States Look at Immigration Reform
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2011-03-31/states-look-immigration-reform
This week President Obama said he's still hopeful an immigration overhaul bill will be able to pass soon. But some states are adopting alternatives, most prominently Arizona and Utah. Arizona’s law took a tough stance by requiring police officers to question anyone they suspect as an illegal. Utah passed a hybrid package that tightens enforcement and allows for guest workers. Supporters say it offers an alternative to the costly political polarization Arizona faced. Some legal experts are questioning if these laws are constitutional, including whether they intrude on areas reserved for the federal government. Diane and her guests discuss immigration reform on the state level.
Guests
Mark Shurtleff
Attorney General of Utah
Julia Preston
national immigration correspondent for The New York Times.
Dan Stein
president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform
Frank Sharry
founder and executive director of America's Voice, former executive director of the National Immigration Forum.
Comments
Please familiarize yourself with our Code of Conduct and Terms of Use before posting your comments.
I am a proud Utahn and believe the Immigration Reform legislation is a step in the right direction.
My father once told me that if the immigration problem of the U.S. was made into a political cartoon it would be a picture of Uncle Sam at the Mexican border with one hand stretched out in front to signal stop, while the other hand is down by his side quietly motioning people in.
Immigration issues do not belong to one party or another. Democrats and Republicans were found to hire illegal maids and other services back in the 90's. Since then the answer has been to put a criminal face on every person that is in the country illegally. I believe that the law must be followed but those laws should be formed in a humane way that does not criminalize the people we invited in over several decades.
Gina
I'm an American and I AM in Indiana. If I still had the health to do the job I'd gladly hump over a hot field of God's green gifts for a decent wage. But it isn't a decent wage. Not if you file your taxes and want your SSI later. Keeping a legal car is right out. Worse yet, it isn't a decent work environment. Fresh pesticides, little to no State oversight, healthcare unavailable. If it isn't dealing in livestock the on sight support is a few water Thermos and maybe a port-a-potty. ... Maybe.
The picture in California is one of the better scenes. Walk out on a job in a Southern state and nobody will give you a lift into town from a farm road. So what if you're injured. If you won't bleed out you wait till they want to take you in or the day ends.
The jobs immigrants take in town often rely on the fluctuations of tips or very late hours to make them living wages. These jobs often land short of forty hours. That would mean full time, insurance, and the risk of overtime. Americans don't go after jobs that on the surface read as well underpaid, taxed, dealing with another's filth, in a subservient wrapper. I've filled plenty of cleaning jobs. They're run as cheaply as can be. Employers try to make up for that by having the workers cover as much territory as they can in the least time. WE break down. Americans are able to seek better jobs. Many immigrants feel stuck, even if they aren't.
What they are saying about the economy is true. Mexicans can work with plants much better than American workers.
Please mention the fact that we are taking a water from Mexico.
Diane,
I live in Utah, and I have watched quietly as the LDS church takes many laws I disagree with by storm... this includes their heavy funding of proposition 8 in California. However, very little in Utah gets passed without the LDS church's support. Can you discuss the church's roll in this immigration bill?
Dear Diane,
Greetings from Arizona. I appreciate that you are touching the immigration issue in your program.
First of all. I am appalled by the fact that you invite FAIR to the program, to talk about immigration. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, FAIR was added to their list of hate groups in the country because “has mixed this bigotry with a fondness for eugenics, the idea of breeding better humans discredited by its Nazi associations. It has accepted $1.2 million from an infamous, racist eugenics foundation. “According to their report, FAIR “has employed officials in key positions who are also members of white supremacist groups. Recently, it has promoted racist conspiracy theories about Mexico's secret designs on the American Southwest and an alternative theory alleging secret plans to merge the United States, Mexico and Canada. Just last February, a senior FAIR official sought "advice" from the leaders of a racist Belgian political party”.
Secondly, I am really concerned of the use of the word “Ilegals”. Several of the comments made from your guests and some of the callers have been filled with the unfortunate word, which turns humans into a legal concept.
I listen to you every day, I like your pragmatic approach to subjects, but I cannot support what seem to be the intentions of creating a lively debate instead of focusing on finding solutions to a very complex topic.
I hope you can bring this topic back but with serious guests, people who can talk about the economic, civil rights and historic context of this important issue, and not bring whoever you see as “the other side”.
Luis Avila
President
We are America Coalition
PS: As for the 14th Amendment subject, I would remind everyone that most of the Chinese immigrants in the California clinic did not enter the country illegally, and had the money to fly from Asia and receive personalized attention.
Thank you for talking about this issue. I have one question
Why isn't anyone talking about legal immagrants (Green Card Holders) taking away U.S. citizens' jobs.
In April of 2009, I was 1 of 3,000 employees fired from General Motors for lack of work. The week before this happened, I was training a woman from Australia to do my job. General Motors was in the process of paying for green cards for herself and her husband. I lost my job - she took over my job at the same pay scale I was making. Her husband is an engineer at General Motors. Hundreds of engineers (U.S. Citizens) lost their job but he kept his and was making more than an average engineer's wage.
Why is this happening?
These legal immagrants are not making less money then U.S. citizens.
Why is big business doing this?
Why is the government not looking at this problem?
NOTE: I still have not found a job and get sick when I hear about the money General Motors is making. I feel that me and thousands of other ex GM workers are the "forgotten".
Thank you
Regarding the immigration debate, does this mean that police in Arizona will also be stopping all white people to see if they are illegal aliens from Canada or Europe?
