Local deportations up 37%

om Ohio and Michigan, a 37 percent increase over last year.

The jump in deportations mirrors a national trend toward annual increases since at least 2003, when U.S. immigration enforcement was overhauled in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.

Nationwide, deportations are up about 34 percent since last year, climbing from 204,000 to 273,000.
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Immigration officials say the increase is the result of greater emphasis on enforcement, the creation of special teams to pursue fugitives, bigger detention facilities and speedier legal proceedings.

“Primarily, it’s because of enforcement efforts,” said Greg Palmore, a spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Detroit, the regional office that covers Ohio and Michigan. “We’re getting better at our job.”

They also are getting more resources to do the job.

The agency has added 75 fugitive operation teams during the past two years to bolster its ability to track down and arrest fugitive aliens who have remained in this country despite court orders to leave.

One team operates in Ohio and, along with two teams in Michigan, arrested 1,816 fugitive aliens and other immigration violators during the past year. All of the figures are based on a fiscal year ending Sept. 30.

The tougher enforcement and higher deportation numbers have prompted some criticism of the agency, especially among those who say officials focus too much on workers and not enough on criminal aliens.

But Palmore said the fugitive operation teams target aliens who are most likely to pose a threat. He said many of those arrested are felons wanted for offenses far more serious than ignoring a court order to leave the country.

He said Honduran native Osman Alvarez was recently arrested in Columbus on charges of felonious assault. He’s suspected of being a gang member and is accused of stabbing someone.

The fugitive teams in Ohio and Michigan arrested 159 aliens with criminal convictions last year, Palmore said.

“There are some individuals who are significant threats to public safety,” he said.

Jason Riveiro, spokesman for the League of United Latina American Citizens, said he has no problem with immigration officials pursuing criminal aliens. But he still worries about the impact of tougher enforcement on the families of illegal immigrants who came to this country to work.

“The federal government has the right to protect its borders,” Riveiro said. “But at the same time we have to be mindful of the people who are being caught up in it … I’m more concerned about the families involved, the families that are split apart.”

Riveiro’s group was one of several that raised concerns in August when immigration agents raided the Koch Foods poultry processing facility in Fairfield.
That raid resulted in 161 arrests and criminal charges of identity theft or forgery against more than 20 people. Palmore said all of the illegal aliens arrested in that raid have been deported.

Democrates at the Heartland Presidential Forum

The people got more microphone time than the politicians.

Five Democratic presidential candidates who spoke at the Heartland Presidential Forum Saturday in Des Moines could do little more than nod and listen as person after person – mostly out-of-state residents – shared emotional stories of perceived injustice.

And the audience of 3,600 did not hesitate to express emotion. As they listened to descriptions of loss of health insurance, the stench of a nearby factory farm, or a family split up by immigration officials, the crowd frequently yelled out: “That ain’t right!” and booed.

Hillary Clinton, a U.S. senator from New York, felt the glare of their displeasure after Billy Lawless, a Chicago immigrations rights organizer, asked her if she’d commit to giving undocumented workers a path to citizenship in her first 100 days as president.

Clinton, who spoke via telephone after weather prevented her flight to Iowa, said immigration reform is a top priority.

But Lawless pressed her, asking if she’d do it in the first 100 days.

Clinton said it’s up to Congress to pass such reform, but as president she would do as much as possible.

The crowd booed, apparently upset that she wouldn’t commit to a 100-days promise.

Chris Dodd, a U.S. senator from Connecticut, was the next candidate to get that question, and he quickly answered: “Absolutely, absolutely.”

“One of the great sources of our wealth and strength of our country has been the diversity of our people,” Dodd said. “We’ve never done anything worthwhile as a nation when we’ve done it out of fear and hate.”

Saturday’s crowd was hardly just caucus-eligible Iowans. People were bused in from Missouri, Kansas, Illinois and Minnesota, and organizers said people from 33 states were represented as part of a kick-off to the Campaign for Community Values.

The forum was hosted by Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement and Campaign for Community Values, a movement that includes about 100 community organizations.

Only one Republican responded to the invitation – businessman John Cox - but the hosts’ lawyers advised against a solo member of one party because it would appear to be an endorsement.

Also in attendance were former North Carolina senator John Edwards, Illinois senator Barack Obama and Dennis Kucinich, a representative from Ohio.

Here's some of what they had to say:

EDWARDS: He listened to Virgene Martin of Bridgewater’s story about 400 people banding together to fight a factory farm. They failed, and the hog operation is now located next to Martin’s own family farm.

