http://www.citizensugar.com/ Breaking News, Together. en http://www.citizensugar.com/2648125 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/16/162306/01_2008/e2c54089915b8c93_gated_home.xlarge.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right outline xlarge" height="188" width="288"></span>Well, this is just great. Behind the gated and planned communities of Southern California <a href="http://buzzsugar.com/tags/weeds" >housewives aren't just employing children as drug dealers</a>, they're smuggling children into the US to work. </p> <p>As affluent immigrants move here from Africa, where the rich think nothing of employing children for little to no money, many bring children with them to employ for meager wages ($30-per-month meager). The US State Department found that in the past year, children from at least 10 African countries were sent to the US and Europe to work as maids. </p> <p>To learn about one former child slave who found justice, if that's even possible, </p> <p><a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/2648125">read more</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/2648125#comment Child Labor Immigration Slavery Tue, 30 Dec 2008 11:00:42 -0800 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2648125 http://www.citizensugar.com/2591905 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/50_2008/e37446eb40704613_imsis270-136.xlarger.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right xlarger" height="246" width="378"></span>Mexican guest workers <a href="http://www.salon.com/wires/ap/us/2008/12/10/D9504TNO0_worker_abuse_investigation/index.html?source=" target="_blank">at the center of an FBI investigation</a> say that their boss treated them like animals. </p> <p>Charles "Bimbo" Relan, the Louisiana farmer who employs the immigrants, allegedly confiscated the workers' passports, kept them working hunched over for hours, fired his shot gun over the workers' heads, killed the stray dog the workers kept as a pet, and sometimes paid them only $2 an hour. He also exposed the immigrants to dangerous pesticides. </p> <p>Some of the immigrants, who had obtained visas to legally work on the strawberry farm, left without their passports. They organized, protested, and caught the FBI's attention. Do you think more should be done to make sure non-American workers are treated with dignity and have the same civil rights as American workers? </p> <p><span style='font-size:10px !important;'><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></span></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/2591905#comment Immigration Mexico Slavery Thu, 11 Dec 2008 03:00:31 -0800 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2591905 http://www.citizensugar.com/2121184 <p>Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in San Francisco, San Diego, and Los Angeles just finished three weeks of immigration raids. Those who <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_10592206" target="_blank">ignored deportation orders or returned to the US</a> after being deported were the targets of the effort.<br /> <span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/40_2008/57298675.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image preview" height="366" width="550"></span><br /> At a bakery in Palm Springs, 60 <a href="http://www.mydesert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080910/NEWS01/80910011/1026/NEWS12" target="_blank">agents arrested or detained 51 workers</a> — coming out to more than one agent per detainee. Twenty-one of the workers were later released because they were primary caregivers to children or elderly. The bakery supervisor was also arrested on suspicion of continuing to employ an unauthorized alien. </p> <p>In Northern California, 20 percent of those arrested had criminal records. The ICE's fugitive operative teams have <a href="http://www.ktvu.com/news/17582970/detail.html" target="_blank">gone after immigration violators that pose a threat to national security or community safety</a>. The units claim to have deceased the number of people that remain in the US after receiving deportation orders by 34,000, since 2007.</p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/2121184#comment California Crime Headline Immigration Tue, 30 Sep 2008 06:00:32 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2121184 http://www.citizensugar.com/2088901 <p>With equal parts sincerity and critique, the Libertarian minds over at <b>Reason</b> magazine have put together a <a href="http://www.reason.com/blog/show/128999.html" target="_blank">fully-illustrated flow chart</a> addressing what they designate as the argument of illegal immigration opponents, the "get in line" theory. What does that line look like? Follow along and see the steps and relative wait times for each part of the process, whether to become a lawful permanent resident or a full-fledged citizen.</p> <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/39_2008/Picture_2_1.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image preview" height="350" width="550"></span></p> <p>Following each path of the "game" with steps like "Married adult children [of citizens]: seven to 15-year wait" the payoff comes at the end — they calculated the best case scenario timeframe to immigrate and become a citizen at six to seven years. The longest path could take 28 years from immigration to legal status. The step that gives pause? Answering "no" to "Are you skilled?" Receives the answer: "Sorry! There is virtually no process for unskilled immigrants without relations in the US to apply for permanent legal residence. Only 10,000 green cards are allotted every year." </p> <p>Does that make sense to you? Do the checks and balances limiting immigration regulate the process appropriately?</p> http://www.citizensugar.com/2088901#comment Immigration On the Newsstand Reason Fri, 26 Sep 2008 06:00:18 -0700 CitizenSugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2088901 http://www.citizensugar.com/node/2045480 <a href="http://townhall.com/news/us/2008/09/20/citizenship_ceremony_largest_in_st_louis_history">Citizenship Ceremony Largest in St. Louis History</a> They had learned English, mastered American civics, undergone extensive background checks and adapted to a new culture. A group of 1,000 new US citizens — participating in the largest naturalization ceremony in St. Louis history — included thoughts like, "It's the best thing that could happen to anybody," said Jude Patrick Okafor, 47, from Nigeria. "You have a choice. You're free. You can aspire to anything you want to be. It gives you confidence and self-worth. In Nigeria, you're more like a number." http://www.citizensugar.com/node/2045480#comment aside Immigration Sat, 20 Sep 2008 12:45:25 -0700 CitizenSugar http://www.citizensugar.com/2045480 http://www.citizensugar.com/1970252 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/37_2008/82587238.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="371" width="350"></span>Barriers — financial and physical — could influence the makeup of newly naturalized Americans. After citizen application rates rose 70 percent, from $440 to $675, <a href="http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ixCad4MPVzqEAoud6q4H58FcGcSQD933OB200" target="_blank">half as many people have applied</a> for US citizenship in the beginning of this year compared to last year. </p> <p>To become eligible for citizenship, a person must be a legal permanent resident who has lived continuously in the US for 5 years. Those that do apply sometimes use loans to foot the bill. Immigrant advocates say the fee exceeds processing costs, and they want the cost to be tied to federal minimum wage and funded by Congress.</p> <p>Meanwhile, the Bush Administration wants an additional $400 million for the partially constructed 670-mile fence along the Texas-Mexico border. The fence, which impacts 480 landowners, <a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1649062" > already received a $2.1 billion apportionment</a> from Congress in 2006. </p> <p>By making citizenship more accessible to the wealthy, and spending an exorbitant amount of money on a keep-out wall, does America betray its immigrant heritage? </p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1970252#comment Border Fence Headline Immigration Mexico Texas Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:30:00 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1970252 http://www.citizensugar.com/1932553 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/36_2008/71023410.xlarge.