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Lawmakers pushing for immigration reform say job losses and a sluggish economy should not deter legislation legalizing illegal immigrants.Hispanic, black, Asian and other House lawmakers backing immigration overhaul called Tuesday for legalizing illegal immigrants in the U.S., despite a weakened economy and joblessness. The coalition of lawmakers said Tuesday immigration reform can protect American workers as well as bring into the mainstream economy productive immigrant workers who have lived in the shadows because of their illegal status. "For those who say that given the state of our economy, given the unemployment rate, this is not the time, I would say...

Link only, per FR copyright and excerpt policyRead last three paragraphs.* McCain says he will not support the upcoming immigration bills unless they include temporary guest worker programs and border security. * McCain also admits that the Government has "failed to secure our borders."

THERE IS A LEFT-WING conspiracy at loose in the world, dedicated to undoing conservative governance, only the people who see it aren't sure what it is. John McCain is in it, of course, in fact he is the cause of it, as making him president is the ultimate goal. He is blamed for running, (and perhaps, for breathing), but beyond him the face of the threat is less clear. In fact, the faces are those of other conservative stalwarts, who were their heroes and brethren until--until, say, just after the Florida primary, when McCain emerged as a serious threat. These...

Republican hard-liners have a potent hatred for their front-runner. But soon he may be sitting prettier -- with a win by Hillary Clinton. When Republican Rob Haney goes door to door to stump for candidates, he asks them to rate John McCain on a scale from 1 to 10. "The people who don't know much about politics rate him a 9 or 10," says Haney, who is a state party chairman in Arizona's 11th Legislative District. "The people who know what's going on rate him a 1 or a 2, or ask, 'Can I rate him a minus?'" Haney, a...

The story from California last week was bound to alarm conservatives. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger endorsed John McCain for president at a solar technology plant. Rudy Giuliani, who's also backing McCain, joined the lovefest as an uninvited but very welcome guest. And McCain talked about the Republican party as a "big tent," a phrase often used as code for appealing to moderates and ignoring conservatives. It's not that bad, though. McCain, now the likely Republican nominee, seems to understand that his first order of business is not merely mollifying conservatives but winning them over and unifying the party. "The important thing...

The Arizona senator is 13 points ahead of his closest rival in a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released Monday: Thirty-nine percent of likely California Republican primary voters back McCain, while 26 percent support former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. For McCain, that's a 19-point jump in the polls since the last CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey conducted in the state two weeks ago.

Sen. John McCain now is embracing a version of the attrition strategy to fight illegal immigration, saying his version of a guest-worker plan would actually force many illegal aliens to leave the country over the next couple of years.

MIAMI (AP) - Florida Sen. Mel Martinez will endorse John McCain on Friday, The Associated Press has learned, a move likely to give the Republican presidential candidate a crucial boost with the state's Cuban- Americans just days before the primary. The decision is a blow to Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor in a close fight with McCain for support of voters in the Cuban-American community—and to keep his candidacy alive. Two Republican officials disclosed the upcoming endorsement on the condition of anonymity to avoid pre-empting the announcement. As recently as Thursday night, Martinez indicated he would remain neutral...

One of our college interns—and a fellow Arizonan—believes that the attacks and charges leveled at Senator McCain in recent weeks are unfair. He has written an editorial on the subject, and we've decided to allow him this forum to express his views. Whether he convinces you or not, just remember....whoever your first choice is now may not win the primary. McCain is not my first choice, but I'll support him tooth and nail against HRC or BHO in the general election. –Christopher Cook In Defense of John McCainBy Michael McKitterick McCain, I feel, has gotten a bad rap these last...

FORT WORTH, Texas — Police have arrested several teenage gang members accused of forcing girls as young as 12 into a prostitution ring. After befriending the girls and getting them high, the Varrio Central gang members took them to some regular customers and then sought other men by trolling apartment complexes, offering the girls' services for $50, Lt. Ken Dean said Tuesday. The gang apparently targeted runaways and other girls with unstable homes, and if the girls refused to have sex for money the members beat and sexually assaulted them and threatened their families, Dean said. "The age of the...

