Illegal Immigration

The U.S. Asylum System and Asylum Loopholes

wmurray — Tue, 23 Jul 2019 20:30:17 +0000

The U.S. Asylum System and Asylum Loopholes wmurray Tue, 07/23/2019 - 16:30

**By Pawel Styma | June 2021 | Click here to view the full version of The U.S. Asylum System and Asylum Loopholes (PDF)**

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While the United States remains a safe haven for foreign individuals who have been persecuted in their own country and is committed to having a humane asylum process, the current system is riddled with loopholes which make it ripe for abuse.

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The DACA Myth, What Americans Need to Know

treardon — Mon, 16 Oct 2017 17:18:43 +0000

The DACA Myth, What Americans Need to Know treardon Mon, 10/16/2017 - 13:18

A FAIR Research Team Report | June 2021 | Click here for PDF version of this report

Introduction

In June 2012, then-President Barack Obama created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to provide a form of de-facto amnesty to certain illegal aliens who arrived in the country before the age of 16. The program gave these illegal aliens temporary, renewable protection from deportation for two-year terms, and also provided them temporary work permits.[i] Overall, nearly 800,000 illegal aliens have taken advantage of the program since its inception.

Former President Donald Trump attempted to phase out DACA beginning in 2017, but constant litigation kept the program alive for the rest of his tenure as president. On President Biden’s first day in office, he signed an executive order directing government officials to preserve and strengthen the program.[ii]

DACA Myths

Much of the public narrative surrounding the DACA program was built by open borders proponents and the mainstream media and is constructed of several core myths. These myths include:

That the program protects “kids” who were brought into the country through no fault of their own.
Applicants are almost exclusively Hispanic, and that as poverty-stricken citizens of Latin American republics a short distance away from the wealthy and successful United States, their parents’ decision to violate U.S. immigration laws was somehow acceptable, if not honorable.
They are often portrayed as having skills well beyond what reality suggests, while the media amplifies that perception by focusing on the rare “valedictorian” in order to create the impression this represents the general DACA population. Likewise, others try to suggest that many are proud members of the U.S. military.
Open borders advocates also claim DACA recipients are needed as critical essential workers.

Of course, open borders advocates work hard to find rare exceptions in an effort to paint a false picture of the DACA population that convinces Americans the program is a benefit to the public.

Political leaders from both parties also commonly claim that it would be cruel to deport anyone covered by the DACA program because these “incredible kids” would be unable to assimilate if they are sent back to their country of birth – after all, the U.S. was “the only home that they have ever known.” [iii]

Focusing on “kids” is a deliberate way to shift attention from the parents who came here illegally with their children seeking legal status. Rewarding minors with amnesty is giving their parents the very thing they broke the law to achieve. DACA absolved illegal aliens of their fundamental responsibilities as parents and instead suggests that if you violate U.S. immigration policy, American society is responsible for fixing the mess you created for yourself and your family.

DACA Facts

From the outset, much of the narrative surrounding the DACA program rang hollow. In a column for The Washington Post, Mickey Kaus described it as public-relations-style “hooey.”[iv] Here are a number of reasons why:

Many of these DACA “kids” were not brought here as young children. Instead, they entered or were smuggled into the United States as older teenagers.
- In fact, the current average DACA recipient is 27, and as of 2017, 64 percent of all applicants were beyond high school age.[v]
- A large number of DACA applicants weren’t “brought” here by anyone – they crossed the border themselves.
- The DACA program did not require that applicants prove they were brought into the country without their consent.
- Anyone who entered the U.S. prior to age 16 – and who was under 31 on June 15, 2012 – could apply.[vi]
Very few are valedictorians: [vii]
- Despite being a requirement for the program, less than half (49 percent) of all DACA beneficiaries have a high school education.
- 24 percent can be categorized as functionally illiterate in English.
- Only 46 percent have basic English skills.
Many have committed serious crimes.
- Of the 756,166 aliens who were approved for DACA, 79,398 (10.4 percent) had at least one prior arrest. Of that total, roughly 16,000 were arrested again at some point after their DACA applications were approved.[viii]
- Some of the charges included DUI, theft, assault, burglary, sexual assault, and even murder.
Fewer than 900 DACA recipients – slightly more than one-tenth of one percent of the total DACA population – joined the military.[ix]
Many DACA recipients are from non-Spanish-speaking countries.[x]
- At least 36 of the nations of origin listed by USCIS are European, including: Portugal, Italy, Germany, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Austria, and Switzerland.
- Applicants also originate from at least nine Asian countries with fully developed or rapidly developing economies, such as South Korea, Japan, Singapore, and Malaysia.
- 360 nationals of Israel have applied for DACA benefits. Israel is a developed nation, with a thriving economy, that – as a matter of law – accepts all returned citizens and provides free instruction in Hebrew to returnees and immigrants.
Many DACA recipients are from terror-prone or hostile nations.
- More than 1,000 DACA applications were accepted from Pakistani nationals despite concerns over growing anti-U.S. sentiment within the country and the Pakistani government’s overt support of jihadist terror groups.[xi]
- At least 60 applicants were accepted from Iran, and more than 2,000 from Venezuela, even though both nations remain overtly hostile to the United States. Since DACA does not require a thorough vetting process, it’s impossible to know whether these individuals are fleeing these governments or if they retain sympathies for the failed states.[xii]
- Applications were accepted from Libyans, Syrians, and Yemenis even though the Obama administration had placed travel restrictions on nationals from these countries due to terrorism concerns at the time of the program’s implementation.[xiii]

