A Wall Street Journal article from guest columnist Leo Banks (Tuscon Weekly) captures the fear for personal safety among residents of the Southwest border. Last week, Banks' visited a service for Arizona rancher Robert Krentz who was recently killed on his property by a suspected illegal alien, and he said that the issue of illegal immigration is different from most Americans.
The Arizona Cattlemen's Association is preparing a list of border recommendations after Arizona rancher Robert Krentz was killed on his property a few weeks ago. The group is calling for the presence of National Guard troops among other things.
Much focus in recent weeks has been placed on the security of the Southwest border, but the Northern border with Canada also faces illegal crossings. Since the January earthquake in Haiti, 114 Haitians have been apprehended trying to illegally enter the United States through Vermont.
In response to the killing of Arizona Ranger Robert Frentz, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson has ordered the National Guard to help patrol the border. Reports from New Mexico say that the troops will assist Border Patrol by setting up surveillance in the war against drug smugglers.
The family of slain Arizona rancher Robert Krentz released a statement yesterday, and for the first time, officially alleged that he was murdered by an illegal alien, although the statement does not go into details of their allegation. In the statement, the family calls for increased manpower and resources on the border.
Longtime Arizona Rancher Rob Krentz was found shot to death on his property late Saturday night. Officials have not concluded that the suspect was an illegal alien, but his brother Phil Krentz said that the last time he spoke to Rob, he said he was responding to an injured illegal alien.
Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colorado) just cosponsored the CLEAR Act. In doing so, he becomes the 14th U.S. Representative to join the NumbersUSA's elite "5-For-5" club.
Rep. Dean Heller (R-Nevada) just cosponsored the Nuclear Family Priority Act and the SAVE Act. In doing so, he becomes the 13th U.S. Representative to join the NumbersUSA's elite "5-For-5" club.
We can now look at what was actually happening on the border (with frightening video to help illustrate) at the same time Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano was telling Congress that the border has been "transformed" under her watch and is now secure enough to pass an amnesty. Also take a look at the similarity between J-No's misleading of the public with Pres. Bush's. . . .
This game camera was set up by concerned citizens along the Southwest border. The first video captures two illegal aliens armed with rifles and scopes. The next video captures illegal alien drug mules who are carrying backpacks filled with marijuana. The black jugs filled with water help them hide at night time. The final video captures an illegal alien carrying a MAC-10 machine gun.
Pres. Barack Obama's newly proposed 2011 budget would reduce the number of 180 Border Patrol agents along the Southwest border and cut the funding for the "virtual fence." Homeland Security plans to cut the jobs through attrition, and it would result in increased pay for the remaining agents.
Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) has introduced a bi-partisan House Resolution along with Rep. Frank Kratovil (D-Md.) and 20 other House Members that would state the House's resolve to 1) mandate the nationwide use of E-Verify, 2) secure the borders, and 3) prevent any amnesty as part of an immigration reform bill.
Rep. Judy Biggert (R-Ill.) added her name to the long list of cosponsors to the House version of the SAVE Act introduced by Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.). The list of sponsors to H.R.3308 is now at 104.
I'll be honoring my Missouri Ozarks roots tonight by accompanying Christmas caroling at my church on a banjo! For all of us who are attending religious services in our faith tradition during the holidays, we can expect to be reminded of bedrock values and soaring aspirations. But for a few of you, your clergy will exploit the season (as happens every year) to make the case against national communities and for virtually open immigration. They will try to make you feel selfish about supporting limits on immigration, limits that benefit your national and local communities. But is it really selfless and charitable to espouse amnesty for immigration lawbreakers and increased foreign labor competition for our jobless neighbors, as so do so many of our national religious elites? I prefer the selfless efforts that NumbersUSA members make throughout the year to assist especially the most vulnerable members of their national community; it is the GIFT OF COMMUNITY that is most appropriate with the themes of the season.
Congressman (and former judge) Ted Poe addressed the need for an Immigration Suspension during his opening statement at the Congressional Forum two weeks ago. Poe spoke of the impact that immigration has on the American taxpayer and rising federal deficits.
The number of people caught trying to enter the country fell by more than 23 percent last year according to new federal data. The struggling economy and hurting job market continue to be major causes, but the administration is also trying to point towards beefed up border security.
The Department of Homeland Security has announced that it's finalizing plans to collect information from foreign visitors exiting the country through the nation's airports. DHS plans to collect fingerprints or eye scans as foreigners leave.
The Senate today cleared for the President’s signature the conference report accompanying the FY 2010 Homeland Security spending bill (H.R. 2892). The measure, which passed the Senate by a 79-19 margin, includes a three-year reauthorization of the E-Verify workplace eligibility verification system. Prior to passage, Senators lamented the conference committee’s removal of a permanent E-Verify reauthorization and other immigration enforcement-related provisions.
