Gov. Urged To Call Border Emergency  (8/26/05)
Pressure built Thursday within Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's own party for him to follow the example of Democratic governors in New Mexico and Arizona and declare a state of emergency along the Mexican border. Even though Schwarzenegger insists that border conditions aren't dire enough to justify such a declaration — and that California law would not permit it anyway — four Republican lawmakers announced plans to introduce legislation that would give the governor explicit authority to declare an emergency because of illegal immigration.

Border Emergency Amendment Offered  (8/26/05)
A group of Republican lawmakers on Thursday said they will introduce legislation to give Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger the power to declare a state of emergency along the state's border with Mexico, calling illegal immigration a growing threat to public safety. The news conference by four Southern California legislators came as Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez traveled to Mexico to meet with Mexican President Vicente Fox to discuss immigration and other border issues.

Bush Proposal Prompted Surge in Illegal Immigrants  (6/28/05)
Watchdog Group Claims Administration Sought to Cover Up Data
President Bush's proposal for a guest worker program to help stem the tide of illegal immigration actually prompted a surge of illegal border-crossings that the administration then sought to cover up, a watchdog group charged today, citing a 2004 survey by the U.S. Border Patrol.

White House covered up immigration study?  (6/28/05)
Federal survey showed Bush 'amnesty' plan encouraged illegals to enter
Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., the most outspoken member of Congress on the issue of illegal immigration, wants an investigation into why a study of aliens crossing the border was discontinued by the Bush administration after initial results indicated the president's proposed "temporary worker proposal" plan encourages illegals to enter the U.S.

Assembly committee OKs bill allowing licenses for illegal immigrants  (6/28/05)
An Assembly committee approved legislation that would allow illegal immigrants to get California driver's licenses, despite opposition from Schwarzenegger administration officials who said the bill was premature.

Immigrant license bill under Republican fire   (6/28/05)
DMV, CHP also oppose measure
The Schwarzenegger administration unleashed an aggressive new offensive yesterday against pending legislation that would restore the ability of undocumented immigrants to drive legally in California.

Driver's license bill passes latest test  (6/28/05)
Legislation still faces hurdles
State Sen. Gil Cedillo's fifth attempt to grant driver licenses to illegal immigrants passed another hurdle Monday.  The bill, dubbed SB 60, was voted out of another committee with the required seven votes and is now headed to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Illegal Immigrant Driver's License Bill OK'd By Assembly Committee  (6/28/05)
An Assembly committee approved legislation Monday that would allow illegal immigrants to get California driver's licenses, despite opposition from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger administration officials who said the bill was premature.

Transportation Committee OKs 'second-tier' bill  (6/28/05)
Illegal immigrants may drive legally
SACRAMENTO -- An official of the Department of Motor Vehicles told lawmakers on Monday that California should not rush to approve special, "second-tier" driver's licenses for illegal immigrants until the federal government adopts regulations governing them.

Illegal Immigration Hurts Legal Immigrants  (6/27/05)
I just wanted to to make a comment on the article by Tim Donnelly dated 26 Jun 05. I also wanted to make a small note about the editors comment.
My name is Rick Murray. I am a freelance writer and syndicator. Among my clients is the Tombstone Tumbleweed, www.truck.net, (a web based news forum for the trucking industry,) and several other places where immigration news is wanted by the readers. I covered the Minuteman Project in April extensively as I live down here along the border myself.

Monument re-ignites immigration protest  (6/26/05)
Dueling protests that attracted about 450 poster-carrying people and hundreds of police officers in riot gear on Saturday turned out to be relatively peaceful.

Immigration Protest in Baldwin Park Is Peaceful  (6/26/05)
Sixty people from a Ventura County group opposed to words on artwork
at a Metrolink station are met by 600 counter-protesters.
A face-off Saturday in Baldwin Park over illegal immigration, sparked by a piece of public art, was peaceful despite authorities' fears of violence.

Mexican American takes on illegal immigrants  (6/26/05)
BOISE, Idaho -- He is a grandson of Mexican immigrants who has been called a traitor to his people for building his political career on attacks against illegal immigration. Canyon County Commissioner Robert Vasquez entered the race for Congress this month in characteristically provocative fashion, making the announcement at a Mexican restaurant that shares a building with the Idaho Migrant Council -- one of his more vocal opponents.

Bill to target aid to Mexico  (6/15/05)
No extradition, no funds, Beauprez says

Rep. Bob Beauprez wants to block $66 million in aid to Mexico if the country will not hand over accused cop-killers without strings attached.  Beauprez, an Arvada Republican, has joined forces with Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., on legislation inspired by the May 8 killing of Denver Police Detective Donald Young.

One in 11 Mexicans Live in U.S.  (6/15/05)
Baldomero Rosales, 56, was working at a Mission Street ice cream shop Wednesday in San Francisco.  Rosales been in this country since 1978, trying to earn a better living than he could in his native Guadalajara.

EDITORIAL: Reject the license bill  (6/15/05)

HERE WE GO AGAIN. The California Legislature is again considering a bill that would make provisions to grant driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. It was a bad idea the last time they did it, and it is a bad idea now.

Report outlines illegal-immigration trends  (6/15/05)
Many migrants come with their families, plan to stay long-term

While California still is the country's main destination for illegal immigrants, other states are seeing a larger rate of increase in the number of immigrants who have come to their region to live and work.

Court unlikely to overturn Arizona illegal immigration law  (6/14/05)

A federal appeals court was urged to overturn a voter approved Arizona law denying welfare and other benefits to illegal immigrants.

Study tracks surge in illegal immigration from Mexico  (6/14/05)

Illegal immigrants have become more intertwined in American society, with nearly one-third of the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants having at least one immediate family member who is a U.S. citizen, a new study shows.

New Tack Against Illegal Immigrants: Trespassing Charges  (6/10/05)

NEW IPSWICH, N.H. -- The police chief of this tiny whitewashed New England town has crafted his own border-control policy -- he has charged illegal immigrants from Mexico with trespassing in New Hampshire.

Ex-INS Official in San Diego Is Indicted  (6/9/05)
The former head of the district's intelligence operations is accused of covering up a ring that smuggled illegal immigrants and pot.

A federal grand jury has indicted a former high-ranking federal immigration official in San Diego for allegedly covering up a drug and immigrant smuggling ring in exchange for money and gifts.

Most illegal aliens freed on bail, own recognizance  (6/9/05)
Border Patrol agents arrested nearly 100,000 non-Mexicans illegally crossing into the United States through Mexico over the past eight months and let the vast majority of them go free on bail or their own recognizance, immigration officials told a U.S. Senate panel Tuesday.

Commentary:  SB60 - The Intent Is to Adopt California Policy
That Ignores U.S. Immigration Laws  (6/4/05)
Written by Tom McClintock
Let’s make one thing very clear from the outset. The new federal law DOES NOT require states to give driving-only driver’s licenses to foreign nationals illegally in this country. The new federal law DOES NOT in any way sanction states that do not give driving-only driver’s licenses to foreign nationals illegally in this country.

Senate OKs license bill; battle likely  (6/3/05)
Document for illegal-immigrant drivers would carry a mark.

Illegal immigrants could obtain a driver's license with a distinctive look under legislation the state Senate passed Thursday, renewing an immigration fight in the Legislature.

Driver's License Measure Moves To Assembly  (6/2/05)
Measure Would Allow Illegal Immigrants To Legally Obtain Driver's Licenses

The latest attempt to provide driver's licenses for illegal immigrants passed the state Senate on Thursday, after proponents tied the measure to the state's compliance with a new federal law intended to deter terrorists.

Employers of Illegal Immigrants Face Little Risk of Penalty  (5/29/05)

Nearly every day, immigrants newly arrived from Mexico pick up job applications at Car Wash on Sunset.  Owner George Garcia insists that they provide proof, such as Social Security or green cards, that they are authorized to work. What he does not do is pick up the phone to see if the documents are phony.

Cedillo pushes new driver's license law for aliens  (5/23/05)
Bill would conform to federal law, but faces uncertain support
For the third time since Arnold Schwarzenegger was elected governor in 2003, he is on a collision course with a lawmaker seeking to have the state issue driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants in California.

Driver license bill faces new roadblocks  (5/23/05)
THE latest version of state Sen. Gil Cedillo's plan to get driver licenses for illegal immigrants looks much like the one Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger demanded but Cedillo refused a year ago.

Illegal Immigrant Driver's License Bill Moves Forward  (5/20/05)
Proposal Would Bring State Into Compliance With Federal Law
A Senate committee approved the bill, which would bring the state into compliance with a new federal law, on Thursday. The federal law allows states to issue licenses to illegal immigrants, but only if their licenses have different colors or designs than regular licenses, and states that they cannot be used as an official identification card.

Senate panel OKs bill creating special license for illegal immigrants  (5/20/05)
Illegal immigrants would be able to get a specially marked license that could be used for driving on California roads under a bill that passed its first committee Thursday.