The evidence shows that most DACA recipients are not shining valedictorians or medal-of-honor recipients like open border proponents and the mainstream media commonly suggest. Furthermore, neither are they typically young children who were brought into the country by no choice of their own. Instead, they are mostly adults in their 20s and 30s, many of whom did not even meet the basic qualifications for the program but were offered DACA status anyways. Tens of thousands of recipients are criminals.

Conclusion

The DACA program was poorly constructed and likely illegal.[xiv] But it was also bad from a long-term policy perspective. Rewarding people who violate our laws only encourages additional lawbreaking. Accordingly, President Trump’s decision to cancel the program was a welcome one, and President Biden’s subsequent calls to not only preserve the program, but also promise citizenship to DACA recipients is alarming.

Any discussion of amnesty or permanent status for illegal aliens should be put to a halt by Congress. This is especially true while millions of American citizens continue to go without work due to the economic impact of COVID-19, and a humanitarian crisis created by the Biden/Harris administration rages out-of-control at our southern border.

However, even in “normal times,” any talk of amnesty only leads to additional illegal immigration. At the very least, strong deterrence measures must be implemented before any consideration of offering permanent status to DACA recipients is entertained. This includes securing our border, making the usage of E-Verify mandatory for all public and private employers, and stepping up worksite enforcement to ensure that employers who try to hire illegal aliens face stiff penalties. Otherwise, masses of illegal aliens will again flock to our country with the hopes of being a part of the next mass amnesty.

The DACA program (along with the perpetually proposed DREAM Act, which offers citizenship to illegal aliens who entered the country as minors) implies that we have a moral obligation to help minors who entered the country illegally. However, this is nothing more than emotional blackmail. If we accept that theory, then what absolves this country from retaining that same moral obligation for those illegal aliens who smuggle their families here in the future? This theory creates an unsustainable merry-go-round of illegal immigration and subsequent amnesties based on flawed morality. The United States is not in a position where we can take in everyone who wishes to come here, and it’s unfair to citizens and immigrants alike to pretend otherwise.

References:
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[i] The Federation for American Immigration Reform, “DACA, What You Need to Know,” Accessed June 16, 2021, https://www.fairus.org/legislation/reports-and-analysis/daca-what-you-need-know

[ii] Ibid

[iii] Robin Abcarian, “California Journal: Young Latino immigrants overwhelm agency as they seek help to stay in America, the only home they’ve ever known,” LA Times, September 22, 2017,

https://www.latimes.com/local/abcarian/la-me-abcarian-chirla-daca-20170922-story.html#:~:text=California%20Journal%3A%20Young%20Latino%20immigrants,permit%20and%20Social%20Security%20number.

[iv] Mickey Kaus, “Don’t Buy Into All of That Rosy PR About DACA,” Chicago Tribune, September 13, 2017, http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-perspec-dreamers-daca-narrative-0914-story.html

[v] Ibid FAIR “DACA, What You Need to Know”

[vi] Department of Homeland Security, US Citizenship and Immigration Services, “Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA),” Accessed June 16, 2021, https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/consideration-of-deferred-action-for-childhood-arrivals-daca

[vii] Spencer Raley, Madison McQueen, and Jason Pena, American Last: How the Biden Mass – Amnesty is Worse than Every Other Amnesty Attempt in U.S. History,” Federation for American Immigration Reform, 2021, https://www.fairus.org/issue/amnesty/america-last-biden-mass-amnesty-worse-us-history

[viii] Ibid

[ix] Kathryn Watson, “Pentagon Says DACA Recipients in Military Number Fewer Than 900,” CBS News, September 6, 2017, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pentagon-says-daca-recipients-in-military-number-fewer-than-900/

[x] Migration Policy Institute, “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Data Tools, Accessed June 16, 2021, https://www.migrationpolicy.org/programs/data-hub/deferred-action-childhood-arrivals-daca-profiles

[xi] Aaron Bandler, “Flashback: Obama DHS Scrapped Background Checks for DACA,” The Daily Wire, September 5, 2017, https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-obama-dhs-scrapped-background-checks-daca-aaron-bandler

[xii] Ibid MPI

[xiii] Emanuele Ottolenghi, “Meet Venezuela’s New VP, Fan of Iran and Hezbollah,” Foundation for Defense of Democracies, 2017, https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2017/01/17/meet-venezuelas-new-vp-fan-of-iran-and-hezbollah/

[xiv] Ibid FAIR “DACA, What You Need to Know”

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Illegal Aliens Flown to Martha’s Vineyard Classified as Victims and Given Benefits

ntanzi — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 19:53:42 +0000

Illegal Aliens Flown to Martha’s Vineyard Classified as Victims and Given Benefits ntanzi Wed, 04/24/2024 - 15:53

Some of the illegal aliens that were flown from Florida to Martha’s Vineyard by Governor DeSantis in 2022 now have safe harbor from deportation and employment authorization documents allowing them to stay and work in the United States. This is because a sheriff in Texas launched a criminal probe against DeSantis’ initiative, claiming that some of the illegal aliens did not consent to the trip to the nation’s exclusive and expensive summer destination.

