Thursday, December 15, 2011

New Haven Asks State to Allow Non-Citizens to Vote

NBC Connecticut

New Haven Mayor John DeStefano plans to ask the state Legislature to allow illegal immigrants who live in the city to be able vote in municipal elections.

DeStefano said on Tuesday that the proposal would build a more engaged community and follows the lead of other cities, the New Haven Independent reports.

The Independent reports that New Haven has about 10,000 non-citizen immigrants.

Immigrants who are in the U.S. legally or illegally and cannot vote now would still be unable to vote in state or federal elections...[Full Article]


Monday, December 12, 2011

U.S. Proposes Unmanned Border Entry With Mexico

Fox News

The bloody drug war in Mexico shows no sign of relenting. Neither do calls for tighter border security amid rising fears of spillover violence.

This hardly seems a time the U.S. would be willing to allow people to cross the border legally from Mexico without a customs officer in sight. But in this rugged, remote West Texas terrain where wading across the shallow Rio Grande undetected is all too easy, federal authorities are touting a proposal to open an unmanned port of entry as a security upgrade.

By the spring, kiosks could open up in Big Bend National Park allowing people from the tiny Mexican town of Boquillas del Carmen to scan their identity documents and talk to a customs officer in another location, at least 100 miles away.

The crossing, which would be the nation's first such port of entry with Mexico, has sparked opposition from some who see it as counterintuitive in these days of heightened border security. Supporters say the crossing would give the isolated Mexican town long-awaited access to U.S. commerce, improve conservation efforts and be an unlikely target for criminal operations.

"People that want to be engaged in illegal activities along the border, ones that are engaged in those activities now, they're still going to do it," said William Wellman, Big Bend National Park's superintendent. "But you'd have to be a real idiot to pick the only place with security in 300 miles of the border to try to sneak across."

The proposed crossing from Boquillas del Carmen leads to a vast expanse of rolling scrub, cut by sandy-floored canyons and violent volcanic rock outcroppings. The Chihuahuan desert wilderness is home to mountain lions, black bears and roadrunners, sparsely populated by an occasional camper and others visiting the 800,000-acre national park...[Full Article]


Obama to slash National Guard force on U.S.-Mexico border

Washington Times

Blaming budget cuts, the Obama administration early next year will cut the number of National Guard troops patrolling the U.S.-Mexico border by at least half, according to a congressman who was briefed on the plan.

The National Guard said an announcement will be made by the White House “in the near future,” but Rep. Duncan Hunter, a California Republican who has learned of the plans, said slashing the deployment in half is the minimum number, and he said it will mean reshuffling the remaining troops along the nearly 2,000-mile border.

In California, that will mean going from 264 Guard troops down to just 14, he said...[Full Article]

Supreme Court to decide Arizona immigration law

(Reuters) - The Supreme Court said on Monday that it would decide whether Arizona's tough law cracking down on illegal immigrants can take effect, a case arising from the fierce national debate on immigration policy ahead of next year's presidential election.

The high court agreed to review a ruling that put on hold the key parts of the law signed by Republican Governor Jan Brewer in April 2010. The case has been closely watched because several other states have adopted similar laws.

The law requires police to check the immigration status of anyone they detained and suspected of being in the nation illegally. Other parts require immigrants to carry their papers at all times and ban people without proper documents from soliciting for work in public places...[Full Article]

Sunday, December 4, 2011

One of three Ohio businessmen arrested wanted by immigration authorities

November 30, 2011

GEORGETOWN, Ohio | Two Ohio businessmen arrested for trafficking in synthetic drugs K2 and bath salts have been released from the Brown County Adult Detention Center on bond.

The third remains in jail after police determined he was an illegal alien wanted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities.

Bhuvnesh Parekh, 38, of Georgetown and Ravi Singh, 41, of Morehead, were both released on $50,000 surety bonds, according to the Brown County Sheriff's Office. Parekh had managed the Wild Willies gas station in Georgetown, while Singh managed the Valero gas station in Aberdeen, Ohio.

For Yogesh Patel, 32, of Georgetown, bond was also set at $50,000, according to police. However, Sheriff Dwayne Wenninger said Patel was determined to be an illegal alien so a detainer has been placed on him. Patel will be picked up by immigration authorities once his case in Brown County is resolved, according to police. Patel had managed the Shell gas station in Georgetown.

The three men were arrested Nov. 21 by the Brown County Sheriff's Office for multiple felony charges of trafficking and illegal possession of drugs.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Rick Perry Supports Work Visas For Undocumented Immigrants In US

Fox News

Republican presidential hopeful Rick Perry said the federal government should extend work visas permitting undocumented immigrants to move freely between the U.S. and their home countries, but stressed that he still opposes amnesty or a path to citizenship.

Speaking during an interview with CNN's John King on Thursday, the Texas governor said that expectations that U.S. authorities are going to arrest and deport up to 15 million undocumented immigrants isn't realistic. He added, however, that other Republicans, including fellow Texan George W. Bush, went too far when they previously proposed an immigration overhaul that included a path to citizenship...[Full Article]

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Student Refuses to Recite Mexican Pledge

KRGV.com

MCALLEN - A McAllen teen refused to recite the Mexican pledge of allegiance as part of a recent class assignment.

Brenda Brinsdon says reciting the Mexican pledge felt like an indoctrination. She recorded the teacher asking her to recite the pledge on her cell phone.

