Part 11: How to Identify an ’Immigration Reform‘ Scam
Don't be fooled by peddlers of ‘Immigration Reform’ Scams
S. J. Miller

http://www.federalobserver.com/archive.php?aid=9410

{CLICK HERE for Series Overview}

RHETORIC TO BEWARE
"You're too concerned about this one issue." This comment might come from family or friends, or from a politician you're insisting address the immigration issue.

One issue, is it? Immigration (legal and illegal) has either totally or in part generated negative effects on the following areas of Americans' lives:


Crime

Education

Health Care

Jobs

The Economy

Taxes

Social Security

Homeland Security

Immigration has been more pervasive than any other "one issue" during my lifetime. I'll even go further than that: until illegal immigration is stopped, legal immigration is reduced and the "multicultural" mindset goes in the trash where it belongs and current problems in America will only become worse.

Without resolving the immigration issue, attention to the issues listed above will be ineffective and expensive "band-aids." If you want an example, look no further than the "No Child Left Behind" program. It tap-dances around the true cause for non-performing schools (swarms of non-English speaking children with little educational preparedness and no interest in assimilating), throws money at the problem, and achieves nothing.

As mentioned in Part 6: The "Secure the Borders" Scam, ending illegal immigration requires securing the country from the inside out to prevent illegals from living and operating in the US.

Here is a simple checklist of actions (not hyped words and statements) that MUST occur. (1) If they're absent, you're dealing with an "Immigration Reform" scam:


(1) Remember the "Trojan Horse" and beware of politicians bearing "immigration reform" (or anything else, for that matter).

Remember the 3 axioms from Part 2: "Amnesty, Don't use the A-word?. There's another that's closely related:


The louder and more insistently a politician tells you what something IS, the more certain you can be that's what it ISN'T.

For example, we remember the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1995, despite all the benefits we were promised. (I still have Senator John McCain's 1994 letter assuring me that NAFTA would eliminate illegal immigration from Mexico by sending American jobs down there, eliminating the need for Mexicans to come to "el norte" to find work. That the man made such a statement shows either the height of idiocy or the height of gaul.)

2005 is the year Congress is expected to pass CAFTA (Central American Free Trade Agreement) and eventually FTAA (Free Trade Area for the Americas). Neither Bush nor Kerry mentioned it during the 2004 campaign, probably for the same reason they didn't mention immigration.

Why do I believe that these "Free Trade" agreements have nothing to do with free trade? CAFTA and FTAA will bring "hemispheric" government to the Americas, just as the EU has with European countries. Laws and policies are made by the EU parliament, whose members aren't elected by the European people. Sovereign countries will cease to exist, substituted by "free migration" or "open borders."

When politicians speak of "immigration reform," check inside that Trojan Horse for "open borders."

(2) Are employer sanctions being enforced in accordance with statutes already on the books? (1) Failure to target violating employers is the primary reason for continued illegal immigration. When I see employers pay stiff and repeated fines and top management serving hard time, that's an indication that politicians have stopped their "tap-dance.

We hear lots of whining about the "reducing the backlog" at INS to process paperwork for both legal and illegal immigrants. (Actually, the letter below from a prime Congressional whiner does exactly that). The American people were promised a strict crackdown on violating employers as part of the "one-time only amnesty" in 1986 - 19 years ago! When and if that strict enforcement we were promised is ever delivered, then and only then will Americans consider any "guest worker plan." Until then, we have no reason to believe future promises won't be broken like past ones.

(3) Has the federal government totally banned accepting the Matricula Consular ID (issued by the Mexican government for its illegals)? (1) This fraud-prone ID is commonly used by illegals to enter US banking, financial and identification systems.

(4) Is the U.S. military providing all necessary backup to the Border Patrol along the southern US border? (1)

(5) Has the President stopped instructing the Border Patrol to release OTMs (Other than Mexican) illegal aliens and SIAs (Special Interest Aliens) on their "own recognizance," trusting their word to appear for their deportation hearings? (1) That some 300,000 illegal alien "bail-jumpers" are loose among the US population is an outrage that must be stopped. Illegal aliens pose a high flight risk and should be jailed until their deportation hearing.

