This week, it's the 104th anniversary of Ellis Island's one-day peak - the day when more immigrants were welcomed than any other in American history. On April 17, 1907, 11,747 immigrants became Americans - and that was just at Ellis Island.
Today, 104 years later, America is stuck in the mud with a broken immigration system. Americans want reform that unites families, promotes fair employment practices, and restores America's place as a nation that welcomes those seeking freedom from persecution and a better way of life.
This week, Immigrants' List -- a bipartisan political action committee dedicated to electing pro-immigration lawmakers - unveiled the 2011 inductees into the Immigration Hall of Shame. In the Hall of Shame are California's own, Reps. Ed Royce (#3) and Brian Bilbray (#6), who have earned places alongside the likes of Michele Bachmann and Steve King.
Now more than ever a comprehensive U.S. immigration reform is key in helping rebuild our country and giving back American working families the prosperity and equality they deserve. When we allow a group of people to be exploited and discriminated against, it negatively impacts American workers by driving down wages, benefits and working conditions.
President Obama recently announced he will pursue immigration reform that would allow the millions of undocumented workers already living in the country now to "come out of the shadows." For that to happen, they need to be able to speak up and report abuses, organize and come to the bargaining table without fearing deportation. The reality is that most of these millions of workers have already established families in their communities and are part of our society as much as any U.S.-born American.
The Bush Administration has released midnight regulation changes that make it easier for growers to slash the pay of domestic farm workers and hire imported foreign laborers instead of U.S. field workers. They will weaken government protections in an industry known for violating the minimum wage, housing requirements and other rules. We must do everything we can to avoid having these regulations implemented. Please help!
Los Angeles Times, 12/16/08: Not content to leave office as the most unpopular president in recent history, Bush is cementing his legacy of hardheaded autocracy by pushing through a record number of last-minute and particularly noxious changes in federal regulations. Bypassing congressional debate and often receiving public comments through government websites, the administration has in recent months issued dozens of "midnight regulations" that in some cases could take years to reverse. This isn't just leaving a stamp on the country, it's more like inking a tattoo.
What would you do if your American dream had to be deferred? And how would you respond when you find out that your dream must be deferred because of nine digits? Yep, nine digits would be separating you from your plans, your hopes, your wishes, your future. Doesn't that seem unfair?
Well, it is. It's quite unfair for all the young people to work so hard to go to college, yet can't access any financial aid because they are undocumented immigrants. And even if they can somehow make it through college, they can't get a job because they don't have those nine little digits. Even though they came here as children, and even though they only remember living here, they are punished for something they had no control over.
So what can be done about this injustice? Follow me after the flip for more...
Yesterday, the Dreams Across America train took off from L.A.'s Union Station, one of four trains around the country carrying 100 "dreamers" to Washington, D.C. to tell the stories of their own immigration or how immigrants have touched their lives. There will be blogging from the train (Courage Campaign's own Rick Jacobs will have daily updates) to capture these stories both in written and video form, the goal being to humanize and personalize immigration the way a rally of hundreds of thousands in the street can't.
All of the immigrants on the train are legal American citizens but that didn't stop Lou Dobbs from attacking the Dreams Across America campaign yesterday. He likes to call it "The Amnesty Train" or "A Train" for short (ain't he clever!) So today, one of the dreamers, Cathy Gurney, shot back, challenging him to get on the train to hear the real stories of immigration in this country.
Cathy Gurney's statement and her story over the flip...
"The president insists on defining amnesty in a way that is contrary to the way everybody else defines that word," he said. "Every time he does, he loses credibility."
Calling himself a strong supporter of Bush throughout his administration, Rohrabacher said that this time he was personally offended by Bush's suggestions that the bill was good for America. He repeatedly referred to it as the "Bush-Kennedy" bill, linking Bush to Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy, and he blamed the bill on an "unholy coalition between the big-business element of the Republican Party and the liberal left."
Amnesty? "Bush-Kennedy"? Huh? Maybe Dana Rohrabacher is taking the right position on this bill, but he's doing it for the completely wrong reason. So why is Dana wrong, even when he's right? Follow me after the flip for more...
Steve Maviligio and Robert Salladay post today on a new coalition that has united in favor of compassionate immigration reform.
More than a dozen California evangelical churches have joined a coordinated nationwide effort, Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform, to call for humane treatment of illegal immigrants, stronger border enforcement, guest worker programs and smoother paths to citizenship.
The group has begun an advertising campaign in Washington, DC this week and has sent 200,000 letters to members of congress.
