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The Latest Headlines
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...
Driver IDs for illegals raise security concerns
(7/12/04)
States struggle to balance homeland security with safety on the open road.
LOS ANGELES – It was already an incendiary topic: whether to grant illegal
immigrants driver's licenses. To critics, it is an implicit welcome to
millions of illegal Latin Americans each year. To many supporters, it's a
simple matter of safety: helping thousands of active drivers learn traffic
laws. But now there is another layer in the debate: whether terrorists
could slip across the border and apply for licenses, helping them put together
an identity that looks authentic.
more...
Take a stand against driving privileges for illegal immigrants
(7/9/04)
America can be a weird place. In most countries around the world, the idea
would be to drive out illegal immigrants. In the United States, we're busy
coming up with ideas to help illegal immigrants drive. Who could have
predicted that one of the hot issues this election year would be whether
undocumented immigrants should get driver's licenses?
more...
N.C.
Working To Tighten Restrictions On Getting Licenses
(7/9/04)
Officials Claim Some People Using Multiple Licenses For Criminal Intentions
DURHAM, N.C. -- Homeland security is one of the big national and local
political issues. North Carolina officials want to tighten restrictions to
make sure people are using drivers licenses for the proper reasons.
North Carolina is nearly six months into an initiative to tighten restrictions
on who gets a license, but officials question whether it is working.
Fernando Asta had two driver's licenses under two different names. Until his
capture on charges of attacking women, he eluded authorities for nearly three
years. The illegal immigrant had two driver's licenses under two different
names.
more...
Driving not optional for undocumented workers
(7/6/04)
Illegal drivers say they have no choice
OAKLAND -- Half a year ago, on Dec. 12, merchants on International Boulevard
faced a hard choice: Shut down and lose a day's business, or stay open and
risk alienating customers. Gaspar Gamez of the Ciudad de Mexico store
said his family hesitated to go along with an economic boycott organized by
Mexican-American activists to protest the repeal of the driver's license law
for illegal immigrants. The protest fell on a Friday, the busiest day for the
store that specializes in wiring money abroad, cashing paychecks and selling
phone cards.
more...
Security concerns may kill new drive for licenses
(7/6/04)
Governor dissatisfied with
provisions to verify identity of undocumented immigrants
OAKLAND -- Fear of terrorism and domestic security is one reason so many
voters are hesitant to support a law giving driver's licenses to illegal
immigrants.
Security was one of the reasons Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger gave for opposing
last year's law, and it has emerged as the major stumbling block in
discussions with state Sen. Gil Cedillo, D-Los Angeles, over his newest
proposed bill, SB 1160.
more...
State's biggest threat is illegal immigration
(7/5/04)
GOV. Arnold Schwarzenegger has made progress on several fronts in an effort to
put California on the road to recovery. But there's a roadblock at the very
beginning, and until it's removed, California's recovery cannot move forward.
Illegal immigration, more than any other single factor, is crippling major
segments of California's economy, from health care to higher education to
jobs. That's why, regardless of the security concerns -- and there are many --
Schwarzenegger should not sign any bill granting driver's licenses to illegal
immigrants.
more...
S.F. looks at granting noncitizens a school vote
Possibly the next hot topic in the state's debate over immigration is shaping
up in San Francisco, where supervisors may ask voters in November to decide
whether to let noncitizens vote in school board elections. Most
controversially, voter approval of the proposal would allow illegal immigrants
to vote and help determine how taxpayer dollars are spent on public schools.
more...
Kerry opposes license laws
(7/1/04)
He prefers easing path to citizenship
PITTSBURGH - Democrat Sen. John Kerry said he opposes state laws that give
driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, a position that puts him at odds with
the Latino activists he is courting in the presidential race. Immigrant
advocates have been pushing for the laws, saying
more...
