Thursday, January 08, 2009

No Services for Illegals?

An Arkansas lawmaker wants to create guidelines to better identify illegal immigrants. Representative Bill Sample of Hot Springs says he'll introduce a bill to help state officials keep illegal immigrants from accessing services. Rep. Sample says he'll introduce an immigration reform proposal to specify the kinds of documents immigrants must possess to show they are in the state legally. "This has been an issue for quite some time," says Sample. He says his bill will address what he calls a major problem. "If a person goes to take and get food stamps or goes to get health care, then we don't have a good way to ID who's entitled to it," says Sample. Sample says cards like Hispanic community membership ID's can look too much like state-issued ones, and help people who are in Arkansas illegally access services. "With the resources and the limited resources we have, it's very important to people getting entitlements are citizens," expresses Sample. Sample proposes creating specific guidelines that state agencies would have to follow before offering services.

Maricella Garcia is Director of Immigration Services for Catholic Charities of Arkansas. She says the church's stance on the rights of all immigrants is clear. (but the difference between legals from illegal aliens is not) "When you start to talk about we're not going to give healthcare to people who are dying I think you really have to reevaluate where you are coming from on that, (It's a lie to claim that anybody is saying that) is it really about money or do you just not care about the human dignity of people," says Garcia. "Our human rights are given to us by God (illegal immigration is not a God given right),which is what the bishop talks about. They can't be separated by law," says Garcia. In fact, Bishop Anthony Taylor's first pastoral letter directly addressed the topic. " Really what the letter talks about is the human rights of immigrants which includes their dignity as a person, respect for life and their ability to migrate because of that," says Garcia. "It's not about race, it's not about religion, it's not about what country you come from. It's about being in this county legally," says Sample. Representative Sample he's says revising the bill and hopes to have it done, and filed by the end of the week.

A link to the story with some TV footage:
http://www.todaysthv.com/news/news.aspx?storyid=78110

We will need to lobby for this bill to get it passed. I will talk more about this at the meeting at the Fletcher Library tonight at 6:30pm. I will also post a link to the bill as soon as it is filed.

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Agenda for lobbying for immigration reform in AR

Here is the agenda for the discussion of immigration reform in Arkansas for the Jan 8th meeting.

Background: Since activist gathered together in 2005 to oppose HB1525, we have been very successful in opposing laws that reward illegal aliens. HB1525 would have given in-state tuition to illegal aliens. While tuition rates continue to rise for students legally in the US , illegals would be rewarded. It was supported by democrats and some RINOs such as then Gov Mike Huckabee. After emailing, calling, faxing and running all over the State Capitol, we stopped that bill after it had passed the House and almost the Senate. In the 2007 session, we killed another attempt to give in-state tuition for illegals in committee. We also stopped an Arkansas resolution urging the Fed Gov to support a Guest Worker Program in committee.

While we have been successful at stopping the AR Gov from rewarding illegals, we have less successful in passing laws that force illegals to leave by attrition and enforcement. Oklahoma , Tennessee , and recently Missouri have all passed laws that make it hard for illegal immigration to succeed in their states. While this is great news for the country and those states, it means that illegal aliens are invading Arkansas ! In 2005, SB206 was proposed. The bill would have required proof of citizenship to get taxpayer funded benefits. It was killed in committee. In 2007 we did help Rick Green pass HB1024 that denied state contracts to companies that hired illegal aliens, but we were unable to pass the Arkansas Taxpayer Citizen's Act HB2779. In 2008 the Secure Arkansas petition was sabotaged by Attorney General Dustin McDaniel and did not get enough signatures to be put on the ballot.

Plan for 2009:
The keeparkansaslegal blog will be updated as much as possible on bills being worked on in the state legislature. The conservative blogs, along with the Arkansas legislature website will be the fastest and most accurate way to keep track of legislation.

Bill Sample is working on an immigration reform bill similar to HB1802 The Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act of 2007. It should be complete and introduced sometime this month. So far, no other legislation is being worked on.

Jan 20th. The new legislators will be sworn in, including Senate elect Joyce Elliot. Elliot has promised to introduce another in-state tuition for illegals bill. It will most likely be introduced sometime after the 20th.

We are working on having a rally to support the introduction of Bill Sample’s immigration reform bill. It will most likely be in the Capitol Rotunda.

In case the pro-illegal alien crowd has a rally, we would like to be able to counter protest. In April, we successfully counter-protested the Arkansas Friendship Coalition during one of their press conferences.

