May Day Melee Still Under Investigation

On May 1, 2007, the Los Angeles Police Department was involved in a tremendous controversy that left many peoples injured. The incident took place at MacArthur Park in May when immigrants and fellow U.S. citizens rallied in the park to protest immigration rights. The problem wasn’t that the protestors were behaving disorderly but only a certain group was heckling the police.

The LAPD instead of handling the issue in a certain way in which no protestor could get hurt did the complete opposite. Many journalists, protestors including children and mothers, and innocent bystanders were injured when LAPD used batons and excessive force to control the situation. After months of the May Day melee, the LAPD has not yet completed the investigation, which is expected to be completed in December.

On Tuesday, commission members questioned the LAPD on the discipline actions towards the officers involved in the incident, who have not yet been reprimanded for it.

"Some of them strike me as no-brainers," said Shelley Freeman, one of five members of the civilian panel, who said she had watched a lot of video from the demonstration.

Still LAPD defend the way they are handling this case and that before anything cans be released or said about the episode they have to examine everything from start to end. They said the findings will be turned over to LAPD commanders, who will advise Chief William J. Bratton whether disciplinary action is appropriate.
"Just because we think we know something now. . . . Sometimes we get information later that can alter that," said Deputy Chief Mark Perez, head of the Professional Standards Bureau, which oversees internal probes. "We don't want to jump the gun."

LAPD officials said Tuesday that they had so far questioned 48 officers about incidents at the rally.A total of 27 complaints of LAPD’s misconduct from the media and 289 from the public have been received by the department.The LAPD’s excuse for the delay of the investigation is that trying to identify the officer responsible for firing the foam bullets and bean bag rounds.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lapd31oct31,1,1162311.story

Driver’s license for undocumented.

On Oct. 28, in Washington a three-tiered structure for driver’s licenses including driver’s license for illegal immigrants was signed off by top state and federal officials. The controversial plan to license the illegal immigrants is led by Democratic Gov. Eliot Spitzer.

According to Spitzer, the immigrant licenses would be unusable for boarding planes or would not be recognized as a federal identification and they must prove their state residency and require a passport. However, immigrant rights advocates are already upset with the governor for the two major changes.

Following in the examples of Arizona, Vermont and Washington, New York is the forth state to establish this license option which would allow people to drive into Canada without a passport.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff now seems intrigued with the compromise Spitzer has brought to the table.

Chertoff has already said that he doesn’t like Spitzer’s idea of licensing illegal immigrants; he really can’t do anything about it.

"I don't endorse giving licenses to people who are not here legally, but federal law does allow states to make that choice," Chertoff said.

However Chertoff seemed happy that Spitzer was working on improving his proposal of driver’s license in New York.

Spitzer's move "is a lose-lose political decision that betrays his most ardent supporters and emboldens the anti-immigrant opposition," said Chung-Wha Hong of the New York Immigration Coalition.

Immigrant-rights groups said the deal could make it impossible for some to apply.
Republicans see this effort of driver’s license for illegal immigrants as an incentives for immigrants to move to New York and as a way of undermining security, approximately half a million to 1 million illegal immigrants already reside in New York.

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-licenses28oct28,1,5543341.story

San Diego police deporting fire evacuees?

As the fires in the San Diego County grew and homes were being destroyed by the flames, the well being of many evacuees were also at risk. Many of the evacuated from the San Diego homes are illegal immigrants and feared immigration authorities. Thus not seeking help at the shelters. Many feared that if they went to any shelter offering food for them, then those immigrants would be deported back to their countries.

"We decided that we wouldn't go because they ask for your name and everything," said day laborer Jose Salgado, waiting for work off the 5 Freeway near Rancho Santa Fe.Many of these immigrants worked in tomatoes fields in San Diego and without a home and possible without a job to go to many were left with nothing. Border Patrol agents took part in helping with the evacuated citizens at the Qualcomm Stadium. As more immigration authorities participated many immigrants feared that if they asked for help they would automatically be reported and deported.

"We are not arresting fire evacuees. It's absolutely ludicrous to suggest otherwise," said Lauren Mack, spokeswoman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The American Civil Liberties Union and Immigrant rights group have said that U.S. authorities are in fact rounding up immigrants for deportation, however the Mexican Consulate in San Diego has encountered these shelters and have not found any type of evidence to confirm the round up.

Many federal agents as many as 100 were assigned to help with the fires leaving their border posts, they assisted in evacuating people from homes, staff checkpoints, protected against looters and helped at the shelters.

President of the Border Angels, an immigrant rights group, Enrique Morones said, “Having people at the evacuation sites in Border Patrol uniforms is asinine.”

