Web site accuses companies of hiring illegal immigrants

Hundreds of Texas employers, and thousands around the nation, have inspired Internet publicity they didn't court: They're accused of hiring illegal immigrants. A Web site, www.wehirealiens.com , lists companies from Pilgrim's Pride to Swift & Co. as "alleged" employers of illegal immigrants. Both those food companies have had employees at their Texas operations arrested for immigration violations and document fraud, but many other companies listed on the site have not. And that has employers angry that the founders of the Southern California-based site publicly accuse them of breaking laws. The founders contend they established the site in 2004 in frustration over what they call ineffective action by the federal government. There are now nearly 5,000 "illegal employers" listed from nearly every state.

Judge OK's plan to deport acquitted 'Liberty City Seven' member

An immigration judge in Miami has signed off on the federal government's plan to deport the only acquitted member of the so-called Liberty City Seven to his native Haiti. Last year, a jury acquitted Lyglenson Lemorin, 33, of taking part in a terrorist conspiracy to blow up Chicago's Sears Tower and the Miami FBI headquarters. After reviewing much of the same evidence presented in criminal court, Immigration Judge Kenneth Hurewitz ruled Lemorin, though a legal permanent resident, may be deported because he affiliated with terrorists and swore an oath of allegiance to a group he thought was al-Qaida. Hurewitz's 135-page ruling, dated Nov. 20, was released Friday by Lemorin's defense lawyers.

Illegal Immigrant Suspects Arrested In Ohio County

Ohio County deputies arrested two illegal immigrant suspects after a routine traffic stop Thursday night. Sheriff Tom Burgoyne said the two Guatemalan nationals couldn't prove legal status in the state. He also said the driver, who was German, was evasive about where they had come from and where they were going. Burgoyne said the driver told deputies he picked up the men in Atlanta to help with a work load. The men had no log book, which Burgoyne said is required. The Guatemalan men were taken to the Northern Regional Jail, one of whom is wanted in Georgia for a drug violation. The driver was cited for speeding and sent to a local hotel.

New England Border Patrol chief charged with hiring illegals

The regional director of Homeland Security, Customs, and Border Protection was charged today with repeatedly hiring illegal immigrants to clean her Salem home after one cleaner wore a wire during an undercover investigation. Lorraine Henderson is the director of the Port of Boston, overseeing 190 armed federal officers who patrol major airports and shipping terminals in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. She is expected to appear today in US District Court in Boston on a charge of encouraging an illegal immigrant to remain in the country. "She's supposed to be deporting aliens, not hiring them," said Assistant US Attorney Brian T. Kelly, chief of the public corruption unit.

DREAM Over: Illegal Alien Student Amnesty Awakens to Fiscal Reality

Even as the illegal alien advocacy lobby is frantically trying to spin the election of Barack Obama as a mandate for a sweeping amnesty, they have all but conceded that the economic crisis and worsening unemployment have probably doomed their efforts. They've set their sights on the more modest goals of achieving amnesty for segments of the illegal alien population and using those to leverage further concessions down the road. Advocates for illegal aliens believe that the Development Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act offers them their best hope to enact a mini-amnesty. The DREAM Act would confer amnesty on most illegal alien youths and just about anyone who could vaguely be described as a student, and guarantee them subsidized in-state tuition rates in their states of residence on the premise that as children, they are not responsible for being in the country illegally. It would also result in a de facto amnesty for many parents, and entitle these kids to sponsor other relatives in the future.

HI: Federal Agents Target Businesses Hiring Illegal Workers

The government's crackdown on undocumented workers is now targeting the people who hire them. Thursday for the first time in Hawaii. U.S. Marshals hauled in two managers for their roles in one of the state's largest immigration busts. U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo says law enforcement is now targeting the people hiring and hiding illegal workers. Just after 6:15 Thursday morning U-S Marshals and Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE agents arrested Glen McCaig in Haleiwa. 30 minutes later they caught up with David Kato in Waipahu. "If you are knowingly hiring illegal aliens you better keep looking over your shoulder because we intended to come after you for your criminal conduct," said Kubo.

Idaho Truss President shocked by Thursday morning's immigration raid

Idaho Truss & Component Co. President Kendall Hoyd said he was shocked to learn Thursday that 16 of his employees were suspected of working illegally. "We carefully documented everyone when we hired them," Hoyd said. "We did all the reporting that is required by law." U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained the 16 Mexican men after a raid at the Nampa-based wood framing company Thursday morning. The 8:30 a.m. raid was part of a year-long investigation that began after ICE officials said they reviewed employment records of workers who were helping to build military housing the Mountain Home Air Force Base earlier this year.

Report says discrimination against Muslims still on rise, although down from post-9/11 spike

WASHINGTON - Discrimination and hate crimes against Arab-Americans have dropped in recent years after a spike following the 9/11 attacks, but such prejudice is still more common than in the 1980s and 1990s, according to a report by an advocacy group. The study gives Hollywood some credit for presenting a more balanced view of Arabs and Muslims in recent films. But it said prejudice is worse than ever in popular culture. It particularly faulted the news media for allowing political commentators to inflame fears that Muslims are terrorists. The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee released the study Thursday, calling it the most comprehensive look at prejudice and racially motivated violence that Arab-Americans and Muslims faced in the United States between 2003 and 2007.

ICE arrests 16 workers in SW. Idaho

NAMPA, Idaho -- Federal agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have arrested more than a dozen Mexican nationals suspected of working illegally in southwestern Idaho. The 16 workers employed by Idaho Truss, a company that manufactures wood products in Nampa, were arrested on Thursday as part of an ongoing federal investigation. The agency says the investigation began with a review of the employment records of workers helping build military housing at the Mountain Home Air Force Base in southern Idaho.

Federal agents take Mexican national into custody after guilty plea on Murray Complex fire

WILKES-BARRE -- An illegal immigrant whose bonfire of loose clothing and lighter fluid spread into a ravaging inferno at the Murray Complex Building last year could be sent home to Mexico after pleading guilty Tuesday to a felony arson charge. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents took Raul Tlatenchi, 24, into custody immediately upon his release Tuesday afternoon from the Luzerne County Correctional Facility, First Assistant District Attorney Jeffrey Tokach said. Tlatenchi, whose address was listed on court documents and arrest papers as 21 O'Neil Ave., Wilkes-Barre, lived at the prison for more than a year since the Oct. 20, 2007, fire -- three months longer than the minimum sentence levied by Judge Michael T. Toole.

Mom to be deported in abuse case

A woman accused of trying to strangle her 9-month-old son with a curtain tieback will be deported to El Salvador, Frederick County State's Attorney Charlie Smith said Wednesday. Deportation proceedings will begin immediately as part of a plea agreement reached in Frederick County Circuit Court, Smith said after the hearing that eliminated the need for a scheduled Dec. 11 trial. Judge G. Edward Dwyer Jr. presided over Wednesday's hearing. Blanca Noehmi Juarez, 27, was living in Frederick illegally when allegations of child abuse surfaced about 4:30 a.m. April 16, according to court documents.

