California County Tries to Total Up Costs of Illegal Immigration

"The price tag for six county departments to provide services to illegal immigrants was more than $38 million a year, the county Grand Jury found. Most of the money was spent on emergency health care and law enforcement-related services for illegal immigrants. But that was just a fraction of the tab," says the San Bernardino Sun. "The public has a right to know who's receiving the services and whether or not they're entitled to them," said Supervisor Neil Derry. "These are dollars that are being used by people who don't belong here that either could be used to provide services to legal citizens or returned to them in the form of lower taxes."

Rubio's Popularity Highlights Divisions in GOP

"Today, Marco Rubio promotes amnesty for criminal aliens while competing for a U.S. Senate seat against rival Bob Smith," says Frosty Woolridge, echoing criticism from other Republicans of the Senate candidate from Florida.

"Rubio first forced six representatives each having an Immigration Enforcement Bill to hold one State Affairs Meeting April 8, 2008. He demanded they hammer their bills down to one combined bill making it easier for Rubio to kill one bill instead of six . . . After he knowingly received thousands of E-mails, calls and Faxes with voter demands to pass the bills but instead, on talk radio, he said he did not demand any votes on the six bills held by the chairmen because there were more important bills to pass than six Immigration Enforcement Bills." says one Miami resident.

Stewart Lawrence, with the Daily Caller, says Rubio may end up helping GOP moderates pass amnesty in the Senate, thus increasing Hispanic support for the GOP. "Immigration isn't the only thing that concerns Hispanics, but it's a key stumbling block to their willingness to identify more closely with the GOP on so many other issues, from abortion and school choice to the war on terrorism . . . Removing this block to expanded Hispanic support is essential if the GOP is to rise to the challenge of a more culturally diverse America. And Marco Rubio, a powerful symbol of America's changing demographics-whose own immigration story is not about welfare or unemployment, but education, work, and social mobility - could prove an ideal spokesperson and rallying point for this effort."

Are British Politicians More Honest About Immigration?

The British immigration minister Phil Woolas admitted that the negative impacts of mass immigration affected his own family negatively. "Mr Woolas, who has two boys of school age, accepted that the sudden influx of large numbers of people had had an effect on communities after being confronted by an unemployed man on BBC's Newsnight. He went on to admit: 'My own family, my children, have suffered from that and we recognise that point ...'" the Telegraph reported. "He refused to expand on his comments yesterday and it remains unclear whether he means his children have suffered as a result of pressure on schools or communities in general."

E-Verify Effectiveness Tied to Easy ID Theft

As more and more states and localities require E-Verify enrollment, critics of the program are desperate to discredit it. That's why these critics are already latching onto the latest analysis by Westat of the E-Verify program, which shows that about half of illegal aliens screened by the system are not caught. "This is a wake-up call to anyone who thinks E-verify is an effective remedy to stop the hiring of illegal immigrants," says Sen. Chuck Schumer.

"The evaluation found that, overall, E-Verify accurately screened 96% of workers, correctly identifying 93.1% of cases as people allowed to work in the U.S. and 2.9% as unauthorized. Some 3.3% of cases were illegal workers mistaken for legal workers, and 0.7% were individuals who could work in the U.S. but were not initially identified that way," says the Wall Street Journal.

The basic problem is one of identity theft - an issue that Sen. Schumer and other amnesty supporters have shown little desire to deal with since the 1970s. In fact, "The 1976 Federal Advisory Commission on False Identification (FACFI) found that easy access to false identification aided broad patterns of crime and abuse, from drug smuggling and money laundering to fraudulent veterans claims and evasion of warrants," noted David Simcox back in 1989.

The E-Verify system is being upgraded to support photo matching and other measures to combat identity theft. Employers who use the program are by and large happy with it. The gloom-and-doom predictions regarding the federal contractor rule have not come to pass. It speaks to the motivations of E-Verify opponents that they seize upon any report that finds less than 100 percent perfection as proof the system doesn't work. These same groups would oppose E-Verify if it were 100 percent effective - because their goal is to keep illegal workers in the country until they can get amnesty.

AZ House Passes Day Labor Law, Student Reporting

The Arizona state House passed legislation to prevent people from blocking traffic when they pick up day laborers. "The measure is sponsored by Fountain Hills Republican Rep. John Kavanagh. It's designed to restrict the activity of workers who wait on street corners and parking lots to be hired by contractors or others for short-term work assignments," the Arizona Republic says.

An Arizona House committee passed a measure that would require schools to report the number of illegal alien students. "Under the bill, H2382, the Arizona Department of Education would be required to collect data on public school students who cannot prove their lawful presence in the United States. That data would be compiled into a report that would be submitted every year to the governor, the Legislature and the state treasurer."

