New Oregon license rules dramatically decrease demand

A law passed in February requires Oregon driver's license applicants to present a verifiable Social Security number before their application can be considered. As of July, applicants for driver's licenses were also required to show proof of citizenship.

Since the ID rules went into effect, the number of license applicants asking to take the written knowledge test in Spanish has dramatically declined. David House of the Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles says that many of the would-be drivers cannot provide a valid Social Security number or valid proof of citizenship, so they don't apply for a license or a renewal.

There are now 65% fewer Spanish-speaking applicants than there were before the ID verifications went into effect, he noted.

Previous federal immigration investigations have uncovered large-scale, illegal businesses involved in the manufacture or theft of Social Security cards. An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid of a Portland, Oregon manufacturing company turned up numerous stolen ID's. But the new driver's license requirements demand more than a Social Security card. They also require some sort of official U.S. document like a passport, a birth certificate or immigration papers, which are much less common, and more expensive, in the forgery business.

Bush administration finally tries enforcing the law

President Bush wanted to give amnesty to illegals, and saw that effort fail in the Senate in June. There is little talk of reviving the proposal anytime soon. Some federal agencies, however, are beginning to enforce the law, cracking down on the hiring of illegal aliens.

In recent months, federal agents have raided factories around the nation. Agents have detained thousands of mostly-Hispanic laborers believed to have entered the United States illegally. Factory owners face prosecution and, if found guilty, must pay hefty fines.

Michael Chertoff, chief of Homeland Security, has announced new procedures that businesses must follow to make sure their employees’ Social Security numbers are legitimate. He has a simple message for employers who ignore the law. "We will come down on them like a ton of bricks."

More than $500 billion in earnings were reported last year by individuals whose names do not match their Social Security numbers. Dozens of workers in multiple states have been found to be using the same number. Identity theft and forged documents are common tactics used by illegal aliens to get jobs, and businesses often looking the other way to secure inexpensive labor.

It’s about time. According to John Keeley of the Center for Immigration Studies. "We need to see real achievements, and we need to see consistent enforcement of immigration law. The Bush administration is getting to enforcement belatedly, to put it charitably. The American people have wanted something significant and something consistent done about illegal immigration for many years."

In Missouri, the "show me" state's law enforcement officers will ID illegal immigrants

Missouri's law enforcement officers are looking for illegal aliens. The state's Governor, Matt Blunt, said he doesn't want the state to wait for the federal government to act on the problem; so he's added the extra duties to the state's officers.

"We don't want what happened to the people in New Jersey to happen in Missouri," Blunt said. The Governor referred to an illegal alien in New Jersey who went to prison for the rape of a child. After posting bail, the man murdered three college students. Blunt has ordered state law to look for illegals, hoping to prevent similar crimes in Missouri.

The orders are for members of the water patrol, highway patrol and capitol police. They will now run immigration and customs enforcement checks, known in the agencies as "ICE" checks. Any suspects found to be illegal immigrants will be sent to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) offices in Kansas City, St. Louis or Springfield. Police departments can run the checks online or get help from the Capitol.

For assistance, law enforcement officers can call MIAC, the Missouri Information Analysis Center in Jefferson City and that agency will do the checks. The new order for background checks began immediately. Earlier this year, the Governor ordered a review of employees at companies with state contracts after the discovery of illegal workers at a cleaning company.

County Sheriff Joe Arpaio - leading Mesa, Arizona in cracking down on human smuggling

Mesa, Arizona's City Council passed an ordinance empowering the city police force to give drivers a parking citation for stopping to pick up day laborers at two city intersections well-known as illegal alien gathering spots. But previously, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio had set up a telephone hotline to gather tips from the public about criminal activity, such as human smuggling. Within the first 18 hours of its operation, the hotline received 100 calls, ranging from reports of suspected drop houses to businesses hiring undocumented workers.

The hotline is part of a crackdown the sheriff's office launched to combat human smuggling of undocumented immigrants. Arpaio deputized 64 Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents so they can act as both federal and local law enforcement agents. "We are quickly becoming a full-fledged anti-illegal immigration agency," the sheriff said.

