Bilbray Takes Aim At Gingrich Over Immigration

"The Republican chairman of the Immigration Reform caucus blasted GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich on Tuesday for calling to allow some illegal immigrants to remain in the country. Speaking on CNN's 'John King, U.S.A.,' Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-Calif.) likened Gingrich's plan to drilling a hole in the bottom of a sinking boat to let the water out," The Hill reported.

Perry Says Border Security Before Any Immigration Fix

"Texas Gov. Rick Perry says the U.S.-Mexico border must first be secured, and then under no circumstances would he support any type of amnesty for the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants who now live in the United States. The presidential contender also told Fox News' Greta Van Susteren Tuesday that before he can lay out a specific plan for solving the illegal immigration problem, a conversation must be held with the American people," Newsmax writes.

Where The Candidates Stand on Immigration

The New York Times has produced an info-graphic of the GOP primary candidates' positions on immigration. Also included are some quotes by the candidates.

House Removes Country Cap for Employment Green Cards

"The House voted Tuesday to end per-country caps on worker-based immigration visas, a move that should benefit skilled Indian and Chinese residents seeking to stay in the United States and the high-tech companies who hire them. The legislation, which passed 389-15, was a rare example of bipartisan accord on immigration, an issue that largely has been avoided during the current session of Congress because of the political sensitivities involved," the Washington Post writes.

"The measure would eliminate the current law that says employment-based visas to any one country can't exceed 7 percent of the total number of such visas given out. Instead, permanent residence visas or green cards would be handled on a first-come, first-served basis."

December Date Set for Court Hearing in Suit Against South Carolina Law

"The battle between federal and state governments over South Carolina's immigration law will move to a courtroom in December. A hearing on a preliminary injunction has been scheduled for Dec. 19 in Charleston before U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel. The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit in October asking for an injunction to prevent the state's immigration law from taking effect Jan. 1. The judge is not expected to make a decision on the day of the hearing but is expected to rule before the law's start date, experts said," The State newspaper writes.

Romney's Record on Immigration: Mixed Signals

"Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has been unofficially running for president for the better part of five years, and in that time, he has been asked about immigration over and over again. Now some of his rivals are arguing that his answers to the question have been inconsistent. And the issue blew up last week at a CNN debate on national security," says NPR.

"Romney policy director Lanhee Chen argues that there is nothing inconsistent in Romney's statements on immigration. In a statement to NPR, Chen said, 'Gov. Romney believes that illegal immigrants who apply for legal status should not be given any advantage over those who are following the law and waiting their turn.'"

DOJ Argues Against Alabama Law

"Alabama's new law against illegal immigration may hamper enforcement rather than being the tough crackdown sought by its supporters -- by taking officers away from the vital job of prosecuting and deporting immigrants with criminal records, Justice Department lawyers said Monday," Fox News writes.

"The president of the Alabama Association of Chiefs of Police, Boaz Police Chief Terry Davis, agreed that officers are stretched by multiple duties, particularly with tight budgets. But, he said, enforcing the state law should not conflict with the broader federal goal of nabbing criminals who are in the country illegally."

Arpaio Set to Endorse Perry

"An Arizona sheriff who has gained a national reputation for his tough stance against illegal immigrants is set to endorse Texas Governor Rick Perry Tuesday in New Hampshire, Perry's campaign confirmed," CNN reported.

"Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, whose tactics have caused controversy and spurred civil rights lawsuits, will give his nod to Perry in a Tuesday morning event. Arpaio will also campaign with Perry at several events throughout the state."

Gingrich Amplifies Immigration Remarks

"Newt Gingrich responded to the controversy over his stance on illegal immigration by going deeper. At a town hall here Monday evening hosted by tea party favorite Rep. Tim Scott, Gingrich outlined a seven-part plan and called for withholding federal funds from 'sanctuary cities,' that don't enforce federal immigration laws," says Politico.

"Gingrich has been under fire since endorsing a 'humane' policy on immigration that allowed people who have been in the country for decades to remain without getting deported."

How The Federal Reserve Helps Illegal Aliens Send Money Back Home

"Billions of dollars are being sent by immigrants in the U.S. to their families back home, yet a large percentage of these transactions have been taking place outside of the regulated financial system, often at a significant cost to the individuals sending the money," says a press release from the National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions.

"To address this issue, the Federal Reserve Bank and the Mexican Consulate have been partnering with U.S. based financial institutions to lower the cost of sending remittances to Mexico, provide safe and affordable financial services increase the speed and safety of transactions, and reduce the number of unbanked in the U.S. and Mexico by encouraging them to work with regulated financial institution on both sides of the border."

Legal Immigrants Show Support for Repealing Maryland Tuition Give Away for Illegal Aliens

"Until recently, Maryland's legal and political battle over in-state tuition has been seen as pitting young illegal immigrants against native residents. But in the past few months, a petition drive by opponents of the measure has attracted a small but growing number of legal immigrants, who say that they, too, are being cheated," the Washington Post writes.

"The issue of what to do about the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States has roiled Republican presidential debates. In recent years, it has spawned national movements that advocate a range of solutions, including forcing all illegal immigrants to return home and granting them all legal amnesty."

DOJ Does Publicity Tour in Suit Over Alabama Law

"Two top Justice Department officials are planning to travel to Alabama next week to talk to business and community leaders about the federal government's lawsuit against that state over a law it passed seeking to crack down on illegal immigrants, a Justice Department statement said," according to Politico.

