Congress

DHS Offering Employers Cash If They Hire Alien College Grads Over Citizens

Good news, recent alien college graduate! Thanks to President Obama's executive actions and an incentive program launched by the Department of Homeland Security, employers are much more likely to hire you before they would a native college grad. It falls under the department's Optional Practical Training program, which currently gives recent alien graduates a one-year work permit and employers a cash bonus. The new rule not only adds a generous extension, it will also offer a bigger cash payout to employers who hire them.

As the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) notes, an illegal alien who majored in any of the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields will get an additional 17 months of permitted work, expanding their initial year guarantee to over two years. DHS has also upped the incentive for U.S. employers to hire non-citizens by offering them an increase from $10,000 to at least $12,000 to hire an alien STEM graduate.

CIS' David North writes:

I searched the proposed rule that appears in today's Federal Register for references to payroll taxes (FICA, the Federal Insurance Contributions Act) and found none. I guess DHS does not want us to know about the generous tax break that both employers and aliens get from this program. I find it intellectually dishonest not to mention this tax break in a long, extremely detailed document on this subject.

All of this leads North to the most plausible conclusion: this is no "training" program as DHS designates, but "just one more foreign worker program that has nothing to do with students" and one that favors "aliens rather than citizens."

Tags:

jobs

Dream act

Congress

Thousands of Alien Felons Are Being Released from Prison

WASHINGTON, DC - The Center for Immigration Studies examines sentencing reform legislation now before Congress and finds provisions of concern that could lead to the release of dangerous criminal alien offenders.

The Obama administration has announced the pending release of 6,000 felons from federal prisons, of whom an estimated 2,000 are non-citizens. This is the first wave of releases; the total number of serious alien drug offenders released could exceed 13,000.

A bill under consideration in the Senate Judiciary Committee, known as the "Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2015," S.2123, proposes to go down the same path and shorten the sentences for repeat cross-border drug traffickers, manufacturers, and distributers caught in the future.

Dan Cadman, a Center fellow and author of the analysis, said, "It is beyond incomprehensible that Senate leaders would attempt to fast-track a sentencing reform bill painted with such a broad brush that tens of thousands of aliens will be released from federal penitentiaries with no assurance of prompt deportation putting public safety at great risk."

The present bill affects sentences going forward, and also is retroactive in effect, which could make it easier for some alien offenders to challenge their deportation.

Equally concerning, it does not ensure that released alien prisoners will be detained while in deportation proceedings following their release. Since 2013, the administration has freed more than 76,000 convicted criminal aliens while in deportation proceedings, resulting in an uncounted toll of new crimes.

Several specific provisions will shorten the sentences of aliens who are repeat offenders convicted for trafficking illegal drugs into the United States from abroad, and for those caught serving as drug mules. In addition:

Courts will be required to seal juvenile offenders' records, including those
The bill shortens the sentence for those also charged with illegally possessing or using a firearm to effect the crime (often drug trafficking), from 25 down to 15 years.

"The immigration and public safety priorities of the Republican-led Senate will be apparent if this bill is rushed through like the Trans-Pacific trade and Iran sanctions bills, while Sen Vitter's solid anti-sanctuary bill, S.2146, languishes," said Cadman. "The tragic death of Kate Steinle and so many others seems to have already been forgotten."

Contact: Marguerite Telford
202-466-8185, mrt@cis.org Read more about Thousands of Alien Felons Are Being Released from Prison

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Senate Dems block anti-sanctuary city bill

Senate Democrats on Tuesday blocked a Republican-backed bill that would crack down on so-called sanctuary cities by threatening to withhold funds to local governments that don't cooperate with federal immigration officials.

The bill failed on a 54-45 vote. It needed 60 to advance.

The Stop Sanctuary Cities Act became a lightning rod issue ahead of the vote, as GOP sponsors tried to peel off just a few Democrats to support it while Democratic leaders blasted the legislation as counterproductive. The White House issued a formal veto threat Tuesday morning, while the chamber's top Democrat tried to discredit the measure by calling it "The Donald Trump Act." ...

"Sanctuary cities and the associated violent crimes by illegal immigrants are reaching a critical point, and we cannot wait any longer to take action to protect Americans here at home," sponsor Sen. David Vitter, R-La., said in a statement.

The bill was considered months after a young woman's murder in San Francisco allegedly at the hands of an illegal immigrant touched off a national debate over immigration law.

Vitter had urged colleagues to "remember Kate Steinle's vicious murder and the tens of thousands of crimes committed by illegal immigrants within our borders."

...The suspect, Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez, had a felony record and had been deported five times --... the city sheriff released him once an old marijuana charge was dropped. San Francisco is among hundreds of so-called sanctuary cities that do not cooperate fully with federal immigration officials

The White House, though, claimed in a written statement that the bill "fails to offer comprehensive reforms...

According to the White House, it would "essentially turn State and local law enforcement into Federal immigration law enforcement officials, in certain circumstances."

Only two Democrats voted Tuesday to advance the bill, Sens. Joe Donnelly of Indiana and Joe Manchin of West Virginia. Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk was the only Republican to vote "no."

