Free Republic

Sen. David Vitter's bid to require the 2010 Census to ask all respondents about their citizenship was killed today when the Senate voted to invoke cloture and end debate on the Commerce spending bill without having to consider the Louisiana Republican's amendment. The Democratic leadership, which had been trying to block the Vitter amendment since early October, eked out a victory with the bare number of votes needed to invoke cloture, prevailing 60 to 39. Vitter's Democratic colleague, Sen. Mary Landrieu, who had been caustic in her criticism of Vitter's measure, voted with the majority. Vitter intended the citizenship count...

L.A. Doctor Accused of Faking Medical Exams for Immigrants November 4, 2009 A 72-year-old Los Angeles doctor was accused by state and federal authorities of faking medical exams for immigrants applying for U.S. visas, officials said. According to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, Levon Tebelekian allegedly charged immigrants $150 to give them medical clearance papers without giving them medical exams. Such exams are required by the federal government to make sure immigrants don't have any diseases. It is unclear whether any of the immigrants involved in the alleged scam had any health problems.

Note: The following text is a quote: Three Louisiana individuals sentenced for transporting illegal aliens Defendants Part of Large Scale Operation to Transport Illegal Aliens LAKE CHARLES, La. - Members of a large scale illegal alien transportation operation based in Sulphur, La., were sentenced in federal court yesterday following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. U. S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi sentenced Carolyn Joyce Metcalf, 62, to 30 months in prison, followed by three years supervised release; Terri Lynn Fields, 41, to 27 months in prison, followed by three years supervised release; and Jean Morgan Vincent,...

Note: The following text is a quote: Man Admits Using Alias for Immigration Status COLUMBIA, SC—United States Attorney W. Walter Wilkins stated today that Sohail Feroz Ali Dossani, a/k/a Sohail Muhammad Jamal, age 29, a Pakistani national located in Florence, pled guilty to filing false statements to gain entry and citizenship, a violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1306(c). United States Magistrate Judge Thomas E. Rogers, III, accepted the plea and will impose sentence after he has reviewed the presentence report which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. Evidence presented at the guilty plea hearing established...

TUCSON, AZ—A four-count federal indictment was unsealed today against former U.S. Border Patrol Agent Yamilkar Fierros, of Tucson, for allegedly accepting bribes. Fierros was arrested without incident by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Friday, October 30, 2009, and made his initial appearance at 2:00 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Glenda E. Edmonds. The indictment alleges that on September 30, 2009, Fierros accepted a $1,000 payment in return for providing a purported drug trafficker with a law enforcement sensitive map of San Rafael Valley, which reflects roads, trails, landmarks, and terminology used by Border Patrol to counter...

“To explore, enjoy, and protect the planet. To practice and promote the responsible use of the Earth’s ecosystems and resources; to educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment; and to use all lawful means to carry out those objectives.” — Sierra Club mission statement. Strategic Ignorance: Why the Bush Administration Is Recklessly Destroying a Century of Environmental Progress — 2004 book by Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope. “The raging monster upon the land is population growth. In its presence, sustainability is but a fragile theoretical concept.” – Edward O. Wilson,...

I used to live in San Francisco. The San Francisco that despite having been roiled by hippies, beatniks, anti-this-and-that, still had the feel of the charming, civilized town that it had been when Alfred Hitchcock was shooting his masterpieces there. Observe the setting of Davidson’s Pet Shop in The Birds. It’s a staged scene, but this is San Francisco’s Union Square in 1962-3 and that is the way middle class people looked and dressed in San Francisco. Tippi Hedren is an upper class society girl in this movie, so perhaps her suit has a finer cut and her clutch purse...

New Study Reveals Connection Between Enforcing Immigration Laws and National Security Friday, October 30, 2009 By Penny Starr, Senior Staff Writer (CNSNews.com) – A new study by the conservative think tank Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) reveals the connection between enforcing immigration laws and national security – sometimes in chilling detail.

CNN and talk radio host Lou Dobbs, a strong proponent of U.S. border enforcement, told his radio audience a gunshot was fired into his home after a series of threatening phone calls . "Three weeks ago this morning a shot was fired into my house, my wife was standing there," he said on his nationally syndicated radio show Monday. "This follows weeks and weeks of threatening phone calls." "This shot was fired with my wife not 15 feet away." ........

