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Mexifornia
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know Dick Lamm as the former Governor of Colorado .. In that context
his thoughts are particularly poignant. Last week there was an
immigration overpopulation
conference in Washington , DC , filled to capacity by many of America
‘s finest minds and leaders. A brilliant college professor by the name
of Victor Hansen Davis talked about his latest book, ‘Mexifornia,’
explaining how immigration – both legal and illegal was destroying the
entire state of California . He said it would march across the country
until it destroyed all vestiges of The American Dream. Moments later, former Colorado Governor Richard D. Lamm stood up and gave a stunning speech on how to destroy America The
audience sat spellbound as he described eight methods for the
destruction of the United States . He said, ‘If you believe that
America is too smug, too self-satisfied, too rich, then let’s destroy
America . It is not that hard to do. No nation in history has survived
the ravages of time. Arnold Toynbee observed that all great
civilizations rise and fall and that ‘An autopsy of history would show
that all great nations commit suicide.” Here is how they do it,’ Lamm said: ‘First, to destroy America , turn America into a bilingual or multi-lingual and bicultural country.
History shows that no nation can survive the tension, conflict, and
antagonism of two or more competing languages and cultures. It is a
blessing for an individual to be bilingual; however, it is a curse for
a society to be bilingual. The historical scholar, Seymour Lipset, put
it this
way: ‘The histories of bilingual and bicultural societies that do not
assimilate are histories of turmoil, tension, and tragedy.’ Canada , Belgium
, Malaysia , and Lebanon all face crises of national existence in which
minorities press for autonomy, if not independence. Pakistan and Cyprus
have divided. Nigeria suppressed an ethnic rebellion. France faces difficulties with Basques, Bretons, Corsicans and Muslims.’
Lamm went on: ‘Second, to destroy America , invent ‘multiculturalism’ and encourage immigrants to maintain their culture.
Make it an article of belief that all cultures are equal; that there
are no cultural differences. Make it an article of faith that the Black
and Hispanic dropout rates are due solely to prejudice and
discrimination by the majority. Every other explanation is out of bounds ‘Third, we could make the United States a ‘Hispanic Quebec ‘ without much effort.
The key is to celebrate diversity rather than unity. As Benjamin Schwarz said in the Atlantic Monthly
recently: ‘The apparent success of our own multi-ethnic and
multicultural experiment might have been achieved not by tolerance but
by hegemony. Without the dominance that once dictated ethnocentriy and
what it meant to be an American, we are left with only tolerance and
pluralism to hold us together.’ Lamm said, ‘I would encourage all
immigrants to keep their own language and culture. I would replace the
melting pot metaphor with the salad bowl metaphor. It is important to
ensure that we have various cultural subgroups living in America
enforcing their differences rather than as Americans, emphasizing their
similarities.’ ‘Fourth, I would make our fastest growing demographic group the least educated. I
would add a second underclass, unassimilated, undereducated, and
antagonistic to our population. I would have this second underclass
have a 50% dropout rate from high school.’ ‘My fifth point for destroying America would be to get big foundations and business to give these efforts lots of money.
I would invest in ethnic identity, and I would establish the cult of
‘Victimology.’ I would get all minorities to think that their lack of
success was the fault of the majority. I would start a grievance
industry blaming all minority failure on the majority plation..’ ‘My
sixth plan for America ‘s downfall would include dual citizenship, and promote divided loyalties.
I would celebrate diversity over unity. I would stress differences
rather than similarities. Diverse people worldwide are mostly engaged
in hating each other – that is, when they are not killing each other. A
diverse, peaceful, or stable society is against most historical precet.
People undervalue the unity it takes to keep a nation together. Look at
the ancient Greeks. The Greeks believed that they belonged to the same
race; they possessed a common language and literature; and they
worshipped the same gods. All Greece
took part in the Olympic games. A common enemy, Persia , threatened
their liberty. Yet all these bonds were not strong enough to overcome
two factors: local patriotism and geographical conditions that nurtured
political divisions. Greece fell. ‘E. Pluribus Unum’ — From many, one.
In that historical reality, if we put the emphasis on the ‘pluribus’
instead of the ‘Unum,’ we will ‘ Balkanize ‘ America as surely as Kosovo. ‘ ‘Next to last, I would place all subjects off limits. Make it taboo to talk about anything against the cult of ‘diversity.’
