Alabama's New Immigration Law Goes Back in Time

The law requires schools to check and publish the immigration status of students. I didn't realize Alabama was an immigrant hotspot. Clearly those states with racist tendencies are blaming immigrants for the bad economy. Scapegoating is a national pastime like baseball.

Republican Party Explained

People are trying to figure out what's going on with the republicans. Mark Shields nutshells it: The GOP is becoming more white as the U.S. becomes less white. Fearful white people  (by nature, conservatives) who are fearful of what a less white population means for them are what makes up the republican party today. Some people fear change. Others embrace it. Today's republican party is in disarray as it tries to figure out what it wants to be. It needs stronger leaders who are Hispanic and black, etc. -- people who are more diverse. Before the GOP can represent America it needs to represent America.
At about the 3.40 mark:

Obama's Speech on Immigration Reform in El Paso May 10

The Obama administration has deported more illegal immigrants than the Bush administration. But Obama says his administration has targeted criminals. Still border security is not enough for republicans, some of whom will be needed to pass reform. Frankly, I think many republicans like the status quo of exploiting cheap labor. Read Obama's speech. Here's an excerpt:

You know, they said we needed to triple the Border Patrol. Or now they’re going to say we need to quadruple the Border Patrol. Or they’ll want a higher fence. Maybe they’ll need a moat. Maybe they want alligators in the moat. They’ll never be satisfied. And I understand that. That’s politics.

But the truth is the measures we’ve put in place are getting results. Over the past two and a half years, we’ve seized 31 percent more drugs, 75 percent more currency, 64 percent more weapons than ever before.  And even as we have stepped up patrols, apprehensions along the border have been cut by nearly 40 percent from two years ago. That means far fewer people are attempting to cross the border illegally.

Background from the White House:

On Tuesday the President will deliver a speech at Chamizal National Memorial in El Paso, Texas on the importance of fixing the broken immigration system for our nation’s 21st century economic and security needs so that America can win the future. The President will also discuss how Americans can work together to foster a constructive national conversation on this important issue as we work to build a bipartisan consensus in Congress.

Prior to the speech, President Obama will tour the cargo facility at the Bridge of the Americas Port of Entry, the largest of four crossings that comprise the El Paso Port of Entry. The Bridge of the Americas processes inbound and outbound commercial, private vehicle, bus, and pedestrian traffic. Of the half a billion inspections conducted annually at 327 ports of entry across the nation, approximately ten percent will enter through the El Paso Port of Entry. This event is pooled press.

President Obama Tours Cargo Facility at Bridge of the Americas Port of Entry
1 PM MDT
Bridge of the Americas Port of Entry
El Paso, Texas
This event is pooled press

President Obama Delivers Remarks
1:30 PM MDT
Chamizal National Memorial
800 South San Marcial Street
El Paso, Texas
This event is open to pre-credentialed media

Background
In recent weeks the President has met with and heard from leaders and stakeholders from diverse sectors including faith, business, law enforcement officials, current and former elected officials and others about the need to fix the broken immigration system, and why it matters to the American economy and will allow us to better use our national security and law enforcement resources. The President wants to have a civil and constructive debate on this issue.

The United States has been enriched by a steady stream of hardworking and talented people who have helped make America an engine of the global economy and a beacon of hope around the world. As we work to rebuild the economy, our ability to thrive depends, in part, on restoring responsibility and accountability to the immigration system. President Obama believes Democrats and Republicans should come together to tackle an issue that is critical not only to our national security but also to the economy and our global competiveness. In his recent meetings, the President has made clear he will continue to lead on this issue, but has asked these leaders to take a public and active role in elevating the immigration debate. To date, thirty community conversations are being organized around the country, among them:

May 11: Business, labor, law enforcement, and faith leaders join Senior Administration officials for a conference call to recap the President’s speech and next steps.
May 12: Business leaders join U.S. Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra and Administration officials in Omaha, Nebraska for a roundtable community conversation.
May 12: Steve Case, Founder and former CEO of AOL and chair of the Startup America Partnership joins Senior Administration officials in a community conversation in Silicon Valley.
May 19: Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) leaders join Secretary Solis on a national conference call.
May 31: The Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce hosts a roundtable with Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Obama Speaks in El Paso on Immigration Reform May 10

The speech begins at 3:30 PM eastern time. Live stream here.

Obama Meets With Hispanic Caucus on Immigration

From the White House:

President Obama remains deeply committed to fixing the broken immigration system. The United States has been enriched by a steady stream of hardworking and talented people who have helped make America an engine of the global economy and a beacon of hope around the world. As we work to rebuild the economy, our ability to thrive depends, in part, on restoring responsibility and accountability to the immigration system. President Obama believes Democrats and Republicans should come together to tackle an issue that is critical not only to our national security but also to the economy and our global competiveness.

