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November 2007 U.S. Immigration Alert! A Monthly Newsletter from…
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November 2007 U.S. Immigration Alert!
A Monthly Newsletter from National Immigrant Solidarity Network
November, 2007 Issue, Volume 25
No Immigrant Bashing! Support Immigrant Rights!
http://www.ImmigrantSolidarity.org $2.00/Copy
Enough is Enough! In This Issue:
"Anti-Crime"/"Homegrown Terrorism" Bill Passed (Pg 1)
Anti-Immigrant Bills, More Raids, Blackwater US Immigrant News (Pg 2) | Anti-Muslim American (Pg 4)
at the Border, Fake Anti-Immigrant News Backwater @ Border (Pg 5) | Anti-Imm Hate Crime (Pg 7)
NISN is Looking for Student Interns! (Pg 8)
Please Support NISN! Subscribe the Newsletter! (Pg 8)
Insane "Anti-Crime"/"Homegrown Terrorism" Bill Passed at House, Take Actions to
STOP It at Senate!
[San Francisco Bay Independent Media Center] The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed HR 1955 titled the
Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007. This bill is one of the most blatant attacks against
the Constitution yet and actually defines thought crimes as homegrown terrorism.
With little media attention, this bill passed the house of representatives by roll call vote on October 23. 404 ayes (219 D, 185
R), 6 nays (3 D, 3 R), 22 no-shows. It was drafted by a democrat, Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA), and it now goes to the senate.
This bill is completely insane. It literally allows the government to define any and all crimes including thought crime as violent
radicalization and homegrown terrorism. Obviously, this legislation is unconstitutional on a number of levels. The bill will go
on to the Senate and will likely be passed and signed into the law by George W. Bush. Considering that draconian legislation
like the Patriot Act and the Military Commissions Act have already been passed, there seems little question that this one will
get passed as well.
TAKE ACTION AGAINST IT'S PASSAGE AT THE SENATE! Find your Senators: http://www.senate.gov/
Announcing
New On-Line Tools for Congressional Advocacy and Community Activism!
e-Activism.org ActivistVideo.org
National Immigrant Solidarity Network, along with ActionLA Coalition and Activist Design Studio, are launching
a breakthrough on-line activism tools: e-Activism.org and ActivistVideo.org Beta version!
e-Activism.org: a free open-membership social networking site for the community activists for on-line activism
with different tools to create your campaigns, useful tools for the policy research and on-line policy advocacy
tools to contact the elected officials.
ActivistVideo.org: a free video-sharing site for activist communities! Can create your own campaign pages to
upload related videos!
Official Launch Date: Spring, 2008 Please visit our Beta version TODAY!
Please subscribe to our ISN Immigrants Daily-Info E-mail List!
Send e-mail to: isn-subscribe@lists.riseup.net or web: http://lists.riseup.net/www/info/isn
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U.S. Immigration News Briefs
Immigration News Briefs (INB), a weekly English-language summary of US immigration news, is forwarded out to the email
list of the Coalition for the Human Rights of Immigrants (CHRI). E-mail: nicajg@panix.com
1. JUDGE HALTS CRACKDOWN ON WORKERS major change in DHS policy." Breyer also said that the
On Oct. 10, federal judge Charles R. Breyer of US District government may have ignored a 1980 law, the Regulatory
Court in San Francisco granted a preliminary injunction Flexibility Act, that requires it to weigh the cost of imposing
barring the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from new regulations that would significantly burden small
launching a planned crackdown on workers whose social business owners.
security numbers don't match the Social Security
Administration (SSA) database. At an earlier hearing on Chertoff expressed disappointment with Breyer's
Oct. 1, a day after immigrant workers and their supporters injunction and said the administration will continue to
demonstrated in front of San Francisco's federal building aggressively enforce immigration laws while considering
to protest the crackdown, Breyer had extended a an appeal, which plaintiffs' attorneys said could take at
temporary restraining order for 10 days. His Oct. 10 least nine months. Judge Breyer was appointed by
injunction blocks implementation of the plan until the court President Bill Clinton in 1997 and is the brother of
makes a final ruling in a lawsuit on its legality. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.
