Free Republic

During a "Family Reunion" conference hosted by the Hispanic Leadership Network in April 2013, Jeb Bush spoke freely on the promise immigrants hold for America and his views on reform. He said, during a discussion with Univision, that it was "ridiculous" to think that DREAMers, children brought to the U.S. by their parents illegally, shouldn't have an "accelerated path" to citizenship. Then, the former Florida governor was speaking to a friendly audience of establishment Republicans, after re-inserting himself in the immigration reform with the release of a controversial book on the issue a month prior. But as he moves towards...

Five months before his shocking child molestation arrest, the overnight manager known to schoolchildren as "Papa Bear" at the popular Walden West environmental camp was the focus of a federal child exploitation investigation, a U.S. senator alleged Thursday. Even so, Edgar Covarrubias-Padilla retained his work permit granted through a program for immigrants brought into the country illegally as children, and his employers say they were not informed of the investigation until shortly before he was arrested May 7. He is charged with possessing and manufacturing child pornography and molesting a child sometime in April -- well after the federal investigation...

Latin Post presents "Turnout," a series featuring leading Latino politicians, government leaders and advocacy groups discussing and debating the most important issues facing the Latino voting bloc. Listen to the Unedited "Turnout" Interview with People for the American Way's Coordinator for Political Campaigns Carlos Sanchez:(AUDIO-AND-VIDEO-AT-LINK)More than two-thirds of the U.S. Latino electorate live in six states -- Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, New York and Texas -- but one progressive advocacy organization has been working on having anti-Latino and anti-immigrant representatives accountable and heard for Latinos across the country, especially for the presidential election season. With people entering their names for...

A drunken argument over whether Android or Apple smartphones were superior turned violent early today when two Oklahoma roommates began assaulting each other during the bloody telecommunications debate. According to Tulsa police, Jiaro Mendez and Elias Acevedo were outside their apartment around 1 AM when their phone quarrel moved to the stabbing stage. As they tussled in a parking lot, Acevedo allegedly struck Mendez in the back of the head with a beer bottle. When cops subsequently apprehended Acevedo, he was “covered in blood” and “also had several lacerations on his body from the fight.” Both men were treated for...

Though Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) recently praised Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) for making Chicago the “friendliest” city for immigrants, especially illegal immigrants, pro-amnesty advocates and progressives are lining up beyond his opponent, Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, who is in a dead heat with Emanuel in the mayoral runoff. (SNIP) “He told targeted Democrats in tough re-election fights that he wanted them to vote for this anti-immigrant bill,” Gutierrez said then. “That’s a fact, an irrefutable fact. So it’s nice that Rahm Emanuel the candidate is for the DREAM Act kids now, but actions speak louder than words.”

I wonder whether most people truly understand the scope and import of Obama's lawless order to halt deportations and allow work permits for up to 5 million immigrants living illegally in the United States. Do they understand that he doesn't have the constitutional authority to do this? Do they understand that he admitted not having the constitutional authority to do this? Do they understand that Congress considered and rejected such action when it declined to pass the DREAM Act? Do they understand that under Obama's rule, these immigrants will be eligible for Social Security payments and even receive credit, in...

Several U.S. colleges are giving financial aid directly to students who are young illegal immigrants, extending the debate about helping people in the United States illegally at the expense of Americans who are in need of similar opportunities. Such opportunities have opened up since resident Obama's 2012 executive action that deferred deportation to millions of young people brought to the U.S. illegally by their parents. However, they still are largely ineligible for state or federal student aid. ... This policy not only encourages new illegal immigration, but comes at the expense of the college dreams of young Americans," Stephen Miller,...

“If that bothers you to the point that you’d say, ‘I’d never vote for you,’” he told an audience in Virginia, “then you’re never going to vote for me.” Oh, now. There are plenty of reasons never to vote for Huck without dragging the poor DREAM kids into this.Lefty Greg Sargent says this is a big deal. Is it? I think it’s a “big deal” in the sense that righties who don’t like Huckabee now have another reason not to like him, but realistically, how many candidates in the nascent GOP field will be coming out hard against DREAM...

Dream Act, Veterans, Religion, Renewing the American Economy Barack Obama’s approach to power is a deterrent example of current political trends. Officeholders elected to preserve, protect and defend laws and unique national identity, are not only derelict in their duties, but feel entitled to realize their personal dreams and to mold “their” country into a private kingdom. The sense of entitlement is reinforced by lack of obligation of results, culminating in rampant impunity. Native American Chiefs considered that “man has responsibility, not power”, for present-day selfish leaders, power is all but responsibility. People are the share-holders in their own country,...