OK sought for immigration raids

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Bush administration is urging a federal judge to let it implement a crackdown on suspected illegal immigrants in the workplace before President George W. Bush leaves office. In papers filed this week in U.S. District Court, the Department of Homeland Security argued for an accelerated schedule that could allow a regulation known as the no-match rule to take effect by mid-January. The rule, which the department first proposed in August 2007, would threaten businesses with prosecution unless they fired employees whose Social Security numbers differed from their listings in the Social Security database.

Dillard's employees chase suspected shoplifters at Indian River Mall

Dillard's employees chased down a pair of shoplifters Monday who tried stealing more than $1,800 in clothing from the store in the Indian River Mall, according to the Indian River County Sheriff's Office. Eduardo Alberto Lopez, 52, of Orlando, and Sergio Felipe Rodriguez, 20, of Grand Island, Neb., were charged with retail theft, resisting a merchant and possession of anti-shoplifting or inventory control device. The suspects, both Argentineans, are being held at the Indian River County Jail in lieu of $13,000 bail each and are being held for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

REPORT RELEASED ON LATINOS IN DEEP SOUTH WITH HIGH RATES OF AIDS AND HIV DIAGNOSES

Washington, DC (CapitalWirePR) December 2, 2008 --On World AIDS Day December 1, 2008 the Latino Commission on AIDS released "Shaping the New Response: HIV/AIDS and Latinos in the Deep South" Report, documenting the extraordinarily high rates of HIV and AIDS diagnoses among Latinos, the apparent contributing factors to this health crisis and recommendations for future action in the Deep South (Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina)*. Shaping the New Response reached its conclusions after two years of research including more than 300 interviews, 8 roundtables covering all 7 states, analysis of epidemiological data, and a review of relevant studies. There are 2,052,227 Latinos in these seven states (as of 2007) which is an increase of 431% since the 1990 census. Latinos range from a high of 7.5% of the population in Georgia to 1.8% for Mississippi. But in rates of HIV and AIDS diagnosis Latinos present a startling portrait. While Latinos have far lower rates of HIV and AIDS diagnoses than that among Blacks in the region, Latinos have significantly higher rates than that among Whites in the Deep South. In 2006 Latinos were 2 to 3 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS and 3 to 10 times more likely to be diagnosed with AIDS than Whites in the Deep South.

Smugglers intercepted at border, fire at agents

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - A gunman working with drug smugglers fired at but missed federal agents Monday after they intercepted two trucks loaded with marijuana on the west side of Douglas. Tucson Sector Border Patrol spokesmen said surveillance camera operators saw two pickups cross an 8 to 10 foot border fence using a truck-mounted ramp, then sent agents to intercept the vehicles. The smugglers turned back south as agents approached, and a gunman in Mexico fired an automatic rifle. Deflation devices flattened the trucks' tires, but one made it near the fence and smugglers unloaded its bales back into Mexico before torching the truck.

Fraudulent Vows: Inside the Green Card Marriage Phenomenon

Each year, tens of thousands of United States citizens and Legal Permanent Residents (LPR), at both home and abroad, meet and marry foreign nationals. Spouses of American citizens have priority over most other immigration categories, making marriage the quickest way to receive a green card. As the new Obama administration prepares to take office, the long dormant debate over levels of legal immigration is sure to resurface, but that debate is unlikely to include discussion of fraud amongst the most common path to American residency. The prevalence of such fraud contributes to illegal immigration, poses potential national security vulnerability, and clogs the system for legitimate applicants.

Bush regrets Iraq intel, immigration flap

The failure to enact immigration reform was another disappointment, Bush said. "I firmly believe that the immigration debate really didn't show the true nature of America as a welcoming society. I fully understand we need to enforce law and enforce borders," Bush told ABC News. "But the debate took on a tone that undermined the true greatness of America, which is that we welcome people who want to work hard and support their families."

O.C. reps: Obama Cabinet pick could mean immigrant amnesty

The selection of Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano as President-elect Barack Obama's secretary of Homeland Security signals the battle of amnesty is going to have to be waged again, say Reps. Dana Rohrabacher and Ed Royce. Obama announced his national security team in Chicago this morning. "I think that it sends a clear signal that we're in for a long fight on this amnesty issue because she's clearly an open borders advocate,'' said Royce, R-Fullerton. Royce said Napolitano opposed Prop 400 in Arizona in 2004 that would have required the state to verify the immigration status of people applying for welfare and requiring them to verify citizenship when voting. And, he said, she only signed Arizona's law requiring employers to verify the employment status of workers after it made it to her desk a second time and clearly had overwhelming public support.

Latinos unhappy with some Obama picks

If there is one message President-elect Barack Obama's transition team has broadcast about Cabinet picks, it is that ethnicity and gender will not be the first considerations when filling the slots. Credentials over tokenism, after all, was a fundamental principle of Obama's presidential campaign that highlighted his ideas and community values over his African-American background. Still, if all goes as planned, Cabinet members with hefty resumes will present a picture of diversity. Hispanic political leaders agree. Their expectations for seats at the president's top policy table are not about meeting quotas, but about advancing the reality that within this fastest-growing ethnic group are seasoned policy experts who understand the economic, foreign and domestic policy concerns shared by everyone.

Deported Immigrants Struggle To Re-Enter US

The U.S. government deports hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants to Mexico each year, and the majority of them are dropped just across the border. In the past, many of these migrants would immediately try to cross back into U.S. But now, with the economic downturn and beefed-up security measures along the border, an increasing number are saying it's not worth the trouble. The streets of Nogales, Sonora, just across Arizona's southern border, are crawling with deportees. Some of them are covered in prison and gang tattoos. Others are down-on-their-luck men who used to do construction work in California or wash dishes in Chicago. Many are sleeping on the streets.

Rules target foreign religious workers

New immigration rules will make it harder for nuns, priests, rabbis and other temporary religious workers from abroad to get into the United States and stay here, a Pittsburgh attorney said. The regulations require workers to be "sponsored" by a religious organization and provide for increased inspections, evaluations, verifications and compliance reviews of religious groups looking to hire temporary workers. Formerly, foreign religious workers could request a visa without prior, stateside review of their job offer or affiliated organization. "They want to count pews," said Joel Pfeffer, an attorney who specializes in immigration with the law firm of Meyer, Unkovic & Scott LLP, Downtown.