The President has outlined a vision for fixing the broken immigration system through common-sense, comprehensive immigration reform grounded in the principles of responsibility and accountability:

· Responsibility from the federal government to secure our borders: Today, our borders are more secure than at any time in the past several decades. However, the Administration continues to refine and strengthen its strategy. Enforcement resources should be increased where appropriate and focused on stopping potential terrorists and others who would do our nation harm.

· Accountability for businesses that break the law by undermining American workers and exploiting undocumented workers: Employers that break the law by deliberately hiring and exploiting undocumented workers must be held accountable. At the same time, we must give employers who want to play by the rules a reliable way to verify that their employees are here legally.

· Responsibility from people who are living in the United States illegally: Those people living here illegally must also be held accountable for getting on the right side of the law, by admitting they broke the law, paying taxes and a penalty, learning English before they can get in line to become legalized and citizens. Being a citizen of this country comes not only with rights but also with fundamental responsibilities. We can create a pathway for legal status that is fair, and reflects of our values.

· Strengthen economic competiveness by creating a legal immigration system that meets our diverse needs: Our immigration laws should encourage high-skilled individuals we train in our world-class institutions of higher education to stay in the United States and create jobs, stop punishing innocent young people for their parents’ actions by denying children the chance to earn an education or join the military so they can earn higher wages and generate more tax revenues, provide farmers a legal way to hire the workers they rely on, and should respect families following the rules.

The President takes seriously his responsibility to enforce our immigration laws and secure the border. Over the last two years, the Obama Administration has dedicated unprecedented resources to secure the border, taken important steps to make interior and worksite enforcement of our immigration laws smarter, and more effective, and made improvements to the legal immigration system.

· Dedicating Unprecedented Resources to Secure the Border: Today, there are more “boots on the ground” along the Southwest Border than ever before. DHS has also deployed thousands of technology assets, including aircraft and Unmanned Aircraft Systems, and completed nearly all fencing. Last year, Congress answered the President’s call to bolster the federal government’s efforts through the Southwest Border Security Supplemental Bill. DHS is using these resources to build on their successful efforts to decrease the numbers of illegal aliens who cross the border and increase seizures of illegal currency, drugs, and guns that have led to thousands of criminal arrests and prosecutions.

· Making our Interior and Worksite Enforcement Efforts Smarter and More Strategic: The Administration has laid out new enforcement strategies targeted at removing immigrants convicted of serious crimes and unscrupulous employers who seek to exploit both immigrant and American workers. These new strategies are having real results with deportations of criminal immigrants significantly increasing and auditing and fines against employers who are not in compliance with immigration laws in FY 2010. DHS has also invested in implementing important reforms to the detention system, enhancing the security and efficiency of the detention system while prioritizing the health and safety of detainees.

· Improving our Legal Immigration System: The Administration is improving processing times and clearing backlogs of pending immigration applications, including fully eliminating the FBI National Name Check Program’s backlog. DHS is also working to ensure that naturalization is accessible to all qualified legal immigrants. Since January 2009, DHS has worked with the Armed Forces to naturalize 14,000 military personnel. DHS is also devoting critical funding to support citizenship preparation and integration programs in communities throughout the country.

Our efforts have been enormously successful, but we need comprehensive reform that demands responsibility and accountability from the government, businesses, and immigrants themselves.

Obama Says DADT Will End on His Watch

Once again Obama says he wants to end DADT in an "orderly" way and repeal DADT through Congress, while the left just want Obama to write an executive order.

At the MTV/BET town hall today, Obama also said that he's somewhat optimistic that he can get the Dream Act done next legislative session. I'll post the town hall if it comes available.

Brewer's Headless Bodies in the Desert

I understand that Arizona has an illegal immigration problem, but Jan Brewer has too much zeal in pushing against the federal government and "Obamacare." I think what happened is her ego overpowered her brain causing her to sound like such as U.S. Americans the Iraq such as Miss Teen South Carolina. See the next video, which is Brewer's full opening statement.

Justice Sues Arizona Sheriff Arpaio

Every time I hear Joe Arpaio speak, he is nothing but belligerent. He has an agenda, just not the one that he thinks he has. He thinks his agenda is upholding the law. But he clearly has issues with immigrants--legal or illegal.