(6) Is there full cooperation between ALL local, state and federal law enforcement agencies in apprehending, jailing and deporting illegal aliens? (1) Illegal-alien rights groups have opposed this cooperation for decades to insure that law enforcement is "blind" to illegals, and have enabled many violent criminal illegal aliens to hide from law enforcement.

(7) Will the US Border Patrol finally be allowed to determine the best way to do their job? The Border Patrol is part of an executive cabinet agency and their function has too long been defined by the President to serve his large campaign donors than what serves the American people.

( Do immigration policies and laws reflect truly serving the American people as their customer rather than political campaign donors or immigrants? Former INS Commissioner Doris Meissner suffered the same idiocy of many government officials - trying to provide "customer service" when they have no idea who their customer really is. (2) Unlike private business, the true "customers" of a government agency may never enter their office. It's the American people who expect immigration policies to be administered and laws to be enforced to protect Americans' interests and to keep their country safe and secure.

That the new Department of Homeland Security continues to be so inept and bungling as the old INS is no surprise when Secretary Ridge oversees written manuals to customs and immigration inspectors:


"...And don't be so quick to detain suspicious foreigners. After all, they are "our customers."

"...think twice about detaining aliens or refusing them entry into the U.S., if it may cause them "undue hardship."

"Put yourself in the alien's shoes. Would you not want the officer to consider all flexibility within the law?...Compassion goes a long ways in applying discretion." (3)

Ridge clearly doesn't know or chooses not to know who their customer is. How can any organization operate effectively when its leadership has no idea who their customers are? Is it any surprise that immigration administration under the first DHS secretary is a total fiasco?

(9) Does the federal government withhold financial assistance from cities and states offering "sanctuary" to illegal aliens? (1)

(10) For state & local officials: What action is being taken on the state and local level to make the state/county/city "illegal-alien unfriendly?" If you get the standard "Immigration is a federal responsibility; we can't do anything" you know you're dealing with a buck-passer and a scammer.

Now that you're an "immigration-informed" reader, you can likely supply some. Take these questions and your knowledge to a Town Hall meeting with your federal, state or local officials. If the agenda doesn't include "immigration," insist that it be added. Such meetings are to discuss citizens' concerns, not what politicians are comfortable talking about.

If the "immigration-reform" peddler answers "NO" to the questions above, the scam will quickly be exposed. Don't be surprised if other citizens ask how you became so informed.

HOW MANY SCAMS CAN YOU IDENTIFY IN THIS LETTER?
A friend received a letter from Congressman Raul Grijalva (D, AZ) just in time for this series. He doesn't even try to disguise his blatant pro-illegal immigration, pro-Mexico bias and MEChA membership during his student days. He has an "F" voting grade on immigration issues, having earned it fair and square. (4)

His own admission below provides further evidence that the "ethnic advocates" like himself are allied with those of "big business;" Senator McCain and Congressmen Flake and Kolbe are well-known global business protectors.

How many different scams from the series can you identify in his letter? Enter your total in the website comments. Hint: it's more than half of the total 12 possible.

But don't expect all letters and speeches from scammers to be this obvious; most try to disguise their position with humanitarian concerns for "good-hearted people."


Friday, February 11, 2005

Dear Mr. Ernst,

Thank you for taking the time to contact me with your concerns about Intelligence reform and Arizona Proposition 200. I appreciate hearing from you.

First, let me welcome you to Congressional District 7. I hope you are enjoying your new home in Maricopa County.

Regarding your question about my "yes" vote on the Intelligence Reform Act; I support legislation that complies with the findings from the 9/11 Commission's recommendations, which uphold civil liberties and improve our country's safety and security. Reforming our federal intelligence, law enforcement and bureaucratic agencies to ensure the safety and security of the American people is a critically important issue. After working with the Senate, Congress was able to design an intelligence reform plan that will help keep America safe.