The pro-illegal crowd has moved Bishop Anthony Taylor from Oklahoma to Arkansas to lobby for Illegal Immigration. He has already held a press conference and written a 32 page letter urging Christians to support illegal immigration. Wether we like it or not, religion will be involved in this debate. I suggest that those who want to be involved in this issue be prepared to deal with questions about religion. On the Secure Arkansas website, you can look at the document Christian Doctrine on Illegal Immigration. It provides facts and Bible verses that show that it is not Christian to support illegal immigration.

We also recommend that people stay informed about the issue of illegal immigration. Websites such as Immigration Counters.com , NumbersUSA.com, and FAIRUS.org provide quick and easy access to information about illegal immigration. Here are some of the latest stats from Immigration Counters as of 01/07/09.

Illegal aliens in the Country-21,934,906

Money sent to Mexico since 2006-$21,800,573,269

Cost of U.S. taxpayer services for illegal aliens since 1996-$397,440,750,582

Cost to educate illegal alien kids in K-12 since 1996- $13,679,667,747

Cost of illegals in our prisons since 2001- $1,371,966,358

Skilled jobs taken by illegals- 10,859,197

Saturday, January 03, 2009

New Year/same illegal alien problem

Happy New Year to everyone. 2008 had a lot of ups and downs in terms of fighting illegal immigration. With Christmas and New Years celebrations over, it's time to gear up for another war against illegal immigration on both a state and national level. Here's a story about 2008:

The State of Our Borders 2008
Michelle Malkin Friday, January 02, 2009
http://townhall.com/columnists/Column2

If you think the bad economy has "solved" America's immigration problems, welcome to your end-of-the-year reality check. It's certainly true illegal crossings from the south are down and that many foreign workers are returning to their native lands as work dries up. But border chaos, haphazard enforcement, massive backlogs and deportation negligence remain the order of the day. A half-million citizenship applications have been pending for more than nine months. Some 700,000 illegal alien absconders -- fugitives from deportation like Barack Obama's aunt Zeituni Onyango -- are free. An estimated 4-5 million illegal visa overstayers from around the world remain in the country. Both Big Business and left-wing ethnic groups have colluded to prevent an employer verification program for workers' citizenship status from getting implemented nationwide. And the borders are still largely borders in name only. In June, the White House pushed through a $1.6-billion border security spending plan ... for Mexico and Central America. While our own border fence remains incomplete, taxpayers shelled out for helicopters, surveillance equipment, computer infrastructure, expansion of intelligence databases, anti-corruption initiatives, human rights education and training, and anti-money laundering programs for our southern neighbors. So, how's the so-called Merida Initiative working out? As terrorized citizens of Mexico will tell you, all hell has broken loose. Corrupt police officials and narco-insurgents have left a horrific trail of beheaded and bullet-ridden bodies in their wake on both sides of the border. Mexican Army incursions into U.S. territory are a regular occurrence. In Monterrey, bandits opened fire and threw a grenade at the U.S. consulate this fall. A top Mexican immigration official was arrested in October carrying about 77 kilos of pot in Arizona. On asingle weekend in Tijuana, 40 people were murdered, including nine victims who were decapitated. Two weeks ago, famed American anti-kidnapping negotiator Felix Bautista disappeared from the "relatively safe" northern industrial city of Saltillo in Coahuila state. No word on his whereabouts.

The apocalyptic conditions have prompted some Mexican lawmakers to revisit the country's ban on capital punishment. That's right. Members of the same foreign government that took America to court over our death penalty laws -- and tried to block the state of Texas from executing illegal alien Death Row murderers -- are now open to the idea of imposing the death penalty on the thugs on their own soil. And after years of vehement protests against the United States for its meager attempts at immigration enforcement, Mexico is cracking down hard on illegal Cuban immigrants caught trying to enter the country from the south. They forged an agreement with Cuba to immediately send back illegal aliens -- none of that "undocumented worker" mushiness for them -- and punish human smugglers. Such lawlessness, Mexico has apparently realized, is a grave threat to its people. Without order, there can be no peace. And chaos, as I've argued endlessly since September 11,is an invitation for those with far more nefarious intentions. Perhaps this is why Mexico slapped a 60-year prison term on a human smuggler who helped some 200 illegal aliens cross into the United States from Mexico -- including Hezbollah supporters. In a little-noticed announcement this month, Mexican prosecutors reported the stiff sentence against Salim Boughader Mucharrafille, a Mexican of Lebanese descent who operated a cafe in Tijuana and smuggled terrorist sympathizers into San Diego. Mucharrafille's accomplice was Imelda Ortiz Abdala, a Mexican foreign service official who helmed the Mexican consulate in Beirut. No illegal alien demonstrations ensued following the sentencing. No cries of racism and xenophobia clouded the news. No demands for amnesty and open borders arose. One hopes the incoming Obama administration can learn from our neighbors to the south the hard lesson Washington has abandoned since 9/11: Immigration control is a national security issue. Blood-stained reality clarifies the mind.
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This is a coalition of conservative activist who are planning to deal with several issues during the AR legislative session, including illegal immigration. It's helpful if you RSVP but not needed for showing up.I will be able to attend and speak about how we will deal with illegal immigration.