The crackdown, announced by Homeland Security SSA database errors have also hampered DHS' efforts to
Secretary Michael Chertoff on Aug. 10 with new rules promote the Basic Pilot Program (now known as E-Verify),
originally set to take effect Sept. 14, involves mailing "no a system it launched in 1996 which employers can use
match" letters to 140,000 US employers, warning them voluntarily to verify the social security numbers of new
that they must resolve questions about their employees' hires. A report provided to Congress showed that between
identities or fire them within 90 days. If they fail to do so, June 2004 and May 2006, the program erroneously
employers could face stiff penalties, including fines and rejected 11% of foreign-born US citizens and 1.3% of
even criminal prosecution. The federal government has authorized immigrant workers. That error rate led Illinois
mailed out "no-match" letters since 1994, but in the past governor Rod Blagojevich to sign state legislation in
employers weren't required to take action and did not face August barring Illinois companies from participating in the
liability. program until it is 99% accurate. [Washington Post
10/11/07]
The lawsuit against the plan was brought on Aug. 29 by
the AFL-CIO and local labor organizations, who were 2. BUFFETS RAIDED IN KENTUCKY, MARYLAND
joined on Sept. 11 by the US Chamber of Commerce and On Oct. 16, local police in Villa Hills, Kentucky, a suburb
trade associations for the agriculture, restaurant and of Cincinnati, Ohio, pulled over a van carrying immigrant
construction industries, and on Sept. 13 by UNITE HERE workers to their jobs at the Empire Buffet in nearby
and the United Food and Commercial Workers union. The Crescent Springs. After a passenger in the van allegedly
national American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), its admitted being an undocumented immigrant, police
Northern California chapter, the National Immigration Law detained five of the van's eight passengers. The driver
Center and two private law firms are representing the was cited for running a stop sign and released. Police then
plaintiffs. [Washington Post 10/11/07; Blog by Jennifer returned to the house where the workers lived, allegedly
Chang of ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project 9/14/07; AFL obtained consent to search there, and arrested another
CIO, ACLU & NILC Press Releases 10/1/07, 10/10/07; immigrant worker found sleeping. All six immigrants were
David Bacon 9/30/07] handed over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement
(ICE). Five men and one woman were in the custody of
The plaintiffs convinced the judge that the SSA database federal authorities on the night of Oct. 16, according to
includes so many errors that its use in firings would Villa Hills Police Chief Dan Goodenough. Three others
unfairly discriminate against tens of thousands of legal were released when they provided proof of identity.
workers, including native-born and naturalized US
citizens, and cause major workforce disruptions that would Police claimed they pulled over the van in a "routine traffic
burden companies. "There can be no doubt that the stop," but admitted they had been investigating the home
effects of the rule's implementation will be severe," Breyer for months. "We had complaints from neighbors due to the
wrote, resulting in "irreparable harm to innocent workers volume of people that were living in the property," said
and employers." Villa Hills Police Detective Joe Schutzman. Schutzman
said every room in the two-story home was used for
"The government's proposal to disseminate no-match people to sleep.
letters affecting more than eight million workers will, under
the mandated time line, result in the termination of On Oct. 17, ICE spokesperson Gail Montenegro said nine
employment to lawfully employed workers," wrote Breyer. Empire Buffet workers were detained in the operation: five
"Moreover the threat of criminal prosecution... reflects a Mexican men, two Chinese women and two Chinese men.
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Montenegro said all nine were in the US without felony charges of reentry after deportation. [Los Angeles
permission and would face removal proceedings. Times 10/3/07; ICE News Release 10/3/07]
[Cincinnati Enquirer 10/17/07; WCPO.com 10/17/07;
Cincinnati Post 10/19/07] 4. "FUGITIVE" RAIDS IN IDAHO, KANSAS
ICE officers arrested at least 20 immigrants in Idaho's
City officials say they are in the process of citing Chun Wood River Valley region over the weekend of Sept. 15.