I would find a word similar to ‘heretic’ in the 16th century – that
stopped discussion and paralyzed thinking. Words like ‘racist’ or
‘xenophobe’ halt discussion and debate. Having made America a
bilingual/bicultural country, having established multi-cultum, having
the large foundations fund the doctrine of ‘Victimology,’ I would next
make it impossible to enforce our immigration laws. I would develop a
mantra: That because immigration has been good for America , it must
always be good. I would make every individual immigrant symmetric and
ignore the cumulative impact of millions of them.’ In
the last minute of his speech, Governor Lamm wiped his brow. Profound
silence followed. Finally he said, ‘Lastly, I would censor Victor
Hanson Davis’s book ‘Mexifornia.’ His book is dangerous. It exposes the
plan to destroy America . If you feel America deserves to be destroyed,
don’t read that book.’ There
was no applause. A chilling fear quietly rose like an ominous cloud
above every attendee at the conference. Every American in that room
knew that everything Lamm enumerated was proceeding methodically,
quietly, darkly, yet pervasively across the United States today.
Discussion is being suppressed. Over 100 languages are ripping the
foundation of our educational system and national cohesiveness. Even
barbaric cultures that practice female genital mutilation are growing
as we celebrate ‘diversity.’ American jobs are vanishing into the Third
World as corporations create a Third World in America Take note of
California and other states. To date, ten million illegal aliens and
growing fast. It is reminiscent of George Orwell’s book ‘1984.’ In that
story, three slogans are engraved in the Ministry of Truth building: ‘War is peace,’ ‘Freedom is slavery,’ and ‘Ignorance is strength.’ Governor
Lamm walked back to his seat. It dawned on everyone at the conference
that our nation and the future of this great democracy is deeply in
trouble and worsening fast. If we don’t get this immigration monster
stopped within three years, it will rage like a California wildfire and
destroy everything in its path, especially The American Dream. If you care for and love our country as I do, take the time to pass this on just as I did for you. NOTHING is going to happen if you don’t!
ICE Raid in Iowa
Finally they are starting to go after the illegal immigration employers. We need this on a nation-wide basis and tell the businesses that you can not disobey the law and hire illegal immigrants. This is long overdue and hopefully the owners will get the full extent of the law thrown at them and the illegals deported.
Postville, Ia. – At least 300 people were arrested today at the Agriprocessors, Inc. meat packing plant, federal officials said.
The operation, which targeted people who illegally used other persons Social Security numbers and were in the U.S. illegally, was the largest of its kind in Iowa, said Claude Arnold, a special agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The workers arrested so far were interviewed by agents with the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Public Health Service. Public health officials were included to ensure that their humanitarian needs were being met, said U.S. District Attorney Matt M. Dummermuth.
Authorities have released 40 of the arrested employees “on humanitarian grounds” with supervision, pending further proceedings, Dummermuth said.
A total of 16 local, state and federal agencies, led by ICE, joined the investigation that began last October. Among them was the U.S. Marshals Service, the Iowa Department of Public Safety, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture, the federal Drug Enforcement Agency, the Waterloo Police Department and the Postville Police Department.
Agents with ICE have received information about immigration violations at the plant over the past two years, according to a federal search warrant made public today. Authorities said they will release more details at another press conference tomorrow morning in Cedar Rapids.—Des Moines Register
Windfall Tax on Retirement Income
via email
Cross posted at Grizzly Groundswell
Windfall Tax on Retirement IncomeAdding
a tax to your retirement is simply another way of saying to the
American people, you’re so darn stupid that we’re going to keep doing
this until we drain every cent from you. That’s what the Speaker of the
House is saying. Read below……………Nancy Pelosi wants a Windfall Tax on Retirement Income.. In other words tax what you
have made by investing toward your retirement. This woman is a nut case! You aren’t going to believe this.Madam speaker Nancy Pelosi wants
to put a Windfall Tax on all stock market profits (including Retirement
fund, 401K and Mutual Funds! Alas, it is true – all to help the 12
Million Illegal Immigrants and other unemployed Minorities!This woman is frightening.
She
quotes…" We need to work toward the goal of equalizing income,
(didn’t Marx say something like this), in our country and at the same
time limiting the amount the rich can invest." ( I am not rich, are
you)When asked how these new tax dollars would be spent, she replied:
"We
need to raise the standard of living of our poor, unemployed and
minorities. For example, we have an estimated 12 million illegal
immigrants in our country who need our help along with millions of
unemployed minorities. Stock market windfall profits taxes could go a
long way to guarantee these people the standard of living they would
like to have as ‘Americans’." (Read that quote again and again and let
it sink in. Lower your retirement, give it to others who have not
worked as you have for it.