A Mexican family was arrested by the San Diego police at Qualcomm Stadium after they allegedly stealing food which they intended to sell. The San Diego police then handed over the family to the border patrol agent, which deported them after living in the U.S. for several years.

The footage of the arrest has been playing over the air on various television stations which has helped elevate the fear of illegal immigrants seek help. Rumors of deportations grew Wednesday when San Diego police arrested a Mexican family at Qualcomm Stadium for allegedly stealing food they intended to resell. After being handed over to border agents, the family, which had been living in the U.S. for several years, was deported. Footage of their arrest was replayed numerous times on local television stations.

"They were petrified," said Remy Bermudez, a teacher who served as a volunteer at the stadium. "They said, 'After what happened . . . we're afraid."

The ACLU and immigrant rights groups claim illegal immigrants were subjected to racial profiling at Qualcomm and were abused by some volunteers who questioned their legal status. They have also said the city did not go out to migrant camps to tell people to evacuate.

According to Fred Sainz, a spokesman for San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, identification wasn't required to enter shelters. The mayor, he said, has always looked out for the needs of the migrant community and has tried to protect them from encounters with Minutemen and other groups that oppose illegal immigration.

"The mayor has bent over backward to protect the migrant population," said Sainz.Critics say local and federal officials should be more sensitive to how immigrants might perceive things. A checkpoint that might seem inconvenient but understandable to a citizen could represent potential deportation to an immigrant, they say.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-border28oct28,1,2904297.story

Missouri's Governor against illegal hiring

The owner of a janitorial company that had a contract with the state has filed a lawsuit against the State Governor of Missouri, Matt Blunt.

The owner of Sam’s Janitorial in Jefferson City, Missouri, K. Asamoah-Boadu had nine contracts cancelled with the state because he had employed illegal immigrants in his company. According to the lawsuit presented by Asamoah-Baodu, on March 6, 25 of the Sam’s Janitorial employees were arrested in Jefferson City by federal and state law enforcement officers.

After loosing his state contracts Asamoah- Boadu is seeking monetary damages. He also argues that Gov. Blunt cancelled his contracts not only for hiring illegal immigrants but because Blunt has overused his power as governor and of racial discrimination.

Asamoah-Boadu, an African-born U.S. citizen, alleges racial discrimination because the state contract in past years was given to white-owned B&G Cleaning before Sam's Janitorial won the bid.

In his defense Blunt stated, “that's ludicrous."
Blunt recommended this advice to the county prosecutors who think a contractor employs illegal immigrants need to: check the Missouri accountability portal, a database that tracks what companies receive tax credits; contact the Missouri information analysis center for background checks; and contact local law enforcement agencies.

The same day as the raid, were 25 employees were arrested, Governor Blunt gave an executive order reinforcing the issue about hiring illegal immigrants. He said, "If the state determines that a current contractor employs any persons who are not eligible to work in the United States in violation of federal law, the contractor shall be in breach of contract and the state may lawfully terminate the contract and suspend or debar the contractor from doing business [in] the state of Missouri."

http://www.mercurynews.com/natbreakingnews/ci_7278694

http://www.komu.com/satellite/SatelliteRender/KOMU.com/ba8a4513-c0a8-2f11-0063-9bd94c70b769/d96beb71-c0a8-2f11-0103-e8a9d25730ba

Dream Act Shut Down

Today United States Senate rejected the Dream Act which would have allowed young people brought to the U.S. as children by their illegal immigrant parents the opportunity to gain legal status with the condition they attend school or join the military.

60 votes were required by the Senate in order for the bill to continue but it fell short 52-44.

"I believe in this bill passionately," said lead sponsor Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), who has lobbied for the so-called Dream Act for five years and says he knows many young people who would be helped by it. "Some of their stories are heartbreaking. Many know no other country, know no other language, and now they are being told to leave by our government."

The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act -- DREAM Act for short -- was a popular part of a broad immigration plan that would have legalized as many as 12 million unlawful immigrants and fortified the border.

The Democrats that favored the bill assured that if the bill passed, that American business would benefit from the skilled graduates and that it would boost the military force.

"Children should not be penalized for the actions of their parents," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). "Many of the children this bill addresses came here when they were very young. Many don't even remember their home countries or speak the language of their home countries. They are just as loyal and devoted to our country as any American."

Conservative groups attacked the bill as it seems to be an "amnesty" measure and that it would provoke a storm of public outrage. Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) said, “It's a slap in the face to all of those who came in here legally."