New Bill Would Create "Startup" Visas

"[T]he StartUp Visa Act of 2010, introduced this week -- would enable foreign workers in the United States to obtain two-year visas if they "can demonstrate that a qualified U.S. investor is willing to dedicate a significant sum -- a minimum of $250,000 -- to the immigrant's startup venue," said the Information Technology Industry Council. The account in The Hill newspaper did not say what limit would be placed on the visas, or whether there would be an offset with other legal immigration programs.

Dept. of Labor Goes After H-1B Firm for $1.4 Million in Back Wages

"The U.S. Department of Labor is alleging that a Newark, NJ software firm, Peri Software Solutions Inc., underpaid its tech workers on H-1B visas and owes some $1.45 million in back wages to 163 workers," says ComputerWorld. "The labor department is also seeking a $439,000 civil penalty and a two-year debarment from the H-1B program. About 20 H-1B employers are on the department's its current list of debarred firms."

Court Rules S.F. Doesn't Have A Duty to Protect You from Illegal Alien Criminals

Matt Stroud at True/Slant reports on the latest in the case of a family suing San Francisco over a sanctuary policy that kept an illegal alien criminal in the U.S. A judge ruled that the suit could not proceed, because the city had no obligation to protect the Bologna family from illegal alien criminals. "So there's at least two unfortunate things going on here: 1) San Francisco has way too many illegal immigrants to track (which also likely means it's politically expedient to just kinda look the other way in most immigration/deportation situations), and 2) because Ramos didn't threaten his victims before he shot them, they're not eligible to claim that the city failed to protect them."

Jenkins Makes Waves in Md. Legislature for Immigration Reform

Delegate Chris Jenkins first bill in the Maryland legislature continues his immigration reform work, started when he served on the Fredrick County Commission. "As a member of the Frederick County Commissioners, Jenkins was an activist on the issue of illegal immigration, and that interest continues in Annapolis. According to reporter Meg Tully, who covers the General Assembly for The News-Post, Jenkins' bill would "require state corrections institutions to submit reports to the U.S. Customs and Immigration Agency on the immigration status of inmates," the Fredrick News Post reports.

Study Finds H-1B Program Used to Displace American Workers

"A new study by the Economic Policy Institute claims some companies are using the H-1B visa program to transfer work overseas and to take advantage of cheaper guest worker labor," Eweek reported. "[Some companies are] using the H-1B and L-1 visa programs for purely temporary purposes, and their share of the H-1B and L-1 visa numbers is large and increasing" [study author Ron] Hira writes. "This paper [shows] that growing shares of employers never plan to sponsor H-1B and L-1 visas for permanent residence."

USCIS Finally Addresses H-1B Fraud and Abuse

"U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services , the agency within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that adjudicates immigration benefits, issued sweeping new guidance on Jan. 8 that limits the ability of many staffing companies to hire foreign professional workers," Law.com says. "Pursuant to the new guidance, USCIS no longer approves H-1B petitions for companies that fail to establish that they have valid employer-employee relationships with the foreign workers throughout the H-1B validity period."

Houston Police Dispute Deportation Policy for Jail Inmates

"[Houston Police] officials said last week that they have tried to clarify through public outreach campaigns that officers and detectives do not act as Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and are considering turning to foreign-language media for help with their message," the Houston Chronicle says. ICE now screens inmates at the local jail, to identify illegal alien criminals.

Amnesty Supporters Turning on Obama?

"An early congressional supporter of Barack Obama says the president has let his bully pulpit atrophy. Rep. Charles Gonzalez (D-Texas), a Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) member in his sixth term, endorsed Obama in early February 2008 over Hillary Rodham Clinton," The Hill newspaper says. "'Immigration reform is a heavy lift in many ways. It was encouraging that the president made mention of it in the State of the Union, but I don't know in this political climate that you're going to be given the time to argue the needs and benefits of it,' the member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus said."

Mass Immigration Portends Electoral Problems for GOP

The Orange County Register says, "As immigrants surged into Orange County in the last two decades, the number of poeple voting forRepublican presidential candidates in one of the state's most conservative regions dropped by nearly 18 percent - to just over 50 percent, according to a report by the Center for Immigration Studies."

GOP Ready to Unveil the George P. Bush Strategy?

Some Republicans are betting that the third time is the charm for George Bush to finally win substantial Hispanic support. The Wall Street Journal notes that George P. Bush - son of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush - has founded Hispanic Republicans of Texas. The move is part of a larger trend, according to the Journal, of Republicans adopting "a softer vocabulary on immigration and trying to recruit more Hispanic candidates, a response to the party's soul-searching about tactics that many strategists believe have alienated the country's fastest-growing voter bloc."