The House today adopted the conference report accompanying the FY 2010 Homeland Security spending bill, which includes a three-year reauthorization of the E-Verify workplace eligibility verification system. The measure will next be taken up in the Senate.
The new Zogby poll in Mexico found that our enforcement efforts in the U.S. -- weak as they may be -- are intimidating about 39 million Mexicans from moving to the U.S. Imagine what would happen if we had mandatory verification to keep illegal aliens out of all U.S. jobs. Instead, though, we have nearly all of our national religious leaders and the leaders of the U.S. Congress promising an amnesty for illegal aliens already here. And the majority of Mexicans, the poll found, believe a U.S. amnesty would definitely increase illegal immigration.
AP: Please explain whether you support a bill recently passed in the Senate that would give more money for border security, a guest worker program and a shot at citizenship for illegal immigrants.
CASEY: ... From 1999 to 2003, the number of employers who were notified that they would be fined for hiring illegal immigrant went from 417 in 1999 to 3 in 2004. In 1999, there were 2,849 work site arrests. By 2004, that number dropped to only 159.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is asking the Department of Homeland Security for further clarification on recent reports that the agency plans to reduce the number of border patrol agents along the Southern border.
Hello, NumbersUSA members. Jim here.
I've been reading through (and answering) emails you’ve sent me lately. Many members have shared heartbreaking and hair raising tales of out-of-control immigration. Especially illegal immigration. Thought I'd share a few of the 100–200 emails members send me every week.
From the "everything’s broken" department:
Border Patrol officials report that at least 261 Chinese nationals were arrested this year trying to cross the border illegally in Arizona's Tucson Border Sector This represents a ten-fold increase over the average of 32 caught there during each of the last four years.
Rep. Jim Matheson (D-Utah), Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.), and Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-Texas) added their names to the long list of cosponsors to the House version of the SAVE Act introduced by Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.). The list of sponsors to H.R.3308 is now at 99.
The debate over Sen. Jim DeMint's border fence amendment is stalling the reconciliation of the 2010 Homeland Security spending bill. Sen. DeMint's amendment requires the completion of the fence along the Southwest border and was approved by the Senate, but the House leadership is reluctant to support the measure.
Roy Beck recaps how NumbersUSA members helped ensure two victories in Congress this week.
Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) offered an amendment (SA 2523) to the Dept. of Interior spending bill (H.R. 2996) that would prevent any funds in the bill from being used to limit U.S. law enforcement activities, including immigration enforcement, on public lands near the border. The language is near identical to an amendment adopted during yesterday’s House debate and passage of H.R. 324 – the Santa Cruz National Heritage Area Act. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who chairs the Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, requested a unanimous consent and the amendment was adopted without a recorded vote.
Before a final vote was taken on Rep. Raul Grijalva's (D-Ariz.) bill, H.R.324, to create a National Heritage Area in Southern Arizona, the House voted, 259-to-167, to include an amendment that would allow the Border Patrol to continue its normal enforcement operations in the area.
A bill introduced by Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), H.R.324, is making its way to the House floor and a vote could come as soon as this afternoon. The bill would establish the Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area, which would cover much of the Mexican border in Southern Arizona. If passed as is, the bill could jeopardize security efforts along that part of the border.
Recently, an article in a large newspaper caught my eye with a quote from a farmer in words that were so perfect for the “comprehensive reform” amnesty crowd that it seemed like a lobbyist had coached him on what to say. So, over a 2-week period I tried to contact him, and I finally caught up with him a couple of days ago. Our conversation illuminates how decent family farmers have gotten mixed up with the amnesty lobby.
Securing our southern border raises interesting environmental issues. But there is no denying the environmental devastation along the border resulting from illegal immigration and our chronic failure to secure the borders. Janice Kephart uses exclusive hidden camera video to tell the story of the negative effects of not stopping illegal immigration across the Mexican border in the following guest blog. . .
Last year, demographer Arthur C. Nelson of the University of Utah predicted that the population of the United States would hit 1 billion sometime during the years 2100-2120. After analysis, it looks like a perfectly reasonable estimate to me.
Senator David Vitter (R-La.) was one of the three original cosponsors to the Senate version of the SAVE Act introduced by Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) last week.
Senator Mary Landrieu (D-La.) was one of the three original cosponsors to the Senate version of the SAVE Act introduced by Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) last week.
Senator Richard Burr (R-N.C.) was one of the three original cosponsors to the Senate version of the SAVE Act introduced by Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) last week.