Illegal immigrant driver's licenses: Kerry says no, Bush leaves it to states
(7/1/04)
Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry
talked up pro-Hispanic immigration reforms when he was in Phoenix earlier this
week at annual meetings of the National Council of La Raza. But the
Massachusetts senator also told Spanish language media outlet Telemundo that
he opposes giving driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. Kerry told
Telemundo that obtaining driver's licenses is something that is for legal
residents of the U.S.
more...
Illegal immigrants driver's license bill shelved temporarily
(6/28/04)
SACRAMENTO - Legislation that would allow an estimated 2 million illegal
immigrants to get California driver's licenses was shelved temporarily Monday
by a Senate committee, significantly reducing the amount of time to enact it
this year.
The measure by Sen. Gil Cedillo, D-Los Angeles, was placed on the Senate
Appropriations Committee's suspense file, a standard procedure for bills
projected to cost the state more than $150,000.
more...
Neighbors should put pride aside
(7/1/04)
WHILE I was kicking around Mexico to learn more about who comes north and why,
I missed a big story back home. The U.S. Border Patrol was rounding up illegal
immigrants in Southern California's Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
Critics screamed in protest because the Border Patrol had previously kept its
posse closer to the border. Defenders shot back that illegal means illegal,
period.
Both sides had a point, but no one was converted. The nation's hypocritical
immigration enforcement remained unchanged, and as goofy as ever.
Now we've got Congress demanding an investigation of the arrests, not because
they were illegal, but because they weren't approved by the Department of
Homeland Security.
more...
TN's Tough New Driver ID Law Takes Effect
(7/1/04)
Beginning this week, people who pass Tennessee's driving test but can't prove
U.S. citizenship will qualify only for a "certificate of driving," instead of
regular driver's license. State officials unveiled the new driving
certificate's design on Tuesday. The purple card includes the traditional
driver's photo along with a label that reads, "For Driving Purposes Only, Not
Valid for Identification."
more...
Illegal Immigrant Drivers' Licenses: Here We Go Again
Last year, one of the hot-button issues that prompted the voters to throw
Gov. Gray Davis out of office was his signing of a bill to allow illegal
immigrants to receive California driver's licenses. Californians voted for
Arnold Schwarzenegger as Davis' replacement in part because the challenger
promised to have the measure repealed before it took effect.
So, why is the state Legislature once again moving a bill that would allow
illegal immigrants to obtain a California driver's license?
more...
License bill progresses
(June 15, 2004)
Measure still
faces Arnold's opposition
SACRAMENTO -- A bill to grant California driver's licenses to illegal
immigrants, provided they undergo criminal background checks, cleared a key
Senate committee Tuesday but still faces potential opposition from Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger.
SB 1160 by Sen. Gil Cedillo, D-Los Angeles, would allow the undocumented to
use alternate forms of identification to obtain licenses. He argues that many
of them are already driving on California's roads and that allowing them to be
tested and insured would increase highway safety.
more...
Driver's License Bill Gains
(June 16, 2004)
Senate panel OKs bid to grant illegal immigrants the permits. Others fear
terrorists would benefit.
SACRAMENTO — The renewed legislative push to issue driver's licenses to
illegal immigrants has prompted disagreement among law enforcement officials
about whether the permits would make it easier or harder for would-be
terrorists to infiltrate California.
The license fight, which helped Arnold Schwarzenegger unseat Gov. Gray Davis
in last year's recall, has been resurrected in the Legislature, where a
Democratic-controlled Senate panel Tuesday voted 7 to 4 to approve a bill that
would grant licenses to immigrants who passed a criminal background check.
more...
Driver license bill resurfaces
(June 16, 2004)
Security checks
would be required
SACRAMENTO – In an early test of
partisan loyalties, a divided Senate Transportation Committee passed legislation
yesterday that would give illegal immigrants the ability to obtain driver
licenses.
The 7-4 vote sent the measure to
the Rules Committee, where it could stay planted until a compromise is struck
with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
more...
Latino youths plan rallies
(May 5, 2004)
DEMONSTRATIONS BACK IMMIGRANT LICENSES
Hundreds of Latino youths are expected to participate in a statewide public
demonstration today organized by Redwood City teenagers who favor a law to
provide driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.
more...