Former Rep. Tom Tancredo notes that the recent CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) had barely any mention of immigration. "Whereas grass-roots conservatives and millions of 912 patriots - along with 80 percent of the American people - understand the need for border security as a precondition for immigration reform, CPAC board member Grover Norquist is busy launching a new project in support of the Obama administration's plan to grant another amnesty to 20 million illegal aliens. Neither border control nor immigration enforcement was included as a topic for any of the CPAC general sessions."

Fairfax Jail Program Draws Praise

A year after starting the Secure Communities program to identify illegal alien inmates, Fairfax police are pleased with the program's ability to find and deport criminals. "It's been absolutely fantastic," Fairfax Sheriff Stan G. Barry said. "We've been able to identify a lot more individuals who are threats to our community and have them removed." The Washington Post notes, "Fairfax, which will mark the one-year anniversary of its enrollment next month, was among the first of only 116 jurisdictions nationwide to participate. Prince William County, the District and Prince George's County, which enrolled more recently, are the only other Washington area jurisdictions to sign up."

Virtual Fence May Never Be Finished

The LA Times has a grim assessment of the Virtual Fence project. "An ambitious, multibillion-dollar project to hot-wire the new Southwest border fence with high-tech radar, cameras and satellite signals has been plagued with serious system failures and repeated delays and will probably not be completed for another seven years -- if it is finished at all," the paper says. "It was a great idea, but it didn't work," Mark Borkowski, executive director of the electronic fence program at the Homeland Security Department, said.

"Instead of spending a lot of time reassessing," FAIR spokesman Ira Mehlman said, "they should get out there and do the sorts of things we know work effectively to get control of the border, such as double fencing and more manpower."

Decline in Illegal Immigration Opens Space to Enforcement

"The Obama Administration is likely to say that the U.S. needs to act quickly to monopolize on the decreased numbers of illegal immigrants living in the U.S. Their solution, however, would be an amnesty for the 10.8 million illegal immigrants living in the United States. This approach, however, is costly and simply encourages more folks to come to the United States illegally-the entirely wrong result," says Jena McNeil with the Heritage Foundation. "The Obama Administration is right-the time to act is now. When employment picks up again, illegal immigration is likely to begin to increase once more. Now is the time to develop and implement sound steps in countering illegal immigration and protecting our nation's borders-not developing amnesty proposals which would simply make the problem worse."

Facing Fiscal Crisis, Nevada Should Consider Costs of Illegal Immigration

Pat Hickey, writing for the Nevada Appeal lays out the case for real immigration reform for Nevadans. "Since 2000, Nevada's native population has grown by around 24 percent, while the foreign-born population has ballooned by 61 percent. A recent study by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) found that illegal immigrants cost Nevada around $630 million annually, which is about 70 percent of the state's current shortfall."

U.S. and Cuba Migration Talks Start

The Washington Post says, "U.S. and Cuban diplomats met in Havana on Friday for high-level talks on immigration, but the conversation was sure to turn to stickier issues, including the detention of an American contractor accused of spying." The paper notes, "The immigration talks began in 1994 but were suspended under President George W. Bush. They resumed in July and are meant to be held twice annually. The aim is to monitor adherence to a 16-year-old agreement under which the United States issues 20,000 emigration visas to Cubans per year."

Idaho Legislators Refuse Hiring Law

"Rep. Phil Hart's, R-Athol, bill to help curb illegal immigrants from working in Idaho failed to clear committee Thursday due to questions over the licensing restrictions of the legislation," according to the Idaho Reporter. "Lawmakers offered sharp criticisms of the plan before the vote. Rep. Lynn Luker, R-Boise, questioned the fairness of pulling business licenses. He noted that though many of the businesses that operate in the state have business licenses in some form, not all do. He said that he was unaware of a license required to grow fruit. Luker was also skeptical of a prosecutor's ability to keep track of all the licenses that could have potentially been involved."

ICE Agent Retired, Then Worked for Cartels

"A retired U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent was sentenced Thursday to two years in prison for leaking sensitive law enforcement information to cocaine traffickers," the Miami Herald reported. "Prosecutors said Cramer retired from ICE in 2007 and began working for a drug trafficking organization along the Southwest border, mainly advising them on how U.S. law enforcement operates."

Victor Davis Hanson: Beware of "Comprehensive Reform"

"Unfazed by his health-care implosion, about-face on terrorism and falling polls, the president has promised Hispanic groups he will seek comprehensive immigration reform, and will probably support the Democratic-sponsored 'Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America's Security and Prosperity Act,'" says Victor Davis Hanson. "Instead, far better would be a more modest effort to just close the border -- and worry about the other problems later. That could be done fairly easily through enforcing existing employer sanctions and finishing the border fence."