The illegal aliens flown to Martha’s Vineyard are taking advantage of the flawed U visa program, which was intended to help serious victims of crimes. But, today, this visa program has been used to allow criminal aliens and those who commit crimes against Americans to remain in the United States under the guise of helping law enforcement. In fact, the visa is so used (and abused) that there are more than 334,000 cases pending.

According to the Boston Globe, an attorney for some of the illegal aliens said 3 of the 49 aliens on the flights have passed the first U visa test, which is a new and simple bona fide determination (an initial review of the alien’s petition). It appears that more U visa petitions are in the works.

Meanwhile, the legal case against the flights was challenged and limited by a U.S. District Court, favoring the Governor and not holding him responsible.

In the case of the illegal aliens flown from Florida to Martha’s Vineyard, it is not known whether the applicants are actually cooperating or assisting in the prosecution of a crime, or whether the sheriff is still pursuing a case against the Governor. Nevertheless, while the statute requires cooperation from the victim, there is no strong requirement or evidence needed to meet that requirement. In fact, in some cases, the statute of limitations on the criminal activity has expired and the crime cannot be prosecuted. And in other cases, like in this instance, the crime doesn’t even occur in the same location as the law enforcement agency that signed the required government certification.

To qualify for the U visa, the victim must petition U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and provide evidence. One of the required pieces of evidence is Form I-918B, a law enforcement certification. Once the alien receives this certification and applies, they are eligible for a work permit and placed on a waitlist. The status is valid for four years and can be renewed, until, in most cases, the alien eventually gains permanent residence and a green card. Thus, there’s a huge incentive for illegal aliens to claim they are victims.

Not only is it easy to file a visa petition, but it’s also free. Moreover, USCIS will accept petitions that are incomplete and lack evidence. Furthermore, under the Biden administration’s directive if a petition is pending, ICE has a policy not to arrest or deport the applicant.

The fraud is real. The Office of Inspector General (OIG) highlighted several areas of concern, including forgery, altered or suspicious law enforcement certifications, and ineffective management of the visa program. Yet, the administration has been unwilling to address significant problems identified by the 2022 OIG report.

Rather than fixing the program, the administration has focused its efforts on making it more accessible to illegal aliens. And, as a result, true victims of crime are disadvantaged and have to wait in line with potential scammers and illegal aliens who took a flight to the coveted summer destination of Martha’s Vineyard. With the Biden administration upending the intent of the U Visa program, is it incumbent on Congress to exert more oversight of the program, close the loopholes and stop the fraud and abuse of this program. If nothing is done, the program will continue to grow out of hand and actually be detrimental to those it was designed to help.

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FAIR Staff

Clarity of Words is the Enemy of Mass Immigration Advocates

ntanzi — Tue, 23 Apr 2024 18:53:08 +0000

Clarity of Words is the Enemy of Mass Immigration Advocates ntanzi Tue, 04/23/2024 - 14:53

In his essay, “Politics and the English Language,” George Orwell observed that political language, by its very nature, is crafted to deceive and manipulate. He argued that politicians and propagandists deliberately twist language into falsehoods so they become seemingly plausible statements hiding true agendas.

Another George — the late comedian and wordsmith, George Carlin — sharpened that point: “by and large, language is a tool for concealing the truth.”

This explains why Christian McGhee, a sixteen-year-old student at Central Davidson High School in Lexington, North Carolina was recently suspended for using the term “illegal alien” during his English class.

It’s a taboo term now, not because it’s inherently offensive, but because of its clarity and truth which, for the left, must remain hidden. The term “illegal alien” is the most legally precise, descriptive term in the lexicon. It delineates between one of only two possible categories: one either has legal status to be on U.S. soil, or one is residing here illegally. “Illegal” means prohibited by law. Yes, entry without inspection into the U.S. is prohibited. And “alien” is a term that refers to a person who is not a citizen of the country. The term is well defined in 8 U.S.C., Section 1101. It is used by legal professionals across the board including the United States Supreme Court.

But not everyone has the semantic luxury and the legal protections of a Supreme Court Justice. As Christian McGhee can attest, for most, publishing or uttering the words “illegal alien” now runs the risk of adverse consequences. The alternative use of “undocumented immigrant” or “New American” is mandatory and avoids punitive actions…despite the fact that the former doesn’t satisfy the definition of “immigrant” while the latter is an insult to true immigrants who opt for citizenship to become Americans.

While the correct term “illegal aliens” is being systematically eradicated for its clarity, it’s no surprise that two other immigration-related phrases — both fundamentally duplicitous — remain unchallenged and dominate virtually all discussion of immigration by the left and the news media.

