talks With Cuba

A Tuesday meeting between U.S. and Cuban representatives over immigration to the U.S. drew attacks from opponents of the communist regime. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen blasted the move as a reward for the Cuban government, headed by Raul Castro. The move is a resumption of talks dating back to the Clinton presidency that were suspended in 2003.

FAIR Staff Twittering from Capitol Hill

Our FAIR Government Relations team will be "tweeting" from Capitol Hill tomorrow morning while covering the hearing about the PASS ID bill proposed by Sen. Akaka. Tune in at 10:00 am tomorrow morning at www.twitter.com/FAIRimmigration to follow this hearing.

Obama Administration Acts Against Employers

Columnist Froma Harop has some praise for the initial effort by the Obama administration to step up enforcement against employers who hire illegal aliens. She notes that along with the expansion of E-verify the government will have the tools to put a serious crimp on illegal hiring.

Pass ID - Taking Security Back to September 10, 2001

From FAIR's Government Relations team
In response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Congress passed the REAL ID Act. REAL ID establishes uniform security requirements for State-issued drivers' licenses and identification cards. On June 15, 2009, Senator Daniel Akaka (D-HI) introduced legislation (S. 1261) entitled "Providing for Additional Security in States' Identification Act of 2009" (PASS ID). PASS ID will repeal many key provisions of REAL ID related to national security and immigration enforcement. Accordingly, PASS ID will re-establish many of the security and immigration loopholes that allowed the 9/11 highjackers to carry out the attack on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center. Click here to see our analysis about this new piece of legislation as well as a comparison sheet of the two bills.

New Op-Ed from Dan Stein - Schumer Puts Amnesty Over Security

In an op-ed for the Buffalo News, FAIR President Dan Stein says that Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is putting amnesty legislation ahead of security concerns. Despite recognizing that 8 years after 9/11 we still do not have operational control over our border, and it is wrong to hold important security legislation hostage to the demands of the amnesty lobby.

DHS Announces Expansion of 287(g) - Sending NYT Editorial Writers in Paroxysms of Hysterics

The New York Times pitches an editorial fit over the Obama administration's announced expansion of the 287(g) program. As you might expect, the Times throws everything and the kitchen sink at the idea of having local police assist in immigration enforcement. This is despite the repeated successes of the popular 287(g) programs around the country in finding and deporting alien criminals.

Houston Jail to Get Immigration Training

Police working at Houston's city jail will get immigration training under the 287(g) program. Houston's sanctuary city policy has come under repeated fire due to illegal immigrants killing Houston police officers. Mayor Frank White requested the training under pressure from citizens fed up with Houston's lawless indifference to illegal immigration.

U.S. Workers Applying For Farm Jobs

Although repeated surveys of the labor market have shown there is no shortage of farm labor, USA Today confirms the trend about increasing numbers of Americans applying for farm jobs. But, for growers seeking cheap farm labor it's a case of sour grapes. With more American workers applying for these jobs, it's harder to game the temporary worker system to import workers and pay below market rates.

Tucson Hospital Markets Anchor-Baby Birth Stays to Mexican Moms Living in Mexico

Tucson Medical Center is among the first U.S. hospitals to aggressively market its birthing facility to expectant Mexican mothers. AOL's Daily Finance notes that the packages don't explicitly mention the subtext that children born in the U.S. are automatically citizens, but it is there. "Although the packages aren't cheap (they range from $2,300 to $4,600), how much do you suppose an American citizenship is worth? If we auctioned one off, I'm sure it would sell for many times the cost of a 'birth package,' based on the value of the economic opportunities alone."

Road for Proposed Amnesty Could be Very Bumpy

A series of Senate floor votes this week seeking to toughen immigration enforcement is giving the Obama administration its first real taste of the chilly climate for passing a mass amnesty. The first salvo came when the Senate approved an amendment to the annual DHS spending bill prohibiting the department from changing the no-match rule. Read the whole story from today's Wall Street Journal.