I feel bad for Jennifer Lasko, the Delray Beach firefighter who made a significant sacrifice for her favorite presidential candidate. Especially because it's an unnecessary sacrifice. Lasko, 42, was one of four Americans selected from thousands of essay-writing supporters of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama to have dinner with the candidate on July 10. Lasko donated $25 to the Obama campaign and wrote about her transformation from a Republican to a Democrat. And she has an interesting background, including service as an officer in the Army and a job helping people in distress right here in Palm Beach County. At first,...

Let's cut to the chase here. The pro-amnesty politicians in Washington think that the little snit thrown by the American people is now over. Now that we've had our fun -- now that we've chased the amnesty bill from the floor of the Senate -- they think that they can now bring it back with some meaningless words about amendments and the American people will let it slide this time. OK ... so Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell, the majority and minority leaders, have reached some sort of a "deal" that will allow amendments to be proposed to the amnesty...

With the amnesty bill a major news story this summer, I thought it might be interesting to see how many violent felons and murderers are among the "immigrants" who might soon be getting automatic Z-visas under assumed names. (For a precedent, the nineteen 9-11 hijackers had more than 60 valid driver's licenses among them.)A quick trip to the FBI's Most Wanted "VIOLENT CRIMES - MURDERS" web page reveals that out of 73 wanted killers, about 38 appear to be illegal aliens, primarily Mexicans. Just food for thought, for those who seem to be in a rush to grant automatic Z-visa...

Is anyone old enough to remember the expression "Go back to Africa"? Can anyone remember when the lynchings of blacks and Asians and the hunting down of American Indians and Mexicans were commonplace? Does anyone remember when Jews -- during the time of the Holocaust -- were turned away at this nation's borders? How about the Chinese Exclusion Act? Can anyone remember when the Irish, Germans and Italians were not welcome here? This country has had a long and sordid history of xenophobia and scapegoat politics, which brings us to the current immigration debate. Prior to this debate, I had...

Major Garrett has sources on both sides of the aisle telling him we can write the bill's obituary. Roll call going on now.

McClatchy exclusive: Bush accuses conservative critics of fear-mongering on immigration By Ron Hutcheson - McClatchy Newspapers Firing back at conservative critics, President Bush defended his plan to overhaul immigration laws Tuesday and accused its opponents of "trying to rile up people’s emotions" with misinformation. In an exclusive interview with McClatchy Newspapers, Bush expressed his determination to fight for changes that would let millions of illegal immigrants gain legal status. He cast the debate as a struggle over America’s soul and its reputation as a welcoming nation. "I’m deeply concerned about America losing its soul. Immigration has been the lifeblood of...

One of the worst consequences of illegal immigration is the crime some immigrants perpetrate. Illegal alien gang members commit violence across the country -- even in places like Boise and Omaha. They seep into the country, creating cross-state connections rooted in nearly unbreakable, blood-bathed bonds. The statistics show that it’s a huge problem in California and several southwestern states. Now, Congress and President Bush are preparing to grant amnesty to illegal immigrants without providing adequate safeguards against that amnesty being granted to gang-bangers such as MS-13 members.

Republican presidential candidate John McCain on Tuesday urged Congress to adopt a sweeping overhaul of the nation's immigration laws and challenged critics to offer a better alternative. The Arizona senator criticized his leading rivals, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, when a reporter asked about their opposition to a Senate compromise brokered earlier this month. "Anyone who says we shouldn't pass this legislation, I would ask for their proposal," McCain said. "I have not heard their recommendation." McCain said the U.S. cannot afford to continue allowing an estimated 12 million people to live in...