The legislation would have made it illegal for local governments to ignore immigration-related detainers -- federal requests to notify them before releasing an illegal immigrant so they can take custody -- and to bar local officials from sharing immigration information with federal agents.

The bill called for withholding certain federal funding to any local governments that flout the policy.

The issue, though, became a political football not only on the presidential campaign trail but on Capitol Hill.

In advance of the vote, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid said on the floor:

"This vile legislation might as well be called 'The Donald Trump Act.' Like the disgusting and outrageous language championed by Donald Trump, this legislation paints all immigrants as 'criminals and rapists.'"

As Congress stalled on the sanctuary city matter, some state governments already are taking action. North Carolina lawmakers recently voted to make their state the first prohibiting such policies at the local government level.

Tags:

It's time for PIZZA and POLITICS - OFIR meeting, Saturday, Oct. 10 at 2:00pm

Alert date:

September 29, 2015

Alert body:

Please join us Saturday, October 10 at 2:00pm at the Best Western Mill Creek Inn in Salem, OR and get caught up with what's happening locally and across the country in immigration politics all while enjoying some delicious pizza.

Donald Trump, like him or not, has blown the lid off the immigration conversation and in so doing has forced candidates to address the immigration issue head on....finally!

Because of Trump's campaign trail comments and his surge in the polls because of those comments, OFIR and immigration organizations and activists across the country are in a phenomenal position to make real headway in stemming the flow of illegal aliens into our country.

At the meeting, special guest Oregon Republican Chairman Bill Currier will be there to explain how the ORP plans to actively face down the immigration issues we struggle with here in Oregon.

Representative Mike Nearman and Representative Greg Baretto will be joining us to explain what's happening in the Oregon Legislature.

OFIR has been busy working to advance 2 initiatives. We will be talking about our progress on both of them and how you can help.

OFIR and our fantastic members and friends must be ready with renewed energy and resources to take advantage of the opportunities before us and to tackle the important challenges we will be facing in this coming election year.

Please consider bringing along a contribution to OFIR and take advantage of our $15,000 matching grant?

Letters from across the country reveal the frustration of the voting public about illegal immigration

Posted by Cynthia Kendoll on Mon, 09/21/2015

Across the country, citizens are expressing their outrage at elected officials for their lack of action in securing our borders, protecting our jobs and enforcing our immigration laws.

It's critical that we keep the conversation going and demand action to protect our country and our citizens. Please plan to attend Town Hall meetings in your area, write to your elected officials and submit letters to the editor or call a radio talk show and insist that elected officials be held accountable for policies that allow innocent American citizens to be raped, hit by drunk drivers and even murdered by illegal aliens that are not supposed to be in our country at all.

You're not alone in your anger and frustration. But, too many have been too silent for so long that it is going to take all of us to keep the conversation going and the pressure on during this election cycle. HOLD ELECTED OFFICIALS ACCOUNTABLE for their actions that perpetuate the problems we are having.

Below is a compilation of letters from across the country. Be inspired to write a letter of your own and submit it to a local newspaper.

----------------------------------------------------

New Haven Register
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Letter to the Editor: Murphy wrong on supporting refugees

Posted: 09/20/15, 2:54 PM EDT |

I don’t normally agree with most of what Norm Pattis has to say in his weekly column, but last week’s was on the money. Why do politicians think it’s our responsibility to take in and support people who aren’t happy in their own country when we don’t even take care of our own? And our own illustrious Sen. Chris Murphy said we need to accept 50,000 “refugees” from Syria! He’s very generous with our tax dollars, which I am sure will increase to absorb the cost. Add that to the 11.3 million illegal aliens from Mexico and Central America that they’re trying to give a free pass to already. Where does it end? Maybe Murphy and his compadres should bring them to their houses and support them. We don’t want them! Everyone’s ancestors came here from other countries but they came the right way — legally. This smells exactly like the Jimmy Carter Cuban Boatlift when Castro emptied his prisons and asylums and sent them here ... and we all know how that turned out! Send everyone who is here illegally back to where they came from and tell them to apply to come back the right way. There is a process — make them use it.

— Mike Pearson North Branford

http://www.nhregister.com/opinion/20150920/letter-to-the-editor-murphy-wrong-on-supporting-refugees

The Berkshire Eagle
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Letter: America's compassion will be its downfall

The Berkshire Eagle

Posted: 09/19/2015 12:17:34 PM EDT | Updated: about 5 hours ago

American's Compassion Will Be Its Downfall

To the editor:

Tony Smith's Sept. 5 letter "Past immigrants earned their status" is so right, especially about the U.S. becoming the planet's homeless shelter. Our country's compassion is used and abused. We help one family, they bring in 10 families, and suck our country dry.

If we as Americans don't stand up for our country and stop this merry-go-round the country will be town down! It's time to do something. Breaking our laws and being illegal is wrong. What would any other country do to an American citizen who breaks their laws? Death, torture, jail? I know one thing for sure — it wouldn't be a free life.

K. Withers Lee

http://www.berkshireeagle.com/letters/ci_28842383/letter-americas-compassion-will-be-its-downfall

The Press-Enterprise

Opinion

LETTERS:

PRESS-ENTERPRISE

Published: Sept. 18, 2015 Updated: 4:27 p.m.