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right xlarge" height="214" width="320"></span>Can I see some ID? For immigrants in San Francisco, the answer to that is "not quite yet." Plans to roll out a controversial program <a href="http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i5cZXYiBFTVGSMfcwM0hvLu_5w0AD930FSFO0" target="_blank">providing identification for all residents</a> regardless of legal status is on hold for the moment. The plan is suspended pending a "thorough review" of its legality, and cities that were set to watch the rollout for plans of their own are put off for the moment. </p> <p>Based on a similar ID plan in New Haven, CT, Mayor Gavin Newsom says he sees it as a practical move that will ease receipt of local services and make it easier for city government workers to determine who is eligible to get them. The delay has caused detractors to question the real motive — is it accounting or ambition? Supervisor Tom Ammiano accused Newsom of backtracking on the issue because of his possible 2010 gubernatorial bid. Ammiano said, "the perception in the community is that this is alarmist, and it's more about the mayor's ambitions to become governor." </p> <p>Is giving out an ID card to all residents to qualify them for city services a good idea — or another loosening of laws in the proud <a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1748637" >sanctuary city</a>? </p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1932553#comment Gavin Newsom Headline Immigration San Francisco Fri, 05 Sep 2008 09:00:36 -0700 CitizenSugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1932553 http://www.citizensugar.com/1866374 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/33_2008/dv1954034.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image left outline preview" width="325"></span>According to new Census Bureau projections, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/14/washington/14census.html?_r=1&amp;hp&amp;oref=slogin" target="_blank">ethnic and racial minorities won't be that way</a> for very long. The census calculates that by 2042, Americans who consider themselves a minority including Hispanic, black, and Asian will in combination outnumber non-Hispanic whites. Even earlier, minority children will be the majority by 2023. </p> <p>The change happened quicker than previously expected, one reason being significantly higher birthrates among immigrants. Also projections of the growing influx of foreign-born immigrants show it's set to rise from 1.3 million per year now to 2 million per year by the mid-2000s, and the aging and dying of the less prolific whites. It's like a melting pot on speed; a demographer says, “no other country has experienced such rapid racial and ethnic change.”</p> <p>To see what this means for the state of the population, </p> <p><a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1866374">read more</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1866374#comment Census culture Headline Immigration Race Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:01:48 -0700 CitizenSugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1866374 http://www.citizensugar.com/1862213 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/33_2008/82055766.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" width="350"></span>Like the Minutemen, another controversial group who has <a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1622218" >erected signs at the border</a> 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 <a href="http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5937293.html" target="_blank">has a stronger message</a> than "we keep this road clean" — the animal rights superadvocates want immigrants to cross over, and cross meat off their shopping list. </p> <p>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."</p> <p>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, </p> <p><a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1862213">read more</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1862213#comment Border Fence Food Headline Illegal Immigration Immigration PETA Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:15:22 -0700 CitizenSugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1862213 http://www.citizensugar.com/node/1859919 <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/11/fraud-fears-leave-us-citi_n_118125.html">Fraud Fears Leave US Citizenship of Thousands in Doubt</a> In the early 1990s, dozens of midwives were convicted of forging US birth certificates for about 15,000 children born in Mexico as far back as the 1960s. As a result, the US government no longer trusts that anyone in a small town region of Texas delivered by a midwife is an American citizen. In those cases, the government demands additional proof — a demand that has applicants scouring school warehouses and church offices to document their pasts. http://www.citizensugar.com/node/1859919#comment aside Citizenship Immigration Mon, 11 Aug 2008 15:37:02 -0700 CitizenSugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1859919 http://www.citizensugar.com/1817078 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/30_2008/72848219.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" width="300"></span>About 1,000 Iowans <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/28/us/28immig.html?_r=1&amp;hp&amp;oref=login" target="_blank">marched in protest</a> yesterday over working conditions at the same meatpacking plant in Iowa where an immigration raid this Spring that <a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1623899" >led to the arrest</a> 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 <a href="http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hgZBs2D1j97CJ8KcDKibShJZMxmQD925S5MO0" target="_blank">the sweep damaged the small town</a> more than it helped, and tore families apart. </p> <p>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. </p> <p>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."</p> <p>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."</p> <p>Is he right? Do immigration raids do more harm than good?</p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1817078#comment Congress Headline Illegal Immigration Immigration Iowa Mon, 28 Jul 2008 08:00:52 -0700 CitizenSugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1817078 http://www.citizensugar.com/1808043 <p>Yesterday the German government <a href="http://www.townhall.com/news/world/2008/07/23/germany_plans_customs_test_for_would-be_citizens" target="_blank">approved a plan to begin testing</a> would-be citizens on German customs and history, as a condition of citizenship. Critics say the questions and language of the multiple choice test are too difficult. It has also caused a stir among Germany's religious communities. The word Holocaust <a href="http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3473415,00.html" target="_blank">is not mentioned anywhere</a> on the history-oriented exam, and the Muslim community takes issue with the ideological nature of the questions.<br /> <span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/30_2008/germany.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image center preview" height="400" width="470"></span></p> <p>Jewish leaders in Germany are <a href="http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1001640.html" target="_blank">puzzled that Judaism was not mentioned</a> as one of four possible answers to the question: "Which religion exerted the most influence on German and European culture?" In fact some of the questions include references to Christian holidays, raising the question: Should assimilation tests be limited to civic knowledge, rather than "cultural" knowledge that could be exclusive?</p> <p>Have a crack at some sample questions from the test, and see if you deserve a big plate of wiener schnitzel. </p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1808043">read more</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1808043#comment Europe Germany Immigration Quiz Nation World of Faith Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:00:37 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1808043 http://www.citizensugar.com/1791163 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/29_2008/71146675.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="220"></span>A French court has decided to <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7503757.stm" target="_blank">deny citizenship to a Muslim woman</a> because her practice of radical Islam, including the sporting of a burqa, conflicts with French values. The woman lives in France with her French husband and three French-born children. </p> <p>Urban Affairs Minister Fadela Amara, a Muslim member of the French government, <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7509339.stm" target="_blank">has voiced her support</a> of the decision, calling the burqa poison, a straitjacket, and a prison. Amara thinks the choice could dissuade "fanatics from imposing the burqa on their wives." She also said: </p> <blockquote><p>"It is not a religious insignia but the insignia of a totalitarian political project that advocates inequality between the sexes and which is totally devoid of democracy." </p></blockquote> <p>While I would feel oppressed if I had to wear a burqa, I can't see how the court's decision to deny citizenship helps this woman, nor am I sure it will liberate other women. Perhaps France is justified in encouraging assimilation, but I can't help but think the decision simply punishes this woman for her own oppression. Do you think the man will allow his wife to stop wearing the burqa so she can become a citizen? </p> <p><a href="http://www.legacycreative.