“Comprehensive immigration reform” – offers abundant semantic capital for the left because of its perceived lofty aspirations that mask its real meaning: mass amnesty for all 16.8 million illegal aliens. Use this term and you won’t get suspended from school. In fact, you may get a wink and a nod from the teacher knowing that you’re “in” on the secret code words.

The good news is, however, that most Americans have broken the code and understand the term simply recycles as fashionable nomenclature within leftist echo-chambers.

But… then then there is “fixing a broken immigration system” – the crown jewel of the left’s language — and a phrase that is only growing in popularity, fueled by its repetition in every White House statement on immigration. It deceptively conveys a roll-up-your-sleeves-and-get-to-work virtue while suggesting large-scale, long-term repair work is needed to solve a problem for which the left is not the least bit responsible …and which is so daunting a task, you’ll excuse them please if they never get around to it and just let millions continue to spill into the country.

“Fix a Broken System.” Uh, what is there to “fix” exactly?

An often-heard metaphor in the true immigration reform movement is the flooded bathtub: upon discovery the first thing to be done is to shut off the water. Good advice, but notice there’s nothing broken to fix; the faucet, pipes, and water supply are working just fine. The room is flooded because there was no effort to monitor and properly regulate the flow so as not to exceed normal levels.

Likewise, and in reality, the only thing “broken” about America’s immigration system is the left’s unwillingness to actually enforce our existing immigration laws.

Deceptive narratives and rhetoric permeate today’s immigration debate; words and truth and action matter more than ever.

In a nutshell, enforce the laws on the books.

Like most Americans, both Mr. Orwell and Mr. Carlin might agree that’s pretty clear language.

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FAIR Staff

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In his essay, "Politics and the English Language," George Orwell observed that political language, by its very nature, is crafted to deceive and manipulate. He argued that politicians and propagandists deliberately twist language into falsehoods, so they become seemingly plausible statements hiding true agendas.

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Italy and America: Shared Fight with Illegal Immigration

ntanzi — Tue, 23 Apr 2024 15:13:17 +0000

Italy and America: Shared Fight with Illegal Immigration ntanzi Tue, 04/23/2024 - 11:13

Italy has struggled with mass migration, much of it composed of fraudulent “asylum seekers” from Africa. The key route of entry is from Africa by boat, with the island of Lampedusa close to the African mainland as the primary landing point. This tiny island, less than 8 miles square in size, has seen as many as 7,000 illegal aliens per day arrive, vastly outnumbering the 6,000 Italians who live on the island. Once on Lampedusa, they most often head to the Italian mainland where they file their dubious asylum claims.

The migrants often subsidize their welfare income with illegal street vending. The aggressiveness of the vendors is causing problems, and is a visible sign to the country’s millions of tourists that migration is out of control. One scam sees migrants throwing produce at tourists if they refuse to buy. Another is tying a “friendship bracelet” on a tourist’s wrist and then angrily demanding extortionate payment. These illegal vendors are rarely challenged by authorities, often because many Italian tourist towns are “sanctuary cities” for illegal immigrants.

More serious crimes are usually not far behind these annoyances and scams. In 2018, Italy was rocked by the murder of 18 year-old Pamela Mastropietro by an illegal immigrant drug dealer. The girl was raped and then dismembered before her body was stuffed into suitcases. In August 2022, a Ukrainian refugee was raped by an asylum seeker in broad daylight in the street, showing not even those fleeing warzones are safe from the impact of unvetted mass migration from elsewhere in the world on Italian society.

In 2018, Gambian “asylum seeker” Alagie Touray was detained by Italian police for planning a car-ramming terror attack. His cellphone confirmed he was a member of the terror group ISIS. Italy’s membership in the Schengen Area and weak borders cause security issues for other European nations, and in 2023, two Swedish soccer fans were murdered in Belgium by an ISIS-linked asylum seeker who first entered Europe via the Italian island of Lampedusa. In March 2024, three Palestinians with suspected links to the terrorist Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade were arrested for an alleged plot to attack Italy.

Italy has tried to stop mass immigration. In 2022, Georgia Meloni was elected on a ticket whose platform promised to do just that. One high-profile policy of the Meloni administration is Italy’s agreement with Albania. This would see migrants housed and processed outside of Italy while their claim is processed. This policy has been attacked in the courts by open-borders activists. This is despite the fact Albania is a safe country, a member of NATO, and a candidate for European Union membership.

The numbers show a daunting prospect for Italy as it seeks to stem the tide. Statistics from the European Union’s border agency FRONTEX show that 770,000 illegal aliens crossed into Italy in just seven years. World Bank statistics show that Italy’s population of refugees or asylum seekers had reached nearly 300,000 by 2022. This is up from 93,000 in 2014 and just 6,800 in 2000. Italy may be in for even more unsustainable migration, as the European Union’s new Migration and Asylum Pact has provisions that allow for migrants to be allocated between member states.

This all matters to America for several reasons. Over 15 million Americans visited Italy in 2023, and just under 18 million Americans have ancestry from Italy. Americans, regardless of their background, can see many echoes of Italy’s fight against mass immigration in the U.S. This includes the almost routine abuse of asylum and refugee law, particularly immigration parole, by economic migrants. It also includes the worrying trends in immigrant crime and the fact that Americans and Italians alike are often up against open borders “sanctuary jurisdictions” that complicate law enforcement and border security.