End Anti-Americanism

Re: “Deport illegal aliens, with no exceptions” [Letters, Sept. 7]: I concur wholeheartedly with the widespread opinions expressed by legal citizens everywhere that the time has now come to rid this country of all illegal immigrants who don’t belong here.

The sooner the better.

I’ve heard enough about the wonders of multi-culturism and bilingualism to give me a permanent stomach ache.

What ever happened to English only? Why do we have to put up “dial 1 for English”? Those who foist these anti-American rules on the rest of us need to be escorted out of the country, along with all illegal aliens.

Harry Miller

Hemet

http://www.pe.com/articles/job-780853-illegal-conscience.html

The Florida Times Union
jacksonville.com

Home/Opinion

Monday's Letters:

By Letters from readers Fri, Sep 18, 2015 @ 3:22 pm

NATIONAL SECURITY

Some good, some bad

On the one hand, it appears our nation is doing a good job in stopping terror attacks based on the lack of incidents that actually occur.

Most of the reports that I read name the FBI as the organization that is most active and effective.

But the Department of Homeland Security is largely a hugely expensive joke. It is a politically correct organization where the airport screeners fail to detect a very large percentage of the test cases presented them.

Both the immigration and the border patrol segments of Homeland Security are not fulfilling their missions. But that’s likely through no fault of their own.

The timid leaders we have elected — and the even more timid bureaucrats that they appoint — have effectively neutered our personnel on the front lines.

With a budget of $38 billion, we still haven’t been able to secure the U.S. border.

Why doesn’t someone on the U.S. side demonstrate an “act of love” for this nation by sealing our borders?

It’s time we put out the word to all our southern neighbors that the U.S. will stop those who cross the border illegally.

And that we will use deadly force to ensure the safety and sanctity of this country.

Heaven knows how many bad actors have simply walked into our country because of purchased politicians who value their campaign donors more than personal integrity.

Alec Lawson, captain, U.S. Army (Ret.)

Jacksonville

http://jacksonville.com/opinion/letters-readers/2015-09-18/story/mondays-letters-we-shouldnt-feel-obligated-take-syrian

Mail Tribune

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Letters to the Editor, Sept. 18

Posted Sep. 18, 2015 at 12:01 AM

End birthright citizenship

Maybe the most laughable canard bleated out by the open borders crowd is, “To eliminate birthright citizenship you’d have to change the Constitution.” But the statement has no basis in reality.

Birthright citizenship can be eliminated by Congress. The clause the border bleaters cling to is: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States … . But in 1868, when the amendment was adopted, there was no restriction on immigration. It didn’t cover Native Americans until 1924, so citizenship has obviously already been changed legislatively.

Then there are the pesky words, “… subject to the jurisdiction thereof …” Senator Lyman Trumbull, an architect of the amendment, said that meant “not owing allegiance to anybody else.” So it certainly wouldn’t apply to Mexican migrants, who wave Mexican flags on California streets all the time. But the final nail in the open borders folks’ coffin is Section 5, which states: "The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article."

The U.S. and Canada are the only major modern countries in the world who still grant birthright citizenship. It’s way past time to change that.

Robert Bennett

Grants Pass

http://www.mailtribune.com/article/20150918/OPINION/150919610

TribLIVE | Opinion/The Review

From whom they flee

Letter to the Editor
Thursday, Sept. 17, 2015, 8:55 p.m.
Updated 17 minutes ago

The refugee crisis in Europe and the U.S. exposes the lack of common sense in the Western world.

Moral leaders are quick to criticize European and U.S. governments for not doing enough for refugees coming to their countries. But where is the moral outrage against the corrupt, warmongering and dysfunctional leaders in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America who have created this crisis?

Why is the U.S. criticized for not wanting illegal immigrants while Mexican and other Latin American leaders are not criticized for creating circumstances causing their citizens to flee? Perhaps it's safer to criticize good guys than bad guys.

This situation has the same moral equivalence as members of a dysfunctional family living next door, demanding to move into your house to be fed and clothed at your expense, and creating turmoil in your household. Who would stand for this?

Wouldn't it be less expensive and more humane to militarily engage the bad guys in charge of refugee-producing countries than to allow the turmoil that massive world migration will bring to stable countries? It will take decades to recover from the disruption and upheaval from migration.

Allowing unchecked immigration is insane and ensures the crisis will continue indefinitely. It's a shame that we don't have world leaders with the courage to solve this problem!

Dave Majernik

Plum

The writer is vice chairman of the Allegheny County Republican Committee.

http://triblive.com/opinion/letters/9055630-74/countries-guys-leaders#axzz3m2br8NNu

Ledger-Enquirer

Letters to the Editor

September 17, 2015

Lawbreakers by any name

I read Wilkinson's column in the paper and I agree that our immigration policy is flawed. However, he described the Mexican bad guy as "an undocumented immigrant," and I disagree with that. Such a description of Mexican citizens unlawfully present in our country may now be politically correct, but in my opinion it is incorrect.