"The suit against Alabama, filed last month, is one of four the Obama administration has brought against states enacting anti-illegal immigration legislation. The litigation -- targeting Arizona, Alabama, South Carolina and, as of Tuesday, Utah -- could pay political dividends for President Barack Obama in terms of Latino support for his re-election next year, but also carries the peril of a backlash since the laws are generally popular with voters."

California Dreaming No More

"For a clue to why California is losing its allure as a place to settle down, just ask Jennifer McCluer, who moved out of California in 2007 after she obtained her license in skin care. Unable to afford Orange County's sky-high rents, she opted for Portland, Ore. [...] Recent census figures show the state is losing more Californians like McCluer than it is attracting from other parts of the U.S. And the trend toward out-migration is looking less like a blip than a long-term condition," the LA Times writes.

"As domestic immigration slowed between 1970 and 2000, foreign immigration filled in the gap. But since 2000, even the state's once-growing immigrant population has been frozen at 27% of total residents. Since at least 2005, more residents have left California than arrived here from other states."

Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and GOP Debate

Call it "A Jimmy Kimmel Thanksgiving." The late-night host riffed on the Republican presidential candidates on Wednesday, playing a clip of the classic "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" but dubbing it with a vicious spat from a recent GOP debate," the NY Daily News wrote.

Bloomberg Signs Measure to Halt Cooperation on Deportations

"Mayor Michael Bloomberg signed a new bill into law Tuesday that limits the city's cooperation with federal immigration authorities on Rikers Island," WNYC reported.

"The law will prevent the Department of Corrections from turning over immigrants with no criminal convictions upon their release, who are not known gang members or who are not on the terror watch list to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents."

Feds Sue Utah Over Immigration Law, But Only the Enforcement Part

"The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit Tuesday claiming the Utah Legislature overstepped its authority when it passed a tough immigration law, arguing immigration enforcement is a federal duty," the Salt Lake Tribune writes.

However, the suit does not challenge the guest worker program that the law created.

"Specifically, the lawsuit challenges three sections of HB497 that require law enforcement to verify the legal status of those arrested for class A misdemeanors or felonies, allow the warrantless arrest of those suspected of being in the country illegally, and make it a crime to harbor or transport undocumented immigrants."

GOP Debate: Gingrich Defends Legalization Policy

"Newt Gingrich may now have a Rick Perry problem. The former House speaker diverged from his rivals in the Republican presidential field Tuesday, declining to say that he would support the deportation of the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants living in America," Politico writes.

"I don't see how the, the party that says it's the party of the family is going to adopt an immigration policy which destroys families that have been here a quarter-century," he said Tuesday. "And I'm prepared to take the heat for saying, 'Let's be humane in enforcing the law without giving them citizenship but by finding a way to create legality so they are not separated by their families.'"

Lack of Work That Fuels Occupy Movement Is Due in Part to Immigration Policy

"Occupy Wall Street may be out of Zuccotti Park but Americans ignore its message only at their peril. Dispossessed by police from prominent venues around the country, the forces that inspired mass, albeit unseemly demonstrations have not abated. America is rapidly fracturing into two nations--affluent players in the global economy and a growing mass facing diminished circumstances for themselves and their children," says Peter Morici, a professor at University of Maryland.

"If forces marginalizing millions are not addressed, America is headed for much worse than tent cities and baths in parks. Economic bifurcation into the super affluent and the poor will erode the institutions and values that bound together immigrants from many heritages, faiths and tongues into a single nation."

He says that, "[G]lobal competition, communications technologies and essentially unchecked immigration have hammered down wages and winnowed opportunities in once decent paying occupations--for example, ordinary line work in manufacturing, middle management and sales, and writing for a daily newspaper. So much more can now be outsourced and accomplished on the internet with inexpensive software or performed by semi-skilled immigrant workers."

Today on ImmigrationReform.com - NYT Puts Alabama 'Racial Profiling' Concerns to Rest

In a blog on today's ImmigrationReform.com, FAIR's Ira Mehlman takes a look at an interesting article by the New York Times that discredits one of the illegal alien advocacy movement's favorite arguments against the new Alabama immigration enforcement law. Read the full entry at www.immigrationreform.com.

GAO Report Finds Many Border Fires Caused by Illegal Aliens

"Illegal immigrants started nearly 40 percent of human-ignited wildfires along the U.S.-Mexico border between 2006 and 2010, according to a new government report that gives new credence to claims Arizona lawmakers made earlier this year during catastrophic blazes in the Southwest," the Washington Times writes. "That number may even be understated -- the report by the Government Accountability Office said federal land agencies often violate their own policies by not trying to investigate the origins of human-caused fires."

DHS Says They Aren't Stonewalling Information on Amnesty Plan

"Homeland Security officials said Monday they are gathering data to appease U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, after his powerful House committee threatened to hold the agency in contempt of Congress for failing to provide immigration enforcement information," the Texas Tribune reports.

Smith accused DHS of "stonewalling" and warned that if the request for immigration-enforcement information was not met, he would "seek enforcement of the subpoena to the fullest extent of the law." A House Judiciary staff member who spoke on background said the committee could take action to hold DHS in contempt if the agency does not supply the requested information.