Snopes has this as a false statement. Sorry for anyone out there that I may have fooled. But is was a statement that sounded like she would say. Just like Hillary’s statement that she needs to take away from the oil companies. Sorry for any misinformation.
I usually try and check out snopes beforehand, but as I said before it sounds too much like what Pelosi would actually say.
TAKE DOWN the FEEDER!
via email
Cross posted at Grizzly Groundswell
TAKE DOWN the FEEDER!
I bought a bird feeder. I hung
it on my back porch and filled
it with seed. What a beauty of
a bird feeder it is, as I filled it
lovingly with seed. Within a
week we had hundreds of birds
taking advantage of the
continuous flow of free and
easily accessible food.But then the birds started
building nests in the boards
of the patio, above the table,
and next to the barbecue.Then came the bird crap.
It was everywhere: on the patio tile, the chairs, the table …
everywhere!Then some of the birds
turned mean. They would
dive bomb me and try to
peck me even though I had
fed them out of my own
pocket.And others birds were
boisterous and loud. They
sat on the feeder and
squawked and screamed at
all hours of the day and night
and demanded that I fill it
when it got low on food.After a while, I couldn’t even
sit on my own back porch
anymore. So I took down the
bird feeder and in three days
the birds were gone. I cleaned
up their mess and took down
the many nests they had built
all over the patio.Soon, the back yard was like
it used to be … quiet, serene
and no one demanding their
rights to a free meal.Now let’s see ….
Our government gives out
free food, subsidized housing,
free medical care, and free
education and allows anyone
born here to be an automatic
citizen.Then the illegals came by the
tens of thousands. Suddenly
our taxes went up to pay for
free services; small apartments
are housing 5 families; you
have to wait 6 hours to be seen
by an emergency room doctor;
your child’s 2nd grade class is
behind other schools because
over half the class doesn’t speak English.Corn Flakes now come in a
bilingual box; I have to
‘press one’ to hear my bank
talk to me in English, and
people waving flags other
than ‘Old Glory’ are
squawking and screaming
in the streets, demanding
more rights and free liberties.Just my opinion, but maybe
it’s time for the government
to take down the bird feeder.
If you agree, pass it on; if not,
continue cleaning up the crap!
Rudy does Boffo Hillary Impression
From the ABC News Blog
H/T The Anchoress – who wishes she could have seen it with Rudy in drag. Me, too. http://theanchoressonline.com/2007/11/03/id-have-enjoyed-seeing-rudy-do-this-impression/
Giuliani Impersonates Hillary, Says Bill Clinton Had Head in the Sand
November 03, 2007 12:13 PM
ABC News’ Jan Simmonds reports: With an Elvis impersonator crooning just two floors below him, Rudy Giuliani, R-N.Y., took aim on Friday at both Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and her husband, former President Bill Clinton.
Speaking at a town hall in Berlin, New Hampshire, Giuliani first set his sights on Hillary Clinton and used humor to answer a question about Clinton’s much analyzed debate response on whether she supported a plan to grant driver’s licenses to illegal aliens in New York state.
"Oh gee I can’t figure out what to think," said Giuliani satirizing Clinton.
"Don’t pick on me by asking that question. That’s a gotcha question. Do not pick on me for asking that question. Now let me see what I think…. Let me see… First put up your hands and tell me what you think. Then I’ll tell you what I think. Are you for it or against it? Ok, you’re not gonna tell me. So I’m for it, for it. I am against it. I’m for it and against it. And I wanna be your president."
After having his fun, the former New York City Mayor got serious.
"Okay, all kidding aside, I am against it," he said. "It’s a terrible mistake. You don’t give driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants."
Giuliani did acknowledge that he at least could respect Barack Obama, D-Ill., who said he supported the license plan.
"I at least respect somebody who answers the question and I watched that debate the other night and Hillary Clinton could not answer the question," Giuliani said. "It was like double talk. This and this and this."
"If you can’t take a position on driver’s licenses, what the heck are you gonna do about war and peace, and difficult decisions in crisis?" he added returning his attention to the Democratic frontrunner.
