Obama is lifting the US ban on visitors and immigrants with HIV.
President Barack Obama said Friday the U.S. will overturn a 22-year-old travel and immigration ban against people with HIV early next year. The order will be finalized on Monday, Obama said, completing a process begun during the Bush administration.
Which diseases should be a basis to bar entry to America, either as a visitor or an immigrant? The major ailments on the current list are HIV, tuberculosis, gonorrhea, syphilis, and leprosy. The recent movement has been to remove HIV from the list, on the logic that it’s treatable (although not curable) and not easily transmitted.
On the other hand, there’s certainly a real cost to taxpayers and a real risk to citizens.
Immigration critics say they’re leery of the proposal that could allow an average of 4,275 HIV-infected people into the country annually, with a lifetime medical cost of about $94 million for those admitted during the first year, according to CDC estimates published this month in the Federal Register. [click to continue…]
A post by Pat
More overconfidence from Obama and a question of priorities:
U.S. immigration agency girds for workload spike
…Obama told immigration officials that a legalization program would be part of legislation the White House would propose.
The U.S. government agency in charge of processing naturalization and residency applications is preparing for a surge in its workload if President Barack Obama pushes ahead with federal immigration reform next year granting millions of undocumented workers legal status.
A spokesman for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services said the agency is gearing up to handle the huge increase in applications expected if immigration reform is passed by the U.S. Congress.
“This agency has been preparing for the advent of any kind of a comprehensive immigration reform, and if that means a surge of applications and operations, we have been working toward that,” USCIS spokesman Bill Wright told Reuters.
Our troops have their lives on the line in Afghanistan and the general in charge says they need support. Obama makes them wait while he thinks about it and thinks about. In the meantime he already has the Immigration bureaucracy preparing for the surge he plans to foist on the American people next year, no doubt stifling any and all debate.
The way Obama has disrespected General McChrystal is appalling. The disparity in loving attention our President gives to illegal immigrants over American soldiers is beyond appalling.
A post by Pat
Isn’t it curious that there was more of a media debate about giving drivers licenses to illegals than about health care coverage? Where are the editorials and the Sunday show discussions about how mean-spirited and unfair it is to exclude illegals from health care? I would have expected to see more like this from E.J. Dionne.
Wilson and Our National Character
I am not at all at peace with the fact that the one issue about which a member of Congress chose to rise up and accuse our president of being a liar related to the charge that our chief executive wasn’t doing enough to build walls between illegal immigrants and health coverage.
How mean-spirited will we allow ourselves to become? How coarsened has our political culture made us? We like to see ourselves as a generous, caring and welcoming nation. Are we losing that part of our character?
There isn’t a debate because it is understood that the circumstances require certain things to be said now. Obama expressed it this way in an interview with Latino correspondents:
Health Care Debate: Immigrants Land On Sacrificial Altar
Obama told Hispanic Link columnist José de la Isla and other Latino correspondents that the animosity around both issues will be tough to overcome at present time. “I think that, with respect to the debate that’s taking place around health care reform now, it is not going to be possible to provide coverage for undocumented workers,” he said, noting that health coverage had already been extended to 11 million children including undocumented ones. “That was a fight that had been out there for a decade. And it was a huge accomplishment.”
We all know it is inevitable. Maybe Joe Wilson should have said, “You deceive”.
A post by Pat
Some illegals and pro-amnesty supporters are urging illegals not to be counted in the 2010 census. Honest people might jump to the conclusion shame or fear may be the motivator. That is a mistake. It is a boycott intended to pressure politicians to empathize with the plight of being here illegally and do something to provide a path to legalization. If illegals don’t allow themselves to be counted, governments will receive less money based on census figures. Pro-amnesty sympathizers are urged to join in the boycott.
As one immigrant leader puts it.
“Politics is about power and money, and by not giving your information, you’ll be taking away money and power from the politicians.’’
People who disregard law and property are using other people’s money to coerce politicians for selfish ends. Were it not for the generosity and goodwill of the American people, no one would ever imagine something so ridiculous as using illegal presence as a bargaining tool.
Immigration activists urge census boycott
A small but vocal group of advocates is urging illegal immigrants and their supporters nationwide to boycott the 2010 Census to protest the government’s inaction on immigration legislation, a move that, if successful, could cost Massachusetts and other states millions of dollars.