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Congress-Immigration.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-immig25oct25,1,39366.story?ctrack=6&cset=true

Immigrants learning to speak "American"

More and more immigrants are learning the proper way to speak English. This is not just occurring in Los Angeles but throughout the United States, it seems that immigrants want to lose their native accents to become “Americanized”. This kind of classes which help reduce accents have been around for many years however according to a study done by the American Speech-Language Hearing Assn. reported an increase of 15% from 2005 to 2006.But not only are accent reduce classes growing, so are books which teach how to speak English correctly.

The author of the book and CD set “Speak English Like an American”, Amy Gillet, said the book copies have tripled in the past years. Her book was released in 2004 and only sold 1,500 copies, today the count is 5,000.

The main priority people are seeking these accent reduction classes are not only to seek better job opportunities but to help them in their everyday social life. Many are very self-conscious about their speech and want to sound “normal”.

Jennie Lo, 43, of Culver City said her accent has been an embarrassment since she arrived in the United States from Taiwan in 1988.

"It was a handicap," she said. "I couldn't say the things I wanted to say." "I just want to feel good about myself," she said. "If I really work hard, if I practice every day, I can't be perfect. But I can be better."

These classes however don’t come cheap, usually for an hour class it’s about $100 for an individual class. Imagine having a 13-week session it could range from $1,200 to $2,500, that can be one or two months of a house mortgage, leaving many immigrants already living pay check to pay check with no funds.

According to Dennis Baron, a linguistics professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign says taking course is a waste of money. Baron says that the only way to reduce the accent is be calming it and that takes years of interaction with native English speakers.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-accent23oct23,0,38076,full.story?coll=la-home-center

Border Fence to Destroy a Conservation Area

Today the United States homeland security, Michael Chertoff, went against federal court ruling in order to re-instate the border fence construction. Chertoff waived various environmental laws which many environmentalists were trying to protect the construction of the border fence through a national conservation area in Arizona.

According to Chertoff, if the border fence or virtual border as it has been acknowledged is postponed further it would be an “acceptable risk to our nation’s security”. The fence would be approximately 6.9 miles along side the United States-Mexico border and would unfortunately be built through the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area in Cochise County in southeastern Arizona.

On Oct. 10, Judge Ellen Segal Huevelle of the Federal Court for the District of Columbia ruled to suspend the construction of the border fence. This decision was made because the Judge Segal Huevelle evaluated that the government did not assessed the grounds on which the fence was going to be built, the government didn’t take the environment into consideration. This environmental concern was brought to the court by the Sierra Club and the Defenders of the Wildlife.

Sean Sullivan, a spokesman for the Sierra Club in Arizona, said that “we can secure our borders while we protect our public lands” and that “bulldozing” the conservation area was not necessary to manage the border.
The Department of Homeland Security criticized the ruling made by the court and said that 19,000 illegal immigrants have been detained through the conservation area. Thus, illegal crossing of immigrants has caused more harm to the conservation area by trash and human waste left behind by the immigrants than the fence itself.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/23/us/23fence.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1193112595-aeVk0Hu1Yv63m0iSZ2Wg9Q

Obama arrives in Southern California

Illinois Senator and Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack Obama arrive yesterday to Southern California to get the Latino vote in Los Angeles. Obama was received by approximatley 300 people at Garfield High School located in East Los Angeles where the heart of the latino community is present. He talked about various topics that are part of his campaign agaenda but his main points or concerns where on education and immigration. He critisized Gov. Arnold

Schwarzenegger, who on Oct. 10 vetoed the SB 1, “The California Dream Act”, whcich would allow students of an illegal immigrant status to receive scholarships for their college studies.

"That was wrong," Obama said, "Instead of driving thousands of children who were on the right path into the shadows, we need to give those who play by the rules the opportunity to succeed."
Another topic Obama was defensive about was immigration. He supports a constructive plan or program to help legalize the millions of immigrants in the U.S. as well as a secured border. As well as working with Mexico to create jobs in Mexico and to stop U.S. companies from hiring illegal immigrants, which would stop the flow from Mexico to U.S.

"When people say, 'Oh, send 'em all back' -- we're not sending them all back," he said. "People aren't telling the truth. We would have to use all our law enforcement resources. We couldn't go after gang bangers, we couldn't go after auto theft. We'd have to use every single law enforcement officer to go around and round up folks who are working at restaurants."

http://www.laopinion.com/primerapagina/?rkey=00000000000002521740

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-obama21oct21,1,92277.story?ctrack=3&cset=true

Virtual border fence is ready fro testing

The U.S. – Mexico border seems to be ready for the high tech “virtual fence,” after being delayed for several months due to minor computer glitches according to a federal official.

This virtual fence would be located in the southwest of Tucson, one section of the U.S. –Mexico border covering approximately a 28-mile radius, which would detect and capture illegal immigrants as well as drug smugglers. This 20- million virtual fence prototype consist of nine towers with sensors, cameras and radar.