Gond Shi, president of the company that operates the ICE agents in unmarked sport-utility vehicles were seen
restaurant and owner of the home, and Wang Xiu Yun, conducting pre-dawn raids in Ketchum and Bellevue on
who is also listed as an owner of the home, for about a Sept. 15. ICE officials declined to comment on the raid,
dozen building code and city ordinance violations. Both but Blaine County Sheriff's Detective Steve Harkins said
Chun and Wang are naturalized US citizens. [ICE the federal agents were from a "special fugitive unit" out of
10/17/07] Boise that was allegedly searching for immigrants with
felony convictions. It was not clear whether any of the
Early on Sept. 27, ICE agents assisted by local law individuals arrested had convictions or were among those
enforcement agencies raided the Mikayo Sushi and allegedly being sought, or if they were simply found to be
Seafood Buffet, the Panda Buffet and a private home in without documents. Harkins said on Sept. 18 that he
West Ocean City, Maryland, arresting six immigrant heard 21 people were arrested. Ketchum police
workers from Mexico and China. Following the raids, the spokesperson Kim Rogers said some of the detainees
restaurants were chained shut. In the nearby private were Peruvian. The ACLU of Idaho is investigating to see
community of Oyster Harbor, ICE officials also served a if civil rights were violated in the raids. The sheriff's office
search warrant at a residence apparently belonging to Zhu and Ketchum police assigned officers as uniformed
Bo Hao, who owns the two restaurants. ICE spokesperson escorts during the raids. [Idaho Mountain Express
Ernestine Fobbs confirmed the arrests; she said the six (Ketchum) 9/19/07]
workers were transported to the ICE regional office in
Baltimore for processing and remain in custody. [Maryland Between Oct. 20 and 24, ICE agents arrested 50 out-of
Coast Dispatch 10/5/07] status immigrants in a sweep through the greater Kansas
City area of Kansas and Missouri; 29 of the 50 had
It was the second federal raid in a week in Worcester apparently failed to comply with deportation orders, while
County; on Sept. 20, ICE and FBI agents raided two the other 21 were merely discovered during the raids and
convenience stores and a residence in Snow Hill as part found to be out of status. Nine of those arrested had
of "Operation Cash-Out," an undercover sting targeting criminal convictions. ICE was assisted in the raids by local
hawala (money transfer) businesses and involving at least police in Kansas City, Independence, Grandview and
46 defendants in the US, Spain, Canada and Belgium Raytown, Missouri; and in Kansas City, Overland Park,
facing bribery, money laundering and other charges. Lenexa, Olathe, Shawnee and Topeka, Kansas. [Kansas
[Maryland Coast Dispatch 10/5/07; FBI Baltimore Office City Star 10/25/07]
Press Release 9/20/07]
5. NEW YORK RAIDS CHALLENGED
3. OVER 1,300 ARRESTED IN CALIFORNIA On Oct. 2, officials in Nassau County on New York's Long
In a two-week sweep that ended Oct. 2, ICE officers Island called for a federal investigation into an "anti-gang"
arrested 1,327 immigrants in five southern California sweep carried out by ICE Sept. 24-30 during which 186
counties: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino immigrants were arrested in Nassau and neighboring
and Ventura. A total of 530 people were arrested in their Suffolk county [see INB 9/30/07]. Nassau officials said the
communities on immigration violations; ICE said 258 of vast majority of those arrested were not gang members
them--less than half of the total--were "fugitives" who had and that local police were misled and endangered by the
failed to comply with deportation orders or who had operation. Nassau County police commissioner Lawrence
reentered the US after being deported. ICE claimed that W. Mulvey noted that many US citizens and legal
half of the 530 people arrested in the communities had residents were rousted from bed and required to produce
criminal histories. papers during the raids, and that all but 6 of the 96
administrative warrants issued by the immigration
At the same five counties' jails ICE took custody of enforcement agency in the alleged search for gang
another 797 people it described as "previously unidentified members had wrong or outdated addresses. Peter J.
deportable foreign nationals" who had been scheduled for Smith, an ICE special agent in charge of the operation,
release. Some of those arrested in the sweep were lawful called the Nassau county officials' allegations "without
permanent residents who were said to be deportable merit."