Amnesty Groups Push for Cuts to Border Patrol

"According to the Washington-based think tank National Immigration Forum, funding for the Border Patrol has grown by about 1,000 percent since 1993. Its operating budget is now $1.4 billion and it rises, on average, about $300 million annually. The National Immigration Forum is one of a handful of pro-immigrant groups pressuring Congress to make cuts to border enforcement as a way to save taxpayers more than $2.6 billion," KPBS reports.

Unemployment Drops in Alabama After Immigration Law Enforced

"Unemployment rates have fallen in Alabama amid new legal pressure on companies to comply with a popular immigration reform law. September was the first full month that the reform was in force, and the unemployment rate fell from 9.8 percent in September to 9.3 percent in October, according to a Nov. 18 report from the state government," the Daily Caller writes. "Every county in Alabama saw a drop in unemployment, including Wilcox, Dallas and Bullock counties, where unemployment rates are greater than 16.5 percent."

Rep. Lamar Smith Threatens Subpoena After DHS Stonewalls on Deportation Data

"A top House Republican is threatening to enforce a subpoena for criminal immigrant information "to the fullest extent" of the law, after claiming the Obama administration "stonewalled" his request. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith for months has been seeking a comprehensive list of names and other information for the thousands of immigrants who are flagged, but not taken into custody or deported through a program known as Secure Communities," Fox News writes.

Can the California GOP Use The Immigration Issue?

"There's no magic wand, no single policy that will return California to past glory. It took a long time to create the current mess, and it will take time to correct it. Reform will require broad coalitions that include many of our fellow Californians who don't share our political views. This is a Blue State after all. There are few specific policies that will go anywhere, so for now the GOP - which, for better or worse, is the only real alternative to the Democratic machine - should be about ideas, about putting together a new bundle of issues and revisiting some failed approaches and policies," says Steven Greenhut at Human Events.

"Let's start with the tough issue of immigration. The Republican grass-roots are angry at the perceived waves of illegal immigrants crossing from Mexico. Activists are at odds with the business community, which fears additional layers of regulation and needs a growing low-cost workforce. Republicans admit that Latino voters tend to share their values, but mostly vote for Democrats."

Florida Town Wants Immigration Detention Center

"The leaders of a prosperous south Florida town want to build the country's largest immigration detention center in the hopes of gaining revenue despite a backlash from area residents. For nearly a decade leaders of Southwest Ranches have kept their scheme hushed from residents, now the project will become federal government's largest immigrant detention center," Fox News writes.

Mercedes Exec. Caught By Alabama Document Requirement

"A German manager with Mercedes-Benz is free after being arrested for not having a driver's license with him under Alabama's new law targeting illegal immigrants, authorities said Friday, in an otherwise routine case that drew the attention of Gov. Robert Bentley," the AP reports.

"Tuscaloosa Police Chief Steven Anderson told The Associated Press an officer stopped a rental vehicle for not having a tag Wednesday night and asked the driver for his license. The man only had a German identification card, so he was arrested and taken to police headquarters, Anderson said."

Arizona Legal Fight Expected to Have 2012 Impact

"At first blush, the Obama administration's decision to launch a legal crusade against Arizona and two other states that have passed laws cracking down on illegal immigrants seems like a sure political loser -- the three Justice Department lawsuits fly squarely in the face of public support for the new laws and play into a familiar conservative narrative about an overbearing and intrusive federal government," Politico writes.

"If the Supreme Court does weigh in on the issue this term -- and it's expected to decide in the next several weeks -- the legal battle would come to a head, conveniently, just as Obama is trying to make amends for what many Latinos regard as a less-than-aggressive drive to pass immigration reform legislation."

Administration Kicks Off Back Door Amnesty Effort

"New memos issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirm that the Obama administration has already begun to implement a backdoor amnesty program for millions of illegal aliens in the United States," noted FAIR in a press release yesterday. "The memos make it clear that political appointees at ICE are now making U.S. immigration policy aimed at serving the political goals of the Obama administration instead of the interests of the American people, and in defiance of the laws made by Congress. It is essential that Congress act immediately to rein-in this abuse of executive power," said FAIR President Dan Stein.

Poll: Americans Oppose Birthright Citizenship for Illegal Aliens

"Voters oppose more strongly than ever granting automatic U.S. citizenship to a child born to an illegal immigrant in this country. Now, nearly two-out-of-three Likely U.S. Voters (65%) say if a woman enters the United States as an illegal alien and gives birth to a child here, that child should not automatically become a U.S. citizen," Rasmussen Reports says.

Illegal Immigration Trashing the Border Environment

"'I have learned to live with trash,' said fifth-generation Arizona rancher Jim Chilton. He saw his once-beautiful ranch, just a few miles from the border with Mexico, is now dotted with clusters of crushed trees and cactus, whole hillsides have been turned into charred eyesores, years worth of his award-winning conservation projects obliterated -- and the whole thing is littered with trash, tons and tons of trash. And some of the trash was dead bodies," the Washington Examiner reports.

DOJ Civil Rights Division Goes After Alabama

"The Obama administration's legal campaign against restrictive state immigration laws has led to a bitter standoff in Alabama, where Justice Department attorneys are investigating possible civil rights violations," the Washington Post writes.