Giuliani was not done with the Clintons though. Next to draw the former mayor’s ire was the former president, Bill Clinton, whom Giuliani took umbrage with over how he cut the military and intelligence agencies’ budgets while he was in the White House.
"What Bill Clinton did to you in the 1990’s most Americans don’t even know. They don’t even know the worst thing that he did," said Giuliani.
"The worst thing that he did was not any of the stuff that got all the attention and sometimes exaggeration and who knows what. The worst thing he did was to cut our military and intelligence budgets. That is the worst thing he did."
Noting that Clinton "slashed" both the agencies’ budgets, Giuliani charged that the former president had his "head in the sand."
"And now as I said, I don’t pretend that he (Clinton) could predict September the 11th. People are not prophets, even presidents," said Giuliani. "But he did have his head in the sand. He was cutting those military budgets and intelligence budgets while Islamic terrorists were killing Americans."
"Over 500 before September 11th. The first attack on America was not September 11th, it was 1993. And then Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia, and then Kenya, and then Tanzania, and then the attack on the USS Cole, to which we didn’t even respond. So let’s not go back to that."
Ending his Clinton focus, Giuliani noted, "Hillary Clinton really wants to take you in reverse to the 1990’s. She thought things were wonderful in the 1990’s and there was only one thing missing in the 1990’s and it was the socialized medicine she couldn’t do for us. So now she wants to take us back to the 1990’s and give us the socialized medicine too. Let’s not let her do that."
Source: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2007/11/giuliani-impers.html
Julia
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This is my Country
via email
my country.
Let me make this perfectly clear!
THIS IS MY COUNTRY!
And, because I make this statement
DOES NOT mean I’m against immigration!!!
YOU ARE WELCOME HERE IN MY COUNTRY.
Welcome to come
through like everyone else has.
Get a sponsor!
Get a place to lay your head!
Get a job!
Live by OUR rules!
Pay YOUR taxes!
And
LEARN THE LANGUAGE LIKE ALL OTHER
IMMIGRANTS HAVE IN THE PAST!!!
AND PLEASE DON’T DEMAND THAT WE HAND OVER OUR
LIFETIME SAVINGS OF SOCIAL SECURITY FUNDS TO YOU
TO MAKE UP FOR ”YOUR” LOSSES.
If you don’t want to forward this for fear
of offending someone,
then YOU’RE PART OF THE PROBLEM!
When will AMERICAN’S STOP giving away THEIR RIGHTS???
We’ve gone so far the other way … bent over backwards not to
offend anyone. But it seems no one cares about the AMERICAN
that’s being offended!WAKE UP America !!!
If you agree … pass this on.
if you don’t agree .. delete it!!!Crossposted at Grizzly Groundell
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Call the Wambulance
I am not really for breaking families apart,but we need to get rid of the Anchor Baby Law, so things like this don’t happen. If you are in this country illegally, your children should also be illegal. This Anchor Baby LAw is outdated and should be abolished. I really feel sorry for the child, but the law is the law,and if you are in the country illegally, you should be deported if using illegal documents. I really don’t feel sorry for Elvira Arellano, she knew she was in the country illegally and did not surrender herself to the authorities and just tried to walk over our law. If you want to come here for work, then come here by legal means. We are very accepting to bringing people into this country.
Immigration Activist Deported to Mexico
Aug 20, 6:54 AM (ET)
By PETER PRENGAMAN
LOS ANGELES (AP) – An immigration activist who took refuge in a Chicago church for a year to avoid being separated from her son has been deported to Mexico, the church’s pastor said.
Elvira Arellano was arrested Sunday afternoon outside Our Lady Queen of Angels church in Los Angeles. She was deported several hours later, said the Rev. Walter Coleman, pastor of Adalberto United Methodist Church in Chicago, where Arellano had taken refuge.
"She has been deported. She is free and in Tijuana," said Coleman, who said he spoke to her on the phone. "She is in good spirits. She is ready to continue the struggle against the separation of families from the other side of the border."
Messages left with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials were not immediately returned.
Arellano, 32, became a symbol of the struggles of illegal immigrant parents when she took refuge in the church to avoid being separated from her 8-year-old son Saul, who was born in the U.S. and is thus a citizen.
She had said Saturday she was not afraid of being taken into custody by immigration agents.