because of crimes they committed. Of the total 1,327
people arrested, about 1,100 were from Mexico, 170 were "We didn't have warrants," said Smith. "We don't need
from Central America and others came from more than 25 warrants to make the arrests. These are illegal
countries including Armenia, India, Indonesia, Ireland, immigrants." Smith said that of the 186 people arrested in
Jordan, Peru and Vietnam. Nearly 600 of them had the two counties, 28 were identified as gang members (13
already been deported by Oct. 3. The US attorney's office in Nassau and 15 in Suffolk) and 129 as "associates of
plans to prosecute more than 45 of those arrested on gang members" (79 in Nassau and 50 in Suffolk). Asked
how the agency defined "associates of gang members,"
3
Smith replied, "If you're hanging with gang members and represented by the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and
you're eating with gang members, there's an affiliation Education Fund and a private law firm.
there." Smith said 59 of those arrested had previous
criminal convictions that might make them deportable. All The petition names 27 plaintiffs who are also listed in a
186 face deportation proceedings; apparently none face class-action lawsuit filed Sept. 20, alleging that ICE raids
criminal charges. Suffolk County police commissioner in the three New York counties in February, March and
Richard Dormer expressed complete support for the ICE September 2007 violated their constitutional right to be
raids. [New York Times 10/2/07, 10/3/07] free from unreasonable searches by the government.
[Newsday (Long Island) 10/6/07]
On Oct. 5, several families and individuals from Suffolk,
Nassau and Westchester counties filed a request in US
District Court in Manhattan for a temporary restraining
order to prevent ICE from conducting further raids
without court-issued search warrants. The plaintiffs are
==============================================================================================
Post 9-11 Government Against Muslim-American Communities
10/23: Mistrial in Holy Land "terrorism" financing case
[Excerpt Los Angeles Times] The U.S. Justice Department suffered a major setback in another high-profile terrorist
prosecution Monday when its criminal case against five former officials of a now-defunct Islamic charity collapsed into a
tangle of legal confusion.
U.S. District Judge A. Joe Fish declared a mistrial, but not before it became clear that the government's landmark terrorism
finance case -- and one of its most-costly post-9/11 prosecutions -- was in serious trouble.
President Bush announced in December 2001 that the Texas-based charity's assets were being seized, and in a Rose
Garden news conference accused the organization of financing terrorism. Monday's outcome, however, raised serious
questions about those allegations as well.
"I think it is a huge defeat for the government," said David Cole, a Georgetown University law professor specializing in 1st
Amendment cases and terrorism prosecutions.
"They spent almost 15 years investigating this group, seized all their records and had extensive wiretapping and yet could not
obtain a single conviction on charges of supporting a terrorist organization." Juror William Neal, 33, who said his father
worked in military intelligence, said that the government's case had "so many gaps" that he regarded the prosecution as "a
waste of time."
It is not the only prosecution failure. In Florida two years ago, a former college professor was acquitted on eight counts of
aiding Palestinian terrorists. A jury deadlocked on a ninth count and the defendant pleaded guilty to a lesser charge to avoid
retrial. Earlier this year a federal jury in Illinois acquitted two men of operating a terrorist recruiting and financing cell.
The Holy Land Foundation was created in Los Angeles in 1988 and later moved to Richardson, Texas, outside Dallas. By
2001 it had become the largest Muslim charity in the U.S. and is believed to have distributed about $56 million here and
abroad.
The FBI first began investigating the foundation nearly 15 years ago. Court records show that it was periodically subjected to
government surveillance. After the Bush administration ordered the charity closed, Holy Land officials fought unsuccessfully
in federal civil courts to reinstate it.
In 2004, the government alleged that Holy Land and its officials funneled about $12 million to Hamas through local charities
called zakat committees. The government argued that from its inception Holy Land was intended to be a fundraising tool for
Hamas, a contention that was never documented in court.
Georgetown's Cole said Monday's outcome reflected flaws and overreaching in the government's long-running case against
Holy Land. "One is that the government's theory here was a real stretch under the law, because they were seeking to hold
these individuals responsible not for funding Hamas, which is a designated [terrorist] group, but for funding non-designated
groups that the government claimed were fronts for Hamas." Additionally, he said, the case should raise questions about the
administrative process that enabled the government to shut down Holy Land almost six years ago, long before criminal
charges were brought. "That was a summary process that involved no trial, permitted the government to rely on secret
4
evidence and barred the defendants from ever introducing their own evidence in court. Now we see when they are required
to put their evidence on the table, the government is not able to prove a single charge," Cole said.