Thousands of Mexicans willfully break our laws every day and surreptitiously cross our southern border, and they should only be referred to as "illegal aliens." Regardless of why Mexicans sneak into our country, their sneaking should not be tolerated by our governments (local, state and national), and when someone is found to be here illegally, they should be considered a criminal and treated accordingly. I know that many illegals come here to become American citizens, but I believe most want to keep their allegiance to Mexico and only desire the economic benefits of our rich country. It doesn't matter if they're behaving themselves while they're here. They're here illegally.

We can't immediately fine and deport all the illegal aliens, but if we withhold from them all of our social benefits, including educational and medical (except in special cases), they'll soon deport themselves.

We should also jail every businessman who profits from the low wages he pays to an illegal. My grandfather legally came from Germany to have a better life here, and he found it for himself and his posterity. All Mexicans should be required to do the same. If our present politicians won't fix our immigration problems, then we need to cast our votes in the next election for the folks who will.

Carl "Bud" Paepcke

Columbus

http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article35606901.html

BUCKS COUNTY
Courier Times

Opinion | Bucks County | Letters to the Editor

Enforce the immigration laws

Posted: Thursday, September 17, 2015 12:15 am

Everyone who doesn't like what Donald Trump says about immigration are the same people who have ignored the problem for decades.

We have laws that allow people from foreign countries to attain citizenship legally. Occasionally there is news about new citizens. I actually attended one of these naturalization ceremonies in 1973 when my wife became a U.S. citizen. These people did what the law required. Just because we are so close to Mexico and South America it has become a problem with the politicians ignoring the people crossing the border and living here illegally. Businesses are to blame also for employing illegals for cheap wages.

Every politician from both parties is afraid to do anything about the problem because it will offend the Hispanic population. How ridiculous that is to let laws continue to be ignored. Obeying political correctness so we don't offend any minority is an epidemic in this country. We need someone who will actually do something about this problem, which is beyond critical as this point.

No other candidate is willing to address the problem and offer a solution. Amnesty for the illegals would cause a backlash of gigantic proportions and is a slap in the face of the people who obeyed the law and became U. S. citizens.

Both political parties created this problem and the Democrats won't do anything because the illegals are part of their government-dependency base. Likewise, Republican business owners would lose the cheap labor they provide. There are also the criminals who are shipping in illegal drugs and killing people. We have more than enough of our home grown criminals and don't need any more here illegally.

We definitely need a political outsider to lead this country after the eight years of damage done by the incompetency of the present administration. There are three Republicans who are not career politicians running for President. Hopefully we will chose right this time so this country can be great again and not the Third World country we are headed for.

Ron Bolvin

Middletown

http://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/opinion/letters/enforce-the-immigration-laws/article_f745eee8-1089-5828-ada9-cda451badf35.html

ORANGE COUNTY
REGISTER

Opinion

Letters: A simple immigration policy

Sept. 16, 2015

Updated 12:00 a.m.

By ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Our country was founded by legal immigrants and could be destroyed by illegal immigrants.

According to a study conducted by the Federation of America Immigration Reform, the cost of harboring illegal immigrants in the United States is a staggering $113 billion a year – an average of $1,117 for every household in America – and it is growing rapidly. Supporting illegal immigrants has caused our country to become almost insolvent.

I have read many of the expensive strategies proposed by our presidential candidates to keep illegal immigrants out of this country. However, they will only put us in more debt, and are not assured to be very effective.

We all know that illegal immigrants come to this country to improve their way of life. They all seek benefits without payments, better living conditions and employment. All the benefits that they receive are too numerous to mention. I have an inexpensive solution to solve the problem of illegal immigrants entering this country: Discontinue all illegal immigrant benefits.

Any landlord that rents an apartment to an illegal immigrant will be severely punished financially. Any tenant that allows illegal immigrants to move into their residence will be severely punished financially. Any employer that hires an illegal immigrant will be severely punished financially.

This will take away most of the incentives for immigrants to enter this country illegally and is not expensive to implement. I don’t know why none of the presidential candidates have mentioned this as opposed to building a wall and providing man power to service the wall which will be very expensive and not assured to keep illegal immigrants out of this country. It appears so simple. Am I missing something?

Paul Rubenstein

Mission Viejo

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/illegal-682798-immigrants-country.html

Minnesota Daily

Opinion » Letters to the Editor

Comment on “We need to tell modern immigrants’ stories”

By Dave Francis, Daily reader September 16, 2015

All of the presidential candidates have little to say about the illegal immigrant problem. They are all close-mouthed and probably scared of their own shadows.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is completely different from the pack. He is not hindered in saying anything true — and that is exactly what people want to hear. Rhetoric is finally old hat, and the majority of the population is not listening to it anymore. They want change!

Trump’s greatest benefit to average Americans is that no one can buy his loyalty. … We want a true outsider who is not looking for a handout to fill campaign or personal bank accounts.

