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Illegal, but Not Undocumented: Identity Theft, Document Fraud, and Illegal Employment
This Backgrounder examines illegal immigration-related document fraud and identity theft that is committed primarily for the purpose of employment. It debunks three common misconceptions: illegal aliens are “undocumented;” the transgressions committed by illegal aliens to obtain jobs are minor; and illegal-alien document fraud and identity theft are victimless crimes. It discusses how some community leaders rationalize these crimes, contributing to a deterioration of the respect for laws in our nation, and presents a variety of remedies, including more widespread electronic verification of work status (E-Verify and the Social Security Number Verification Service) and immigrant outreach programs to explain the ramifications and risks of document fraud and identity theft.
The findings include:
* Illegal immigrants are not “undocumented.” They have fraudulent documents such as counterfeit Social Security cards, forged drivers licenses, fake “green cards,” and phony birth certificates. Experts suggest that approximately 75 percent of working-age illegal aliens use fraudulent Social Security cards to obtain employment.
* Most (98 percent) Social Security number (SSN) thieves use their own names with stolen numbers. The federal E-Verify program, now mandated in only 14 states, can detect this fraud. Universal, mandatory use of E-Verify would curb this and stop virtually 100 percent of child identity theft.
* Illegal immigration and high levels of identity theft go hand-in-hand. States with the most illegal immigration also have high levels of job-related identity theft. In Arizona, 33 percent or all identity theft is job-related (as opposed to identity theft motivated simply by profit). In Texas it is 27 percent; in New Mexico, 23 percent; in Colorado, 22 percent; California, 20 percent; and in Nevada, 16 percent. Eight of the 10 states with the highest percentage of illegal aliens in their total population are among the top 10 states in identity theft (Arizona, California, Florida, Texas, Nevada, New York, Georgia, and Colorado).
* Children are prime targets. In Arizona, it is estimated that over one million children are victims of identity theft. In Utah, 1,626 companies were found to be paying wages to the SSNs of children on public assistance under the age of 13. These individuals suffer very real and very serious consequences in their lives.
* Illegal aliens commit felonies in order to get jobs. Illegal aliens who use fraudulent documents, perjure themselves on I-9 forms, and commit identity theft in order to get jobs are committing serious offenses and are not “law abiding.”
* Illegally employed aliens send billions of dollars annually to their home countries, rather than spending it in the United States and helping stimulate the American economy. In October 2008 alone, $2.4 billion was transferred to Mexico.
* Tolerance of corruption erodes the rule of law. Corruption is a serious problem in most illegal aliens’ home countries. Allowing it to flourish here paves the way for additional criminal activity and increased corruption throughout society.
* Leaders support perpetrators and ignore victims. Political, civic, religious, business, education, and media leaders blame Americans for “forcing” illegal aliens to commit document fraud and identity theft. No similar concern is expressed for the American men, women, and children whose lives are destroyed in the process.
* The Social Security Administration and Internal Revenue Service facilitate illegal immigrant-driven identity theft. Both turn a blind eye to massive SSN fraud and take no action to stop it. The Social Security Administration assigns SSNs to new-born infants that are being used illegally. The IRS demands that victims pay taxes on wages earned by illegal aliens using their stolen SSNs, while taking no action to stop the identity theft.
* State and local governments need to adopt tougher laws to supplement federal efforts. The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is targeting large document fraud rings and the most egregious employers, but their resources are limited and stretched across multiple priorities. In 2007, identity theft cases represented only 7 percent of the total ICE case load.
* Employers must do their part. They can ensure that they have a legal workforce by using a combination of the federal government’s E-Verify and Social Security Number Verification Service systems and by signing up for the federal government’s IMAGE program or privately conducted audits.
Painfully simple solutions to the illegal immigration crisis
There are a few, painfully simple measures we could take to stop the current invasion and expel those who have no respect for our borders, nor for our citizens. Truthfully, if any combination or even one of the following actions were taken by our federal government, most illegal aliens in this country would leave, effectively deporting themselves.