Local opinions split on immigrant driver's license proposal  (5/20/05)
As a bill moves through the state Legislature that proposes granting driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants, two local state representatives and even an immigrant advocacy group say they are opposed to the bill ---- for very different reasons.

Measure aims for a separate border patrol for California  (5/5/05)
A new state police agency to patrol the border and crack down on businesses that hire illegal immigrants would be created by an initiative filed yesterday, adding to the debate over the emotional issue.

Driver’s license bill debated  (5/13/05)
Talk at Royce Hall by State Sen. Gil Cedillo discusses undocumented workers’ rights
State Sen. Gil Cedillo spoke at Royce Hall Thursday night in an event hosted by the Honors Fellows to discuss a variety of topics, including driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants.

California Border Patrol Is Proposed  (5/5/05)
California would create its own border patrol of more than 1,000 officers and volunteers under a possible 2006 ballot initiative introduced Wednesday by conservative activists and a state assemblyman.

State immigration police force proposed  (5/5/05)
Saying, "We cannot wait any longer for the feds to get the job done," state Assemblyman Ray Haynes, R-Murrieta, called Wednesday for the formation of a state police force to patrol California's border with Mexico.

'Los Angeles, Mexico' signs no más  (5/4/05)
Broadcaster says signs only attempt to attract region's Latinos
A Spanish- language television station will change the content of 75 billboards that have sparked criticism from illegal-immigrant opponents nationwide, a billboard company spokesman said Tuesday.

Lawmaker Wants State Police Force to Patrol Border with Mexico (5/4/05)
A Southern California lawmaker is proposing a ballot initiative that would authorize California to form its own border patrol.

Calif. group to patrol border near San Diego  (5/5/05)
Invigorated by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's praise for the Minuteman Project in Arizona, a Chino, Calif., group says that it has enlisted hundreds of volunteers to patrol the Mexican border near San Diego this summer.

Minutemen end border watch, plan to expand  (5/4/05)
Gov. Schwarzenegger praises group heading to California
The month-long volunteer effort by a grassroots citizen group monitoring illegal immigration along a desolate 23-mile stretch of the Arizona-Mexico border ended much as it started: in a war of words.

Immigration Measure Softened In Capitol Talks  (5/4/05)
While certain immigration barriers will rise under legislation set for final House approval Thursday, congressional negotiators softened some of the most emphatic provisions as they gave final agreement Tuesday to a bill now on the fast track to the White House. "We happen to think it makes sense for a number of reasons," said Rep. Dan Lungren, R-Gold River, who formerly served as California's attorney general and helped write past immigration bills.

US Citizens Debate Impact of Illegal Immigration  (5/4/05)
No one knows exactly how many people enter the United States illegally each year, but studies based on data from the Census bureau and other federal agencies indicate that there are now more than 10 million undocumented immigrants residing in the country. As many as three million of them may have entered the country just within the past year or so. Most of the illegal entry occurs on the US-Mexico border, with the main point being the border with Arizona.

Immigration Fight Is Not Best Issue For Governor  (5/4/05)
Whenever they're faced with increased criticism and waning public support, Republicans in California tend to play the illegal immigration card. That's when a politician tries to shift attention away from his own struggles by focusing on a phenomenon that has plagued California since 1848, when gold was first pulled from the American River and waves of uninvited and undocumented immigrants – mainly settlers from the Midwest and East – flooded into what was then Mexican territory.

Minutemen declare vigil a success  (5/3/05)
Retired pilot Joe McCutchen spent three weeks and $6,000 and put 4,600 miles on his car driving round-trip from Fort Smith, Ark., to the Arizona border. In between, he spent 14 days in a folding chair, buffeted by windstorms, face-cutting sand, freezing cold and scorching sun. He says he’ll be back to do it again in October.

License Bill Puts Dems On The Grill  (5/3/05)
Despite fierce opposition from immigration advocates in the Los Angeles area, some House Democrats from Southern California said Monday that they plan to vote for an $81 billion Iraq war spending bill that also bars illegal immigrants from obtaining driver's licenses. Aides to Reps. Howard Berman, D-Van Nuys, and Hilda Solis, D-El Monte, said the lawmakers oppose the license ban but believe Congress must pass the bill to pay for equipment, health care and other services for U.S. troops overseas.

Governor Misses The Mark On Illegal Immigration  (5/3/05)
I feel as if I have seen this movie before. Moderate Republican elected governor as sunny optimist. Inherits big budget deficit and struggles to balance books. Confronts teachers union, provokes angry reaction. Turns sour. And the clincher: Popularity waning, starts bashing illegal immigrants. The star of the original was former Gov. Pete Wilson, who once likened illegal immigration to an "invasion" and infamously aired a campaign commercial depicting a swarm of migrants while a voice ominously intoned: "They keep coming."

SAN DIEGO UNION TRIBUNE EDITORIAL: Faux Solutions  (5/3/05)
Many Californians, like many other Americans, are more than ready to do whatever it takes to put an end to the problem of illegal immigration – provided the solution is simple and pain-free and doesn't inconvenience them in any way. Let us state upfront that illegal immigration is a problem. We're getting to the point in political discourse in this country where every debate is all or nothing, where you can't question whether something is the cure without being accused of somehow condoning the disease.

L.A., Mexico? Ad a Flash Point in Immigration Debate  (5/2/05)
Alex Cohen of member station KQED reports on a controversial roadside billboard in the Los Angeles metro area advertising a local Spanish-language television station. The ad substitutes "Los Angeles, California" with "Los Angeles, Mexico" -- and the ad has become a flash point for opponents of illegal immigration from the southern border with Mexico.
 

Governor Pushes Immigrant Hot Button  (5/2/05)
It was 11 years ago that Republican Pete Wilson rode public fears about illegal immigration into a second term as governor. Now Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is picking up where Wilson left off. With polls showing Schwarzenegger's once gaudy approval ratings skidding below 50 percent, the governor is using the hot-button immigration issue to reconnect with conservative voters.

SACRAMENTO BEE EDITORIAL: In Search Of A Script  (5/2/05)
Back when he was an actor and not yet a famous politician, Ronald Reagan once commented that "a star doesn't slip. He's ruined by bad stories and worse casting." Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is watching his star slip, and he has only himself to blame. His scripts are bad, and he is surrounding himself with a B-list cast. This includes the xenophobes who tune into the "John and Ken Show" on KFI Radio in Los Angeles.

SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE EDITORIAL: Governor’s Borderline Ideas  (5/2/05)
We were willing to give Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger the benefit of the doubt when he explained that he meant to say he wanted to "secure" the California-Mexico border against illegal immigrants rather than "closing" it altogether. Just my bad English, said the governor. Never mind that Schwarzenegger, after 27 years in the United States, had displayed a command of the English language as good (or maybe as bad) as most native Californians.

LA TIME EDITORIAL: Easy Target, Cheap Politics  (5/2/05)
His approval rating sinking and his agenda stalled, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger apparently has decided it's time to regroup. Unfortunately, instead of reverting to the bipartisan governor who just last year crafted compromises over cigars, he's keeping the tough-guy act. He has found a new group to rail against that he knows will prove less popular than teachers and nurses. Enemy numero uno is now illegal immigrants.

Governor Endorses Minutemen On The Border  (4/29/05)
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, just a week after apologizing for suggesting California should "close the borders,'' warmly praised the Minutemen project -- an armed citizens group -- on Thursday for doing a terrific job of stopping illegal immigration from Mexico. Although President Bush has criticized the group as vigilantes, Schwarzenegger said, "They've done a terrific job. And they have cut down the crossing of illegal immigrants by a huge percentage.''

Governor’s Kudos For Minutemen Brings Outcry  (4/29/05)
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger yesterday praised the self-styled Minutemen, branded as "vigilantes" by President Bush, as doing a "terrific job" in reducing illegal border crossings. The governor's comments on a Los Angeles radio talk show evoked an orchestrated outcry of "immigrant bashing" from legislative Democrats. "I think they have done a terrific job and they have, look, they have cut down the crossing of illegal immigrants by a huge percentage, so it just shows that it works when you go and make an effort and when you work hard," Schwarzenegger said on the "John & Ken Show" on Los Angeles radio station KFI.

Governor Decries ‘Divisive’ L.A. Billboards  (4/29/05)
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called on a Spanish-language TV channel Thursday to take down billboards that identify its market as "Los Angeles, Mexico," because he said they encourage people to cross the border illegally. Schwarzenegger, speaking to talk radio hosts known for their criticism of illegal immigration, said the billboards for KRCA-TV/62 were "extremely divisive." The governor's comments came a week after he faced a barrage of criticism for telling a gathering of newspaper publishers that the United States needed to "close the borders."

Ad Putting L.A. in Mexico Called Slap in Face  (4/27/05)
Activists say a billboard touting Channel 62 news promotes illegal immigration. The station says it targets Spanish-speaking viewers.
New billboards advertising a Spanish-language newscast on KRCA-TV Channel 62 were intended as an attention-grabber for its core audience, but instead have struck a nerve with activists seeking to curb illegal immigration.