State Sen.-elect Lois Kolkhorst, laying out her priorities since winning a promotion to the upper chamber, said Wednesday she anticipates a “big revamp or repeal” of the Texas law allowing in-state tuition for illegal immigrants — a move that has the blessing of Gov.-elect Greg Abbott. (SNIP) While Patrick has vowed to repeal the DREAM Act, Abbott’s position has been less straightforward. During his second gubernatorial debate with Democratic opponent Wendy Davis, he said he would not veto a repeal of the law if it came to his desk. His campaign has previously expressed a need to reform the measure...

On immigration, the GOP primary will have little room for nuance Obama's announcement could affect 2016's probable candidates President Obama on thursday announced his much-anticipated executive action on immigration, and in doing so he lobbed a grenade squarely into the 2016 Republican primary race. ... Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush upset the rank and file earlier this year by calling for a compassionate aspproach to immigration. In April, he said undocumented workers who enter the country illegally do so as "an act of love" because they "are actually coming to this country to provide for their families." Then there's New...

Former Homeland Security Secretary Janet “Jan The Man” Napolitano who helped give hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens a stay of deportation now says she backs Barack Obama’s plans to grant broad, unqualified amnesty by executive action. In a recent interview, Napolitano told the Washington Post, “If Congress refuses to act and perform its duties, then I think it’s appropriate for the executive to step in and use his authorities based on law … to take action in the immigration arena.’’ In her speech titled “Anatomy of a Legal Decision,” given in Georgia in an obvious attempt to stir up...

First Hillary Clinton, then Michelle Obama. Both of the Democratic Party’s leading ladies were heckled while giving speeches at separate campaign events this week — not a good sign in the lead-up to an Election Day that’s already expected to go Republican. The former secretary of state was repeatedly interrupted while campaigning for Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown in Maryland on Thursday, MSNBC reported.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) this week signaled his support for undocumented immigrant children to have a pathway to U.S. citizenship. “For children who came with their parents into the country and did not comply with our immigration laws, they are guilty of nothing other than coming with their family,” Cornyn said during a Tuesday night Senate debate. “We ought to provide them with an opportunity not only to go to school, but eventually serve in the military or complete a college education and earn American citizenship.” In 2003, he voted for the DREAM Act, which would have created a pathway...

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), who is in line to be Senate Majority Whip if Republicans regain control of Congress next week, declared his support for the DREAM Act. During a KUVN Univision 23 debate with his Democrat opponent David Alameel last Friday, Cornyn said that he was a "strong supporter of immigration reform." Cornyn also said that illegal immigrant DREAMers who "are guilty of nothing other than coming with their family" should be allowed to "serve in the military" and "earn an American citizenship."

United States Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., issued the following statement today after her vote to invoke cloture on the DREAM Act. The cloture motion was defeated by a vote of 55-41. Sen. Landrieu said: "America is a land of enormous opportunity that is strengthened, not weakened, by the immeasurable contributions of people from different backgrounds. There are 2.1 million young people in this country who were brought to America by their parents as children. They are undocumented, yet they know no other home than the United States of America. I believe these young adults deserve a chance to earn...

During Thursday night's California gubernatorial debate against Republican Neel Kashkari, California Governor Jerry Brown (D) revealed that nearly 30% of the state's schoolchildren are either illegal immigrants or do not speak English. Brown, who recently said that illegal immigrants from Mexico were "all welcome in California," praised his administration's immigration policies. He said that California is "setting the pace" on immigration laws and mentioned bills he signed that gave driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, made California a sanctuary state (Trust Act), and granted in-state tuition to illegal immigrants (CA DREAM Act).

Gov. Chris Christie, who has long avoided wading into the immigration debate, said Thursday in Mexico City that he won't lay out his position on immigration reform unless he decides to run for president. "Until that time I have no role in the immigration debate, except for how it may affect the individual citizens of New Jersey, which I'll deal with as governor," the New Jersey Republican told reporters. "But I won't have anything to say on immigration unless and until I become a candidate for president of the United States," he continued. "If that happens, then I will articulate...

A Dallas teen strangled his 5-year-old cousin Sunday, then dumped her body in a vacant apartment unit near his own, police said. Angel Lizandro Sanches-Zenteno, 17, was booked Monday morning, some 12 hours after police found little Kathrine Alejandra Gonzalez dead in a unit at the Lake Highlands apartment complex. Authorities believe the murder suspect came into the country illegally about a year ago and have issued an immigration hold, along with a charge of capital murder of a person under 6 years old.

On Tuesday, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said Texas Gov. Rick Perry's enthusiastic embrace of in-state tuition for illegal immigrants is a magnet that lures more illegal immigrants to America – just like President Barack Obama's temporary amnesty program for DREAMers. “President Obama won’t send them home, and Gov. Perry has done the same thing by giving them in-state tuition," Paul told the Wall Street Journal during a significant Iowa trip. "That’s a beacon without any kind of border security."