1) Place the military on the border.
2) Prison sentences for CEO’s who hire illegal aliens.
3) Cut off all federal funds to cities which continue or adopt ‘sanctuary policies’ for illegal aliens.
4) Require anyone registering a child in a public school to provide proof of U.S. citizenship.
5) Begin mass deportations. Story.
Illegals arrested in viscious cockfighting ring
Three men have been booked into jail on animal cruelty charges after they admitted holding cockfights for profit, according to a statement released by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Thursday. Hector Rivera, 31; Eriberto Cuellar, 28; and Jose Martinez, 19, were reportedly “covered” in blood and surrounded by roosters when deputies arrested them earlier this week. Many of the roosters were already dead, the statement said. The remaining roosters, also covered in blood, were taken to the Estrella Equine Practice, where they were later euthanized. Sheriff Joe Arpaio said the cockfighting bust was in line with his office’s general crackdown on animal abuse. “My philosophy is, we’re going to enforce all animal cruelty laws, no matter what,” he said. The three men had allegedly been hosting the cockfights at the residence they shared in Harquahala Valley. Deputies placed immigration holds on Martinez and Rivera for being in the country illegally, the sheriff’s office said. Story.
Sixteen arrested at west Phoenix drophouse
Sixteen suspected illegal immigrants have been arrested at a house in far west Phoenix, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday. Deputies went to the house near 108th Avenue and West Turney Wednesday night. Sheriff Joe Arpaio said the suspects wre hiding throughout the house. He said all were found to have entered the United States illegally, paying between $100 and $4,000 to human smugglers. The sheriff said that since March 10 — when the U.S. Justice Department launched an investigation of his office — deputies have arrested 322 illegal aliens on state and federal immigration violations. He said they have made 3,048 arrests since 2006. “I will not be deterred by the Department of Justice, Washington D.C., politicians or critics,” Arpaio said. “As long as the illegal immigration continues to be a problem for our community, I will do my part by enforcing all the illegal immigration laws.” The sheriff also said Thursday that his office will conduct a large-scale crime suppression operation in the near future. He would not disclose the location. Story.
ICE audits 32 Arizona companies over illegal hiring practices
Federal immigration-enforcement agents notified 32 Arizona companies on Wednesday that their employment records are being audited to determine whether they are complying with laws aimed at preventing the hiring of illegal workers. The audits are not random. ICE said the businesses were identified based on “leads and information obtained through other investigative means.” ICE said it would not release the names or locations of the businesses that are being audited because of the ongoing investigations. In Arizona, federal agents also could refer cases to local authorities to enforce the state’s employer-sanctions law, which could result in the suspension or revocation of businesses licenses of employers caught knowingly hiring illegal workers. Story.
Activist ‘corrects’ my perception on illegal immigration
Local businessman and anti-illegal-immigration activist Rusty Childress disagreed with my column in Tuesday’s Arizona Republic.
Childress is passionate about illegal immigration, so I thought that I would share what he told me about the column, then my response, then his response to that. I’d like to say that, in this instance, I’m giving him the last word. But that isn’t exactly true. The last word, as always, belongs to you. Story.
Responding to the column, Childress wrote:
“Generalities, exaggerations and clichés work so much better. Particularly during tough economic times, when everybody is looking for somebody to blame.” Just like the “undocumented” are “only doing work Americans don’t want to do?” Or that anyone who supports the mission of ICE or the Border Patrol is a “racist hate group.” This is a double standard.
“Phoenix runs second in the world in kidnappings and third in the United States for violence. Arizona has become the home-invasion, carjacking, identity-theft capital of the nation. Is any of that true?” You still did not answer the question, but are far too obvious in attempting to plant the seed of doubt.
“What about a common-sense test? For the most part do you feel safe living here?” This is because if people believe 1/2 of what they read in the Republic, they would lead to believe that this has little effect on taxpayers. Furthermore, most of the time your paper uses the term “immigrant” to describe both legal and illegal status, confusing the reader even further.