Maricopa Deputies Arrest Illegal Immigrants

"Maricopa County sheriff's deputies arrested 35 suspected illegal immigrants Tuesday night in three separate cases. Deputies pulled over three vehicles between 3 and 7 p.m. for traffic violations and found 11 immigrants in two of the vehicles and 13 crammed into another. The vehicles were found by the sheriff's Human Smuggling Unit," the Arizona Republic reports.

Midwest Sheriff Forced to Free Illegal Aliens

"The St. Francois County Sheriff arrested 14 men he says are illegal immigrants who were working on a construction site in Farmington on Saturday. He thought the arrests would help restore work to legal citizens struggling to find jobs. The shock came when he called a contact at the Office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement," KTVI reported. "'He said he did not want to talk to these people and that we had not authority to hold them and just turn them loose,' said Bullock."

Dan Stein - Honda's immigration views run contrary to U.S. interest

In a letter to the newspaper The Hill, FAIR President Dan Stein responded to a recent op-ed by Rep. Mike Honda's (D-Calif.) written in support of his own Reuniting Families Act where he points out that the largest current backlogs for extended family members are from "the world's most populous nations, India and China." Mr. Stein notes that Rep. Honda's take on immigration reform appears to be exclusively focused on settling historical grievances and promoting the interests of people of his own ethnic background.

Legislation Targets In-State Tuition for Illegal Aliens

"The days of taxpayer-subsidized college tuition could be coming to an end for tens of thousands of illegal immigrants. Republicans in the House of Representatives have introduced a bill to close a loophole that California and nine other states have used to provide lower-cost college tuition to illegal immigrants," the San Bernardino Sun says. "Rep. David Dreier, R-San Dimas, voted for the 1996 bill intended to deny in-state tuition for illegal immigrants. Dreier is reviewing the new measure and supports closing any loopholes in the law, said Jo Maney, his spokeswoman."

Census 'results'.....harm Michigan

"Michigan is in no position to forfeit clout in Washington, nor our fair share of federal dollars. Yet that is exactly what will happen if the census goes forward as planned," says state Sen. Cameron S. Brown. "According to the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), reapportionment based on a census count that includes both citizens and non-citizens will result in western and southern states continuing to earn additional congressional representation. This growth in their congressional delegations would come at the expense of states like Michigan with smaller non-citizen populations." Read the full story here.

Food Company Eats $500,000 Fine for Hiring

Koch Foods paid over $500,000 in fines related to a 2007 raid that found illegal hiring. "U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Friday the fines have to do with filling out and verifying employment forms. The agency says Park Ridge, Ill.-based Koch has taken steps to avoid future violations."

Arizona Legislature Debates Enforcement Measure

The Arizona Legislature is debating a tough enforcement measure targeting illegal immigration. "The bill would allow police officers to ask about anyone's immigration status, even if they're not suspected of a crime. It would also make it a state crime to be in Arizona illegally, and make it a crime to transport or conceal an illegal immigrant. The bill would make it a crime for an illegal immigrant to solicit work in a public place, or for anyone to hire someone from a vehicle," KPHO reported.

Hayworth Launches Challenge to McCain, Cites Amnesty

Former Rep. J.D. Hayworth announced a primary election challenge to Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) this week. Hayworth said that McCain's repeated support for amnesty along with other policies were among the main reasons for running. "In a phone interview with the Monitor on Monday, Hayworth said he hopes his campaign will tap into the surge in conservative activism, as measured by "tea party" activists and the popularity of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R). He will be appealing to conservatives in the state who fault McCain for crossing the political aisle too often, collaborating with Democrats like Sens. Edward Kennedy and Russ Feingold on issues such as immigration reform and campaign finance reform."

Idaho Bills Target Illegal Immigration

"Sweeping legislation introduced in the Idaho House Monday could have the state cracking down on anyone hiring or harboring illegal immigrants. One of the sponsors, Senator Mike Jorgenson of Hayden Lake said Monday "money was driving the bills." The Republican lawmaker said illegal immigration costs Idaho about $200 million a year," KIVI TV reported.

Legislation Targets Birthright Citizenship

"Republican lawmakers in Congress are sponsoring a bill that seeks to abolish birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to illegal immigrant parents. Federal law automatically grants citizenship to any person born on American soil, regardless of the immigration status of the child's parents," the San Bernardino Sun says. "Supporters of the bill say that many people come to this country for the express purpose of having children who are American citizens, making the family eligible for welfare and other government benefits."