For these reasons, I voted for the Intelligence Reform Act of 2004.

You also asked about my position on Proposition 200. Proposition 200 denies undocumented immigrants access to basic services such as health care. The so-called Protect Arizona Now initiative was a disingenuous effort to turn Arizona's frustration over undocumented workers into a tool to further a national agenda. I stood with Senator John McCain, Congressman Jim Kolbe, and Congressman Jeff Flake in bipartisan opposition to Proposition 200.

The issue of labor migration is a complex one. Consequently, any effective approach to reform must be comprehensive and address the human rights and economic contributions of undocumented immigrants, as well as the conditions in their home countries that made them decide to seek work in the United States.

It is an undeniable fact that undocumented immigrants make an enormous contribution to the US economy. If every undocumented worker in the US were to be deported, we would literally not be able to feed ourselves for lack of workers to pick our lettuce, tomatoes, and other produce. Hotels would close for lack of dishwashers, cooks and bussers. Thousands of children would be left without day care. The role these workers play in our economy is an integral part of our nation's way of life.

I support immigration reform that provides for earned amnesty. I am a cosponsor of H.R. 3142, the AgJOBS bill, which would create a process for earned legalization for 500,000 agricultural workers now working in the U.S. who are currently undocumented. This legislation is the product of years of negotiations between farm workers and growers, and while it only resolves the status of a fraction of the estimated 8-10 million undocumented immigrants in the United States, it does so clearly and definitively and is much more consistent with the overall reform I would like to see enacted.

I am also a cosponsor of H.R. 4262, the Safe, Orderly, Legal Visas and Enforcement (SOLVE) Act. This legislation focuses on family reunification, earned legalization, backlog reduction, addressing future flows and the creation of a temporary worker program. This proposal looks at immigration, labor, and our nation's security to reconcile these factors with the reality of our current immigration flow.

Until the need for just and sustainable development throughout the Americas is addressed, the flow of people embarking on a desperate journey of hope will continue. The United States prides itself on being a safe haven for those in need. During my tenure in Congress, I will continue to work with my colleagues in order to craft responsible and comprehensive immigration policies that ensure fairness for immigrants and legal residents and a guarantee of the civil liberties and constitutional rights of immigrants and visitors.

Again, thank you for taking the time to communicate with me. I hope this letter addresses your questions. Please keep in touch with me on the issues of importance to you.

Sincerely,
Raul M. Grijalva
Member of Congress

WHY EDUCATE YOURSELF? TO BECOME INVOLVED!
If you've completed reading to the end of the series, you're likely interested in the problem and doing what you can to change things.


Congratulations!

(1) Contact your federal elected representatives to express your outrage at the situation.
Send an e-mail from their websites: : www.house.gov and www.senate.gov
Call their offices toll-free at 877-762-8762 or 800 839-3276.

For a start, here's a general performance outline for your federal elected representatives:


Tell them you're not happy with the current situation, and you expect lots of improvement by November 2006 when they next face re-election (see below).

Congress should place a 5-year moratorium on all immigration. That includes skilled and unskilled workers, student visas and refugees. This "breathing spell" is the time for government officials to finally deliver their promised "crackdown" on both illegals and their hiring employers that they made in 1986. 19 years is long enough to wait.

The aide may tell you that it's radical, but it's not. Not only has the US historically had such "time-outs," but European countries are doing it; Holland recently enacted a 4-year moratorium on Dutch immigration!

Do it at least once each week, and keep it up.

All members of the House and 1/3 of the Senate will face the voters in 2006.