“Illegal immigration is a serious problem. But it isn’t the reason for all of our other problems.” No one said it was, you are trying to put words in other people’s mouth, which is completely unethical.Its just the same old tired tactics: shoot the messenger, mischaracterize and attempt to discredit leadership, use ad hominem remarks and semantics to obfuscate. So predictable that you have become irrelevant to the debate. Is that what were striving for?
And don’t even get me started on whether law enforcement “should” enforce all laws (or be selective), and if they “should” cooperate with federal authorities. . .
Me:
If we disagree I suspect it is on the matter of allocation of resources. In a perfect world, government, law enforcement agencies and even you as a private businessman, would have enough money and personnel to accomplish everything that you would like to accomplish. But that isn’t the case. Police agencies, like government, while devoting some resources to ALL levels of criminal activity, are required by necessity and common sense to allocate more time and money to some than to others. Just as government is. Just as you are. I would agree with you that those who enter the country illegally are criminals. We’d disagree on how much time and money should be spent apprehending those who cut grass or work in car washes verses those who operate smuggling rings. I would not suggest that the sheriff, for instance, is doing anything improper when staging his much-publicized raids. I would only suggest that his resources could be better spent, particularly during our current economic situation. And I would d suggest that his motives have less to do with law enforcement than with maintaining a high public profile. The same can be said (in my opinion) about Sen. Pearce, who constantly labels anyone who disagrees with him as being part of the “open borders crowd.” What good does that do? In terms of public policy, none. In terms of getting re-elected… it works great.
Childress:
I’m cheap. I believe that citizen taxpayers should not be burdened with the cost of illegal immigration, even just a little. Not one red cent. If fact, the economic impact of this issue is so great that I think we must allocate the resources necessary to mitigate the problem, and do it with a sense of urgency. I don’t care whether aliens cut grass or sell drugs, this model is unsustainable (see my first editorial published by the Republic “Illegal arrivals draining Arizona”). Especially with the current state of unemployment in this country. Put Americans to work first, not foreign nationals. Prioritize please, charity begins at home. This is just down right common sense.
Consider California’s budget crisis. Look at what proximity to the border and lack of enforcement has created there. Is that sustainable? That ripple effect is going to adversely affect the entire country. They needed to enforce prop 187, now watch how this situation unfolds. Report that!
When I got involved in Prop 200 is was because it was entitled “the Arizona taxpayer and citizen protection act.” The name resonated with me. Taxpayers have had it. No excuses, rationalizations, justifications and use of race-baiting non-arguments. Enforce existing laws or get out of the way of someone who will, like Pearce and Arpaio.
You talk about labels. La Raza supporters accuse anyone who opposes illegal immigration of using “hate speech,” and “highly charged rhetoric.” They want to intimidate people from speaking out on this issue by using the “r” word. They invented the approach they oppose. They aren’t trying to get re-elected, they are fighting to keep the status quo. . .which is for Americans to continually subsidize the cost of “cheap labor” for greedy, scofflaw employers.
I support border security and interior enforcement, including local law enforcement enforcing federal laws, especially workplace enforcement. If you want employers to continue to screw taxpayers, then bend over and let them drive. Not me. It isn’t right and you know it. Illegal immigration is not a victimless crime, but it is an unfunded mandate. Employers need to be held accountable for committing felonies and adding insult to injury by billing the American public after the deed is done.
This has nothing to do with race. When I travel to Borneo illegal immigration is front page news there. They don’t even mention race, it is a non-starter because the aliens are Asian. There goes that argument. They are able to keep their eye on the ball there without distraction.
I guess we agree to disagree, how’s that for progress?