The campaign is setting off alarms across the United States because census figures are crucial to determining how much federal funding cities and towns receive. A large-scale boycott, state officials and prominent pro-immigrant groups warn, could force Massachusetts to cut services from school lunch programs to highway construction, and heighten its chances of losing a seat in Congress.
But proponents say the boycott would pressure politicians to address problems illegal immigrants face every day – such as long separations from their families back home [My suggestion to solve this problem--go home! ---p] – and pursue a comprehensive overhaul of the country’s immigration system that would provide a path to citizenship for millions of immigrants.
What if outraged citizens boycott the census? What if citizens decide not to pay taxes for the politicians to spend? Who has the power?
As another immigrant advocate says,
“It may create more antagonism against immigrants,’’ Siqueira said. “This is not a campaign that makes sense.’’
Very little makes sense these days.
I have been supporting Sarah Palin but always with the reminder that we had not heard her own stance on the important issue of immigration and our nation’s sovereignty. During the campaign she indicated support for McCain’s untenable position, but we would expect her to considering she was on his ticket.
Since then, however, I’ve been waiting for her to articulate some position on the issue which would alert us to her own thoughts on the issue, and we finally have it, via a Tweet. Here’s what she posted last night:
This is a nice hint at her sense of sovereignty and the notion of legal versus illegal immigration. Personally, I’m thrilled with this glimpse, and look forward to hearing a lot more authentic conservative common sense from Governor Palin.
UPDATE: Here are additional details re the legislation Palin references.
Related Link:
Sarah PAC
A post by Pat
Thought you might like to see a snippet of one of our heroes at work, this time defending another one of our heroes, Sheriff Arpaio. The discussion is about
Section 287 g of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
[...] This authorizes the secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to enter into agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies, permitting designated officers to perform immigration law enforcement functions, pursuant to a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), provided that the local law enforcement officers receive appropriate training and function under the supervision of sworn U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.
David Harris, Professor of Law, University of Pittsburgh testified against 287 g and the law enforcement practices of Sheriff Arpaio. (Written testimony pages 4,5,6,7). The Professor said under the Bush administration local law enforcement agencies were pressured into enforcing immigration laws even though they did not want that authority. He also claimed the NCIC (National Crime Information Center) database was inappropriately used to force local police to make arrests of illegals. In his oral opening remarks the professor stated local law enforcement officials would be “pushed into racial profiling” because the immigration laws are too complex and the local law enforcement agents are untrained. He said it takes years and years of study to properly understand the immigration laws. This was a major point in his argument that 287 g is a profound mistake.
He also testified specifically against Sheriff Arpaio (page 12) citing the Goldwater Institute independent study of Sheriff Arpaio’s actions. It was a negative assessment.
His conclusion:
For public safety and civil rights, the implications of immigration enforcement by state and local police departments could not be clearer, or more negative. Immigration enforcement by these non-federal law enforcement agencies will lead to a decrease in public safety and an increase in crime, because vital relationships between police and the communities they serve will break down, corroding under the fear generated by immigration enforcement.
Kris Kobach, Professor of Law from the University of Missouri (KC) testified in support of 287 g.
Here is Rep. Chaffetz’s questioning of Professor Harris.
[click to continue…]
A post by Pat
Since it’s so hard to find competence in the government these days, I think we should honor great government work when we find it. This is my government hero of the day. Don’t expect another one soon.
Rookie drug-sniffing dog helps find pot
SAN DIEGO (AP) – Not bad for a rookie. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency says a drug-sniffing patrol dog on its first night on duty Tuesday helped its handler find a 477-pound load of marijuana.The agency said Thursday that the drugs were found in nine duffel bags off a remote stretch of highway in Jacumba, about 75 miles east of San Diego. The route is popular with traffickers bringing drugs into the U.S.
The precocious pooch was described as a 2-year-old male German shepherd.Agents arrested two suspected illegal immigrants who allegedly brought the drugs across the border. [Ya think? --- p]
The marijuana is estimated to have a street value of about $380,000.
Love the shoes.
