Thread: Group says entrants adversely affect kids

http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/116568

Published: 02.19.2006

Group says entrants adversely affect kids
By Brady McCombs
ARIZONA DAILY STAR

Michelle Dallacroce's quest to protect her children brought her Saturday to the foot of the Huachuca Mountains near the U.S.-Mexico border.

Wearing a black Stetson, black coat and white long-sleeved T-shirt with the logo for her newly founded group, Mothers Against Illegal Aliens, Dallacroce stood with 10 others holding signs on the side of Highway 92 to protest what she says is the negative effect of illegal immigration on U.S. children.

The group's goal is to spread the message to mothers across the country that illegal entrants are making it unsafe to raise children in the United States.

"Whatever is coming from over there and crosses this street is coming to my town and I've seen them in my neighborhood," Dallacroce of Phoenix said, pointing south toward the border.

The group, which formed in January, set up camp at Highway 92 south of Sierra Vista and west of Palominas. They held signs on each side of the highway and watched for illegal entrants. A couple carried guns. Each wore white shirts with the Mothers Against Illegal Aliens logo.

The group follows in the footsteps of other anti-illegal-entrant groups like the Minuteman Project, American Border Patrol and Border Guardian with a narrowed focus on protecting children. Dallacroce likened the movement to a family and said her group is playing the matriarchal role of supporting the men and protecting the children.

"By us supporting the Minuteman, our Border Patrol and every other group that's out there, we working together to protect our families," said Dallacroce, who says she is an Air Force veteran. She declined to say how many children she has.

The group claims that illegal entrants bring diseases like tuberculosis and leprosy into the country, negatively impact public schools and endanger U.S. children.

According to the David Engelthaler, state epidemiologist with the Arizona Department of Health Services, the state has averaged fewer than one case of leprosy, or Hansen's disease, a year over the past five years. Tuberculosis rates in Arizona decreased by 35 percent from 1995-2004 but foreign-born accounted for 57 percent of the 272 total cases in 2004, up from 41 percent in 1999. Tuberculosis victims from Mexico accounted for 64 percent of the foreign-born cases in 2004, he said.

Tom Horne, state superintendent of public instruction, said children of illegal entrants clearly have a financial impact on Arizona schools. In December, Horne sent a letter to Congress asking for $750 million in federal funds to cover the cost of educating children illegally in the United States.

The Arizona Department of Education compiled the number based on the 125,000 children of illegal entrants estimated to be living in the state by the Pew Hispanic Center at the cost of $6,000 a student a year. Horne said it costs $350 more to educate a student who is learning English.
As far as the Mothers Against Illegal Aliens' claim that illegal entrants dumb-down public education, Horne declined to comment because he said he didn't have scientific data. His basic view remains that the federal government should do a better job on the border, but in the meantime, educators will do their best to educate all students.

Since founding the group in January, Dallacroce has organized rallies against day laborer sites in Phoenix and spoke at the Minuteman Project rally Feb. 7 in Washington, D.C. Glenn Spencer, president of American Border Patrol, and Laine Lawless, director of Border Guardian, support the group.

"I would say this folds in very nicely with the movement because Mothers Against Illegal Aliens is trying to drive home the point that illegal immigrants are negatively impacting children and the American family in a very big way," said Lawless, who joined the group Saturday. "That's the important message we need to get out."

Kat Rodriguez, coordinator with Derechos Humanos, called the group's rhetoric racist and not unlike other anti-illegal entrant groups.

Geoffrey Boyce, spokesman for Tucson-based No More Deaths, agreed.

"They are rehashing the same things that have been put forward by the Minuteman and a number of the vigilante groups," Boyce said.

Members of Mothers Against Illegal Aliens are planning to continue the protest through Monday in Cochise County.

Anti-illegal-entrant groups Minuteman Civil Defense Corps
l Leader: Chris Simcox
l Location: Tombstone
l Organized: 2004
l Links: Began in 2001 as Civil Homeland Defense. Joined with Jim Gilchrist to form the Minuteman Project in 2004 before changing group name.
American Border Patrol
l Leader: Glenn Spencer
l Location: Cochise County
l Organized: 2002
l Links: Began in 1992 as Voices of Citizens Together to support California's Proposition 187. Moved to Arizona in 2002 and formed American Border Patrol. The group supports Border Guardians, Mothers Against Illegal Aliens and Minuteman activities.
Arizonans for Border Control
l Leader: Wes Bramhall
l Location: Tucson
l Organized: 1986
l Links: Formed to make to make Arizona an English-only state. Bramhall has volunteered with the Minuteman Project and supports American Border Patrol.
Border Guardians
l Leader: Laine Lawless
l Location: Tucson
l Organized: 2005
l Links: Lawless has volunteered with Civil Homeland Defense, American Border Patrol and is now supporting Mothers Against Illegal Aliens.
Mothers Against Illegal Aliens
l Leader: Michelle Dallacroce
l Location: Phoenix
l Organized: 2006
l Links: Dallacroce volunteered with the Minuteman Project and now enjoys the support of Minuteman, Border Guardian and American Border Patrol.

● Contact reporter Brady McCombs at 573-4213 or at bmccombs@azstarnet.com.

Tom Horne, state superintendent of public instruction, said children of illegal entrants clearly have a financial impact on Arizona schools. In December, Horne sent a letter to Congress asking for $750 million in federal funds to cover the cost of educating children illegally in the United States.

And while we are at it, we need to repeal the stupid law that obligates us to give them a basic education!

I can tell you for fact that their presence in our schools harms our children and prevents anyone from getting the full potential from their formative school years. There are very few teachers who can effectively teach in two different languages and they shouldn't be expected to. OPn top of that, these illegal students get two free meals a day.

I don't begrudge them the food because I would feel pretty bad if they keeled over dead but I'd much prefer to build them schools and feed them in schools in THEIR country where ALL the children could learn in their own native tongue therefore ALL the children could have the maximum potential for learning. It seems to me it would be cheaper to build them schools there than keep on building more and more schools for them here.

Originally Posted by Brady McCombs

Group says entrants adversely affect kids

Uh, well yeah, Mr. McCombs, you just now finding that out? Getting raped and murdered by MS-13 gangbangers tends to have a slight adverse affect on kids these days.

Well, don't be too concerned Mr. McCombs, when your senator has his way and all these illegals proudly display their new H-5B visas, they'll instantly become law abiding. Ask Senator McCain and Teddy Kennedy.

I can't emphasize enought that MS-13 isn't the only GANG in place. There are many others and they are all dangerous. Our schools are so full of gang members it's pitiful. Kids get knifed on the streets, beat up in parking lots, and shot in drive-by's regularly. Not one of the gang members involved are reported to be MS-13. ]

They interview kids who claim not to be gang members and kids who claim that anyone not in a gang is at risk. And these are middle school as well has high school kids.