Nearly 50 LA businesses caught up in crackdown on illegal-workers
Federal officials Wednesday notified more than 650 businesses around the country, including nearly 50 in Los Angeles, that their records will be audited as part of a widening effort to find companies that hire illegal aliens. The number of notices issued is the largest ever in a single day and exceeds the total sent out in all of fiscal 2008, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said. “Part of the strategy is to let businesses know we mean business,” agency spokeswoman Pat Reilly said. The immigration agency also notified 80 companies, including three in Los Angeles, that it planned to fine them because they employ large numbers of people who do not appear to be authorized to work in the U.S. Immigration agents had earlier conducted audits on those companies’ records and, in many cases, determined that the Social Security numbers listed for employees either did not exist or did not belong to the employees specified. Story.
Rep. Nathan Deal Reintroduces Bill to End Birthright Citizenship
Rep. Nathan Deal (R-GA) reintroduced his Birthright Citizenship bill that would eliminate automatic citizenship for children born in the United States. The Birthright Citizenship Act of 2009 (H.R.1868) would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to make it more difficult for children born in the U.S. to gain citizenship.
Under the proposed legislation, a person born in the United States, in order to gain citizenship, must have at least one parent who is: Story
American Apparel Investigated for Hiring Illegal Workers
A clothing company that prides itself on its made-in-America label is under investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Services for hiring illegal workers. A federal investigation found that 1,600 of the 4,500 employees at American Apparel’s Los Angeles factories got their jobs using “suspect and not valid” eligibility documentation, Reuters reported. In addition, the status of another 200 workers could not be verified because of discrepancies, the January 2008 probe found. The company’s founder Charney has advocated for the legalization of foreign workers and has used the slogan, “Legalize LA” on T-shirts, in billboard ads and on banners that hang on the company’s building. On his personal Web site, Charney says that North America should have a common currency and “that there should be a border-less environment.” Story.
Business owner in US illegally
After arresting the owner of a large Valley business for allegedly being in the United States illegally, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio declared his crackdown on illegal immigration a success and pledged it will continue. Arpaio said Tuesday that his office has investigated 21 Valley businesses for possible violations of the employers’ sanctions law which took effect early this year. “We arrested 262,” he said. “Out of that, 166 of the people in those establishments had stolen identification. That’s a pretty big percentage.” “I know that the president and the homeland security secretary are talking about going after the employers,” Arpaio said. “They never say going after the illegal employees. I go after everybody.”
The latest arrests came Tuesday when deputies served a search warrant at Aracruz International Granite in Phoenix. The owner of the business, Raphael Libardi, was arrested at his home in Anthem for investigation of ID theft and mortgage fraud. “We received information through our illegal immigration hotline that he was running this business [and] that he was illegally here from Brazil,” Arpaio said. Deputies said Libardi had used a dead man’s Social Security number to purchase two vehicles and two homes, one of which was foreclosed on. Libardi’s two adult children were also arrested for being in the country illegally. All three sneaked in through Mexico, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Aracruz International is a supplier of granite counter tops. It employs between 15 and 20 people and is believed to generate about $1.9 million in annual sales. Other employees, some of which are related to Libardi, were also found to be in the country illegally, deputies said. Story.
Amnesty makes no sense
Unemployment hit 15.5% last month for American workers without high school diplomas. It makes no sense to give amnesty or a “path to citizenship” to millions of illegal immigrants who would compete with unemployed Americans for scarce jobs and drive down their wages.
Amnesty would hurt American taxpayers. After illegal immigrants are legalized, they’d become eligible for federal, state and local taxpayer-funded benefits such as Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security.
Most illegal immigrants don’t earn enough to pay taxes. Even when they do, the benefits they receive outweigh the taxes paid.
Amnesty would threaten to bankrupt Social Security. According to the Social Security Administration, most illegal immigrants who received amnesty would collect thousands of dollars more in benefits than they paid into the system.
Granting amnesty would increase illegal immigration. Since Congress passed the last “one-time” amnesty in 1986, the number of illegal immigrants in the U.S. has jumped to more than 12 million. Amnesty sends the message that if you just get into the country, even illegally, you can stay indefinitely.
