According to the Washington Post, US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (aka ICE) has almost tripled the number of deported illegal alien criminals.

Long accused of failing to do enough to deport illegal immigrants convicted of crimes, federal authorities have recently strengthened partnerships with local corrections systems and taken other steps to monitor immigrants facing charges, officials said.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said that in the 12-month period that ended Sept. 30, it placed 164,000 criminals in deportation proceedings, a sharp increase from the 64,000 the agency said it identified and placed in proceedings the year before. The agency estimates that the number will rise to 200,000 this year.

The heightened scrutiny, fueled by post-9/11 national security concerns and the growing debate over illegal immigration, has introduced a major element to the practice of criminal law in the Washington region and other parts of the country with large immigrant populations.

Naturally I would lie to see this expanded even more. First, it only scratches the surface of the illegal immigrant involved in crimes, and doesn’t touch those already incarcerated in the US. Secondly, while focusing on those who commit crimes is the logical starting point - just being here illegally is a crime and should be prosecuted accordingly.

None the less, good progress. Keep up the good work guys.

Also Reporting:
Wake up America

I picked up the following from the local Houston Chronicle - seems a bit silly to me.

The government pulls people suspected of being here illegally out of airplane lines and then pays to detain, prosecute and deport them to the country they were headed to in the first place.

[…]

“What’s silly about this is that they are on their way home. They have gotten the message that they shouldn’t be here,” said Houston’s Federal Public Defender Marjorie Meyers. “It’s not cost-effective.”

Why not just close the door on them on them when they are gone? Save my tax Money. But the Houston U.S. Attorney Don Gabrielle seems to have another opinion:

Not true, says Houston’s U.S. Attorney Don DeGabrielle.

The people they are prosecuting are repeat violators of U.S. immigration laws and it’s not only necessary, but also efficient, to stop them and prosecute them, he said.

“We had already expended some time, effort and money before to institute deportation,” DeGabrielle said.

To allow them to come back into the country without proper permission and then just let them leave would minimize what the government is trying to accomplish, he said.

“We feel it’s definitely worth the resources to hold these people accountable,” DeGabrielle said.

I can, to some extent, understand the point of view. Yet I would still prefer to see my tax money spent keeping them out in the first place. The only potentially positive note is that entering illegally is a felony, and will stop them from every getting permission to immigrate here to the US.

Also Reporting:
Wizbang

The argument between Abstinance Only sex education and passing out condoms to scool kids has long been raging between the ACLU and more conservative organizations. It seems the very same argument has been going on in Mexico, but relating to illegal immigration.

I guess it is better to help an illegal immigrant to cross the boarder safely than to stop them from crossing in the first place. The logic is identical and it works no better in this case.

From The Telegraph:

Illegal immigrants planning to cross the desert and enter the US on foot are to be given hand-held satellite devices by the Mexican authorities to ensure they arrive safely.

The satellite tracking service will require would-be illegals to register their intentions before setting off — a paradoxical move, given that secrecy is necessary for success — but Mexican authorities are predicting that about 200,000 devices will be handed out when the project is launched formally in the coming year.

“Our intention is to save lives,” said Jaime Obregon, the co-ordinator for the state commission for migrants in Puebla, the Mexican state which is behind the project. “There are lots of people looking to cross and we are working with the US authorities to make sure they do not die on the way.”

[…]

A spokesman for US Customs and Border Protection said: “We do not have any information about the Mexican government providing satellite trackers to people, but we strongly discourage encouragement to people who are attempting to cross illegally into the US.”

The money Mexico is squandering making it easier for people to get into the US would be better used to improve conditions in Mexico so people don’t want to leave so badly.

Also Reporting:
Hot Air

I received this in the e-mail. It is a bit old, but still very good.

Dear Senators Snow and Collins,

As a citizen of Iowa and excellent customer of
the Internal Revenue Service, I am writing to ask
for your assistance. I have contacted the Department
of Homeland Security in an effort to determine the
process for becoming an illegal alien and they
referred me to you.