"From the time I took sanctuary the possibility has existed that they arrest me in the place and time they want," she said in Spanish. "I only have two choices. I either go to my country, Mexico, or stay and keep fighting. I decided to stay and fight."
Arellano came to Washington state illegally in 1997. She was deported to Mexico shortly after, but returned and moved to Illinois in 2000, taking a job cleaning planes at O’Hare International Airport.
She was arrested in 2002 at O’Hare and convicted of working under a false Social Security number. She was to surrender to authorities last August.
She sought refuge at the storefront church on Chicago’s West Side on Aug. 15, 2006. She had not left the church property until she decided to travel by car to Los Angeles, Coleman said.
Coleman said Arellano, who is staying with a friend in Tijuana, had brought to light her struggle, and for that, "she has won a victory."
"She’ll be organizing on the Mexican side of the border while we’re organizing in the (United) States," Coleman said Monday. "She’ll be talking to organizations throughout Mexico and congressmen in Mexico City."
Coleman said he and other activists will continue Arellano’s original plan to go to Washington, D.C. and take part in a prayer meeting and rally for immigration reform at the Capitol on Sept. 12.
Immigration activists responded with anger to her arrest, and promised protests and vigils to support her.
"We are sad, but at the same time we are angry," said Javier Rodriguez, a Chicago immigration activist who worked with Arellano. "How dare they arrest this woman?"
Anti-illegal immigrant groups said the arrest was long overdue.
"Just because the woman has gone public and made an issue of the fact that she is defying law doesn’t mean the government doesn’t have to do its job," said Ira Mehlman of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which favors limits on immigration.
Arellano has repeatedly called for a stop to immigration raids that break up families with some members who are in the U.S. legally and others illegally.
Emma Lozano, Coleman’s wife and head of immigration rights group Centro Sin Fronteras in Chicago, said she was Saul’s legal guardian. At an afternoon press conference in Los Angeles, the boy hid behind Lozano and wiped away tears.
"He’s taking it better than we thought he would," Lozano said.
While being arrested, Arellano spoke briefly with her son before submitting to authorities, Lozano said.
"She calmed him down, hugged him and gave him a blessing," said Lozano.
—
Associated Press writers Sophia Tareen and Michael Tarm in Chicago and Raquel Maria Dillon in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
Ohers blogging:
Unpartisan.com Political News and Blog Aggregator
This is who the Shamnetsty Bill was targeting
via email
IF this doesn’t get your blood boiling, I don;t know what will.
Here is a REAL INTERVIEW with an illegal Mexican at a
protest march in Texas.This is good! Below is a good example of a discussion
with a master of circular logic. Don’t be logical, don’t respect
the truth or your adversary, just say what you think makes a new
case when the previous case gets too difficult to defend. On the
streets of downtown Houston, May 1, 2006.Jim Moore reporting for a Houston TV station:
Jim: Juan, I see that you and thousands of other
protesters are marching in the streets to demonstrate for your
cause. Exactly what is your cause and what do you expect to
accomplish by this protest?Juan: We want our rights. We will show you how
powerful we are. We will bring Houston to its knees!Jim: What rights?
Juan: Our right to live here…legally. Our right to
get all the benefits you get.Jim: When did you come to the United States?
Juan: Six years ago. I crossed over the border at
night with seven other friends.Jim: Why did you come?
Juan: For work. I can earn as much in a month as I
could in a year in Mexico. Besides, I get free health care, our
Mexican children can go to school free, if I lose my job I will get
Welfare, and someday I will have the Social Security. Nothing like
that in Mexico!Jim: Did you feel badly about breaking our immigration
laws when you came?Juan: No! Why should I feel bad? I have a right to be
here. I have a right to amnesty. I paid lots of money for my Social
Security and Green Cards.Jim: How did you acquire those documents?
Juan: From a guy in Dallas. He charged me a lot of
money too.Jim: Did you know that those documents were forged?
Juan: It is of no matter. I have a right to be here
and work.Jim: What is the "right" you speak of?
Juan: The right of all Aliens. It is found in your
Constitution. Read it!Jim: I have read it, but I do not remember it saying
anything about rights for Aliens.Juan: It is in that part where it says that all men
have Alien rights, like the right to pursue happiness. I wasn’t
happy in Mexico, so I came here.Jim: I think you are referring to the declaration of
Independence and that document speaks to unalienable rights .. Not
Alien rights.Juan: Whatever.
