Immigration Advocates Rally Around U.S.
By GIOVANNA DELL'ORTO,
Associated Press

Thousands of demonstrators wearing white T-shirts and waving signs and American flags filled the streets of an immigrant neighborhood Monday for the first of dozens of marches planned in a national day of action billed as a "campaign for immigrants' dignity."

The two-mile Atlanta march was in support of immigrant rights nationally as well as in protest of state legislation awaiting Gov. Sonny Perdue's signature. If signed, it would require that adults seeking many state-administered benefits prove they are in the country legally.

Carlos Carrera, a construction worker from Mexico, held a large banner that read: "We are not criminals. Give us a chance for a better life."

"We would like them to let us work with dignity. We want to progress along with this country," Carrera said. He said he had been in the United States for 20 years.

In Pittsburgh, a smaller group marched to Sen. Arlen Specter (news, bio, voting record)'s office.

In Salt Lake City, Jerry Owens, 59, a Navy veteran from Midway wearing a blue Minuteman T-shirt and camouflage pants, held a yellow "Don't Tread on Me" flag.

"I think it's real sad because these people are really saying it's OK to be illegal aliens," Owens said. "What Americans are saying is 'Yes, come here. But come here legally.' And I think that's the big problem."

If they are in the USA illegally, they are criminals. According to the dictionary, a criminal is one who is guilty of a crime. To cross into the USA without permission, regardless of the reason, is a crime. Therefore, those people who crossed the border illegally are not "undocumented workers", they are criminals. I have allowed for much grace toward these folks in the months surrounding this debate but when they claim that they are not criminals with a boldness that demonstrates their arrogance and defiance of our law, they have crossed the line and no longer deserve grace, leniency or amnesty. They deserve the full justice of the law. -mm

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Montgomery Is Criticized Over Credit for Students
By Lori Aratani
Washington Post Staff Writer The Montgomery County schools' decision to grant students community service credit for attending Monday's immigration rights protest is raising concern among some parents as well as activists who say officials should focus on education, not political advocacy.

Montgomery is the only Washington area school system offering students credit for taking part in the event, to be held on the Mall -- a decision Superintendent Jerry D. Weast said is consistent with how the system has operated.

"This is nothing new,'' schools spokesman Brian K. Edwards said about the decision. "Advocacy is allowed."

But in the superheated atmosphere surrounding the immigration debate, the decision is drawing sharp criticism from many quarters. Yesterday, school system offices were flooded with angry phone calls as word of its action circulated among conservative radio hosts.

An example of "political correctness" gone insane. Not only in the school advocating truancy, they are encouraging it by giving credit for participation. So the students learn that they can violate the (be absent from school) while supporting those who violate the law (Illegal entry into the country) and receive school credit! I do not want to hear these school districts moaning and complaining when these students decide to violate the law in some other "not-so-pc" fashion and they have to deal with the mess. After all, the district gave the students the precedent and they will just be following the example they have been given! -mm

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Latinos divided on immigration issue

Contrary to scenes of hundreds of thousands of united Latinos marching across the country in support of immigration reform, a sizable number of the ethnic group opposes the marches and strongly objects to illegal immigration.

But their voices have largely been muffled by the massive protests, which will continue Monday as tens of thousands of demonstrators are expected to take to the streets of Tucson, Phoenix and other cities nationwide.

They are voicing their support of a Senate bill that would give an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants living in the country a chance for U.S. citizenship.

"That's the objective of the marches -- to give the impression that all Latinos are for allowing the illegals to become citizens," said Phoenix resident Lionel De La Rosa. "Well, I'm not."

A 2005 survey by the Pew Hispanic Center found that Latinos in general have favorable attitudes toward immigrants and immigration.

But when it comes to illegal immigration, significant numbers have negative views of illegal immigrants.

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Saudis plan to fence off border with chaos
By Michael Theodoulou
The Times

SAUDI ARABIA has invited bids for the construction of a security fence along the entire length of its 900km (560mile) desert border with Iraq in a multimillion-pound project that will attract interest from British defence companies.

The barrier is part of a package to secure the Kingdom’s 6,500km of borders in an attempt to improve internal security and bolster its defences against external threats.

I wonder if the Iraqi's and all the liberals will get their panties in a bunch over this wall? -mm

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Beyond Borders Blog

Latino immigrants first took to the streets, a protest strategy I understand since shows of popular support sometimes influence lawmakers. As a political strategist, I can’t say I’d have recommended ubiquitous Mexican flag waving for a group of people trying to convince American voters that they’re not a threat to the nation. Nevertheless, peacefully taking to the streets fits into our national narrative rather well.

The Latino students fleeing school for impromptu mini-marches are a bit harder to understand. Since school gets out around 3 pm and doesn’t meet on weekends, cutting class hardly seems necessary to protest. Then there is the irony of undocumented students, having long ago secured the right to a taxpayer funded education, fleeing the classroom in numbers that the organizers of Proposition 187 would’ve considered a victory.

