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SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Illegal immigrants will no longer have to fear losing their vehicles during routine traffic stops if a bill passed by the Assembly becomes law.

Orange's Undocumented (Illegal!) Immigrants (Aliens!) Stay a Step Ahead to Steal Work From Americans Based on his youthful looks alone, Luis Martinez Hernandez stood out Wednesday morning among a dozen or so day laborers that stood along Taft Avenue just west of Tustin Street in Orange. The 23-year-old Mexican shot a quick smile. "I just looking for work," he said. He stood next to Hernando Cortez, who said he is "40 maybe", and is looking for anything -- painting, construction work, whatever -- to earn some money. And so continues the saga of Orange's day laborers. Here's hoping they're not...

According to a new report undocumented immigrants are being pushed into the shadows of society and forced to live in fear. The study looks at how restrictive immigration policies are affecting the lives of undocumented immigrants. The study comes from the Center for American Progress, a think-tank in Washington D.C. The center partnered with researchers at UCSD's Center of Comparative Immigration Studies, specifically looking at the lives of undocumented immigrants in Northern San Diego County.

In this case of David vs. Goliath, Goliath wins. An undocumented immigrant from Mexico sues Bank of America after he's nearly deported when his bank manager turns him over to authorities. Lawyers for Luis Martinez ask: Do you want your banker acting as a de facto immigration agent?

Tess Vigeland: This week as part of our election coverage, The Real Economy, we're hearing from people across the country about the issues that matter most to them. Today, San Diego resident Nancy Parker argues illegal immigration hurts the economy -- more than helps it. Nancy Parker: It's time we did something about illegal immigration in the United States. I always hear talk about the economic benefits of illegal immigration -- cheap labor and all -- but it also has economic costs nobody seems to mention. Many who work here illegally don't keep the money they earn in this country....

Federal officials are not pursuing potential deportation of the 12 illegal immigrants arrested in Tuesday’s protest in downtown San Bernardino against federal immigration programs and policies. The protesters were arrested on suspicion of unlawful assembly and refusal to disperse after blocking traffic on streets in front of San Bernardino City Hall and a local office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE routinely screens jail inmates in San Bernardino County for immigration violations. The county’s collaboration with ICE was one of the reasons for the protest. In many cases, ICE places detainers on suspected illegal immigrants. They are then transferred...

It was a show of civil disobedience, and according to organizers of the event that was accomplished by holding multiple sit-ins that risked arrest and deportation.

Hours after Gov. Jerry Brown issued a spirited attack on politicians who doubt the significance of climate change, Brown's predecessor -- former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger -- praised Brown but urged a spirit of inclusiveness. "To me, it made no difference if a Democrat had a great idea or a Republican had a great idea, or if someone from the outside had a great idea, or if someone from within the office had a great idea," Schwarzenegger said this afternoon at Brown's conference on climate change at the California Academy of Science in San Francisco. "The more inclusive you are about...

Unlicensed drivers without prior convictions would be given the chance to avoid having their vehicles impounded under new rules outlined Tuesday by the Los Angeles Police Department. The proposed changes to the impound procedures are a potentially explosive issue because LAPD Chief Charlie Beck designed the reforms to remedy what he believes is the unfair burden that impounds place on illegal immigrants. Since immigrants who are in the country illegally cannot get driver's licenses in California and most other states, they make up the majority of the drivers who have their cars impounded for the infraction. Beck contends that the...

Occupy San Jose joined forces with Latino advocacy group Voluntarios de la Comunidad on Sunday for a joint rally at City Hall and a march to Plaza de Cesar Chavez. San Jose's small but committed Occupy movement is increasingly finding common ground with predominantly Latino organizations on issues like predatory lending, the foreclosure crisis and rising social inequality. Jose Sandoval, the head of Voluntarios de la Comunidad, is a grass-roots champion who advocated statewide for the right of illegal immigrants to apply for driver's licenses. On Sunday, a group of about 30 people marched from Story and King roads in...

No license, no car — that policy, which activists have long complained unfairly punishes illegal immigrants who cannot get driver’s licenses, may be about to change. Earlier this year, the Los Angeles Police Department began allowing unlicensed drivers at sobriety checkpoints a free pass from having their car towed and impounded if a licensed driver was available to take it. Since then, Mayor Villaraigosa has been developing a new policy with the LAPD that would expand that change to include traffic stops and reduce the number of 30-day impounds, which can cost hundreds of dollars in fees. The police union...

