CitizenSugar -- Breaking News, Together.

Front Page: House Set to Vote on Bailout, Fact-Checking and Debate Quotes, Fewer People Entering US Illegally

CitizenSugar — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 07:00:32 -0700

House Set to Vote on Bailout:
The US House is debating the Bailout Bill this morning, preparing for a vote expected later today. The version they're considering is heftier version approved by the Senate earlier this week. Speaker Pelosi said of the pending vote, "We're not going to take a bill to the floor that doesn't have the votes. I'm optimistic that we will take a bill to the floor." The House rejected the first Bailout plan on Monday.

Fact-Checking and Debate Quotes:
The morning after the Vice Presidential Debate, analysis is running high. If you're looking to make analysis of your own, individual facts from the debate have now been checked, along with full quotes from the transcripts, so you can make up your own mind. If you missed the excitement, check out our reactions to the debate and the live-comments.
Fewer People Entering US Illegally:
A report released today shows that fewer people are trying to enter the US illegally, and that over the past year there has been no growth in the number of illegal immigrants in residence. For the first time in almost 10 years, the number of people entering illegally was lower than those coming in through legal channels. Experts think the loss of low-wage jobs in the American economy and tighter borders could be the cause.

Source

Front Page: Plot to Assassinate Obama, Hundreds Held in Immigration Raid, Mystery Virus Hits India

CitizenSugar — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 06:55:20 -0700

Plot to Assassinate Obama:
Denver authorities announced they had arrested three people on drug and gun charges in connection with a possible plot to assassinate Obama during his speech accepting the nomination Thursday night. The US Attorney Generals office will hold a press conference this afternoon to discuss the "aggressive" inquiry into the case. It's not clear how detailed the plot was before the arrests.

Hundreds Held in Immigration Raid:
Another large-scale immigration raid, this time in Mississippi, led to 350 workers being detained. Numerous ICE agents infiltrated the Howard Industries factory and so far dozens of workers have been “identified, fingerprinted, interviewed, photographed and processed for removal from the US.” Immigrants' rights activists said, “It’s horrific what ICE is doing to these families and these communities.”
Mystery Virus Hits India:
A virus that started in one village in India has spread to 350 people and claimed 160 lives; 15 to 20 people are dying everyday. Doctors are unsure what the disease is, though possible causes lie everywhere in the piles of garbage and waterlogged roads. The villagers are getting desperate: “Everyone here is waiting for doctors to come and examine people; but they aren’t coming and we are counting our dead.”

Source

Few Immigrants Self-Deport, Bishop Says Jesus Wouldn't Raid

CitizenSugar — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 10:00:02 -0700

The federal "self-deportation" pilot program ends today with a scant handful of illegal immigrants volunteering to return home. The three-week program gave illegal immigrants facing court orders 90 days to plan their departure rather than face being arrested, detained, and deported. The program was well-publicized, but in the first week only six signed up.

Immigrant advocates cite few incentives and no consideration for immigrants' ties to family in the US for the reason it was so unpopular. Given the failure of the program, they're worried now that it will be used as a reason to step up the raids since the ICE made an effort to enforce the law in a gentler way.

One religious figure is playing the WWJD game with immigration raids. To see what he has to say,

Construction Begins on $57 Million San Diego Border Fence

CitizenSugar — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 12:45:58 -0700

Construction Begins on $57 Million San Diego Border Fence Scrapers and bulldozers began filling a deep canyon Friday to make way for a border fence in the southwestern corner of the United States after 12 years of planning, environmental reviews and legal challenges. The 3.5 mile stretch extends from a state park on an oceanfront cliff through a canyon known as Smuggler's Gulch. At a cost of about $16 million a mile, the fence will be far more expensive than other fences on the 1,952-mile border with Mexico — the average cost along the entire border is $2 million to $3 million a mile.

PETA Warning to Border Crossers: US Burgers Will Kill You

CitizenSugar — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:15:22 -0700

Like the Minutemen, another controversial group who has erected signs at the border between the US and Mexico, PETA has a billboard all cooked up and aimed at the migrating population heading across the border. The PETA placard has a stronger message than "we keep this road clean" — the animal rights superadvocates want immigrants to cross over, and cross meat off their shopping list.

PETA is asking the government to let them rent space on the border fence proclaiming to the new arrivals: "If the Border Patrol Doesn't Get You, the Chicken and Burgers Will — Go Vegan."

Now I'm as vegan as the next. . . vegan, but the PETA campaigns can be let's say, less than subtle. To see what they're planning for this campiagn,

Front Page: Combat Tours Reduced, Olmert to Quit, Fewer Illegal Immigrants, Karadzic Due in Court

CitizenSugar — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 06:55:37 -0700

Combat Tours Reduced:
President Bush said in an appearance at the White House this morning that combat tours in Iraq will be reduced to 12 months from 15. He said, "we are now in our third consecutive month with reduced violence levels holding steady." With a deal on security close, it "relieves the burden on our forces." Five US soldiers died in Iraq this month compared to 66 in July 2007.