I believe Trump will bring back all the jobs to our country again — jobs for every genuine new American and jobs for people who have given up and can hardly put food on the table. … No matter who you are, as long as you’re here in the United States legally, then you will be eligible for a job. …

It’s about time employers were held more accountable for hiring illegal workers. … Every American of any race, color or religion should be first for any job. …

Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council, testified before the House Oversight Committee a few weeks ago. He said that the agency only controls approximately 40 percent of the border between the United States and Mexico. … Before that committee, border patrol agents testified about the brutal conditions facing them. …

Why are so many of our tax dollars spent to defend foreign countries? American citizens should be able to travel highways in southern Arizona without fearing for their lives.

http://www.mndaily.com/opinion/letters-editor/2015/09/16/comment-%E2%80%9Cwe-need-tell-modern-immigrants%E2%80%99-stories%E2%80%9D

M Michigan
LIVE

Letter: Government should penalizes those who hire illegal immigrants

By MLive/Jackson Citizen Patriot opinion
on September 16, 2015 at 9:55 AM, updated September 16, 2015 at 9:59 AM

With all the supposedly intelligent politicians in Washington, I am amazed at all the talk about building a wall at the border between the United States and Mexico.

One need only look at the map and recognize that the Gulf of Mexico provides and easy way to go around the end of any wall, fence, ditch, etc.

Our government needs to arrest and penalize any American or American business which hires an illegal immigrant.

They should charge the culprit and then send the illegal person back to Mexico or any other home country.

It can't solve the problem overnight, but it should be an ongoing procedure. This is a country of laws which attempts to safeguard its citizens. I fought in WWII for just that purpose.

William W. Harper / Jackson

http://www.mlive.com/opinion/jackson/index.ssf/2015/09/letter_government_should_penal.html

Capital Gazette

Letters: Immigration

SEPTEMBER 15, 2015

Immigration

A nation is defined by borders, culture, language. Without borders, our nation is vulnerable to the influx of illegal immigrants, who will bring drugs, cause crimes and cause deaths by autos, destroying the identity of our country.

Our nation is in the process of this transition. Our Judeo-Christian culture is under attack from without and from within. Illegal immigrants are coming to America, setting up their own enclaves, refusing to blend in with the American mosaic.

Years ago, immigrants would come to our country and would become part of our communities. This is not so today.

For years, English was the preferred language in our country — not so today. I have seen notes from providers that can be in five languages. Is this the modern-day Tower of Babel? If we are not willing to fight for the values that made America great, we will become a Third World nation — our demise is imminent.

WILL HUBBAR

Glen Burnie

http://www.capitalgazette.com/opinion/letters/ph-ac-ce-letters-0915-20150915-story.html

The Jamestown Sun

Letters

Trump may be right about children of undocumented immigrants

By Roland Riemers from Grand Forks Today at [September 14, 2015] 6:32 a.m.

Donald Trump has stated that babies of illegal immigrants should not be considered citizens. I believe he is right.

The current legal standard is based on the 1898 case of U.S. v. Wong. Wong was born in San Francisco to Chinese parents who were legally residents there but not U.S. citizens. The Supreme Court ruled Wong was a born U.S. citizen under the 14th Amendment.

This ruling is often used as the basis for claiming anyone born here is now a citizen. But that is not what the ruling says. Under the 14th Amendment, parents have to be subject to the jurisdiction of the U.S., and Wong’s parents met that requirement easily. But not so with modern “anchor babies” whose parents are not legal residents of the U.S.

So, how do we fix this? Congress is free to define wording to give effect to the constitutional provision, “subject to the jurisdiction of the United States,” and has attempted to do so with the Birthright Citizenship Act of 2009 and 2011, but neither bill was even discussed in Congress.

While I am not a Trump supporter, it does appear that once again Trump may be proven right while the majority are again proven wrong.

(Riemers is chairman of the North Dakota Libertarian Party.)

http://www.jamestownsun.com/letters/3838436-trump-may-be-right-about-children-undocumented-immigrants

STATESVILLE
Record & Landmark

Opinion

LETTER: Amnesty is wrong for illegal immigrants

Posted: Monday, September 14, 2015 3:03 pm

In response to “Another View” in Monday’s Statesville R&L, the “Balancing opportunity and border control," did anyone question why people are fleeing their own country to come here? Might the reason be they did not want to follow their country’s laws? Could it be they did not like being told what to do in their own country? And with that kind of attitude, not liking their own country’s laws, why would American citizens not expect them to follow the laws of United States? And that is the problem, is it not?

The article says, “Trump’s solution might sound simple, but it isn’t, and he undoubtedly knows it. So why does he say it? He says it because it resonates with a large segment of the American public.” And I believe the paper’s statement is correct. But it gets complicated when the care of their children becomes a weapon of choice by those that do not want to fight for or follow our laws. Some say the children are our future, and it takes a village to raise a child!

OK, if those children are our future, what are we teaching them when exceptions to our laws are being made? Aren’t the illegal parents, who are now responsible for their American kids, being held responsible? It becomes simple if illegal aliens become legal, through existing laws, for their American children's sake. See? Simple! Amnesty becomes a get-out-of-jail card for illegal aliens and a bad example of becoming a law-abiding American citizen.