Boeing the prime contractor for this project, put it on hold because the computer software for the fence was not reading correctly, in other words it couldn’t distinguish between a human trying to cross the border with a cow grazing. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff stated to a congressional committee that he was going to suspend payment to Boeing until the situation was fixed and the system was ready to be put in use.

Boeing on the other hand has set up a test day for the virtual fence during the last week of October, which would be tested in Arizona since it is considered the focal point for illegal crossings from Mexico to the United States.

If this prototype is a success then approximately 1,800 towers will be in place alongside the U.S. - Mexico border and U.S. - Canada border. By the time this project is completely in 2011 it would have cost the U.S. $8 billion.

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-oe-klein20oct20,1,7427730.story?ctrack=5&cset=true

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-fence18oct18,1,2517122.story?ctrack=6&cset=true

4,500 Dead at the Border

In the last 13 years, ranging from 1994 to the present 4,500 immigrants have perished at the U.S. – Mexico border. At this rate it is calculated that at least one immigrant dies each day. The number of immigrants dying at the border increased after The Guardian Operation was established by the United States, in San Diego, California on October 1, 1994 to help reduce immigrants from crossing the U.S. - Mexico border through Tijuana, Baja California. However, this program has been criticized by many for diverting immigrants into isolated and dangerous locations at the border, leaving them to die, thus increasing the deaths. Such organizations include the Coalition Pro Defense for Immigrants and the California Legal Rural Assistance Foundation.

According to Ramon Rivera Director of Communications for the Border Patrol in Washington D.C., from October 2006 to August 2007, a total of 371immigrants have died at the border.
Mauricio Farah, a representative from the National Commission of Human Rights, said “in one decade the United States has opted for spending $30 million on reinforcing the border, the United States has increased their border patrol agents from 6,000 to 18,000.”

Farah assured that in this 13 years the migration towards the U.S. hasn’t been contained but in fact has increased, as well as human trafficking and violence at the border. The migration increased heavily during former Mexico President Vicente Fox’s term., approximately 450,000 to 500,000 people migrated in a yearly rate.

Now no one pays attention to how many people die at the border, only the families of those deceased care about. Not an English media has focused on this topic, more attention is being focused on celebrities and what they do or do not do, while humans are dying at the border who was seeking a better life.

This year a program was established named Operation Border Star, which rescues immigrants who are near death at the border. Through this program over one thousand people have been rescued from locations at the border that are unbearable for any human.

The spokesperson for the Border Patrol, Wendy Lee, said, “If it wasn’t for this organization the number of deaths would be higher.”

People trying to cross the border are usually abandoned by “coyotes” which lead immigrants to the road of death. Coyotes are the persons who sneak immigrants into the U.S., charging higher fees and leaving them heartlessly at the sign of trouble.

http://laopinion.com/archivo/index.html?START=1&RESULTSTART=1&DISPLAYTYPE=single&FREETEXT=un+muerto+por+dia+en+la+frontera&FDATEd12=&FDATEd13=&SORT_MODE=SORT_MODE

Interview with a Homeland Security Agent

I recently interview a federal agent of Homeland Security whose identity cannot be shared for safety reason. This agent has been with Homeland Security since May of 2003 and rank is a government service or GS 11.

These are some of the questions I asked

Do you feel that you were trained properly to do your job?

• “Yes, we get daily publication of new rules and regulations.”

What are some of the problems you see with homeland security?

• We are under staff immensely, which causes many of us to work hours of overtime daily which can cause us to make more mistakes but it has a greater toll on our bodies too
• It can also strain family relationships
• The equipment isn’t up to date. Like printers, computers and radios
• Not everyone has radio
• Which is a big problem because since communications is a big part of our job
• The computer are always running, they never have a day off, their always being used
• The same can be said for shredder and copiers. They don’t get a break
• If the computer are broken during the graveyard shift 4 p.m. to 8 a.m. your out of luck, you just have to used another one until I.T. comes in the mourning
• I.T. only works 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. not late at night.
• They say I.T. can’t work at night since its not in the budget
• Network is slow because everyone is one it. More computers. Fraud section and warrant people.

What changes would you make to improve homeland security?

• Higher more people
• Starting pay more than $30,000
• More funding for equipment
• Process to be hirer takes to long
• Three months of training in a different state, with screening along the way. Background check take to long as well
• It can take up to a year on average to be hired
• It took me seven months and that was annoying
• But their trying to make the screening process quicker by letting people go to training without background checks but if something bad comes out you can lose that job
• This is also a bad idea because someone can see how we would
• Make more interview for the screen process, since these are people who are protecting our national broader from people who want to blow it up
• Communication between the ranks. From high to low. Making suggestion to our supervisor, doesn’t really change anything because that’s the way things just are
• Make a complete background and but also make the screening process quicker
  More up to date training for new developing issues that arise

Being Hispanic, do you feel bad sending Mexicans back even thou you’re an immigrant as well?