"The federal government already has sued Alabama over its new law, one of three such lawsuits against states that have cracked down on illegal immigration. Now, the Justice Department has opened a civil rights investigation to monitor potential discrimination as parts of the Alabama law take effect."

DHS Begins Amnesty Screenings Today

"The Department of Homeland Security will begin a review on Thursday of all deportation cases before the immigration courts and start a nationwide training program for enforcement agents and prosecuting lawyers, with the goal of speeding deportations of convicted criminals and halting those of many illegal immigrants with no criminal record," MSNBC writes.

Were the 11 Arrested in Alabama Protest Here Illegally?

"Arrests made Tuesday during a protest of the state's new illegal immigration law have led to a weird disagreement in which the city is contending those arrested are guilty of less than a misdemeanor, while one of their defense attorneys is arguing they are guilty of a federal offense," the Montgomery Advertiser writes.

"Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange said that he has been informed that those arrested Tuesday are legal U.S. residents, but a defense attorney representing them contends they are illegal aliens."

Today on ImmigrationReform.com - Finally an Economist Who Understands Immigration

FAIR's Karl Filippini takes a look at a recent blog written by University of Oregon Economist Mark Thoma. You might be pleasantly surprised at what Mr. Thoma has to say. Read the whole story at www.immigrationreform.com.

Does Immigration Enforcement Focuses on Small Companies, Instead of Big Ones?

"While attempting to solidify his political base -- including the Latino voters -- President Barack Obama is walking a thin line between amnesty for illegal aliens and enforcing immigration laws he and his minions oppose. For example, last week both the owner and the manager of a La Jolla, California, bakery pleaded guilty to their longtime practice of hiring illegal aliens following a four-year probe by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)," says Jim Kouri on Examiner.com

Illegal Aliens Arrested in Alabama Protest, None Deported

"Diane Martel and a dozen people, ranging in age from 17 to 57, were arrested during a protest of HB 56, Alabama's new immigration law," the Montgomery Advertiser writes.

"The protesters arrested were all undocumented immigrants, living in different parts of the country. Under the law, the protesters risk being turned over to immigration authorities and possible deportation, a risk all said they were aware of."

D.C. City Council Moves to Discourage Immigration Law Enforcement

"The D.C. Council took a strong stand on illegal immigration enforcement Tuesday. All 13 council members signed a bill that would bar local police officers from helping federal officials round up illegal immigrants, with the exception of extreme cases," NBC news reports.

New FAIR Report: H-1B and Other Programs Harm American Workers

"Even amid the bleakest labor market in generations, we are constantly told that American workers are either unwilling or unable to perform certain jobs. Despite evidence to the contrary, the political class has largely come to accept that American workers will not perform physically demanding labor. There is now also a concerted effort to convince the public that Americans are unqualified for intellectually demanding jobs," notes FAIR in a press release about its latest report.

Read FAIR's full report, Jobs Americans Can't Do?: The Myth of a Skilled Labor Shortage at www.fairus.org/h1b2011.

Frederick County, Maryland, Moves to Stop Illegal Immigration

"Blaine Young, president of Frederick County's board of commissioners, has plans to make Frederick 'the most unfriendly county in the state of Maryland to illegal aliens,'" the Baltimore Sun writes. "And while he said some localities might cringe at such a title, 'we wear that with a badge of honor.'"

"County officials -- motivated by a high-profile murder charge against an alleged illegal immigrant -- are attempting to craft sweeping legislation to prohibit undocumented workers from getting jobs and renting homes."

Parents Abandon Children to U.S. Foster Care After Deportation

"In the past few years, a growing number of long-time residents with families are being deported while the kids are almost always placed in foster care. According to previously unreleased federal data obtained by the ARC, between January and June of 2011, the United States carried out more than 46,000 deportations of the parents of U.S.-citizen children, and almost one in four people deported in the last year was the mother or father of an American citizen," says Juvenile Justice Information Exchange.

Russell Pearce: Recall Election Not a Referendum on SB 1070

"I'd be lying if I said I was not extremely disappointed by being voted out in a recall election. I'm sad to go under these circumstances. The establishment is attempting to frame my defeat as proof that voters oppose immigration control. Many are insinuating my defeat as a blow SB1070," says Russell Pearce in a Politico op-ed. "But the truth is - as some political observers acknowledge - I probably wouldn't have lost the race in a normal election . . . In addition, looming over the campaign was a prolonged smear campaign against me for accepting (with dozens of other legislators) free college football tickets. I believe these attacks are groundless and I did nothing illegal or unethical. The main point, however, is that this had nothing to do with my positions on illegal immigration. In fact my opponent barely discussed the issue."

N.M. Gov. Says New Info Shows Grandparents Were Legal

"New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez has dug into her family's ancestry and uncovered documents that she says suggest her paternal grandparents followed the law and common practices in coming to the United States from Mexico in the early 1900s, contradicting earlier indications they were illegal immigrants," the AP reports.

NY Board of Regents Votes to Give $5000 in Tax Money to Every Illegal Alien College Student

"The state Board of Regents went to bat for immigrant kids Monday, voting to urge New York lawmakers to extend state financial aid to undocumented students. The estimated 10,000 undocumented youth who graduate from city high schools each year qualify for in-state tuition at CUNY and SUNY schools, but cannot apply for the state's Tuition Assistance Program," the NY Daily News writes.

"The board voted in Albany to try to change this by pushing for legislation to open TAP -- which provides grants of up to $5,000 -- to all students."

