Thread: Lou Dobbs Reports on ICE SEIZURE of MOTELS

This is a transcript from the November 11th Lou Dobbs show:

DOBBS: A new report from the Congressional Budget Office reveals the profound impact of illegal immigration on our nation's economy and work force.

The CBO report finds one in every seven workers in this country born in another country. And they are responsible, according to the CBO report, for depressing wages over the entire economy.

Ten years ago, one in 10 workers was foreign born.

This report finds most foreign born workers in this country are low-paid workers from Mexico and Central America. The CBO says those workers are the biggest factor in the drop in wage growth in this country.

There are shocking charges tonight that more than a dozen motel owners in Arizona have been turning their rooms into safe houses for illegal aliens. Immigration and custom officials charging 13 motel operators and owners with sheltering illegal aliens smuggled across the border from Mexico.

ICE officials say smugglers paid those motel owners to turn the rooms into so-called stash houses for newly arrived illegal aliens. The United States is now looking to seize these businesses as part of this ongoing investigation into human smuggling all across our nation's broken border with Mexico.

That brings us to the subject of our poll tonight. Should owners of business establishments that house illegal aliens face stiff fines? Yes or no? Cast your vote at LouDobbs.com. We'll have the results later here in the broadcast.

Our nation's illegal alien crisis is taking a terrible toll on American communities along the Mexican border. Residents there say their quality of life is being destroyed by illegal aliens flooding to their streets and turning once safe neighborhoods into danger zones.

Lisa Sylvester reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Last year the border patrol apprehended more than a million illegal aliens, but millions more went undetected. Violent crime along the border has increased with the spike in human smuggling.

The coyotes, as they are known, create a culture of lawlessness, according to New Mexico Representative Steven Pearce.

REP. STEVE PEARCE (R), NEW MEXICO: Mistakes have become so high for smugglers that they find out who the sheriffs are and who the deputies are and they tell them simply, "If you get in our way, we're going to kill you first and then we're going to kill your families."

SYLVESTER: Lawmakers from border states shared other concerns: the drain on resources. Southwest border hospitals provided more than $800 million in uncompensated care. Jails and courts are overwhelmed, schools overcrowded.

And the steady flow of OTM's, illegal aliens from countries other than Mexico, raises national security alarms. Unlike illegal Mexicans, who are sent back across the border, OTM's are given a court date, which 90 percent of them never show up for.

REP. HENRY BONILLA (R), TEXAS: The culture now is pathetic, Mr. Chairman, with the fact that these OTM's now, the culture of message is out there that they come across the border looking for the border patrol agents. They don't even run from them anymore.

SYLVESTER: Another major worry, the loss of jobs and lowering of wages.

REP. DARRELL ISSA (R), CALIFORNIA: We have to recognize that we are doing no favors for all of our citizens, all the people who vote for us, all the people who pay taxes, all the people who play by the rules to get here if we do not protect them from simply having their job taken by the next person willing to work for less.

SYLVESTER: More lawmakers are tuning into their constituents who have long complained about illegal immigration, but so far real action has been slow in coming.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SYLVESTER: One measure signed into law, the Real I.D. Act, set the deadline of 2008 for states to ensure that driver's licenses are being issued only to people who are in the country legally. But it's been a slow process. DHS is working with the National Association of Governors and other groups to come up with those standards. And nine states have to change their laws so they explicitly require legal presence as a condition for a driver's license -- Lou.

I thought that the part about the 13 motel owners that ICE arrested was significant. It does show that maybe they have gotten the message to go after some businesses who are aiding and abetting. I hope they are able to seize those motels.

Originally Posted by Bootsie

I thought that the part about the 13 motel owners that ICE arrested was significant. It does show that maybe they have gotten the message to go after some businesses who are aiding and abetting. I hope they are able to seize those motels.

Yeah I saw that yesterday in one of the papers. I think it is great. The money that is gotten from the sales can be a start in paying back the American Citizen. I wish they would do this to all companies. I know that there is a lot of American Citizens. GOOD Honest one's that would take there place and make Nice place for some other American to work.

ABSOLUTELY, Scubayons!

This IS a good sign, but I feel that the tide will not begin to change until the quacka-wackident is removed from the White House.

I had read about the hotels but not about ice taking them! That is good news!

Start seizing assets when these businesses hire illegals and watch how fast it stops! Hit them in the pockets!

Were these scumbags charged with anything or only their property seized? They should be jailed AND lose everything they have.

Oh YES. THEY WERE charged with providing the illegals with cover. That's not how the charge was phrased but that's what it meant. They rounded them all up.