• “I feel bad for people who come to this county wanting to make a good life however, in feeling bad I am just following the laws of United States. I’m an enforcer. That’s my job, I took a job to serve and protect.”

Are you proud of your job?

• Yes, that I served my government not just once but twice.

Is their anything else you would like to say?

• Do you know it’s harder for a Mexican citizen to get legal status in the United States than an Iraq citizen that claims asylum. “I don’t like it, but thats the law.” One main reasons is because we fuck up their county so we own them something
• Every state along the broader has a port of entrance, homelands officers at airports like international JFK
• Homeland born in 2001 after 9/11
• Immigration used to fall under the department of justice
• Homeland security employed about 183,000 workers in April of 2006-making it one of the largest federal agencies.

www.bls.gov/opub/ooq/2006/summer/art01.pdf

A Crackdown on Hold

A federal judge has halted a reckless plan by the Bush administration to use Social Security records for immigration enforcement. This is good news, not just for the American economy, which would have been crippled by the attempt to force millions of undocumented workers off the books, but also for the untold numbers of innocent citizens and legal residents who also would have been victims of the purge.

The judge, Charles R. Breyer of the Northern District of California, ruled that the Department of Homeland Security could not enforce a new rule requiring employers to fire workers if their Social Security numbers could not be verified within 90 days. The assumption behind the rule was that workers whose numbers did not match the Social Security Administration’s database were illegal immigrants using fake or stolen identities.

Judge Breyer recognized that assumption as deeply flawed and the new rule as an unlawfully crude enforcement tool. The Social Security database is riddled with errors not related to immigration status. Many of the “no-match” letters — which call attention to database discrepancies — involve legal residents.

“There is a strong likelihood that employers may simply fire employees who are unable to resolve the discrepancy within 90 days,” the judge wrote, even if the problem was caused by data-entry mistakes, misspellings or name changes. He warned that the rule would cause “irreparable harm to innocent workers and employers.” The A.F.L.-C.I.O, a party to the lawsuit that led to the ruling, had estimated that about 600,000 of its members could receive the letters and be vulnerable to firing.

Judge Breyer also scolded the administration for imposing a policy change with “massive ramifications” for employers without a legal explanation or a required survey of the costs and impact to small businesses.

It is not the case — though infuriated hard-liners will insist otherwise — that millions of undocumented workers are now being let off the hook by a soft-headed judge. If the no-match crackdown had proceeded, many workers without papers would still have found jobs in the underground economy, perhaps worse ones or with better-forged papers. Identity theft would have risen.

The shadow economy would have adapted, as always. The world of on-the-books employment would have suffered greatly.

The federal government has embarked on a disastrously one-sided immigration strategy — pulling out one harsh enforcement tool after another without having repaired the broken system. We have already seen the results of runaway enforcement on the agricultural industry — a shortage of workers leading to rotting crops and farmers relocating south of the border. The trouble with crackdowns, like the foolish one involving “no-match” letters, is that they cause oceans of pain and havoc — not just for undocumented immigrants, but also for legal residents and the economy — without actually solving anything.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/12/opinion/12fri1.html

TAR HEEL, N.C. — Last November, immigration officials began a crackdown at Smithfield Foods giant slaughterhouse, eventually arresting 21 illegal immigrants at the plant and 28 others from their homes in the middle of the night.

Since then, more than 1,100 Hispanic workers have left the 5,200-employee hog-butchering plant, the world’s largest, leaving it struggling to find, train and keep replacements.

Across the country, the federal effort to flush out illegal immigrants is having major effects on workers and employers alike.

Some companies have reluctantly
· raised wages to attract new workers following raids at their plants
· hiring men from a nearby homeless mission
· providing free van transportation to many workers
· ran a flood of television advertisements boasting that the company is a good, safe place to work

So far, Smithfield has largely replaced the Hispanics with American workers, who often leave poorly paid jobs for higher wages at the plant here. Many find the work grueling and the smell awful.

Smithfield’s recruiting challenges are harder because
· many local residents have worked there before and soured on by their prior experience
· As a result, Smithfield often looks far afield for new employees
· are high stress and unsafe, with stingy benefits
· Many are injured or don’t want to work in such an oppressive atmosphere
· the word gets around about peoples bad experiences

Several of the newly hired workers pay $40 a week for the ride in the van. Many said they are unhappy and thinking of quitting because the commute is far and work is so hard.