Obama's Amnesty Checklist is Almost Complete

"Advocates for open borders and illegal alien amnesty must be pleased. President Obama has accomplished almost everything on their Wish List, short of a massive amnesty bill. But the president's checklist achieves almost the same thing, of course without Congressional approval," say FAIR's Bob Dan and Kristen Williamson in a Fox News op-ed.

"Congress must reassert its authority and responsibility to regulate immigration laws before the complete and permanent dismantling of all immigration enforcement becomes the final checked item on Obama's to-do list."

DHS Pushes to Get More Businesses in IMAGE Program

"The Obama administration has stepped up employer audits pushing more and more companies to join a revamped and voluntary immigration enforcement program which has expanded by nearly one fifth in the last several months. It may seem counterintuitive for a company to voluntarily open its books to the scrutiny of federal agents, but officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement say the benefits of its IMAGE program can include lower fines and can enhance a company's image," Fox News writes.

"To participate, employers must meet several requirements: enroll in the federal E-Verify program; submit to an ICE audit of their I-9 forms that new employees complete and related documents; establish a written hiring and employment verification policy that includes a yearly internal audit; and sign a partnership agreement with ICE."

Maras Expand to Prostitution Rings

"In recent months, authorities have arrested four alleged MS-13 members or associates in Northern Virginia on federal prostitution-related charges involving juvenile victims," reports the Washington Post.

"The 12-year-old was one of dozens of prostitutes, many juveniles, being sold for sex in the Washington area by members of Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, the region's largest and most dangerous street gang."

Not Getting the Point on "High-Skilled" Immigration

"Why subsidize the education and training of foreign-born students--many of whom want to stay in the United States--and then thrust them into an immigration system that prevents us from capitalizing on their collective knowledge and skills?" asks Marshall Fitz with the liberal Center for American Progress in The Atlantic.

Fitz and co-author John Halpin, also with CAP say the solution is not to stop subsidizing foreign students and condemning American post-doctoral students to a decade or more of penury; instead they want to make it easier for these students to live and work permanently in the U.S.

Alabama Atty. General Says Courts Will Uphold New Law

"Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange believes the immigration law passed by the state Legislature will ultimately find its way to the U.S. Supreme Court," the Cullman Times writes. "As the state's top law enforcement officer, Strange, a Republican, said he campaigned in favor of using the E-Verify system, which is a program employers can use to verify the residency status of workers."

Justice Dept. Wants Supreme Court to Not Rule on SB 1070

"The U.S. Justice Department asked the Supreme Court Thursday to leave be a lawsuit involving Arizona's controversial immigration law, claiming that lower courts have already blocked tough provisions targeting undocumented immigrants. The state law is a challenge to federal policy and is designed to establish Arizona's own immigration policy, the department's solicitor general said in a filing with the justices. Arizona says the law is an effort to cooperate with the federal government," Fox News writes.

Perry Tries to Re-Focus Campaign on Immigration, Financial Crisis

"After a day packed with TV interviews about an embarrassing mental lapse in Wednesday night's debate, Rick Perry finally got back to talking about policy issues in a Thursday night interview with Fox News' Greta Van Susteren," CBS News writes.

"During a day of damage control, the Texas governor tried to re-focus the discussion on his flat tax plan. Wednesday night, he also talked about the European debt crisis and immigration."

IRLI Uncovers Labor Dept. Slacking on E-Verify Mandate

"A year-old decision by the Labor Department to discontinue certain citizenship checks on employees of federal contractors is drawing fire from immigration reform groups, who view it as government "shirking" its responsibility to curb hiring of illegal workers," GovExec.com writes.

"At issue is whether the Labor office that monitors contractor compliance with anti-discrimination laws can leave it to the Homeland Security Department's Immigration and Customs Enforcement bureau to verify workers' immigration status."

Brazilian Woman Brings in 1,000 Illegal Aliens Through Fraud

"A Brazilian woman who lived in Orlando was convicted by a federal jury of an H-2B visa fraud that supplied over 1,000 illegal workers to hotels in Florida and around the U.S.," GSN Magazine reports.

"Toro faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison, said ICE, and awaits a sentencing hearing. She is a Brazilian citizen of Brazil and will be subject to deportation from the United States after serving her sentence, said the agency."

100,000 Sign British Petition to Limit Immigration

"More than 100,000 Britons have eagerly signed an e-petition on the government's website that says immigration to the sceptr'd isle must stop before the population reaches 70 million. And those 100,000, London's Daily Mail reported, signed the petition in less than a week," The New American blog says.

"The petition, "No to 70 million," is clear in its appeal to the British public. "Over the past ten years the government has permitted mass immigration despite very strong public opposition reflected in numerous opinion polls."

7 Billion Mark A Warning for U.S.

"Here in the United States, our population problem is driven chiefly by immigration, both documented and undocumented. U.S. population will more than double from 203 million in 1970 to 439 million in 2050, and immigration will cause 82 percent of all U.S. population growth between 2005 and 2050," notes a letter to the Concord Monitor responding to news stories about global population hitting the 7 billion mark.

Hispanic Groups Target Obama Aide Munoz

"The highest-ranking Hispanic official in the Obama White House is being targeted as a traitor by fellow Latinos in a highly personal, ethnic-based campaign against the president's deportation policies," the Washington Post says.