www.meetup.com/central-arkansas-campaign-for-liberty/
Campaign for Liberty Meeting:

Fletcher Library 823 N. Buchanan St
Little Rock, AR 72201
(501) 663-5457 January 8, 2009 6:00 PM

Thursday, December 18, 2008

How illegal aliens celebrate Christmas!

http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2008/12/17
Investigators Suspect Larger Organization Involved In ID Case
By
Anna FryTHE MORNING NEWS

Benton County Sheriff's investigators believe three men arrested last weekend in connection with fraudulent identification documents coordinated with a larger organization that brings illegal immigrants to the country, they said. Deputies began spotting business cards about two months ago with only a first name, phone number and a guarantee for fast service in Spanish when they made traffic stops, said Corey Coggin, a deputy with the Crime Suppression Unit. They found the Bethel Heights address on IDs and other documents during three traffic stops, Coggin said. Coggin and another deputy went to a home at 3392 Garrett Lane on Saturday. The man answering the door, Fidel Reyes-Morales, 43, gave them permission to search. Once the deputies found a laptop and printer, Reyes-Morales ran from the house, Coggin said. The deputies chased him for a half mile before catching him. When they returned to the house, two other men had arrived. The deputies arrested Emiliano Reynosa-Hilario, 30, and Yobani Jimenez-Estrada, 26. Investigators confiscated a printer, a scanner, a laptop, ledgers detailing supply inventories, holographic blank cards and faulty fake identification cards. They found bank records showing money was sent back to Mexico and numerous phone cards showing the men called Mexico frequently, Coggin said.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is investigating a larger related organization, Coggin said. Temple Black, a public information officer, said Immigration and Customs Enforcement wasn't involved in the weekend arrests and the agency won't comment on possible ongoing investigations. The men made between $4,000 and $10,000 every two weeks, their handwritten records show. The men operated from 2560 Mia Place Apt. B in Springdale until they got evicted, Coggin said. They moved into a new brick home in a Bethel Heights neighborhood a few months ago, he said. Investigators believe two or three other men were involved and are trying to track them down. Too much money is involved for the other men not to re-establish themselves in the area, Sgt. Brandon Rogers said. The three men were still in jail Wednesday. Reynosa-Hilario is being held on a $50,000 bond on suspicion of felony possession of a forgery device and misdemeanor possessing instruments of crime. Reyes-Morales is also being held on a $50,000 bond on suspicion of misdemeanor fleeing and felony possession of a forgery device. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has holds on all three men. Investigators don't have proof that Jimenez-Estrada lived at the residence, but he gave them a fake name, Coggin said. He is held on a $5,000 bond on suspicion of misdemeanor obstructing governmental operations and possessing instruments of crime. The names police are using are among several aliases each man has and officials don't know their real names, Coggin said. The men are scheduled for arraignment Jan. 20, Benton County Prosecutor Van Stone said. He expects to file charges before then.
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No word yet on wether or not Bishop Taylor has claimed for ID theft to be morally justified. I don't think there will be any other immigration stories until Dec 25th. So until then,
Merry Christmas!

Thursday, December 11, 2008

A good start for Arkansas

http://www.arktimes.com/Articles/ArticleViewer.
Arkansas Times Staff
12/11/2008


Rep. Bill Sample, R-Hot Springs, has finished the first draft of an immigration bill he hopes to introduce in the next legislative session. Talk of the bill started to swirl in early November after Catholic Bishop Anthony Taylor of Little Rock issued a pastoral letter saying the human rights of immigrants should be considered a social justice issue. Sample won't reveal details yet, but said it would cover state services, higher education and employment.“Right now we are offering services to illegal aliens that we're not making available to our own citizens,” Sample says. “And with the budget cuts that we've had to make in the state, we just can't provide for people who are here illegally.” Independent studies have shown, however, that the immigrant workforce contributes far more to the state's economy than it costs. Sample says he hopes to file the bill sometime before Christmas. Sample argues that providing services to illegal immigrants is insulting to those who “abide by the law and go through the naturalization process.”