A West Texas woman is accused of buying a 7-week-old infant from the child's mother for $2,000 _ to be paid in installments, Abilene police said Friday. The woman, Marilu Munoz, 27, and the child's mother, Joana Delacruz Huerta, 29, were charged late Thursday with the sale or purchase of an infant, a third-degree felony, police said.

The City Council voted Tuesday to support state legislation that would allow the city to opt out of the federal government’s “Secure Communities” program that requires police to submit fingerprints of arrested people to federal immigration officials. The program was created in 2008 and calls for police to submit suspects’ fingerprints to Immigration and Customs Enforcement so they can be cross-checked with federal deportation orders. City Councilman Bernard Parks, a former Los Angeles police chief who introduced the motion supporting the state legislation, said the program was intended to target undocumented immigrants convicted of violent crimes but has gone far...

Amazon.com has threatened to cut off more than 10,000 affiliates in California if state lawmakers pass legislation requiring the Internet retailer to collect sales tax from state residents. Seattle-based Amazon said four bills introduced in the state legislature are unconstitutional because they would require sellers with no physical presence in California to collect sales tax from its residents (Snip) "In no uncertain terms, Amazon has made it clear to me that the checks they send Californians will be cut off overnight if pending legislation aimed at regulating their operations becomes law."

Sketching out a worst-case scenario of San Jose's budget meltdown, city officials warned this week that they could lay off as many as 349 police officers and 145 firefighters, slashing close to a quarter of the city's public safety employees. The city is also looking at millions of dollars in other cuts, including shutting off neighborhood streetlights for much of the night and eliminating some gang-prevention programs. There has never been a major layoff of police officers in the city's modern history. But last year San Jose laid off 49 firefighters, and this is the second year in a row...

The U.S. Catholic bishops decry workplace raids on immigrants, which cause family members to be separated and even bring about “the destruction of the family,” Coadjutor Archbishop Jose Gomez of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles told the House Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement Jan 26. He said that the bishops believe that immigration is ultimately a humanitarian issue because it impacts “the basic human rights and dignity of the human person.” He added that the church in the U.S. supports the pursuit of comprehensive reform in lieu of enforcement-only measures in dealing with unauthorized immigration. There are an estimated...

Reporting from Escondido — It was just an inconvenient traffic stop on the way through town for Javier Barrera Saldivar. Police had spotted the broken tail light on his car, and he figured he'd get a fix-it ticket and be on his way. But federal immigration officers soon rolled up, wielding handcuffs and Barrera's mug shot on a cellphone. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have been stationed at the Police Department of this San Diego County city since May, responding to everything from traffic stops to gang sweeps in an aggressive effort to clear the community of illegal immigrants...

SACRAMENTO - In the Year of the Republicans, California is the great exception. Whatever force hit the rest of the country in November stopped at the California border. Democrats won every statewide office on the ballot. They increased their already hefty majority in the State Assembly and maintain a sizable majority in the Senate. Their congressional delegation remains intact, as well. For Democrats, that is cause for celebration, given the battering they took almost everywhere else. But it is also cause for sober reflection. Are they up to the task of governing?

OAKLAND, Calif. -- A Northern California city is moving forward with plans for a municipal identification card that is being touted as the first in the nation that would double as a full-fledged debit card. The Oakland City Council this month awarded a contract to issue the cards. The goal is to help any city residents, including illegal immigrants, who may have difficulty obtaining a state-issued ID.

SAN FRANCISCO — An appeals court has reinstated a Los Angeles preacher's defamation lawsuit against ABC's news program "20/20." The Rev. Frederick Price of the Crenshaw Christian Center accuses the TV newsmagazine and reporter John Stossel of playing a clip from his sermon out of context. It appeared to show the leader of the 18,000-member megachurch boasting about his wealth. The video actually was part of a sermon on greed and didn't include Price's personal information.

In another step forward towards the Islamification of America, a Santa Clara Mosque has been given the OK to put up a sign of Islamic dominance, in a 64 Ft minaret. The Muslim Community Association runs the Mosque, and it sure would have been nice if the people of the community, would have taken the time to gather some back round information on them. From the MCA “constitution”… Whereas we, the Muslims of the San Francisco Bay area, recognize Islam as a total way of life and have pledged to endeavor practicing it as such, we do hereby adopt and...

