Muscatine

In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.''
Theodore Roosevelt 1907

Ted Kennedy on Immigration

1965: ''The bill will not flood our cities with immigrants. It will not upset the ethnic mix of our society. It will not relax the standards of admission. It will not cause American workers to lose their jobs.''

1986: ''This amnesty will give citizenship to only 1.1 to 1.3 million illegal aliens. We will secure the borders henceforth. We will never again bring forward another amnesty bill like this.''


2007: ''Now it is time for action. 2007 is the year we must fix our broken system.''

Immigration-2

Immigrant-rights groups critical of upcoming radio event




Associated Press - December 25, 2007 8:34 PM ET

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Immigrant-rights groups are criticizing the organizers of an upcoming radio event that will promote a crackdown on illegal immigration.

The groups accuse the Federation for American Immigration Reform of trying to promote bigotry and racism. The group, also known as FAIR, is sponsoring a broadcast marathon for Thursday and Friday in Des Moines. The event is expected to include 22 radio talk show hosts from across the country.

''We don't agree with their views that are demonizing immigrants, and we don't appreciate their coming to Iowa telling us what we should think about immigrants,'' said

Alicia Claypool, chairwoman of the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, says FAIR is ''demonizing immigrants.''

Dan Stein, president of FAIR, says critics are demonizing his group and discrediting an entire side of the immigration debate.

FAIR's Web site - http://www.fairus.org - says the group advocates for improved border security, an end to illegal immigration, and immigration levels ''consistent with more traditional rates of about 300,000 a year.''


Information from: The Des Moines Register, http://www.desmoinesregister.com

Immigration

I see a very simple solution to this problem.
If every C.E.O. was fined $10,000 and sent to prison for 3 months with no compensation from the company for each illegal alien found working for them.
It would dry up in a hurry.

Arizona-

Arizona's tougher law driving out immigrants
Amanda Lee Myers
Associated Press / December 26, 2007

PHOENIX - Illegal immigrants in Arizona, frustrated with a flagging economy and tough new legislation cracking down on their employers, are returning to their home countries or trying their luck in other states.
more stories like this

For months, immigrants have taken a wait-and-see attitude toward the state's new employer-sanctions law, which takes effect Jan. 1. The voter-approved legislation is an attempt to lessen the economic incentive for illegal immigrants in Arizona, the busiest crossing point along the US-Mexico border.

And by all appearances, it's starting to work.People are calling me telling me about their friend, their cousin, their neighbors - they're moving back to Mexico, said Magdalena Schwartz, an immigrant-rights activist and pastor at a Mesa church.

Martin Herrera, a 40-year-old illegal immigrant and masonry worker who lives in Camp Verde, 70 miles north of Phoenix, said he is planning to return to Mexico as soon as he ties up loose ends after living here for four years.

I don't want to live here because of the new law and the oppressive environment, he said. I'll be better in my country. He called the employer-sanctions law absurd. There's no way to know how many illegal immigrants are leaving Arizona, especially now with many returning home for normal holidays visits. But economists, immigration lawyers, and people who work in the immigrant community agree it's happening.

State Representative Russell Pearce of Mesa, the author of the employer sanctions law, said his intent was to drive illegal immigrants out of Arizona. I'm hoping they will self-deport, Pearce said. Under the employer sanctions law, businesses found to have knowingly hired illegal workers will be subject to sanctions from probation to a 10-day suspension of their business licenses. A second violation would bring permanent revocation of the license.

Nancy-Jo Merritt, an immigration lawyer who primarily represents employers, said her clients already have started to fire workers who can't prove they are in the country legally. When immigrants don't have jobs, they don't stick around, said Dawn McLaren, a research economist at Arizona State University.

As the jobs dwindle and the environment becomes more unpleasant in more ways than one, you then decide what to do, and perhaps leaving looks like a good idea, she said.

Pearce disagreed that the Arizona economy will suffer after illegal immigrants leave, saying there will be less crime, lower taxes, less congestion, smaller classroom sizes, and shorter lines in emergency rooms. We have a free market. It'll adjust, he said. Americans will be much better off.