While both Italy and America face challenges, the trends globally are shifting in favor of proper border security. The U.S. government would do well to learn from its Italian counterpart. The Meloni cabinet is trying to do something to stem the tide, in spite of facing many challenges and obstacles. Sadly, the Biden administration appears to prefer to allow its own migrant crisis to continue.

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Michael McManus

Migrants Refuse to Leave Soccer Field, Forcing High Schoolers to Cancel Game

ntanzi — Tue, 23 Apr 2024 14:04:34 +0000

Migrants Refuse to Leave Soccer Field, Forcing High Schoolers to Cancel Game ntanzi Tue, 04/23/2024 - 10:04

A disturbing scene unfolded at a public field in East Harlem, where a scheduled high school soccer game had to be canceled. About 30 migrants refused to leave the pitch, asserting their presence over the needs of high school soccer players.

Erik Johansson, coach of the Manhattan Kickers, asked the group to vacate the field, saying, “I directly asked them to leave and some of them kind of took it into consideration, but then four or five of them said, ‘You know what, f–k it, we don’t have to leave, we can do whatever we want.”

Approximately 40 high school athletes, fully equipped and ready for the match, found themselves sidelined by this unexpected occupation. Even the arrival of law enforcement did not persuade the migrants to leave. This delay disrupted the game and raised safety concerns among players and parents, leading to a decision to cancel the game and not return to the field in the future.

The coach expressed his fears by saying, “Even when the game is over, you don’t know if they’re waiting for you, so even if the cops kicked them out, it may not be over. So, we just all agreed, this is too dangerous.”

Coach Johansson is from Sweden and says he has seen clashes between citizens and migrants on the pitch in his home country. He did not want to see that unfold with his team on the American soccer field.

This incident in East Harlem is an example of a broader issue plaguing New York City, where public resources, from education to housing, increasingly cater to the needs of illegal aliens at the expense of local residents.

One parent said the kids got the message that “the guys who refused to follow the rules won.”

And that’s the same message every American gets with President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas’ open-borders policies that attract illegal aliens to flood into the United States. Many of those illegal aliens wind up getting public assistance. Many wind up in sanctuary cities where citizens must shoulder the burden.

The case of West Prep Academy in New York City further illustrates this trend. The school is dedicated to children with special needs and has a student body that is largely black and Hispanic. The school found itself deprioritized as city officials chose to accommodate an influx of migrant students instead.

West Prep Academy shares a building with P.S. 145, which has seen its student body swell because of an influx of recent migrants with special needs. The city says it needs to make room and will relocate the West Prep kids to an abandoned school building three blocks away that one parent describes as “looking like a jail.”

Those who have seen it, reportedly say the replacement building has no outdoor space, a gym that doubles as an auditorium, and no adequate accommodations for its disabled and special needs kids.

These episodes highlight the urgent need for border security, interior enforcement and an end to state and local sanctuary policies. They serve as a stark reminder of the consequences of open borders. Upholding the rule of law and prioritizing the needs of American citizens must come first.

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Joey Chester

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Spain: Dangers of Mass Amnesty for Illegal Aliens

ntanzi — Tue, 23 Apr 2024 13:58:59 +0000

Spain: Dangers of Mass Amnesty for Illegal Aliens ntanzi Tue, 04/23/2024 - 09:58

Going against historical examples of good judgment, Spain’s government has concluded that the solution to the problem of mass migration is simply to declare a mass amnesty for illegal immigrants. This policy, euphemistically called “regularization,” departs sharply from other European countries like Sweden or neighboring Portugal that are trying to stop mass migration. The ruling PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party) narrowly won recent elections and has made amnesty for migrants a top priority despite its narrow control of the government. The plan was approved in the Spanish Parliament and voted in early April to proceed with amnesty.

This is not the first time Spain has looked to grant mass amnesty. In 2005, Spain gave a mass amnesty to 800,000 people following the terrorist attacks in Madrid that killed 191 people and wounded 1,800. Far from stopping illegal immigration, the amnesty simply sent the message that if a person could illegally migrate to Spain and lay low long enough, another round of amnesty would come along, and they could take advantage. Sure enough, this latest round of amnesty has confirmed this is the case. Following the amnesty in 2005, statistics from the European Union’s border agency FRONTEX showed over 55,000 illegal aliens entered Spain in just four years. This number trickled to a few hundred per year following the election of a pro-border-security government in 2011.

Spain is in a precarious migratory position. Mainland Spain is separated from Africa by just 9 miles of sea, an easy distance for smuggling boats to traverse. The Canary Islands and the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla on the African mainland offer other opportunities for African migrants to enter Spanish territory and falsely claim asylum. Spain’s government once ordered barbed wire to be removed from fences that separate the enclaves from Morocco, to avoid illegal aliens hurting themselves as they broke into the country. According to FRONTEX, over 16,000 migrants entered Spain via these routes in the first quarter of 2024 alone. There were over 45,000 illegal aliens in 2021 and 2022 combined, the highest since the surge following the announcement of the 2005 amnesty.

