Illegal immigration is not an ethnic issue

[Jolie Rouge]

by Armando Simon Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Numerous arguments have been advanced by advocates of illegal immigrants in recent years. Although they fervently adhere to the rationale they put forth, their arguments are transparently hollow and most people see through them.

One argument is, actually, a deception that has, unfortunately, taken root among U.S. citizens of Hispanic origin — that illegal immigration is an ethnic issue and those who oppose a borderless policy are anti-Hispanic racists. This argument has been raised primarily by the national media and the propaganda has been effective. When one has the perception that his ethnic group is being attacked, the automatic response is defensive.

Unfortunately, this is a con job, a scam, and Hispanics, unfortunately, have swallowed it hook, line and sinker. The issue is not ethnicity; it's law and order and national sovereignty. We are witnessing an invasion.

It didn't start as such, but slowly developed into a stealth invasion. Mass demonstrations, where the participants are arrogant, snarling, demanding and rude, where our flag is routinely desecrated, where an ocean of foreign flags and pictures of Che Guevara are carried, are a symptom of this invasion — what its supporters call La Reconquista. And, as with every invasion, there are traitors.

Many countries are fixated on a particular traumatic event in their past to the point that their actions today are influenced accordingly: Serbia with the Battle of Blackbird's Field, Israel with the Holocaust, Germany with the Third Reich, America with Pearl Harbor, Texas with the Alamo (and some Texans do think of themselves as a country).

With Mexico it's the 1846 war with the U.S. In most schools in Mexico, hatred for Americans is fostered on that issue with the hope that someday the lost territories will be annexed. Message to Mexico: That was a century and a half ago. You lost that war. Get over it. Move on.

Some Mexicans seem to believe that if enough Mexican nationals settle in the U.S. Southwest, then in an ironic turn, what happened in Texas with the Anglo immigration in 1836 will reverse itself.

During World War II, when Japan, Germany and Italy were at war with us, U.S. citizens of Japanese, German and Italian descent were the most ferocious fighters against the Axis, even when, as with the Japanese-Americans, they had a legitimate grudge against the U.S. government.

Because I'm Hispanic and speak fluent Spanish, one of the illegal immigrants I talked to left me speechless when he smiled and said, “Before too long we'll take over all of this.”

Over my dead body.


Armando Simon is a playwright in San Antonio

Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/default/article/Illegal-immigration-is-not-an-ethnic-issue-1322178.php#ixzz1Ing00xgZ

[Jolie Rouge]

I love the way they try to put a symphatic twist on this story....

85-year-old migrant smuggler gets 2½ years prison
By ELLIOT SPAGAT | AP – 21 hrs ago

SAN DIEGO (AP) — An 85-year-old woman who led a female-dominated immigrant smuggling ring was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison Thursday in a case that stands out at a time when larger, more violent organizations along the U.S.-Mexico border have muscled groups like hers aside. Felicitas Gurrola was charged with moving up to 80 people a month past border inspectors at America's busiest border crossing in San Diego by having them assume false identities. Her method was relatively safe compared to common and sometimes fatal smugglers' tacks like leading groups through remote mountains and deserts or stuffing them in car trunks and engine compartments. "This was a very well-organized, safely run operation," said her attorney, Thomas Matthews. "No one was ever put in danger."

Prosecutors argued that Gurrola deserved more than three years in prison for conspiracy to bring illegal aliens into the United States, saying she was a high-level smuggler compared to the lowly operatives that usually get captured by U.S. authorities. Gurrola led the organization with her daughter and another woman who were also sentenced. "We've essentially been able to pull back the curtain," said Daniel Zipp, an assistant U.S. attorney.

Gurrola — appearing frail with long, gray hair — apologized in a barely audible voice. "I'm remorseful. I ask for forgiveness. I'm very nervous. I can't speak," she said through a Spanish interpreter.

U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw gave Gurrola's daughter, Hilda Moreno, 2½ years in prison. Guadalupe Ojeda, who managed a Gurrola-owned hotel in Tijuana that was used as a staging ground for migrants, got three years and one month in prison. Small family-run organizations used to dominate the migrant smuggling business, but they have faded in the last decade along with a dramatic increase in border security. As smuggling fees have skyrocketed from hundreds to thousands of dollars, larger, more violent criminal groups have pushed them aside.