Amnesty rewards illegal immigrants with the right to live and work in the U.S. That is unfair to the millions of legal immigrants who play by the rules, wait their turn and come in to the U.S. the right way. And selling amnesty to lawbreakers for the price of a fine would demean the value of the greatest honor our country can bestow: citizenship.
To achieve immigration reform, the choices are not just amnesty or mass deportation. A strategy of “attrition through enforcement” would dramatically reduce the number of illegal immigrants over time.
If the federal government enforced our immigration laws, especially those that target the employment of illegal workers, many illegal immigrants would simply return home because they can’t get jobs. Others would never come to the USA in the first place because they would not be hired. A Zogby poll in 2006 found that a majority of voters prefer this approach over others.
Amnesty would cost Americans their jobs, depress wages, burden taxpayers and encourage even more illegal immigration. On the other hand, enforcing immigration laws would increase respect for the rule of law and reduce illegal immigration. Story.
MASS AMNESTY: Deja Vu All Over Again, BUT B.O. Chief of Staff Says Votes ‘Aren’t There’
White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel bluntly admitted Thursday that “the votes aren’t there” to win comprehensive immigration legislation — even as President Barack Obama met with a bipartisan group of lawmakers in an attempt to jump-start stalled reform efforts. Story.
Anti-Illegal Immigration Proposal Passes
California is the Canary in the America’s immigration coal mine
Have you noticed California lately? When Proposition 187, passed by voters, augured into the ground via incompetent federal judges, the state become a magnet for mass migration of criminal aliens. In a brilliant expose’, “California is Dying—and it’s the Canary in America’s Immigratiion Coal Mine” by Washington DC writer, Don Collins, you find a plethora of understanding facing the United States. Last week, Schwarzenegger said that the annual $4 billion illegal aliens cost taxpayers in educational, medical and incarceration costs doesn’t amount to much. He neglected to say that the actual numbers exceeds $10 billion annually. Worse, he failed to address the billions lost to taxes by the underground economy by criminal aliens. Collins said. “And just now, in responding to the Governor’s urgent message for cutting costs, the California Senate passed a bill to give driver’s licences to illegal aliens. As if losing an average of almost 600,000 jobs a month in the US should mean we make it easier for the illegal aliens to stay here and to get to jobs American citizens don’t have. “Since the 1965 changes in our immigration laws, we have added huge numbers of immigrants and their children to our national population,” Collins said. “In 1970 California’s population was 20 million. Today, that population is estimated at about 37 million. Of those, the Center for Immigration Studies estimates about 10 million are legal (7 million) and illegal (3 million) immigrants. Over 8 million Californians were born outside the USA.” Just on the sheer numbers alone, it is not hard to see why California is now bankrupt. Story.
Illegal alien advocates ignore the facts.
The problem is that advocates act as if the question of whether immigrants are here with papers or without is irrelevant. To most Americans, it is quite relevant. Often, residents are annoyed when 
Supervisors accept $1.4M in anti-illegal immigration funds
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday accepted $1.4 million in immigration funds that it denied last week. The motion to accept the money died in a 2-2 vote last week with the board deadlocked on whether County Attorney Andrew Thomas and Sheriff Joe Arpaio should receive the funds, given to the county from the state. The money is meant to help Thomas enforce state employer-sanctions laws. A portion of the funds will be transferred to Arpaio’s office for its assistance in the enforcement effort. The swing vote on the issue, Chairman Max Wilson, weighed in on the matter at a 4 p.m. special meeting. He had been out of the office for medical reasons and missed last week’s controversial vote. Wilson, and supervisors Fulton Brock and Andy Kunasek agreed to accept the money. “I think it’s the right thing to do,” said Wilson. “I’m strongly in support of anyone that wants to support illegal immigration (enforcement).” Story.
Phone Sen. Kyl before he attends big amnesty meeting at the White House
Your very short phone call to Sen. Kyl is desperately needed today.