Audits Target Illegal Workers in Wash. State

The Seattle Times covers the firing of hundreds of illegal aliens at a farm in Washington State. "Federal immigration authorities had alerted Gebbers Farms that a number of its employees' hiring forms were suspect. Unless those employees could prove they were in this country legally, the company would let them go. . . Five days later, the company dismissed an estimated 550 workers -- equal to about a quarter of Brewster's population. It was the biggest firing of its kind ever seen in Washington. And former workers say the letters and firings are still coming." the paper says.

Otay Fence Completed, Deters Smuggling

The LA Times gives ample time to critics of the border fence by Otay mountain, near San Diego. "Since the barrier's completion in October, illegal activity has declined and there have been few signs of people trying to cut or breach the fence, authorities say. 'Having this fence here is definitely going to slow them down. . . . It increases our probability of catching them,' said Conlin, the Border Patrol spokesman."

Behind The Scenes Look at Mortgage Fraud by Illegal Aliens

Dave Gibson writing for the Examiner has an interview with a woman who still works in the mortgage industry, about the high level of fraud committed by illegal aliens. "Q) What was the worst case you have seen? A) One borrower stole the SS# of a retiree and took out $3.5 million in loans, turned around and did cash-out refi's, then fled the country. The retiree was left with ruined credit, $3.5 million in loans and trouble with the IRS. Over 50% of the sub primes were for cash-out refi's."

Do Remittances Benefit California?

The Immigration Policy Center, a group that favors more immigration, released a report saying that remittances sent to Mexico returned to the country as people bought exports from California. The Desert Sun notes, "ra Mehlman, a spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization that seeks to stop undocumented immigration, said the $20 million California gets in exports to Mexico is a drop in the bucket . . . 'That's really grasping for straws here,' Mehlman said. 'The Immigration Policy Center absolutely does have an ideological bias. They support mass amnesty.'"

Patterson Says Gillibrand "Understood Nothing About Immigration"

The New York Post says, "Gov. Paterson offered his handpicked U.S. senator, Kirsten Gillibrand more backhanded support this morning, saying the former upstate congresswoman is overcoming her ignorance on immigration issues." Patterson said in a radio interview that, "She clearly understood nothing about immigration until she became a U.S. senator . . . If you talk to a lot of the [amnesty] groups, they're very happy with where she's going."

Informants Say DHS Breaks Deportation Promises

The LA Times says there are "[At] least a dozen cases in which informants say they've been led to believe that federal agencies would help them get U.S. residency in exchange for their assistance in undercover investigations, only to have the implied or explicit promises broken, an inquiry by the Los Angeles Times and the Center for Investigative Reporting found. Some of these confidential informants face being sent back to regions controlled by the same criminal gangs they helped implicate." The paper notes, "According to a 2006 ICE report, however, more and more of those recruited by ICE agents want immigration benefits in return for their cooperation. Agents can be quick to offer promises but can't ensure that authorities down the line follow through. Some go to bat for their informants; others don't bother."

Texas Gov. Perry Plans to Bill Feds for Illegal Immigration

"Contending the federal government has failed to control the U.S.-Mexico border, Gov. Rick Perry said Wednesday he'll begin billing the government the $13.5 million a month that he says it costs the state to incarcerate undocumented people being held on criminal charges," the San Antonio Express News says. Perry faces a challenge in the primary election from Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson, who has criticized his immigration positions.

Arpaio Says Immigration Enforcement to Continue

Sheriff Joe Arpaio says that Maricopa County will continue to enforce federal immigration laws. "We have the inherent right to enforce federal immigration law. If Washington doesn't like it, I recommend they change the laws," the Wall Street Journal reported. "When it attempted to curtail Mr. Arpaio's authority, Washington limited his deputies' ability to verify the immigration status of people in the streets during the course of duty. The deputies still retain the authority to check the status of people booked into Maricopa County jails."

SEIU Says Amnesty Will Affect 2010 Election

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) says that not passing amnesty will be the deciding factor for Hispanic voters, overriding economic or other concerns. SEIU wants elected officials to believe that amnesty will sway Hispanic voters toward them, despite election polls from Massachusetts that showed strong Hispanic support for the Republican candidate Scott Brown, who opposed policies to benefit illegal aliens.

Some Evangelical Groups Calling for Amnesty

USA Today says, "Galen Carey of the National Association of Evangelicals called for Congress to "pass meaningful immigration reform this year" today in a conference call with other faith leaders. Members of the group said they are trying to create a grassroots, church-based movement to press for passage of legislation."

SF Supervisors Baffled that Federal Law Overrides Sanctuary

The San Francisco Appeal has more details on Mayor Gavin Newsom's decision to ignore a law passed by Supervisors that prohibited law enforcement from contacting the DHS about illegal alien juveniles before they were convicted.