Mexican Remittances Jump 13% on Stronger Dollar

MEXICO CITY -- The amount of dollars sent home by Mexicans living abroad jumped 13% in October as a weaker peso gave the greenback more buying power, Mexico's central bank said Monday. October remittances swelled to $2.4 billion, up from $2.2 billion for the same month in 2007, the Banco de Mexico reported. The peso dropped to record lows in October, briefly trading at 14 to the dollar as investors shed developing-world assets and fled to the relative safety of the U.S. currency. A stronger dollar means dollars sent home buy much more in Mexico. It's a wage hike of sorts for the relatives of migrants lucky enough to still find jobs in the U.S.

Police: Illegal Alien Rammed Truck Into Bar Clerk Killing Him

Police in Bensalem said a male illegal immigrant is being charged with murder after he allegedly rammed his truck into a bar clerk after being escorted out of a Bucks County bar. The incident occurred at approximately 10:20 p.m. Saturday at the Salute Restaurant Bar, located at 2564 Knights Road. Upon arrival, police found that a White 2006 Ford Pickup F-150 crashed into the front of the bar. Pinned between the vehicle and the building was 30-year-old William Sullo III of Philadelphia. The suspect, identified as 35-year-old Jose Esteban Maldonado-Luzuriaga, was being restrained on the curb near the vehicle.

Illegal immigrants fear police-reporting policy

A little over a year after state Attorney General Anne Milgram directed law enforcement agencies to check the immigration status of serious criminals they arrest, the number of referrals to federal immigration officials has more than doubled. Nearly 3,000 inmates, almost nine times as many as last year, have been flagged with detainers, which allow the federal government to hold them for possible deportation after they finish serving time for criminal convictions. About 4,500, almost three times as many as last year, have been charged with immigration violations. Milgram lauded the directive for keeping criminals in jail who might have evaded the legal system, and said she's pleased with the way police departments have responded to it. "It's absolutely worked," she said.

Illegal workers manage to skirt Ariz. employer-sanctions law

Undocumented workers and employers in Arizona are finding ways to circumvent the state's employer-sanctions law by turning to the underground, or cash, economy. Blocked by the law from getting payroll jobs, many illegal immigrants instead are performing services or selling items on the side for cash. Others have tried a different strategy: borrowing the identities of citizens or legal residents to land jobs with employers. The maneuvers are allowing many undocumented families to remain in the United States despite heightened enforcement of immigration laws and a battered economy that has erased many jobs.

Illegal workers pose comp care challenges

Claims managers say they face numerous hurdles when they try to contact illegal immigrants injured at work. Fraudulent Social Security numbers are common, home addresses are wrong, and the workers and their families often are distrustful and unwilling to provide necessary information, fearing immigration authorities may become involved. Laws in most states, however, mandate that illegal immigrants injured on the job receive the same care and benefits as legal workers. One common challenge, say nurse case managers who specialize in helping catastrophically injured workers, occurs when assisting undocumented workers return home from a hospital stay.

Bloodshed on the Border: Drug War in Juarez

Late one night in January, an ambulance escorted by five unmarked squad cars pulled up to Thomason Hospital in El Paso, Texas. Out leaped more than a dozen armed federal agents to protect the patient--Fernando Lozano Sandoval, a commander with the Chihuahua State Investigations Agency. He'd been pumped full of bullets just across the Mexican border in Ciudad Juárez by gunmen believed to have been hired by a drug cartel. Lozano Sandoval's sole hope of survival was the medical team at Thomason, the only level-one trauma center for nearly 300 miles. U.S. authorities took no chances; in Mexico, assassins regularly raid hospitals to finish off their prey.

Bush regrets Iraq intel, immigration flap

The failure to enact immigration reform was another disappointment, Bush said. "I firmly believe that the immigration debate really didn't show the true nature of America as a welcoming society. I fully understand we need to enforce law and enforce borders," Bush told ABC News. "But the debate took on a tone that undermined the true greatness of America, which is that we welcome people who want to work hard and support their families."

O.C. reps: Obama Cabinet pick could mean immigrant amnesty

The selection of Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano as President-elect Barack Obama's secretary of Homeland Security signals the battle of amnesty is going to have to be waged again, say Reps. Dana Rohrabacher and Ed Royce. Obama announced his national security team in Chicago this morning. "I think that it sends a clear signal that we're in for a long fight on this amnesty issue because she's clearly an open borders advocate,'' said Royce, R-Fullerton. Royce said Napolitano opposed Prop 400 in Arizona in 2004 that would have required the state to verify the immigration status of people applying for welfare and requiring them to verify citizenship when voting. And, he said, she only signed Arizona's law requiring employers to verify the employment status of workers after it made it to her desk a second time and clearly had overwhelming public support.

Latinos unhappy with some Obama picks

If there is one message President-elect Barack Obama's transition team has broadcast about Cabinet picks, it is that ethnicity and gender will not be the first considerations when filling the slots. Credentials over tokenism, after all, was a fundamental principle of Obama's presidential campaign that highlighted his ideas and community values over his African-American background. Still, if all goes as planned, Cabinet members with hefty resumes will present a picture of diversity. Hispanic political leaders agree. Their expectations for seats at the president's top policy table are not about meeting quotas, but about advancing the reality that within this fastest-growing ethnic group are seasoned policy experts who understand the economic, foreign and domestic policy concerns shared by everyone.

Deported Immigrants Struggle To Re-Enter US

The U.S. government deports hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants to Mexico each year, and the majority of them are dropped just across the border. In the past, many of these migrants would immediately try to cross back into U.S. But now, with the economic downturn and beefed-up security measures along the border, an increasing number are saying it's not worth the trouble. The streets of Nogales, Sonora, just across Arizona's southern border, are crawling with deportees. Some of them are covered in prison and gang tattoos. Others are down-on-their-luck men who used to do construction work in California or wash dishes in Chicago. Many are sleeping on the streets.

Rules target foreign religious workers

New immigration rules will make it harder for nuns, priests, rabbis and other temporary religious workers from abroad to get into the United States and stay here, a Pittsburgh attorney said. The regulations require workers to be "sponsored" by a religious organization and provide for increased inspections, evaluations, verifications and compliance reviews of religious groups looking to hire temporary workers. Formerly, foreign religious workers could request a visa without prior, stateside review of their job offer or affiliated organization. "They want to count pews," said Joel Pfeffer, an attorney who specializes in immigration with the law firm of Meyer, Unkovic & Scott LLP, Downtown.

Mexican Remittances Jump 13% on Stronger Dollar

MEXICO CITY -- The amount of dollars sent home by Mexicans living abroad jumped 13% in October as a weaker peso gave the greenback more buying power, Mexico's central bank said Monday. October remittances swelled to $2.4 billion, up from $2.2 billion for the same month in 2007, the Banco de Mexico reported. The peso dropped to record lows in October, briefly trading at 14 to the dollar as investors shed developing-world assets and fled to the relative safety of the U.S. currency. A stronger dollar means dollars sent home buy much more in Mexico. It's a wage hike of sorts for the relatives of migrants lucky enough to still find jobs in the U.S.