Jurisdictions get $200 Million for Enforcement Program

The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to appropriate $200 million for a new immigration enforcement program used in about 50 jurisdictions nationwide. However, is this new program, known as Secure Communities, being pushed as an alternative to the successful 287(g) program? Get the latest from today's Washington Examiner.

Illegal Immigration A Catastrophic Hit To Budget, Says Antonovich

Californians upset over the close to 3 million illegal aliens in the state have drawn the notice of the media. Despite continued efforts to paper over the budget hole created by illegal immigration in California, residents there know about the substantial impact thanks to FAIR's cost studies as well as estimates provided by the state government. Los Angeles County supervisor Mike Antonovich told the LA Times illegal immigration is a "catastrophic hit" to the budget.

Our Immigration Laws Are Just Fine. . . They Just Need to be Enforced

Butch Kroeger writes in the Des Moines Register that our immigration system is not broken. Our immigration enforcement and legal system that are not enforcing our immigrations laws are broken. Read his comments here.

Senate Adopts Security and E-Verify Amendments

The Senate adopted several important amendments yesterday. Read FAIR's action alert and call your Senator's today in support of these amendments so they survive conference committee!

Contractor Arrested in Phoenix Due to Investigation by Sheriff Arpaio

The owner of a granite contracting firm in Phoenix was arrested on immigration charges due to an investigation by Sheriff Joe Arpaio. A grand jury returned counts of ID fraud, forgery and other other charges against Raphael Libardi. Libardi himself is in the country illegally, authorities said and stole someones identity to establish his business. The prosecution is the first under Arizona's new immigration enforcement statue.

FAIR Updated Brief - Amnesty and Joblessness

Our Government Relations team has updated its recent "Amnesty and Joblessness" study with the new unemployment figures for the month of July. Check out the updated study here.

Bush Led Council on Foreign Relations Panel Supports Amnesty

A Council on Foreign Relations Task Force on Immigration led by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush released a report today calling for more skilled immigration, along with 'earned legalization' - another phrase for amnesty. The panel also recommended having the government determine the level of legal immigration based upon labor market determinations.

Krispy Kreme Fined $40k for Illegal Hiring

Krispy Kreme was fined $40,000 for hiring illegal workers at an Ohio plant, ICE said Tuesday. The fines came out of an audit of the company's hiring practices, including looking at I-9 forms.

Navarette: To Get Amnesty Dems Need to Swallow a Guest Worker Program

Columnist Ruben Navarrette Jr. says the real stumbling block for the Democrats amnesty plan is getting enough Republican votes to off-set conservative Democrats unlikely to vote for amnesty. And the only way to do that, he says, is through a guest-worker program. But, due to union opposition they have dropped such plans from their effort this time around. Instead, they hope to pass an amnesty with limited enforcement measures.

Remittance Flow Reverses for Some Immigrants

Not only has the flow of remittances from illegal immigrants in the U.S. continued to slow, in some cases they are asking for money to be sent to them here new reports suggest. FAIR National Field Director Susan Tully said it would make more sense for illegal aliens here to return home, since they are running out of money. The incentive of a possible amnesty is one reason they may be staying, she pointed out.

Community Shield Houston Weekend Sweep Finds Over 100 Gang Members

As part of ongoing efforts to identify and deport illegal alien gang members, over 100 gang members in Houston and other Texas cities were arrested by ICE agents, the agency said in a release. Among those arrested were 60 charged with other criminal violations, and another 13 who re-entered the country after deportation.

Cheap Labor is No Bargain

FAIR spokesman Bob Dane told Worcester Telegram readers that employers who hire illegal aliens are a big part of the problem. Illegal immigrants working in the U.S. are responsible for identity theft and all the problems that causes as well - monetary loss, tax problems and even false criminal charges.

The Real Meaning of the Statue of Liberty

Writing in the Washington Post, Roberto Suro says it's time for Emma Lazarus' poem at the Statue of Liberty to go. Suro notes that the original message of the statue was "Liberty Enlightening the World" and had nothing to do with immigration. "Bad poetry makes for bad policy," he warns. Read more here.