"Supervisor David Campos [ . . . ]wrote legislation, approved by the Board of Supervisors (who overrode a Mayor Gavin Newsom veto), which made it city law to only refer undocumented youth to immigration authorities if those youth are convicted of a felony.

"[Mayor] Newsom hates the law, former Newsom legal advisor Kevin Ryan hates the law, and Chief Juvenile Probation Officer William Sifferman -- whose job it is, theoretically, to uphold the law -- hates the law, too. Sifferman told Campos on Tuesday that he will not enforce the law and continue to refer undocumented youth to immigration authorities. Campos responded by calling Sifferman out to City Hall, calling for a hearing wherein Sifferman will be asked to explain himself, in public, to the Board of Supervisors."

DHS Report Says Illegal Alien Population Fell

The DHS has issued a new report that estimates the illegal alien population fell by about 1 million. This is the 2nd year that government estimates of the number of illegal aliens has declined. "Advocates for reduced immigration said the findings show the country can shrink the population of illegal immigrants without simply legalizing them. Immigration advocates say enforcement alone is neither practical, affordable nor humane over the long run," the Washington Post writes.

Federal Judge Questions Prosecutions against Illegal Aliens

U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks filed an order last week questioning U.S. prosecutors for seeking criminal convictions in court against some illegal immigrants, writing that the practice "presents a cost to the American taxpayer ... that is neither meritorious nor reasonable." Most of those prosecuted have been identified by immigration officers at the Travis County (TX) Jail and charged with illegal entry after deportation. Click here for the whole story.

Sheriff Arpaio Vows to Press On for Immigration Enforcement

"Sheriff Joe Arpaio held a press conference Monday afternoon to announce some big changes in the way he enforces immigration laws," Fox TV reported. "Arpaio says that every MCSO deputy will receive training to find and detain illegal immigrants, and be taught to avoid racial profiling . . . MCSO has hired a professor of immigration law, Kris Kobach, to lead the training. He says that deputies have the inherent authority to detain suspected illegal immigrants."

ABA Endorses Full Employment for Immigration Attorneys

The American Bar Association is calling for the establisment of a new immigration court system, which would be a full employment act for immigration attorneys. Immigration judges (who are unionized) are currently administrative hearing officers in the Dept. of Justice. "In the proposal adopted Monday, the bar association argued that immigration courts should be removed from the Department of Justice and set up as independent courts, still within the executive branch, under terms in Article I of the Constitution," the New York Times reports. The ABA issued a report saying that due to more immigration enforcement, a better court system would speed the process.

Glitches, Delays for Virtual Fence

The AP says, "An ambitious, $6.7 billion government project to secure nearly the entire Mexican border with a 'virtual fence' of cameras, ground sensors, and radar is in jeopardy after a string of technical glitches and delays." The program has spent almost $700 million but not achieved much success.

Obama's Aunt Gets Another Delay in Deportation

The New York Daily News says, "President Obama's Kenyan aunt gets to stay in this country a little longer while her deportation battle continues." Onyango has been trying to avoid deportation for several years.

Judge Considers Sanctions in Profiling Case

A judge is considering sanctions against the Maricopa Sheriff's department for not retaining records about traffic stops. "U.S. District Judge Murray Snow heard arguments Thursday over whether the law enforcement agency should be punished for throwing away and shredding officers' records of traffic stops and for not handing over all its e-mails about the sweeps," the Washington Post reports. The traffic stops sometimes involved questions about immigration status, and lawyers for illegal alien supporters argue the sheriffs profiled people who they stopped.

Raids Target Houston Bus Companies in Smuggling Operation

"Raids on 14 illegal bus companies here have shed light on a seedy underground system that transported illegal immigrants all over the country and that sometimes held them captive until their relatives paid exorbitant fares, federal law enforcement officials said Thursday," according to the New York Times. "The bus companies worked exclusively with smuggling operations, officials said. The owners paid commissions of up to $300 for each passenger to smugglers who had brought the immigrants across the Mexican border."

Mass Amnesty Advocates Criticize Potential Senatorial Candidate

"The Hispanic Federation slammed possible Democratic Senate candidate Harold Ford Jr. on Monday, alleging that his record on immigration isn't up to par for New York City. Ford is a former congressman from Tennessee who is rumored to be seeking a primary challenge against current U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.)," the Epoch Times writes. "Ford voted yes on a 2005 bill that was mostly Republican-backed in the House and, if it was passed in the Senate, would possibly have charged all illegal immigrants in the U.S. with a felony. . . "

French Deny Citizenship Over Veil

The Christian Science Monitor says, "France's immigration minister said he is refusing citizenship to a Muslim man who called his wife 'an inferior being,' and forced her to wear a full veil in public, an announcement that plays well with French public support for a burqa ban."