Arpaio also said that about 160 armed sheriff's deputies, reserves and volunteer posse, cross-trained to enforce immigration law, would begin saturating Valley cities as well as roadways and highways commonly used as transportation corridors for human trafficking.

The sheriff said his deputies would target vehicles commonly used to move human cargo to destinations inside and outside the county. If a vehicle is stopped for probable cause, deputies can question occupants about their immigration status and arrest and jail them if they're undocumented. The sheriff's office started arresting undocumented immigrants in the spring of 2006.

Senate hearing generates bipartisan effort to free Ramos and Compean

With a firearms law designed for drug kingpins, two former Border Patrol agents, Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, were sentenced in 2006 to an extra decade in prison for firing their guns at a Mexican drug smuggler. At a Senate Judiciary hearing this week, senators from both parties decried the use of that provision against law enforcement officers.

The former agents are serving 11- and 12-year terms, while the smuggler remains free, having cut a deal to testify against them. Senators also vented their dismay at West Texas U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton, a Bush appointee who has caught unrelenting grief from anti-illegal immigrant activists over his handling of the case. "This really is a case of prosecutorial overreaction," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the California Democrat who chaired the hearing. "This was still a drug dealer who was shot fleeing. Shot in the rear end fleeing. He wasn't an innocent person."

Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Tex., a 26-year Border Patrol veteran, also joined the effort this week, pressing President Bush to commute the sentences of the two. Reyes said that even though he had supported the agent's conviction, the sentence is too harsh. "This penalty levied on these agents is excessive and ... they deserve the immediate exercise of your executive clemency powers," Senators Feinstein and Cornyn wrote to the President.

Letters to the president have been a blessing for the two affected families, but Bush may not support the requests. "The president has proven with Libby that he can do whatever he wants whenever he wants," said Patty Compean, whose husband is in an Elkton, Ohio, prison. "There's no due process with him. My husband was doing his job. I don't think Libby was."

Iraqis, other from the Middle East being smuggled into New Mexico

FBI agents confirm that Iraqis and others from the Middle East are being smuggled across the Rio Grande from Mexico into New Mexico.

The Washington DC Joint Terrorism Task Force has issued an FBI intelligence report saying an illegal organization has been bringing Iraqis across the border illegally for more than a year.

The FBI report, issued in early July, said the operation had smuggled Mexicans, but now smuggles “Iraqi or other Middle Eastern individuals" because it was more lucrative. Each individual is charged a fee of $20,000 to $25,000 to be brought across the border. Those being smuggled would "gather at a house on the Mexican side” of the border and then cross the Rio Grande into the U.S., the FBI document said, adding that "unidentified individuals” then transport them to train stations in El Paso, Texas or Belen, New Mexico.

If policy hadn’t changed, the Iraqis might be seen as those desperate to leave a war zone. Until this year, the United States has kept its doors all but shut to the estimated two million refugees trying to escape the violence in Iraq, taking in less than 800 Iraqi refugees. However, in May, the Bush administration pledged to legally resettle 7,000 Iraqi refugees here before January.

Virginia county to ban all possible services to illegals

Prince William County, Virginia may have the toughest of a growing number of resolutions across the country seeking to deter illegal immigration.

The county banned illegal immigrants from using services, including the municipal swimming pool and the public library when its Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a resolution banning illegal immigrants from most government-funded services, as well as increasing enforcement of immigration laws.

“Because of the federal failure to really address the immigration issue and because of the public outcry of our constituents," Supervisor John T. Stirrup Jr said, the issue, which had been "simmering for the past couple years” came to the forefront. Stirrup, who introduced the resolution, resolution, has stoutly defended the measure as "the first step toward taking back our community."

If it withstands expected legal challenges, the resolution asks all county agencies to report on services that can be denied, those that can't be denied and those that are at the discretion of officials. It also directs the Police Department to determine the immigration status of individuals who are legally detained when there is probable cause for such a check, and to come up with a standard for determining probable cause.

Prince William County is about 30 miles west of Washington. Its main city is Manassas. Estimates are that the Hispanic population in Virginia today is five times larger than it was in 1996.