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1791163#comment Europe France Immigration Law Muslim Thu, 17 Jul 2008 10:00:18 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1791163 http://www.citizensugar.com/1785807 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/29_2008/75288109.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image left preview" height="350"></span>Ethnic studies curriculum may be under siege in Arizona. Some state lawmakers <a href="http://www.douglasdispatch.com/articles/2008/04/17/news/doc4807baad8e35a498617393.txt" target="_blank">want to pass a bill (SB 1108) preventing public schools</a>, including community colleges and universities, from teaching lessons that "denigrate American values and the teachings of Western civilization." The backers oppose curriculum that "overtly encourages dissent" from democracy, capitalism, pluralism, and religious tolerance. Hm . . . not sure how you have a thriving democracy without dissent. </p> <p>Tucson Unified District's Raza Studies sits at the center of this controversy. The bill's author, Republican State Representative Russell Pearce, calls the curriculum — which includes text book entries about a 1915 Mexico plan to reclaim the Southwest — "hate speech." Pearce <a href="http://www.azstarnet.com/dailystar/218441" target="_blank">has been known to call babies</a> born in the US to foreigners "anchor babies" or "jackpot babies."</p> <p>A temperate critique of Tucson's ethnic studies, as <a href="http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MjIwODQ4YzFhNWM0NTI0YzU1MDhjODY2MzFkNDg2M2Y=" target="_blank">espoused by the National Review</a>, maintains that Hispanic students do not benefit from an education predicated on their ethnic identity. Yet I think even this line of thinking does not require that the Hispanic perspective be stricken from Arizona academia. Instead it should be part of an inclusive, diverse, and very American education. </p> <p>Some Arizonans <a href="http://teamsugar.com/user/bellydancinmary/blog/1784972" >view the bill and rhetoric as xenophobic</a>. Do you agree, or do think ethnic studies could spawn hate or revolution? </p> <p><a href="http://www.legacycreative.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1785807#comment Arizona Check This education Immigration Latinos Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:15:01 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1785807 http://www.citizensugar.com/1769360 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/28_2008/733133.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" width="325"></span>The National Council of La Raza (which they translate as "the people," aka NCLR) is holding its annual conference in San Diego starting July 12. In the quest to connect with Hispanic voters, both Barack Obama and John McCain are <a href="http://www.nclr.org/section/events/conference/about_conference1/agenda_glance/2008_speakers_and_talent/" target="_blank">speaking before the conference</a> on July 13 and 14 respectively. </p> <p>La Raza <a href="http://www.nclr.org/" target="_blank">calls itself</a> "the largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States." The organization has been around since 1968, and given that the number of Hispanic citizens who voted in 2006 (about 5.6 million) rose 18 percent from the voter turnout in 2002, I reckoned it was worth a look. </p> <p>Conservative blogger Michelle Malkin has <a href="http://www.townhall.com/columnists/MichelleMalkin/2008/07/09/15_things_you_should_know_about_the_race" target="_blank">compiled a list</a> of 15 things to know about La Raza (which she translates as "The Race." For comparison, the links I've included within her bullet points, are the NCLR viewpoint on the topics. To see them, </p> <p><a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1769360">read more</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1769360#comment 2008 Presidential Election Civil Rights Hispanic Vote Immigration La Raza Michelle Malkin Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:15:35 -0700 CitizenSugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1769360 http://www.citizensugar.com/node/1759000 <a href="http://www.townhall.com/news/us/2008/07/04/bush_welcomes_new_us_citizens_on_4th_of_july">Bush Welcomes New US Citizens on Fourth of July</a> President Bush invoked the memory of Thomas Jefferson Friday in welcoming new US citizens at a naturalization ceremony at Monticello, saying "I'll be proud to call you a fellow American." On his final Fourth of July as president, Bush told an audience at the home of the Declaration of Independence's author that he was honored to be present for the naturalization. http://www.citizensugar.com/node/1759000#comment aside Fourth of July George W Bush Immigration Fri, 04 Jul 2008 07:55:27 -0700 CitizenSugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1759000 http://www.citizensugar.com/1749540 <p>Using polling data as its foundation, <b>Rasmussen Reports</b> argues that as Barack Obama and John McCain debate immigration, the <a href="http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/mccain_obama_talk_immigration_media_misses_the_point" target="_blank">media misses the issues</a> Americans care about. </p> <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/27_2008/81753286.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image preview" height="351" width="550"></span></p> <p>Current conventional media wisdom holds that since Obama and McCain both support a path to citizenship, voters won't worry about immigration this Fall. But, <b>Rasmussen</b> argues that the real debate begins with the <i>details</i> of the path. According to polling, most Americans want a sustainable plan that meets the basic goal of reducing illegal immigration in the future. In addition, Americans overwhelmingly want immigrants to embrace American culture and language. </p> <p>Last Saturday, Obama and McCain spoke about immigration in front of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. To find out what they said, and for more on the <a href="http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i1EVOPePspiN4DmQPRr1YZ9RK7cQD91KL2VG0" target="_blank">candidates' immigration records</a>, </p> <p><a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1749540">read more</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1749540#comment 2008 Presidential Election Barack Obama Immigration John McCain Latinos Tue, 01 Jul 2008 06:00:12 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1749540 http://www.citizensugar.com/1723756 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/25_2008/sb10066191c-001.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="250"></span>Americans hear a lot about immigration and warrantless wiretapping, thanks to this presidential election; but Europe deals with these issues as well. </p> <p>Sweden, upon fresh approval from parliament, will <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7463333.stm" target="_blank">now allow its intelligence agency to spy</a> on internationally bound emails, phone calls, and faxes (people still fax?) without a warrant. Outraged critics compare Sweden's new plan to the actions of China, Saudi Arabia, and the United States. </p> <p>Moving on to all of Europe, and its immigration problem, the EU <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/19/world/europe/19migrant.html?ref=europe" target="_blank">just passed legislation</a> that allows governments to detain undocumented migrants for as many as 18 months, and ban them from EU territory for five years upon release.</p> <p>Despite the intention to find decent minimum standards for migrants while maintaining a tough-on-illegals image, human rights groups criticize the law as severely flawed. The EU had the difficult task of forming a united immigration policy. France's current detention limit is 32 days, Germany's 18 months, and still other members have no limit. </p> <p>Do Sweden's actions suggest that governments have a need to spy without a warrant, or a sign that the world needs new moral leadership? Should EU standards be a compromise or an aspiration? Is it possible to compromise human rights?</p> <p><a href="http://legacycreative.gettyimages.com/" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1723756#comment Europe European Union Immigration Strasbourg Sweden Warrantless Wiretapping Fri, 20 Jun 2008 03:03:27 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1723756 http://www.citizensugar.com/1704976 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/24_2008/81531816.