Jim: Since you are demanding to become an American
citizen, why then are you carrying a Mexican Flag?Juan: Because I am Mexican.
Jim: But you said you want to be given amnesty … To
become a US citizen.Juan: No. This is not what we want. This is our
country, a part of Mexico that you Gringos stole from us. We want it returned to its rightful owner.Jim: Juan, you are standing in Texas. After wining the war with Mexico, Texas became a Republic, and later Texans voted to join the USA. It was not stolen from Mexico.
Juan: That is a Gringo lie. Texas was stolen. So was
California, New Mexico and Arizona. It is just like all the other stuff you Gringos steal, like oil and babies. You are a country of thieves.Jim: Babies? You think we steal babies?
Juan: Sure. Like from Korea and Vietnam and China. I see them all over the place. You let all these foreigners in, but try to keep us Mexicans out. How is this fair?
Jim: So, you really don’t want to become an American citizen then.
Juan: I just want my rights! Everyone has a right to
live, work, and speak their native language wherever and
whenever they please. That’s another thing we demand. All signs and official documents should be in Spanish . Teachers must teach in Spanish. Soon, more people here in Houston will speak Spanish than English. It is our right!Jim: If I were to cross over the border into Mexico
without proper documentation, what rights would I have there?Juan: None. You would probably go to jail, but that’s
different.Jim: How is it different? You said everyone has the
right to live wherever they please.Juan: You Gringos are a bunch of land grabbing
thieves. Now you want Mexico too? Mexico has its rights. You Gringos have no rights in Mexico. Why would you want to go there anyway? There is no free medical service, schools, or welfare there for foreigners such as you. You cannot even own land in my country. Stay in the country of your birth.Jim: I can see that there is no way that we can agree on this issue. Thank you for your comments.
Juan: Viva Mexico!
The battle for our secure borders and immigration laws that actually mean something, however, hasn’t even begun.
If this ticks YOU off…PASS IT ON!
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Immigration Bills dies
Well, it looks like the comprehensive Immigration (Shamnesty to some) Bill has gone down to defeat. Enough people called and let their minds be heard to the Congress that they had to reject this bill. I think one poll had over %70 of the people against this bill. Hopefully know Congress will see that the people want to stop the mass infusion of Illegal Aliens every year fist. After that then we can talk about giving people amnesty. Just the other day a gorgery expert in Mexico said he could make 3 million more illegals able to get amnesty with the rules that were in this bill. I think the first thing that needs to be done is to actually enforce the laws that are already in the books and get a handle on the border first. I doubt it will happen because Congress is too out of touch with the average citizen, but stranger things have happened.
46-53, immigration bill goes down in defeat
June 28, 2007 The comprehensive immigration reform bill that has dodged attacks from the left and right for weeks, survived “poison pill” amendments, and was once pulled from the Senate schedule failed its most important test Thursday. Passage of the legislation now appears unlikely. The bipartisan coalition that had shepherded the measure through so many obstacles failed to get the 60 votes necessary to end debate. The final vote was 46-53
Until Thursday morning, it was unclear whether the bill would survive the cloture vote. But in the end, opponents of the measure from both sides of the political spectrum gained enough support to derail the legislation. Liberals felt it did not go far enough in protecting illegal immigrants, while conservatives rejected the bill because they felt it would grant amnesty to the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the country.
Republican foes of the measure argued that the American public was broadly united in opposition to the bill and had made its views known by flooding Congress with phone calls and e-mails.
“What part of ‘no’ don’t we understand?,” asked Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), who said the immigration fight had “reengaged the American people.”
But Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), one of the key members of the coalition that crafted the bill, warned is Republican colleagues ahead of the vote.
“Remember this day if you vote ‘no,’” Graham said, adding that this bill would not come back in its current form and it is “as good as it gets.”
President Bush has taken a hands-on approach to the legislation, which he views as an important part of his domestic legacy. Leading up to the vote, called senators to urge them to support the bill.
Sex Slave ring busted
H/T to Captain’s Quarters
Here is a good exampleof why we need to secure our borders. A sex slave ring was busted in Minnesota. The women mainly came from Mexico and Central America. They werre exploiyted by pimps because of their illegal immigration here. They were forced to satisfy of over 40 men a night. Minnesota is 1500 miles from the Mexican border, but the traffic of sex slaves reached this upper part of the United States. This is on top of the other crimes that have been perpetrated by illegal aliens. I forgfet the exact percetage, but about %90 of the warrants of murder in LA are that of illegal aliens.