Lou Dobbs tonight on CNN gives details to Wolf Blitzer of the shot(s) fired at his home..It was after months of threatening phone calls because of his position on illegal immigration....(Video from CNN)

[Garcia] who was featured in “Latino in America” and organized an anti-Dobbs protest in Tucson on Wednesday, said that CNN edited her comments about the anchor out of an interview. [...] She said she called Mr. Arpaio and Mr. Dobbs “the two most dangerous men to our communities,” and said that “because of them, our communities are being terrorized in a real way.” She also asserted that CNN was “promoting lies and hate about our community” by broadcasting Mr. Dobbs’s program.

Lou Dobbs describes his home being shot at.

The war on conservative speech has moved from the White House to your neighborhood pews. Left-wing church leaders want the Federal Communications Commission to crack down on "hate speech" over cable TV and right-leaning talk-radio airwaves. President Obama's speech-stifling bureaucrats seem all too happy to oblige. Over the last week, an outfit called "So We Might See" has conducted a nationwide fast to protest "media violence" -- specifically, "anti-immigrant hate speech, which employs flawed arguments to appeal to fears rather than facts." Their ire is currently aimed at Fox News and conservative talk-show giants. But how long before they target...

A day later the Rydberg family is still sickened by Ronnie's death. "Today was very hard. It's not everyday you have to go pick out a casket for your older brother," said Josie Rydberg. Josie Rydberg knows she can't have her brother back, so instead she's placing hope elsewhere. "We want this to be over with. We want peace." Peace seemed much closer when, this afternoon, Omaha police announced an arrest. "In the course of the investigation, officers were able to make an arrest of Flor Campos as an accessory to a felony for her involvement in this case," said...

If you listen to the mainstream media, the swine flu pandemic, at least in the United States, is being spread by tourists and college students returning from spring break. Little or no mention is made of the thousands of illegal aliens streaming across our border from Mexico, some undoubtedly bringing with them more than a desire for a better life. Nearly two years ago we warned that one of the consequences of illegal immigration was the reemergence of diseases long thought to be vanquished. Among the infections being spread were a drug-resistant form of tuberculosis and an outbreak of dengue...

Sponsored by Operation Gratitude, the American Veterans Traveling Tribute recently rolled into Southern California, and founder Don Allen shares why honoring, respecting and remembering America's heroes remains his biggest priority. On Crap of Bull, the KGB also has more than a few words for Target and those who would strong-arm their Halloween division.

Bigotry isn't funny, said Cesar Baldelomar in Sojourners. But Forum Novelties Inc. is trying to cash in on racist stereotypes by selling—through Walgreens, Target, and other major retailers—an "illegal alien" Halloween costume, featuring a space alien mask, an orange prison jumpsuit, and an oversize green card. Maybe the joke would be funny if undocumented immigrants weren't still being beaten to death by young men raised on xenophobic hatred. (Watch reactions to the costume) What "absurd outrage," said commentator Debbie Schlussel in her blog. "You can sell Nazi memorabilia on eBay," but let a secure borders group, Americans for Legal Immigration,...

Seattle (AP) -- A man accused of advising straight immigrants to claim homosexuality — and potential persecution in their home countries — when they applied for asylum has been sentenced to 18 months in prison. Steven Mahoney touted himself as an expert in immigration affairs and ran Mahoney and Associates in Kent, which advised immigrants on how to stay in the U.S.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors took the first step yesterday to prohibit the reporting youths accused of drug crimes to Federal immigration authorities. The measure, will pass next week, will be vetoed by Mayor Newsom, and be overridden by the Board, is packed with intriguing politics. First, from my debate on PBS’s KQED-FM, with the supervisor who has led the fight for the measure, Supervisor David Campos, I believe he is sincere in his concern for the “children”. as he calls them. He himself was an illegal entrant at the age of 14, and went on to earn a...

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Tuesday passed legislation requiring that undocumented youth be turned over to federal immigration officials for possible deportation only after they're convicted of a felony - not upon their arrest. The 8-2 vote, enough to override an expected veto from Mayor Gavin Newsom, prompted loud cheers from scores of immigrant rights advocates, clergy and high school students who packed the board meeting - but the jubilation may not last long.