Senate betrays Americans by reviving immigration bill

The U.S. Senate today betrayed the American voter by reviving an immigration bill which promises amnesty to more than 12 million illegal aliens. Desperate for a legislative "success," the Bush Administration had put together a target list of Senators they felt could be convinced to support open borders, mass immigration, and amnesty for all.

And how did the Bush effort do in the cloture vote? The following Senators did flip flop and switch their vote, betraying America: Bennett (R-UT), Bingaman (D-NM), Bond (R-MO), Boxer (D-CA), Burr (R-NC), Collins (R-ME), Craig (R-ID), Domenici (R-NM), Ensign (R-NV), Gregg (R-NH), Kyl (R-AZ), Lott (R-MS), McConnell (R-KY), Murkowski (R-AK), Pryor (D-AR), Snowe (R-ME), Stevens (R-AK), Warner (R-VA), and Webb (D-VA). Brownback (R-KS) did not vote last time and claimed to be against the bill, but voted yes this time.

The following Senators did not vote last time but voted against cloture this time.: Barrasso (R-WY), Coburn (R-OK), Enzi (R-WY). The following Senators saw the light since the last vote, when they voted yes. This time they voted no: Bayh (D-IN), Stabenow (D-MI)

Keep calling your Senator, don’t give up. The final Senate vote is scheduled for Friday June 29. Blitz your Senators with as many emails and phone calls as possible. Also, the bill can still be killed in US House of Representatives.

The U.S. Senate must hear from you

Over the past few weeks, the American people have done a tremendous job standing up to a renegade Senate and a President who has managed to convince even the most die-hard Republicans that he is completely on the wrong side of this issue.

But once more, the Senate needs to hear from you. President Bush has urged illegals in the U.S. to demonstrate, and to contact Senators to urge passage of the Senate immigration reform bill that will give them amnesty. That Senate, our Senate, must also hear the wishes of American citizens regarding this legislation.

An open borders group, obviously well-funded by Mexico or one of the multinational corporations which benefits from illegal migration, has established a toll-free number that automatically identifies your Senators and connects you directly to their offices for free. This is one of the easiest ways to contact your senators and turns the tables on amnesty supporters.

Ignore their sales pitch for amnesty for illegal aliens and their families and use their fancy toll-free telephone service to tell your Senators that you want them to vote NO on cloture and NO on the Bush-Kennedy amnesty. Tell them passing no bill is far better than passing an amnesty for 20 million illegal aliens. That number is 800-417-7666.

Georgia statistics show effect of illegals on local workers

Recent Georgia statistics show that despite the claims of businesses, the increased numbers of immigrant workers have been accompanied by a significant decline in the percentage of less-educated natives holding jobs in the state.

• Between 2000 and 2006 the share of less-educated native-born adults (ages 18 to 64) in Georgia holding a job declined from 71 percent to 66 percent. (Less-educated is defined as having no education beyond high school.)

• Less-educated blacks in Georgia have seen a somewhat larger decline in employment, from 66 percent holding a job in 2000 to just 60 percent in 2006.

• There are nearly 800,000 less-educated native-born adults in Georgia not working. There are likely between 250,000 and 350,000 less-educated illegal aliens holding jobs in the state.

• Wages and salary for less-educated adults in Georgia have stagnated. Over the entire six-year time period of the study, real annual wages for less-educated adults grew by just 1 percent. If there was a labor shortage, wages should be rising fast.

• Immigrants (legal and illegal) increased their share of all less-educated workers in Georgia, from 7 percent in 2000 to 19 percent by 2006. Other research indicates that at least half of this growth was from illegal immigrants.

Congressmen introduce comprehensive border security legislation

Congressmen Brian Bilbray of California, Peter T. King of New York and Lamar Smith of Texas have unveiled a comprehensive border security and immigration reform bill as well as a resolution calling for full enforcement of all current immigration laws. The two new measures make up a strong ‘Security First-No Amnesty’ alternative to the Kennedy-Bush Senate Amnesty bill.

“There is no reason why Congress shouldn’t take immediate action to secure our borders, strengthen our immigration laws, implement true interior enforcement and establish a working employer verification system,” Bilbray said.