I haven’t really talked too much abou the Immigration Bill, because not much was known about it. It does look like it will not pass because of opposition oin both sidesof the aisle. Ant bill that comes through must have definitive security measures in it. We can not just let anybody come in. they need top come through the right channels to become citizens. I know we are never going to find and deport all the illegals in the country now. And many do want to become legal, so we should have some way of getting them straight with the laws. But full amnesty is not the way. They need to pay fines and take English classes and pass strict background checks. But the first thing that needs to be done is to shut down the flood coming over our borders, or any bill will be worthless.
Attack on ‘sex slavery’ targets 8 brothels
Federal, state and local authorities said 18 of the 25 people charged with running a prostitution ring are illegal immigrants.
The women came mostly from Mexico and Central America.When they arrived in Minnesota, the women had their passports and other identifying documents taken away and they were forced into a world of prostitution. In one night, two women serviced more than 80 men in a south Minneapolis house.
On Monday, in what might be one of the biggest such cases in Minnesota, 25 people were charged in federal court with running eight brothels. Eighteen of the suspects are illegal immigrants, according to an indictment filed in U.S. District Court.
Five of the brothels operated in Minneapolis and the others were in Richfield, West St. Paul and Austin, Minn., according to the indictment.
"The leaders of this prostitution ring … are responsible for the bondage and sex slavery of women, an intolerable condition in a twenty-first century America," U.S. Attorney Rachel Paulose said at a news conference.
Major state law enforcement leaders also were there.
The charges stem from arrests made Saturday during high-profile raids near Lake Street and Bloomington Avenue S. in south Minneapolis. Nineteen men and six women were charged. All had surnames that appeared to be of Hispanic origin. Paulose said she could not reveal the countries of origin of the accused and the victims.
Another house was a hub
The indictment charges that Marisol Ramirez, a 37-year-old woman, established the network of brothels, and that she was assisted by Roberto Rivera-Miranda, 31. A house at 3212 Cedar Av. S. in Minneapolis was the hub of operations, where prostitutes would spend time while coming to and from the airport or moving from brothel to brothel, the indictment said.
The other people charged Monday rented the houses used as brothels, drove women to various locations, delivered condoms, supplied narcotics and worked as doormen, the indictment said.
Some distributed business cards — in Spanish — at places such as Mystic Lake Casino and along Central Avenue in Minneapolis.
The prostitution ring did not appear to be a high-tech operation. Rivera-Miranda, for example, used his name to get from Qwest a land-line telephone number for a brothel in northeast Minneapolis, the indictment said.
The women were subjected to horrendous exploitation, Paulose said. At 3104 Pleasant Av. S. in Minneapolis, for example, one woman was forced to provide sex to 46 "johns" in one night last month, the indictment said.
The 25 people were charged with conspiracy, transporting persons to engage in prostitution, and coercion and enticement of another to travel across state lines to engage in prostitution.
The arrests were largely the result of a collaborative investigation involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) and the St. Paul Police Department, officials said.
The arrests also were credited to slain St. Paul police Sgt. Jerry Vick, who two years ago this month was killed while doing undercover work.
St. Paul Assistant Police Chief Nancy DiPerna said that Vick had discovered a prostitution ring involving Mexican and Central American women. A foundation created in his name applied for a federal grant to continue that investigation after his death, she said.
"Our prosecutor and dedicated law enforcement partners deserve much credit for their work in investigating and dismantling a major prostitution ring in a metropolitan area that has been identified as one of the nation’s top centers for the prostitution of women," Paulose said.
Human trafficking a concern
The case points to the growing concern about human trafficking in Minnesota. Last year the Legislature commissioned the first state report, which found that 43 percent of the 119 human service providers it surveyed had helped a victim of human trafficking — and that they were helping about 200 victims at the time of the survey.
There was no information on people charged with human trafficking in the report, because until now, Minnesota law enforcement did not use the law, said Danette Buskovick, the statistics director and task force staff member from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.
"Sex trafficking isn’t a new crime, but it’s something hidden," she said. "These are cases that are very hard to build and to prosecute. So this is a really big deal."
The people charged in the case are scheduled to make their first court appearance Wednesday in U.S. District Court.
Jean Hopfensperger • 612-673-4511 • hopfen@startribune.com
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