Illegal immigration has taken a heavy toll on Spain. The country relies heavily on tourism, and African migrants frequently subsidize their welfare payments with (illegal) street vending, becoming violent and falsely accusing Spanish police of ‘racism’ when they are arrested for not having permits. Furthermore, there have been violent attacks on Spanish people by migrants. In February 2024, a Moroccan migrant who was “known to the police” rampaged through a subway station in Barcelona, punching multiple women in what is believed to have been an unprovoked attack. In 2021, a woman was gang raped by four migrants on Spain’s Canary Islands after stopping to ask them about their plight as migrants.

Migrants have also begun to squat in private houses. Once there, it is difficult to remove them given that Spanish law typically favors migrants and squatters over law-abiding citizens and homeowners. Many gangs conduct “ransom squatting”, where a home is occupied and the migrants offer to leave in exchange for a payment. Knowing that the Spanish court system is so slow, it often works out cheaper for a homeowner to pay migrants to leave than to wait for court decisions. This has seen the rise of private security firms which remove migrants in more forceful ways, suggesting that Spanish people are losing faith in the police and courts to protect them. Vigilante groups have been reported in some Spanish resort towns, which seems to support this worrying theory.

This matters to America for several reasons. The problems of mass migration are increasingly similar across the Western world. As in Spain, Americans are facing the threat of migrant squatters stealing their homes, with minimal legal options to stop them. As in Spain, amnesties, and even the prospect of them, have been shown to drive more waves of migration. Like Spain, illegal immigrants in America have falsely accused American authorities of ‘racism’ when their demands are not met. And like Spain, ordinary Americans are beginning to despair and lose faith in the authorities. Ordinary Spaniards and Americans alike can learn from the example of past failed amnesties and demand greater security.

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Michael McManus

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“Death to America” Chants in Michigan Point to Serious Problems With Mass Immigration

ntanzi — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 17:59:55 +0000

“Death to America” Chants in Michigan Point to Serious Problems With Mass Immigration ntanzi Mon, 04/22/2024 - 13:59

Earlier this month, chants of “death to America” chants rang out at an event. But it was not at a rally organized by Iran’s Islamist regime in Tehran, nor was it in Gaza, Afghanistan, or Somalia. Instead, such hatred towards the United States was being expressed right in the middle of the American heartland in Michigan.

The hatred of America was on full display in Dearborn, Michigan, on April 5, during a rally to mark so-called International Al-Quds Day (“Al-Quds” – literally “the Holy” – being the Arabic word for Jerusalem). One speaker, Tarek Bazzi justified anti-American sentiment by asking “[w]hy are our protests on the International Day of Al-Quds (…) so anti-America? Why don’t we just focus more on Israel and not talk so much about America? Gaza has shown the entire world why these protests are so anti-America. Because it’s the United States government that provides the funds for all the atrocities that we just heard about.”

He quoted with approval Malcom X’s claim that the U.S. is “one of the rottenest countries that has ever existed on this Earth” and the founder of the Islamist, terrorist-supporting regime in Iran, Ayatollah Khomeini. “This is why Imam Khomeini, who declared the International Al-Quds Day, this is why he would say to pour all of your chants and all of your shouts upon the head of America,” Bazzi went on. This prompted multiple shouts – in Arabic – of “death to America.”

In case there were any lingering doubts as to the extent of Bazzi’s anti-Americanism, he emphasized that “[i]t’s not just Genocide Joe [i.e. President Biden] that has to go. It is the entire [American] system that has to go. Any system that would allow such atrocities and such devilry to happen and would support it – such a system does not deserve to exist on God’s Earth.” The fact he could say such things, and have an obviously receptive audience, speaks volumes about the failure of migrants to integrate into America.

The Dearborn area’s representative in Congress, Rashida Tlaib, refused to condemn the “death to America” chants and, instead, deflected by going on a rant attacking Fox News. Like Bazzi, Tlaib does not seem particularly grateful toward America, in spite of the fact that the daughter of Palestinian working-class immigrants benefited from the manifold opportunities the U.S. has to offer, including a seat in Congress.

Dearborn happens to have the highest percentage of residents of Middle Eastern descent of any U.S. city, with 55 percent of the inhabitants being of that background. The city was also dubbed America’s “Jihad capital” in a February op-ed in The Wall Street Journal due to pro-Hamas rallies and strong pro-Islamist, anti-Western agitation. A similar situation exists in the Minneapolis, Minnesota, with its Somali immigrant population constituting an “insular ethnic community” that became a “rich recruiting ground” for such terrorist organizations as al-Shabab and ISIS. According to U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) statistics, the vast majority of 549 individuals convicted on terrorism offenses between 2001 and 2018 was foreign-born, but, disturbingly, more than a quarter (27 percent) were born in the U.S. (although, admittedly, some may not have been children of immigrants). Thus, in November 2016, 18-year-old Somali refugee Abdul Razak Ali Artan carried out a terror attack at Ohio State University by aiming his car at a group of students, then leaping out and stabbing people with a butcher knife, resulting in 13 individuals being hospitalized with injuries. In June 2023, a U.S.-born Jihadist of immigrant descent, Ibraheem Izzy Musaibli (of Dearborn), was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison on charges of providing and conspiring to provide material support to ISIS and attending an ISIS training camp. Moreover, Musaibli fought against U.S. forces for two and a half years. Clearly, the potential security threats stemming from a combination of anti-Americanism among certain immigrant groups – combined with problems with assimilation – are not merely theoretical.