When I heard that more school walkouts are planned, I began to suspect that an anti-illegal immigration mole had infiltrated the pro-illegal immigrant ranks, slyly suggesting political actions to sabotage any sympathy—not to mention educational prospects—that might have been afforded young illegal immigrant students.

Now I’m hearing more and more rumblings about an economic boycott planned by illegal immigrant Latinos, and I can only conclude that the mole is even smarter than I originally gave him credit for. In a struggle between undocumented Latinos who want to work here, and a substantial percentage of American citizens who want to prevent them from working illegally, the mole has convinced the undocumented Latinos to stop working illegally for a day.

Perhaps the illegal immigrant advocacy groups will next call for a boycott on coming to the United States illegally in the first place.

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Thousands Rally for Immigrants Across U.S.
By ANABELLE GARAY

DALLAS (AP) - Hundreds of thousands of people banged drums, waved U.S. flags and marched in a protest Sunday urging federal lawmakers to pass immigration reform that would legalize an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants.

Shouting "Si Se Puede!" - Spanish for "Yes, we can!" - the marchers crammed into the downtown streets. They included families pushing strollers with their children and ice cream vendors who placed American flags on their carts. Many wore white clothing to symbolize peace.

Police estimated the crowd at 350,000 to 500,000. There were no reports of violence.

It was among several demonstrations that drew thousands of protesters Sunday in New Mexico, Minnesota, Michigan, Iowa, Alabama, Utah, Oregon, Idaho and California.

"If we don't protest they'll never hear us," said Oscar Cruz, 23, a construction worker who marched among the estimated 50,000 in San Diego. Cruz, who came illegally to the U.S. in 2003, said he had feared a crackdown but felt emboldened by the large marches across the country in recent weeks. (He is a criminal, freely protesting in our streets!)

What would happen if the national guard were called out and those protesting had to produce ID? How many would remain? -mm

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Entrants want benefits without values

As I watch with amazement half a million people on TV protesting in L.A., I notice more red, white and green flags than red, white and blue.

I begin to wonder what the chants of "Si, se puede" (yes, we can) mean. We can turn California and Arizona into Mexico Norte? Skeptics may say, "Well, they already did," but I digress.

Here in Tucson, high school students have been walking out of school and demonstrating in the streets. Many carry Mexican flags. Some threw stones at the Border Patrol office. Were they upset at the agents' not doing their jobs in stopping the illegal aliens? Not exactly. They are protesting too much enforcement.

Republican senators, aided by an unlikely ally, Sen. Ted Kennedy, want an amnesty without calling it so. They want to bring the 12 million illegal aliens here into the mainstream. Nothing wrong with that. They also want to provide a path to citizenship. The House bill does the same.

But guess what — many of these immigrants don't care for U.S. citizenship. They want to reap its benefits without adopting its values. Many are loathe to learn English. American media pander to their linguistic isolationism by putting up billboards in Spanish. The message: Welcome to America. You can give us your dinero.

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CBP Newsletter

Frontline News

In this issue...

1. CBP and ICE together apprehend 22 smuggled Chinese at Seattle airport
2. Commissioner-nominee Basham has first confirmation hearing
3. Border security vision outlined by DHS Secretary Chertoff
4. DHS Deputy Secretary Jackson testifies on cargo security
5. “Go-fast” speedboat doesn’t go fast enough to elude CBP
6. CBP Border Patrol agents rescue two aliens suffering dehydration
7. OFO newsbytes

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Officials discourage walkouts, issue late start for rally
Michael D. Hernandez
Daniel Borunda

Rallies in support of immigration reform that will take place in El Paso and across the nation today are expected to draw thousands of participants. But El Paso organizers don't want a repeat of last week's student walkouts.

"Our message is very clear: we want kids to go to school," Fernando Garcia, director of the Border Network for Human Rights, said. "We are not calling for walkouts. That's one of the reasons we are having it later in the day."

El Paso's rally, organized by the Border Network for Human Rights, is at 4 p.m. at San Jacinto Plaza.

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Police look into violent weekend that kills four
Daniel Borunda
El Paso Times

JUAREZ-- Investigators are looking into four separate homicides during a violent weekend in Juárez, police said.

The decomposing body of an unidentified man whose face was covered by gray tape and hands bound behind his back was found Saturday in a home.

Also found was the body of another unidentified man who had possibly been strangled with a wire around his neck.

Jaime Humberto Armenta Galindo, 19, was killed and another man wounded when two gunmen with bandannas covering their faces entered a home and opened fire.

And, a 15-year-old boy was arrested in the fatal shooting of Emilio Mistega Pucheta, 19, during a street fight.