Note: The following text is a quote: http://www.justice.gov/usao/mow/news2010/harrison.ind.htm JULY 9, 2010 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE BLACK MARKET TRAVEL AGENTS 38 DEFENDANTS INDICTED IN MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR FRAUD LOCAL INVESTIGATION EXPOSES NATIONWIDE NETWORK THAT USED STOLEN IDENTITIES, CREDIT CARDS TO PURCHASE AIRLINE TICKETS KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Beth Phillips, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that 38 defendants from across the United States have been charged in a series of indictments that allege an extensive network of black market travel agents who used the stolen identities of thousands of victims as part of a multi-million dollar fraud scheme...

AVALON, Calif. (AP) -- An island off the Los Angeles coast reluctantly finds itself in the middle of an international tussle over illegal immigration, and some leaders are blaming their own congressman for putting them there. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher flew by helicopter here earlier this month to confront a Mexican official who was handing out identity cards that nationals use in the U.S. to open bank accounts and cash checks....

CHULA VISTA, Calif.—Manes and tails flying, a herd of horses galloped along paved streets of this San Diego suburb, through a parking lot, fields and an Olympic training center for up to two hours before a mustachioed cowboy herded them back to the ranch. Wild horses apparently led other horses to escape from a ranch east of town in Otay Mesa on Wednesday afternoon, Chula Vista police spokesman Bernard Gonzales said Thursday. "They had come down from the hills just above Chula Vista and they had intermingled with some other horses," Gonzales said. "I guess that the leader of that...

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Higgens was paid by dozens of foreign students -- mostly from the Middle East -- who were paying him to sit in class, take exams and write papers for them so their student visas would remain valid. Investigators with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the demand was so great that he hired employees, including a blond woman who they believe posed as an Middle Eastern man to take a test. Agents are continuing to investigate the case and believe Higgins had several co-conspirators.

Man Pleads Guilty to Filing 250 Tax Returns for Dead People Riverside, Calif. (January 27, 2010) By WebCPA Staff A California man has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the U.S. after he was accused of filing at least 250 tax returns of deceased individuals. Haroon Amin of Upland, Calif., pleaded guilty Monday to the charges. He was indicted, along with Ather Ali of Diamond Bar, Calif., in December 2008. The two were accused of filing the returns in 2002 and 2003 falsely stating that the deceased individuals earned wages from which income tax was withheld. The false returns claimed...

URGENT -- MAGNITUDE 6.5 QUAKE HITS WEST OF FERNDALE IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

On Tuesday November 24th, the day after Big Government broke the story revealing tens of thousands of documents containing sensitive material had been unceremoniously dumped in a trash bin behind the San Diego ACORN office, Attorney General Jerry Brown appeared on Talk Radio KABC’s Peter Tilden Show. Considering this document dump occurred just a few days after the Attorney General had announced an investigation of this very same office, we anticipated his righteous anger at this obvious afront to the integrity of his investigation and the people of California’s right to investigate all evidence pertaining to the operations of ACORN.

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) -- Last month two men and their teenage sons tackled one of the world's most unforgiving summertime hikes: the Grand Canyon's parched and searing Royal Arch Loop. Along with bedrolls and freeze-dried food, the inexperienced backpackers carried a personal locator beacon - just in case. In the span of three days, the group pushed the panic button three times, mobilizing helicopters for dangerous, lifesaving rescues inside the steep canyon walls. What was that emergency? The water they had found to quench their thirst "tasted salty......"

Inglewood (myFOXla.com) - A massive free health clinic for the under-insured continued Sunday in Inglewood, as the Obama administration backed away from a public option insurance component in its healthcare reform proposal. The eight-day free clinic at the Forum opened Tuesday, and through Friday, more than 3,000 patients had been served, while others had to be turned away, the Los Angeles Times reported . The clinic is being run by Remote Area Medical, a Tennessee-based nonprofit foundation that usually sets up mobile clinics in rural America or third-world countries. The free clinic is the largest and longest-running ever attempted in...

Note: The following text is a quote: Two Individuals Plead Guilty to Offering to Bribe U.S. Army Contracting Official in Afghanistan Two dual Afghan/U.S. citizens today pleaded guilty for their roles in a scheme to offer $1 million in bribes to a U.S. Army contracting official in Afghanistan. Rohullah Farooqi Lodin, 48, from Irvine, Calif., and Hashmatullah Farooqi, 38, from New York City, pleaded guilty to one count of offering to bribe a public official before Judge Liam O’Grady in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. The U.S. Army in Afghanistan is responsible for the Commander’s Emergency...