The average pay at the plant is around $12 an hour, many spend hour after hour slitting hogs’ throats, hacking at shoulders and carving ribs and loins.

Employee turnover has long been a problem at Smithfield and other meat-processing plants, but the problem has grown worse recently. Dennis Pittman, a Smithfield spokesman, said
· 60 percent of the new workers quit within 90 days of being hired
· compared with 25 percent to 30 percent two years ago when many new employees were illegal immigrants.

One of the toughest challenges, Mr. Pittman said, has been training new employees to handle the highest-skilled jobs at a plant that processes 30,000 hogs a day.

Hector David, a longtime worker from Mexico who quit in February, sees it, Smithfield had been eager to hire Hispanics because they worked so hard. “The Americans just don’t work as well,” Mr. David said. “In Mexico, we work from the age of 5 in the corn fields. We’re used to working hard.”

The immigration arrests have also created problems for the union, the United Food and Commercial Workers Union
· Mr. Bruskin, the union official, added, “It’s extremely difficult for workers to stand up for their rights when they’re threatened with arrest or deportation.”

Union officials recently organized educational forums at a Roman Catholic church in Red Springs, where immigrant workers were advised, among other things, to sign power of attorney forms designating someone to take care of their children, finances and homes if they were arrested.

http://www.nytimes.com/glogin?URI=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/12/us/12smithfield.html&OQ=_rQ3D1&OP=3372eda7Q2FlqdAlQ5EcRQ2A4cctQ27lQ27Q3EQ3EQ7ClQ23Q3ElQ23Q27lnQ2AlQ23Q27Q2AQ7BQ20tgOQ20dQ2FQ5EQ3DgtQ7BQ2F

Judge Blocks Bush Measure on Illegal Workers

Federal judge, Charles R. Breyer of the Northern District of California today ordered an indefinite delay which could take many months on a central measure of the Bush administration’s new strategy to curb illegal immigration.

For the purpose, the government new rule aimed at getting employers to fire illegal employees whose Social Security numbers cannot be immediately verified.

Under the rule issued by the Bush administration

• Employers would be forced to fire workers within 90 days after receiving a notice from the Social Security Administion that an employee’s identity information did not match the agency’s records

The rule, announced by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, is supposed to

• Crack down on illegal immigration by denying jobs to the immigrants
• The rule is also part of a campaign to step up enforcement since broader immigration legislation favored by President Bush was rejected by Congress in June

Breyer main concern, if the law would be taken into effect

• The rule could lead to the firing of many thousands of legally authorized workers
• Resulting in “irreparable harm to innocent workers and employers”

Another concern would be the massive layoffs in low-wage industries, sweeping up both illegal and legal workers and disrupting the labor force.

Congress left Mr. Chertoff, a former federal judge with few other options, who’s was relying on the rule as an enforcement tool.

The decision also bars the Social Security Administration from sending out about

• 141,000 no-match letter
• covering more than eight million employees
• which include notices from Homeland Security explaining the new rule

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/11/washington/11cnd-nomatch.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

U.S. Seeks Rules to Allow Increase in Guest Workers

Bush administration officials said yesterday that they were trying to develop new rules for a recurring problem facing the nation’s farmers, not having enough laborers for the harvest. These new rules could bring in more foreign guest workers. This would prevent a recurrence of problems like growers’ letting their fruit rot.

Farm groups have long been asking the administration to ease the standards hurdles to make it easier to bring in guest workers, saying they face a crisis because the stepped-up federal immigration enforcement has reduced the number of farm workers. By many estimates, more than half of the nation’s 2.5 million farm workers are illegal immigrants.

“The program needs to be updated to reflect today’s economy and to utilize technological and other advances,” said a White House representative, Scott Stanzel.

Under the H-2A program, farmers can bring in temporary workers after demonstrating that American workers are not interested in the jobs however the main problem is the lengthy process of the H-2A application. That often takes so long that by the time some farmers obtained guest workers the harvest is over.

So The National Council of Agricultural Employers has urge the administration to easing housing requirements, reducing the required wages and increasing the types of work they are allowed to do. Grower groups have also urged the administration to ease requirements in newspaper advertisements to determine whether American workers want the jobs.

Sharon M. Hughes a council’s executive vice president said the number of farm workers available was down about 200,000 or nearly 10 percent, from last year because of more aggressive border enforcement. Currently, they bring in about 50,000 such workers a year.

“Right now,” she said, “the H-2A program provides about 2 percent of the farm work force and for us to try to double that number with the current government infrastructure would cause it to collapse on itself unless we have these reforms.”