Democrats: Diane Feinstein (CA), Joe Liebermann (CN), Thomas Carper (DE), Bill Nelson (FL), Daniel Akaka (HI),Ted Kennedy (MA), Paul Sarbanes (MD), Debbie Stabenow (MI), Mark Dayton (MN), Ben Nelson (NE), Jeff Bingamon (NM), Hillary Clinton (NY), Kent Conrad (ND), Jon Corzine (NJ), Herb Kohl (WI), Robert Byrd (WVa), Maria Cantwell (WA)

Republicans: Jon Kyl (AZ), Richard Lugar (IN), Olympia Snowe (ME), Trent Lott (MS), Conrad Burns (MT), James Talent (MO), John Ensign (NV), Mike DeWine (OH), Rick Santorum (PA), Lincoln Chafee (RI), Bill Frist (TN), Kay Bailey Hutchinson (TX), Orrin Hatch (UT), George Allen (VA), Craig Thomas (WY)

Independent: James Jeffords (AL)

(2) Ally yourself with a national group like NumbersUSA, FAIR and ProjectUSA. The first two offer free faxing from their websites to elected officials, and all three send e-mail alerts to keep you abreast of key bills in Congress when they're introduced and come up for a vote. There's no charge for use of their websites or e-mail alerts.

Most importantly, they give you feedback on what your faxing and phoning efforts achieved. That's very important, because citizens' efforts against illegal immigration are totally ignored by mainstream newspapers. Without knowing the impact of our efforts, it's too easy to become discouraged and quit.

(3) Become involved with a local group in your area listed at http://www.fairus.org/Team/Team.cfm?ID=1569&c=41 If you can't find a group in your area, leave your e-mail address in the ‘Comments Section’ at the bottom of this column with your request.

(4) Keep abreast of news on the immigration issue:


TV:
Lou Dobbs' Broken Borders – CNN

Radio:
The Terry Anderson Show - Sunday, 9pm PT (www.theterryandersonshow.com)
The Mark Edwards Show - Mon-Thurs,10pm-12am PT
(www.wakeupamericafoundation.com)
Frosty Wooldridge - Monday at 6pm MT
(http://radio.theamericanvoice.com/schedulepacific.shtml)

Newspapers:
The American Patrol (www.americanpatrol.com)
The Federal Observer (www.federalobserver.com)

DON'T BOTHER WITH THESE:


(1) Don't bother calling, writing or e-mailing the President, not even a Christmas card. He's made it clear that he doesn't care what Americans want; he has his "mandate" and will do what he pleases.

(2) Discard any Democrat or Republican donation requests you receive in the mail. If you want to do more than trashing them, return them with comments like "So long as the borders remain wide open, my wallet will remain shut tight" or "Get your money from the illegal aliens."

Tell phone callers you don't like the way the party is addressing (or ignoring) the immigration issue. You won't donate to the party; you'll only donate to individual candidates who recognize the importance of ending illegal immigration. Be prepared for the "one issue" excuse and with the response above.

LAST, A TIP TO AVOID BECOMING DISHEARTENED
Although Americans are increasingly demanding an end to illegal immigration and its abuses, you'll still talk to friends and family members who just don't see the problem and see no reason to join the protests.

Be patient, and remember that there may have been a time when you felt the same way. Some event will raise their awareness, just as it did yours.

The huge increase in Americans' phone calls, letters, faxes and e-mails told Congress clearly that "business as usual" will no longer be tolerated. It's the increase that has prompted Congressional action, and each American who joins in emphasizes the message. Even if everyone isn't protesting, the number of outraged citizens is 10 times what it was, and that's what gets their attention.

(A friend very succinctly expresses Congress' reaction: "Congress only listens to numbers - either in dollars or votes.")

The increasing grassroots opposition will continue. We didn't come this far to give up.

~ Resources ~


(1) How to Recognize a Standard Border Scam, http://www.azanderson.org/anderson_repo ... issues.htm.

(2) Goodbye INS, and advise for its replacement, FAIR Research Update, January 2003.

(3) Ridge to Agents - Fight terrorists with 'a smile', World Net Daily, August 10 2004.

(4) Immigration Report Cards, Americans for Better Immigration, NumbersUSA.

~ About the author ~


S. J. Miller is a former veteran of the IT industry who sought another career rather than "follow the jobs" abroad, and a lifelong resident of border states, California, Texas, Arizona, and Nevada.