Troy D. Reed

Mooresville

http://www.statesville.com/opinion/letter-amnesty-is-wrong-for-illegal-immigrants/article_911c3d20-5b12-11e5-898c-ef6d26b3c28d.html

The Gazette

G LETTERS:

By: Letters
Published: September 14, 2015

Immigration's environmental cost

In the discussion of immigration, the environmental cost is seldom addressed. Every year we add 1 million legal immigrants to our population. In less than five years, that is like adding another "Colorado." The impact of a million initial immigrants is misleading as they reproduce and eventually become 2 million. The number of illegal aliens in the United States is guessed at11 million. That is as great as the population of Washington and Oregon.

Our population is 320 million. The Census Bureau estimates at current immigration rates we will have 399 million by 2050. Its high estimate is 458 million. Compare these increases to just 323,000,000 with zero immigration.

So what is the environmental cost of immigration? The loss of wildlife habitat, agricultural land and open space is especially great. Every hour of every day we lose 50 acres of farm and ranch lands to development. Between 1982 and 2010, we lost 24 million acres of agricultural land to urban sprawl, highways and malls to accommodate our growing population. Increased demands for water is a serious problem difficult to solve. Pollution, carbon footprint and energy demands increase with population increases.

Few in power care about the environmental cost of immigration. The Republicans want cheap labor and associated campaign contributions. The Democrats want the votes from Third World immigrants. Environmental groups are no longer opposed to immigration for the same reason.

If we don't reduce immigration the environmental cost will be huge. We need to end the anchor baby hedge, stop 'chain immigration', secure our southern border, crack down on expired visas, and reduce legal immigration to no more than 100,000. Unless the average American rises up against our policy of massive immigration, I see no hope for the long-term quality of our environment.

Robert Hooper

Montrose

http://gazette.com/letters-intersection-needs-caution-light-questioning-proposed-student-housing/article/1559277

The Tennessean

A GANNETT COMPANY

Letters to the editor, Sept. 15: Donald Trump

11:10 p.m. CDT September 13, 2015

Readers sound off on Donald Trump's presidential run.

Trump seeks greatness

The authors of the Tennessee Voices article bashing Donald Trump on immigration were not truthful in their representation of Trump’s stance on the subject. The first sentence in the article states that “Trump and his anti-immigrant rhetoric” should be rejected by Nashvillians.

I would agree with authors Dorn, Breen and Turner if this were a true statement, but it is not.

Mr. Trump has repeatedly said that he loves immigrants from all countries, but immigrants to this country should obey the laws of the United States. The fact is that illegal immigrants are in this country because they broke the law.

Left-wing politicians and liberals state that we are a country of laws, but they want to pick and choose the laws they wish to enforce.

If the immigration laws that are now in place had been enforced, and our sovereign borders were secure, we would not have the massive influx of illegal immigrants, which is unfair to all citizens, especially those that played by the rules and immigrated to the United States legally.

Trump is sending a message that is resonating all across this land and it is time to “Make America Great Again."

Tom Wirth

Brentwood 37027

http://www.tennessean.com/story/opinion/readers/2015/09/14/letters-editor-sept-donald-trump/72237472/

Have you ever wished YOU could ask a question of the Presidential candidates?

Alert date:

September 15, 2015

Alert body:

The next presidential debate is this Wednesday, September 16 on CNN. Perhaps your question will be chosen Wednesday evening.

We are encouraging every OFIR member or friend to send in a question concerning immigration to CNN. All you have to do is submit your question to CNN at: http://www.cnn.com/specials/politics/submit-questions-september-gop-debate

You could ask questions like these:

Don’t you think that E-Verify should be mandated for all employers - discouraging illegal immigration and encouraging illegal workers to depart? E-Verify is a FREE, internet based program to help employers be certain they are hiring workers that are legally authorized to work in the USA. Results are quick, accurate and E-Verify gets high approval ratings from participating employers.

Should English be the official language of the US government?

Or, questions could address the financial impact on U.S. taxpayers. FAIR estimates illegal aliens cost U.S. taxpayers $100 billion dollars a year even if you subtract any taxes they might pay. The cost to Oregon taxpayers is estimated at $1 billion a year.

Illegal alien cheap labor is devastating our young people. Twenty-three percent of white high school graduates are unemployed. Twenty-four percent of Hispanic high school graduates are unemployed. However the greatest impact is on Black American high school graduates. They have an unemployment rate of over 51 percent.

American sovereignty is at stake. Shouldn’t we as Americans make the decision as to whom we allow to immigrate into our great country? How can a nation be defined if it doesn’t have borders?

Please take a couple of minutes to send in your question to CNN. If you haven't commented before, you'll need to register with CNN to get your question posted; registration is rather simple and quick.

Note: If a comment is not a question to the Republican candidates, it will not appear.

Please - let OFIR know if your question is selected!