Drug War: Mexico's battle against drug traffickers is getting dicier by the day. Officials there have asked for U.S. aid, and we should give it to them. But they must be serious about victory. Late last year, Mexico's new president, Felipe Calderon, made an impressive start by tackling drug traffickers as soon as he was sworn in. His boldness was a direct response to Mexican voters, who told IBD on election day that nothing mattered to them more. It wasn't hard to see why. Like a rat infestation, Mexican drug dealers had grown strong in an earlier atmosphere of ineffectual...

With the resignation of Republican National Committee Chair Ken Mehlman, President Bush intends to fill the post with Florida's Mel Martinez, a Hispanic who led the battle in the U.S. Senate for amnesty for illegal aliens. "Martinez is going to lead the fight for amnesty that Bush could not win when Republicans controlled the Congress," one angry RNC member told The Washington Times' Ralph Hallow. Unable to extract an amnesty bill from Denny Hastert and Co. in the House like the McCain-Kennedy bill he supports, Bush is looking to cut a deal with San Francisco Nancy. -snip-

[...] The study [by the National Venture Capital Association trade group], which is set to be hand-delivered to members of Congress this morning , marks the group's first attempt to quantify the contribution of immigrant executives and engineers. It comes at a time when start-ups are clamoring to hire more talented employees from overseas and to boost the cap on the H-1B visas used by companies to hire foreign-born professionals, often from US college campuses. [...] Mark Heesen , president of the venture group, said it launched the study last winter to gain ammunition in its lobbying for immigration reform....

Cornyn: 700 miles of border fence won't happen Senator says plan isn't practical, doesn't have the necessary funds. By Eunice Moscoso WASHINGTON BUREAU Wednesday, October 04, 2006 WASHINGTON — Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican and key liaison to the White House on immigration, said Tuesday that 700 miles of fencing approved by Congress for the United States' southern border will probably not be built because of a lack of money and other practical considerations. "It's one thing to authorize. It's another thing to actually appropriate the money and do it," he said.Cornyn predicted that some fencing would be built...

One City Council member’s idea to limit illegal immigrants in Farmers Branch has prompted a plan by opponents to promote and sell homes in the city to Hispanics - including illegal immigrants. A group of Hispanic and civil rights groups Monday announced Compre Farmers Branch, a consortium of real estate agents, lending institutions and others aimed at helping Hispanics buy homes in Farmers Branch. They’re hoping Hispanics will buy all 157 homes they say are on the market in that city - including the home of City Council member Tim O’Hare. Mr. O’Hare has come under fire by the groups...

Just when it looked like the Senate Republicans had finally gotten the message that the American people in general, and their own supporters in particular, are outraged over amnesty for illegal aliens, some Republican Senators have come up with yet another disguise for amnesty -- and gotten bipartisan support, including Ted Kennedy and John McCain.Under this new plan, its advocates claim, illegal immigrants would "have to leave the country" and re-apply to come back in legally and get on a path toward citizenship. It sounds good but on closer examination it turns out to be a fraud.How long would the...

LOS ANGELES - Former President Bill Clinton praised President Bush on Saturday for supporting reforms that would allow millions of illegal immigrants to seek citizenship but said the debate in Congress is being fomented by Republicans who want to divide America. "I'm proud of him for doing it and I thanked him for doing it," he said of Bush during a "Cafe con Clinton" breakfast speech to the annual conference of the National Council of La Raza, the nation's largest Hispanic civil rights advocacy group. Clinton said Bush's roots in Texas — which has one of the nation's largest Hispanic...

Prominent Conservatives and Civic Leaders Urge President Bush and Congress to Back Enforcement First on Immigration Leading conservatives and civic leaders have signed an “open letter” on immigration declaring that “border and interior enforcement must be funded, operational, implemented, and proven successful — and only then can we debate the status of current illegal immigrants, or the need for new guest worker programs.” The signers include William Bennett, Robert Bork, William F Buckley, Ward Connerly, Newt Gingrich, David Horowitz, David Keene, John Leo, Herbert London, Rich Lowry, Daniel Pipes, Phyllis Schlafly, and Thomas Sowell among others. Hudson Senior Fellow John...