Gurrola managed to survive the industry turmoil until her arrest earlier this year, aided by her 54-year-old daughter and others, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigators. She met migrants at Tijuana's Suites Royal Hotel where she gave them immigration documents belonging to others and told them to memorize the information. An underling knew how to read codes on the documents to determine information such as whether they were new issues or renewals.

In the morning, migrants had their hair done to resemble the person on the immigration documents, said Johnny Martin, an ICE supervisory special agent. Gurrola lined them up and assumed the role of immigration inspector. She berated them when they fumbled for answers.

Guides then led migrants through the San Ysidro border crossing, joined them on a commercial bus to the Los Angeles area and collected $3,500 per person on arrival, investigators said. The guides returned to the border in time for dinner. "She had been doing it for a long time and she found her niche," Martin said.

Gurrola was indicted on immigrant smuggling charges in 1982 but never arrested, according to an affidavit filed with a criminal complaint. She allegedly boasted on a wiretap that she had been in the business for more than 40 years. As part of an agreement with prosecutors to dismiss some charges, Gurrola's daughter surrendered her home in Chula Vista, outside San Diego.

Gurrola, a legal U.S. resident who was born in Mexico, lived in Chula Vista with her daughter, Martin said. They invited friends to sit on lawn chairs in the garage and watch television. They often visited San Diego-area casinos to unwind. David Baker, the daughter's attorney, told the judge that the smuggling organization was wrong, but he drew a contrast with more violent groups. "It can be said they had a certain ethic in the way they ran their business," he said.

http://news.yahoo.com/85-old-migrant-smuggler-gets-2-years-prison-002307289.html


...told the judge that the smuggling organization was wrong, but he drew a contrast with more violent groups. "It can be said they had a certain ethic in the way they ran their business," he said.

They broke the law ... but they did so in an ethical manner


Felicitas Gurrola was charged with moving up to 80 people a month ...

at upwards of 2K-3K EACH for over 40 YEARS


... by having them assume false identities.

stolen SS#'s ....

But we are supposed to feel sorry for her because she is a frail little old lady...

comments

The headline in the Yahoo link is wrong... she didn't 'hide' illegal aliens... that's not even illegal in most states. She smuggled them into the country. That's TOTALLY illegal

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80 illegals a month times $3500 each = $280,000 a month Not a bad lttle racket. How much do all these illegals she brought in cost the American taxpayers? To me she and her daughter got off easy with 2-1/2 years. She said she is remorseful -- she is remorseful only because she got caught.

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would say 40 years in business was a profitable run. The IRS needs to confiscate everything she purchaesd with the $3,500.00 a head and hit her up for Tax Evasion. This sort of thing has got to be stopped. Too bad the hotel in Mexico is out of bounds.

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It's amazing how defense attorneys sugar coat the illegal activities with: well, the other smugglers are nastier, and she is just a simple old lady who was not that bad considering she only smuggled 80 a month....

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Up to 80 a month at $3,500 per person. Take an average of 40 per month, that's $140,000 per month or $1,248,000 TAX FREE, a little tax evasion here??? Not bad when no speak English.

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Don't be mistaken by the 85 yoa woman, she was smuggling illegals in for a price and believe me that price was not cheap. Ethics, I don't think so, she took advantage of the illegals, her own people.

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The way I figure, is she was 45 years old when she started. She knew better then, Throw the book at her. Illegal is Illegal, what would I get if I got caught??? she may be old. but she is still a criminal. Just because you are in your eighth decade of life, that doesn't give you impunity...

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Been smuggling in illegals since at least 1982 and still needs an interpreter? She should get 5 years for that alone...!

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I am an American of Native American and Mexican descent. Notice I said American first. I was a victim of stolen Social Security Information by someone like this "old bag" and her family. AS far as I am concerned 2 1/2 years isn't enough, they should have given her enough time to be carried out in pine box!! Put the rest of her kids in jail and sell her house for the repayment of locking her useless carcass up!!!! Too bad they didn't do anything with her in 1982 when they caught her the first time.

[Jolie Rouge]

Racism Not Only Reason for 'Secure the Border' Rhetoric
By Calvin Wolf | Yahoo! Contributor Network – 3 hrs ago

LZ Granderson at CNN is angry at perceived racism toward Mexicans, Mexican Americans and those of Hispanic descent. He insists "securing the border" means "keep America white" and the U.S. focuses on cracking down on the border while leaving its longer border with Canada wide open. Granderson talks about how the "browning of America scares the hell out of people, particularly some white people."