Police: Illegal Alien Rammed Truck Into Bar Clerk Killing Him

Police in Bensalem said a male illegal immigrant is being charged with murder after he allegedly rammed his truck into a bar clerk after being escorted out of a Bucks County bar. The incident occurred at approximately 10:20 p.m. Saturday at the Salute Restaurant Bar, located at 2564 Knights Road. Upon arrival, police found that a White 2006 Ford Pickup F-150 crashed into the front of the bar. Pinned between the vehicle and the building was 30-year-old William Sullo III of Philadelphia. The suspect, identified as 35-year-old Jose Esteban Maldonado-Luzuriaga, was being restrained on the curb near the vehicle.

Illegal immigrants fear police-reporting policy

A little over a year after state Attorney General Anne Milgram directed law enforcement agencies to check the immigration status of serious criminals they arrest, the number of referrals to federal immigration officials has more than doubled. Nearly 3,000 inmates, almost nine times as many as last year, have been flagged with detainers, which allow the federal government to hold them for possible deportation after they finish serving time for criminal convictions. About 4,500, almost three times as many as last year, have been charged with immigration violations. Milgram lauded the directive for keeping criminals in jail who might have evaded the legal system, and said she's pleased with the way police departments have responded to it. "It's absolutely worked," she said.

Illegal workers manage to skirt Ariz. employer-sanctions law

Undocumented workers and employers in Arizona are finding ways to circumvent the state's employer-sanctions law by turning to the underground, or cash, economy. Blocked by the law from getting payroll jobs, many illegal immigrants instead are performing services or selling items on the side for cash. Others have tried a different strategy: borrowing the identities of citizens or legal residents to land jobs with employers. The maneuvers are allowing many undocumented families to remain in the United States despite heightened enforcement of immigration laws and a battered economy that has erased many jobs.

Illegal workers pose comp care challenges

Claims managers say they face numerous hurdles when they try to contact illegal immigrants injured at work. Fraudulent Social Security numbers are common, home addresses are wrong, and the workers and their families often are distrustful and unwilling to provide necessary information, fearing immigration authorities may become involved. Laws in most states, however, mandate that illegal immigrants injured on the job receive the same care and benefits as legal workers. One common challenge, say nurse case managers who specialize in helping catastrophically injured workers, occurs when assisting undocumented workers return home from a hospital stay.

Bloodshed on the Border: Drug War in Juarez

Late one night in January, an ambulance escorted by five unmarked squad cars pulled up to Thomason Hospital in El Paso, Texas. Out leaped more than a dozen armed federal agents to protect the patient--Fernando Lozano Sandoval, a commander with the Chihuahua State Investigations Agency. He'd been pumped full of bullets just across the Mexican border in Ciudad Juárez by gunmen believed to have been hired by a drug cartel. Lozano Sandoval's sole hope of survival was the medical team at Thomason, the only level-one trauma center for nearly 300 miles. U.S. authorities took no chances; in Mexico, assassins regularly raid hospitals to finish off their prey.

Mexicans in US return home for holidays with less

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico - Nearly 1 million Mexican migrants living in the U.S. are expected to head home for the holidays, but relatively few are returning loaded down with gifts and cash this year. Many are simply moving back after losing their jobs in the U.S. economic crisis, a disappointing turn for an annual journey that has become a cherished tradition in towns and villages across Mexico. In many impoverished hamlets, migrants are usually welcomed home with lavish festivities. Townspeople admire their new vehicles bought with U.S.-earned dollars, and children scramble to see what is inside boxes as if Santa Claus had just arrived. Mexican police even accompany returning migrants to protect them against bandits who target vehicles overflowing with toys, appliances, televisions and bicycles.

Shuler to tackle immigration again next year

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Heath Shuler's immigration bill to require employers to verify new workers' legal status quietly failed this fall after receiving substantial attention and support earlier in the year. More than a third of House lawmakers -- 157 -- cosponsored Shuler's bill to require immigration screening of all new workers through the Department of Homeland Security's E-Verify database. Republicans took up Shuler's bill in the spring and sought to force a vote on the House floor through a discharge petition. But the effort fell short as congressional attention turned to high gas prices and then a faltering economy.

Border crossings shift back to California routes

TIJUANA ---- In a flash, the two men were over the double fence and into the San Diego parking lot. As a waiting pickup truck sped them away, the smuggler who boosted them over the 15-foot walls scrambled toward Mexico. Border Patrol agents could only tag Juan Garcia's black sweatshirt with pepper spray bullets as he escaped back over the wall to Tijuana, red-eyed and coughing but $30 richer for a few seconds of daring labor. It's just another night along the most heavily guarded stretch of U.S.-Mexico frontier, where Border Patrol apprehensions of illegal crossers have increased 28 percent since 2005 ---- even as apprehensions have dropped nearly 40 percent border-wide over the same period. While illegal crossings are impossible to count, experts look to Border Patrol apprehensions as the best indicator of migrant traffic.

Bloodshed on the Border: Drug War in Juarez

Late one night in January, an ambulance escorted by five unmarked squad cars pulled up to Thomason Hospital in El Paso, Texas. Out leaped more than a dozen armed federal agents to protect the patient--Fernando Lozano Sandoval, a commander with the Chihuahua State Investigations Agency. He'd been pumped full of bullets just across the Mexican border in Ciudad Juárez by gunmen believed to have been hired by a drug cartel. Lozano Sandoval's sole hope of survival was the medical team at Thomason, the only level-one trauma center for nearly 300 miles. U.S. authorities took no chances; in Mexico, assassins regularly raid hospitals to finish off their prey.

7 men may face kidnapping charges

Seven men could face kidnapping charges after a police raid at a west Phoenix home freed a 16-year-old boy whose uncle is suspected of being extorted for nearly $100,000 in drug money, investigators said Wednesday. Robbery detectives said bandits kidnapped the teen knowing that his uncle, who helped alert police, was involved in illegal drug deals that generated large amounts of cash. Hundreds of kidnapping incidents tied to drug- and human-smuggling are investigated annually in the Valley. In many cases, families involved in crime hesitate to report missing loved ones and ransom demands to police for fear of retribution or arrest, police say.

Deported illegal immigrant returns to US, arrested for assaulting 2 men

An illegal immigrant who was deported in 2007 after serving time for an attempted-rape conviction in Nebraska returned to the United States earlier this year only to assault two men in Alexandria on separate occasions. Jolman Antonio Garcia, 30, of Esperanza, Honduras, was placed in federal custody on Nov. 12, two weeks after he was sentenced to nearly two years in prison by an Alexandria judge. According to a sworn statement by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, Garcia snuck across the U.S.-Mexican border near Douglas, Ariz., in mid-April, a little more than a year after he was deported from Hastings, Neb.