Spanish billboards in LA anger anti-illegal immigration activists  (4/27/05)
New billboards in Los Angeles for a Spanish-language newscast are upsetting activists who want to curb illegal immigration.

L.A. now in Mexico?  (4/26/05)
Billboard for TV newscast has 'CA' crossed out, nation's named added
An immigration activist group is drawing attention to a photograph showing a billboard ad for a Spanish-language TV newscast in L.A. on which the "CA" abbreviation after "Los Angeles" has been crossed out and the word "Mexico" added in its place.

Illegal Immigration Fears Have Spread  (4/25/05)
Populist calls for tougher enforcement are being heard beyond the border states.
The armed volunteers patrolling the Arizona-Mexico border may be the starkest sign of frustration with the nation's immigration laws, but across the country there is a growing populist movement also taking matters into its own hands.

Democrats won't stop drivers license verification bill, Reid says  (4/25/05)
A controversial bill that would require states to verify the citizenship or legal status of anyone applying for a drivers license will likely become law because Senate Democrats don't have the votes to stop it, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said Monday.

Police agencies moving to enforce federal immigration laws  (4/25/05)
Frustrated by illegal immigrant criminals who slip their grasp, a growing number of state and county police agencies nationwide are moving to join a federal program that enlists local officers to enforce immigration laws.

Schwarzenegger's border comments reveal political perils  (4/25/05)
Among the many land mines that dot the California political terrain, few are as treacherous or unpredictable as the matter of illegal immigration.

Foes lobby against unbridled immigration  (4/24/05)
Advocates of stronger immigration controls began a six-day lobbying effort in Washington yesterday that will include rallies, press conferences and a gathering of at least 18 radio talk-show hosts from across the country.

Brazilians using Mexico to enter U.S. illegally   (4/22/05)
U.S. authorities arrested nearly 150 Brazilians who got into Texas illegally from Mexico this week, in a case that highlighted a booming illegal migration route, authorities said Friday.

Schwarzenegger talks tough on illegal immigration  (4/20/05)
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said the nation's policy on preventing illegal immigration is too lax, telling a group of newspaper publishers the United States needs to "close the borders."

Illegals Blocking Marine Training  (4/13/05)
Marines getting ready for combat in Iraq or Afghanistan are having their training time shortened because hordes of illegal aliens from Mexico are wandering onto their firing ranges in Arizona while crossing the border illegally.

57 Illegal immigrants arrested with false IDs  (4/13/05)
Worked in risk-sensitive areas
The Homeland Security Department arrested 57 illegal immigrants last month working at airports and other risk-sensitive facilities around the country, underscoring concerns that lax employment background checks are leaving a security breach for terrorists to exploit.

Calls to immigration hotline surge  (4/13/05)
Critics fear it will be used for racial stereotyping
The number of calls to a national immigration and customs hotline -- including tips turning in illegal immigrants -- has skyrocketed in the past six months, according to officials of the Department of Homeland Security.

Sierra Club revisits immigration battle  (4/13/05)
Board candidates, initiative challenge club's neutral stance
The Sierra Club is once again locked in an internecine battle over immigration, with activists who favor tighter migrant quotas opposing the environmental group's leaders, who want to maintain a neutral position on the issue.

Sierra Club members vote on immigration  (4/11/05)
Stricter limits would help conservation efforts, backers say
One year after failing to win control of the Sierra Club in a bitterly contested election, advocates for stricter immigration limits are back, arguing that the venerable conservation group can best protect the environment by reducing U.S. population growth.

Groups protest license bill  (4/8/05)
Legislation would end drive for undocumented immigrant drivers
Bay Area labor leaders joined forces with immigrant advocates Thursday in denouncing Real ID Act, proposed federal legislation that would prohibit states from issuing driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.

Minute Men for Immigration Control Make Us Proud   (4/5/05)
Hey, what do you know!? Those nasty Minute Men, described by President Bush as “vigilantes”, have done what all us pundits haven’t done to date and maybe could never have done, namely made the Federal Government do something about border security.

Border agency nearly "overwhelmed," chief says  (4/5/05)
The Bureau of Customs and Border Protection has launched a "full-court press" to gain control of U.S. borders, including the issuance of a new national border patrol strategy, according to officials.

Chinese Smuggled Into Port Arrested  (4/5/05)
For the second time in four months, federal authorities have arrested a large group of Chinese nationals smuggled into the Port of Los Angeles inside two 40-foot shipping containers.

29 Chinese arrested after traveling in cargo containers  (4/5/05)
Officials say the human cargo was last docked in Hong Kong on March 22. The stowaways will face immigration hearings.
Twenty-nine Chinese nationals arrested in the Port of Los Angeles spent two weeks living in cramped cargo containers, eating cheap cookies, going without fresh air, and defecating in buckets as they tried to slip illegally into the United States, authorities said Monday.

The All-American Minutemen  (4/5/05)
This month's monitoring of Arizona's border country by an organization that calls itself the Minutemen is a purely American exercise, an exquisite microcosm of the whole of American life and the sweep of American character.  Which is to say, it is looney in every respect, but adorable.

Woman Gets Prison Time For License Scheme  (4/5/05)
41-Year-Old Sentenced To More Than 2 Years, Ordered To Forfeit Assets
A former translator for the Bureau of Motor Vehicles convicted of running a scheme to help illegal Chinese nationals fraudulently acquire Indiana driver's licenses was sentenced to 27 months in prison, federal authorities said.

Illegal Immigration Unimpeded Since 9/11  (3/23/05)
When President Bush meets with Mexican President Vicente Fox today, the topic of expanding the North American Free Trade Agreement should take a back seat to immigration reform.

Fox, Bush must discuss illegal immigration  (3/23/05)
ACCORDING to a report by the Pew Hispanic Center, almost 11 million foreign nationals now live illegally in the United States more than half of them Mexicans living shadow lives without papers. The governments of both the United States and Mexico bear the responsibility for this out-of-control problem. It poses a serious national security risk at a time of heightened threats of terrorism and leaves millions of people without identity and subject to exploitation.

Study shows illegal immigration rising despite security concerns   (3/21/05)
The tightening of homeland security since 2001 has not stemmed undocumented immigration into the United States, with a report released Monday showing the number of illegal immigrants growing by roughly 485,000 people a year.

Immigrant ID bill tied to military spending  (3/16/05)
The House Tuesday tacked on a provision to President Bush's emergency $81.3 billion war spending legislation that would make it all but illegal for California to issue driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants.

FAA Certifies Illegal Immigrants. What?  (3/16/05)
I recently read about a very disturbing incident that happened just last week — literally in my own back yard. Federal agents arrested 27 illegal immigrants at the Piedmont/Triad International Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina, not very far from where I live.

Illegal Alien Influx May Compromise Security  (3/16/05)
The U.S.-Mexican border is nearly 2,000 miles long. America's determination to keep illegal aliens out is matched only by their desperation to get in.

Bush needs to hold line at border  (3/16/05)
FOLLOWING on the heels of chief executives who didn't dare go anywhere near the explosive topic of immigration, President Bush deserves credit for trying to fix a system that is beyond broken. But you can't even think about achieving real reforms until you make border security a top priority.

The Latest Government Guide for Illegal Immigration  (3/9/05)
Just as the Department of Homeland Security was finally telling Americans in candid congressional testimony that al Qaeda terrorists may try to sneak into the United States across our Southern border, a Mexican-government entity was printing up fresh copies of the Mexican government's latest guide to help illegal aliens sneak across that same border.

Al-Qaeda's Illegal Immigration Threat  (3/7/05)
The convergence of terrorist threats, a nuclear weapon black-market, a porous national border and escalating illegal immigration is finally attracting the attention the growing crisis deserves. Unfortunately, the attention is being paid by terrorists, not by the U.S. government.

It’s Illegal but We Don’t Care  (3/7/05)
A deeper look into illegal immigration
Two weeks ago on my radio show, The OC Variety Hour, I detailed a story about the Mexican government’s brand new comic book. Now this is no ordinary comic book. This comic book is a guide for all illegal aliens on how to safely cross the border into the United States. It is good to know there are no more illusions about the true intentions of the Mexican government. Since they cannot beat us economically or militarily, they will use the inaction of both branches of the U.S. government to invade our country. While I believe that immigration for its cheap labor is essential to our economy, I absolutely abhor the current policy of ignoring immigration laws in an effort to pander to a group of people that do not vote.

Majority in poll oppose bill to let illegal immigrants drive  (3/5/05)
A contentious measure being pushed in the Legislature to allow undocumented immigrants to apply for driver's licenses is opposed by more than six in 10 Californians, according to a Field Poll released Friday.

Poll: 62% oppose driver's license bill  (3/4/05)
Immigrant supporters face strong disapproval in California
A contentious measure being pushed in the Legislature to allow undocumented immigrants to apply for driver's licenses is opposed by more than six in 10 Californians, according to a Field Poll released today.