202-224-3121
Insiders on Capitol Hill are saying that he is one of the bi-partisan Members of Congress invited to meet with Pres. Obama at the White House on Thursday to “jump-start” plans to pass a giant amnesty for 12-20 million illegal aliens.
As you recall, Sen. Kyl shocked most of us by working on the inside with Pres. Bush and Sen. Kennedy in 2007 to produce the gigantic amnesty bill that NumbersUSA activists helped defeat in June of 2007.
Your calls today and tomorrow can help bolster Sen. Kyl’s resolve not to be sucked into another horrible grand compromise.
Overall, I believe that Sen. Kyl shares many of our concerns about the need for strong enforcement and for cutting the number of green cards issued every year. Even in 2007, he was the one who succeeded in inserting into the 2007 amnesty bill a provision to eliminate the Chain Migration categories. The problem, though, was that the open-borders people stuck in a delay of the elimination for 17 years and tripled the number of Chain Migration green cards during that period.
What the nation urgently needs is for Sen. Kyl to present the most important principles at his meeting in the White House.
The nation is depending on Arizonans to help Sen. Kyl be a champion for the American people again.
Here are some talking points when you call his office:
# When Sen. Kyl meets witth Pres. Obama at the White House Thursday, I want him to state Arizonans’ opposition to any amnesty for illegal aliens.
# Sen. Cornyn should state these principles for immigration reform to Pres. Obama:
(1) Turn off the job magnet for illegal immigration by mandating E-Verify for all employers. This can be done immediately, before any other “reform” is put in place.
(2) The net result of all immigration reform must be a large net reduction in annual green cards. Immigration of foreign workers and dependents has been running four times higher than traditional levels. The million green cards a year should be cut as far toward 250,000 as possible.
(3) The nation is in a jobs depression. Most immigration of foreign workers should be suspended so that jobless Americans can have a better chance to get back into the jobs market.
(4) The elimination of Chain Migration categories (which Sen. Kyl has championed in the past) should happen within two years and include the elimination of the backlog of millions of people who currently are in line. The problem with Sen. Kyl’s Chain Migration effort in the 2007 amnesty was that he let the millions of people in the backlog enter the U.S. before ending the program.
(5) Any attempt to give permanent work permits to an estimated 8 million illegal foreign workers would be political suicide while 14 million Americans looking for a job can’t find one.
If you have trouble getting through to the phone number above, try one of these:
Washington, DC
ph: 202-224-4521 adr: SH-730, Washington, DC 20510
Phoenix, AZ
ph: 602-840-1891 adr: 2200 East Camelback Road - Suite 120, Phoenix, AZ 85016
Tucson, AZ
ph: 520-575-8633 adr: 7315 North Oracle - Suite 220, Tucson, AZ 85704
No more catch and release of illegal aliens
A misunderstanding of the relationship between federal, criminal and immigration laws causes some to believe being in the United States in violation of immigration law is a civil issue and not a crime. This is clearly wrong.
The Constitution and Congress have given the enforcement role to local government. Unsanctioned entry into this country is a crime.
Ending sanctuary policies is a popular idea. Scores of elected officials and polling over the past few years have shown about 75 percent of voters support it. There needs to be an end to the practice of catch and release!
My legislation, SB 1175, which is now HB 2280, requires officials and agencies of the state, counties, cities and towns to fully comply with and assist in the enforcement of federal immigration laws and makes trespassing by illegal aliens a crime.
This is a critical bill. It is also a bill that is firmly grounded in our laws and in an extraordinary number of legal decisions at every level of our justice system.
Citizens have a constitutional right to expect the protection of federal laws that prohibit unauthorized activities by non-citizens and are denied equal protection by law enforcement, police departments or magistrates that fail to enforce those laws.
This is the only law we put conditions on before a police officer can enforce it. Illegal immigrants are the only criminals we protect by policies. No other crime or criminal gets this protection by our elected officials.
Studies and reports have cited alarming statistics: Illegal aliens kill 9,000 Americans a year - 25 each day, 12 by stabbings and shootings, 13 by DUI and related crimes; more than 100 sex offenders cross the border daily committing 1 million sex crimes a year.