Federal Initiative May Aid Illegal Aliens

A bipartisan agreement may have resuscitated legislation that would extend federal student aid to some illegal aliens, according to media reports. "On immigration, there's been an agreement between [President-elect Barack] Obama and [Senator John] McCain to move forward on that," Senate Majority leader Harry Reid said in an interview with the Gannett News Service last weekend. Reid, a Democrat from Nevada, has pushed the Senate to enact comprehensive immigration reform in recent years. Last June, amid a fevered debate and nation-wide protests, the Senate failed to pass a massive immigration reform act that included a provision allowing public colleges to offer in-state tuition rates to undocumented immigrants.

ICE fugitive operations teams nab 104 illegal aliens in NC, SC & GA

CHARLOTTE, NC - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced today that a five-day targeted fugitive operation that culminated Friday in the Carolinas and Georgia netted 104 fugitive aliens and immigration violators. Among those arrested were 94 fugitives who ignored lawful orders of removal and went into hiding and 10 other immigration violators. Of the 104 arrested, 23 had prior criminal convictions for crimes including drug possession, stolen goods possession and indecent liberties with a child. "We will continue conducting these targeted fugitive operations to arrest and deport those in violation of U.S. immigration law," said Felicia Skinner, acting field office director for the ICE Office of Detention and Removal in Atlanta. "Our message is clear: avoid arrest by complying with the law."

Mexican gangs now infiltrating Kentucky; Shelbyville fears violence in the future

(WHAS11) - Until recent years, Kentucky wasn't a major destination for illegal immigrants. Those who came here were mostly migrant workers or employees in the equestrian industry. But a new wave of illegal immigrants has been arriving in recent years, and law enforcement agencies say many of these undocumented citizens are bringing with them drugs, gangs and violent crime. Illegal immigrants arrive in Kentuckiana daily. While most are here for a better life, police say others have direct ties to deadly gangs and even the Mexican mafia. Shelbyville looks like most small towns in Middle America.

Tancredo's crusade isn't over

WASHINGTON - Take your pick: farewell or good riddance. But outgoing Rep. Tom Tancredo might not be leaving the political limelight for long. "I'm not done with politics," the controversial, immigration-reform firebrand declared last week, sitting in a crowded cafeteria two floors below where his staff was packing up his old congressional office. After five terms in Congress - two more than his discarded term-limits pledge - Tancredo said he's not finished making noise about conservative causes, including his crusade to stop illegal immigration.

Undercover immigration agent busted on kickback charge

A federal undercover agent investigating an Ecuadorean-Chinese smuggling ring accepted cash kickbacks and other gifts from a paid U.S. government informant involved in the probe of the illegal migrant network, according to an indictment unsealed Monday. Veteran Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Pedro Cintron, 52, is charged with taking $8,300 -- along with a gold bracelet and cellphones worth about $2,000 -- from the unidentified informant who worked with him in 2004-05. Cintron, who lives in Weston, also accepted $12,000 from a Chinese smuggler based in Ecuador as a down payment for bringing illegal migrants into the United States in late 2005, according to the indictment.

Officials Arrest 4 Alleged Sex Traffickers, Rescue 9 Women From S. Fla. Brothel

MIAMI -- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested four suspected sex traffickers and rescued nine immigrant women who were allegedly being forced into prostitution in South Florida brothels. ICE said they arrested Arturo-Rojas-Gonzalez, Elodia Capilla-Diego, Fidel Gutierrez-Gonzalez and Rosalio Valdez-Nava on Wednesday after an extensive investigation by ICE and with assistance from several law enforcement agencies in South Florida. Authorities said the four arrested appeared in court on Thursday afternoon in Miami. According to ICE, an investigation was conducted into more than a dozen brothels and stash houses where immigrant women were forced into prostitution. Officials said the incidents occurred in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.

GALEO: Illegal immigrants leaving Ga. as jobs dry up

ATLANTA - First it was tougher immigration laws and other measures aimed at illegal immigrants. Now, it appears the struggling economy is having an impact on the number of illegal immigrants calling Georgia home. Jerry Gonzalez heads the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials (GALEO). He told the Georgia News Network that illegal immigrants were coming here because they needed work, and there were lots of jobs. But, Gonzalez said, with fewer jobs available because of the current economic climate, many are leaving and going elsewhere in search of a job.

Bombing suspect's marriage may have been for green card

The American ex-wife of a man accused in one of Europe's most shocking terrorist incidents suspected their marriage may have been a ploy to get an U.S. green card and was not surprised when she was questioned by authorities about their relationship a few weeks ago. "That was under suspect from the very get-go," said Heather Winne, 35, of Hassan Naim Diab's marriage intentions. A green card, or permanent resident card, gives its bearer official immigration status in the United States.

Mexican Consul: Immigrants Leaving Midwest

DENVER -- Many Mexicans increasingly feel unwelcome in Colorado because of a perceived anti-immigrant sentiment, and some are looking back home for opportunities as the economy here sours, Denver's Mexican consul general says. "What I've found is that in our communities, with few exceptions, there's a sense that the state is not friendly toward immigrants, that they don't feel welcomed and that they encounter this feeling of, 'I don't like you but I need you,"' Eduardo Arnal said during a recent interview in Spanish. Arnal said that in his travels around Colorado people tell him about losing their jobs as the state's major employers -- the construction and service industries -- have seen a decline. "We don't have statistics, but I can tell you with certainty that Mexicans are abandoning Colorado," he said. "And for a variety of reasons, one being that they are not able to find jobs, they're looking for other places and some even considering returning to Mexico definitely. Added to that is the fact that many don't consider the state a friendly place for immigrants."

Immigrants leaving Nevada as economy sours

Local Hispanic immigrants, both legal and illegal, are heading back to their home countries as the U.S. economic climate worsens, community members, advocates and school officials said. Those who remain are sending less money to their families abroad as construction and service industry jobs dry up. "What traditionally happens is that people come here to work when the economy is thriving," said Leslie A. Mix, former general manager for Univision. "People will work two, three jobs at any given time to save whatever they can and then send that money home to any family they've left behind. "In the current economic times, we're currently losing a portion of the (Hispanic) population. People have to move on to find jobs or they'll move back to their families."

Dark days for laborers: Workers hurt by economy but find hope in Obama

Day laborers throughout the city have become yet another casualty of the dire economy. Hungry and increasingly desperate, some have considered returning to their home countries. But since Barack Obama's election earlier this month, many of the undocumented workers said they're seeing a ray of hope. "Before the election, I was thinking of going back to Peru," said Cesar, 35, who spoke to the Daily News on the condition his last name would not be used. "But now I want to stay around and see what's going on with the new President," he said. Life has never been easy for day laborers, but it's become downright precarious in recent months, said Oscar Paredes, director of the nonprofit group Latin American Workers Project.