Poll: Most residents shun licenses for undocumented immigrants  (3/4/05)
Most Californians - 62 percent - don't want undocumented immigrants to be able to get a state driver's license, according to results of the most recent Field Poll.

The Revolving Door for Illegal Alien Gangsters  (3/3/05)
First Lady Laura Bush is leading a new initiative "to help America's youth overcome the danger of gang influence and involvement." With all due respect to the first lady, this is a job best left to law enforcement professionals willing to get tough, get dirty and crack heads. From the suburbs to our national forests, savage criminal alien gangs are infiltrating America and luring young recruits. Compassionate conservatism ain't gonna stop them.

Sensenbrenner's New Driver's License Bill Won't Stop Terrorism  (3/3/05)
Congressman James Sensenbrenner (R.-Wis.) has introduced legislation that will require states to make sure they're providing driver's licenses only to American citizens and legal residents. It's an anti-terror measure: the laxity of license-issuing offices, says Sensenbrenner, is "a magnet for foreign terrorists, criminals, home grown identity thieves and illegal aliens." His bill is supported by the Bush Administration and has already passed the House; but does it really solve the problem it is intended to solve?

For Some, Avalon Is Alcatraz  (2/24/05)
Wary of federal officials aboard ferries, many illegal immigrants refuse to leave Catalina, forgoing shopping trips and visits with relatives.
The bright orange postcard is easy to spot on display at souvenir shops that dot Avalon: "Help! I'm marooned on Catalina Island."  Goofy keepsake for most visitors, but for Avalon resident Jorge Rodriguez, 28, an illegal immigrant and construction worker who's lived on the island since he was a teenager, the card's gag has an uncanny note of accuracy.  more...

Has Illegal Immigration Ruined Los Angeles Public Schools?   (2/22/05)
The fate of the Los Angeles Unified School District is a tragedy that is spreading across the country. To understand what is in store for America I offer my story about the LAUSD and why I abandoned it. As you will see, the cause is our toleration of illegal immigration from Mexico.  more...

Despite new technology, Border Patrol overwhelmed  (2/22/05)
Across an expanse of desert where nothing marks the Mexican border but a flimsy line of barbed wire, Border Patrol agent Mitch King flies his helicopter low to search for signs of illegal entry into the USA.  more...

Yucatán helping migrants go north   (2/18/05)
Guide, DVD show Mexicans how to cross border, send cash home
MERIDA, Mexico - Officials in a Mexican state have published their own 87-page handbook for potential migrants to the United States, adding fuel to an international debate over whether such guides encourage illegal border-crossers.

The Guide for the Yucatecan Migrant, published by the southeastern state of Yucatán, comes with an accompanying DVD in Spanish and Mayan. It tells migrants how to apply for U.S. work visas but also gives detailed safety advice for crossing illegally, including where to find water in the desert and how to avoid the most dangerous areas. The guide includes a section specifically about Arizona.  more...

Supreme Court upholds ruling banning
driver's licenses for illegal aliens  (2/18/05)
The Iowa Supreme Court has upheld a district court ruling that illegal immigrants cannot obtain driver's licenses in the state. A couple who are illegal aliens sued the state saying it would make it safer for them to drive if they were able to obtain an Iowa Driver's License.   more...

U.S. Aides Cite Worry on Qaeda Infiltration From Mexico  (2/17/05)
New intelligence information strongly suggests that Al Qaeda has considered infiltrating the United States through the Mexican border, top government officials told Congress on Wednesday.  more...

Proposal would house Arizona prisoners in Mexico  (2/16/05)
PHOENIX Arizona lawmakers are exploring the possibility of having a private prison built in Mexico to house illegal immigrants now incarcerated in Arizona.  more...

Illegal Immigration -The Tyranny of the Minority  (2/16/05)
In the course of the prevailing 109th Congress, President Bush along with several Congressional leaders will be proffering a proposal to ‘regularize’ (Read legalize, guest worker, earned amnesty, amnesty, etc.) the 20 million plus illegal aliens currently residing in the United States.  more...

Cornyn supports work visa  (2/16/05)
Senate Republicans' new point man on immigration said that it is unrealistic to assume that the 10 million illegal aliens in the United States can be deported and that the only alternative is to create a temporary worker program that has them come forward on their own.  more...

The Illegal-Alien Rapist  (2/15/05)
Have you noticed how the media go out of their way to avoid using the label "illegal alien." The popular new term is "undocumented worker." Recently, in the Washington, D.C. area, the Washington Post ran a story about an alleged rapist, finally caught by the police, who had been terrorizing women in Montgomery County, Maryland. His latest victim was a 13-year-old girl and the suspect has confessed to the rapes and admits he's a danger to the community. But you had to read to the 8th paragraph to learn that this rapist was here illegally, making him an illegal alien.   more...

Drivers’ License Battle Has Possible Solution  (2/15/05)
Legislation with troubling immigration restrictions passed the U.S. House last week. President Bush has endorsed it. At first glance, the bill appears to doom a longstanding campaign by Latino lawmakers in California to grant driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. But actually, it highlights a possible compromise: issuing a different permit to the undocumented. In the past, Sen. Gil Cedillo, D-Los Angeles, the prime mover behind licenses for illegal immigrants, has denounced such an alternative as racist.  more...

License bill good start  (2/14/05)
THE HOUSE OF Representatives took an important and long-overdue step toward protecting Americans from potential terrorist threats by illegal immigrants. In a strong bipartisan vote, the House passed a bill by Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., that would hinder states from issuing driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, tighten standards for granting asylum to foreigners and pave the way for completion of a border fence between San Diego and Tijuana.    more...

'Save Our License' works to bar benefits for illegal immigrants  (2/12/05)
In the debate about illegal immigration, the Save Our License initiative and its supporters are either throwbacks to the politics of anti-illegal immigration of the Gov. Pete Wilson era or crusading heroes of the new homeland security fervor.  Either way, Mike Spence has been the initiative's most outspoken supporter.   more...

Supporters seeking signatures for controversial initiative  (2/11/05)
A measure similar to Proposition 187 may make it on the ballot this fall.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger plans on calling a special election in November to seek voter approval for a number of fiscal and political reforms, including one that would redraw legislative district boundaries. Currently, there are nearly 70 measures that are circulating the state, including one titled "Save Our License." If the measure makes the ballot and is approved by California voters, illegal aliens would be prohibited from obtaining drivers licenses.  more...

Honest People Have Real IDs  (2/11/05)
“For terrorists, travel documents are as important as weapons.”
The House of Representatives Thursday finally acted on this finding from the 9/11-commission staff by overwhelmingly (261-161) approving an important border-security measure, the Real ID Act of 2005. The provisions of the bill, championed by Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner, were originally included in the House version of last year's intelligence-reform bill, but were dropped after Senate objections.  more...

House Vote on Immigration May Signal Party Battle  (2/11/05)
Driver's license ban passes, but some Republicans
are at odds over 'guest worker'  plan.
Signaling a potentially bruising congressional battle on immigration reform, the House on Thursday passed a bill that would virtually bar states from issuing driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, tighten the rules for asylum and close a hole in the border fence between California and Mexico.  more...

House OKs Tougher Driver's License Laws  (2/11/05)
Immigration legislation passed by the House would allow the federal government to complete a controversial fence on the border with Mexico regardless of environmental concerns and force the states to make sure they're not granting driver's licenses to illegal aliens.  more...

Immigrant license bill likely nixed  (2/10/05)
A bill aimed at blocking states from issuing drivers licenses to illegal immigrants appeared headed for passage today in the House of Representatives, aided by a strong endorsement from the White House and broad support within the Republican majority.  more...

Time To Bring Back Proposition 187   (2/11/05)
When America's borders cease to exist as divisions of sovereignty, and become undefended and unprotected gateways allowing millions of poor, unskilled laborers to cross illegally and without apparent consequence, the rule of law and our country's stability are threatened. Beyond that, however, are the very real costs of such an invasion.   more...

House to vote on driver's license bill  (2/8/05)
The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote as early as Wednesday on a bill that would bar states from issuing driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, a move that backers say will help keep terrorists from traveling in the United States.  more...

Let my illegal nanny drive my SUV  (2/3/05)
THE AD THAT ran in Daily Variety last week -- signed by the usual members of the "entertainment community," including Ed Asner, Danny Glover and Mike Farrell -- asked Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to sign Senate Bill 60, a bill to allow illegal immigrants to obtain California drivers' licenses. more...

Hollywood Stars Shine for Immigrant Licenses  (2/3/05)
While some wonder whether art imitates life or life imitates art, a handful of Hollywood artists flexed their influence over California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last week to help in the daily struggles of undocumented immigrants. more...

John & Ken Signing Event in Ontario, February 4th
KFI Radio's John & Ken Show will again host a petition signing event during their broadcast live from the Ayres Hotel in Ontario on Friday, February 4th.  Stop by and sign a petition.  Petitions will also be available to take home so your friends and neighbors can sign as well.