In his important book, Exodus, British economist Paul Collier explains how the constant replenishment of ethnic enclaves through unending, large-sale mass migration slows or even counteracts assimilation and integration. It can thus act as a vector for more extreme and anti-American sentiments among diasporas in the U.S. One thing is for sure, however: when immigrants or their children – the beneficiaries of the “land of opportunity” – are shouting “death to America,” there is a serious problem.

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Pawel Styrna

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House Passes National Security Package without Border Security, Senate to Act Soon

lhanson — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 13:11:29 +0000

House Passes National Security Package without Border Security, Senate to Act Soon lhanson Mon, 04/22/2024 - 09:11

FAIR Take | April 2024

On Saturday afternoon, the House of Representatives passed a national security package including foreign aid funding for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. The package notably failed to include any measures to secure our borders at home. Passage followed months of Republican congressional leadership pledging not to act on funding for Ukraine without first passing strong border security legislation. The $95 billion package moved forward with more Democrat than Republican support.

While the Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan aid bills were voted on separately in the House, they will be bundled together with a fourth bill that includes a potential ban on TikTok before being sent to the Senate. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Saturday also brought to the floor an amended version of the FAIR-supported H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act, but refused to bundle that with the broader package. Putting forward the border bill separately ensured the vote was largely symbolic, as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has refused for months to take up any serious, standalone border security legislation. The border bill was also brought to the House floor under suspension of the rules, which requires a two-thirds vote for passage. That move doomed the bill to failure given the lack of Democrat support—ultimately falling far short in a vote of 215-199.

Leading up to the vote on the national security package, many House Republicans continued to fight for border security. The House Freedom Caucus (HFC) pushed back early, urging a no vote on a procedural rule necessary to begin debate. Following passage, HFC Member Chip Roy (R-Texas) released a statement criticizing the process. “For months, House Republicans — specifically, Speaker Mike Johnson — have been unequivocal that we would not send billions in additional aid to Ukraine without securing our own border first. This package represents a complete reversal of a position that previously unified the Republican conference, despite the clear and present danger the southern border represents to U.S. national security.”

Speaker Johnson doubled down in response. “I think providing lethal aid to Ukraine right now is critically important…To put it bluntly, I would rather send bullets to Ukraine than American boys.” He continued to say that while he wants the border to be considered in everything the House does, he simply does not have the votes. That position represents an about-face for Johnson, after referring to securing our border as the hill to die on in December. At that time, he issued a public letter in which he said, “[S]upplemental Ukraine funding is dependent upon enactment of transformative change to our nation’s border security laws.”

Fallout from Johnson’s failure to include border security measures in the foreign aid package is likely to be long-lasting in the House. Some representatives have even said they want to remove him as speaker. While Johnson claims he is not be concerned about a motion to vacate him from office, he has expressed some frustration, and reports circulated last week that he was considering options to block members from moving forward with that motion. Several House Republicans are openly considering it, with Congressman Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) saying last week that pressure is building to remove the speaker and referring it as inevitable. It is widely predicted that Democrats may bail Johnson out if he does face a motion to vacate.

The Democratic-controlled Senate is expected to act quickly to approve the national security package. Senator Schumer was swift to praise Johnson for moving forward with the foreign aid funding, arguing that he was on the right side of history and calling it “a watershed moment for the defense of democracy.” Several Senate Republicans meanwhile expressed sharp disapproval. Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) asserted that the package betrayed any commitment to border security and left Americans at risk of harm, asking how many more Americans need to die before Congress acts. Senator Eric Schmitt (R- Mo.) was similarly critical, writing that sending billions to Ukraine without securing our borders equates to putting America last. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was supportive in the face of that criticism, though, saying in a statement that the funding is “an essential investment in American strength.” The first Senate procedural votes on the package are anticipated this Tuesday.

FAIR will continue to demand that Congress and the Biden Administration act to end the crisis at our borders. The Biden Administration, for example, could immediately take a variety of actions to roll back its disastrous policies and reduce the tidal wave of illegal immigration the southern border, including reinstating the Migrant Protection Protocols; ceasing all unlawful parole programs; and detaining illegal aliens encountered rather than releasing them. What is certain, is that the status quo is unacceptable and cannot continue. Failure to act in the face of the crisis on our borders, and the impacts it is inflicting on American communities across the country, is unconscionable.

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After months of insisting that a national security package that provides funding for Ukraine, Taiwan, and Israel would not move forward without border security measures, the Speaker of the House reversed course.