A spokesperson for the McAllen Independent School District says the incident involved one lesson on Hispanic culture in America. He says all students in the district recite the American pledge of allegiance every day. The school's spokesperson also says the reciting of the Mexican pledge was only part of a temporary lesson leading up to the Mexican Independence Day on September 16.

Brenda points out her mother is Mexican and her grandfather Jesus Ramirez is from the Mexican city of San Luis Potosi. Her father, William Brinsdon, supports his daughter's stand.

"We've been chipping away at our United States patriotism for a long, long time. This is just another chip," Brinsdon said.

Brinsdon says she got a bad grade for refusing to recite the pledge or sing the Mexican national anthem. She told CHANNEL 5 NEWS she was given an alternative project to write a report on the Mexican revolution. This may be just the first of many stands on principle for her; Brinsdon says she's planning a career in politics.

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TX High School Students Made to Recite Mexican National Anthem and Pledge of Allegiance



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ulpnjgb_sQ

Uploaded by on Oct 17, 2011

Students in a Texas public high school were made to stand up and recite the Mexican national anthem and Mexican pledge of allegiance as part of a Spanish class assignment, but the school district maintains there was nothing wrong with the lesson. The presentations in teacher Reyna Santos's class took place during "Freedom Week," the week after the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, and on U.S. Constitution Day — the same day as Mexico's Independence Day

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Dayton laying-out welcome mat for illegal aliens
(Dayton, Ohio - 10/11/11)

Dayton, OH – Last week, the Dayton City Commission unanimously approved what they call the "Welcome Dayton" initiative to attract more immigrants and generally make the city more immigrant-friendly. Under the plan the city will request federal money to teach immigrants English and will lobby both the state and federal governments for more so-called “pro-immigration” laws.

City Manager Tim Riordan told the crowd at last week’s meeting: “Critics conveniently connect the word 'immigrant' with the word 'illegal' when talking about the Welcome Dayton plan, but that's not what this initiative is all about. We have many good people from all nationalities coming here to invest in the community and to build a better life. The same thing is happening in cities and towns across the country. Our local colleges and universities see the benefits of this movement and are actively recruiting more foreign-born students. This is the reality of a world that is getting smaller and smaller, so we should take advantage of the opportunities that are at hand.”

While Riordan claims that the plan is not designed to turn Dayton in a ‘sanctuary city’ for illegal aliens, two key points of the program will make it much easier for illegal aliens to live and work in the city...[Full Article]

Monday, October 3, 2011

Reports of Hispanic Students Vanishing From Alabama Schools After Immigration Ruling

Fox News

Hispanic students have started vanishing from Alabama public schools in the wake of a court ruling that upheld the state's tough new law cracking down on illegal immigration.

Education officials say scores of immigrant families have withdrawn their children from classes or kept them home this week, afraid that sending the kids to school would draw attention from authorities.

There are no precise statewide numbers. But several districts with large immigrant enrollments -- from small towns to large urban districts -- reported a sudden exodus of children of Hispanic parents, some of whom told officials they planned to leave the state to avoid trouble with the law, which requires schools to check students' immigration status...[Full Article]

Friday, September 23, 2011

Study: Most new Texas jobs went to immigrants

Washington Examiner

ORLANDO --

With both jobs and immigration likely topics of sharp debate at tonight's Republican debate here in Florida, a new report suggests that newly-arrived immigrants have filled a majority of new jobs created in Texas, home to Republican frontrunner Gov. Rick Perry.

"Of jobs created in Texas since 2007, 81 percent were taken by newly arrived immigrant workers (legal and illegal)," says the report from the Center for Immigration Studies, a group that advocates reduced levels of both legal and illegal immigration. The report estimates that about 40 percent of the new jobs were taken by illegal immigrants, while 40 percent were taken by legal immigrants. The vast majority of both groups, legal and illegal, were not American citizens.

Native-born Americans filled just 20 percent of the new jobs in Texas, the report says, even though "the native born accounted for 69 percent of the growth in Texas' working-age population." "Thus, even though natives made up most of the growth in potential workers, most of the job growth went to immigrants," the report concludes.

The report is based on analysis of the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey...[Full Article]


Sunday, August 28, 2011

Canton cab driver shot to death in New Franklin

Canton Repository

August 15, 2011


Raul Benitez-Maranon

NEW FRANKLIN — Police are trying to sort out why a man shot a Canton cab driver 10 times, killing him Sunday evening.

The shooting occurred after Jerry Laury, who drove for Yellow Cab, dropped off a fare at an apartment building in the 5100 block of S. Main Street in this southern Summit County community. Police have arrested the cab rider, Raul Benitez-Maranon, 27, who apparently was staying at the apartment building.

Witnesses told police that a man fitting Maranon’s description stood next to the cab and fired a gun into the window. The shooting occurred at about 5:45 p.m.

Gary Guenther, chief investigator for the Summit County Medical Examiner’s office, said the 61-year-old Laury was shot 10 times in his head and chest. Laury died at the scene.

Police arrested Maranon minutes after the shooting. He is being held in the Summit County Jail after being charged with aggravated murder.

Although Maranon is using the S. Main Street address, police aren’t certain he lives there. Police Chief Daniel G. Davidson said officers believe Maranon is a Mexican national and are investigating to determine how he entered the country.

“He’s not a confirmed U.S. citizen,” Davidson said...[Full Article]