The Ayres Hotel is located at 1945 E Holt Blvd  (Holt and Vineyard) in Ontario.  The broadcast and signing event will be from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

Immigration officials hit lack of new hires  (1/31/05)
The Bush administration's decision not to hire 2,000 new Border Patrol agents for fiscal year 2006 will seriously hamper efforts to control illegal immigration along the U.S.-Mexico border, said current and retired officials.  more...

Will Bush Budget Stiff Border Patrol?  (1/28/05)
Republican House members are worried President Bush may present a fiscal 2006 budget that does not request full funding for all the new Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents that were authorized for next year in the bill responding to the 9/11 Commission's recommendations that Bush signed into law in December.  more...

New bill targets illegals' use of driver's licenses  (1/27/05)
The House Judiciary Committee chairman introduced a bill to clamp down on illegal aliens' use of driver's licenses and to give judges more discretion to deny claims of asylum, beginning the new Congress' first fight over immigration.  more...

Variety ad urges governor to back driver's license bill  (1/26/05)
Just before this year's Oscar nominations, one group of celebrities came up with a new category -- "Best Nanny in a Supporting Role." more...

Stars Back Driver's Licenses for Illegal Immigrants  (1/26/05)
Martin Sheen, Danny Glover and Diane Keaton are among a host of celebrities who are urging Arnold Schwarzenegger to back a bill allowing illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses.  more...

GOP leader urges Bush to secure border  (1/26/05)
A top Republican lawmaker challenged President Bush on Wednesday to first beef up border security before permitting millions of undocumented immigrants to gain a legal foothold in the United States.  more...

Battle over illegals: Bush vs. Congress  (1/26/05)
President pushes guest-worker program as GOP congressman urges crackdown
The battle over illegal aliens and homeland security is heating up in the nation's capital, as President Bush is being challenged by fellow Republicans on the best course of action.  more...

Mexico doesn't offer licenses to its illegal immigrants  (1/24/05)
Edward Sifuentes has written yet another "one-sided" story regarding illegal aliens demanding driver's licenses. In this story ("Local group continues pro-license rallies," Jan. 18), a group based in Vista called Hispanos Unidos in U.S.A. is demanding that California grant driver's licenses to illegal aliens.  more...

L.A. area Republican counters Bush's immigration plan  (1/6/05)
Dreier sponsors law to tighten rules on hiring illegals
A leading California Republican introduced legislation Wednesday to crack down on the hiring of undocumented immigrants, highlighting the daunting obstacles to President Bush's plan to provide temporary legalization to the estimated 6 million immigrants currently working illegally in the United States. more...

Tougher laws eyed for alien workers  (1/6/05)
A senior House Republican yesterday called for an improved Social Security card to prevent illegal immigrants from gaining jobs and for quintupling the penalty for those who employ them, marking the first major shot in the immigration debate expected to take place in this Congress.  more...

On the trail of 400,000 fugitives  (1/6/05)
On the 12th floor of an East Harlem housing project, Ray Simonse and his four-member squad of federal immigration agents thought they had their man cornered.
For days, the agents had tracked Juan Pablo Goris, 40, a native of the Dominican Republic who was in the USA illegally. The trail led to an apartment where Goris was believed to be staying with friends. The agents gathered there early one morning last month, figuring it would be the best time to catch him. But no one was home, so the frustrated agents moved to their next target.  more...

Petition to Bush: No amnesty for illegals  (1/6/05)
Website collects names of those opposed to guest-worker program
A website is collecting online "signatures" of Americans who oppose any sort of amnesty or guest-worker program that would legalize certain illegal aliens living in the U.S., such as the one proposed by President Bush.  NoMoreAmnesty.com includes a history of the 1986 amnesty, saying it encouraged more illegal aliens and "cost the American taxpayer $78.7 billion in net direct and indirect expenses."  more...

Migration pamphlet draws fire in U.S.  (1/5/05)
Mexico defends its guide as a way to promote safety
The Mexican Foreign Ministry on Tuesday defended a government pamphlet that offers advice to migrants illegally crossing the border into the United States, saying it was trying to help save lives without encouraging people to break the law.   more...

Bush, GOP battle over immigration  (1/5/05)
President Bush faces a major rebellion within his own party if he follows through on a promise to push legislation that would offer millions of illegal immigrants a path to U.S. citizenship.  Almost no issue divides Republicans as deeply.  more...

Education and immigration  (1/4/05)
Failed policy results in failing grades for California schools.
A Rand Corp. study showing how far California schools have slipped down the national ladder in recent years was reported Monday, about the same time as the news that Mexican authorities are distributing more than a million copies of a booklet showing illegal migrants how to safely cross the border.  more...

Lawsuit seeks to win right to drive for undocumented immigrants  (1/3/05)
A southeast Iowa lawyer has filed a lawsuit on behalf of a Mexican couple, in the country illegally, to force the state to let them obtain licenses to drive.  The Mexican couple in their 30s with three children work in Des Moines, where they have lived for the past five years.  more...

Mexico publishes guide to assist border crossers  (1/1/05)
The Mexican government is giving out a colorful new comic book with advice for migrants, but immigration-control advocates worry that some of the tips may encourage illegal border crossers.  The 32-page book, The Guide for the Mexican Migrant, was published in December by Mexico's Foreign Ministry. Using simple language, the book offers safety information for border crossers, a primer on their legal rights and advice on living unobtrusively in the United States. more...

GOP, You Are Warned (12/31/04)
No issue, not one, threatens to do more damage to the Republican coalition than immigration. There's no issue where the beliefs and interests of the party rank-and-file diverge more radically from the beliefs and interests of the party's leaders. Immigration for Republicans in 2005 is what crime was for Democrats in 1965 or abortion in 1975: a vulnerable point at which a strong-minded opponent could drive a wedge that would shatter the GOP.  more...

The Price of Illegal Immigration  (12/31/04)
Forgive me if I missed the media coverage of the international dustup between Democratic state Sen. Gloria Romero of Los Angeles and the Mexican government the other day. The media downplay stories they perceive as "blaming the victim," particularly on the hands-off topic of illegal immigration.  more...

Monday Gas Boycotts Attempt to Shake Governor  (12/21/04)
One year after a boycott to protest California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's failure to sign into law a measure allowing undocumented immigrants under certain circumstances to receive a driver's license, a group of local activists have launched another boycott to demonstrate the positive impact undocumented workers have on the state's economy.  more...

Issa backs measure to deny driver licenses  (12/18/04)
POLITICS: Undocumented immigrants are the target of the proposed state amendment.
Inland Rep. Darrell Issa, who bankrolled the recall that brought Gov. Schwarzenegger to office, is backing a state ballot measure that would deny driver licenses and other benefits to undocumented immigrants. more...

Political File: Issa mulls petition drive on illegal immigrants  (12/17/04)
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Temecula, is testing the political will of voters for a possible ballot measure that would deny benefits to illegal immigrants in the Golden State.
Issa, through the Rescue California Leadership Committee, is mailing letters to more than 200,000 folks who either participated in circulating petitions or donated to the recall effort of former Democratic Gov. Gray Davis, a political ally said.   more...

Immigrant Driver's License Bill Reintroduced  (12/16/04)
There's a renewed push to get the Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to pass legislation allowing undocumented immigrants to receive driver's licenses.  Lawmakers have put a new bill on the table, which is identical to the one that has already been vetoed by Schwarzenegger.  more...

Issa may help ballot measure  (12/16/04)
He may fund an effort to deny benefits to illegal immigrants.
The California congressman who bankrolled signature gathering for the recall of Gov. Gray Davis has taken a first step toward financing a constitutional amendment that would deny benefits to illegal immigrants in the state.  more...

California Hispanics to Boycott for Licenses  (12/14/04)
Hispanic activists in California this week launched a campaign of "black Monday" boycotts of gasoline purchases that they vow to continue until the state makes it possible for immigrants without Green Cards to get a driver's license.  more...

Petition seeks to ban licenses  (12/11/04)
Similar measure in legal fight in Arizona
Backers of a ballot measure that would prevent undocumented immigrants from obtaining California drivers' licenses continue to gather signatures, undaunted by the legal challenge that a similar proposition is facing in Arizona. Salinas resident Angie Morfin, whose 13-year-old son was killed by an immigrant who was in the country illegally, is asking her relatives and neighbors to sign the "Save our License" petition, which has until Feb. 22 to get 600,000 signatures to make it into the next statewide election in 2006. So far, organizers say they've gathered about 150,000. more...

Immigrant driver's license bill returns  (12/5/04)
For the seventh time in six years, the state Legislature will consider offering driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, despite opposition to the idea from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.  more...

Cost of illegal immigration in California estimated at nearly $9 billion  (12/5/04)
California's nearly 3 million illegal immigrants cost taxpayers nearly $9 billion each year, according to a new report released last week by the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a Washington, D.C.-based group that promotes stricter immigration policies. Educating the children of illegal immigrants is the largest cost, estimated at $7.7 billion each year, according to the report. Medical care for illegal immigrants and incarceration of those who have committed crimes are the next two largest expenses measured in the study, the author said.  more...