A post by Pat
The original House version of the stimulus bill included a requirement that contractors receiving stimulus funds must use the E-verify program. That requirement disappeared in the Senate. It is probably a moot point.
With the E-verify program employers can check employee social security numbers against a government database. The objective is obviously to identify illegals. It is a voluntary program for employers. Currently about 100,000 employers have signed up. By law the employers are subject to fines for hiring illegals so it should be in their best interest to use the database if the government was serious about controlling immigration. The Bush administration wasn’t exactly vigilant in cracking down on employers despite some showcase enforcement resulting in an outcry over “brutal” workplace raids.
The opponents of E-verify are the usual suspects of Hispanic groups, other pro-immigration groups and pretty much all of the Democrat Party. The implementation date was always being pushed back. It is scheduled to go into effect May 21, 2009 pending DHS Secretary Napolitano’s review of the rule. The sham criticism of the database is that the error rate, about half of one percent, is too high. The opponents of the system say it works to the detriment of legal workers when due to some mistake no match is found for their social security number. It’s a false argument. The worker has 90 days to correct the error. In most cases a phone call is all that’s needed.
E-verify disappeared from the stimulus bill and you can bet will disappear totally once the new DHS chief pretends to review the rule. What won’t disappear is illegal immigrant laborers pushing citizens out of jobs. Despite all the reports that illegals are leaving the country because of the poor economy, most are staying. They really have nothing better to go to. The ones who left will be streaming back as soon as those construction projects start up. It’s estimated that 300,000 jobs will go to illegals.
They shouldn’t have much trouble getting across the border. Expect border fence work to come to a halt if DHS follows the recommendations of The Migration Policy Institute.
[click to continue…]
A post by Pat
Voters in Nashville, TN are voting today on making English the only language used for government business. The proposal reads:
Official actions which bind or commit the government shall be taken only in the English language, and all official government communications and publications shall be in English. No person shall have a right to government services in any other language.
US city votes on English-only law
The southern US city of Nashville is holding a referendum on whether to ban the use of all languages apart from English in local government business.
If passed, Nashville would become the largest US city to take such a step.
Supporters say it would save thousands of dollars in translation fees, and provide an incentive to learn English.
However, critics argue that it would discriminate against the nearly 60,000 immigrants in the city who do not speak English as their first language.
They say the move could stop people who cannot read or write English from seeking vital help from social welfare agencies run by the city authorities.
Nashville has a big Hispanic population, and the largest community of Kurdish Americans in the US – about 11,000 – as well as immigrants from South East Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
What is the legal status of those 60,000 immigrants? If they’re here illegally they should be deported not catered to. If they’re here legally they should start learning English. There are a lot of different languages in that hodgepodge population.
We are constantly reminded we are a nation of immigrants. Let’s also remember our ancestors endeavored to learn English as quickly as possible. They wanted to fit in and be Americans. It was their pride and their glory. We can be patient and helpful to a certain extent to legal immigrants as they learn. We want to remain a nation of immigrants, not a collection of immigrants.
Press “1″ if you want to be an American. Press “2″ if you want to go home. That’s the choice.
*UPDATE Jan. 23: The proposal was rejected by the voters. It is an invitation for chaos. The arguments against the proposal were strictly emotional. There is nothing discriminatory in maintaining orderliness in government business. Now how many languages will Nashville be required to accommodate?
A post by Pat
Looks like illegals are thinking, I’ll stay. Remember all those media stories about illegals high tailing it out of here because an economic downturn and a crackdown by law enforcement were making life miserable for them? The Migration Policy Institute reports those stories may be more anecdotal inference than fact. It is unlikely the recession will drive away illegals. The “good news” is new illegal immigration is no longer rising precipitously.
Why would they leave? The prospect for legalization has never been better. Returning to Mexico doesn’t look like a good idea considering the country could collapse overnight. Why give up all you have only to come back in the rush? The economies in other countries aren’t any better. Obama and Congress will help them adjust their subprime mortgages so they can keep their houses. The new jobs talked about in the stimulus plan are construction jobs, the kind of jobs illegals were doing because Americans allegedly wouldn’t. They can always underbid an American worker for some kind of job. They can avail themselves of the best medical care in the world. In fact, the revised $32 billion SCHIP legislation* just passed by the House and released from the Senate Finance Committee will no longer require proof of citizenship. The SCHIP program applies to incomes 200% – 300% above the poverty level so some illegals must be doing pretty good I’d say.