Border Patrol: NM fence led to fewer immigrants

COLUMBUS, N.M. (AP) - The Border Patrol credits fencing in southern Luna County and more agents for a significant drop in undocumented immigrants caught in the county. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says apprehensions of immigrants decreased about 67% when the fence was completed along the border at Santa Teresa. Two phases were finished in May. The agency also says that after a pedestrian fence went in near the Columbus port of entry, apprehensions within that 6-mile corridor dropped more than 60% from 2007 to 2008. It says no narcotics were seized in the corridor at all during the period.

27 suspected illegal immigrants arrested in Colorado

DENVER -- State troopers and federal agents say they arrested 27 suspected illegal immigrants crammed into two vehicles, one near Grand Junction and one in the Denver area. Sixteen people were in an SUV that was stopped on Interstate 70 near Grand Junction in western Colorado on Wednesday. Authorities say all but four seats had been removed, and none of the occupants was wearing a seat belt. The other 11 suspects were arrested on I-70 in Denver on Wednesday. Authorities say one was a male with a criminal history involving sexual assault, but they didn't say whether he had been convicted or give other details.

Grand jury returns indictment vs. Iowa meatpacker

DES MOINES, Iowa -- A federal grand jury in Iowa has returned a 12-count indictment against a kosher slaughterhouse and some of its employees on charges ranging from conspiracy and harboring illegal immigrants to bank fraud. The Agriprocessors plant in Postville was the site of one of the nation's largest immigration raids in May. The superseding indictment includes three new defendants who haven't previously faced federal charges in connection with the plant. The indictment was issued Thursday and unsealed on Friday.

Arizona governor critical of federal border policy

PHOENIX (AP) -- If she becomes President-elect Barack Obama's homeland security chief, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano will find herself in a position to change some of the federal immigration policies that she has railed against. As leader of a state with the busiest illegal path into the United States, Napolitano has complained repeatedly that the federal government had shirked its duty to secure the border and therefore dumped the costs of immigration on Arizona. After declaring a state of emergency due to problems at the border, the Democrat proposed putting National Guard troops at the international boundary, four months before President Bush took up a similar idea.

Defining Natural-Born Citizen

What better way to protect the office of the Executive from foreign influence then to require the President to have inherited his American citizenship through his American father and not through a foreign father. Any child can be born anywhere in the country and removed by their father to be raised under foreign influences in another country. The risks would be for the child the return in later life to reside in this country bringing with him foreign influences and intrigues. Therefore, we can say with confidence that a natural-born citizen of the United States means those persons born whose father the United States already has an established jurisdiction over, i.e., born to father's who are themselves citizens of the United States. A person who had been born under a double allegiance cannot be said to be a natural-born citizen of the United States because such status is not recognized (only in fiction of law).

Amnesty Bill for Illegals Unlikely to Pass Senate, Group Says

A comprehensive "amnesty" bill to provide illegal aliens a path to citizenship is unlikely to pass the U.S. Senate next year because Republicans will be more united in opposition and Democrats will be reticent to burn political capital on the issue, according to a public policy group that tracks population growth in the U.S. In October, Numbers USA updated its report card on U.S. senators in regard to key votes cast from 2005 to 2008 on immigration policy. ... There are about a dozen Democratic senators who have opposed "amnesty" for illegal aliens and who will continue to be a factor, Beck estimates. Although some may back amnesty now that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) has been elected president, there likely will not be enough votes to secure passage of an amnesty bill, said Beck.

10,000 illegal immigrants may get federal amnesty

PORTLAND, Ore. -- The federal government plans to legalize certain unauthorized immigrants who applied for a 1986 amnesty program but were unfairly excluded or never received a response to their request. It is thought that about 10,000 may qualify, said Sharon Rummery, a Citizenship and Immigration Services spokeswoman in the San Francisco regional office. It was not immediately clear how many live in the Northwest. CIS officials said the one-year period to reapply will begin Feb. 1. CIS is the government agency that oversees lawful immigration into the United States.

More blacks may favor English-only plan

Blake Best is 23 years old, African-American and speaks Spanish well enough to function easily in Mexico. That last fact is why Best says he supports a measure that would force all Metro Nashville business to be done in English. If he can learn Spanish, newcomers can learn English. But some who hope to influence the outcome of a Jan. 22 special election -- where voters will decide whether to approve a ban on government business being conducted, in most cases, in languages other than English -- suspect Best's race could have a role in the way he votes, too. While conventional wisdom suggests that one group with a history of poor treatment might be sympathetic to the struggles of another, there are hints of significant African-American support for the English-only proposal, which almost exclusively will affect immigrants.

Mexicans in US return home for holidays with less

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico - Nearly 1 million Mexican migrants living in the U.S. are expected to head home for the holidays, but relatively few are returning loaded down with gifts and cash this year. Many are simply moving back after losing their jobs in the U.S. economic crisis, a disappointing turn for an annual journey that has become a cherished tradition in towns and villages across Mexico. In many impoverished hamlets, migrants are usually welcomed home with lavish festivities. Townspeople admire their new vehicles bought with U.S.-earned dollars, and children scramble to see what is inside boxes as if Santa Claus had just arrived. Mexican police even accompany returning migrants to protect them against bandits who target vehicles overflowing with toys, appliances, televisions and bicycles.

Shuler to tackle immigration again next year

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Heath Shuler's immigration bill to require employers to verify new workers' legal status quietly failed this fall after receiving substantial attention and support earlier in the year. More than a third of House lawmakers -- 157 -- cosponsored Shuler's bill to require immigration screening of all new workers through the Department of Homeland Security's E-Verify database. Republicans took up Shuler's bill in the spring and sought to force a vote on the House floor through a discharge petition. But the effort fell short as congressional attention turned to high gas prices and then a faltering economy.

Border crossings shift back to California routes

TIJUANA ---- In a flash, the two men were over the double fence and into the San Diego parking lot. As a waiting pickup truck sped them away, the smuggler who boosted them over the 15-foot walls scrambled toward Mexico. Border Patrol agents could only tag Juan Garcia's black sweatshirt with pepper spray bullets as he escaped back over the wall to Tijuana, red-eyed and coughing but $30 richer for a few seconds of daring labor. It's just another night along the most heavily guarded stretch of U.S.-Mexico frontier, where Border Patrol apprehensions of illegal crossers have increased 28 percent since 2005 ---- even as apprehensions have dropped nearly 40 percent border-wide over the same period. While illegal crossings are impossible to count, experts look to Border Patrol apprehensions as the best indicator of migrant traffic.