Pact sought on licenses for illegal immigrants
(April 30, 2004)
Background checks for drivers
considered
SACRAMENTO – Locked in delicate negotiations, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and
state Sen. Gil Cedillo have struggled to narrow their differences over divisive
legislation to give illegal immigrants the right to have driver licenses.
more...
Illegal
Aliens Rush U.S. Border
(April
27, 2004)
After a four-year decline, illegal
immigration from Mexico is spiking as several thousand migrants a
day rush across the border in hopes of getting work visas under a
program President Bush proposed. Many also are trying to beat
tighter security to come in June.
The U.S.
border patrol told The Associated Press that detentions - which it
uses to judge illegal migration rates - jumped 25 percent to 535,000
in the six months ending March 31 compared to a year ago.
more...
Signature drive to support immigrant driver's licenses
(April 25,
2004)
Activists have started a signature drive to show support for state
legislation that would allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses.
"Allowing all California motorists to become licensed will increase public
safety for everyone by making it possible for immigrants to become trained,
tested and insured," said Cary Sanders, policy director at the Services,
Immigrant Rights and Education Network in San Jose.
more...
California Proposal to Allow Undocumented Workers to Obtain
Driver's License (April 4,
2004)
CONCORD, Calif.
The state senator who is writing a compromise bill that
would allow undocumented immigrants to get driver's licenses said
Saturday that applicants may have to pay extra money and undergo a
background check. The bill, SB1160, is far from written, but Sen. Gilbert Cedillo,
D-Los Angeles, said it will improve the safety of all motorists.
more...
EARLIER THIS YEAR, Sacramento
lawmakers passed one of the most craven pieces of legislation the state Capitol
has ever produced. Last week, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill repealing
the erstwhile SB60, which would have allowed illegal immigrants to obtain
California driver's licenses. The journey that led state pols to kill the bill
they once embraced has a moral behind it.
more...
With most opposition melting away, the Assembly
yesterday moved swiftly to short-circuit a politically charged law that would
give illegal immigrants the right to obtain driver licenses. Their victory
assured, foes of extending driving privileges to illegal immigrants have now
turned their attention to blocking an anticipated resurrection of the law next
year, suggesting they may put a pre-emptive measure on the November ballot.
more...
Assembly Votes Down License Law
At governor's urging, the lower
house rescinds a measure that would have let illegal immigrants drive legally.
The Assembly handed Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger his first legislative victory
Monday, voting overwhelmingly to overturn a new law that would have given
driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. The bill to block the license law
from taking effect in January passed 64-9 after brief debate and will probably
be signed by Schwarzenegger this week.
more...
Senate Democrats, in a reversal, join in vote to deny illegal immigrants in
California the right to drive. The Assembly is expected to follow suit.
In a victory for Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Senate Democrats joined with their Republican
counterparts Monday to repeal a controversial law that would allow illegal
immigrants to obtain California driver's licenses.
The Senate voted, 33 to 0, to repeal the law after only four minutes of debate.
Six Latino Democrats chose not to vote. An Assembly committee is expected to
take up the matter today. The lower house, which is generally more conservative
than the Senate, is expected to vote as a whole within the next few days.
more...
Democrats
snub a Schwarzenegger bid for a compromise.
State lawmakers signaled Tuesday that they won't move quickly to fulfill Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign pledge to repeal a measure granting driver's
licenses to illegal immigrants. Convening in a special session, Assembly
Democrats blocked efforts to immediately repeal the new law, and Senate
President Pro Tem John Burton labeled as "racist" the push to kill SB 60.
more...
Radio hosts back signature drive
KFI's John and Ken rally in Ontario against the car tax, immigrant licenses
ONTARIO - Popular talk radio hosts John Kobylt and
Ken Chiampou brought their "Save California Tour" to Ontario
on Thursday, where thousands of listeners signed petitions in
an ongoing effort to abolish the state's vehicle license fee
and prevent illegal immigrants from obtaining driver's
licenses.