Phoenix runs second in the world in kidnappings and third in the United States for violence.
Arizona has become the home-invasion, carjacking, identity-theft capital of the nation. These are not statistics Arizona should be famous for.
Enough is enough. The laws must be enforced.
We have good laws. What we don’t need is “comprehensive immigration reform,” which is a code word for amnesty, pushed by illegal employers, while taxpayers and victims pay the price.
State and local law-enforcement officials have the general power to investigate and arrest violators of U.S. immigration statutes without the prior knowledge or approval of federal officials, as long as state law does not restrict such general power.
No more catch and release! Sanctuary policies are illegal. Local, state or federal government agencies that sanction or retaliate against employees or officials who report immigration-law violations to ICE or the Border Patrol can be sued by the whistle-blower law.
The courts have not identified any policy or humanitarian argument that would negate the fact that aliens are present in the United States in violation of law. The First Amendment does not protect actions that aid illegal aliens to remain in the United States.
I pledge that if we eliminate all sanctuary policies in this state, the result will be less crime and lower taxes. The costs of these crimes are far more than financial to our citizens, and HB 2280 will help make Arizona a safer place. Story.
Court tells Spanish speaker advocates “no se puede mi amigos”
The U.S. Supreme Court likely ended a 17-year legal battle today, deciding Arizona has done enough to help students who haven’t learned to speak, read or write English. The Justices reversed the decision of the lower courts and sent the case, known as Flores vs. Arizona back with instructions to consider improvements the state has made in the way schools teach English learners. It decided the lower courts concentrated to narrowly on how much the state spent to help language learners and allowed that increases in overall school funding could be considered as a boost to help schools take the appropriate action called for in federal law.
The decision did not weaken Equal Education Opportunity Act of 1974, as some civil rights attorneys feared. But the justices’ said simply complying with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 did help to satisfy the requirements in the 1974 law to “take appropriate action” to help students overcome language barriers. In Arizona, this removes the threat of $2 million-a-day fines the lower court threatened to impose if Arizona did not fully implement and fund a language learners program. The State Legislature is likely to regain direct control over the type of program used to help student learn English and how much money schools receive to implement it. Story.
New Study: Identity Theft, Document Fraud and Illegal Employ
WASHINGTON (JUNE 25, 2009) - In May of this year, a Supreme Court decision severely impeded the use of identity theft charges as an immigration enforcement tool. In June, several people were arrested after a fraud scheme was uncovered at a Florida driver’s license bureau. In July, a new Utah law targeting illegal aliens and document fraud will take effect. As these examples show, illegal immigration is inherently tied to document fraud and identity theft. As states continue to search for answers, it is apparent that the Federal government has not yet found a working legislative solution to deter these crimes.
A new Backgrounder by the Center for Immigration Studies considers how illegal aliens perpetrate document fraud and identity theft, the effects on the victims of this crime, as well as some proposals to deter it. “Illegal, but Not Undocumented: Identity Theft, Document Fraud and Illegal Employment,” is written by Ronald Mortensen, PhD, a retired career U.S. Foreign Service Officer and former Society for Human Resource Management senior executive. The Backgrounder is available online at: http://www.cis.org/identitytheft.
The findings include:
- Illegal immigrants are not “undocumented.” They have fraudulent documents such as counterfeit Social Security cards, forged drivers licenses, fake “green cards,” and phony birth certificates. Experts suggest that approximately 75 percent of working-age illegal aliens use fraudulent Social Security cards to obtain employment.
- Most (98 percent) Social Security number (SSN) thieves use their own names with stolen numbers. The federal E-Verify program, now mandated in only 14 states, can detect this fraud. Universal, mandatory use of E-Verify would curb this and stop virtually 100 percent of child identity theft.