Olmert to Quit:
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has announced he will resign in September after his party chooses a new leader. Olmert is tangled in a corruption investigation, and the announcement heightens uncertainty in both the Middle East peace effort and the political legacies of both Olmert and Bush, who'd hoped for breakthroughs before leaving office.

Fewer Illegal Immigrants:
The number of immigrants in the US illegally has fallen by 1.3 million in the past year, an 11 percent fall since the peak last August. The report accompanying the census showed a "strong indication" that stricter enforcement by authorities played a major role in the reduction, though others say the shifting economy has made the US a less desirable location.
Karadzic Due in Court:
Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic will be charged with 11 counts of war crimes by the UN war crimes tribunal today. The exact charges will only be revealed in court; afterward he can enter a plea but doesn't have to. Karadzic had been on the run for 13 years before being captured in Belgrade last week.

Source

Iowa's Citizens Tell Congressmen to Lay Off Immigration Raids

CitizenSugar — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 08:00:52 -0700

About 1,000 Iowans marched in protest yesterday over working conditions at the same meatpacking plant in Iowa where an immigration raid this Spring that led to the arrest of almost 400 people. The incident has left local residents pleading with their congressmen to stop with the raids. This weekend residents told their representatives that the sweep damaged the small town more than it helped, and tore families apart.

The raid was the largest of its kind in US history, and the testimony over the weekend showed the huge emotional toll it took on the community. Those testifying both skewered immigration officials and Homeland Security for inhumane tactics, and leveled criticism at the plant for taking advantage of the workers.

At the end of the hearing, Rep. Gutierrez agreed, "This is wrong. We've taken men and women who want to work and made felons out of them." One local union official said the blame would be better placed with the owners who hired and took advantage of the workers rather than the illegal workers themselves, "the family that owns that place, they're the ones who should be prosecuted."

The mayor issued the definitive statement, and urged them to take the message back to Washington that raids don't work, "this raid did nothing for this community. It downgraded us substantially. It caused people to suffer, and it caused our reputation to suffer clear across the country."

Is he right? Do immigration raids do more harm than good?

Source

Killings Turn Focus on San Francisco Sanctuary Law

CitizenSugar — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:25:30 -0700

Killings Turn Focus on San Francisco Sanctuary Law Authorities say Edwin Ramos to unloaded an AK-47 assault weapon on a man and his two sons, killing them. The deaths immediately drew public outrage, which intensified when authorities revealed that Ramos, 21, is an illegal immigrant who managed to avoid deportation despite previous brushes with the law. The case has put San Francisco's liberal politics to the test, setting off a debate over its sanctuary law that shields undocumented immigrants from deportation.

NE Town Proposes Law to Ban Harboring Illegal Immigrants

CitizenSugar — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 12:15:16 -0700

Fremont, NE, has made a move to become the first and only city to banish illegal immigrants — making the town the antithesis to famous sanctuary cities like San Francisco. The controversial law proposes a city ordinance that goes a step further than other city bans and will outlaw harboring and renting to illegal immigrants. The potential effect of the law is huge as the town, just west of Omaha, contains a Hormel Foods processing plant that relies on immigrant labor.

The longtime councilman who sponsored the proposal said that his constituents were "sick and tired" of the federal governments lax enforcement of immigration laws, and that he'll, "fight to the dying end to do what they want." To see what happened in the debate,

San Francisco Giving Crack-Dealing Immigrants Free Airfare

CitizenSugar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:45:36 -0700

What do you get when you enter the US illegally, sell crack, and then claim to be a juvenile? If you're in San Francisco, you get free airfare home. Citing the city's status as a sanctuary city, juvenile probation officials are protecting Hondurans caught selling crack from federal deportation by giving them a city-paid flight home with no restrictions on returning.

The practice has prompted a federal criminal investigation to see if San Francisco has been systematically circumventing US immigration law. A spokesman for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) says, "our job is to uphold the nation's immigration laws. Although San Francisco is a sanctuary city, it's a problem whenever someone attempts to evade the law. . . . Our law does not allow us to turn a blind eye to any individual who has come into this country illegally." To see how SF has become a travel agency,

Front Page: North Korea Declares Nuclear Program, Iraq Bombings, Immigration Raid

CitizenSugar — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 07:02:25 -0700

North Korea Declares Nuclear Program:
North Korea has submitted for inspection the long-awaited declaration of the extent of its nuclear program. Immediately after the move, the Bush administration announced it would remove the country, formerly on the "axis of evil" list, from the list of states who sponsor terrorism, as well as lifting commercial restriction on the country. President Bush said, "this can be a moment of opportunity for North Korea. If it continues to make the right choices it can repair its relationship with the international community."