PHOENIX - The final numbers are out on Sheriff Joe Arpaio's 2-day crime sweep. A total of 66 people were arrested, according to MCSO spokesperson Aaron Douglas. More News » Of the 66 detained, 30 were suspected illegal aliens. 19 of them have been turned over to federal immigration agents. The remaining 11 suspects were taken into custody on state charges. The crime suppression operation is the 12th of its kind. Deputies have started video taping their traffic stops, to combat the use of activist groups recording them.

SNIPPET: "Would-be migrants who were found aboard a vessel headed for British Columbia may have each paid $45,000 for the trip. The men, believed to be Tamils from Sri Lanka, remain in custody as Immigration Canada determines their identity. The ship, called the Ocean Lady, was seized by RCMP last Friday. Another vessel carrying Sir Lankans was caught off the coast of Australia last week, and the passengers said they had paid smugglers $15,000 to board the ship. One man told a reporter about the Ocean Lady, and said he had wanted to board that vessel instead, but it was...

Sheriff Joe held a sweep in NW Phoenix, Friday October 16, 2009. He had a press conference after. US Department of Justice Officials (approximately 5) showed up at the conference, UNDERCOVER, POSING AS REPORTERS. When contacted by a Sheriff commander, the Federal Civil Rights officials posing as journalists, conducted themselves "unprofessionally" and "refused to provide official identification. Only one official from the "covert team provided any form of ID when pressed." That was the senior trial attorney, (phonetics) G. Yong Jung. She has been conducting the DOJ's investigation of the Sheriff's office re: allegations of racial profiling. Ms. Yong Jung...

ST. STEPHEN - The RCMP bomb squad stood by in St. Stephen Sunday night as American authorities questioned five people who attempted to enter the United States. The Canada Border Services Agency closed the Ferry Point Bridge from St. Stephen to Calais, Maine, shortly after 6 p.m. and asked the RCMP to divert traffic. Police at the Calais end of the bridge did the same. Not only did the police not allow traffic across the bridge but, at the St. Stephen end, they did not allow motorists to drive up Milltown Boulevard past the end of it. Traffic coming one...

President Obama’s commitment to peace through diplomacy (surrender if necessary), is being put to that test that Joe Biden forecast about ten months ago. However, it is not Obama’s Afghanistan war, or the mess in Pakistan, or even Kim Jong Il and his “Fireworks over the Pacific” show of shows that is tweaking our reluctant warrior in the Oval Office. True enough, concerns about Russia, Iran, and the 5,000-year war between the Palestinians and the Jews disrupt the president’s sleep occasionally, but all pale in comparison to the individual that really chafes Barack Obama’s ultra-sensitive skin and psyche. That would...

The Fox News Channel and conservative and right-leaning libertarian talk radio hosts Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Michael Savage and Lou Dobbs are being targeted for federal investigations by a coalition of religious groups for so-called anti-immigrant hate speech.The So We Might See Coalition is sponsoring what they call a media fast, asking participants to abstain from violence on television and radio from October 19th through the 26th.The coalition is leading a petition drive asking the Federal Communications Commission initiate an investigation in to "hate speech in the media."The coalition is also calling for the 1993 report entitled, The Role of...

DALLAS — For just $39.99, you can now dress up as an "illegal alien" for Halloween. Target is selling the costume made up of an orange jumpsuit with the words "illegal alien" written across the chest. The costume even comes with a mask of a space invader with big eyes, and a green card. It's not a funny matter to some leaders with LULAC, one of the largest Latino civil rights organizations in the country. Immediate National LULAC President Hector Flores says the costume is racist in nature. Flores adds, "The costume, while clearly depicting a supposed visitor from space,...

SURPRISE, Ariz. — An Arizona sheriff known for cracking down on people who are in the country illegally launched a crime and immigration sweep in northwestern metro Phoenix on Friday, a half day after officials in Washington limited his powers to make federal immigration arrests.

Media Matters and America’s Voice have just launched a campaign to have CNN drop Lou Dobbs over his stance on illegal aliens. You may want to share your thoughts on their YouTube video page. Video: Media Matters Launches Attack on Lou Dobbs

Department of Homeland Security officials have signed new agreements authorizing nearly 70 state and local law enforcement agencies, including a contentious Arizona sheriff, to help arrest and deport illegal immigrants charged with violent or criminal acts. Under the new agreements, Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Ariz., who has come under fire for his immigration sweeps, will continue to work with federal authorities when illegal immigrants are booked into his jail. But Sheriff Arpaio's office will not be given the power to arrest such people, as it previously had, federal officials said. As the new agreements were announced, Sheriff Arpaio...