Prop. 200-style system already law in Mexico   (10/19/04)
MEXICO CITY - The provisions of Proposition 200 have stirred up a storm of debate in Arizona. But here in Mexico, they're already the law.  Arizona's contentious ballot proposal would require proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote and proof of legal residency when applying for government benefits.  more...

Attorney General gives Save Our License Initiative approval to begin gathering signatures.  Petitions are available now.  If you haven't already requested petitions, please do so now.  Our goal is 1 million signatures, and we need your help.

Oakland DUI checks back on  (9/29/04)
Mayor orders return of DUI stops
Mayor Jerry Brown on Monday ordered the on-again, off-again vehicle checkpoints back on track, calling the stoppage "a dumb idea."
Oakland police officers will restart the roadblocks next week, despite complaints from the Latino community and City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente (Glenview-Fruitvale). The last checkpoint happened more than a month ago.

Oakland police halt DUI checkpoints  (9/26/04)
Immigrant activists say roadblocks discriminate against those without licenses
Oakland police officers have stopped setting up roadblocks to check whether drivers are under the influence because of a rash of complaints from the Latino community and City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente.  The checkpoints, which allow officers to demand licenses and proof of insurance, are an effective way to get drunken drivers off Oakland's streets, city leaders agree. But the checks also have ensnared dozens of illegal immigrants who are not licensed to drive yet otherwise obey the law.

Mexico honors Texas lawmaker  (9/18/04)
Wise led efforts to help immigrants get driver's licenses.
When state Rep. Miguel Wise began working several years ago to help undocumented immigrants get Texas driver's licenses, the issue wasn't one of immigrant rights, he says. It was about human rights. Countries historically have agreed that people have a right and obligation to obtain identification regardless of citizenship, Wise reasoned. So issuing licenses to undocumented residents would not extend Mexicans any rights not afforded to Canadians.

Governor vetoes driver's license bill  (9/23/04)
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Wednesday vetoed legislation that would have allowed illegal immigrants to apply for California driver's licenses with a terse statement saying the bill did not meet his security concerns.  The Republican governor dispensed with perhaps the most emotionally charged bill on his desk with a four-line veto message.  more...

Gov. Vetoes Immigrant License Bill  (9/23/04)
The legislation would have allowed people in the state illegally to seek driver's permits. Democrats vow to try again next year.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Wednesday vetoed legislation that would have made California's 2 million illegal immigrants eligible for driver's permits. But the veto did little to put to rest one of the state's most emotional and enduring issues.  Democrats vowed to try again next year, while Republicans pushed for more restrictions on illegal immigrants.  more..

Maybe It's Time for Cedillo to Let Arnold Take the Wheel  (9/23/04)
State Sen. Gil Cedillo (D-Los Angeles) has been down the same road for six years and always has been stopped short of his goal: driver's licenses for illegal immigrants. So it's probably time to change directions.  Assuming a driver's license is the only goal of Cedillo and other Latino legislators — and not a government photo ID that can open the door to other privileges of legal residency — the senator should follow Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's lead. Allow the governor to point the way along a route that's politically passable.  more...

Arnold vetoes license bill    (9/23/04)
Governor cites security concerns; Latinos vow economic boycott
Just as he had warned, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed legislation Wednesday that would have allowed illegal immigrants to obtain California driver's licenses.  The move, which was attributed to homeland security concerns, outraged Latino activists who argued that the approximately 2 million illegal immigrants of driving age in California should be allowed to have a license to get to their jobs and bring their kids to school. A key provision sought by the governor was that licenses issued to illegal immigrants carry an identifying mark showing their status.  more...

Schwarzenegger vetoes illegal immigrant licenses   (9/23/04)
Governor wanted bill mandating mark on IDs
Citing security concerns, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger yesterday carried out his long-standing threat to veto legislation that would have allowed illegal immigrants to obtain driver licenses.  "One of the most important duties of the governor of a state is to protect its citizens," Schwarzenegger said in his veto message issued yesterday. more...

California legislators ask Mexican Senate to intervene  (9/6/04)
(EDITED TRANSLATION: FROM NOTIMEX, SEPTEMBER 6, 2004)
Mexico City — Members of the Assembly of California have asked the Mexican Senate (sic) to beseech Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to sign the bill so that almost 2 million undocumented Mexicans can obtain driver’s licenses that would serve as identification.  more...

California Debates Licenses for Illegal Immigrants  (9/6/04)
California legislators are considering a proposal to give driver's licenses to more than 1 million illegal immigrants. The Los Angeles police chief supports the effort. But critics are already preparing petitions for a California ballot initiative that would ban illegal immigrants from ever getting a license. NPR's Carrie Kahn reports.  more...

Real driver's license fight, in brown and white  (9/4/04)
From his seventh-floor office in the Oviatt Building in downtown Los Angeles, state Sen. Gil Cedillo looked sternly into eight TV news cameras and threw down the gauntlet.  "I'm calling for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to come home now and sign the Immigrant Responsibility and Security Act," Cedillo said, first in English, then in Spanish.  more...

Union rallies in Salinas for undocumented-worker driver's licenses  (9/2/04)
When Gov. Schwarzenegger returns from the Republican National Convention, he’ll decide whether to sign legislation allowing undocumented workers to obtain driver’s licenses.  more...

Agent wounds undocumented worker  (8/31/04)
A Border Patrol agent threatened by a knife-wielding immigrant shot the man in the leg today near Old Highway 80 and Buckman Springs Road in the Cleveland National Forest, authorities said.   more...

Growers, farm workers push for legal residency for undocumented workers  (8/30/04)
Two sides that usually clash on farm labor issues are agreeing there should be a new law helping undocumented workers gain legal residency.  more...

Billions of tax dollars from undocumented workers up for grabs   (8/30/04)
MEXICO CITY - For the 14 years he worked as an undocumented migrant in the United States, Carmelo Rivera saw up to $30 deducted each week from the $300 to $500 he earned as a vineyard worker. The deductions were supposed to pay for his retirement.  more...

Lawmakers Defend License Bill  (8/29/04)
They say the measure allowing illegal residents a driver's ID contains tough safeguards.
Illegal immigrants seeking a California driver's license under new legislation would face tougher background checks than most U.S. citizens, including screening by federal anti-terrorism authorities and the required submission of fingerprints, bill sponsors said Saturday.   more...

Driver's License Bill Clears Legislature but Faces Veto  (8/28/04)
Rushing to end their 2004 session, lawmakers defiantly ignored Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's objections Friday and voted to give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants who pass a criminal background check.  more...

Schwarzenegger to veto immigrant driver's license bill  (8/28/04)
In the face of certain veto from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the state Legislature voted Friday to let an estimated 2 million illegal immigrant adults apply for California driver's licenses. more...

New driver's license plan for illegals goes to Arnold  (8/27/04)
Reigniting a potentially explosive political issue, the Legislature voted Friday to allow illegal immigrants to obtain California driver's licenses.
Braving an almost certain veto by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, senators voted 21-14 to approve a new driver's license bill -- nine months after lawmakers repealed a similar law signed by then-Gov. Gray Davis just weeks before he was recalled.   more...

Illegal immigration is fiscal drain, study says  (8/26/04)
Illegal immigrants use billions of dollars more in federal services than they pay in federal taxes, a study released Wednesday says.
The result in 2002 was a $10.4 billion net drain on the federal treasury, according to the study conducted by a think tank that wants to curtail immigration levels. Granting illegal immigrants legal status will increase the costs, the analysts contend.  more...

Driver's licenses for illegals is still a bad idea  (8/26/04)
A bill to allow illegal immigrants to obtain California driver's licenses is back on the Legislature's agenda. If the measure is approved by the Senate and Assembly, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger must terminate it with a veto. more...

License bill likely doomed  (8/26/04)
Standoff on security issues gives measure on illegal immigrants little chance.
The prospect of driver's licenses for more than 2 million illegal immigrants in California - once on the verge of becoming state law - now appears dead for the year.  The Legislature may still pass a bill before adjourning as early as Friday, but it won't have security measures that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger demands, making a veto certain. more...

New York DMV may suspend licenses in Social Security crackdown; immigrants cry foul  (8/19/04)
The state Department of Motor Vehicles may suspend the driver's licenses of up to 300,000 people, many of whom are illegal immigrants, because their Social Security numbers couldn't be verified, the DMV commissioner testified Thursday. Commissioner Raymond Martinez called the measure an issue of homeland security. Testifying before the state Assembly's transportation committee on the Social Security verification process, Martinez said it was "in the interest of public security and traffic safety" to check the information of all applicants. more...

License bill is likely headed to veto  (8/19/04)
Governor wants 'marker' for illegal immigrants; foes call it unacceptable.
A driver's license bill for illegal immigrants, perhaps the most emotional issue facing Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger as California's legislative session winds down, will likely land on his desk within days.  Schwarzenegger has indicated he'll veto it unless the license "looks different" from other licenses for security reasons - an amendment supporters of the bill call a discriminatory "marker" that's unacceptable.  more...