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image left preview" height="400"></span>International geeks <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/management/h1b/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=208403651" target="_blank">may be able to thank</a> their beautiful counterparts for freeing up about 1,000 H1-B visas. Congressman Anthony Weiner, from New York, wants to end the practice of making foreign models and foreign hi-tech workers compete with each other for a limited number of work visas. </p> <p>Rep. Weiner wants Congress to create a separate immigration class for models. Oh, and in case you were wondering — foreign supermodels such as <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2008/06/11/2008-06-11_weiner_bring_on_hotties_from_overseas-1.html" target="_blank">Gisele Bundchen already qualify</a> for super O-1 visas, those reserved for immigrants with extraordinary ability, like Nobel Prize winners. </p> <p>Of course creating a Beautiful People Visa would not solve the HB-1 visa crunch. The 65,000 H-1B visas granted this year were snatched up in one day. Bill Gates <a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1112550" >told Congress last March</a> that the tight controls force companies to outsource jobs overseas.</p> <p>When companies, technology or fashion, set up global businesses they're likely to go where they can hire the best, brightest, and beautifulist. Should America do more to fight the brain and beauty drain? </p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1704976#comment Bill Gates Employment Fashion Immigration Jobs Models Outsourcing Technology Fri, 13 Jun 2008 03:00:04 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1704976 http://www.citizensugar.com/1680242 <p>In a move away from the nationalistic Swiss People's Party, all but one Swiss state (canton) has <a href="http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5heQM9SxDrZrucN4CwMlovvd23OnAD911G1SG1" target="_blank">voted to reject</a> an anti-immigration initiative designed to stop foreigners from becoming citizens.<br /> <span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/22_2008/77213285.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image preview" height="422" width="550"></span></p> <p>The official results showed that 63.8 percent of the population rejected the requirement of having those wishing to become Swiss citizens have their applications put to a vote — a practice some communities use to discourage new citizens.</p> <p>Switzerland’s President and vocal opponent to the measure said: “The people clearly said ‘We don’t want xenophobia and we want direct democracy to respect basic rights." To see the motivation behind the measure, </p> <p><a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1680242">read more</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1680242#comment Global Totals Headline Immigration Switzerland Mon, 02 Jun 2008 10:00:22 -0700 CitizenSugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1680242 http://www.citizensugar.com/1673197 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/22_2008/200258868-001.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="350"></span>ABC is teaming up with the Department of Homeland Security to make some good old-fashioned reality television. The new show, <b>Border Security USA</b>, will focus on US border protection agencies including: Transportation Security Administration, US Coast Guard, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Secret Service, Customs and Border Protection, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. </p> <p>The federal government's efforts to stop illegal immigration, smuggling, and terrorism will be documented reality-television style. The <b>Hollywood Reporter</b> <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ib3f082bb63c9203855994aea8e627f0b" target="_blank">says</a> that in one episode, two Iranian men are denied entry because one has relatives with terrorist ties, and the other carries a fake ID. </p> <p>Perhaps this show could teach Americans about how the Homeland Security bureaucracy operates. But, I'm still concerned that a sensationalized television interpretation of national security concerns may oversimplify the problem and lead to discrimination, intolerance, or a false understanding of complex issues like immigration and global politics. </p> <p>Is gov reality the next big thing, or is this just run-of-the-mill propaganda? Are you going to Ti-Vo this one?<br /> <a href="http://legacycreative.gettyimages.com/" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1673197#comment ABC Homeland Security Immigration Propaganda television Terrorism Thu, 29 May 2008 14:30:11 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1673197 http://www.citizensugar.com/1672496 <p>Starving and desperate North Koreans flee their homes for relative paradise in China. But as this astonishing footage shows, the journey to China is nightmarish. Naked North Koreans swim across a freezing river, often trading drugs or women with corrupt boarder police.<br /> <center> <div style='width:455px' id="spi_tabs_container"> <div id="spi_tabs_top"> <div id="spi_tabs_topL"></div> <div id="spi_tabs_topR"></div> </div> <div class="panel chatter_chatter fbceleb " > <center> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://images.teamsugar.com/static/js/swfobject.js"></script> <p style=margin:0px;padding:0px id="player_1672469"><a href="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer">Get Flash</a> to see this player.</p> <script type="text/javascript"> var so1672469 = new SWFObject('http://images.teamsugar.com/static/flash/mediaplayer.swf','mpl','425','350','7'); so1672469.addParam('allowfullscreen','true'); so1672469.addVariable("file",'1672469.flv'); so1672469.addVariable('height','350'); so1672469.addVariable('image','http://images.teamsugar.com/media/cooked/thumbs/1672469.jpg'); so1672469.addVariable('width','425'); so1672469.write('player_1672469'); </script> </center> </div> <div id="spi_tabs_bot"> <div id="spi_tabs_botL"></div> <div id="spi_tabs_botR"></div> </div> </div> </center></p> <p>North Korea is facing a grave food shortage and hunger crisis right now. During the 1990s, 1 million of the country's 23-million citizens perished during a famine <a href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/asiaCrisis/idUKSEO19213820080528" target="_blank">caused by a mismanaged farm sector and flooding</a>. Another disaster appears on the horizon. Unfortunately, North Korea's isolationist character, as well as <a href="http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-05-28-voa30.cfm" target="_blank">South Korean political demands</a>, are preventing South Korea from providing crucial food aid. Thus, many people have no choice but to flee.</p> <p>China does not consider North Koreans refugees but rather economic migrants. To find out what that means for the escapees, </p> <p><a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1672496">read more</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1672496#comment China Food Food Crisis Hunger Immigration North Korea South Korea Thu, 29 May 2008 11:00:42 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1672496 http://www.citizensugar.com/1649062 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/21_2008/72124468_0.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="280"></span>Homeland Security is defending its plans to build a 670-mile, $2.1 billion fence along the Texas-Mexico border, while admitting that the barrier is not effective in stopping illegal immigration by itself.</p> <p>Today's <b>New York Times</b> <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/21/washington/21fence.html?pagewanted=1&amp;ref=us" target="_blank">quotes</a> Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff:<br /> <blockquote>I don’t believe the fence is a cure-all. Nor do I believe it is a waste. Yes, you can get over it; yes, you can get under it. But it is a useful tool that makes it more difficult for people to cross. It is one of a number of tools we have, and you’ve got to use all of the tools.</p></blockquote> <p>The latest fence defense comes after the Texas Border Coalition filed a lawsuit to stop construction. To see why this group — which includes mayors, judges, commissioners, and economists — opposes the fence, </p> <p><a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1649062">read more</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1649062#comment Border Fence Headline Immigration Mexico Property Rights Texas Texas Border Coalition Wed, 21 May 2008 14:30:00 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1649062 http://www.citizensugar.com/1643985 <p>An 88-year-old ex-Nazi may have nowhere to go. The US Supreme Court just <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7409562.stm" target="_blank">rejected the deportation appeal</a> of John Demjanjuk, who worked as a guard at a Nazi death camp during the Holocaust. Demjanjuk came to the US in the 1950s, only to be extradited to Israel and sentenced to death for war crimes. After his conviction was overturned, he came back to the US, lying about his Nazi past.<br /> <span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/21_2008/nazi.