Efforts to qualify both measures for future ballots began
during the campaign to recall Gov. Gray Davis, after his
administration tripled the fee to register vehicles and signed
legislation allowing immigrants to get driver's licenses from
the Department of Motor Vehicles without showing proof of
citizenship.
more...
Gov.-elect to focus on license law
The long odyssey of a proposal to give illegal immigrants driver's licenses may
soon end as powerful forces from Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger to
conservative voter groups have vowed to kill the plan just weeks after Gov. Gray
Davis signed it into law.
more...
Controversial license law looks doomed
Latines add voice to backlash over immigrants' driving rights
Esther Lopez did not fit into anyone's political calculations in the
weeks leading up to the recall election. But her angry voice can be heard loud
and clear in its aftermath.
more...
Driven to action
A Mesa Verde resident is among those gathering signatures to halt a law that
would allow illegal immigrants to get driver's licenses.
When Mesa Verde resident Dan Worthington feels passionate about
something, he doesn't sit and stew. He takes action. Worthington has
embarked on a one-man mission to gather signatures for a ballot initiative to
rescind legislation giving driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.
more...
Petitioners Now Target License Law
A Republican-led drive aimed at reversing approval of driver's permits for
illegal immigrants is gaining momentum.
A little more than a week after angry Californians tossed out their
sitting governor, a grass-roots campaign is gaining ground in a push to reverse
a new law granting driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.
more...
Law giving illegals driver licenses could test incoming administration
SACRAMENTO –
Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger's ambitious agenda for the first 100 days of
his administration includes a vow to overturn a contentious new law that will
allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver licenses. However, Schwarzenegger
won't have the authority to repeal the law
more...
Group plans petition to stop driver’s license law
VICTORVILLE — A state Republican
group has launched a petition drive to stop a new law enabling illegal aliens to
apply for drivers’ licenses.
If the California Republican Assembly collects 373,816 signatures from
registered California voters by Dec. 7, it will put the issue on the ballot for
voters to decide.
more...
Ridge Urged to Restrict Use of California Driver's Licenses
(CNSNews.com) - Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge is being asked to
ban the use of California driver's licenses as identification for boarding
airplanes.
U.S. Border Control, a group fighting for immigration reform, wrote Ridge a
letter requesting the ban after California Democratic Gov. Gray Davis signed a
law allowing illegal immigrants to obtain licenses. U.S. Border Control (USBC)
claims the new law will increase the chances of another 9/11-type terrorist
attack on America.
more...
New law could give illegals right to vote
Federal statute requires driver's license as
proof of residency
Illegal aliens who soon will be able to obtain legal driver's licenses in
California may also be able to vote in federal elections under terms of a new
law set to take effect in January, analysts say.
Under the requirements of the "Help America Vote Act," passed in the wake of the
2000 presidential election recount debacle, states are now required to implement
new standardized voting regulations, which include verifying voter identity,
according to an analysis of the law by Public
Citizen, a national non-partisan consumer-advocacy group.
more...
Homeland Security balks at law
Inspectors use driver's licenses to establish citizenship
WASHINGTON -- The Department of Homeland Security is concerned about a new
California law allowing illegal immigrants to apply for driver's licenses
because border inspectors often depend on licenses to establish U.S.
citizenship, a top department official said Tuesday.
After Gov. Gray Davis' decision to sign the law last week -- a move that has
become a major issue in the state's recall election -- the Department of
Homeland Security will adjust training for its inspectors and review policies...
more...
Push To Overturn Illegal Immigrant Driver License Law
Opponents of a new law enabling illegal
immigrants to obtain California drivers' licenses can begin collecting voter
signatures to try to overturn the statute, state election officials said Friday.
The opponents need to gather valid signatures of at least
373,816 registered voters by Dec. 7 to force a referendum on the legislation,
which Gov. Gray Davis signed Sept. 5.
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...
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