Colorado Democrats plan to take another run at a bill that would provide reduced tuition to the children of illegal immigrants by creating a new class of tuition that would not require state subsidies. Sen. Paula Sandoval, D-Denver, said the measure, billed as the "Workforce Development and Unsubsidized Tuition Act," is a compromise that would avoid the pitfalls of the four or five previous failed attempts at passing legislation by creating a new, third tuition rate. Miklosi said the act would create educational opportunities for 200 to 500 children of illegal immigrants the first year and thousands more over the...

"Joe Arpaio, who calls himself "America's toughest sheriff," has gone rogue. Consumed by ego, accused of racial profiling, and running roughshod over the federal government, this incurable media hound is flirting with another title: "outlaw."

Some interesting results from the latest Rasmussen poll on illegal immigration show that voters overwhelmingly support conservative public policy on the issue. "U.S. voters want aggressive action to restrict illegal immigration, but they don’t think immigrants should bear the brunt of the enforcement efforts on their own. Most say the federal government and those hiring illegal immigrants also need to be brought into the discussion. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 56% say the policies of the federal government encourage people to enter the United States illegally. Only 27% disagree, and 17% are not sure. "

EDITOR'S NOTE: The column below was first posted on the Illinois Family Institute's website on 10/1/2009. Today, the Senate Finance Committee will vote on a health care bill. Here is another reason why Senators should vote "NO". Liberal Media Does Not Tell Whole Story By Daniel T. Zanoza The issue of President Barack Obama's proposal that would reform America's health care system has certainly received a great deal of attention. However, sometimes, it's what the liberal press doesn't reveal that is most telling. When Obama recently addressed a joint session of Congress, he said illegal immigrants would not be covered...

And we thought McCain was bad.... Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Arizona, known through out the country for his no nonsense stance on illegal immigrants in his home county, has been reprimanded by the Obama Administration. Sheriff Arpaio (better know simply as Sheriff Joe) and his deputies were authorized by the federal government to detain, question and verify the status of suspected illegal immigrants in the area. After receiving a litany of complaints from liberals various individuals, the Obama Administration revoked his ability to make immigration arrests. Sheriff Joe responded by stating that he would continue to make arrests...

Over the weekend, Gov. Quinn signed a bill that would require Illinois schools to teach that there was "a forceful removal and illegal deportation of almost 2,000,000 Mexican-American U.S. citizens" during the Great Depression. The bill by itself is revisionist history. During the 1930's, then President Hoover ordered tougher enforcement of illegal immigration laws and nearly 2,000,000 ILLEGAL Mexican Nationals, with a very small percentage of U.S. Citizens (mainly children born in the US to Mexican Nationals that were being deported and did not want to leave behind). It wasn't the "forceful removal and illegal deportation" that the bill states.

BROWNSVILLE — In a move that could affect the revenues of private prison firms and county jails, the Obama administration said Tuesday it will review, renegotiate and possibly terminate some of its more than 300 contracts for detaining unauthorized immigrants. The announcement by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is part of an overhaul aimed at ending the reliance on penal institutions for detainees with noncriminal immigration violations or valid asylum claims. The overhaul, first announced in August, followed scathing reports and lawsuits by the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups alleging inhumane conditions, denial of medical care,...

SNIPPET: "(CNSNews.com) – Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced Tuesday that she is pursuing plans to remove some captured illegal aliens from “prison-like or jail-like circumstances” and put them in converted hotels and nursing homes. “To better manage detention operations, ICE will develop a risk assessment and custody classification, which will enable detainees to be placed in an appropriate facility,” DHS said in a statement. “ICE will pursue detention strategies based on assessed risk and reduce costs by exploring the use of converted hotels, nursing homes and other residential facilities.” Napolitano explained her department’s thinking at a press conference at...

Via Breitbart, a reminder that it’s never too early to Godwin a policy discussion, especially when it’s already super-charged with rage and bad faith. To be clear, he’s not comparing U.S. immigration law to the Holocaust; he’s saying that if immigration law then was like immigration law now, his ancestors never would have made it here and would have ended up in the camps. Which may, for all I know, be true in the particular case of his family, but as a general rule, it’s revisionist history. From the Jewish Virtual Library: Thousands of Jews in Germany were successful in...