Dialysis for Illegal Aliens Puts Strain on Hospitals

The AP covers the controversy over providing dialysis to illegal alien patients in Georiga. "The treatment typically costs $40,000 to $50,000 a year, and [Atlanta's Grady Hospital] is just one of the struggling public hospitals cutting the service to reduce costs. Many indigent dialysis patients, including Kaur, are illegal immigrants, so facilities that give them routine treatments receive no federal money for their care. . . 'When you have long-term health conditions that need continuing care, the government needs to send these people back to their countries,' said Ira Mehlman, spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which favors tougher immigration enforcement. 'They cannot expect the taxpayer is going to endlessly pick up the tab.'"

10th Circuit Case Upholds E-Verify Mandate, Other Oklahoma Provisions on Hold

"A federal appeals court panel ruled Tuesday that a portion of Oklahoma's anti-illegal immigration law is enforceable now, while other provisions of the law are not," the Oklahoman reported. "[Rep.]Terrill said he is pleased the panel upheld the section of the law that requires employers contracting with government entities to use the federal E-Verify computer system to verify job seekers' eligibility. 'So what it signals is that I can now proceed with what would perhaps be the next step which is to simply remove the public contracting requirement and require all employers to use E-Verify to make sure that the people that they're hiring are legal,' Terrill said."

Lawsuit Targets Guest Worker Abuse

"Immigration authorities worked closely with a marine oil-rig company in Mississippi to discourage protests by temporary guest workers from India over their job conditions, including advising managers to send some workers back to India," the New York Times reported. "The cooperation between the company and federal immigration agents is recounted in sworn depositions by Signal managers who were involved when tensions in its shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss., erupted into a public clash in March 2007."

Does Campaign Finance Ruling Opens the Door For Business Push on Amnesty?

Keith Nelle with the California Independent Voter Network says the recent ruling on campaign finance may have opened the door for a business push for amnesty. "With businesses' and unions' newfound ability to spend on political campaigns, will they now demand a more "business friendly" approach to immigration reform as well? . . . Will the lure of money pull conservatives towards the center or will they reject it and risk alienating business on the precipice of an election year?"

E-Verify Should Be Made Mandatory And Universal

"A northern Idaho senator is trying for a fourth year to toughen punishments for businesses that employ illegal workers, against opposition from the dairy and construction industries that say this should be a federal issue. At the heart of the disagreement: E-Verify, the currently voluntary federal system that lets businesses check on a worker's status," the Associated Press reported. "Sen. Mike Jorgenson, R-Hayden Lake, is pushing to require Idaho employers to use the system to root out illegal workers he says cost Idaho millions of dollars. Those found guilty of knowingly hiring illegal workers would face fines of up to $50,000 and the loss of their business licenses. Jorgenson has the backing of the Federation of American Immigration Reform, a group trying to convince U.S. Congress to reduce immigration."

Baltimore Council Approves E-Verify Resolution

The Balitmore County Council passed 6-0 a resolution calling for the county to put in place an E-Verify mandate for county contractors. "'The point we are trying to make is, American jobs for Americans and Baltimore County jobs for Baltimore Countians and the people of the state of Maryland,' said Buddy Cefalu, president of the Mid-Atlantic States District Council of Iron Workers, during a Jan. 26 council work session," the Towson Times reported.

ABA Report: Stop Prosecuting People Who Will Get Amnesty Under Obama

The American Bar Association has produced a report claiming that the DHS should stop trying to deport people who would be eligible for an amnesty, should one pass this year. "The report criticizes DHS for deporting legal permanent residents for minor or misdemeanor infractions, initiating deportation measures against immigrants eligible for permanent resident status, and detaining illegal immigrants far from their homes and, sometimes, their legal counsel," Fox News says.

Perry, Hutchinson Discuss Immigration During Texas Gov. Debate

"The issue of illegal immigration was front and center for a few moments during Friday night's debate for the GOP nomination for governor. Governor Perry lashed out at Washington and, by extension, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, for doing nothing to keep illegal immigrants out of Texas. Ironically, during the same debate, Perry was also forced to defend his support of in-state college tuition for the children of illegal immigrants," says Scott Braddock with TexasGopVote.com.