Here’s the lineup:

Wednesday, September 16, 2015
CNN Republican Primary Debate
6pm ET / 3pm PT - First round debate
8pm ET / 5pm PT - Second round primetime debate

Location: Reagan Library in Simi Valley, CA
Moderator(s): Jake Tapper, Dana Bash and Hugh Hewitt
Candidates First round: Santorum, Jindal, Pataki, Graham
Candidates Second round Primetime: Trump, Bush, Walker, Huckabee, Carson, Cruz, Rubio, Paul, Christie, Kasich, Fiorina

On the 14th Anniversary of 9/11, a More Dangerous World and Lax Immigration Policies Leave the U.S. Vulnerable to Another Attack, Warns FAIR

Today, the nation marks the 14th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks that took the lives of some 3,000 Americans. In the 14 years that have passed, the world has become an even more dangerous place, while in many ways our defenses against another major terrorist attack have been weakened, warns the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).

Al-Qaeda, which carried out the attacks of 9/11, remains operational in many parts of the world, while other radical Islamic terrorist organizations have emerged. All of these groups have vowed to strike the United States and have demonstrated the ability to inflict significant harm. Despite the clear dangers and explicit threats, our nation's lax immigration enforcement policies provide a soft underbelly for terrorist organizations to exploit.

"Fourteen years ago, al-Qaeda took advantages of many weaknesses to carry out its attack. Some of them have been corrected, but the most important factor - the ability for terrorists to remain in the United States illegally - is as bad, or worse, than it was in 2001," said Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).

Among the glaring weaknesses in our immigration enforcement system that pose a threat to our homeland security in 2015:

Obama administration policies protect 87 percent of illegal aliens from enforcement. Under these policies, unless a potential terrorist is already on the government's watch list, his or her continued presence in the U.S. is protected by the administration.
A legislated biometric entry/exit system at all land, sea and air ports of entry has not been fully implemented. Thus, like the 9/11 terrorists who entered on visas and failed to leave the country, we still have no way of knowing who remains in the country illegally.
Our borders remain out of control. Only 40 percent of our southern border is under operational control, making it easy for terrorists and potentially weapons of mass destruction to enter our country without detection.
The Obama administration has reversed detention policies implemented under President Clinton intended to prevent people from gaining entry to our country by abusing the political asylum system.
Despite the growing presence of terrorist networks in Europe and other Western countries, we maintain the Visa Waiver Program which allows holders of EU passports to enter the U.S. without being screened by consular officials.

"The FBI and other law enforcement agencies, through their excellent work, have managed to thwart numerous attempts to carry out terrorist attacks in recent months. But no domestic intelligence agency can bat 1.000 indefinitely, especially when our weak immigration enforcement policies allow terrorists so many ways to infiltrate our country," warned Stein. "The Obama administration's politically driven effort to undermine immigration enforcement and Congress's tepid oversight are a potentially lethal combination.

"The commemoration of what took place 14 years ago provides a sobering reminder that global turmoil, and our own lax border and immigration policies, continue to pose a clear and present threat to our security," Stein concluded.

ABOUT FAIR

Founded in 1979, FAIR is the country's largest immigration reform group. With more than 250,000 members nationwide, FAIR fights for immigration policies that serve national interests, not special interests. FAIR believes that immigration reform must enhance national security, improve the economy, protect jobs, preserve our environment, and establish a rule of law that is recognized and enforced. Read more about On the 14th Anniversary of 9/11, a More Dangerous World and Lax Immigration Policies Leave the U.S. Vulnerable to Another Attack, Warns FAIR

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Wong does not make a birthright for illegal aliens

Posted by Cynthia Kendoll on Tue, 08/25/2015

Birthright citizenship, the 14^th Amendment, anchor babies and illegal immigration are dominating the news.

Donald Trump has opened the discussion even more when he called for the denial of automatic citizenship for anchor babies. Even Jeb Bush, an open border and amnesty advocate, has denounced the practice.

The article below by Colin McNickle is an insightful look into the issue. All OFIR members should read the article and learn what’s true and what’s not true about birthright citizenship.

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Wong does not make a birthright for illegal aliens

By Colin McNickle, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Greensburg, Pa.)

August 24, 2015

The firestorm that has erupted anew over "birthright citizenship" exposes the manifest dangers of constitutional ignorance. Not Donald Trump's but that of his critics who have shown remarkable reading incomprehension regarding the Constitution and the Supreme Court case they so regularly cite in defense of their position.

A diverse chattering class of liberals, "progressives," conservatives and even, remarkably, libertarians pounced on Mr. Trump when he said that the children of illegal aliens born in the United States are not, under the 14th Amendment, automatically citizens of the United States.

Fox News host Bill O'Reilly, for one, would have none of that. "If you are born here, you're an American, period," he said, sparring with Trump, one of the gaggle of Republican presidential contenders. Later, Mr. O'Reilly, as have many others, cited United States v. Wong Kim Ark, decided by the Supreme Court in 1898.

As the Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court notes, at issue in Wong was the citizenship status of those of Chinese descent. An 1882 law already had barred Chinese from becoming naturalized citizens; "exclusionists" sought to bar them from birthright citizenship as well (based on the nationality of their parents and not the place of their birth).

Wong Kim Ark was born to Chinese parents in San Francisco in 1873. But, later, following a trip to China, he was denied readmission to the United States. "The government argued that Wong Kim Ark was not a citizen because his Chinese parents made him subject to the emperor of China."