In contrast to many other post-Sept. 11 terrorism cases, the Justice Department never accused Holy Land or its five
defendants of plotting terrorist attacks or directly purchasing weapons or other materials that could be used by extremists. As
one Justice Department official said months before the trial began, "We have not alleged that Holy Land pulled the trigger or
lit the fuse of a bomb. But they have facilitated those who pulled the trigger or lit the fuse." To buttress that claim, which was
the linchpin of the government's case, the U.S. called on a former FBI official who has written extensively about Hamas and
an Israeli security officer who was allowed the extraordinary accommodation of testifying anonymously and in a closed
courtroom.
Juror Neal said it seemed that the government "really used fear" to try to sway the panel, but in the end the case came down
to weak evidence. "There wasn't any clear evidence linking the [Holy Land fund] transfers to Hamas," he said.
==============================================================================================
US-Mexico Border: Blackwater's run for the border
The notorious security contractor has plans for a military-style complex near the U.S.-Mexico border. Critics worry
the firm's "mercenary soldiers" could join the U.S. Border Patrol.
By Eilene Zimmerman - Salon Magazine
Oct. 23, 2007 | There are signs that Blackwater USA, the private security firm that came under intense scrutiny after its
employees killed 17 civilians in Iraq in September, is positioning itself for direct involvement in U.S. border security. The
company is poised to construct a major new training facility in California, just eight miles from the U.S.-Mexico border. While
contracts for U.S. war efforts overseas may no longer be a growth industry for the company, Blackwater executives have
lobbied the U.S. government since at least 2005 to help train and even deploy manpower for patrolling America's borders.
Blackwater is planning to build an 824-acre military-style training complex in Potrero, Calif., a rural hamlet 45 miles east of
San Diego. The company's proposal, which was approved last December by the Potrero Community Planning Group and has
drawn protest from within the Potrero community, will turn a former chicken ranch into "Blackwater West," the company's
second-largest facility in the country. It will include a multitude of weapons firing ranges, a tactical driving track, a helipad, a
33,000-square-foot urban simulation training area, an armory for storing guns and ammunition, and dorms and classrooms.
And it will be located in the heart one of the most active regions in the United States for illegal border crossings.
While some residents of Potrero have welcomed the plan, others have raised fears about encroachment on protected lands
and what they see as an intimidating force of mercenaries coming into their backyard. The specter of Blackwater West and
the rising interest in privatizing border security have also alarmed Democratic Rep. Bob Filner, whose congressional district
includes Potrero. Filner says he believes it's a good possibility that Blackwater is positioning itself for border security
contracts and is opposed to the new complex. "You have to be very wary of mercenary soldiers in a democracy, which is
more fragile than people think," Rep. Filner told Salon. "You don't want armies around who will sell out to the highest bidder.
We already have vigilantes on the border, the Minutemen, and this would just add to [the problem]," Filner said, referring to
the Minuteman Project, a conservative group that has organized civilian posses to assist the U.S. Border Patrol in the past.
Filner is backing legislation to block establishment of what he calls "mercenary training centers" anywhere in the U.S. outside
of military bases. "The border is a sensitive area," he said, "and if Blackwater operates the way they do in Iraq -- shoot first
and ask questions later -- my constituents are at risk."
A spokesman for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection denied there are any specific plans to work directly with
Blackwater. And Blackwater officials say the complex would be used only for training active-duty military and law
enforcement officials, work for which the company has contracted with the U.S. government.
But statements and lobbying activity by Blackwater officials, and the location for the new complex, strongly suggest plans to
get involved in border security, with potential contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Moreover, Blackwater enjoys
support from powerful Republican congressmen who advocate hard-line border policies, including calls for deploying private
agents to beef up the ranks of the U.S. Border Patrol. Lawmakers supporting Blackwater include California Rep. and
presidential candidate Duncan Hunter -- who met last year with company officials seeking his advice on the proposal for
Blackwater West -- and Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama, who is sponsoring a bill to allow private contractors such as
Blackwater to help secure U.S. borders.