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image preview" height="352" width="550"></span><br /> In 1993, Demjanjuk <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/july/29/newsid_4561000/4561917.stm" target="_blank">successfully proved</a> he was not the notorious Nazi "Ivan the Terrible" after almost <a href="http://www.jta.org/cgi-bin/iowa/breaking/108637.html" target="_blank">three decades</a> of accusations. But, in 2002, an immigration judge ruled that there was enough evidence of a Nazi past to strip the guard-turned-Ohio car worker of his American citizenship. Yesterday, the Supreme Court upheld that decisions without comment. </p> <p>Now that the highest court says he has to leave, it's not clear where he will be welcomed. He claims that he will be tortured in his native Ukraine. It is also uncertain whether Germany will accept him.</p> <p>Should America make this senior citizen leave his family in America? Are some crimes so atrocious that more than six decades do not let us forget? Does America have an interest in stripping a former Nazi death camp worker, responsible for thousands of deaths, of his citizenship lest it offer his actions even the most passive approval?</p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1643985#comment Germany Immigration Israel Law Nazi SCOTUS Ukraine Tue, 20 May 2008 10:00:49 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1643985 http://www.citizensugar.com/1632484 <p>Italian authorities <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7402602.stm" target="_blank">arrested hundreds</a> of alleged illegal immigrants yesterday, in a crackdown that included a raid on a Roma (Gypsies) housing camp. Earlier this week, many Roma living in Naples fled the city, after their homes were set on fire by residents. Immigration authorities target the Roma population, a group that carries the <a href="http://www.romebuddy.com/givesadvice/crime2.html" target="_blank">perception of criminality</a>. </p> <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/20_2008/56418847.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image preview" height="360" width="550"></span></p> <p>The Roma people, Europe's largest minority, are often <a href="http://www.refugeesinternational.org/section/publications/stateless_europe" target="_blank">stateless </a>— meaning they are without citizenship documents from <i>any</i> country. Their ancestors migrated from modern day India at the beginning of the second millennium. They have their own language and distinct cultural traditions. You may know them as the people who suspiciously linger around Europe's tourist attractions. Since their migration, those who have not successfully assimilated have been the victims of enslavement, forced sterilization, genocide, discrimination, and overall marginalization.</p> <p>Fortunately, increased <a href="http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=26570&amp;Cr=balkan&amp;Cr1=" target="_blank">attention</a> given to the Roma population by international organizations has decreased human rights violations. Of course, more can be done.</p> <p>Do you think the arrests in Italy are an appropriate law enforcement response, or are the authorities giving into a hostile and prejudice majority? Do immigration solutions become more complicated when there is nowhere to send undocumented residents? </p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1632484#comment Europe Gypsies Immigration Italy Roma Fri, 16 May 2008 03:00:28 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1632484 http://www.citizensugar.com/1623883 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/20_2008/56501540-1.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="380"></span>Who gets to vote is becoming a partisan issue, just like who gets <i>a </i> vote.</p> <p>Mostly Republicans in 19 states have proposed legislation that would <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/12/us/politics/12vote.html?_r=1&amp;oref=slogin&amp;partner=MYWAY&amp;pagewanted=print" target="_blank">require proof of citizenship</a> at the voting booth. Not content with the strict identification requirements recently upheld by the Supreme Court, these states want to make sure illegal immigrants are not voting, and improve voter confidence in the system. </p> <p>Democratic leaders oppose strict ID laws, saying they disproportionately keep poor, disabled, elderly, and minority <a href="http://www.kansascity.com/281/story/615480.html" target="_blank">citizens away from the polls</a>. Birth certificates, for example, take weeks to get, cost money, and may be difficult to track down if they are lost or kept out of state.</p> <p>Missouri's secretary of state estimates that the law would disenfranchise 240,000 citizens unable to prove citizenship on such short notice. That number could be significant in November, as Missouri is a swing state that will likely go Red or Blue by a thin margin.</p> <p>Do we have to protect the rights of citizens who may have difficulty obtaining proof? Which is a graver risk: letting a non-citizen vote, or keeping a citizen from exercising the voting — the quintessential act of democracy? What if we could review votes later to disqualify non-citizens, while attaching stiffer penalties for fraud? </p> <p><a href="http://legacycreative.gettyimages.com/" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1623883#comment 2008 Presidential Election Democrats Immigration Indiana Missouri Republicans Voting Bloc Tue, 13 May 2008 10:00:25 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1623883 http://www.citizensugar.com/1622218 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/19_2008/1140100_0.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="427" width="300"></span>When the San Diego Minutemen, an anti-illegal immigration group known for taking border patrol laws into <a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/884682" >their own hands</a> 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.</p> <p>The state however has since decided to <a href="http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080510/D90INQ100.html" target="_blank">remove the sign</a> 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, </p> <p><a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1622218">read more</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1622218#comment Adopt-A-Highway Controversy Freedom of Speech Illegal Immigration Immigration Minutemen volunteering Mon, 12 May 2008 12:15:12 -0700 CitizenSugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1622218 http://www.citizensugar.com/1612353 <p>Federal immigration officers have set up check points 100 yards from the Tijuana-San Diego border in order to arrest illegal immigrants <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-me-checkpoint7-2008may07,0,3517339.story" target="_blank">on their way out</a> of the United States. At random, the officers will load southbound buses or stop vans demanding proper documentation.<br /> <span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/19_2008/72941144.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image preview" height="377" width="550"></span><br /> According to the US Customs and Border Protection, officers detain the departing immigrants, document that they were in the US undocumented, and then send them back to Mexico. If they have serious immigration violations or a criminal history, they may be detained longer. </p> <p>According to the <b>LA Times</b>, illegal immigrants are now targets of the check points long used to apprehend fugitives, stolen vehicles, weapons, and drugs. Part information gathering, part public relations operation — officials hope that as a result of the policy, those detained will spread the word of tough enforcement back home.</p> <p>Is this unnecessary harassment of people who are just trying to go home, or responsible border patrol policy? </p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1612353#comment Immigration Live Chat Mexico US Customs and Border Protection Thu, 08 May 2008 11:00:20 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1612353 http://www.citizensugar.com/1598316 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/18_2008/71103267.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="450" width="300"></span>Hillary Clinton dropped in on Bill O'Reilly yesterday and talk turned to immigration and sanctuary cities. O'Reilly <a href="http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPolitics.asp?Page=/Politics/archive/200805/POL20080502c.html" target="_blank">asked her</a> if she would crack down on sanctuary cities — she said "no," arguing that illegal aliens should not be discouraged from reporting crimes. Though she's not in favor of "forcing them into the shadows," Clinton had this to say "I'm 100 percent in favor of tightening our borders, of enforcing the laws against employers, of going after the kind of abuses that we see in the job market." Adding that illegals who commit crimes "should be deported, no questions asked."</p> <p>She also came out against immigration raids saying the American people don't want police going door to door at businesses and homes, looking for illegal aliens. Is this true?