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Back yard border watcher
By Blake Schmidt, Sun Staff Writer
Photo By Jim Bounds/Special To The Sun

"Bus Bob" lives in a bus down by the river.

His back yard, a stretch of the Colorado River's east bank near the Mexican border, is a hot spot for illegal immigration in one of the most heavily trafficked areas in the country.

Robert Sebring, a sunburned great-grandfather who has made his "humble abode" out of an old school bus that he used to drive to work, has been "screamin' " about the border situation for years — not that anyone could hear him.

His bus is tucked away from civilization between farmland and the river.

Few people come around, except for the occasional friend, patrolling Border Patrol agents, and anywhere between 20 and 100 illegal immigrants a day headed east through his yard, he said.

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Real Anti-Immigrant Bigotry
By Michael Reagan
FrontPageMagazine.com

There’s a constant drone about the “Nation of Immigrants” America has always proudly claimed to be, but now it’s being used as a slogan for those who believe we should accept absolutely anybody - even if they have absolutely no legal right to be here.

Yes, we are a nation of immigrants - all our ancestors came here from someplace else - but the difference is they all came here legally and came to be American citizens.

The illegals that come here for a job or for some other reason don’t come to become American citizens.

As far as the kind of treatment illegal immigrants from Mexico deserve, let’s treat them as Mexico treats all immigrants. According to the Center for Security Policy’s J. Michael Waller, “Mexico deals harshly not only with illegal immigrants. It treats even legal immigrants, naturalized citizens and foreign investors in ways that would, by the standards of those who carp about U.S. immigration policy, have to be called ‘racist’ and ‘xenophobic.’

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Arrival of aliens ousts U.S. workers
By Jerry Seper
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

An Alabama employment agency that sent 70 laborers and construction workers to job sites in that state in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina says the men were sent home after just two weeks on the job by employers who told them "the Mexicans had arrived" and were willing to work for less.
Linda Swope, who operates Complete Employment Services Inc. in Mobile, Ala., told The Washington Times last week that the workers -- whom she described as U.S. citizens, residents of Alabama and predominantly black -- had been "urgently requested" by contractors hired to rebuild and clear devastated areas of the state, but were told to leave three job sites when the foreign workers showed up.

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Meth Labs Decreasing, But Ice Is Taking Over
By Dale DeWoody
TIMES RECORD • DDEWOODY@SWTIMES.COM

The number of methamphetamine labs in the area has decreased dramatically over the past few years, but the decline has little to do with legislation that went into effect last year, officials said.

In March 2005, Arkansas passed Act 256, which removed medications containing pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient in meth, from store shelves. But the decline started earlier.

“Our lab numbers had already dropped over 50 percent a year before the law was passed,” said Sgt. George Lawson, narcotics officer for the Fort Smith Police Department.

In 2003 there were 70 meth labs investigated by the Fort Smith police, according to records. The number dropped to 32 labs in 2004, and to just seven labs in 2005.

Lawson said the reason for the decrease in meth labs is the increase in crystal meth, or “ice,” that is being brought in from other areas.

Investigator Lanny Reese of the 12th/21st Judicial Drug Task Force agrees.

“The meth labs are being shut down because of the import of ice from Mexico,” he said.

We don't need to secure our borders, now, do we? -mm

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Mexico's migrant assistance agency has different view of the border
BY JONATHAN CLARK
Herald/Review

WEST OF NACO, Sonora, Mexico — Grupo Beta agent Waldo Montiel had just finished a brief off-road spin through a gully known to be a waiting area for migrants when the red Chevy Suburban roared past, headed west along the dusty border road.

Montiel bounded from the cabin and was met on the dusty road by the driver of the vehicle, a nervous young man in his early 20s.

“How many do you have in there?” Montiel asked.

“Fourteen,” the driver answered.

“Do you mind if I open the back?”

“Go ahead.”

Montiel pulled open the hatch to reveal 14 dusty men, women, boys and girls packed together inside. The youngest members of the group appeared to be around 11 or 12. The majority looked to be teenagers.

“You know it’s dangerous out there in the desert,” Montiel told the group.

“I want you to take a look at this,” he said as he passed out a pocket-sized brochure filled with simple, cartoon drawings offering survival tips such as, “If you get hot while walking in the daytime, don’t take off clothing or you’ll dehydrate faster” and “Rub garlic on your skin and clothing to repel biting animals.”

The brochure is reminiscent of the 32-page “Guide for the Mexican Migrant” comic book produced last year by the Mexican Foreign Ministry that angered some Americans — including U.S. Rep. J.D. Hayworth, R-Ariz. — who saw it as a government-sanctioned effort to promote illegal migration to the United States.

Unlike the Foreign Ministry guide, however, the Grupo Beta booklet offers only safety tips; there is no advice on how to go undetected by immigration officials while living in the United States.