Bloodshed on the Border: Drug War in Juarez

Late one night in January, an ambulance escorted by five unmarked squad cars pulled up to Thomason Hospital in El Paso, Texas. Out leaped more than a dozen armed federal agents to protect the patient--Fernando Lozano Sandoval, a commander with the Chihuahua State Investigations Agency. He'd been pumped full of bullets just across the Mexican border in Ciudad Juárez by gunmen believed to have been hired by a drug cartel. Lozano Sandoval's sole hope of survival was the medical team at Thomason, the only level-one trauma center for nearly 300 miles. U.S. authorities took no chances; in Mexico, assassins regularly raid hospitals to finish off their prey.

7 men may face kidnapping charges

Seven men could face kidnapping charges after a police raid at a west Phoenix home freed a 16-year-old boy whose uncle is suspected of being extorted for nearly $100,000 in drug money, investigators said Wednesday. Robbery detectives said bandits kidnapped the teen knowing that his uncle, who helped alert police, was involved in illegal drug deals that generated large amounts of cash. Hundreds of kidnapping incidents tied to drug- and human-smuggling are investigated annually in the Valley. In many cases, families involved in crime hesitate to report missing loved ones and ransom demands to police for fear of retribution or arrest, police say.

Deported illegal immigrant returns to US, arrested for assaulting 2 men

An illegal immigrant who was deported in 2007 after serving time for an attempted-rape conviction in Nebraska returned to the United States earlier this year only to assault two men in Alexandria on separate occasions. Jolman Antonio Garcia, 30, of Esperanza, Honduras, was placed in federal custody on Nov. 12, two weeks after he was sentenced to nearly two years in prison by an Alexandria judge. According to a sworn statement by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, Garcia snuck across the U.S.-Mexican border near Douglas, Ariz., in mid-April, a little more than a year after he was deported from Hastings, Neb.

Federal Initiative May Aid Illegal Aliens

A bipartisan agreement may have resuscitated legislation that would extend federal student aid to some illegal aliens, according to media reports. "On immigration, there's been an agreement between [President-elect Barack] Obama and [Senator John] McCain to move forward on that," Senate Majority leader Harry Reid said in an interview with the Gannett News Service last weekend. Reid, a Democrat from Nevada, has pushed the Senate to enact comprehensive immigration reform in recent years. Last June, amid a fevered debate and nation-wide protests, the Senate failed to pass a massive immigration reform act that included a provision allowing public colleges to offer in-state tuition rates to undocumented immigrants.

ICE fugitive operations teams nab 104 illegal aliens in NC, SC & GA

CHARLOTTE, NC - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced today that a five-day targeted fugitive operation that culminated Friday in the Carolinas and Georgia netted 104 fugitive aliens and immigration violators. Among those arrested were 94 fugitives who ignored lawful orders of removal and went into hiding and 10 other immigration violators. Of the 104 arrested, 23 had prior criminal convictions for crimes including drug possession, stolen goods possession and indecent liberties with a child. "We will continue conducting these targeted fugitive operations to arrest and deport those in violation of U.S. immigration law," said Felicia Skinner, acting field office director for the ICE Office of Detention and Removal in Atlanta. "Our message is clear: avoid arrest by complying with the law."

Mexican gangs now infiltrating Kentucky; Shelbyville fears violence in the future

(WHAS11) - Until recent years, Kentucky wasn't a major destination for illegal immigrants. Those who came here were mostly migrant workers or employees in the equestrian industry. But a new wave of illegal immigrants has been arriving in recent years, and law enforcement agencies say many of these undocumented citizens are bringing with them drugs, gangs and violent crime. Illegal immigrants arrive in Kentuckiana daily. While most are here for a better life, police say others have direct ties to deadly gangs and even the Mexican mafia. Shelbyville looks like most small towns in Middle America.

Tancredo's crusade isn't over

WASHINGTON - Take your pick: farewell or good riddance. But outgoing Rep. Tom Tancredo might not be leaving the political limelight for long. "I'm not done with politics," the controversial, immigration-reform firebrand declared last week, sitting in a crowded cafeteria two floors below where his staff was packing up his old congressional office. After five terms in Congress - two more than his discarded term-limits pledge - Tancredo said he's not finished making noise about conservative causes, including his crusade to stop illegal immigration.

Undercover immigration agent busted on kickback charge

A federal undercover agent investigating an Ecuadorean-Chinese smuggling ring accepted cash kickbacks and other gifts from a paid U.S. government informant involved in the probe of the illegal migrant network, according to an indictment unsealed Monday. Veteran Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Pedro Cintron, 52, is charged with taking $8,300 -- along with a gold bracelet and cellphones worth about $2,000 -- from the unidentified informant who worked with him in 2004-05. Cintron, who lives in Weston, also accepted $12,000 from a Chinese smuggler based in Ecuador as a down payment for bringing illegal migrants into the United States in late 2005, according to the indictment.

Officials Arrest 4 Alleged Sex Traffickers, Rescue 9 Women From S. Fla. Brothel

MIAMI -- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested four suspected sex traffickers and rescued nine immigrant women who were allegedly being forced into prostitution in South Florida brothels. ICE said they arrested Arturo-Rojas-Gonzalez, Elodia Capilla-Diego, Fidel Gutierrez-Gonzalez and Rosalio Valdez-Nava on Wednesday after an extensive investigation by ICE and with assistance from several law enforcement agencies in South Florida. Authorities said the four arrested appeared in court on Thursday afternoon in Miami. According to ICE, an investigation was conducted into more than a dozen brothels and stash houses where immigrant women were forced into prostitution. Officials said the incidents occurred in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.

GALEO: Illegal immigrants leaving Ga. as jobs dry up

ATLANTA - First it was tougher immigration laws and other measures aimed at illegal immigrants. Now, it appears the struggling economy is having an impact on the number of illegal immigrants calling Georgia home. Jerry Gonzalez heads the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials (GALEO). He told the Georgia News Network that illegal immigrants were coming here because they needed work, and there were lots of jobs. But, Gonzalez said, with fewer jobs available because of the current economic climate, many are leaving and going elsewhere in search of a job.

Bombing suspect's marriage may have been for green card

The American ex-wife of a man accused in one of Europe's most shocking terrorist incidents suspected their marriage may have been a ploy to get an U.S. green card and was not surprised when she was questioned by authorities about their relationship a few weeks ago. "That was under suspect from the very get-go," said Heather Winne, 35, of Hassan Naim Diab's marriage intentions. A green card, or permanent resident card, gives its bearer official immigration status in the United States.