Grower groups say they would prefer the H-2A program to create a path to citizenship for many undocumented farm workers. The main despite David James of The Department of Labor representative says, “Is identifying ways the program can be improved to provide farmers with an orderly and timely flow of legal workers while protecting the rights of both U.S. workers and foreign temporary workers.”

Nevertheless, advocates for farm workers feel that the system been flawed for years but has become even more evident with the crack down on illegal immigrants. The industry’s demands amounts of cheap foreign labor. By simplify the H-2A application, it would make it easier for employers to bring in guest workers and slash wage rates and other labor protections.

The administration also faces criticism from conservative groups that dislike bringing in more immigrants. Since we have an employment rate of 4.7% in America today. Many say why not give those jobs to Americans who really need it but the truth is that many immigrants do the jobs that most Americans don’t want. Therefore, what is the real answer and can we ever find a compromise?

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/10/us/10immig.html

Mexican Leader Critiques U.S. Border Fence

WASHINGTON- On today’s "Good Morning America," Mexican President Felipe Calderon gave praise to President George W. Bush for trying to get the U.S. Congress to approve a comprehensive immigration reform but said the answer to stop illegal immigration is to build economic growth and opportunities in Mexico, not fences.

Since 9/11 our border security has come into question, on how safe they really are and how can they be improved. "It's no longer just an immigration issue. It's now a national security issue" says California Rep. Duncan Hunter, the Republican chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. "People have made stupid editorial comments about the Great Wall of China," he says, "but the only thing that has worked is that fence."

Many different bills and proposals have been introduced to Congress. Ranging from having night vision cameras along the border, to hiring more border patrol officers to even the idea of having alligators put along the Rio Grande river. However, the most popular idea that seems too been gaining steam, is to build a 2,000-mile fence along the border. Stretching from San Diego to Brownsville Texas. The fence itself could be 16 to 30 feet high and cost into the billions.

So in the first step of having the fence build, Congress authorized the construction of 700 miles of fences last year along portions of the border but yet given final approval to all construction costs. For several reasons, for one the Bush administration argues that a Berlin Wall-style barrier would be a huge waste of money costing up to $8 billion. Second are the environmental regulations.

Fencing the border, is controversial debate on how to stop illegal immigration. Theirs a mix of different ideas and feelings. Many for and against it. People like Border Patrol Chief David Aguilar says it makes more sense to use a mix of additional agents, better surveillance and tougher enforcement of immigration laws and fences.

But Mexican President Mexicans Felipe Calderon predicted the flow of Mexicans illegally crossing into the United States would decrease, possibly within a decade, as Mexico's economy grew. "I want to build the conditions in Mexico to provide the opportunities here in our land."

He said he hoped the United States and Mexico could see each other as allies as they confront challenges from Asian economies. "I hope that one day the people in America could see the Mexican people as friends, like allies."

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/washington/politics-mexico-usa.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-11-17-border-fence_x.htm

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/mexico/stories/MYSA20071007.01B.Border_Fence.32fe56e.html

Immigration sweep targets Valley gangs

Federal immigration agents arrested 28 foreign nationals suspected of having ties to street gangs in the San Fernando Valley early Friday morning during sweeps throughout Los Angeles County. Friday's sweep was part of the agency's ongoing crackdown on illegal immigrants with suspected gang affiliations in the Valley.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested 15 street members of gangs in the Valley and Palmdale County. Among them was Jorge Torres, 31, a member of Project Boys in Pacoima whose has a long criminal record including drug charges and battery on a police officer. Torres, has been deported five times and has been indicted by the U.S. attorney's office for reentering the United States. If convicted, he could faces up to 20 years in prison.

Special agent in charge of ICE in Los Angeles Robert Schoch said "the people targeted in these operations are career criminals who often prey on members of the immigrant community." We wanted to send a clear message foreign national gang members that the ICE intends to deal those who ignore our immigration laws and place our neighborhoods at risk.

Of the 28 people arrested Friday, 21 were undocumented and seven had legal-residency status, which is now being revoked. Those arrested were believed to be linked to gangs including the Canoga Park Alabama, San Fer, Barrio Van Nuys, Vineland Boys, Blythe Street and Project Boys.

In September, ICE agents arrested nine alleged gang members suspected of being in the country illegally.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-immig6oct06,1,1471657.story?ctrack=5&cset=true

Immigration Raids at McDonald's

Reno, Nevada — On September 26, as part of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigation into illegal immigration, raided 11 McDonald's restaurants in northern Nevada and made at dozen of arrests.

Federal agents made at least 56 arrests in Reno area alone. One of the restaurants raided was a franchise corporate headquarters.