</p> <p>The topic of sanctuary cities was <a href="http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2007/11/giuliani-romney.html" target="_blank">famously visited</a> in a Republican debate when Giuliani accused Romney of running a sanctuary mansion. But what are these so-called sanctuaries, and are they so terrible? To find out, </p> <p><a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1598316">read more</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1598316#comment Bill O'Reilly FOX News Hillary Clinton Immigration Sanctuary Cities Fri, 02 May 2008 14:30:59 -0700 CitizenSugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1598316 http://www.citizensugar.com/1592911 <p>A recent survey shows the economic crunch has long tentacles for immigrant workers in the US. “The longstanding pattern of increasing numbers of Latin American immigrants sending increasing amounts of money back home has stopped,” says the official in charge of the survey.<br /> <span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/18_2008/80812779.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image preview" height="345" width="550"></span><br /> In the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/01/us/01immig.html?partner=rssnyt&amp;emc=rss" target="_blank">last two years</a> more than three million Latin American immigrants have stopped sending money home — only 50 percent of roughly 18.9 million Latin American immigrants residing in the United States send money back to their native countries as opposed to 73 percent two years ago. What's to blame? To find out, </p> <p><a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1592911">read more</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1592911#comment Check This Economy Immigration Mexico United States Thu, 01 May 2008 03:00:26 -0700 CitizenSugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1592911 http://www.citizensugar.com/1592746 <!-- no strip poll --><!-- no rss --><div id="epoll-view-1592746"></div><script type="text/javascript">new Ajax.Request('/epoll/view/1592746',{method:'get',onSuccess:function(transport){var epoll=$('epoll-view-1592746');epoll.update(transport.responseText);}});</script><noscript><!-- /no rss --><p><p>It's almost impossible to find pro-Katie news out there recently — now it seems she might be in a couple of pots of hot water. Civil rights groups are on the anchor's case after the news program she helms ran what they're calling a report that was inaccurate and crass — and much like something they say Lou Dobbs would run.</p> <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/18_2008/73460215.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image preview" height="367" width="550"></span> <b>Politico</b> <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0408/9952.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">says this</a> of the controversy: <blockquote>The CBS newscast that carries her name recently aired a one sided and inaccurate report about illegal immigrant women who give birth to their children in the United States. The news story challenged the broader constitutional law of birthright citizenship and stated — without providing the correct context — that the births cost US taxpayers millions of dollars annually.</p></blockquote> <p><p><div style='float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:9px'> <div id=mask-96649 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#0072bc'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}> <div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'> <a target=gallery4 class='thumb2 active ' href=http://www.citizensugar.com/gallery/view/1592735?page=0,0,0><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/18_2008/72319721.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" width="100" height="100" /></a> </div> </div> <div class='gallery_statistics'> 0 Comments 3 Views</div></div ><div style='float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:9px'> <div id=mask-14506 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#0072bc'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}> <div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'> <a target=gallery4 class='thumb2 ' href=http://www.citizensugar.com/gallery/view/1592735?page=0,1,0><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/18_2008/73460575.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" width="100" height="100" /></a> </div> </div> <div class='gallery_statistics'> 0 Comments 2 Views</div></div ><div style='float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:9px'> <div id=mask-18305 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#0072bc'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}> <div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'> <a target=gallery4 class='thumb2 ' href=http://www.citizensugar.com/gallery/view/1592735?page=0,2,0><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/18_2008/74116362.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" width="100" height="100" /></a> </div> </div> <div class='gallery_statistics'> 0 Comments 2 Views</div></div ><div style='float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:9px'> <div id=mask-39926 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#0072bc'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}> <div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'> <a target=gallery4 class='thumb2 ' href=http://www.citizensugar.com/gallery/view/1592735?page=0,3,0><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/18_2008/76479006.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" width="100" height="100" /></a> </div> </div> <div class='gallery_statistics'> 0 Comments 2 Views</div></div ><div style='float:left;line-height:8px;margin-bottom:10px;font-size:9px'> <div id=mask-31026 class=mask style=';width:100px;height:100px;overflow:hidden;background:#FFF;margin:0px 8px 8px 0px;border:0px solid #111;padding:0px;' onmouseover={style.borderColor='#0072bc'} onmouseout={style.borderColor='#111'}> <div style='margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px;padding:0px;'> <a target=gallery4 class='thumb2 ' href=http://www.citizensugar.com/gallery/view/1592735?page=0,4,0><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/18_2008/77353085.mediumsquare.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image mediumsquare" width="100" height="100" /></a> </div> </div> <div class='gallery_statistics'> 0 Comments 2 Views</div></div ></p><br clear=all></p> <p>The <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/04/07/eveningnews/main4000401.shtml?source=related_story" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">original report</a> makes this claim though a series of questions and answers from two different people that suspiciously arranges the information to prove the argument. Take a peek and see if you think it's one sided and innaccurate.</p> <p>Given <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/30/arts/30arts-CBSNEWSCASTR_BRF.html?ref=arts" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">new reports</a> out that show <b>CBS Evening News</b>'s ratings are the lowest they've been in the history of ratings, is reporting like this to blame? How did the <b>Today</b> show darling tank the news? Are people just inexplicably anti-Katie?</p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Source</a></p> </p><!-- no strip poll --><form action="/1592746" method="post" id="epoll_view_voting"> <div><div class="poll"> <div class="vote-form"> <div class="choices"><div class="form-item"> <label>Why Are People So Anti-Katie Couric?</label> <div class="form-item"> <label class="option"><input type="radio" name="edit[choice]" value="0" class="form-radio" /> It's just her. I don't know why but I don't like to watch her, especially doing the news.</label> </div> <div class="form-item"> <label class="option"><input type="radio" name="edit[choice]" value="1" class="form-radio" /> It's the reporting. She's trying to dig up controversy for ratings, and I'm not into it.</label> </div> <div class="form-item"> <label class="option"><input type="radio" name="edit[choice]" value="2" class="form-radio" /> I like her. I have no idea what's behind the anti-Katie sentiment. Is that even a thing?</label> </div> <div class="form-item"> <label class="option"><input type="radio" name="edit[choice]" value="3" class="form-radio" /> Other. I'll tell you in the comments.</label> </div> </div> </div><input type="hidden" name="edit[nid]" id="edit-nid" value="1592746" /> <input type="submit" name="op" value="Vote" class="form-submit" /> </div><input type="hidden" name="edit[form_id]" id="edit-form_id" value="epoll_view_voting" /> </div> </div></form> <!-- no strip poll --></noscript><!-- no strip poll --> http://www.citizensugar.com/1592746#comment CBS Citizen Poll Immigration Katie Couric Poll Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:45:42 -0700 CitizenSugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1592746 http://www.citizensugar.com/1561032 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/16_2008/71263707.