"Cecilia Munoz, who was a longtime immigrant rights activist before being named President Obama's director of intergovernmental affairs, has emerged as a key defender of the administration's policies, directly rebutting complaints from Hispanic activists that the government has unfairly targeted harmless people and torn families apart."

Today on ImmigrationReform.com - Pearce Loses Recall Election

ImmigrationReform.com's blogger Kristen Williamson gives some perspective to last night's recall election loss by Arizona Senate President Russell Pearce. Read the full story at www.immigrationreform.com.

ID Theft Victim Shares SSN With 50 Illegal Aliens

"Jonathan Barnett is also Jose Cruz. And Jesus Ramirez. And Pilar Terrones, Pilar Sanchez, Esmeralda Gonzalez and dozens of other people, at least according to the nation's identity system. Barnett unintentionally shares his Social Security number with all those people - and probably many more - yet his credit report and Social Security earnings records are completely clean. That seeming contradiction is a big part of his harrowing identity nightmare," MSNBC writes.

Border Gunfight Spills into U.S.

"Gunmen crossed the Rio Grande into the United States near a shootout between where the Mexican military and a group of gunmen was taking place. Several area SWAT teams responded about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday to a ranch near Escobares, just across the U.S.-Mexico border, where a shootout broke out south of the Rio Grande," the McAllen Monitor writes.

Earlier this year, DHS Secretary Napolitano said the border security was "better now than it ever has been."

Washington Orchards Say They Want Illegal Workers

"Apple growers say they could have had one of their best years ever if a shortage of workers hadn't forced them to leave some fruit on trees," the AP reports.

"Growers in Washington state, which produces about half of the nation's apples, say the labor shortage was made worse by a late start to their harvest. The growing season got off to a slow start because of a cold, wet spring, and some migrant workers didn't stick around to wait for it."

16 Foreign Countries Try to Overturn South Carolina Law

"Citing concerns for their citizens, sixteen nations from Latin America and the Caribbean have asked to join in the U.S. Justice Department's lawsuit against South Carolina's controversial law that aims to curb the number of undocumented immigrants in the state. Mexico, Honduras, Brazil, Ecuador, Chile and other countries filed papers Tuesday, asking to join the Justice Department's litigation in Charleston," Fox News writes.

Arizona State Sen. Pearce Recalled

"A powerful Republican state Senate leader who championed Arizona's controversial crackdown on illegal immigrants lost his office on Tuesday in a historic recall election, returns showed," the Christian Science Monitor writes. "The 64-year-old politician, first elected to the state legislature in 2000, vehemently defended his get-tough stance on illegal immigrants flowing across the U.S.-Mexico border, a phenomenon he called 'a national crisis.'"

Bill Clinton Praises Perry For Tuition Bill

"Bill Clinton came to Rick Perry's defense Monday over a law the Texas governor signed granting in-state college tuition to children of illegal immigrants. The former two-term Democratic president said it makes his 'skin crawl' when Perry's Republican rivals attack him 'for one of the best things he did,'" CNN reports.

DOJ Wants Order Stopping South Carolina Law

"The U.S. Justice Department sought an injunction from a federal judge as part of its lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the South Carolina's new immigration law, according to court records," Businessweek reports.

"Set to take effect Jan. 1, the law signed by Governor Nikki Haley in June criminalizes immigrants' failure to carry certificates of registration and requires police officers who suspect someone is in the U.S. unlawfully to verify their legal status."

Colorado Schools Face Impact, Costs of Illegal Immigration

"Nearly 60 percent of the students at Crystal Elementary speak Spanish as a first language. Some of those students begin classes each year without being able to speak a word of English. Some have just enough English to get by. This phenomenon began about 15 years ago when the first non-English speakers - the children of immigrant workers cooking, cleaning, building homes and tending yards in nearby Aspen - began trickling in to Carbondale schools," the Denver Post writes.

"Ira Mehlman, a spokesman for American Immigration Reform, said that cost takes funds away from strapped schools. 'Of the real costs associated with illegal immigration, the number one is education,' Mehlman said."

Today on ImmigrationReform.com - The Immigration Bubble

Yesterday, FAIR's Director of Research Eric Ruark gave some perspective to the relationship between U.S. unemployment and population growth (noting the sizable impact immigration has had on U.S. population growth). His blog can be found at www.immigrationreform.com.

Alabama Tells Feds to Back off School Intimidation

"Alabama's attorney general questioned Wednesday whether the federal government has the legal right to ask for data from school districts in the state, which has recently passed controversial legislation intended to reduce illegal immigration," CNN reported. "In a letter sent Wednesday, Attorney General Luther Strange said he was 'perplexed and troubled' about a request from the Justice Department for information about Alabama's schools."

Michigan Dairy Owners Face Prison

"The owners of a Michigan dairy farm who pleaded guilty to hiring illegal immigrants are getting support from businesses that rely on the farm in their effort to avoid jail time. John and Anja Verhaar pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges and acknowledged employing 78 illegal immigrants from 2000 through fall 2007. Many were hired on multiple occasions using different names or Social Security numbers," the AP reported.