This news comes on the same day as the launch of a new sanctuary program for illegal immigrants. Several churches around the country plan to take part, although it will start modestly in Los Angeles today with an area Catholic church and Lutheran church each sheltering one person from the threat of deportation, operating under one key assumption:
Organizers don't believe immigration agents will make arrests inside the churches.
Attorney Jim Lacy rang to report that Judge Randell Wilkinson has turned down Minuteman Project co-founder Jim Gilchrist's request to have three more months before the court will consider putting the organization into the hands of a third-party receivership.
Ah, so Mr. Minuteman Gilchrist can't reclaim the group that he created... And caused havoc upon. Now why don't I fell sorry for him? Oh yeah, thisiswhy. Yes, I kinda sense poetic justice here.
(OK, done! And if you have something to say about this Dana Point ordinance, then go ahead and go to the city council meeting tonight at 5:00 PM! - promoted by atdleft)
"We are trying to … keep our population comfortable and safe," she said. "Enforcing immigration law is not a city job."
That's what Dana Point Mayor (ANDCandidate for AD 73 in 2008) Diane Harkey has to say to The OC Register about a "No-Trespassing Ordinance" that may very well become law tonight in Dana Point. And if Dana Point does pass this ordinance, it will be the third South Orange County city to do so...
But what does this mean? The new law will prohibit day laborers from congregating on private property... But will it really kick all the "illegals" out of Dana Point? Will it solve the problem of all the "illegal aliens" loitering in front of city businesses?
So what is it about these anti-immigration measures taking off in Orange County, and spreading throughout the rest of California, and being copied elsewhere in the nation? As a native Orange County resident, I live in the middle of all of this...
And I want to examine the issues surrounding local governments enforcing immigration law. Today, we go to Dana Point to figure out whether this "No-Trespassing Ordinance" will really work. Follow me after the flip for more on this latest attempt in Orange County to weed out the undocumented...
Oh, my! As soon as I picked up my OC Register, I suddenly found this:
A Superior Court judge on Thursday rejected Minuteman Project founder Jim Gilchrist's request to be immediately returned sole control of the anti-illegal immigration group - a ruling that leaves the organization immobilized.
Judge Randell Wilkinson also placed restrictions on the three directors tussling with Gilchrist, noting in his order that there were "serious issues concerning the credibility of the claims of both Jim Gilchrist and the defendants…"
Oh, my! What can I say about this? Well, perhaps I'll say more after the flip...
(O)ut of nowhere, (Gilchrist) decided to run for Congress. That was good because it gave him something to focus on and, frankly, it fed his desire for media attention. ... (and) I wanted him to win that seat in Congress.
I packed up my family and lived in OC for 42 days helping him right the ship of the campaign after it imploded. People were fired and quit. The campaign was in shambles, and I was asked to come in and help organize and right the ship.
It was sad to watch - [Deborah Ann] Courtney and [Stephen] Eichler were already conspiring on how to re-launch the MMP (Minuteman Project) with Jim as the sole founder (Simcox says he was co-founder). They knew he was going to lose the race and were preparing for the future. Many times they commented on how the MMP could bring in millions and they could help Jim build an empire.
(Go see the comments that Claudio is receiving at Orange Juice. They'll make you laugh, cry, and quite possibly gauge your eyes out. ; ) - promoted by atdleft)
Believe it or not, some in Costa Mesa consider this woman to be dangerous, as she is "aiding and abetting illegal aliens" in the United States. Why, you ask? CAUTION: MAJOR SNARK AFTER THE FLIP... HEHE ; )
So what is it about these anti-immigration measures taking off in Orange County, and spreading throughout the rest of California, and being copied elsewhere in the nation? As a native Orange County resident, I live in the middle of all of this...
And I want to examine the issues surrounding local governments enforcing immigration law. Today, we begin in Huntington Beach, where anti-immigrant hatemonger Barbara Coe had worked for over 10 years to bring more "awareness" to the issue of all those "Mexicans invading our border as part of a reconquista for Mexico to retake the Southwest". She tried, and she tried, and she tried to "raise awareness", but all she got was a failed initiativethat was thrown out of court, and snark from OC Weekly to go with it...
That is, until... (Follow me after the flip for it...)
So what is it about these anti-immigration measures taking off in Orange County, and spreading throughout the rest of California, and being copied elsewhere in the nation? As a native Orange County resident, I live in the middle of all of this...
And I want to examine the issues surrounding local governments enforcing immigration law. Today, we begin in Mission Viejo, where the city is trying to rid itself of any and all undocumented workers. They want to participate in a federal program to help them do so, but is it really effective? Follow me after the flip for more...
