Four Immigration Myths And Credulous Media
By Steve Sailer

Having written 292 VDARE.com columns over the last six years, I'm inundated by feelings of both satisfaction and frustration when reviewing this year's Congressional and media debates over illegal immigration.

To their credit, House Republicans and much of the blogosphere get it. (See, for example, postings by Untethered, Udolpho, Parapundit, Mickey Kaus, Glaivester, Your Lying Eyes, Pytheas, Chris Roach, Face Right, 2Blowhards, and Mean Mr. Mustard.)

And yet in the more insulated institutions, the Senate and the legacy media, ludicrous falsehoods long ago exploded on VDARE.com and elsewhere are still proffered as if they were indisputable fact.

The lack of accountability and integrity in the mainstream press is striking. A pundit, once established, can apparently propagate nonsense catastrophic to America for years without paying any career price for his incompetence or bad faith.

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School districts must now deal with cost of walkouts
Gustavo Reveles Acosta
El Paso Times
Photo by Ruben R. Ramirez / El Paso Times

Last week's student walkouts will cost local school districts hundreds of thousands of dollars in attendance-related funding and overtime pay for their security and police personnel.

The El Paso, Ysleta and Socorro independent school districts have not figured out any exact amounts, but officials from each of the districts said the walkouts will have an impact on this year's and next year's budgets.

"It's revenue lost and we wish the students would have been in class, obviously," said Kenneth Parker, EPISD's chief financial officer. "But it's not an amount that is of great significance."

Texas funds school districts based on average daily attendance, not enrollment. So campuses must monitor and report their attendance to the Texas Education Agency to figure out how much money they will need to educate students.

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More than a ton of pot stopped at crossings
Daniel Borunda
El Paso Times

More than a ton of marijuana was seized at border crossings in El Paso in a busier than usual weekend, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials said Monday.

Officers seized 2,554 pounds of marijuana and 2.5 pounds of cocaine in 25 separate cases.

The largest single seizure was 237 pounds of pot found Sunday hidden in the bed, sides and panels of a 1999 Dodge Ram at the Zaragoza Bridge.

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Mexico's Hugo Chavez
By Dick Morris
FrontPageMagazine.com

In its debate over how to change the U.S. immigration system, Washington neglected to assess the impact Mexico's summer election could have.

And Mexico's choice could not be more important to the United States.

On July 2, the Mexican people will decide whether to elect ultra-leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (known as AMLO) as their next president.

Rumors have abounded for months that Lopez Obrador's campaign is getting major funding from Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. And last month Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz)., a moderate Republican, told several Mexican legislators that he had intelligence reports detailing revealing support from Hugo Chavez to AMLO's Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD).

Chavez is a firm ally of Cuba's Fidel Castro. Lopez Obrador could be the final piece in their grand plan to bring the United States to its knees before the newly resurgent Latin left.

Between them, Venezuela and Mexico export about 4 million barrels of oil each day to the United States, more than one-third of our oil imports. With both countries in the hands of leftist leaders, the opportunity to hold the U.S. hostage will be extraordinary.

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New Pew Hispanic Center Report

No Consensus on Immigration Problem or Proposed Fixes

AMERICA’S IMMIGRATION QUANDARY

Americans are increasingly concerned about, immigration. A growing number believe that immigrants are a burden to the country, taking jobs and housing and creating strains on the health care system. Many people also worry about the cultural impact of the expanding number of newcomers in the U.S.

Yet the public remains largely divided in its views of the overall effect of immigration. Roughly as many believe that newcomers to the U.S. strengthen American society as say they threaten traditional American values, and over the longer term, positive views of Latin American immigrants, in particular, have improved dramatically.

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The truth about illegal labor
Bangor Daily News
By Jonette Christian

Advocates for illegal aliens and their employers often argue that we should recognize the reality that certain sectors of our economy have grown dependent on illegal labor, and therefore a "realistic" solution is to legalize. Let's examine the truth of this claim.

Approximately 7 million illegal aliens are in the work force. The overwhelming majority is unskilled, and 60 percent lack even a high school education. The Pew Hispanic Center estimates that 20 percent of cooks, 25 percent of construction workers, 22 percent of maids, 25 percent of ground maintenance workers, and 29 percent of agricultural workers are illegal.

So despite the concentration of illegal workers in certain industries, the majority of work in these sectors is still predominately performed by American citizens and legal immigrants, i.e. the working poor and ethnic minorities. How much do we care about these fellow Americans who compete head to head with the illegal worker? And who has a greater claim on our loyalty?

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Senate OKs border funds$50 million allocated yearly to police near Mexico, Canada
Lisa Friedman, Washington Bureau
LA Daily News

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Senate overwhelmingly adopted a $50 million annual grant program Monday to help law enforcement agencies fight crime along U.S. borders with Mexico and Canada.

The amendment by U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., passed 84-6, as part of a controversial immigration measure that Congress is debating. Bingaman said the funding - while a far cry from what police agencies along the borders need - is a start.

"Law enforcement agencies very much need assistance in combating criminal border activity," Bingaman said, noting that border agencies increasingly address activities specific to illegal immigration such as kidnapping and drug smuggling.

"A variety of criminal activity occurs by virtue of the federal government's inability to secure our national borders."

While the measure is aimed at small, rural agencies less than 100 miles from the border, it also would allow funding for law enforcement agencies certified by the Department of Homeland Security to be in a "high impact area" - which presumably would include Los Angeles.

The money could be used to purchase equipment, hire personnel, upgrade technology and pay police overtime costs.

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Anti-illegal immigration bill passes Senate
By John Rodgers
jrodgers@nashvillecitypaper.com

The state Senate passed a bill Monday that paves the way for the Tennessee Highway Patrol to have illegal immigration enforcement authority.

The measure requires the commissioner of the state’s Department of Safety to make an agreement with the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security to train Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) officers in enforcing “federal immigration laws, detention and removals, and investigations of the state of Tennessee,” according to the bill and its amendments.

Currently, all THP officers can do is refer illegal immigration suspects to the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

“It’s time for the legislature to tell the Department of Safety that it’s time to start the training,” said Sen. Mark Norris (R-Collierville).

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Two Spanish-language stations to support Sunday's march
Coalition organizes for immigrant rights
By Norma de la Vega
Union-Tribune Staff Writer

Two leading Spanish-language radio stations agreed yesterday to help promote Sunday's large march in San Diego in support of immigrants.

The managers of the two stations – 106.5 FM “La Nueva” and 102.9 FM “Recuerdos,” both owned by Univision – said they would call other Spanish-language stations to encourage their participation.

Popular radio DJs in Los Angeles played a crucial role in spreading the word about the “mega marcha” there March 25 that attracted more than 500,000 people.

The news of the stations' assistance came as a broad-based coalition continued to organize the Sunday event, called the March for Dignity, Respect and Hope.