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="400"></span>An ill-fated, and extremely tough, immigration ordinance has caused ethnic divisions in small-town Hazleton, PA. Mayor Lou Barletta, was proud of the <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7352847.stm" target="_blank">nation's strictest immigration law</a> that punished businesses for hiring undocumented workers as well as landlords who rented to them. The law was ultimately declared unconstitutional in federal court.</p> <p>Meanwhile <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7351188.stm" target="_blank">in France</a>, businesses and unions are clashing with President Sarkozy over his promise to deport 25,000 illegal immigrants each year. Businesses complain that they are forced to play police, and fire workers they cannot replace. To see what happened this week, </p> <p><a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1561032">read more</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1561032#comment France Immigration Lou Barletta Pennsylvania Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:33:50 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1561032 http://www.citizensugar.com/1544454 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/15_2008/71419034.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image left preview" height="300"></span>Under the Cuban Family Reunification Program, the US will start <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7341843.stm" target="_blank">speedily processing</a> visa applications for Cubans who have relatives living in America. Instead of taking three to seven years to receive visas, Cubans will get them in a matter of months. While the US often has no problem <a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1542706" >splitting up families</a> when an immigrant has been here for decades illegally, it does take familial considerations into account when granting Cubans fast-track visas. </p> <p>The US takes a unique stance toward Cuban immigration. An old agreement between the two countries allows for 20,000 legal Cuban immigrants per year. The Family Reunification Program will not add to that number. Once Cubans immigrate to America, they are only allowed to return home once every three years. </p> <p>There are so many layers to the immigration issue, and I find it interesting that US policy differs from home country to home country. What factors should matter most when deciding which nation's immigrants are more sympathetic, or more deserving of fast-track visas?</p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1544454#comment Cuba Cuban Family Reunification Program Family Immigration Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:00:40 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1544454 http://www.citizensugar.com/1542706 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/15_2008/80522972.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="450"></span>The US immigration debate centers around how the issue impacts life in America. But immigration to America has repercussions across borders, especially when an immigrant is deported. Deportation breaks up families, and leaves those deported stranded in a strange home. </p> <p>Last year, the US sent 870,000 Mexicans back to Mexico. Unfortunately for the Mexican economy, that meant these individuals were no longer contributing to the $24 billion sent back to Mexico from the US. On a personal level, many of these immigrants had been living in America for decades. Once they are deported, they <a href="http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/displ<br /> ay?slug=mexicoana06m&amp;date=20080406">leave behind</a> American-born children. Back in Mexico, they receive little or no support from the government or family. They must fend for themselves in an impoverished society.</p> <p>Other deportees find themselves home again due to brushes with the law. Omar Giron was <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89490007<br /> ">sent back</a> to El Salvador because of a DUI and domestic abuse conviction. He had legal status in the US, and left behind four children in Virginia. He now is treated as an "Americano" in El Salvador, where he struggles to adjust.</p> <p>Considering that they had to break a law to get deported, do you have any sympathy for these individuals? What about the US citizens who are separated from their parents? </p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1542706#comment Deportation El Salvador Immigration Mexico Fri, 11 Apr 2008 09:00:21 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1542706 http://www.citizensugar.com/1538417 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/19/193328/15_2008/80111053.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="230"</span>Last month a state judge ordered three Spanish-speaking immigrants to learn English — or go to jail. Well, even promises to be bilingual couldn't keep these convicts in the US. Immigration and Custom Enforcement has decided to <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/04/08/english.jail.ap/index.html" target="_blank">deport</a> the men back to the Dominican Republic.</p> <p>The convicts came to the US legally, but <a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1507922" >because they were convicted</a> of armed robbery and assault, their time here is up. </p> <p>The men won't get a chance to serve their <a href="http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jnzICPSklzcEdPdavlwOnOGS3C8gD8VLUAFG0" target="_blank">creative sentence</a> — the judge had told them they could remain on parole, so long as they passed an English reading and writing test in a year's time. If they failed, they would go to jail for 24 months. At the sentencing the judge asked them: "Do you think we are going to supply you with a translator all of your life?"</p> <p>How do you feel about the original sentence? Even though the US doesn't have an official language, do you think the judge was considering the immigrants' best interest, as well as society's, when he ordered them to learn English? </p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1538417#comment Bilingual Crime Deportation Dominican Republic Headline Immigration Law Wed, 09 Apr 2008 11:00:58 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1538417 http://www.citizensugar.com/1530098 <p>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 <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/05/MNEV100953.DTL" target="_blank">millions of dollars</a> of federal money to combat border crimes.<br /> <span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl1/10/104169/14_2008/79747069.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image preview" height="367" width="550"></span><br /> 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. </p> <p>What's a great story to balance this? How about the $83,000 <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/03/BA0NVUM70.DTL" target="_blank">ad campaign</a> 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, </p> <p><a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1530098">read more</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1530098#comment Border Check This Illegal Immigration Immigration San Francisco Mon, 07 Apr 2008 06:00:33 -0700 CitizenSugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1530098 http://www.citizensugar.com/1507922 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl0/19/193328/13_2008/74126065.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="300"></span>304,000 criminals sitting in US jails are <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/28/washington/28immig.html?_r=1&amp;adxnnl=1&amp;oref=slogin&amp;ref=us&amp;adxnnlx=1206721077-5sNytqjGvYJARYG7NZscZg" target="_blank">eligible for deportation</a>. The problem? It will cost $2 billion a year to find them and deport them. Immigrant convicts, whether legal or illegal, must serve out their sentences in the US before they are deported.</p> <p>Immigration and Customs Enforcement wants to find a way to streamline the process. By connecting the FBI's records with antiterrorism and immigration records of the Homeland Security Department, it believes that state, county, and federal prisons will have an easier time identifying and deporting immigrants convicted of the most serious crimes. Immigration lawyers worry that untrained law enforcement officers may get a little deportation happy and focus on immigrants who committed minor violations that do not warrant deportation. Why is it so complicated? To find out, </p> <p><a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1507922">read more</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1507922#comment Crime Department of Homeland Security FBI Immigration Immigration and Customs Enforcement Prison Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:00:09 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1507922 http://www.citizensugar.com/1121242 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl0/19/193328/11_2008/200249917-001.