Mexican Consul: Immigrants Leaving Midwest

DENVER -- Many Mexicans increasingly feel unwelcome in Colorado because of a perceived anti-immigrant sentiment, and some are looking back home for opportunities as the economy here sours, Denver's Mexican consul general says. "What I've found is that in our communities, with few exceptions, there's a sense that the state is not friendly toward immigrants, that they don't feel welcomed and that they encounter this feeling of, 'I don't like you but I need you,"' Eduardo Arnal said during a recent interview in Spanish. Arnal said that in his travels around Colorado people tell him about losing their jobs as the state's major employers -- the construction and service industries -- have seen a decline. "We don't have statistics, but I can tell you with certainty that Mexicans are abandoning Colorado," he said. "And for a variety of reasons, one being that they are not able to find jobs, they're looking for other places and some even considering returning to Mexico definitely. Added to that is the fact that many don't consider the state a friendly place for immigrants."

Immigrants leaving Nevada as economy sours

Local Hispanic immigrants, both legal and illegal, are heading back to their home countries as the U.S. economic climate worsens, community members, advocates and school officials said. Those who remain are sending less money to their families abroad as construction and service industry jobs dry up. "What traditionally happens is that people come here to work when the economy is thriving," said Leslie A. Mix, former general manager for Univision. "People will work two, three jobs at any given time to save whatever they can and then send that money home to any family they've left behind. "In the current economic times, we're currently losing a portion of the (Hispanic) population. People have to move on to find jobs or they'll move back to their families."

Dark days for laborers: Workers hurt by economy but find hope in Obama

Day laborers throughout the city have become yet another casualty of the dire economy. Hungry and increasingly desperate, some have considered returning to their home countries. But since Barack Obama's election earlier this month, many of the undocumented workers said they're seeing a ray of hope. "Before the election, I was thinking of going back to Peru," said Cesar, 35, who spoke to the Daily News on the condition his last name would not be used. "But now I want to stay around and see what's going on with the new President," he said. Life has never been easy for day laborers, but it's become downright precarious in recent months, said Oscar Paredes, director of the nonprofit group Latin American Workers Project.

Mexico's Calderon Says Obama Shouldn't Touch Nafta

Nov. 22 (Bloomberg) -- Mexican President Felipe Calderon said U.S. President-elect Barack Obama shouldn't succumb to protectionist pressures and attempt to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement. Calderon, speaking to business leaders today at the Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Lima, said restricting access for Mexican exports would exacerbate other problems such as illegal immigration along the countries' 3,000-kilometer (1,900-mile) border. ``The day access is closed, workers will jump over whatever river or wall you put there,'' Calderon said. ``The answer to our problems is commerce.''

Border Patrol: NM fence led to fewer immigrants

COLUMBUS, N.M. (AP) - The Border Patrol credits fencing in southern Luna County and more agents for a significant drop in undocumented immigrants caught in the county. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says apprehensions of immigrants decreased about 67% when the fence was completed along the border at Santa Teresa. Two phases were finished in May. The agency also says that after a pedestrian fence went in near the Columbus port of entry, apprehensions within that 6-mile corridor dropped more than 60% from 2007 to 2008. It says no narcotics were seized in the corridor at all during the period.

27 suspected illegal immigrants arrested in Colorado

DENVER -- State troopers and federal agents say they arrested 27 suspected illegal immigrants crammed into two vehicles, one near Grand Junction and one in the Denver area. Sixteen people were in an SUV that was stopped on Interstate 70 near Grand Junction in western Colorado on Wednesday. Authorities say all but four seats had been removed, and none of the occupants was wearing a seat belt. The other 11 suspects were arrested on I-70 in Denver on Wednesday. Authorities say one was a male with a criminal history involving sexual assault, but they didn't say whether he had been convicted or give other details.

Grand jury returns indictment vs. Iowa meatpacker

DES MOINES, Iowa -- A federal grand jury in Iowa has returned a 12-count indictment against a kosher slaughterhouse and some of its employees on charges ranging from conspiracy and harboring illegal immigrants to bank fraud. The Agriprocessors plant in Postville was the site of one of the nation's largest immigration raids in May. The superseding indictment includes three new defendants who haven't previously faced federal charges in connection with the plant. The indictment was issued Thursday and unsealed on Friday.

Arizona governor critical of federal border policy

PHOENIX (AP) -- If she becomes President-elect Barack Obama's homeland security chief, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano will find herself in a position to change some of the federal immigration policies that she has railed against. As leader of a state with the busiest illegal path into the United States, Napolitano has complained repeatedly that the federal government had shirked its duty to secure the border and therefore dumped the costs of immigration on Arizona. After declaring a state of emergency due to problems at the border, the Democrat proposed putting National Guard troops at the international boundary, four months before President Bush took up a similar idea.

Defining Natural-Born Citizen

What better way to protect the office of the Executive from foreign influence then to require the President to have inherited his American citizenship through his American father and not through a foreign father. Any child can be born anywhere in the country and removed by their father to be raised under foreign influences in another country. The risks would be for the child the return in later life to reside in this country bringing with him foreign influences and intrigues. Therefore, we can say with confidence that a natural-born citizen of the United States means those persons born whose father the United States already has an established jurisdiction over, i.e., born to father's who are themselves citizens of the United States. A person who had been born under a double allegiance cannot be said to be a natural-born citizen of the United States because such status is not recognized (only in fiction of law).

Amnesty Bill for Illegals Unlikely to Pass Senate, Group Says

A comprehensive "amnesty" bill to provide illegal aliens a path to citizenship is unlikely to pass the U.S. Senate next year because Republicans will be more united in opposition and Democrats will be reticent to burn political capital on the issue, according to a public policy group that tracks population growth in the U.S. In October, Numbers USA updated its report card on U.S. senators in regard to key votes cast from 2005 to 2008 on immigration policy. ... There are about a dozen Democratic senators who have opposed "amnesty" for illegal aliens and who will continue to be a factor, Beck estimates. Although some may back amnesty now that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) has been elected president, there likely will not be enough votes to secure passage of an amnesty bill, said Beck.

10,000 illegal immigrants may get federal amnesty

PORTLAND, Ore. -- The federal government plans to legalize certain unauthorized immigrants who applied for a 1986 amnesty program but were unfairly excluded or never received a response to their request. It is thought that about 10,000 may qualify, said Sharon Rummery, a Citizenship and Immigration Services spokeswoman in the San Francisco regional office. It was not immediately clear how many live in the Northwest. CIS officials said the one-year period to reapply will begin Feb. 1. CIS is the government agency that oversees lawful immigration into the United States.

More blacks may favor English-only plan

Blake Best is 23 years old, African-American and speaks Spanish well enough to function easily in Mexico. That last fact is why Best says he supports a measure that would force all Metro Nashville business to be done in English. If he can learn Spanish, newcomers can learn English. But some who hope to influence the outcome of a Jan. 22 special election -- where voters will decide whether to approve a ban on government business being conducted, in most cases, in languages other than English -- suspect Best's race could have a role in the way he votes, too. While conventional wisdom suggests that one group with a history of poor treatment might be sympathetic to the struggles of another, there are hints of significant African-American support for the English-only proposal, which almost exclusively will affect immigrants.