In an atmosphere of tension between the federal government and Arizona, the Justice Department today dialed it up some more, filing a lawsuit against Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio -- accusing him, the county, and his office with failing to cooperate with a civil rights investigation of his office.
The Justice Department has been investigating allegations that the sheriff's office has engaged in discrimination against Hispanics. As a recipient of federal funds, the sheriff's office is required to cooperate with such investigations. MSNBC

Evangelical Preaches Love thy Neighbor Even if He's an Immigrant

Usually evangelicals are preaching against immigrants, but Matthew Soerens actually loves thy neighbor, which is sort of refreshing.

Obama's Statement on Southwest Border Security Bill

Obama signs the bill tomorrow at 11 am eastern. Look for a live stream here.

Statement by the President on the Passage of the Southwest Border Security Bill

I have made securing our Southwest Border a top priority since I came to office. That is why my administration has dedicated unprecedented resources and personnel to combating the transnational criminal organizations that traffic in drugs, weapons, and money, and smuggle people across the border with Mexico. Today's action by Congress answers my call to bolster the essential work of federal law enforcement officials and improve their ability to partner with state, local, and tribal law enforcement. The resources made available through this legislation will build upon our successful efforts to protect communities along the Southwest border and across the country. And this new law will also strengthen our partnership with Mexico in targeting the gangs and criminal organizations that operate on both sides of our shared border. So these steps will make an important difference as my administration continues to work with Congress toward bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform to secure our borders, and restore responsibility and accountability to our broken immigration system.

Read background on the bill here.

Republicans Want to Change Fourteenth Amendment

Republicans believe our country's founders -- that they so often worship these days -- screwed up the Fourteenth Amendment. As Americans, we let people be, live and let live -- so long as the economy is good.

John Boehner thinks that we should consider changing the Fourteenth Amendment:

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Obama's Speech on Immigration at American University July 1

This is the full video. Read the transcript here.

WH immigration reform roundtable, including the proposed Dream Act. Many kids were brought here by their undocumented parents and discover that they themselves aren't legal residents when they try to get a job or go to college:

Obama Speaks on Immigration Reform July 1

Obama will speak at 10:50 am eastern. Look for a live stream here and here.

"It’s an issue that’s important right now," Burton said. "It’s important at the border. It’s important for folks who are employing people all over the country. It’s an important issue ... and the president thinks that right now, given the focus on it, it’s important that he makes clear exactly where he stands on it.

"There’s been the Arizona law, there’s been meetings about it, there’s been protests about it," he said. "He thought this was a good time to talk plainly with the American people about his views on immigration." The Hill

White House Says Kyl Fibbing

Immigration will never be resolved because there are too many bigots involved in the debate. You can't have a rational debate or develop reasonable policy with bigots.

It's pretty disgusting that this issue hasn't been resolved by now. Many republicans don't want immigration reform. They want the status quo so they can continue to exploit immigrants for cheap labor. That's all anyone cares about. If there is reform, then businesses would actually have to pay people wages.

If anyone really wanted to stop illegal immigration, it would be really easy.

Jail executives for several years when they're found guilty of hiring illegal immigrants, whether they hired them unwittingly or not. Problem solved.

In a video that started circulating among conservative blogs over the weekend, the Arizona Republican is seen telling supporters in North Phoenix that in a private meeting in the Oval Office, Obama said “the problem” with border enforcement measures is that “if we secure the border then [Republicans] won’t have any reason to support comprehensive immigration reform.”
Kyl said the president’s supposed statement is proof that Democrats “don’t want to secure the border unless or until it is combined with comprehensive immigration reform.”

But in a statement to POLITICO, White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer denied Kyl’s account of the conversation, saying “the president didn’t say that and Senator Kyl knows it.” Read it all at Politico.

There was a moment on This Week on Sunday between NPR's Michelle Martin and Fox's Greta.
Greta argued that Arizona's immigration law doesn't allow racial profiling and the Obama administration should acknowledge that. Michelle Martin gave Greta a dose of reality on what's wrong with Arizona's law. Watch:

Arizona's Brewer on Her Meeting With Obama

Obama met with Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer today:

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer says she and President Barack Obama have agreed to try to work together on a solution to the nation's immigration and border security woes.
Brewer also says Obama assured her that most of the 1,200 National Guard troops he is sending to the southern border will be coming to her state. Brewer recently signed a tough new immigration enforcement law that requires police to check people's immigration status. AP

Robert Gibbs responses to White House reporters questions on the meeting:

How did the president's meeting with Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer come about? "I think she requested the meeting," Gibbs says, noting that the president and Brewer have some differences of opinion: "She's got a point of view that you've got to do border security first. ... One of the results of the meeting, I think, she believes there will be better communication between the administration and her state."