Alabama Businesses Start Training for New Immigration Law

"Alabama's new immigration law brings with it mounds of paperwork and lots of red tape for businesses that want to make sure their employees are properly documented. The headaches come for all businesses, big and small," says the Gadsden Times. "Paige Gray, office manager at Ken Cox Ford in Troy, said she knows her company's 24 employees are in compliance, but she will go through their paperwork item by item to make sure. She said employees are already required to fill out forms called I-9s to confirm their immigration status."

Pearce Recall Vote This Week

Arizona lawmaker Russell Pearce faces a tough challenge in a recall election this week. "The election is the culmination of a nearly yearlong effort to oust the controversial Pearce, arguably the state's most powerful politician. Supporters champion his gruff, unwavering commitment to conservative ideals, while critics call him a bully whose tactics are divisive," the LA Times writes. "Pearce, 64, a fifth-generation Arizonan, has long drawn a strong reaction for his resolute stance on illegal immigration. In 2004, as a member of the state House of Representatives, he wrote legislation that denied state services to illegal immigrants and required picture identification to vote, which passed easily."

Economy, immigration top concerns among Texas voters

While a number of mainstream media outlets try to convince readers that immigration is not a top issue for most voters, in one of our largest states it is considered to be its most pressing issue.

According to a new University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll, Texas voters think the economy is the biggest problem facing the country, but immigration/border security is a runaway issue for Texas voters. That coincides with the rise of Gov. Rick Perry's policies on illegal immigration as an issue in the presidential race, and with his relative electoral weakness in Texas where the UT/Tribune Poll has the governor in a virtual tie with former business executive Herman Cain among the state's Republican voters.

Frederick County Targets Illegal Immigration Following Man's Arrest on Murder Charges

The recent arrest of Jose Reyes Mejia-Varela has brought the issue of illegal immigration to the forefront in Frederick County, Maryland. U.S. officials had deported Mejia-Varela in 2009, but he re-entered the country and last week was charged with the fatal shooting in March of a Burger King manager in Frederick.

The County Commissioners and sheriff have generated a number of ideas which include requiring businesses to vet employees through federal databases and prohibiting day labor sites.

Get the whole story in today's Frederick News Post.

Man avoids prison by faking illegal immigrant status

An American man who claimed to be an illegal immigrant from Mexico to avoid going to prison is now wanted by police after he returned to the United States and acknowledged his true identity to a judge.

The charges stem from a 2010 arrest when the Jaime Alvarado provided Salt Lake City police, a Utah state courts judge and federal immigration officials a false identity and confessed that he had emigrated from Mexico illegally. At the time, Alvarado was facing up to 15 years in prison for the possession of cocaine and heroin with the intent to distribute.

Perry endorses work visas for illegal immigrants

The Las Vegas Sun reports that Texas Gov. Rick Perry proposed the federal government should extend work visas allowing illegal immigrants to move freely between the U.S. and their home countries - but stressed that he opposes amnesty or a path to citizenship.

Perry said in an interview with CNN's John King on Thursday that expectations that U.S. authorities are going to arrest and deport up to 15 million illegal immigrants isn't realistic. He added, however, that other Republicans, including fellow Texan George W. Bush, went too far when they previously proposed an immigration overhaul that included a path to citizenship.

Children of Illegal Immigrants Sue Florida Over State's College Tuition Policy

CBS Tampa reports that children of illegal immigrants living in Florida are suing the state for charging them out-of-state tuition.

Wendy Ruiz, a sophomore at Miami Dade College, is one of those behind the lawsuit. She is paying $5,000 more than she technically has to, because her college insisted upon charging her out-of-state tuition when her parents were unable to produce legal immigration documents.

Congressional Democrats plan Alabama trip to protest immigration law

Well, he's at it again. U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., will lead a group of Democratic members of Congress opposed to Alabama's immigration law to Birmingham later this month to draw attention to what they say is a 'civil rights emergency.'

Mr. Gutierrez met with seven colleagues plus staff members from more than a dozen other offices Wednesday to plan a pub­lic meeting in Birmingham for them to hear testimony from people af­fected by the law. The schedule has not been set, but it likely will be either Nov. 21 or Nov. 28, Gutierrez said.

Immigration Reform - Only in U.S. do illegal immigrants feel entitled

Can you imagine someone breaking the law by sneaking across the border into Mexico, then crying foul and filing suit against the government claiming that their "rights" had been violated? Neither can we, frankly. Only in the United States do illegal resident aliens feel such a sense of entitlement.

The latest reminder of that came courtesy of a lawsuit filed by three such illegal immigrants in federal court against Cobb County -- a suit that wisely was tossed by Judge Charles Pannell Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia in an Oct. 19 ruling announced on Monday.

Read the full op-ed here.

Ala. delays school data request by Justice Dept.

The Alabama State Department of Education is advising school superintendents to hold off on providing enrollment data to the U.S. Department of Justice. DOJ's Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez sent a letter earlier this week to Alabama school systems wanting to know how many Hispanic students are enrolled in schools and how many have withdrawn since the beginning of the school year. Educators reported that Alabama's new immigration enforcement law caused many Hispanic students to stay home in the days immediately after it took effect.

Pennsylvania bills would crack down strongly on illegal immigrants

Pennsylvania State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe has introduced a package of bills designed to eliminate the economic cover that too many illegal immigrants use to grab public benefits and take jobs. Rep. Metcalfe says his fight honors the role of the legal immigrant in American history.