When questioned at a public hearing with the Potrero planning group on Sept. 13 about Blackwater West, Brian Bonfiglio, a
Blackwater spokesman, said, "I don't think there's anyone in this room who wouldn't like to see the border tightened up."
5
Blackwater currently had no contracts to help with border security, Bonfiglio said, but he emphasized that "we would entertain
any approach from our government to help secure either border, absolutely." Bonfiglio was responding to questions from
Raymond Lutz, a local organizer who opposes the new complex. (Lutz recorded the exchange and posted video of it on Oct.
12 at CitizensOversight.org.) Lutz also asked Bonfiglio if Blackwater West would be used as a base for deployment of Border
Patrol agents. "Actually, we've offered it up as a substation to Border Patrol and U.S. Customs right now," Bonfiglio replied.
"We'd love to see them there."
Ramon Rivera, a spokesman for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Washington, denied Bonfiglio's claim that the
agency is entertaining an offer to use Blackwater West as a substation. "I think that's just Blackwater trying to sell
themselves," Rivera said.
In fact, Blackwater has been selling itself for direct involvement in border security at least since May 2005, when the
company's then president, Gary Jackson, testified before a House subcommittee. Jackson's testimony focused on
Blackwater's helping to train U.S. Border Patrol agents and included discussion of contracts theoretically worth $80 million to
$200 million, for thousands of personnel. Asked by one lawmaker if his company saw a market opportunity in border security,
Jackson replied: "I can put as many men together as you need, trained and on the borders."
The company has turned to powerful allies on Capitol Hill for support, including Hunter, the ranking Republican on the House
Armed Services Committee and a longtime proponent of tougher border security. Joe Kasper, a spokesman for Hunter,
confirmed to Salon that Blackwater officials sought guidance from Hunter on getting Blackwater West approved for Potrero.
Hunter met with Blackwater officials in May 2006, at which time Hunter recommended the firm contact Dianne Jacob, the
county supervisor responsible for Potrero and one of five supervisors who would vote on countywide approval for Blackwater
West. Blackwater officials then met with Jacob in May, and in June the company submitted its proposal to the county, where
it now must go through an approval process.
Rep. Filner says Potrero residents have complained to him that Hunter also brought pressure locally for Blackwater West.
"People in the area told me he called the landowner [of the proposed site] to urge him to sell [to Blackwater]. I don't know that
he did, but it wouldn't surprise me," says Filner. "That's what people in the area are saying." (Hunter has ties to Potrero,
which used to be part of his congressional district; after a redestricting in 2001, Potrero became part of Filner's district, which
borders Hunter's district.)
Spokesman Kasper denied that Hunter called the landowner, whose identity remains unclear. But Kasper also said that
Hunter "supports Blackwater and other private security contractors in Iraq, and he supports the training facility in Potrero."
One specific concern Potrero residents have raised with relation to Blackwater West is the high risk of wildfires in their part of
the county -- a danger on display the last two days as Potrero has been ravaged by fire along with other parts of Southern
California. Blackwater has in fact pushed as a selling point that the complex would be a "defensible location" during wildfires.
But opponents, including Jan Hedlun, the only member of the Potrero Planning Group opposed to Blackwater West, foresee
danger rather than a safe haven. As Hedlun wrote in a recent editorial in the San Diego Union-Tribune, "residents state they
would not flee to a box canyon with one access point and an armory filled with ammunition and/or explosives."
Ever since illegal immigration became a top issue for the Bush administration and lawmakers on Capitol Hill, there have been
growing calls for the U.S. to bring private security companies into border enforcement. In September 2006, the conservative
Heritage Foundation in Washington released a policy paper titled "Better, Faster, and Cheaper Border Security," which urged
Congress and the president to beef up forces as fast as possible. "In particular," the report said, "private contractors could
play an important role in recruiting and training Border Patrol agents and providing personnel to secure the border." Late last
month, one of the report's authors hosted a symposium in Washington for an updated discussion on the topic, for which Rep.
Rogers a proponent of both Blackwater and DynCorp International, another private security contractor with personnel in
Iraq and Afghanistan -- was the keynote speaker.