Yes Solano--- They should inquire of everyone to ensure no profiling and to ensure that the law will be enforced irrespective of whom has broken it!
Old Farmer, You need to contact somebody in your local NPR channel to do a news item with your situation. You're right. There are lots of solid, long term picking/farm work jobs around. The bad situations greatly overshadow you, ruining the picture. In that same bent, are you trying to tell us that MOST of the people in the unemployment line are trying to dodge the rules AND don't get that housing lowers pay?
Years ago (in the 80's) I rode navigator with a trucker cousin of mine into Ohio and dropped off farm equipment on sight. The 20 hand bunkhouse with gang shower was common, and cabins were nice too. But some of the farms without them didn't "rent" hands because they wanted to pay less than above what the people with housing paid. They picked up people (some under-aged) in town for work.
Diane,
I also notice that nobody has mentioned the Border Patrol "checkpoints" thrown up inside the border states. Let me repeat- INSIDE the State and not at the border. They only have the legal right to ask you if you're an American citizen. They don't have the right to search you or your car. They try to intimidate you if you refuse, but if you don't let them search you without a warrant it is illegal. No probable cause. You don't even have to roll down your window beyond a crack or answer more than the primary question. ID need not be shown. You have to stop and wait for them to say you may leave. But you don't have to pull over to the side area. Their only authority to search is AT the border. Not miles inside the state. Lock your doors or they may just open one.
Search: Illegal Border Patrol Checkpoint
I am glad I heard this before sending in my annual donation to NPR.
I am disappointed that you gave a platform to Dan Stein of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a group designated as a hate-group by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group. FAIR was founded by John Tanton, a white supremacist and eugenicist who argued that "immigration is only one front in a wider war." Fair's function in that war is to FAIR to advocate reducing immigration by returning to the pre-1965 Eurocentric quota system.
I doubt you would give David Duke this platform. The only difference between Duke and Stein is that the latter gives cover to the former.
An immigration rights organization will receive the $120 I usually give NPR.
Makes me wonder where that attitude came from. Could it possibly be the attitude of entitlement we have developed, and I am not just pointing at the children. We all share a part in this, and the solution is to rectify the root cause.
James--- Just make certain that your $120.00 donation goes to "immigration RIGHTS" and not towards support for ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS!
SHAME! SHAME! SHAME!
How could anyone remotely think providing a forum to a white supremacist
organization would contribute in any meaningful manner? Is that really the best the
show could do to offer a counterpoint? Dan Stain's commentary was
divisive, superficial and frankly counterproductive in an otherwise lucid and illustrative discussion with real ideas and productive solutions. The entire presentation
was sullied and suspect and way beneath the level to which we, the attentive listeners, find ourselves accustom.
"sahuaro wrote:
Dear Diane,
Greetings from Arizona. I appreciate that you are touching the immigration issue in your program.
First of all. I am appalled by the fact that you invite FAIR to the program, to talk about immigration. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, FAIR was added to their list of hate groups in the country because “has mixed this bigotry with a fondness for eugenics, the idea of breeding better humans discredited by its Nazi associations. It has accepted $1.2 million from an infamous, racist eugenics foundation. “According to their report, FAIR “has employed officials in key positions who are also members of white supremacist groups. Recently, it has promoted racist conspiracy theories about Mexico's secret designs on the American Southwest and an alternative theory alleging secret plans to merge the United States, Mexico and Canada. Just last February, a senior FAIR official sought "advice" from the leaders of a racist Belgian political party”.
Luis Avila
President
We are America Coalition
March 31, 2011 - 12:55 pm"
This is one of several Comments that touch upon White racism and Immigration.
I think it is fair to point out that the rigid racial structure of Mexico comes with Immigration to the US.
It is the "White" Mexicans who have most to gain from increased immigration, bringing profits to the "White" business owners and political and economic power to the Politicians and Spokespersons that derives from organizing and speaking for the Aboriginals who do all the heavy lifting and gain little else for their trouble.
Monte Haun mchaun@hotmail.com
Diane,
I love your show and the variety and balance that you usually bring to a discussion by virtue of the people that you invite as guests. I was appalled when I heard you introduce a representative of FAIR without any discussion of the organization and it's full reputation. The Southern Poverty Law Center has done a nice job of covering some of the more disturbing aspects of FAIR and this information can be found at: http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/groups/federati....
I hope that you will have an opportunity to follow up on this show in a way that addresses the roots of some of these anti-immigrant organizations and that can give a broader view of these issues.
It would also be nice to hear more about the economics of global immigration. I would recommend a wonderful voice from the libertarians, Shikha Dalmia. She has a speech that is available on the internet at http://reason.com/blog/2011/03/17/reasontv-shikha-dalmia-discuss.
http://news.ifeng.com/history/special/zhongguoyuanzhengjun/
expeditionary force for the first time in Burma :
• the first battle with the ancient • Battle of Yenangyaung Sun was famous battle • Mandalay abortion • expedition route through Battle Mountain • expeditionary army Savage Savage Mountain • trapped General Dai Anlan martyred Savage Mountain • Sun was disobedience to withdraw Lan Mujia
Second Expeditionary Force in Burma :
• Expeditionary Force in India tour • Roof : Hump • Expeditionary Force counter-offensive in the battle • Indian Valley Battle of Hu Kang Meng • arch in Indian Valley Campaign < br> • Battle of Myitkyina stationed in India 's western Yunnan expedition force a • Nu • Tengchong Expeditionary Force Expeditionary Force Battle • Songshan Battle • Expeditionary Force , stationed in India Friends of Mount Realignment