The bills will include mandatory use of E-Verify for public works contracts, a verification of legal status for anyone 18 or older applying for public benefits, and verification of immigration status when a person is stopped by police for a crime.

FAIR has applauded and supports this effort. Illegal immigration costs the state an estimated $1.4 billion yearly.

EXCLUSIVE: Critics question jump in local deportation numbers

The number of people deported by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in San Diego County nearly doubled from fiscal 2010 to the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, according to the agency. But it's not because more illegal immigrants are being caught here; the agency is now counting people arrested in Arizona and Texas who are then brought here and deported.

Critics say the administration of President Barack Obama is using tricks to boost deportation numbers in order to appear tough on illegal immigration. Ira Mehlman, a spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a group that urges stricter enforcement, said the Obama administration is being deceptive with the numbers by counting people who would not normally be in the deportation figures.

Immigration program suit thrown out

In an Oct. 19 ruling, Judge Charles Pannell Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia dismissed a suit targeting Warren's use of the 287(g) program, a federal tool that helps Cobb police assist the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the deportation process. The suit was brought by "Hispanic resident aliens" alleging violations of their constitutional rights.

According to the dismissal order, the lawsuit alleges that Cobb County Police Department officers failed to inform the plaintiffs of their Miranda rights, illegally seized immigration documents which would have allowed them to stay in the country and denied them access to lawyers. The lawsuit also alleges that the 287(g) program allows local authorities to wield immigration powers reserved to the federal government without proper oversight, according to the order.

The lawsuit sought to have the 287(g) program unconstitutional, according to the order. Read the full story at the Marietta Daily Journal.

House GOP to subpoena immigration data

The Washington Times reports that House Republicans are moving to subpoena a list of all immigrants whom the Obama administration has flagged under its secure communities program but failed to arrest for deportation, after the Homeland Security Department missed a congressionally imposed deadline to produce the information this week.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith, Texas Republican, said he wants the data so he can see who is among the 300,000 people the administration has deemed too low a priority to detain under new deportation guidelines.

Today on ImmigrationReform.com - More Non-Enforcement on Immigration from Administration

Today on ImmigrationReform.com we take a look at recent reports from the press and the Border Patrol union about new directives instructing officers to halt routine checks at border transportation hubs that are not "intelligence driven." Plus, a FAIR board member responds to an op-ed from a Washington Post reporter. Check this out at www.immigrationreform.com.

World population 7 billion: where did that last billion come from?

In Bits of Science, reporter Rolf Schuttenhelm takes a look at the latest figures in population growth around our planet. While Asia and Africa continue to fuel the population growth, statistics show that Latin America and North America combined for a 13 percent share in growth in world population since 1999. Interestingly, the writer notes that as U.S. population grows at a rate of about 10 percent per decade, 50 percent of that growth is from immigration.

Also, take a look at FAIR's latest blog on ImmigrationReform.com about what this latest figure means for immigration in the U.S.

Justice Department Sues South Carolina Over State's Strict Immigration Law

The federal government filed a lawsuit Monday seeking to stop implementation of South Carolina's tough new immigration law, arguing that the legislation that requires law officers to check suspects' immigration status is unconstitutional. Federal officials and state officials had met to discuss the issue a week ago.

The government wants a judge to stop enforcement of the legislation, which requires that officers call federal immigration officials if they suspect someone is in the country illegally following a stop for something else, U.S. Attorney Bill Nettles told The Associated Press.

Illegal immigrant convicted of felony murder in car crash that killed Benedictine nun in Va.

The Washington Post reports that a judge on Monday found a Bolivian immigrant guilty of murder for causing a crash while driving drunk that killed a Benedictine nun and severely injured two others last year.

The case against Carlos Martinelly Montano, 24, drew national attention partly because of the sympathetic victims -- three elderly nuns -- but mostly because of Martinelly's immigration status. Federal authorities say Martinelly was an illegal immigrant who had been convicted of drunken driving twice previously but was never deported.

Authorities Bust Massive Southwest Drug Smuggling Ring Trafficking $33 Million a Month

Arizona authorities have disrupted a Mexican drug cartel's distribution network, arresting dozens of smugglers in dismantling a ring responsible for carrying more than $33 million worth of drugs through the state's western desert every month, officials said Monday.

The ring is believed be tied to the Sinaloa cartel -- Mexico's most powerful -- and responsible for smuggling more than 3.3 million pounds of marijuana, 20,000 pounds of cocaine and 10,000 pounds of heroin into the U.S. through Arizona over the past five years, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The smuggling ring operated by using backpackers and vehicles to move drugs from the border to a network of so-called stash houses in the Phoenix area. The drugs were then sold to distributors from states across the country.

California Dreamin': Financial Aid to Illegal Immigrants

Last weekend, Governor Jerry Brown signed the California Dream Act, or AB 131.

The new law gives illegal immigrant students "on the path to citizenship" access to the state's public financial aid and goes into effect Jan. 1, 2013. Proponents of the Dream Act are rejoicing because Governor Jerry "Moonbeam" Brown signed for their long-awaited legislation; opponents are in disbelief.

Upon the passage of the first half of the Dream Act in July of this year, California Assemblyman Jeff Miller (R-Corona) expressed his disillusionment with Governor Brown, "This legislation, in no uncertain terms, subsidizes higher education for illegal immigrants."

HumanEvents.com provides a good look at how this new legislation will affect California taxpayers.