SACRAMENTO Democratic lawmakers have given up an attempt to add health care for hundreds of thousands of children, including illegal immigrants, to the state budget bill, removing one obstacle to agreement on the spending plan. But the move still leaves a rift between Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and lawmakers in his own party over children's health care that could further delay a budget. Republican legislators have opposed both the Democrats' health care plan and a more modest proposal by Schwarzenegger to reimburse counties $23 million for 87,000 kids they now cover. The fight over the broader expansion which could cost $300...

Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata sounded downright gloomy today as he discussed the fate of four bond issues on the November ballot. Speaking at a Sacramento Press Club lunch, Perata called the defeat of six local transportation bonds and the statewide library bond in this month's primary election "sobering." Other factors working against the bonds, according to Perata: continuing problems in launching stem cell research bonds approved by voters in 2004 and a cluttered November ballot full of spending measures, including a proposal to up cigarette taxes and one on oil. Frustrated voters may just say "no." Perata was...

The House and Senate will soon start hammering out the stark differences between their immigration reform proposals. The Senate bill would put undocumented workers in the United States on a path toward citizenship. But the House version, firmly supported by the Republican leadership, omits such a plan, which many in the GOP call "amnesty." It stresses enforcement. Rep. James Sensenbrenner, a Wisconsin Republican, introduced the original House bill. As Judiciary Committee chair, he is expected to be the House's lead negotiator on the immigration bill. He spoke with U.S. News about how this is going to be a difficult bargaining...

Mexican authorities have arrested the leader of a wide-reaching organization that allegedly made and distributed forged immigration and identification documents in numerous U.S. cities, U.S. officials said Monday. Pedro Castorena, 42, was arrested Saturday in the western city of Guadalajara while carrying two counterfeit Mexican identification documents that bore his photograph but an assumed name, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, said in a statement. Castorena's arrest "deals a serious blow to one of the largest fraudulent document organizations in the United States," said Julie Myers, the Department of Homeland Security's assistant secretary for U.S. Immigration and Customs...

Mexican drug cartels operating in cities in the U.S. are buying up legitimate businesses to launder money and using some of the proceeds to win local mayoral and city council seats for politicians who can shape the policies and personnel decisions of their police forces, according to Rep. Tom Tancredo "The Tijuana-based Felix drug cartel and the Juarez-based Fuentes cartel began buying legitimate business in small towns in Los Angeles County in the early 1990s," "They purchased restaurants, used-car lots, auto-body shops and other small businesses. One of their purposes was to use these businesses for money-laundering operations. Once established...

BOYE, Mexico -- Clementina Arellano grew up with her six brothers in a shack in this dusty Mexican hamlet. Now 42, she's raising her sons in a spacious, 10-room mansion with Roman-style pillars at the doorway and a garden full of flowers and singing birds. How did she transform her fortunes so dramatically? By waiting tables and sweating in a furniture factory for about 10 years in Hickory, N.C., and sending home up to $500 a month. A couple of doors down, Berta Olgin, lives under a leaky roof, with skinny sheep gnawing at sparse patches of grass in her...

"ORGAN PIPE CACTUS NATIONAL MONUMENT, Ariz. - Drug smugglers fleeing Mexican police crossed into this desert park and fatally shot a ranger four years ago, prompting That steel-and-concrete wall stops most cars from speeding in from Mexico. But drug and human traffickers have switched to rural entryways into Arizona. Thousands of people now cross on foot. They leave piles of trash, build fires, damage the park's famous cacti and create countless trails through the fragile desert vegetation." "Park workers spend most of their time backing up Border Patrol officers and dealing with border issues. " "But superintendents say the costs...

by Mark Finkelstein June 18, 2006 Cue the violins. AP has produced a two-hanky tear-jerker on illegals afraid of being deported. The headline sets the tone: 'Immigration sweep brings fear to community'. Other mournful morsels from the article by AP writer Elliot Spagat: "Fewer parents are walking their children to school in this border city's Linda Vista neighborhood." "A sense of unease has spread in this community of weather-worn homes." [Nice touch with 'weather-worn'!] "People rarely leave their houses now to go shopping," Osorio, 37, said as she clutched a bottle of laundry detergent in a barren courtyard. 'They walk...