“What’s happening is these big corporate farming operations, and big multi-national corporations that are taking over farming in America, these corporate predatory lending operations, these big drug companies, big insurance companies, big oil companies, big banks, big gas companies we see what they’re doing to destroy our land,” Edwards said. “We see what they’re doing to destroy our people and take away our assets. How long are we going to let these people run the United States of America?”

Edwards, a former trial lawyer, said he beat those big corporations in the courtroom, “and I’ll beat ‘em again.”

KUCINICH: Irlanda Helgen of Marshalltown got teary-eyed telling Kucinich about a father of five children whose wife left for work one day and never came back because of an immigration raid.

“There are no illegal human beings,” Kucinich said in English and Spanish.

Deb Thomas of Wyoming told Kucinich that oil and gas companies that use hazardous chemicals in drilling are turning communities “into toxic wastelands.”

“We understand why we’re in Iraq, in a word,” Kucinich said and held out the microphone to capture the audience shout the word “Oil.”

Kucinich gave a fiery answer about his plan to move the country away from reliance on coal. He talked about a “full employment economy,” where everyone has a job, as well as health care for all, and education for all, from age 3 through college.

And he got wild applause when he said: “We must give those who come to this country a path to legalization.”

CLINTON: Patricia Divine Wilder of the town of Walla Walla in Washington state said she’s a small business owner who can’t afford health insurance. Her 36-year-old nephew also had no insurance, and by the time he went to the doctor for pain in his back and shoulders, his cancer was incurable.

“James died,” Wilder said, then paused to cry.

“Take your time,” Clinton said softly.

“James died,” Wilder continued, “just six weeks later."

“We have to have a better government safety net,” Clinton said, then gave a summary of her health care reform plan.

DODD: Emira Palacios, of Wichita, Kansas, told Dodd she came to the United States 22 years ago as an undocumented worker. She has spent over $15,000 during the process of becoming a citizen, and she and her 18-year old son will vote for first time in the next election.

“Take your time now,” Dodd said when Palacios became too emotional to speak.

Dodd said the country has to “have secure borders, obviously.”

Later, a moderator cut him off when his answer crossed the two-minute limit.

“I get more time here than I get at those debates, though, I can tell you that,” Dodd said, chuckling.

OBAMA: Deidra Lewis of Massachusetts said her daughter woke up with a burning feeling in her eyes one day. Lewis had to cut back her work hours to deal with her daughter’s rare eye disease. In January, she lost her health insurance.

But she enrolled in the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the public program made the difference between a child going blind or keeping her eyesight.

“Can you look into Alexsiana’s eyes and tell me don’t all God’s children deserve medical care?” she asked Obama.

Obama said yes. Alexsiana crossed the stage to hug him. The audience couldn’t hear what he whispered in her ear.

Obama vowed to have a plan in place for health insurance for all Americans by the end of his first term as president.

After a string of stories told by people from the Bronx, Cleveland, Mississippi, South Carolina and California, Debra Carr told Obama she is from Des Moines.

Obama immediately said: “I want you to caucus for me.”

Rudy Giuliani descusses Iran, and illegal immagration

In Boca Raton, Rudy Giuliani discusses Iran, illegal immigration

By Josh Hafenbrack | South Florida Sun-Sentinel
December 1, 2007

BOCA RATON - Stumping in South Florida, Rudy Giuliani took a tough stance on Iran and vowed that, if elected president, he'd beef up border security to halt illegal immigration but also allow more people to come here legally.

The former New York City mayor, now seeking the Republican nomination for president, took a break from increasingly heated rhetoric with campaign rival Mitt Romney. Feisty exchanges between the two have dominated the campaign in recent weeks, but Giuliani didn't mention any other candidates during nearly an hour on stage before a crowded ballroom at the Boca Raton Marriott.

Taking friendly questions from an enthusiastic audience, Giuliani talked up a global economy based on free-trade practices, promised to shrink the size of the federal government and reign in what he termed frivolous lawsuits.

He got some of his biggest applause with a hard stance on Iran and its volatile leader, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

"We should stand up to Ahmadinejad, stand up to Iran and deliver a very clear message to him and to the world," Giuliani said. "If you're going to threaten us … if you're going to threaten the destruction of Israel, we're just not going to let you become a nuclear power.

"We will take whatever action is necessary to stop you."