Return Migration, Though Probably Up, Is Not Yet a Definitive Trend
This is the place to be even in difficult times. Maybe especially in difficult times. Why go home where you can never match what you have and on top of all that wear the halo of being God’s children?
* To add insult to injury on the SCHIP news:
Republicans, however, said the new documentation process was an invitation to fraud.
“This will be a magnet for more illegal aliens coming into this country, because it’s going to provide a mechanism for illegals to get coverage under this bill,” said Dan Burton (R-IN).
Still, in the end, 40 Republicans voted for the measure, a larger proportion than voted for the measure in the last Congress.
We’re in for a tough haul getting through an economic downturn while battling a spendthrift government intent on giving the country away. We’re not going anywhere either. This is where we make our stand.
It’s apparently as bad as Pakistan. Yet, there are no travel restrictions and we certainly can’t even consider building that wall because that would make it seem like we’re ‘unwelcoming.’
U.S. military report warns ’sudden collapse’ of Mexico is possible
Mexico is one of two countries that “bear consideration for a rapid and sudden collapse,” according to a report by the U.S. Joint Forces Command on worldwide security threats.
The command’s “Joint Operating Environment (JOE 2008)” report, which contains projections of global threats and potential next wars, puts Pakistan on the same level as Mexico. “In terms of worse-case scenarios for the Joint Force and indeed the world, two large and important states bear consideration for a rapid and sudden collapse: Pakistan and Mexico…
The report is one in a series focusing on Mexico’s internal security problems, mostly stemming from drug violence and drug corruption. In recent weeks, the Department of Homeland Security and former U.S. drug czar Barry McCaffrey issued similar alerts about Mexico.
Despite such reports, El Pasoan Veronica Callaghan, a border business leader, said she keeps running into people in the region who “are in denial about what is happening in Mexico.”
And while the State Department isn’t warning American tourists about the dangers posed by Mexico, the Marines think something is indeed happening and have restricted troop visits south of the border.
A new U.S. Marine Corps policy is in effect restricting travel south of the border without prior approval. Officials with the U.S. Marine Corps said with the escalating violence in Mexico it’s just too dangerous for Marines…The warning is resonating with civilians who are now thinking twice about traveling to Mexico. Janiece Thorn is visiting San Diego from New York. She said she wouldn’t be going to Mexico any time soon.
“If I were aware that these were the instructions the military was giving its own personnel I would assume that that would apply to the ordinary non-military person as well,” Thorn said.
Well, the problem is our government isn’t warning us, and Bush just a few days ago at his I’m a Baby pres conference was not warning Americans about the increasing chaos in Mexico, but instead continued to whine about how we have to be more inviting when it comes to Mexican illegal aliens.
A post by Pat
Some people are so thick-headed. Take for example the people in South Carolina who say illegal immigrants should not be permitted to marry in S.C. because they cannot conform to the law requiring a social security number or an alien identification number. They don’t understand that the law pertains only to people who actually have those numbers and not to people who don’t have those numbers. How much clearer can it be?
Judges: Clamp down on weddings for illegal immigrants
State law requires that a person applying for a marriage license provide a Social Security number if the person is a U.S. citizen or an alien identification number if the person is a permanent resident.
The attorney general’s June 15, 2004 opinion said the law was intended to help track parents who didn’t pay child support. The opinion said the General Assembly “did not intend that these requirements (for Social Security or alien identification numbers) would serve as a basis for denial of a marriage license,†recommending that licenses be issued to people who are unable to obtain the required identification.
Every decent law-abiding citizen getting married in South Carolina is presumed to be a latent child-abandoning derelict. These are the same people who pay taxes to support healthcare and education for the children of illegal immigrants.
If you follow the rules, you get more rules to follow. If you don’t follow the rules, we shouldn’t expect you to follow the rules.
Mark Twain touched on this thinking in one of his short stories. The McWilliamses are the owners of an inadequate burglar alarm. One night they are awakened by the smell of smoke. Mr. McWilliams checks and confronts a burglar. The burglar is smoking a pipe.
[click to continue…]