Unskilled Workers Flood In Despite High Unemployment

The Baltimore Sun discusses the high level of unskilled immigration in a story about the H-2B and other immigration programs. "About 15 million Americans are unemployed. Yet Washington allows businesses to bring in about 1 million foreigners a year to take supposedly short-term jobs that many jobless would leap at taking if they could," the Sun says. "This year, the H-2B program alone will let more than 100,000 lower-skilled foreign workers come to the U.S. as 'temporary, seasonal, nonagricultural guest workers.' Businesses like the program because the foreigners, who need the jobs in order to stay in the U.S., 'shut up and do what they are told,' says Mr. Krikorian [of the Center for Immigration Studies]."

Gutierrez Threatens Democrats Over Amnesty

"A leading Latino lawmaker asserted Monday that Latinos, angered at President Obama for his failure to push immigration reform legislation, could stay home from the polls this year," the LA Times reported. "Earlier, Gutierrez told The Times that Obama's failure to push immigration reform was symbolized by his State of the Union address last Wednesday, when he devoted 38 of about 7,300 words to the issue. The "throwaway line," Gutierrez said, was the final straw for many activists who have been perturbed by the continued deportations and other enforcement actions without real progress on reform legislation."

Baltimore Employers Face E-Verify Requirement

"Contractors working with Baltimore County could soon be required to verify the immigration status of their employees or risk losing county business," the Baltimore Sun reports. "The County Council enacted a resolution Monday, by a unanimous vote of the six members that were present. The resolution urges County Executive James T. Smith Jr. to ensure contractors vet new hires with the federal E-Verify program."

Gang Members Move Around DC Suburbs to Avoid Immigration Enforcement

"Montgomery and Fairfax counties are similar is size, population and demographics, but the Maryland county has seen nearly 25 percent more serious crime recently than its neighbor across the Potomac, a [county] study found," according to the Washington Examiner. "Jon Feere, a legal policy analyst for the Center for Immigration Studies, noted that the Montgomery County Council report cited a 12 percent reduction in violent crime in Fairfax County from 2006 to 2008, compared with a 5 percent drop in Montgomery during the same period. 'It is possible that Virginia's statewide efforts at discouraging illegal immigration have resulted in a greater decrease in violent criminal activity, particularly when it comes to the issue of criminal alien gangs like MS-13,' Feere said."

Measuring the Impact of Amnesty

The Contra Costa Times says the economic impact of amnesty is unclear, with benefits and costs not shared. "A flurry of academic studies commissioned in recent months by pro-immigrant advocates suggests that another mass legalization will be an economic boon to the United States, both because of the fees applicants must pay, the tax rolls they will join and the money they will spend," the paper says. "Opponents of a future amnesty argue that one of its worst impacts would be to allow illegal immigrants, now ineligible for most federal government benefits apart from public education, to suck up taxpayer resources when they become citizens several years later. Most beneficiaries of amnesty have minimal education and would be making low wages, said Robert Rector of the conservative Heritage Foundation." Readers interested in FAIR's cost studies of illegal immigration should see our publications page.

Idaho Lawmakers Debate Enforcement Bills

The Salt Lake Tribune says that, "Idaho lawmakers could debate as many as three bills this session that would punish employers who hire illegal immigrants. Two bills, including one introduced Friday by Sen. Mike Jorgenson, would punish employers who knowingly hire illegal workers with fines and suspension of licenses. A third, milder measure makes knowingly hiring an illegal immigrant a misdemeanor but doesn't touch their licenses." The measures are similar to laws in other states like Georgia and Arizona, which penalize employers who don't follow federal immigration law.

Amnesty Supporters Ready to Press On, Despite Lowered Expectations

The Washington Post says, "As President Obama vows to refocus Democrats' attention on jobs and the economy, advocates for overhauling the nation's immigration laws say they are still gearing up for a battle in the Senate in coming weeks, despite fading hopes for victory." With expected Republican victories in coming elections, Democrats are focused less on immigration and more on voter discontent, the Post reports. "[Amnesty] backers say they will have to thread a needle to move a bill to the Senate floor by a springtime deadline, after which they fear midterm election politics will take hold."

See Albor Ruiz's column for an example of an amnesty supporter's take on Obama's State of the Union. "It is almost incomprehensible - and frankly a little absurd - that after Obama's address to Congress and the nation that some pro-immigration-reform groups continue to delude themselves and feed immigrants the Pablum of false hope."

Green Party Says Cut Immigration

Australia's Green Party says immigration levels should be reduced. "Greens leader Bob Brown said most people did not support the federal government's plan to boost population from 22 to 36 million by 2050," the Sydney Morning Herald reported. "[Brown] said Australians should live sustainably but a big population increase would threaten the nation's ability to do that. The government on Monday released its third intergenerational report, which includes the 36 million population forecast." Unfortunately, American political parties are not willing to be as forthright about the population impact of immigration on resources and the environment.