Giuliani trails in early caucus and primary states Iowa and New Hampshire, where the voting is little more than a month away. But he's banking on a big win in Florida, a state with an early Jan. 29 primary date and where Giuliani has a consistent, wide advantage in the polls.

Earlier Friday, Romney's Florida campaign chairman, former state party chief Al Cardenas, told reporters during a conference call that Giuliani's strategy was to go on the offensive in Florida, citing heated exchanges between the two during campaign events and at a debate this week in St. Petersburg.

Giuliani and Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, have sparred over immigration, health care and who was more effective in driving down crime and taxes in their home states.

In Boca Raton, Giuliani never mentioned Romney. Giuliani also never touched on social issues such as abortion and gay rights, where his moderate positions have him at odds with many in the party's conservative base.

Giuliani's top theme on the campaign trail is terrorism, and he staked out support for the Patriot Act and controversial electronic surveillance efforts. He also blamed Democrats for pursuing a withdrawal strategy in Iraq that would've "pulled the rug out from under our military." America shouldn't leave Iraq until the country is "stable and will act as an ally for us in the Islamic terrorists' war against us," he added.

On immigration, Giuliani's moderate stance again is unpopular with some conservatives. Romney has been hammering him on the campaign trail for running a "sanctuary city" in New York, referring to Giuliani's statements that he'd protect people who worked in the city but had an "undocumented status."

Giuliani drew raucous applause Friday when he said the United States should deploy agents and technology to close up the borders, as well as make sure anyone who wants to live here can speak English. But the response was muted when Giuliani said it's not realistic to "throw out" the millions of illegal immigrants already living here and that he wants to expand avenues for legal immigration.

"We're a country that's always open to new people," he said.

Addressing economic issues, Giuliani said he'd cut federal government jobs through attrition and order 5 to 10 percent budget cuts at all nonmilitary departments.

He took a question on China taking jobs from American workers as an opportunity to promote the idea of global trade. "On the economics of it, what we should be thinking about mostly is, how can we sell them more stuff?" he said.

After the Boca Raton appearance, his 22nd in Florida since becoming a candidate, Giuliani attended a private fundraiser at the St. Regis Resort in Fort Lauderdale.

Staff Writer Josh Hafenbrack can be reached at jhafenbrack@sun-sentinel.com or 561-228-5508.

RON Paul on Immigration reform

With the November elections looming, politics is taking priority over sensible policy. It appears congressional leaders have no intention of addressing the issue of illegal immigration this year, preferring not to tackle such a thorny problem for fear of angering voters one way or another.

But this is a mistake. The American people want something done about illegal immigration now – not next year. All sides in the immigration debate agree that the current, “Don’t ask, don’t tell,” policy cannot continue. That’s why I am joining several of my colleagues in demanding that the Senate vote this month on a border security bill already passed by the House earlier this year. I truly believe border security is the most important issue for millions of Americans.

Both the Bush administration and congressional leadership have promised to spend the next two months addressing national security issues. But real national security cannot be achieved unless and until our borders are physically secured. It’s as simple as that. All the talk about fighting terror and making America safer is meaningless without border security. It makes no sense to seek terrorists abroad if our own front door is left unlocked.

Although the border security bill already passed by the House is a good start, Congress needs to pass broader legislation this year based on the following simple points:

First, physically secure our borders and coastlines. We must have control over who enters our country before we even begin to consider complicated immigration reform proposals.

Second, enforce visa rules on those already in the country. Immigration officials must track visa holders and deport individuals who overstay their visas or otherwise violate U.S. law. This is especially important when we recall that some of the 9/11 terrorists had expired visas.

Third, reject amnesty. If we reward lawbreakers who enter this country illegally with citizenship, then any new laws Congress might pass likewise can be ignored. Reform must begin with a new mentality that immigration laws will be enforced.

Fourth, end welfare-state incentives for illegals. Americans are quick to welcome immigrants who simply wish to work hard and make a better life for themselves. But taxpayers cannot continue to pay when illegal immigrants use hospitals, clinics, schools, roads, and social services.

Fifth, end birthright citizenship. As long as illegal immigrants know their children born here will be citizens, the perverse incentive to sneak into this country remains strong. Citizenship involves more than the mere location of one’s birth.

Finally, completely overhaul the legal immigration process. The current system is incoherent and unfair. Legal immigrants from all countries should face the same rules and waiting periods.

If we keep these points in mind, immigration reform does not need to be complicated or expensive. It does, however, need to happen this year.