As we all know there is a green card, which confers resident alien status, making the holder employable, without any time limit. It is silent on citizenship, so a sizeable number, though not all, of green card holders have gotten in line for citizenship. What if there were a Red Card, a high tech card that has a randomly assigned character ID number including letters to minimize the chances of falsification, has the holder's photo and personal data displayed, and accesses a federal database that contains his fingerprints and maybe later a retina scan. Illegals who have been in the...

Minutemen Condemn Congressman Pence's Amnesty Proposal Sierra Times PHOENIX, AZ (June 15, 2006) – Chris Simcox, President of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps (“MCDC”), released the following statement in response to the reported “endorsement” by the Minutemen of Rep. Mike Pence’s so-called “compromise” amnesty proposal: “The Minuteman Civil Defense Corps in no way, shape, manner or form endorses Rep. Mike Pence’s current amnesty proposal in the U.S. House of Representatives. “The Minuteman Civil Defense Corps and its leadership represent the U.S. citizen volunteers who from their first operations in Tombstone AZ five long years ago, have stood vigilant mission after...

At $6.5 million per year, a Medicaid program that pays for prenatal care for immigrant women is costing the state more than five times what officials predicted two years ago. The unexpected higher cost stems from Medicaid officials underestimating the number of women who would qualify and failing to factor in the cost of prescription drugs and hospital stays after deliveries. "I can't imagine the department missing the target so far on cost," said state Rep. Jay Bradford, D-White Hall. "And I'll have to follow up with them on that as chairman" of the Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee....

The Harris County Hospital District's unreimbursed costs of caring for illegal immigrants approached $100 million last year, a 77 percent increase in three years."The costs are increasing because the population of undocumented immigrants is increasing and the cost of health care is rising," said hospital district spokesman Bryan McLeod. The unreimbursed costs rose from $55 million in 2002 to $97 million in 2005, the hospital district said in a report released Friday. Last year's figure represented 13 percent of the district's $760 million operating budget. The district treats about 300,000 patients annually, but lacks enough funds and facilities to care...

The development of the proposed Interstate 69 project running through Harrison County in Northeast Texas south through Houston and on to the Mexican border got a boost this week with the announced interest of at least two companies vying to complete parts of the project, state officials announced. Michael W. Behrens, Texas Department of Transportation executive director, said companies with Texas, U.S. and international experience are competing to develop the Trans-Texas Corridor-69 – one of the state's priority transportation projects. Two private sector groups submitted proposals and qualifications to compete for the development of the proposed multi-use transportation system. Harrison...

What's happening to our country? I'm all for Bush, but what in the world is he doing? (Wolf in sheep's clothing) changing my mind. "...the White House's effort to implement a trilateral agreement with Mexico and Canada that could lead to a North American union, despite having no authorization from Congress." "WND reported this week Bush administration working groups have not disclosed the results of their work despite two years of massive effort within the executive branches of the U.S., Mexico and Canada." "The groups, working under the North American Free Trade Agreement office in the Department of Commerce, are...

A head-on collision between a Dulzura woman and a suspected migrant smuggler landed the woman in the hospital. But instead of blaming the smuggler for her troubles, the woman said it is the Border Patrol’s fault. Yolanda Jaco was on her way home from work on Tuesday night when the crash happened. As she drove past Jamul eastbound on Highway 94 -- just minutes from her home in Dulzura -- she said saw the headlights coming at her. The next thing Jaco remembered, she said, was being in a lot of pain and Border Patrol agents screaming at a suspected...