Brilliant Woman Solves All of California's Problems It's nice to see that Miss Teen South Carolina is trying to make a difference now that she's all grown up.

BREAKING NEWS — A moderate earthquake rocked the Los Angeles region late Sunday that was felt by many people, but there were no immediate reports of any major injuries or damage. The magnitude-5.0 quake hit at 8:39 p.m. (0339 GMT), about 10 miles southwest of downtown Los Angeles, near Inglewood, according to a preliminary report by the U.S. Geological Survey. At least two aftershocks shook the area minutes later, including the largest at magnitude-3.1. The quake jiggled the greater Los Angeles region and was felt as far south as San Diego, said USGS seismologist Susan Hough.

January 29, 2009 Note: The following text is a quote: http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2009/January/09-nsd-071.html Imprisoned Spy and His Son Indicted on Charges of Acting as Russian Agents and Money Laundering WASHINGTON -- A federal indictment was unsealed today in U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon charging Harold James Nicholson, 58, of Sheridan, Ore., and Nathaniel James Nicholson, 24, of Eugene, Ore., with two counts of Conspiracy, one count of Acting as Agents of a Foreign Government, and four counts of Money Laundering. Both defendants are scheduled to appear today at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Janice M. Stewart for arraignment on...

IN NEVADA... SNIPPET: "A 30-year-old man from Fresno, Calif., is facing a federal charge after allegedly driving onto Nellis Air Force base in a rental truck that he said contained a bomb." SNIPPET: "Anhwar Telly Young appeared Friday in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas on a charge of threat to kill or cause damage by explosive, a felony."

Tennis great Jimmy Connors was arrested outside the campus arena where UC Santa Barbara and top-ranked North Carolina were playing a basketball game. The eight-time Grand Slam champion was taken into custody Friday night after refusing to comply with an order to leave an area near the entrance of the Thunderdome following a confrontation, police Sgt. Dan Massey said in a statement.

Jarvis Taxpayers Association Endorses Proposition 11 The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association has announced the endorsement of Proposition 11 to stop the conflict of interest of lawmakers drawing their own districts and choosing the voters they want to help ensure their reelection. "The current system fixes elections so that fewer than five percent of state representatives face a challenge to their reelection," said HJTA president Jon Coupal. "This has resulted in a climate where lawmakers do not have to be accountable to voters for effectively addressing problems like on-going budget deficits and out-of-control spending." Proposition 11 will take the power to...

Muslim beliefs are barely understood in the United States, if not intentionally distorted. It can also be hard for outsiders to know who speaks for Muslims, a diverse and complex group still finding its footing in America. **snip** Leaders hope that someday they will create a statewide body, a coalition for what may be the largest Muslim population in the nation.

California electoral vote split proposed LOS ANGELES (AP) — A prominent Republican lawyer wants to put a proposal on the California ballot next year that could shake up the 2008 presidential contest to his party's advantage. California awards its 55 electoral votes to the statewide winner — the largest single prize in the nation. But under the proposal, the statewide winner would get only two electoral votes. The rest would be distributed to the winning candidate in each of the state's congressional districts. In effect, that would create 53 races, each with one electoral vote up for grabs. The state...

Cheryl Green, 14, pictured in the photos in her mother's hands and on her bracelet, was murdered because she was black, investigators say. LOS ANGELES -- It took political officials nearly a month to respond to the slaying of Cheryl Green. Since then, the 14-year-old African American girl has become the face of brown-on-black violence in this city. The FBI has joined the Los Angeles Police Department in cracking down on gangs. The Police Department, breaking with tradition, has publicly named the city's worst 11 gangs. And a city-sponsored report has called for an anti-gang Marshall Plan, a reference...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - California will impose broad caps on its greenhouse-gas emissions under a landmark plan that marks a clear break with the federal government and which backers hope will become a national model. Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who helped assemble the plan, called Wednesday's agreement "an example for other states and nations to follow as the fight against climate change continues." The plan came after weeks of difficult negotiations and was sent to the state Senate, which approved it late Wednesday with a 23-14 vote. If approved by the Democratically-controlled Assembly, which is expected, the bill would then go...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - California would become the first state to impose a limit on all greenhouse gas emissions, including those from industrial plants, under a landmark deal reached Wednesday by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative Democrats. The agreement marks a clear break with the Bush administration and puts California on a path to reducing its emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases by an estimated 25 percent by 2020. The bill still needs lawmakers' approval, but that appears likely, given that Democrats control the Legislature. The deal gives Schwarzenegger a key environmental victory as he seeks re-election this fall....

