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FAIR Staff Contributions Pandering to the Illegal Alien Lobby: Extending TPS for Nicaraguans and Hondurans |
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May 10, 2010 Pandering to the Illegal Alien Lobby: Extending TPS for Nicaraguans and Hondurans by Jack Martin DHS Secretary Napolitano announced May 5 that the Obama administration was extending the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Nicaraguans and Hondurans for an additional 18 months. The TPS status for Nicaraguans and Hondurans, who were living in the United States in December 1998 when Hurricane Mitch hit their countries, was due to expire in July. (continued in full entry) What most Americans - both policymakers and the public - do not understand about the TPS process is that most of the beneficiaries of this status are illegal aliens who have no intention of returning to their home countries. Giving them work permits and temporary legal status makes no sense. A second issue is that the TPS designation and renewal process has become a high-power, high-stakes lobbying game by foreign governments who do not want their own citizens to return. That in fact is what has happened. The governments of Nicaragua and Honduras would much rather have their citizens remain in the U.S. and continue to send remittances home while they are working here. So they have continued to ask the U.S. Government to extend TPS long after the triggering event has passed. They are joined by the lobbyists for illegal aliens in the lobbying for TPS extension. In 1990, TPS was created to deal with the Central Americans who had come illegally during civil unrest in that area. When, after several extensions, it was converted by an amnesty (Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act) into permanent legal residence, it set a precedent that apparently has convinced the defenders of illegal aliens that it is a viable model for gaining a new amnesty for their protégés. The DHS statement of the extension was pro forma; "During the past year, DHS and the Department of State have reviewed the conditions in Nicaragua [and Honduras]. Based on this review, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano has determined that an 18-month extension is warranted because the conditions that prompted the TPS designation in 1999 following the environmental disaster caused by Hurricane Mitch persist and prevent Nicaragua [and Honduras] from adequately handling the return of its nationals." While it is true that there is high unemployment in those two countries, there is also high unemployment in the United States. It strains credulity that more than 11 years after the hurricane and millions of dollars in foreign aid, that the countries have not had ample time to recover. In fact, the prospect of endless renewals of TPS may be an impediment to recovery. FAIR has long recommended that TPS status be abolished as misguided. Short of that, it should at least be amended to apply only to persons who are legally present in the United States when a disaster hits their homeland.
AZ Gov. Brewer Says Law Isn't a Laughing Matter in New Video Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has a new campaign ad that takes the Obama administration to task for not enforcing immigration law. Paul Knost with the Examiner has more details. "In a campaign video released May 7, 2010, a clip of President Obama shows him at the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner light-heartedly remarking: "And we all know what happens in Arizona when you don't have ID . . . Adios, amigos!'' The video then plays serious sounding music with text that reads: 'President Obama, broken borders are not a laughing matter... No one in Arizona is laughing... Do your job and secure the border.'''
Farmers Say They Need AgJobs, Since Americans Can't Farm Farming groups are back to lobbying for AgJobs, an amnesty targeted at providing large agribusinesses with cheap foreign labor. "Most Americans shy away from jobs such as hand-picking tomatoes or cutting cabbage because the work is seasonal, physically tough, out in the elements and often in remote areas, farmers say," according to the AP. "In February, the U.S. Labor Department issued regulations to increase wages and job safety protections for temporary farm workers, reversing Bush-era changes that farm worker advocates said promoted cheap labor and undercut domestic hiring. The changes also require growers to do more to try to fill the jobs with American workers."
Michigan Lawmaker Seeks Arizona-Style Law Some Michigan lawmakers say they want to pass an Arizona-style immigration law. "Rep. Kim Meltzer, R-Clinton Township, said her bill would allow police to request proof of citizenship from people who are stopped and questioned on another offense, such as a traffic violation or selling fraudulent identity documents. Officers would have the authority to arrest people who can't prove their legal status," the Detroit Free Press says.
Californians Want Arizona-Style Immigration Law "Many people in Tulare County say it's time to follow in the steps of Arizona's immigration law, but local illegal immigrants say they're here to work, not break the law," the Visalia Times-Gazette says. "California law has long been vague about how to handle those who may not have naturalization documents, and those immigration laws are rarely enforced by local police, said Visalia police Sgt. Steve Phillips."
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