The logic was tortured. Nonetheless, its essence, properly employed, goes to the heart of the 14th Amendment:

"All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof (emphasis added), are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside."

The high court, citing not only common law but the 14th Amendment, ruled 6-2 that citizenship was guaranteed to all persons born in the United States, regardless of their heritage.

So, case closed, right? The Supreme Court ruled birthright citizenship is the law of the land for all, right? The Donald Trump argument is populist pap and for naught, right?
Well, not exactly.

The Wong case involved the child of legal resident aliens. "The Supreme Court has never ruled directly on the question of birthright citizenship for the children of illegal aliens," wrote Lino A. Graglia, a University of Texas law professor, in a seminal 2010 white paper.

And illegal aliens clearly are subject to the jurisdiction of the country whence they came.

But what about the common law component of the court's Wong decision?

"The court recognized that even a rule based on soil and physical presence could not rationally be applied to grant birthright citizenship to persons whose presence in a country was not only without the government's consent but in violation of the law,"

Professor Graglia wrote. A number of constitutional scholars -- from Graglia, to Yale law professor Peter Schuck, to Gerald Posner -- say Congress can and should act -- without repealing or amending the 14th Amendment -- to end the absurdity of constitutionally warrantless birthright citizenship for illegal aliens, citizenship that's wholly unsupported in case law.

After all, the Constitution "should not be interpreted to require an absurdity," Graglia concluded. And it need not be. Because it doesn't.

Colin McNickle is Trib Total Media's director of editorial pages. Read more about Wong does not make a birthright for illegal aliens

Rep. Bonamici to hold Town Halls

Alert date:

August 25, 2015

Alert body:

For those of you living in Congressional District 1:

Representative Suzanne Bonamici has scheduled 6 town hall meetings in August and September, beginning on August 29 in McMinnville.

Her announcement states: “It’s critical that I hear from my constituents about issues affecting them,” Congresswoman Bonamici said. “These town hall meetings provide me with a useful perspective that informs my work. I always appreciate hearing from my constituents about their ideas, concerns, and questions.”

OFIR encourages members in Congressional District 1 to attend one of these meetings and discuss immigration issues. Rep. Bonamici is rated F- by NumbersUSA on her voting record on immigration bills in the current Congress, and D- overall for her years in Congress, 2012-2015. In 2015 alone, she voted 4 times for amnesties to illegal aliens. The particular bills are listed here.

You might wish to read the useful tips posted on NumbersUSA’s website for constituents’ effective participation in town halls. We suggest that you express to Rep. Bonamici your concerns about her consistent support for illegal aliens and illegal immigration and her apparent disregard of the consequences for citizens and the viability of our nation.

If you wish, you can print copies of her voting records here, and give them to her.

Here is the Townhall schedule:

LOCATION	DATE & TIME
McMinnville: Chemeketa Community College (Yamhill Valley Campus) Building 1, Rooms 101-103 288 NE Norton Lane McMinnville, OR 97128	Saturday August 29 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Tualatin: Tualatin High School Library 22300 SW Boones Ferry Road Tualatin, OR 97062	Saturday August 29 1:30-2:30 p.m.
St. Helens: St. Helens Public Library 375 S 18th Street St. Helens, OR 97051	Monday August 31 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Cornelius: Centro Cultural 1110 N Adair Street Cornelius, OR 97113	Monday August 31 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Portland: Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital Auditorium 1015 NW 22nd Avenue Portland, OR 97210	Tuesday September 1 6:00-7:00 p.m.
Warrenton: Warrenton Community Center 170 SW 3rd Street Warrenton, OR 97146	Sunday September 13 1:30-2:30 p.m.

House Approves Obamatrade’s TPA, Bill Must Go to Senate Next

Obamatrade is alive.

One week after the House of Representatives overwhelmingly rejected Obamatrade by voting against a key provision of it — Trade Adjustment Assistance — GOP establishment lawmakers resuscitated Trade Promotion Authority and rammed it through Thursday afternoon. The final tally was 218-208.

The House action is unusual. As Breitbart News reported: “To engage in the complicated procedural chicanery needed to revive the once-dead Obamatrade, bringing its Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) portion back to life,

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) 58% needed to gut a previous bill that has passed the House and Senate and then insert Obamatrade into it. It’s actually a very similar process to how Obamacare passed the House”...

Because the Senate passed TAA and TPA together, the individual House version will now have to go back to the Senate for approval, where it may face a filibuster. It’s unclear how many senators would support TPA without TAA, a measure to aid workers who lose their jobs because of trade policy.

The Senate isn’t expected to take up TPA until next week, but Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) 52% has expressed confidence it can pass. Obamatrade is making for unusual partnerships in Washington. Barack Obama is working with McConnell and House Speaker Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) 35% to pass a measure his own party largely rejects.

Last week he traveled to Capitol Hill to lobby for his trade measures, but shortly before the House vote on TAA, Minority Leader. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) 9% announced she opposes it. More than 300 representatives ended up voting down TAA, setting the stage for Thursday’s moves to bring TPA back to life. Read more about House Approves Obamatrade’s TPA, Bill Must Go to Senate Next

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