GOTTA SEE THIS - War for Enduring Freedom 7/26/06 - Paphos, Cyprus, Beirut, Tyre, Khiam, Maghar, Israel, Rihaniya, Kiryat Shmona, Nahariya, Tel Aviv, Avivim, Haifa, Gaza City, Khan Younis, Damascus, Syria, Moscow, San Jose, Calif, Kiev, Santiago Israeli Response to many years of Hamas and Hizb'allah terror using Iranian and Syrian technology in 'Kofi Annan's War' in Civilizations War on Terror BREAKING: Paphos, Cyprus, U.S. Air Force rescues American girl to Ramstein Air Base, Germany BREAKING: Beirut- U.S. Marines of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit rescue American citizens BREAKING: Beirut - Hassan Nasrallah admits over televison he told Beruit government...

Two Members of Tonga Royal Family Killed in California Wreck Thursday , July 06, 2006 SAN FRANCISCO — Two members of Tonga's royal family were killed when a teenager racing her car crashed into their sport utility vehicle, authorities said Thursday. The San Mateo County Coroner Robert Foucrault would not release the names of the crash victims, but he said a 56-year-old man and a 46-year-old woman killed in the crash Wednesday night were members of the Tongan royal family. "Out of respect for the Tongan culture and Tongan government, we are not going to release the names until the...

Mexican President Vicente Fox arrived in California Thursday amid intense debate over immigration and as the U.S. Senate approved sweeping reforms that include tighter border security and a path to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants. Fox was to address a joint session of the state Legislature and meet privately with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, their first meeting since the movie star became governor. On Wednesday, Schwarzenegger said he would stress Mexico's responsibility for illegal immigration in his meeting with Fox. "Mexico is our friend," Schwarzenegger said at a Capitol news conference. "I am going to have an open discussion with...

California Parental Notification Abortion Initiative Has 1M Signatures by Steven Ertelt LifeNews.com Editor May 22, 2006 Sacramento, CA (LifeNews.com) -- The organizers of a November ballot initiative to allow parents to know when their minor teenager daughter is considering an abortion say they have more than 1 million signatures on petitions to qualify the measure for the ballot. They need nearly 600,000 valid signatures to qualify the measure. The proposal largely mirrors the wording of Proposition 73, which California voters defeated last year by a 52.6 percent to 47.4 percent vote. However organizers say the measure will fare better in...

More than 2,000 immigrants waving American flags marched downtown Monday as protesters fanned out across the state to demand immigration reform to legalize an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants. "We are united. We are not going anywhere," protesters chanted as they marched nearly nine miles to the federal building. "A lot of us here broke the law to get here," said Umberto Rosas, 36, as he carried his 1-year-old daughter, Sandy, on his shoulders. "That doesn't mean we don't love America." Activists say the Senate's decision last week not to push through a bill that would have given many illegal...

SAN DIEGO - A Pakistani who spent five years in prison for selling missile parts to Iran in the 1980s was convicted Friday of illegally exporting military aircraft parts to Belgium, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates. Arif Ali Durrani was convicted in U.S. District Court on four counts of exporting engine parts and other components for the F-5 fighter jet and the Chinook helicopter, said Jennifer Silliman, assistant special agent in charge for Immigration and Customs Enforcement in San Diego. Durrani was also convicted on one count of conspiracy to export parts, she said. The ultimate destination for the...

Malibu Mystery Races Away With Buzz Thursday March 02, 2006 It was a rare and exotic animal: a Ferrari Enzo, one of just 400 ever brought forth into this world. When you saw this thing coming, you didn't look away. If you wanted to own it, it cost you a cool $1 mil -- and it could earn you a whole lot of buzz. Last week, Swedish millionaire Stefan Ericksson slipped behind the wheel of his Enzo with, he says, a German named "Dietrich." They took the vehicle out on Malibu's Pacific Coast Highway. And they let that baby run....