On June 19 of this year, during a House subcommittee meeting titled "Ensuring We Have Well-Trained Boots on the Ground
at the Border," Rep. Christopher Carney, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, acknowledged "it's no secret that CPB [Customs
and Border Protection] as a whole lacks the manpower to fulfill its crucial mission." Robert B. Rosenkranz, president of the
government services division of DynCorp, presented a plan for putting 1,000 DynCorp employees at the border in 13 months,
at a cost of $197 million.
In May 2006, the Bush administration had called for a sharp increase in manpower, at least with the existing federal force.
President Bush then signed a bill into law on Oct. 4, 2006, to boost the number of U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents on
the ground by nearly 50 percent, from approximately 12,300 to approximately 18,300, by the end of 2008.
But even such an ambitious increase would do little to stop the flow of illegal immigrants, says T.J. Bonner, president of the
National Border Patrol Council, which represents most U.S. Border Patrol agents. Bonner, himself a field agent in east San
6
Diego County, told the House subcommittee in June, "Realistically, there is no magic number of Border Patrol agents
required to secure our borders and even if there were, it would certainly be much higher than the 18,000 proposed by the
administration."
Scott Borgerson, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations who specializes in homeland security, says it makes sense that
U.S. companies would try to position themselves to fill gaps in national security with lucrative private-sector solutions. "If I
was running a company doing private security, it's definitely what I would do," he says of Blackwater's plan to locate near the
border.
In an Oct. 15 article in the Wall Street Journal, Blackwater CEO Erik Prince said that the company now sees the market
diminishing for the kind of security work its employees have done in Iraq. He said that going forward the company's focus "is
going to be more of a full spectrum," ranging from delivering humanitarian aid to responding to natural disasters. But priorities
for the Bush administration, including immigration and border security, could also figure into Blackwater's plans -- as Salon
reported recently, the company's skyrocketing revenues during Bush's presidency are accompanied by the firm's close ties
with influential Republicans and top Bush officials.
Blackwater spokeswoman Anne Tyrrell said that the notion of Blackwater vying for lucrative border security contracts is
"merely speculation," and noted that the location for Blackwater West is close to San Diego's military bases, a major training
market for the company. "But hypothetically," Tyrrell added, "if the government came to us and needed assistance with
border security, we'd be honored."
Borgerson says there is a role for private contractors in helping keep the United States safe. "But certain jobs belong to
trained U.S. government officials -- men and women in uniform who have a flag on their sleeves," says Borgerson, who was a
Coast Guard officer for 10 years. "You recite an oath that says you will defend -- not Congress, not the president, not even
the people -- but the Constitution. You don't sign that oath when you go to work for Blackwater."
Bonner, of the U.S. Border Patrol, remains skeptical about Blackwater getting involved, and he says others in the upper ranks
of the Border Patrol are opposed to private contractors working alongside them. He sees potential problems with both training
and patrolling. The much higher pay likely offered to private agents, for example, would threaten an already difficult-to-retain
federal force. "It will entice people to jump over to the other side," he says, "especially if they don't have a long-term career in
mind." Bonner also says it is crucial to have a single training curriculum, and a single chain of command, to help ensure
effective and lawful operations. "This is a bad idea from so many perspectives," he says of potentially privatizing the force.
The issue may be linked to broader problems the U.S. is currently facing with national security. "If we weren't allocating a
tremendous amount of our resources in Iraq, we wouldn't have to outsource to companies like Blackwater," Borgerson says.
While securing the U.S. borders is an important priority, he adds, "I feel we shouldn't outsource our sovereignty."
==============================================================================================
Anti-Immigrant Hate Crimes
FAKE CNN website is accusing Mexican-American student groups MEChA of setting Calif fires.
October 28, 2007
From: mapanatl@netscape.net
RACIST PERSON(s) have acquired and post Criminal accusations against innocent people. Notice a letter "n" missing
at "line": http://www.cnnheadlienews.com/2007/US/10/25/fire.mecha/index.html
Here you can see the real page and what it says which proves that accusation is UNTRUE but notice the similarity of the
pages: http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/10/25/fire.wildfire.ca/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
This website is listed to a NASHVILLE TN address. This could bring liability to CNN if not addressed immediately PLUS
innocent people could be hurt or KILLLED! if that happens, we will push for Murder charges (besides Hate crimes) against
these RACIST perpetrator in TN.