If immigration reform is to happen, Gibbs says, it will take leadership from Republicans like John McCain who have tackled the issue before. Politico

Update from the White House:

The President had a good meeting with Governor Jan Brewer of Arizona at the White House today to discuss a range of critical issues of mutual interest, including the President’s comprehensive plan to secure the Southwest border and the unprecedented resources his Administration has devoted to that effort. The President and Governor Brewer also discussed the President’s decision to deploy up to an additional 1,200 requirements-based National Guard troops to the border and his upcoming request to Congress of $500 million in supplemental funds for enhanced border protection and law enforcement activities as part of that integrated strategy. The President listened to Governor Brewer’s concerns, and noted that the Administration’s ongoing border protection and security efforts have increased pressure on illegal trafficking organizations through record seizures of illegal weapons and bulk cash transiting from the United States to Mexico, resulted in significant seizures of illegal drugs headed into the United States, lowered the average violent crime statistics in states along the Southwest Border, and reduced illegal immigration into the United States.
Despite the significant improvements, the President acknowledged the understandable frustration that all Americans share about the broken immigration system, and the President and Governor agreed that the lack of action to fix the broken system at the federal level is unacceptable. As he did at the recent meeting with Senate Republicans, the President underscored that security measures alone won’t fix the broken borders, there needs to be comprehensive immigration reform that includes: lasting and dedicated resources by which to secure our borders and make our communities safer; holding unscrupulous employers accountable who hire workers illegally and exploit them and providing clear guidance for the many employers who want to play by the rules; and requiring those who have come here illegally to pay a fine, pay back taxes, learn English, and get right with the law. The President urged Governor Brewer to be his partner in working in a bipartisan manner on comprehensive immigration reform to implement the type of smart, sensible, and effective solutions the American people expect and deserve from their federal government. Regarding Arizona law SB1070, the President reiterated his concern with the measure, including that a patchwork of different state immigration regulations around the country would interfere with the federal government’s responsibility to set and enforce immigration policy.

Obama to Meet With Arizona's Governor Brewer June 3

Jan Brewer is feeling feisty.

"We'll meet you in court," Brewer told CNN' when asked how she would respond if President Barack Obama's Department of Justice decided to challenge the law. "I have a pretty good record of winning in court."
The American Civil Liberties Union is currently leading a court challenge. Attorney General Eric Holder, who met with a delegation of police chiefs from Arizona and elsewhere this week to discuss the law, has yet to indicate whether the federal government would file a legal challenge.
Obama, who has called the law "misguided," will meet with Brewer at the White House on Thursday, a White House official told CNN. It will be the first one-on-one meeting between the two since Brewer approved the law in April. CNN

Gutierrez Vs. Hayward on Immigration

No doubt, America's immigration laws need to be changed, but the main trouble with Arizona's law is the intent behind the law is bigoted. People hate Mexicans. We have racists ruling the immigration debate. Reasonable minds, without a racist motive, need to draw up immigration reform.

If we did just one thing--send employers to jail for hiring illegal workers, you can bet the problem would be solved just like that. We wouldn't have Mexicans risking their lives crossing the border to earn a living because no one would hire them. But the dirty not-so-secret secret is that business wants cheap labor, and like everything else in this nation, business gets what it wants.

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Obama Sending 1,200 Guard Troops to Border

Read James Jones and John Brennan's border letter here.

Homeland Security officials said that the troops would provide support to law enforcement officers already working along the border by helping observe and monitor traffic between official crossing points, and would help analyze trafficking patterns in hopes of intercepting illegal drug shipments. They performed similar tasks in an earlier deployment along the border from 2006 to 2008, when they also assisted with road and fence construction. The troops have not been involved directly in intercepting border crossers. NYT

McCain wants 6,000.

Michelle Obama Discusses Immigration With Second Grader

Michelle Obama and the First Lady of Mexico, Margarita Zavala, visited an elementary school today. A second grader told Michelle that her mother didn't have legal papers. Her mother will surely will be hunted down and targeted by conservatives with nothing better to do.
Transcript

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Obama Says Immigration Reform Needs Some Republican Cooperation

In Obama's joint press conference with Mexico's Calderon, Obama says Arizona's law leaves open the possibility of harassment of citizens. He says the Justice Department will report on this law shortly.

The Arizona law also expresses Americans' frustration that the federal government hasn't reformed immigration, he said.

Obama says the political challenge is that while the majority of democrats will support legislation, he doesn't have 60 votes in the Senate. Obama says he needs some republicans. "I need some help in order to get it done," he said. Read the transcript here.