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Colorado Counties and Sheriffs Sue State over Sanctuary Laws

lhanson — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 12:29:40 +0000

Colorado Counties and Sheriffs Sue State over Sanctuary Laws lhanson Mon, 04/22/2024 - 08:29

FAIR Take | April 2024

The State of Colorado last week was served with a lawsuit by two Colorado counties, Douglas and El Paso, and their respective sheriffs, seeking to strike down two state laws for illegally interfering with federal immigration enforcement laws. Darren Weekly is the elected Sheriff of Douglas County, Colorado Joseph Roybal is the elected Sheriff of El Paso County, Colorado.

The first law being challenged is House Bill (H.B.) 19-1124, which was signed into law by Governor Jared Polis in May 2019. This law prohibits Colorado law enforcement officers from honoring ICE detainers. It also prohibits probation employees from providing personal information about individuals to federal immigration authorities.

The second law being challenged is H.B. 23-1100, which became effective in June 2023. That law bans local governments, including county sheriffs, from contracting with the federal government to detain aliens.

Douglas and El Paso Counties, and their respective sheriffs, Sheriff Darren Weekly and Sheriff Joseph Roybal, claim these laws violate both the state Constitution and the U.S. Constitution. With respect to the state constitution, they claim that the provisions in H.B. 19-1124 and 23-1100 that ban contracting with government for officials for the detention of aliens and prohibit local law enforcement from honoring detainers violate Article 14, §18 of the Colorado Constitution. That section states:

(2)(a) Nothing in this constitution shall be construed to prohibit the state or any of its political subdivisions from cooperating or contracting with one another or with the government of the United States to provide any function, service, or facility lawfully authorized to each of the cooperating or contracting units, including the sharing of costs, the imposition of taxes, or the incurring of debt… .

(c) Nothing in this constitution shall be construed to prohibit any political subdivision of the state from contracting with private persons, associations, or corporations for the provision of any legally authorized functions, services, or facilities within or without its boundaries.

In addition, the counties and sheriffs claim the same provisions violate the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, found in Article 6 Clause 2, which provides that federal law is “the supreme Law of the Land” and thus it preempts all state laws contrary to it. Plaintiffs argue that federal law, specifically, 8 U.S.C. 1324, which prohibits anyone from concealing, harboring or shielding illegal aliens from detection trumps the provisions in H.B. 19-1124 and 23-1100 and thus they must be struck down. [Interestingly, the plaintiffs did not, but likely could have also claimed that the two state laws violate 8 U.S.C. 1373, which prohibits states and localities from sharing a person’s immigration information with federal immigration authorities.]

Douglas county has been particularly active in trying to tackle the immigration crisis that has landed at its doorstep. In October 2023, the County passed a resolution declaring it was not a sanctuary jurisdiction. It also passed another ordinance in March 2024 prohibiting commercial buses from making unscheduled drop-offs of illegal aliens in the county. It has also formally asked Denver Mayor Mike Johnston to support a repeal of the two state laws that are the focus of its legal action.

In a news release announcing the lawsuit, Douglas County Commissioner George Teal said it was imperative that counties work with federal immigration officials to address the crisis at the border. “There is an illegal immigration crisis in America,” Teal said. “We have been proactive, taking steps to mitigate the crisis here in Douglas County, Colorado. What has been missing is the ability of our local law enforcement agencies to work with immigration officials. This is what we seek to solve through this legal action.”

Douglas County Commissioner Lora Thomas said the county must start putting citizens first. “The national migrant crisis has forced Denver to continue to cut local services for residents. We have an obligation first to our citizens, and we see what’s happening in Denver as a warning sign to be proactive here in Douglas County,” said Thomas. “Unfortunately, since the federal government has not taken action at the border, this legal action is now necessary for the preservation of public welfare, health and safety of our local community.”

Next, it will be up to the State of Colorado and Governor Jarid Polis to defend the laws. Once a formal response is filed, the case will be headed to court for preliminary hearings. For the moment, however, the Governor’s office has refused to comment on the lawsuit. “The Governor’s Office will not comment on pending litigation,” a spokesperson for Polis said.

Stay tuned to FAIR for developments as they unfold.

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Two Colorado counties are suing the State to strike down sanctuary laws they claim violate both the state and U.S. constitutions.

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The U.S. Asylum System and Asylum Loopholes

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By Pawel Styma | June 2021 | Click here to view the full version of The U.S. Asylum System and Asylum Loopholes (PDF)

The DACA Myth, What Americans Need to Know

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Introduction

DACA Myths

DACA Facts

Conclusion

References: ________________________________

Illegal Aliens Flown to Martha’s Vineyard Classified as Victims and Given Benefits

Clarity of Words is the Enemy of Mass Immigration Advocates

Italy and America: Shared Fight with Illegal Immigration

Migrants Refuse to Leave Soccer Field, Forcing High Schoolers to Cancel Game

Spain: Dangers of Mass Amnesty for Illegal Aliens

“Death to America” Chants in Michigan Point to Serious Problems With Mass Immigration

House Passes National Security Package without Border Security, Senate to Act Soon

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Colorado Counties and Sheriffs Sue State over Sanctuary Laws

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**By Pawel Styma | June 2021 | Click here to view the full version of The U.S. Asylum System and Asylum Loopholes (PDF)**

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