My primary reason for wishing to change my
status from U.S. Citizen to illegal alien stems from
the bill, which was recently passed by the Senate.
If my understanding of this bill’s provisions is
accurate, as an illegal alien who has been in the
United States for five years, all I need to do to
become a citizen is to pay a $2,000 fine and income
taxes for three of the last five years. I know a
good deal when I see one and I am anxious to get the
process started before everyone figures it out.
Simply put, those of us who have been here
legally have had to pay taxes every year — so I’m
excited about the prospect of avoiding two years of
taxes in return for paying a $2,000 fine. Is there
any way that I can apply to be illegal
retroactively? This would yield an excellent result
for my family and me because we paid heavy taxes in
2004 and 2005.

Additionally, as an illegal alien I could
begin using the local emergency room as my primary
health care provider. Once I have stopped paying
premiums for medical insurance, my accountant
figures I could save almost $10,000 a year. Another
benefit in gaining illegal status would be that my
daughter would receive preferential treatment
relative to her law school applications, as well as
“in-state” tuition rates for many colleges
throughout the United States for my son.
Lastly, I understand that illegal status would
relieve me of the burden of renewing my driver’s
license and making those burdensome car insurance
premiums. This is very important to me given that I
still have college age children driving my car.

If you would provide me with an outline of the
process to become illegal (retroactively if
possible) and copies of the necessary forms, I would
be most appreciative. Thank you for your assistance.

Your Loyal Constituent,
Joe Martin
(Soon to be Jose Martinez)

Something to keep in mind as the ACLU and similar organizations are trying to weaken the efforts of the TSA and HSD to security our airports and boarders.

Federal agents on Wednesday arrested six illegal aliens who possessed security badges allowing them access to restricted areas within the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and onto the tarmac.

The illegal aliens were working for T.C. Drywall, Inc., based in Alpharetta, GA according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement

You can read the full article at The Conservative Voice.

The Democrats Insanity broadens! The latests concerning the inbound chair of the Homeland Security Committee, Bennie Thompson.

From the Washington Times:

A Mississippi Democrat in line to become chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee has warned the nation’s largest uniform supplier it faces criminal charges if it follows a White House proposal to recheck workers with mismatched Social Security numbers and fire those who cannot resolve the discrepancy in 60 days.

This was part of the President Bush supported initiative to help employers know which of their employees are illegals by flagging incorrect or mis-matched Social Security Numbers.

Rep. Bennie Thompson said in a letter to Cintas Corp. it could be charged with “illegal activities in violation of state and federal law” if any of its 32,000 employees are terminated because they gave incorrect Social Security numbers to be hired.

“I am deeply troubled by Cintas’ recent policy change regarding the Social Security Administration’s ‘no match’ letters,” Mr. Thompson said in the Nov. 2 letter. “It is my understanding that hundreds of Cintas’ immigrant workers have received these letters. I am extremely concerned about any potentially discriminatory actions targeting this community.”

Heaven forbid we discriminate against those who break the law. Cintas and other companies should be very worried about this, as this is a prime example of being caught between a rock and a hard place. Hiring Illegals is a crime and, so it seems, is firing them.

To be clear the “no match” letters are supported by the president, the Social Security Administration, and the Department of Homeland Security. Where this blockhead gets off threatening American Business for following these guidelines is beyond me. Perhaps he needs to keep enough illegals around to ensure he gets re-elected next time around.

Also Reporting:
Michelle Malkin
Captains Quarters
American Pundit

The following press release came to me though the Minuteman Project, and I was a bit surprised by the content of the release, and the implications contained herein. Before I comment, here it is for reference.

Why did President George W. Bush wait until after the mid-term elections to replace Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld? Why was there virtually no support from the White House for Republican candidates like Randy Graf and J.D. Hayworth in Arizona?

Most pundits agree that if Rumsfeld was to be replaced, it would have been much better for Republicans had the announcement been made before the elections. And with the razor-thin losses of key Republican candidates to supposedly “conservative” Democrats, it seems clear that a little more money or other support from the President or national GOP headquarters might have kept the House and Senate from turning over to Democrat control.

“Here you have conservative candidates and some incumbents who were solidly in favor of protecting our borders - a position with which the overwhelming American majority agrees,” commented Minuteman Founder Jim Gilchrist. “Bush has been unable to pass his amnesty program through the GOP-controlled Congress, but he won’t give up, so why wouldn’t he welcome a more compliant Democrat-led pro-illegal alien Congress, where he wouldn’t have effective opposition from his own party?”

Today’s speech by the President tends to confirm Gilchrist’s ruminations. When asked about the prospect of the Democrats cooperating with his amnesty proposals, Bush seemed almost delighted with the change of House leadership. Americans who question the open borders policies of this and previous administrations will have plenty to worry about in the coming months, if Gilchrist’s analysis proves accurate.