“The immigration status quo is intolerable. Not because our immigration laws are broken, but because they are not vigorously enforced,” Smith said. “Immigration enforcement has failed primarily because Administrations for 20 years have not enforced sanctions on employers who hire illegal immigrants. Our resolution calls on the Administration to enforce employer sanctions systematically, not just sporadically.”

“If Congress is serious about border security and immigration control, then this is the solution,” King said

Amnesty bill stalls in Senate

A Senate bill to "reform immigration" and give amnesty to 20 million illegal aliens stalled on Thursday, handing President George W. Bush a major legislative setback.

A majority of Senators refused to limit debate on the bill, which had been cobbled together by a bipartisan group and the White House, meeting in private. The cloture vote was 45-50, 15 short of the 60 votes needed to close off further discussion on the legislation. As a result, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid set the bill aside, and moved the Democratic-led Senate on to other legislation.

The bill had drawn fire both from those who emphasize enforcement and those seeking amnesty for illegals.

Although Bush has sought to make immigration reform a centrepiece of his domestic policy, senators from his Republican party sought to offer more amendments and said they would not be rushed. Most of them voted against the motion to limit debate.

Senators “surprised” by anger over immigration proposal

Republicans are getting an earful on immigration. 'I have learned some new words from some of my constituents,' Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Arizona, admitted.

The angry response of voters to the Senate immigration proposal has been a shock to elected officials, and the strongest response has been from those who oppose the legislation.

Those who oppose a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants feel much more strongly about the issue than those who are in favor. In a recent CNN poll, forty-seven percent of those opposing the bill say it's extremely important. But among those who favor a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, only 28 percent say the issue is extremely important to them, according to a CNN poll.

Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee said, 'The folks out there in America who, when they see Washington saying we have this wonderful plan, they say 'Yeah right. We saw what you did with Katrina, we saw what you did with corruption, we saw what you have done in terms of managing the war. So when you tell us you fixed immigration, we are not buying.' '

Wisconsin cop killer likely illegal alien

A decorated Wisconsin county sheriff's deputy was killed last week during a routine traffic stop. Investigators are questioning a man who has so many aliases they aren’t sure of his real name, the sheriff said. The Deputy had tried to pull over a 1995 Chevrolet mini-van, but the driver drove away into a subdivision, stopping when he reached the end of a cul-de-sac just outside Kenosha.

After they got out of their vehicles, the van driver pulled out a handgun and shot the Deputy once in the head. The gunman fled into woods just as a backup officer fired two shots. The Deputy was airlifted to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Police from numerous departments used two helicopters and dogs to search for the gunman. Residents called in tips. The suspect was found less than a mile away at 3 a.m. and gave up without incident. He was carrying a handgun. He is a 44-year-old with multiple aliases and Social Security numbers.

The Deputy, a Kenosha native, was an 18-year veteran of the Sheriff's Department who had served in the Marines. He had won several awards, including one for pulling a woman from a burning building and another for receiving shrapnel wounds after a man in a domestic dispute shot at him and hit a spotlight next to him. He and his wife have an 8-year-old daughter/

Local, state police agencies seek immigration power

Maricopa County Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio created a special unit to enforce an Arizona law that made immigrant smuggling a state crime, sent a 250-member posse into the desert to search for human smugglers and sought a legal opinion allowing him to arrest not only smugglers but also their customers.

He wants the deputies to be able to make immigration arrests when they come across suspected illegal immigrants in traffic stops and other police calls.

He is among a rising number of local police seeking that power. While state and local law enforcement have stayed away from immigration enforcement in the past, 42 agencies across the country are asking the federal government to train officers to make immigration arrests and speed up deportations. Many more have expressed interest. Broadened powers help make communities safer. "It's a force multiplier," said CIS’s Marcy Forman.

State, local agencies already trained to enforce immigration law:
Florida Department of Law Enforcement
Alabama Department of Public Safety
Arizona Department of Corrections
Orange County (Calif.) Sheriff's Department
Mecklenburg County (N.C.) Sheriff's Office
Los Angeles County (Calif.) Sheriff's Department
San Bernardino County (Calif.) Sheriff's Department
Riverside County (Calif.) Sheriff's Department
Gaston (N.C.) Sheriff's Department
Alamance (N.C.) Sheriff's Department