Debate continues on the driver's license bill  (8/19/04)
With time running out on the state's legislative year, the debate over a deal to grant illegal immigrants driver's licenses continues in Sacramento. The proposed legislation, Senate Bill 1160, would allow illegal immigrants who pass background checks to apply for state licenses by using Mexican-issued identification cards.  Opponents say the bill has no chance of being signed into law this year. But the bill's author, Sen. Gil Cedillo, D-Los Angeles, has made passage of the measure something of a crusade.  more...

Driver's license bill may force governor's hand  (8/18/04)
DEMOCRATS VOW TO PUSH THROUGH MEASURE AS DEADLINE NEARS WITHOUT COMPROMISE
Democrats plan a showdown with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger over legislation allowing illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses, a controversial measure the Republican has shied away from.  Sen. Gilbert Cedillo, D-Los Angeles, said Tuesday that he would push the bill through the Democrat-controlled Legislature in the coming days if the governor continues to demand that the licenses look different from regular licenses. Cedillo said such a distinction would foster discrimination. more...

Felons and noncitizens: It's all good for Democrats  (8/16/04)
As the country appears so closely divided between red and blue states, Democrats are seeking oddball constituencies to enhance their numbers. They and their liberal-advocacy law firms and lobbyists have been working for months to get convicted felons certified to vote for Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry. Now they want noncitizens to vote.  Millions of noncitizens live in the United States, some legal and some illegal, and Democrats see this as a win-win effort to get them to the polls on Election Day. They figure the percentages are pretty good that those constituencies will vote Democrat. more...

McCain, 9/11 panel want national ID debate  (8/16/04)
The vice chairman of the Sept. 11 Commission told a Senate panel Monday that the commission's recommendations on border and transportation security "might lead to" a national identity card. Although the commission shied away from directly making the controversial call in its final report, "We did recommend national standards for drivers' licenses," Vice Chairman Lee Hamilton told the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.
"Over time," he told committee Chairman Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., "that might lead to a national ID card."  more...

Drivers' bill faces disfavor (8/16/04)
State legislation for undocumented immigrants stuck
As Marco Anaya unloaded his bags from a cart at the Foods Co shopping center in east Salinas, he lamented his inability to drive a car.  "It's a lot of trouble to be traveling by bus," Anaya said last week, pointing to the seven plastic bags that he had to bring home. "I brought (my son) so he could help me carry them."  Anaya said he still hopes that state legislation allowing undocumented immigrants like him to get a driver's license is approved. But as the Aug. 31 deadline to have all legislation on the governor's desk draws near, Anaya is seeing his hopes dwindle.
  The bill faces strong opposition from some conservative leaders. "If we simply approve driver's licenses for undocumented people we're undermining part of the law," said Bob Perkins, executive director of the Monterey County Farm Bureau.  more...

Proposal called 'son of 187' (8/15/04)
Backers want constitutional amendment limiting immigrant benefits
Invoking the national 9/11 Commission Report, California activists are promoting a constitutional amendment to ban the state from issuing driver's licenses and non-federally mandated government benefits to illegal immigrants.  Sponsored partly by the co-author of Proposition 187 -- the controversial 1994 ballot measure that precluded illegal immigrants from receiving public benefits, which won the vote but was struck down in court -- the constitutional amendment would bar the state from issuing illegal immigrants any identification documents, trade licenses or breaks on college tuition.  more...

Looking to awaken ghosts of Prop. 187 (8/14/04)
Head of local group aims to outlaw benefits for illegal immigrants; Looking to revive debate over 187
His name is hardly known outside political backrooms and West Covina school board meetings, but Michael Spence is poised to revive one of the most divisive debates seen in California politics in the past 30 years.   As president of the Monrovia- based California Republican Assembly, Spence is spearheading a drive to put an initiative on the March 2006 ballot that would outlaw all state and local benefits for illegal immigrants.   more...

Vocal crowd presses for renewed sweeps (8/14/04)
IMMIGRATION: A federal official is swamped with Inland complaints about the halt of the roundups.
People supporting continuing sweeps for undocumented immigrants heckled, booed and demanded answers from a top federal immigration official Friday in Temecula.   More than 1,000 people came to the town-hall meeting from as far away as Arizona to hear why the Border Patrol stopped making sweeps of undocumented immigrants in Southern California and whether the sweeps would resume.  more...

Border Patrol pulls controversial unit from inland cities (8/14/04)
Large-scale arrests sparked wave of fear
TEMECULA -- A mobile Border Patrol unit that has arrested hundreds of illegal immigrants in inland cities has been moved closer to the border but could resume interior apprehensions in the future, Homeland Security officials said Friday at an unruly town hall meeting that drew hundreds of people who strongly support the enforcement operations. more...

Cheers, jeers at immigration town hall meeting (8/13/04)
A town hall meeting that was supposed to ease concerns about illegal immigration in the region left many frustrated with top federal officials. More than 900 people attended Friday's raucous meeting at Margarita Middle School in Temecula. Most were there to support recent immigration sweeps that have captured hundreds of illegal immigrants but appear to have been halted by immigration officials. more...

Immigrant driver bill stalls (8/13/04)
LEGISLATURE: The governor is demanding that the licenses have a distinguishing mark.
SACRAMENTO - A showdown over granting driver licenses to undocumented immigrants shows no signs of compromise as the legislative session enters its final two weeks. State Sen. Gil Cedillo, the author of a bill that would give driver licenses to undocumented immigrants, dismissed Gov. Schwarzenegger's demand that the licenses carry a distinguishing mark. Such a mark would lead to discrimination, he said. "If there's a sincere agreement to closing this deal, I believe we can," Cedillo, D-Los Angeles, said Thursday. Schwarzenegger aides, though, said the Republican governor believes that law-enforcement officials need to be able to quickly determine whether someone is in the country illegally. more...

Hospitals face conundrum over illegal immigrants (8/13/04)
WASHINGTON - The federal government is offering $1 billion to hospitals that provide emergency care to undocumented immigrants. But to get the money, hospitals would have to ask patients about their immigration status, a prospect that alarms hospitals and advocates for immigrants.  When Congress decided to provide the money last year, state officials and hospital executives saw it as a breakthrough. For years, they had argued that the federal government was responsible for immigration policy and should cover the costs of medical care for illegal immigrants because it had created the problem. These costs weigh heavily on border states such as Texas, Arizona and California and on states such as New York and Illinois with large numbers of such immigrants. more...

License bill may, may not develop  (8/12/04)
Lawmaker says he's close to a deal, but governor says not quite.
The author of a plan to give undocumented immigrants drivers licenses said Wednesday that a deal with Gov. Schwarzenegger is near. Schwarzenegger in December repealed a bill signed by recalled Gov. Gray Davis that would have granted drivers licenses to such immigrants. In doing so, he pledged to with work with Sen. Gil Cedillo, the bill's author, in crafting a new plan that would better address security concerns. more...

A sit-down with the governor (8/11/04)
He holds forth on driver's licenses for immigrants, stem cell research bonds.
SANTA FE, N.M. - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Tuesday that he is unlikely to support a push by some fellow Republicans to bar the Legislature from granting driver's licenses to undocumented workers in California and to cut off their access to government subsidies for housing, food and higher education.
"I think it's old hat," Schwarzenegger said of the proposal, which some conservatives hope to place on the ballot by 2006, during an interview following a two-day conference with governors from Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and six Mexican states along the U.S. border. more...

No Extra Scrutiny for Middle Eastern Illegals at Mexico Border  (8/9/04)
U.S. government policy requires that young Middle Eastern men who are caught crossing illegally into the United States from Mexico be treated the same as illegal aliens from elsewhere in the world--meaning that if they don't have criminal records, don't appear on government watch lists and are not deemed to be suspicious by the federal law enforcement officers who interview them, they most likely will be released into the U.S. population.  All 19 of the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers were young men from Saudi Arabia and Egypt. None of them had criminal records, not all were on watch lists, and few apparently raised significant suspicions among American border or visa authorities. more...

National Movement to Give Illegal Aliens the Right to Vote; November Elections To Be Monitored (8/9/04)
LOU DOBBS, CNN ANCHOR: Tonight, a national movement to give immigrants and illegal aliens the right to vote in our elections is building support.
Both President Bush and Senator Kerry are proposing immigration reform. Still, hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens pour into this country each year. Immigration and border security, two of the issues I'll be discussing with Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico. more...

Initiative launched to deny rights to illegals (8/5/04)
Angered by efforts to grant driver licenses to illegal immigrants, the Monrovia-based California Republican Assembly is sponsoring an initiative that would deny undocumented residents all state and local benefits not mandated by federal law.
The conservative activist group unveiled the proposed constitutional amendment, dubbed the "Save Our License" initiative, at a press conference Wednesday on the steps of the state Capitol. more...