“This is a devastating blow to the security of the country,” said Gilchrist. “Every American is at greater risk than before the elections. Illegal aliens and terrorists are celebrating today, but our mission remains clear: we shall continue our surveillance and reporting operations in a continuing effort to inform and mobilize Americans to demand better border security.”

I respect and support the Minuteman Project, and feel their goal of secure boarders is the correct way to go. To distill down the core message of the press release, it is clear that the MMP is suggesting that President Bush “threw” the election in order to gain support for immigration reform proposals which include an Amnesty program – a program to which the MMP is opposed.

I am still a bit surprised that the MMP would be so direct, and I am sure that Bush sees the potential support for his Immigration reform agenda as a silver lining. However I cannot support the theory that Bush, with support from the national GOP, threw the election for any reason – even one as significant and close to his (and my) heart as immigration reform.

Although, that would go quite a distance to explain the smugness we still see on the face of Karl Rove…

But I digress. I would challenge the MMP to provide something more concrete than the list of assumptions they have thus far put forward. I would also suggest that the MMP pay a bit closer attention to which side their bread is buttered. It is the conservative base, who still mostly supports Bush, which provide the lions share of the funding.

I see the necessary link between a group like the MMP and politics. After all, the lobby is still king in Washington. However, having an active hand outside of the very limited scope to which the lobby has subscribed seems a bit reckless. Moreover there is nothing to be gained by MMP if this is true. Such is outside of their power, and a loss of focus as this critical stage could be very costly.

With that being said, I do agree that the MMP’s mission did just get significantly harder. The Democrats have specifically targeted Hispanic groups in efforts to gain minority votes. Moreover, where voter ID laws do not complicate things, they seemed unconcerned if these Hispanic groups where legal or not.

The MMP needs to keep their eye on the ball, so to speak. The road ahead promises to be long and grueling.

Crossposted from Stop The ACLU

I was going to talk about the dishonest argument the ACLU made in its attack on Hazelton, PA for trying to crackdown on illegal immigration problems. They argued that it was not the place of small communities to create laws fashioned to their own unique problems on illegal immigration, but the Federal government’s responsibility. Of course this argument does not reflect the ACLU’s true beliefs on the topic. If the Federal government created a similar law as Hazelton the ACLU would find a different argument to oppose it. The argument was, however, good enough to convince a Clinton appointed judge to temporarily block their ordinances.

I was going to show the ACLU’s real agenda for illegal immigrant. Well, they just showed a lot of it themselves in press release.

ACLU

The American Civil Liberties Union, the National Employment Law Project and the Transnational Legal Clinic at the University of Pennsylvania School of Law today filed a petition urging the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to find the United States in violation of its universal human rights obligations by failing to protect millions of undocumented workers from exploitation and discrimination in the workplace.

The ACLU is basing its argument on stating the United States has violated a vague International Human Rights Treaty signed in 1948 called the AMERICAN DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF MAN. This treaty states that, “Every person has the right to work, under proper conditions, and to follow his vocation freely, insofar as existing conditions of employment permit.” As I said, the treaty is vague. Nowhere in the treaty does it define what proper conditions are, however another section does state that the duty of every person to obey the law of the country in which he may be.

Current immigration law provides criminal sanctions for employers who hire illegal aliens. In other words it is a crime to hire an illegal alien…period. The ACLU tries to hide this fact by omitting the word “illegal” and replacing it with “undocumented”. Illegal aliens are criminals and hiring a criminal to work is a crime also. In essence the ACLU is attempting to grant the same rights and benefits that a law abiding citizen enjoys to international criminals.

“The most poorly paid and least desirable jobs in the United States are filled by undocumented immigrants, yet the government increasingly limits the safeguards available to this population, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and workplace discrimination,” said Claudia Flores, an attorney with the ACLU Women’s Rights Project. “The United States government has an obligation under universal human rights norms to protect vulnerable populations, such as immigrant women, and has failed in this regard.”

Undocumented immigrants make up nearly five percent of the U.S. labor force. However, employment and labor protections under state laws have been either eliminated or severely limited for undocumented workers in some states. These include such basic workplace protections as freedom from workplace discrimination and entitlement to hold an employer responsible for a workplace injury.

