Illegal immigration behind the scenes

[Detector]

I thought things seemed too quiet from the illegal immigrants. Seems they are working quietly at getting as many illegals legal as possible before they get sent home.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13191990/

WASHINGTON - Hispanic members of Congress and Latino groups said Wednesday they will build on recent immigrant demonstrations by conducting citizenship workshops around the nation on July 1.

By helping more immigrants become citizens, the Hispanic lawmakers hope that they will increase the number of voters who might help defeat candidates considered anti-immigrant.

Rep. Grace Napolitano, a California Democrat who chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said an estimated 8 million legal immigrants in the country are eligible for citizenship.

At the workshops, volunteers will instruct immigrants on how to become a citizen, help them fill out and mail applications and help resolve problems.

“We have shown our strength in numbers, we have shown our strength in economic power. Now it is time to show our strength at the voting booth,” said Jaime Contreras, director of the National Capital Immigration Coalition, an immigration advocacy group.

[TexKan]

They can get them signed up all they want but if they aren't willing to follow thru to make sure they get the med exam and shots required - it won't matter. Going price for that down here is bout $200. Plus it costs to send the paper work in. Total to get a green card is about $2000 from what I'm told by those going thru the process. After the green card you have to wait for at least 4 years before you can take the citizenship exam. I had trouble with the questions on it. It's not easy!

This is just a way to grab some Fed monies by the latinos in politics to further thier own desire to be "change" makeers. I would be willing to bet out of all they sign up - not even 25% buy a stamp or make an MD appt. Cause they don't wanna spend thier denero on sumthin they think they might get for free. Besides that - most don't even wanna be citizens - they just wanna rape the US of social bennies so they can build that hacinda in mehico!!! and retire at age 40.

This is just a political stunt to make it look like there is a purpose for all these damn social programs that cater to immigrants. Let em sign up - these folks are forever gonna be known to those currently in line as the "low class" immagrant.

[Bubba]

SAN DIEGO - A customs officer was arrested on charges of taking money in exchange for waving illegal immigrants through border crossings.

In an indictment unsealed by federal prosecutors Thursday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer Richard Elizalda is accused of accepting cash and a luxury car from smugglers driving carloads of illegal immigrants from Tijuana, Mexico, into the U.S. through the San Ysidro Port of Entry in San Diego.

Elizalda, a 10-year veteran of the border agency, is accused of conspiring to allow at least nine illegal immigrants driven by smugglers through his inspection lane without being stopped.

Seven people listed in the indictment are accused of operating a smuggling ring. Members of the group are also suspected of trafficking about 230 pounds of marijuana across the border.

Investigators said they traced more than 20 illegal immigrants who were spirited across the border by the group.

The arrest came after a two-year investigation by the Border Corruption Task Force, a multi-agency team that pursues claims against officers at border crossings in California. Investigators said that they had placed wiretaps on Elizalda's phones after receiving tips that he was involved in suspicious activities.

Elizalda was arrested in an early morning raid on his home in Chula Vista. Agents seized cash and two luxury cars — a 2000 Lexus and a 2005 BMW.

Elizalda's arrest came a day after another border officer, Michael Anthony Gilliland, was arraigned on similar charges of accepting more than $500,000 in bribes from smugglers driving illegal immigrants through the border crossing at Otay Mesa, several miles east of San Ysidro. Investigators said Thursday that they believe the two cases are unrelated.

"In both cases the inspectors betrayed the trust of their countrymen by accepting bribes from illegal alien smuggling organizations," said FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Stewart Roberts.

Attempts to contact Elizalda's home Thursday were unsuccessful and the name of his lawyer was not known. Elizalda remained in custody and was expected to be arraigned Friday.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13213290/

[lurker]

Ah yes... more gummit bureaucracy on the take.

[K C Muffin]

Somewhere up here in the metro, there's a lady who's been in the news a lot trying to stir up public sympathy. She's married and has two children, both born on American soil. Apparently, she married an American citizen. Well, for some reason, one of the border guards "remembers" her asserting her American citizenship. She's not a citizen and says she never said that. I just don't understand why the border guard just now remembers it. Kinda odd, I guess.

Anyway..........the lady's been here for 10 plus years and speaks as normal English as you and I. She says that she will have a hard time communicating in Spanish. Cuz she's goin' back, thanks to Uncle Sam. I think they're making an example of her. Apparently, she's gone all the way to the Supreme Court and unless they issue a stay, she's gone as of Sunday AM. Before her hearing, which is another thing I find odd. If she's been here 10 years and is leading a normal life, why scoot her out of the country before her hearing? I don't agree with asylum for all the Mexicans who entered the country illegally, but I also don't agree with screwing with someone's life just because you can. If they're offering fair hearings to all the others they pick up, then why not her. I guess I just feel for her family in some soft spot in my heart - way down deep, completely buried.

[Bubba]

I guess I'm just a hard ass with no feelings because I think the bottom line is she came here illegally, she doesn't deserve to stay no matter how nice she is or how well her English is.

[Highwayman]

Muffin, the reason I think she’s going back is because there are 12 million or more illegals here as opposed to 12 thousand. Hundreds of thousands of those illegals got in our face recently demanding rights and waving foreign flags like a conquering army. Folks are sick and tired for putting up with other folks that can’t or won’t speak English, won’t insure their cars and so on. War was declared. She is just a causality of that war.

If there were only a few thousand here illegally speaking English and keeping a low profile it’s most likely no one would have bothered her.

[lurker]

Originally Posted by Highwayman

Muffin, the reason I think she’s going back is because there are 12 million or more illegals here as opposed to 12 thousand. Hundreds of thousands of those illegals got in our face recently demanding rights and waving foreign flags like a conquering army. Folks are sick and tired for putting up with other folks that can’t or won’t speak English, won’t insure their cars and so on. War was declared. She is just a causality of that war.

If there were only a few thousand here illegally speaking English and keeping a low profile it’s most likely no one would have bothered her.

It's illegal for a legal insurance company to legally sell liability insurance (note, that's the coverage that pays OUR BILLS) to an illegal alien because they can't legally obtain a legal driver's license.

License plates are another legal illegality.

Just ask the insurance lobby about why dat' iz.

[K C Muffin]

I hear what you guys are sayin'. I watched on the news last night when she left KC yesterday sometime. From the newscast, she apparently came here on a student visa, stayed on a work visa. But the story about her legality ended there. I don't know what happened then. I understood that if a non-citizen married a citizen, they were automatically granted rights to stay here. Is that not so anymore? We let hundreds of Vietnamese women in (and I think they're still here) when GI's married them overseas. I suppose they had to seek citizenship once here, though. I still don't agree with making her an example. And I still don't understand why they had to rush her out of the country before her hearing. I'll keep watchin' the news and let you know if I hear anything.

An' I understand what you're saying, Lurker. There's no way to guarantee the illegal would stay here to face charges or to pay a deductible on their insurance. I've been watchin' the Insurance Department website. There has been talk about all the uninsured ilegals and how we could bring them into compliance, but it usually stops when it's pointed out how easy it is for them to leave the country thru the same hole they came in.

[Army_of_One]

Originally Posted by Bubba

I guess I'm just a hard ass with no feelings because I think the bottom line is she came here illegally, she doesn't deserve to stay no matter how nice she is or how well her English is.

I agree with you on that Bubba.