Attack Kills 33 in Iraq:
At least 33 people have been killed in two massive bombings in Iraq today, including 18 people hit by a car bomb in the northern city of Mosul. The US military gave initial reports from Mosul saying that another 71 civilians and nine policemen were wounded. The second attack was carried out by a suicide bomber, killing the mayor and 14 senior members of an anti-Qaeda group. US commanders have said that Mosul is the country's last urban stronghold of al-Qaeda.
Immigration Raid Leads to 160 Arrests:
Federal immigration agents raided a used clothing plant in Houston, leading to 160 arrests, 70 percent of whom were women. The raid was the largest ever in the area, and the second major raid in Houston in the past two months. Two hundred immigration agents were involved in what was part of a yearlong investigation. A lawyer for the company said, “We want to abide by the law, and we're going to abide by the law. If we have an illegal employee, we don’t know it. No way. Tell us what the law is, and we’ll obey it.”

Source

States Ask For Citizenship From Welfare Recipients

CitizenSugar — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 09:55:17 -0700

States Ask For Citizenship From Welfare Recipients Michigan and Nebraska appear to be the only states so far that won't give cash assistance unless proof of citizenship is shown, although Missouri is joining their ranks. Some states, such as Virginia, require applicants to show a birth certificate or Social Security number. But they allow applicants to sign an affidavit of citizenship if they can't provide the documents — Michigan and Nebraska don't have that out. The proof of citizenship requirements are being promoted as a way to keep people who are in the country illegally from getting government assistance.

Court Rejects Challenge to Arizona Border Fence

CitizenSugar — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 10:55:49 -0700

Court Rejects Challenge to Arizona Border Fence The Supreme Court rejected on Monday a legal challenge by two environmental groups to the US Homeland Security secretary's decision to waive 19 federal laws so a fence could be built on the Arizona-Mexico border. The high court refused to hear an appeal by Defenders of Wildlife and the Sierra Club challenging a 2005 law that Secretary Michael Chertoff invoked on the grounds that it violated the constitutional separation of powers principles.

270 Illegal Immigrants Sent To Prison In Unprecedented Crackdown

CitizenSugar — Sat, 24 May 2008 08:55:14 -0700

270 Illegal Immigrants Sent To Prison In Unprecedented Crackdown In temporary courtrooms at a fairgrounds here, 270 illegal immigrants were sentenced this week to five months in prison for working at a meatpacking plant in Iowa with false documents. The prosecutions, which ended Friday, signal a sharp escalation in the Bush administration's crackdown on illegal workers, with prosecutors bringing tough federal criminal charges against most of the immigrants arrested in a May 12 raid.

53 Immigrants Held For Ransom in Phoenix, 300 in Raid in Iowa

CitizenSugar — Tue, 13 May 2008 06:00:58 -0700

We talk a lot about illegal immigration around here, but this story really puts a human face on the situation and shows the extent of the problem. It doesn't look good for anyone involved. Arizona authorities recently found 53 illegal immigrants being held prisoners in a Phoenix home by suspected smugglers holding them hostage for more money.

Among the group of rescued immigrants were two 13-year-old girls and a mentally disabled man. There were three women, and the rest were men, according to officials. The group had all had their shoes confiscated and were packed in with very little food or water. It's thought that smugglers wanted an average of $2,500 for the release of each person. To see the huge raid in Iowa,

The Minutemen Adopt-a-Highway — Allowed to Keep It Clean?

CitizenSugar — Mon, 12 May 2008 12:15:12 -0700

When the San Diego Minutemen, an anti-illegal immigration group known for taking border patrol laws into their own hands became a member of Adopt-a-Highway (the keep-it-clean volunteer road service) they were quite surprised by the stretch of highway they were given. Their assigned turf was near a Border Patrol checkpoint on Interstate 5, a main route known for carrying illegal migrants into the United States from Mexico.

The state however has since decided to remove the sign crediting their litter patrolling. They fear demonstrators or vandals would create a safety hazard along the highway — as well as fearing harm to the Minutemen who would be clearing litter on that stretch. To see their response,

Advertising for Illegal Immigrants and Big Government Bucks

CitizenSugar — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 06:00:33 -0700

In an odd, having-your-cake-and-eating-it-too sort of parallel of stories, illegal immigration has hit the city of San Francisco in a confusing way. The city is both actively advertising for illegal immigrants, and under audit for taking millions of dollars of federal money to combat border crimes.

The problem with the dough? San Francisco is 500 miles from any border, and beat out all four states bordering Mexico for banking the most cash. The city has received $5.4 million since 2004 to help secure their "border," and the federal audit found that found the city was not entitled to any of the funds.

What's a great story to balance this? How about the $83,000 ad campaign launched last week trumpeting the city's amnesty status and inviting all to come on aboard? To see the details of their "Got Immigrants?" campaign,