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="450"></span>Canada's immigration policy <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080314192007.6ixf1o56&amp;show_article=1" target="_blank">attracted a record number</a> of foreigners, in an attempt to address labor shortages. Last year 429,649 immigrants moved to Canada. Unlike their southern neighbors, Canadians appear less afraid of international <a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1112550" >outsiders taking</a> their jobs.</p> <p>Needing more workers, Canada's government is trying to speed up the permanent resident process. Currently, 900,000 applicants are backlogged, some waiting up to six years.</p> <p>Unlike in the US, where immigration rhetoric and policy can make or break a politician, immigration holds a less rousing place in Canadian politics. Still, describing Canada's labor shortage is a tricky task. There is a debate surrounding whether Canada is actually<a href="http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/346401" target="_blank"> short in low-skilled</a> labor. </p> <p>Do you think citizens are more likely to welcome educated professionals, rather than low-skilled foreigners? If Canadians don't want to take unpleasant low-skilled jobs, should employers push to hire foreigners, or raise wages to attract natives, remembering that the price of goods may rise with wages?</p> <p><a href="http://legacycreative.gettyimages.com/" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1121242#comment Canada Immigration Labor Shortage Mon, 17 Mar 2008 03:00:00 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1121242 http://www.citizensugar.com/1112550 <p>Allowing more foreigners to work in the US would not steal jobs away from Americans. Instead, it would create more jobs for Americans. That's what Bill Gates told Congress today, when he <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080312143412.qjper5cy&amp;show_article=1" target="_blank">urged lawmakers</a> to increase the number of visas available for high-skilled immigrants. The 65,000 <a href="http://www.h1base.com/index.php?option=com_content&amp;sectionid=0&amp;task=view&amp;id=86&amp;Itemid=4" target="_blank">H-1B visas</a> granted this year were snatched up in one day, and Gates believes that the tight controls force companies to outsource jobs overseas.<br /> <span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl0/19/193328/11_2008/80216291.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image preview" height="382" width="550"></span><br /> Gates told the panel:<br /> <blockquote>Microsoft has found that for every H-1B hire we make, we add on average four additional employees to support them in various capacities. </p></blockquote> <p>Are you surprised by the counterintuitive link between importing high-skilled professionals and creating more jobs for Americans? Why do you think America needs more foreign workers to keep its high-tech industry competitive?</p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com/" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1112550#comment Bill Gates Employment Immigration Jobs Microsoft Outsourcing Technology Wed, 12 Mar 2008 15:00:33 -0700 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1112550 http://www.citizensugar.com/1101803 <p>The Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, has filed a lawsuit on behalf of legal Latino immigrants, in order to <a href="http://www.prldef.org/" target="_blank">speed up naturalization</a>. The suit charges the Bush Administration with failing to grant citizenship and the right to vote to those entitled to it. They argue that applications must be completed within the 180-day standard set by Congress. They also argue that the Bush Administration did not follow regulations when it ordered the FBI to intensify background checks.<br /> <span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl0/19/193328/10_2008/2926095_0.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image preview" height="291" width="550"></span><br /> The delay means that a large group of Latinos, eager to weigh in on urgent issues like immigration and the economy, will not be able to vote. To see what immigrants have to say about the issue, </p> <p><a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/1101803">read more</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1101803#comment 2008 Presidential Election Headline Hispanic Vote Immigration Latinos Law New Voters Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund Fri, 07 Mar 2008 11:00:25 -0800 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1101803 http://www.citizensugar.com/1073144 <p>Last Friday, US Department of Homeland Security <a href="http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6231796.html" target="_blank">unveiled a high-tech virtual fence</a> along the Mexican border in Arizona. "Project 28," built by Boeing, cost $20 million and covers 28 miles. At the same press conference last Friday, Attorney General Michael Mukasey announced higher fines for employers who hire illegal immigrants.<br /> <span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl0/19/193328/09_2008/77179268.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image preview" height="367" width="550"></span><br /> This month, President Bush asked Congress for $755 million to fund physical fencing along the Mexican border, along with other high-tech surveillance. Do you think the US should extend the virtual fence, <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/10/26/border.fence/index.html" target="_blank">rather than moving forward</a> on the planned 700 mile physical fence? Or, is technology unreliable as a stand-alone solution?</p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com/" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1073144#comment Border Fence Immigration Tue, 26 Feb 2008 06:00:23 -0800 LibertySugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1073144 http://www.citizensugar.com/1046116 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/upl0/10/104169/07_2008/79531559.preview.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image right preview" height="250" width="167"></span>Authorities in Phoenix <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/15/us/15smuggle.html?ref=us" target="_blank">deployed a series of raids</a> yesterday, arresting the alleged leaders of a ring that helped transport hundreds of people to way stations in Phoenix. The authorities described this ring as one of the more complicated operations that bring thousands of people across the border into Arizona. The state has more illegal crossings than any other. Police said that they regularly find houses with dozens of people being detained by smugglers until they've paid for their passage from Mexico.</p> <p>In simultaneous operation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, in conjunction with the Maricopa County sheriff, announced the arrests of more than 100 people suspected of being in the country illegally who were also on probation for various crimes. In total, the authorities made 20 arrests, including two Cubans thought to be directing the operation. They also detained 210 illegal immigrants and discovered 13 "drop houses" that serve as way stations for smuggled immigrants. In all, the authorities planned to arrest about 75 people.</p> <p>What do you think about this? Are Phoenix authorities unfairly targeting illegal immigrants — or are they protecting them from exploitation at the hands of the smugglers? Are raids called for?</p> <p><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank">Source</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/1046116#comment Headline Immigration Fri, 15 Feb 2008 08:00:47 -0800 CitizenSugar http://www.citizensugar.com/1046116 http://www.citizensugar.com/884682 <p><span class="inline left"><img src="http://images.teamsugar.com/files/users/10/104169/51_2007/Picture%201_0.png" alt="" title="" class="image left preview" height="261" width="145"></span>With the <a href="http://www.minutemanproject.com/index.asp" target="_blank">Minuteman Project's</a> leader Jim Gilchrist doling out a much-reported presidential endorsement this election cycle (Mike Huckabee, for those keeping score at home,) and the undeniable controversy surrounding the mission and tactics of these citizen border-patrol groups, here's a closer look at the world of vigilante crossing guards. </p> <p>Two major groups participate in volunteer border guarding: the <a href="http://www.minutemanhq.com/hq/aboutus.php" target="_blank">Minuteman Civil Defense Corps</a> (MCDC) and the above mentioned Minuteman Project. Their missions stem from frustration at the porous border with Mexico. Fed up, these groups organized to contribute man power and information to US Border Patrol. </p> <p>The two groups get lumped together and share the same bad rap — but you know, I think I can get behind one of them. . . . Wanna know which one? Please </p> <p><a href="http://www.citizensugar.com/884682">read more</a></p> http://www.citizensugar.com/884682#comment Hot Button Immigration Tue, 15 Jan 2008 15:09:48 -0800 CitizenSugar http://www.citizensugar.com/884682