Census Director Robert Groves is a by-the-books statistician, but he recently made a heartfelt plea to a congressional subcommittee: If politics taint the census, "we're in deep trouble ... as a Census Bureau, as a census and as a country." Days later, politics were back in the forefront when that panel's ranking Republican came to Chicago to urge the census officials to end a partnership with the Service Employees International Union, which has traditionally backed Democrats. Partnering with the union "undermines the integrity of the census," said U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina. From ACORN to illegal Immigration, the...

Mesa, Arizona - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has stripped Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio of his authority to arrest suspected illegal immigrants

DHS strips Arizona sheriff of authority to patrol for illegal immigrants

EL PASO, Texas — U.S. businesses are reporting threats by extortionists claiming to be members of drug cartels, a sign criminal tactics common in Mexico are showing up north of the border. Last week alone, at least two El Paso businesses reported to police calls they had received from a man identifying himself as a "Zetas commander" working for the "Gulf cartel." One man, in a "bullying voice," called an El Paso businessman and demanded "$50,000 immediately, or the next time we'll see you, it will be at the funeral of a loved one," the businessman said. The businessman spoke...

La Raza President Wants Health Care Reform for ‘Everyone,’ Including Illegal Aliens Friday, October 02, 2009 By Matt Cover (CNSNews.com) – National Council of La Raza President Janet Murguia said that health care reform should include “everyone,” and this means illegal immigrants as well because with more people paying into the system it might lower the costs of health care. Speaking to reporters Thursday at a press conference in support of President Barack Obama’s efforts to pass a government-led overhaul of the nation’s health care system, Murguia said that while the issue of illegal immigrants was politically difficult, there were...

Senate Finance Committee Democrats rejected a proposed requirement that immigrants prove their identity with photo identification when signing up for federal healthcare programs. Finance Committee ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa)said that current law and the healthcare bill under consideration are too lax and leave the door open to illegal immigrants defrauding the government using false or stolen identities to obtain benefits. Grassley's amendment was beaten back 10-13 on a party-line vote. Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) would not require them to show a photo ID. Without that requirement, the bill "remains dearly lacking when it comes to identification," Grassley said. "Frankly,...

There are 3 ways in which Obamacare can deal with illegal aliens. First, it can state in the bill that illegals are allowed to access taxpayer funded healthcare system. This is what Rep. Honda of California and several other representatives demand in a letter written to Nancy Pelosi. This would encourage illegal immigration into the U.S., allow/require even more fraud to occur in the medical system, and force U.S. taxpayers to do the job of lazy corrupt regimes. Full text of that letter is here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2352108/posts Another way for Obamacare to deal with illegal aliens is to require enforcement language....

The healthcare/illegal immigration issue has risen again, thanks to 2 letters sent by about 20 or oso extreme leftist in the House of Representatives led by Congressman Mike Honda. The 1st letter is a request for quicker access to Medicare benefits for legal immigrants, benefits that we can't even afford for U.S. citizens. Here's a quote from the 1st letter below. Notice the lack of concern over the tenth amendment of the U.S. Constitution (The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to...

I know that everyone reading this was thinking what I was thinking when I first heard about this. Fearful that they're losing ground on immigration and health care, a group of House Democrats is pushing back and arguing that any health care bill should extend to all legal immigrants and allow illegal immigrants some access, The Washington Times reported on Monday.

EVERYONE--PLEASE TAKE TIME TO LISTEN TO THIS--IT TELLS ABOUT THE BILL GOING THRU CONGRESS RIGHT NOW REGARDING IMMIGRATION. EVEN CNN IS GETTING UPSET ABOUT THIS!!!!!!!!!! Pass this on after you watch it. NOTICE THAT THIS IS FROM CNN, NOT FOX!!! This from CNN news: http://d.yimg.com/kq/groups/17260182/1610997888/name/ftc-vi26.wmv This 2-minute video should be mandatory viewing for every US citizen. If you have never passed anything on before, pass this on! Every American should be outraged!

Arizona’s border was judged to be open not only to drug smugglers but also aliens with “extensive criminal records” and from “special interest countries,” which are defined as “countries that could export individuals who could bring harm to the United States through terrorism. ”Special-interest countries are those designated by the intelligence community as countries that could export individuals who could bring harm to the United States through terrorism,” said the NDIC report.