Richard Rocha an agency representative said, "They are people suspected of being in the country illegally. As far as I know, they were all McDonald's employees," he told The Associated Press.

The investigation began with an identity theft complaint five months ago, Rocha said. Local law enforcement agency then gave ICE information that illegal immigrants were working at specific McDonald's restaurants, he said.

Luther Mack, insisted that his businesses requires employees to provide documentation and "as an employer, I do not knowingly hire or employ undocumented or unauthorized workers," Mack said. After arrested were made at one of his many restaurants during the raids.

Lisa Howard, a spokeswoman for McDonald's Corp. based in Oak Brook, Illinois had no comments on the arrests. "This is a local situation with a local operator," she stated.

The raids angered local Latino leaders and Reno’s Mayor Bob Cashell. Who joined local Hispanic leaders and members of the American Civil Liberties Union at a news conference in front of the federal courthouse later that day.

Many people in the community didn’t approve of ICE new methods of catching illegal immigrants and felt theirs a better way to do things than going to a place where their just trying to make an honest living.

Cashell went on to say that he would contact Nevada's congressional delegation and ask the city council to look into the raids.

One issue that has risen from ICE raids in recent months is the children of the immigrants. Who will care for them and what will happen to them? In this case, ICE been working with Washoe County social services to help provide care for children, Rocha said.

Social service advocates say arrests are creating humanitarian crisis, with some children left with no one to care for them.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,298396,00.html

Massive sweep deports hundreds

Over the past two weeks, federal officers in Southern California have arrested more than 1,300 immigrants that have either criminal records or have failed to comply with their deportation orders and had reentered the United States after being removed. In Orange County alone, officials say that about 10% of the 46,000 inmates in their system were illegal immigrants since mid-January.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement, called it the largest sweep in the U.S. to date. Officers arrested 530 immigrants at home, work and took custody of nearly 800 others from jails in Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

Since 9/11, the pressure has been rising on the federal government to crack down on illegal immigrants, especially those who have committed crimes.

To ensure that criminals are not just released from jail but properly identified and deported. The ICE has recently created a 24-hour command center, that comes with specific e-mail address and phone number, so local law enforcement agencies can exchange information with federal authorities to identify possible deportees.

ICE has formal agreements with Los Angeles, Riverside, Orange and San Bernardino counties that allow local sheriff's officials to check the immigration status of inmates.

Many people like Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca called the partnership between ICE and jail personnel "very successful" with his department identifying and interviewing 8,000 illegal immigrant inmates in the county jail system between January and September.

One rising backlash is the special treatment that illegal immigrants receive. Like, Special Order 40 that prohibits Los Angeles officers asking immigrates status of suspects in most routine cases. However, anti-illegal immigrant groups are suing to overturn the order.

These federal arrests signal a change in how Immigration and Customs Enforcement deals with fugitives and violators. Compare to the past, where most immigrants simply ignored their deportation orders, knowing there was little chance of arrest. Even those who were detained often posted bond and hid in plain sight in the community.

In 2003, ICE created 17 fugitive operations teams that soul purpose was to target specific immigrants. There are now 75 teams around the nation, including five in the Los Angeles area alone. Since the program's inception, ICE teams have arrested more than 61,000 immigrants, including 17,331 who had criminal convictions.

Overall, there are an estimated 595,000 immigration fugitives in the United States, down 37,000 from a year ago marking the first-ever decline, ICE authorities said.

Many of people arrested committed such crimes as burglary, domestic violence, assault and transportation of drugs, agents say. Some of them were legal, permanent residents who were deportable because of the crimes they committed.

Ramon Yac Mahik (to the left) a thirty-five year old male from Guatemala was one of many arrested from their homes by ICE fugitive teams. He had previous convictions for vehicle theft and domestic violence.

In an interview later that morning, at an immigration processing center in Santa Ana. He acknowledged his criminal past but said it was from years ago and he deserved to have a second chance to stay in the United States.

"I don't consider myself a criminal," he said in Spanish. "I would like to fight to see if they let me stay here with my children. To leave them abandoned would be horrible for me. . . . And I don't want them to suffer."

He works in the garment industry and has three U.S.-born children, ages 16, 10 and 5. His wife was injured in a recent car accident and can't work, he said.

Mahik was oringially ordered to be deported in 1999 after posting bond and then failing to show up in court.

These arrests break up families and create an unfair and inaccurate impression of the immigrant community, which is largely law-abiding, said Reshma Shamasunder, director of the California Immigrant Policy Center. Enforcement actions also cause fear in immigrant neighborhoods and families that may include U.S. citizens.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/orange/la-me-ocimmig,1,6076644.story