DC's Sanctuary City Policy Fails Again

The most common argument used by sanctuary-city policy boosters is that the police need witnesses who will come forward. America's Voice (a big booster of mass amnesty for illegal aliens) is using a recent Washington D.C. burglary that victimized one of their staff as an example of why we need amnesty.

The facts, even as presented by America's Voice, don't support their conclusion. Immigration reform activists know that Washington D.C. has a long-standing sanctuary city policy, and in fact this policy protected another burglar - Ingmar Guandique - who was convicted in the murder of Chandra Levy. In this latest case the only potential witness refused to make a statement - because he feared deportation. Note that D.C.'s sanctuary policy had no impact on the witness. So, thanks, America's Voice, for proving our point - D.C.'s sanctuary policy protects criminals and doesn't encourage cooperation with the police. The police should enforce all the laws - not selectively enforce those they agree with.

ICE Agents To Get More Authority in Drug Cases

Attorney General Eric Holder said he was prepared to give ICE agents more authority to assist in making drug arrests to assist with Mexico's effort to combat drug cartels destabilizing the entire border. The decision ends a turf fight by the DEA and FBI to keep ICE agents from making drug arrests and poaching what some viewed as their turf. ICE has approximately as many agents near the border as the DEA. Now if we could only get Holder to allow DEA agents to get training in immigration law enforcement. Read more here.

Happy 4th of July Weekend

The Stein Report will not be publishing over the long weekend in observance of Independence Day. We hope that all our readers (and listeners) enjoy the long weekend, cookouts, fireworks and family time. Don't forget to take a few minutes to think about what this holiday is all about and celebrate the courage of our forefathers as they established this great nation. Come back next Tuesday as we'll have more stories and commentaries about the latest news and events in the immigration debate.

Drug Smuggler Finally Punished

The admitted drug smuggler shot by Border Patrol agents Ramos and Compean in 2005 while trying to smuggle a load of drugs into Texas, had his prison sentence upheld by a federal appeals court. Read the breaking story from the LA Times.

SC Beginning to Enforce New Illegal Immigration Law

Major businesses in South Carolina are being audited by the state's labor agency to determine if they are hiring illegal immigrants. The State reported Wednesday that the Labor, Licensing and Regulation Department planned to start Wednesday by focusing on businesses that typically hire immigrant workers. CNBC has the whole story here.

AZ House Votes Down Effort To Use Trespass Laws To Prosecute Illegal Aliens

The Arizona House has defeated a bill that would have made it the only state in the nation to criminalize the presence of illegal immigrants by expanding its trespassing law. While the overall vote was 26-15 for the bill to expand Arizona's trespassing law, it came five votes short of the 31 needed for passage. Read the latest from the Associated Press.

1600+ Illegal Workers Suspected at American Apparel

About one-third of clothing company American Apparel's workforce is in the country illegally, according to news reports. American Apparel disclosed the findings of an ICE audit in its latest SEC filing. American Apparel CEO Dov Charney is active in promoting amnesty for illegal immigrants. See this Portfolio magazine profile for more information about Charney. Read more here.

Utah Immigration Enforcement Measure Takes Effect

Utah's new statue giving local police more power to enforce immigration law went into effect today. The law is similar to ones in other states developed off of FAIR's Immigration Reform Law Institute model, which recognizes the inherent power of states to enforce federal laws. The Salt Lake City police say they will not comply with the law, and lawsuits challenging the law are expected. Read more here.

Velazquez Visits Ireland, Says No Special Deal for Irish Illegal Aliens

Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) said she expected amnesty legislation to be introduced in the Senate by late July. During a visit to Ireland she also said that while there would be no special treatment for Irish illegal immigrants in the U.S., they would also benefit from the amnesty. Read more here.

NEW from FAIR: Immigration, Energy and the Environment

After food and water, energy is perhaps the most basic of all human needs. We use it to heat our homes, grow and prepare food, transport people and goods, refine ores into metals, pump water, and manufacture goods. Check out FAIR's latest research into how the issue of immigration affects population growth and energy consumption in the U.S.