Wyland backs new Prop. 187 (8/5/04)
A new effort to qualify a ballot initiative that would deny illegal immigrants state benefits such as driver's licenses and in-state college tuition was launched Wednesday in Sacramento. Among those supporting the campaign at a press conference at the Capitol was Assemblyman Mark Wyland, R-Del Mar, who said the measure was a way to accomplish what the Legislature has been unwilling to do in recent years: roll back benefits for illegal immigrants. more...

GOP group plans bill to bar aid for illegal immigrants  (8/4/04)
SACRAMENTO – Moving to capitalize on lingering resentment over legislative efforts to grant driver licenses to undocumented aliens, some Republicans plan to launch a broad initiative campaign aimed at barring those in California illegally from collecting welfare, college scholarships or food stamps. The measure, targeted for the March 2006 ballot, also would pre-empt any legislation to allow illegal immigrants to gain driver licenses. more...

Border Patrol Faces New Limits in Inland Empire (8/4/04)
After June arrests drew protests, U.S. officials want the agents to restrict enforcement.
Two months after Border Patrol agents made a series of controversial arrests in the Inland Empire, federal officials are finalizing a policy to limit the agency's operations in interior areas. Documents and interviews show that Department of Homeland Security officials want to concentrate Border Patrol agents at the borders and limit their inland activity to arresting illegal immigrants while they are traveling from the border and at transportation centers such as Los Angeles International Airport and highway checkpoints such as those in Temecula and San Clemente. more...

Taxpayers Foot Bill for Illegal Alien Tuition (8/3/04)
It's not often that a state attorney general declines to defend a state law. Kansas passed a law allowing illegal immigrants to attend state universities at discount tuition rates. Consequently, some out-of-state U.S. citizens who have to pay higher tuition just filed a lawsuit. more...

Conservatives pushing immigration initiative  (8/3/04)
SACRAMENTO – Moving to capitalize on lingering resentment over legislative efforts to grant driver licenses to undocumented aliens, conservative Republicans plan to launch a broad initiative campaign aimed at barring those here illegally from collecting welfare, college scholarships or food stamps.  "We have to stop the incentives for coming here illegally. This is the only way to do it. The Legislature cannot be trusted," said Mike Spence, president of the California Republican Assembly, a conservative grass-roots wing of the GOP. more...

Senator pushing driver license issue (7/31/04)
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has backtracked on his promise to move forward on legislation that would allow about 2 million illegal immigrants to get California driver's licenses, legislative representatives said Wednesday.  Schwarzenegger has not provided a written counterproposal to California Sen. Gil Cedillo, D-Los Angeles, author of the driver's license bill, Senate Bill 1160, said Edward Headington, Cedillo's spokesman.  more...

Bill Jones speaks out against voting rights for non-citizens (7/24/04)
Republican Senate candidate Bill Jones railed on Monday against a ballot measure that would grant non-citizens here the right to vote in school board elections, calling it a "slap in the face" to U.S. citizenship and the country's immigration laws.  Speaking on the steps of San Francisco City Hall, the former secretary of state said the charter amendment would violate the California Constitution and erode public confidence in the electoral process. He said encouraging immigrants to become citizens is the best way to expand voter participation.  more...

Border Patrol fans rally (7/24/04)
Border Patrol agents get praise from demonstrators in favor of immigration sweeps.
A rally in support of Border Patrol agents on Saturday outside the Temecula Border Patrol station drew a crowd estimated at 350 by one of the event's organizers, Sharrie Chandler of the California Republican Assembly. The gathering was vocal but orderly as politicians and their representatives took turns with citizen groups praising agents and urging public support of the immigration sweeps. more...

Rally supports Border Patrol agents, programs (7/24/04)
A rally held in Temecula on Saturday to bolster U.S. Border Patrol agents and champion the agency's enforcement programs attracted several high profile lawmakers and community activists who spoke to a crowd of about 300 supporters.  The event began at 11 a.m. at the Temecula Border Patrol Station under a blazing sun and little shade. Organizers set up a stage for various speakers to address residents who gathered on both sides of the street. Many supporters came with signs bearing phrases such as "Illegal aliens are criminals" and "We love the Border Patrol."  more...

Additional roundups planned (7/24/04)
Border Patrol targets SB, Riverside counties
U.S. Border Patrol sweeps to round up and deport undocumented immigrants will continue in San Bernardino and Riverside counties, officials said Saturday.
A newly formed unit at the Border Patrol's Temecula station has arrested 505 illegal immigrants in Southern California since June 4, including a total of 154 in Ontario and Corona. The rest were arrested in Temecula and San Diego County.  more...

S.F. Voters to Decide if Noncitizens Can Vote (7/21/04)
Ballot measure would affect only school board elections. A legal challenge is expected.
SAN FRANCISCO — Testing state law for the second time this year, San Francisco city leaders approved a controversial ballot proposal Tuesday that could allow noncitizens to vote in school board elections.  The proposal, the first in the state but not the nation, would permit any adult with a child in public school — parent, guardian or caretaker — to vote regardless of citizenship status. Backers of the measure acknowledged that it probably would face legal challenges since state law limits voting to citizens. But they said a local exemption was allowable because San Francisco is a charter city that can set its own laws. more...

Revolving door at border (7/21/04)
Part three of three
Handcuffed and shackled with their pockets pulled inside out, more than 150 illegal aliens are loaded onto an airplane every night, bound for detention centers in the United States to await deportation orders to their home countries.  Searched by a cadre of uniformed federal agents and encircled by heavily armed officers, they are herded off buses in the dead of night on an isolated tarmac at San Diego International Airport, where they silently shuffle single file on board a waiting MD-82 jetliner. Some never have been on an airplane. Others have made the trip before. Many will be back. more...

Outnumbered in a hunt for aliens (7/20/04)
Part two of three
It is shortly before 4 a.m. when Jorge Field gathers his team in a deserted parking lot in South Central Los Angeles. The nine men and one woman quietly strap themselves into flak jackets, meticulously check their weapons and listen attentively to a quick but precise briefing, as they prepare to hunt for five convicted criminal aliens and a suspected terrorist threat.  "Let's go," commands Mr. Field, the supervisory agent of this U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) fugitive operations squad. more...

The illegal alien deficit (7/19/04)
Feds must either pay up, or change immigration policy.

When, if ever, will federal politicians honestly confront the true costs of illegal immigration?
Saturday's news that the federal government has failed, once again, to adequately reimburse California for the costs of jailing illegal immigrants is merely the latest example of the chronic denial of the true costs of illegal immigration. more...

Aliens hiding in plain sight (7/19/04)
Part one of three
For years, Carlos lived in fear as he migrated from one farm to another, pursuing the cash that the picking of seasonal fruits and vegetables provided here in the fertile Salinas Valley. But as time passed, so did his anxiety. "We were always watching out for the Border Patrol, and we were always afraid," said the 34-year-old Mexican national, chopping lettuce with 20 others. "But not anymore. We're out here everyday, and nobody ever bothers us." more...

S.F. supes flunk citizenship (7/19/04)
San Francisco has become a city devoted to expanding the meaning of all categories until none has meaning.  Citizen? Today, that term describes Americans who can register to vote and serve on juries. But if a measure before the Board of Supervisors is approved by city voters and becomes law, it will render the term "citizen" but an antiquated notion in San Francisco.  more...

Culberson aims amendment at illegal immigrants (7/15/04)
Bank accounts, Social Security would be affected

Congressman John Culberson, R-Houston, introduced an amendment Thursday designed to prevent millions of illegal immigrants from opening bank accounts and accessing Social Security payments.  Culberson's amendment to an appropriations bill was approved Thursday by the House Appropriations subcommittee. It now goes before the full committee.  The bill would make it more difficult for immigrants to use foreign documents, such as the matricula consular issued by the Mexican government, to open bank accounts. Hundreds of banks across the country currently accept the matricula as the primary document to open checking accounts, allowing illegal immigrants access to banks. more...
 

Group seeks to overturn license law
Opponents want a voter referendum on the illegal immigrant measure.
Opponents of a new law that will allow an estimated 2 million illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses will ask California voters to overturn the measure, a process that threw the status of the bill into question Monday.   more...

Most in poll dislike new license law
A hefty majority of California voters disapprove of the new law that will grant driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, with distaste running especially high among Republicans and whites, according to poll numbers released Tuesday.   more...

Opposition Grows to Driver's Licenses for Illegal Aliens
Political opposition to handing out driver's licenses to illegal aliens is growing in Washington, especially in light of a new law signed by California Gov. Gray Davis on Sept. 5.   more...

Illegals at the DMV
Recalls opens door for amnesty.
The latest amnesty for illegal aliens, desperately sought for years by pro-immigration advocates and seemingly derailed by 9/11, is almost here. California Gov. Gray Davis has signed a bill giving illegal aliens the right to obtain driver's licenses in what is an enormous step toward the legal acceptance of illegal aliens and proof that ethnic pandering still trumps security in the United States.   more...