Within two days last week, House Majority Leader John Boehner changed from sunny optimism about prospects for passing an immigration bill this summer to a bleak, negative outlook. The reason was that Boehner got the word from House Speaker Dennis Hastert. Boehner on Tuesday was upbeat in addressing a breakfast forum at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which supports a guest worker program. He indicated he would resolve differences between the restrictive House bill and the much more liberal Senate bill by the Fourth of July. But at a closed luncheon Wednesday at Charlie Palmer's restaurant, attended by financial contributors...

As National Guard troops patrol the U.S.-Mexico border to try to stop people from entering this country illegally, a minority of Latinos want to make a point: Don't assume Hispanics share the same opinion on illegal immigration. These Latinos say undocumented immigrants should not be eligible for government services and are hurting the economy by driving down wages. Tensions have simmered over the years between those who came here legally and those who didn't, and between U.S.-born Latinos who date back generations and the undocumented newcomers. A survey last year by the Pew Hispanic Center underscores the divergence of opinions...

TAPACHULA, Mexico, June 11 — Quiet as it is kept in political circles, Mexico, so much the focus of the United States' immigration debate, has its own set of immigration problems. And as elected officials from President Vicente Fox on down denounce Washington's plans to deploy troops and build more walls along the United States border, Mexico has begun a re-examination of its own policies and prejudices. Here at Mexico's own southern edge, Guatemalans cross legally and illegally to do jobs that Mexicans departing for the north no longer want. And hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants from nearly two...

June 17, 2006  Without Fanfare, America Nears 300 Million Milestone By Thomas HargroveScripps Howard News Service  The U.S. population will hit 300 million sometime in mid- or late October, a milestone likely to trigger anxiety and political rancor rather than a national celebration of growth and prosperity. (SHNS map by Dayna Elefant / Scripps Media) Click to Enlarge Washington, DC (SHNS) -- The population of the United States will hit 300 million sometime in mid- or late October, a milestone likely to trigger anxiety and political rancor rather than a national celebration of growth and prosperity.   Unlike the commemorations in...

One of the top House negotiators on immigration said yesterday the only way a final compromise bill can pass is if the Senate drops its path to citizenship for current illegal aliens, even as Sen. John McCain announced plans to try to broker a deal. Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr., chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said he is willing to accept a temporary-worker program for future workers, but citizenship for illegal aliens -- which he said definitely constitutes "amnesty" -- is out. "A guest-worker program I think can be on the table if it does not contain an amnesty,...

For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary May 18, 2006 President Bush Discusses Border Security and Immigration Reform in Arizona Yuma Sector Border Patrol Headquarters Yuma, Arizona       In Focus: Immigration 12:51 P.M. PDT THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all very much for allowing me to come by and say hello. It's good to be here in Yuma. I'd never been to Yuma before. (Laughter.) I'd like to come back. It's a hospitable place with good weather. (Laughter.) Remember, I was raised in West Texas. (Laughter.) I've come down here to first of all thank the men and women...

<p>I searched but did not see a thread already open for tonights speech. I think this is the most important speech the President will probably make for the remainder of his term.</p>

May 13, 2006 -- WASHINGTON - President Bush plans to call for troops and a high-tech "virtual" fence to beef up the border with Mexico when he speaks to the nation on immigration Monday night, sources said yesterday. The get-tough approach will be coupled with a renewed push to give illegal aliens a chance to get in line for U.S. citizenship, said a source briefed on the speech. "He'll talk about deploying troops, strengthening border control, more raids on companies that hire illegals, a virtual fence, and letting those who are here already get in line," the source said. The...

A Polipundit reader has reviewed the Goode Amendment - the "send troops to the border" provision and discovered some disturbing facts: The troops amount to one soldier with one current border patrol agent the troops have no arrest or detention powers THEY WOULD ONLY BE STATIONED AT THE BORDER FOR ONE YEAR. http://polipundit.com/index.php?p=13314 Here is the pre-amble; “To amend title 10, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Defense to assign members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps, under certain circumstances and subject to certain conditions, to assist the Department of Homeland Security in the performance...