Naturally, the leftist AR Times was able to get the pro-illegal alien POV-

Bishop Taylor says that to the extent that states act on immigration, policy should be based on justice (for US citizens and legal immigrants) and respect for human rights (illegally entering the US is not a human right). “We should do something positive (like ending illegal immigration) to build up our society rather than something negative to divide people (such as an amnesty for lawbreakers),” Taylor says. “One thing the state can do, or should do, is to set in motion programs to assist immigrants in assimilating to life in the United States (we already have an overburdened legal immigration system), including improved opportunities to learn English (English as offical language?) and other assistance to help people adapt to life here.” (more taxpayer funds to illegals)

Here's the link about Christian Doctrine on illegal immigration:
www.securearkansas.com/resources/Christian-Doctrine.pdf
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What we need to prevent in Arkansas:
The war on our southern border falls off political radar
BY DAVID DANELO IN THE LOS ANGELES TIMES
Posted on Sunday, December 14, 2008


On Nov. 3, the day before Americans elected Barack Obama president, drug cartel henchmen murdered 58 people in Mexico. It was the highest number killed in one day since President Felipe Calderon took office in December 2006. By comparison, on average 26 people-Americans and Iraqis combined-died daily in Iraq in 2008. Mexico's casualty list on Nov. 3 included a man beheaded in Ciudad Juarez whose bloody corpse was suspended along an overpass for hours. No one had the courage to remove the body until dark. The death toll from terrorist attacks in Mumbai two weeks ago, although horrible, approaches the average weekly body count in Mexico's war. Three weeks ago in Juarez, which is just across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Texas, telephone messages and banners threatened teachers that if they failed to pay protection money to cartels, their students would suffer brutal consequences. Local authorities responded by assigning 350 teenage police cadets to the city's 900 schools. If organized criminals wish to extract tribute from teachers, businessmen, tourists or anyone else, there is nothing the Mexican government can do to stop them. For its part, the United States has become numb to this norm.
more here:
http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Perspective/246696

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

University Chancellor allows crime to pay

I missed this story when it happened so I'm posting it now:

University of Arkansas at Fayetteville Chancellor G. David Gearhart has decided to allow 19 illegal aliens who illegally enrolled into the University, and paid in-state tuition, to continue receiving an education from the university. U of A was among several Arkansas campuses that did not require prospective students to provide Social Security numbers and that didn’t ask if they were legal residents of the United States, either for purposes of admission or eligibility for in-state tuition. This means there could be hundreds of illegal aliens that have been educated at the expense of the Arkansas taxpayer instead of US citizens or legal immigrants. The 19 illegals at U of A got away with paying about $8,900 less annually for tuition than US citizens from out of state until now. They are at least now being partially paid for by donors who hopefully will also pay for any welfare benefits, housing, child support, and other taxpayer funded expenses. We do not yet know if the U of A or these private donors will pay for liability in case one these illegal alien students turns out to be a terrorist. We know what happened on 9/11 when some students with legal visas became illegal.
There is no word yet on what company will hire the illegal alien students.

Chancellor Gearhart's actions speak louder than his words. He is condoning illegal immigration and is setting a dangerous precedent. If you are a student at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. You may be able to commit Identity Fraud if your parents are criminals and you are a minority! Apparently you are able to get away with not paying/stealing several thousand dollars a year!

Here's the story below:
http://www.nwarktimes.com/adg/News/243691
And the 9/11 student visa story that isn't talked about:
http://www.nationalreview.com/mowbray/mowbray100902.asp

If you know someone who attended college at U of A Fayetteville and paid out of state tuition, please contact us at keeparkansaslegal@yahoo.com or info@securearkansas.com . Legal action on this issue from CA has already forced reform in this state.
california-court-revives-lawsuit-over-in-state-tuition-rates-for-immigrants
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From ALIPAC:
Friends of ALIPAC, We have great news to report! Senator Chambliss has won his runoff race today in Georgia by a large margin. With sixty percent of the vote counted, we can already call this race. Here are the current totals. Saxby Chambliss - R Incumbent Opposes Amnesty 771,201 60% Jim Martin - D Supports Amnesty 11,294 40% more here:
http://www.alipac.us/article3787.html