Take it down a notch, LZ.

While it is a valid question, the answers are not difficult to find.

* Economics. Canada is much wealthier than Mexico, so economic-based theories of crime and violent struggle would dictate that more crime and violence coming into the U.S. from abroad would be coming from Mexico instead of Canada. There are more poor people from Mexico who are likely to try to commit crimes inside the U.S.

* Internal security in preventing terrorism. Canada, due to its relative wealth and closer relationship with the U.S. and Western powers like Britain, has a greater ability to police goings-on within its borders. Mexico by contrast is widely known as being riddled with corruption and less-than-competent law enforcement. As a result, terrorists and terrorist sympathizers would likely "camp out" in Mexico rather than Canada to prepare an assault on American targets, knowing they have a better chance at eluding, bribing or overpowering local law enforcement. These terrorists would be crossing the Mexican border instead of the Canadian one.

* Drug war in Mexico. Mexico is known as a violent place, and for good reason. Canada is often mocked in popular culture as a Magoo-like weakling. After all, when was the last time you heard people fearing the Canadian drug cartels? There are many recent instances of cross-border violence on America's southern border, but hardly any from its northern border.

* Illegal immigration. Though critics may decry America's focus on illegal immigration from Latin America as racist and discriminatory, it is undeniable that more undocumented migrants cross into America from the southern border than from the northern border. While most of these immigrants may be honest, hard-working, and genuinely good people, their undocumented status can create problems if they are ever injured, involved in an accident, or otherwise need government assistance.

http://news.yahoo.com/racism-not-only-reason-secure-border-rhetoric-200000503.html

comments

What we need is to have a true understanding of what being an American is really all about. How can it be wrong for the United States to want to protect its boarders and limit the number of people who come here illegally? We are no longer a melting pot. We are awash in 30 million people who have come here illegally, have no desire to assimilate, no desire to learn English, and have no problem looking for and obtaining public assistance. They seem determined to continue being "mexican" inspite of the fact that they come from a failed society. The citizens of this country, many of whom are of hispanic descent, should stand together, not to harm anyone, but to take better care of themselves as citizens and do what is best for their country.

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While most of these immigrants may be honest, hard-working, and genuinely good people, their undocumented status can create problems if they are ever injured, involved in an accident, or otherwise need government assistanceOr if they injure you because you won't get anything but crap and disease from a cockroach..

[pepperpot]

you won't get anything but crap and disease from a cockroach..

It's the add on comments like these that make the previous statements "-ist" - *insert flavor of the day*

If they just stuck to the facts without name calling, they couldn't get dismissed so easily by liberals.

[Jolie Rouge]

Child migrant surge to US stresses support system
By CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN | Associated Press – 19 hrs ago

McALLEN, Texas (AP) — An unprecedented surge of children caught trudging through South Texas scrublands or crossing at border ports of entry into the U.S. without their families has sent government and nonprofit agencies scrambling to expand their shelter, legal representation and reunification services. On any given day this year, the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement has been caring for more than 2,100 unaccompanied child immigrants.

The influx came to light last week when 100 kids were taken to Lackland Air Force Base near San Antonio for temporary housing. It was the first time the government has turned to the Defense Department — now, 200 boys and girls younger than 18 stay in a base dormitory.

While the issue of unaccompanied minors arriving in the U.S. isn't new, the scale of the recent increase is. From October 2011 through March, 5,252 kids landed in U.S. custody without a parent or guardian — a 93 percent increase from the same period the previous year, according to data released by the Department of Health and Human Services. In March alone, 1,390 kids arrived.

"The whole community right now is in triage mode," said Wendy Young, executive director of Kids in Need of Defense, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that matches pro bono attorneys with unaccompanied minors navigating the immigration system. "It's important that the resources and the capacity meet the need, and we're not quite there yet."

The Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Refugee Resettlement facilities in 10 states range from shelters to foster homes and have about 2,500 beds. Government-contracted shelters were maxing out their emergency bed space, setting up cots in gymnasiums and other extra spaces.

"It's a much more limited set of services," said Lauren Fisher of the South Texas Pro Bono Asylum Representation Project, which helps children and their families navigate the system. "It felt something like a Red Cross shelter, a hurricane shelter."