MAPA of Nevada is already working with Nashville TN police in addressing this matter. CNN legal dept. is working on this
matter "As we speak" per CNN legal contact. FED prosecutor have also being contacted and asked to examine the case for
possible HATE CRIMES Violation. and charges as such will be strongly pursued against the owner of Industrial Company to
whom the FAKE website is listed for ownership. The domain was just acquired on OCT 25th 2007
Please contact all MEChAs you know and other Hispanic/Mexican-American/Latino entities so that they are aware of the
situation and can respond with the info posted here.
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National Immigrant Solidarity Network is Looking Student Intern/Volunteers!
Project: National Immigrant Support Hotline
National Immigrant Solidarity Network (NISN), a national grassroots-based immigrant activist coalition, looking for
passionate students and volunteers to support our research to help us create, planning and open our National Immigrant
Support Hotline Service. Still in the planning stage, this will be a volunteer-based multi-language immigrant support 24-
hours toll-free hotline for immigrant-related emergency supports and general support referrals, we're targeting launching
day for summer of 2008.
We are looking for students or volunteers with backgrounds on: Immigration law, Public policies and Computer science to
help us develop the strategies, policy research, data/information gathering and analysis for this project.
If you're interest to help or for more information, contact us: (213)403-0131 or e-mail: info@ImmigrantSolidarity.org
Please Donate to National Immigrant Solidarity Network!
All Donations Are Tax Deductible!
We need to reach our $25,000 goals by the end of the Year!
Can You be part of the history to support us to support our immigrant organizing?
Make check payable to ISN/AFGJ and it will be tax deductible! Send your check to:
ActionLA / The Peace Center
8124 West 3rd Street, Suite 104
Los Angeles, California 90048
____ $100.00 ____ $ 50.00 ____ $ 35.00 ____ Other Amount $___________
($35 or more will receive 1 year free subscriptions of the Immigration Alert! Newsletter)
Please join our Following NISN E-mail Lists US-Mexico Border Information and Action Alert!
send e-mail to: Border01-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Asian American Labor Activism Alert! or visit: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Border01/
send-e-mail to: api-la-subscribe@lists.riseup.net
or visit: http://lists.riseup.net/www/info/api-la Virginia state-wide immigrant organizing E-mail list
send- e-mail to: va-immigrantrights-subscribe@lists.riseup.net
New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania areas or visit: https://lists.riseup.net/www/info/va-immigrantrights
immigrant workers information and alerts
send e-mail to: nyc-immigrantalert-subscribe@lists.riseup.net May Day 2008 national organizing e-mail list
or visit: http://lists.riseup.net/www/info/nyc-immigrantalert send e-mail to: mayday2008-subscribe@lists.riseup.net
or visit: https://lists.riseup.net/www/info/MayDay2008
About National Immigrant Solidarity Network Please subscribe to the U.S. Immigration Alert!
A Monthly Newsletter from National Immigrant
NISN is a coalition of community, immigrant, labor, human rights Solidarity Network
and student activist groups, founded in 2002 in response to the
urgent needs for the national coalition to fight immigrant bashing, 1 year subscription rate (12 issues) is $25.00
support immigrant rights, no to the sweatshops exploitation and
end to the racism on the community. Please visit our website:
http://www.ImmigrantSolidarity.org It will help us pay for the printing costs, as well as funding
for the NISN projects (additional donations to the ISN is tax
Contact Information: deductible!)
E-mail: siuhin@aol.com
(213) 403-0131 (Los Angeles) Check pay to: NISN/AFGJ
(212) 330-8172 (New York)
(202) 595-8990 (Washington D.C.)
ActionLA / The Peace Center
Please donate to ISN! (All donations are tax deductible!) 8124 West 3rd Street, Suite 104
Check pay to: NISN/AFGJ
Send to: ActionLA / The Peace Center Los Angeles, California 90048
8124 West 3rd Street, Suite 104
Los Angeles, California 90048
8