Thread: Why Congress stopped enforcing the Immigration Laws

This give an idea of when and why the US Congress said to hell with enforcement on the Immigration Laws.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In ninety eight, the border patrol noticed that the work force picking onions in the vidalia onion fields of Georgia appeared increasingly to be illegals, so they did some raids, arrested a few dozen illegal aliens, and all the rest of them ran off. So the farmers were there stuck with onions in the ground and no one to pull them out. It was all their own fault, they knew what they were doing, but nonetheless, they were outraged. They called their Congressmen, and by the end of the week, three of Georgia's Congressmen and both Senators, Republicans and Democrats, wrote a joint letter to the Attorney General demanding that the Immigration Service stop enforcing the law. Because they said the INS does not understand the needs of American farmers. Which in ordinary English means, "let them pick the onions, then arrest them. Preferably before we have to pay them". Well, the INS got slapped down and stopped.

So what they tried as an alternative to raids, was something called Operation Vanguard in Nebraska. It was sort of the first effort at something like this to see if it worked. They didn't do raids anywhere, all they did was subpoena personnel records. And they didn't just pick one or two employers, they did all the meatpacking plants in all of Nebraska, so that no one of them would be inconvenienced while the others benefitted. They took the personnel records back to the office, checked the Social Security numbers, and came back with a list of people who seemed to be illegal, who did not have authorization to work. They said "we know some of these people are legit and the records are wrong. We want to fix those people's records and the ones that are illegal, have to leave of course". They came back with four thousand names. One thousand people showed up and got their records fixed and three thousand were never heard from again. They were illegal aliens. It worked really well and it was intended to be repeated every two to three months so as to wean the whole industry off of the use of illegal aliens.

After one effort like this, the political and business elite in Nebraska went insane. The ranchers and the meat packers teamed up with the governor.
The governor's predecessor, now Senator Nelson, was hired as a lobbyist to put an end to this initiative. Senator Chuck Hagel made it essentially his mission in life to see that this was never repeated and it wasn't. And the Senior INS official who thought it up in the first place was invited to retire early -- and he did. If you're a bureaucrat and you have kids in college, you're going to take the hint: Congress doesn't want you to enforce the law. So the Immigration Service essentially gave up enforcing the immigration laws inside the country. They focused on the important, but narrow, issues of criminal aliens and smugglers. I'm all for that, criminal aliens and alien smugglers are the scum of the earth, but there's a lot more to the issue than just that. But, going after those parts of the issue doesn't get you in trouble politically. So that's what they did, they gave up because Congress told them to stop doing their jobs. They really haven't changed that much (since) 9/11.


http://www.rightwingnews.com/archives/w ... PHP#005455

Thank you for that information.

Sadly, when buying produce grown in the U.S., it actually turns out to hurt the American workers, the economy and our health.

Relying upon and trusting in the congress and agribusiness has turned into a nightmare that's real.

After 9/11 - the wake-up call. The big picture is ever more frightening. To see just how low a corrupt polititian and greedy business person will go to make a buck is astonishing to anyone who lives with honesty and respect for others.

how sad can't buy American for political reasons. can't buy foreign produce for health reasons.... America is now on a diet until we can fix this mess!!!

That is one of the saddest things I've read in a while...

Profit at any cost. What else is new.

The answer my friend is just blowing in the wind, just like it was in the fiftys, and back in the late eights and just like it iis today


On June 17, 1954, what was called "Operation Wetback" began. Because political resistance was lower in California and Arizona, the roundup of aliens began there. Some 750 agents swept northward through agricultural areas with a goal of 1,000 apprehensions a day. By the end of July, over 50,000 aliens were caught in the two states. Another 488,000, fearing arrest, had fled the country.

By mid-July, the crackdown extended northward into Utah, Nevada, and Idaho, and eastward to Texas.

By September, 80,000 had been taken into custody in Texas, and an estimated 500,000 to 700,000 illegals had left the Lone Star State voluntarily.

Unlike today, Mexicans caught in the roundup were not simply released at the border, where they could easily reenter the US. To discourage their return, Swing arranged for buses and trains to take many aliens deep within Mexico before being set free.
And it didnt cost the tax payers one dollar more .

?

Originally Posted by Americanpatriot

Thank you for that information.

Sadly, when buying produce grown in the U.S., it actually turns out to hurt the American workers, the economy and our health.

I have been a farmer for years and an expert in the ag. trades for many more years
Would you please clear up what you are specially speaking of, as to the harm it causes to our heath and economy, as I will agree that most farmer that grow In the mid to large scale have seemed to come up with some good answers about the migrant workers being illegal , and some half way decent answers to solving the problem, but I’m not sure about the rest of your statements.


[quote:2lflq04n]
Relying upon and trusting in the congress and agribusiness has turned into a nightmare that's real.

[/quote:2lflq04n]


What is the problem with ag. that you speak of here???
there are many farmers across the nation that would want you to clear this up as well.


I would like to help you understand any questions you have about Agg. in the Usa today if I can

I am referring to the large corporate owned business farms that have put small farmers out of business.

When I go into a supermarket now I look at the produce and I think where did it come from, who profits from it and is it healthy to eat, ie: E-coli, etc.

I prefer to buy my produce from local, small farmers and hopefully it is healthy to eat and stimulates the local economy.

I'm glad to hear there are some honest large farmers that hire Americans still.

Up to now I have always bought as much as can either produce or clothing that is made in the U.S., feeling good thinking that, hopefully, I am helping Americans make a living in this country.

But, if I am really only helping some corrupt polititians or large corporations that hire only illegals that crap in the fields and on the food and it really stimulates the Mexican economy instead, then I have to make different choices.

You are the kind of person I would hope to help in buying U.S. grown.

Regards,

ap

We should have our prisoners out in the feilds picking for America rather than illegal aliens. The prisoners wouldn't have to be paid..it could be their sentence. Ranchers and Farmers would be elated. To bad our elected officials lack the brains to figure this out. And YES, it can be that simple! Where there is a will, there is a way. But Bush WANTS illegals here to help Mexico into the NAU and to help releive that countryof its poverty. Bush acts as if we owe something to Mexico, BUT WE DON'T!

GREGAGREATAMERICAN wrote:

..as I will agree that most farmer that grow in the mid to large scale have seemed to come up with some good answers about the migrant workers being illegal

I'd sure like to know what those ideas are, GREGAGREATAMERICAN!

Here's an example: I used to eat salads almost everyday spinach or lettuce, then there came the E-coli. I assumed it was OK because I was eating organic. But, I discovered that the brand I was eating was the brand being recalled. I haven't eaten a salad since last summer.
I don't have health benefits so, if I get permanent kidney failure or die, I can't afford to pay for kidney dialysis or a funeral yet, cause I ate a spinach salad. So, that's part of the nightmare I speak of.

If your selling some healthy produce lthat's safe to eat me know I'll buy it.