The ACLU ignores the fact that these “undocumented workers” don’t have a right to work here in the first place, and that those hiring them are breaking the law. The United States can not enforce or provide protections for criminals in the work place. They can’t even enforce laws against hiring them in the first place. If any illegal immigrant is being exploited it is from an employer that is providing them with much more of an opportunity than they could ever find in their own country and at the expense of American jobs and law. The real way to stop the exploitation is to stop the illegal hiring.

“International human rights law requires the United States to apply its workplace protections equally and without discrimination based on immigration status. We bring this petition to cast a global spotlight on the U.S. government’s poor human rights record in protecting undocumented workers from discrimination and to demand accountability from states and the federal government, all of whom are obligated to protect and defend human rights,” said Chandra Bhatnagar, a staff attorney with the ACLU Human Rights Program.

What a load of bull! The ACLU goes on to list the individuals on their petition which includes illegals that want handouts for injuries in jobs they acquired illegally instead of accepting the responsibility they knowingly took upon themselves by breaking our laws.

The ACLU fights every effort the U.S. attempts to secure its borders and enforce illegal immigration laws. Their hostility towards the Minutemen’s efforts to enforce the border is all too telling. They align themselves with open border advocates and even help illegals get into the country.

The head of the ACLU is also an adviser to the IFC and of course, ACLU is among the most important and dangerous members of the open borders combine, using its considerable resources in support of causes that will encourage illegal aliens to enter the US and facilitate their remaining here: granting them drivers’ licenses to illegal aliens, granting instate tuition to illegals, welfare and free health care etc. The ACLU has even opposed rules to speed the deportation of illegals convicted of violent felonies.

Front Page Magazine has a lot on this issue. Here is more on the ACLU’s opposition to fighting the illegal immigration problem.

The ACLU has opposed any Department of Justice plan to fingerprint and track immigrants and foreign visitors to the United States. “The ACLU has long opposed immigrant registration laws, saying that they treat immigrant populations as a separate and quasi-criminal element of society and that they create an easy avenue for surveillance of those who may hold unpopular beliefs,” read a press release, “The fingerprinting and tracking proposal is only the latest Bush Administration action targeted at Muslims and people of Middle Eastern descent since September 11. Other discriminatory measures have included round-ups, dragnet questioning, the detention of more than a thousand young men and the targeting of Middle Eastern communities for heightened enforcement of minor immigration law violations.”[20] The ACLU also opposes the use of immigration law violations as the means for holding or deporting suspects with ties to terrorism, and the use of secret or classified evidence in deportation hearings.

The ACLU is attempting to circumvent our current laws with a vague international treaty all in the name of granting criminals rights and benefits at the expense of law abiding Americans. If you think that illegal immigration is a problem now, just imagine how it will increase if the ACLU is successful. In the process the ACLU is threatening our very sovereignty.

This was a production of Stop The ACLU Blogburst. If you would like to join us, please email Jay at Jay@stoptheaclu.com or Gribbit at GribbitR@gmail.com. You will be added to our mailing list and blogroll. Over 200 blogs already on-board.

I am not a Texan (as Texas Fred put it, no one is perfect), but the following was enough to raise my blood pressure a bit.

Let me start of by saying I do not know how accurate this is. I have provided the details as to where I found it, you make you own conclusions. However, it is just something the dimwit dems would do to try and gather the votes of illegal immigrants. Voters who, thanks to the ACLU and like minded organizations, can vote in most states regardless of the fact that they lack citizenship.

From The Conservative Voice:

Texas Democrats have produced a campaign flier showing Texas as part of Mexico, ALIPAC (Americans for Legal Immigration) confirms. The flier is said to have been created in order to attract Hispanic voters.

Dallas Democrats’ spokeswoman Sarah advised: “Yes it is likely one that we produced. I can’t seem to get to the part of the site that explains the context of why they showed it though.” ALIPAC writes: “While this flier is in English and Spanish, there is no PAID FOR disclaimer on the piece that is required in most states.”

You can find the forum topic here, and the link to Americans for Legal Immigration here.

The video has been going around the blog space for the last day or two. I believe Heidi at Euphoric Reality posted it first, so hat tip to Heidi.

If you are interested in the Immigration debate, and especially the effect on Amercicans, this is a must watch movie

[googlevideo]5871651411393887069[/googlevideo]