Unaccompanied children are first processed by the Department of Homeland Security, and then turned over to the ORR while the deportation process begins. Once in a shelter, the search begins for their relatives or an acceptable custodian, while nonprofit organizations try to match the children with pro bono attorneys. When a custodian is found, the child can leave the shelter and await immigration proceedings.

Eighty percent of the children referred to the ORR end up in a shelter, according to a report released last month by the Vera Institute of Justice — a nonprofit that developed a program to better provide access to legal services for children. The average shelter stay is 61 days, and the report found that at least 65 percent of the kids end up with a sponsor in the U.S.

The cause of the surge remains a mystery to child migrant advocates and government officials. The kids are coming from the same places as usual —Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico — and they offer the same range of explanations: they made the trek to look for parents already in the U.S.; they're seeking economic opportunity to send money home; they want to escape violence or abuse.

"We're talking to the children, but we don't have one solid answer," Fisher said. "There seem to be the same reasons that we've seen before."

Some have suggested that human smugglers are more aggressively marketing their services. Others wonder if the Border Patrol, whose presence has doubled in recent years, is simply catching more of them. But Border Patrol apprehensions of children and adults were cut in half from 2008 to 2011, and only 5 percent of those caught are unaccompanied children. Younger children commonly cross with adult smugglers at the ports of entry, while older kids join groups that follow guides through the brush.

A South Texas woman told border authorities this month that the 5-year-old girl accompanying her at the international bridge connecting Hidalgo, Texas, and Reynosa, Mexico, was her sister, according to court records. She even presented a Texas birth certificate. But the girl couldn't answer basic questions, so the woman told customs officers that she wasn't related to the girl at all. She said that a man whom she worked with in Mexico offered her $2,000 to "cross" the girl — who was actually from Guatemala — and accompany her to Houston. The woman was charged with transporting an illegal immigrant.

This week, the first ladies of Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala spoke at a three-day conference on unaccompanied minors in Washington, D.C. Mexico's first lady, Margarita Zavala, and Honduran counterpart Rosa Elena Bonilla de Lobo noted that tougher U.S. border security made it more difficult for parents working in the U.S. to return for their children, a suggestion as to why parents increasingly would put their children in a smuggler's care.

"The statistics are worrisome," said Rosa Maria Leal de Perez, Guatemala's first lady. "We've had 6,000 unaccompanied children repatriated in the last year."

The Department of Health and Human Services limited its public statements on the unaccompanied migrant children program, but it allowed a few reporters to take a short tour this week of the housing at Lackland Air Force base. They were not allowed to speak with children.

The beige, nondescript four-story dormitory is located deep on the base. When children arrive, they are issued black duffel bags filled with clothing and are allowed two phone calls a week. Three-quarters of the children are boys, most between 14 and 17 years old.

Green cots were spaced two feet apart along the stark-white walls. A media room held a large flat-screen television and a video game console; there were also board games and an outside area with a basketball hoop and two soccer goals. The kids play outside for an hour each day.

"We are looking to add some educational features that are appropriate for a 30-day temporary program," HHS spokesman Jesse Garcia said, though the goal is to move kids to more established accommodations within 15 days.

As of late Friday, 83 kids had already been transferred out of Lackland, most to permanent facilities. Nineteen had been reunited with family.

http://news.yahoo.com/child-migrant-surge-us-stresses-support-system-090016641.html

Correct me if I'm wrong...didn't Yahoo! just try to convince us a few days ago that they're all going home?

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If you stop handing out the freebies, these people would stay home and make a go of it there and not become dependents of the state. These children need to be turned away just like anyone else, we can't care for the entire world no matter HOW SAD IT IS.

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As long as we take care of them, more parents will be sending their kids across alone.

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Yesterday they said the immigration influx from Mexico was down to zero, now they say 2,100 kids a year are crossing, who's lying?

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Too young for work, but not too young to know how the U.S. welfare system works

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Think about this: It's eleven years after 9/11. We've spent billions and billions on homeland security. Fought two wars overseas with thousands dead and wounded.
.......and yet a five year old kid can walk into our country illegally?

[hblueeyes]

How many of our young have fled to the streets to escape the tyranny at home? Our government should be as concerned with their plight yet services are limited. You say the young illegals got caught. But at least someone was looking for them. Housing has always been a problem for the young on the streets. No one has ever offered them barrack housing, education, clean clothes and 3 squares a day.

Me