- Illegal immigration and high levels of identity theft go hand-in-hand. States with the most illegal immigration also have high levels of job-related identity theft. In Arizona, 33 percent or all identity theft is job-related (as opposed to identity theft motivated simply by profit). In Texas it is 27 percent; in New Mexico, 23 percent; in Colorado, 22 percent; California, 20 percent; and in Nevada, 16 percent. Eight of the 10 states with the highest percentage of illegal aliens in their total population are among the top 10 states in identity theft (Arizona, California, Florida, Texas, Nevada, New York, Georgia, and Colorado).
- Children are prime targets. In Arizona, it is estimated that over one million children are victims of identity theft. In Utah, 1,626 companies were found to be paying wages to the SSNs of children on public assistance under the age of 13. These individuals suffer very real and very serious consequences in their lives.
- Illegal aliens commit felonies in order to get jobs. Illegal aliens, who use fraudulent documents, perjure themselves on I-9 forms, and commit identity theft in order to get jobs are committing serious offenses and are not “law abiding.”
- Illegally employed aliens send billions of dollars annually to their home countries, rather than spending it in the United States and helping stimulate the American economy. In October 2008 alone, $2.4 billion was transferred to Mexico.
- Tolerance of corruption erodes the rule of law. Corruption is a serious problem in most illegal aliens’ home countries. Allowing it to flourish here paves the way for additional criminal activity and increased corruption throughout society.
- Leaders support perpetrators and ignore victims. Political, civic, religious, business, education, and media leaders blame Americans for “forcing” illegal aliens to commit document fraud and identity theft. No similar concern is expressed for the American men, women, and children whose lives are destroyed in the process.
- The Social Security Administration and Internal Revenue Service facilitate illegal immigrant-driven identity theft. Both turn a blind eye to massive SSN fraud and take no action to stop it. The Social Security Administration assigns SSNs to new-born infants that are being used illegally. The IRS demands that victims pay taxes on wages earned by illegal aliens using their stolen SSNs, while taking no action to stop the identity theft.
- State and local governments need to adopt tougher laws to supplement federal efforts. The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is targeting large document fraud rings and the most egregious employers, but their resources are limited and stretched across multiple priorities. In 2007, identity theft cases represented only 7 percent of the total ICE case load.
- Employers must do their part. They can ensure that they have a legal workforce by using a combination of the federal government’s E-Verify and Social Security Number Verification Service systems and by signing up for the federal government’s IMAGE program or privately conducted audits.
No Amnesty this year?
If there’s one thing 
Undocumented? Mexican Mafia can fix you right up
Immigration Enforcement Could Toughen
As America’s busiest immigrant smuggling hub, Arizona has earned the distinction as a place that’s tough on people who sneak across the border. That reputation would harden if the Legislature and governor approve a proposal that would draw local authorities deeper into immigration enforcement and further reject the notion that immigration is the sole responsibility of the federal government. The proposal, which has cleared the state Senate and is being considered by the House, would require police to try to determine people’s immigration status when they have reasonable suspicions that a person doesn’t have legal status.And, if approved, Arizona would become the only state to criminalize the presence of illegal immigrants through an expansion of its trespassing law. Story.
Citizenship for sale?
TMC offering maternity packages to Mexican women, raising questions on birthright
A Tucson hospital’s health-care package promises affluent Mexican women the chance to have their babies in posh surroundings with access to the latest medical equipment.
But the marketing materials leave out a key draw in the arrangement: U.S. citizenship for the newborn.
Tucson Medical Center’s “birth package” gives an official nod to a generations-old practice of wealthy Mexican women coming to U.S. hospitals to give birth. Mexican families do the same thing at all local hospitals, but TMC is the only one actively recruiting their business.
The practice is legal, but offensive to some advocates of tougher U.S. immigration standards.
“What it really amounts to,” said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, “is buying U.S. citizenship.”
“This is different from any other kind of medical treatment,” said Krikorian, whose Washington, D.C.-based think tank studies the impact of immigration on the United States. “If you come for cancer treatment … there’s no consequence for the United States. You pay your money, you go home.”
The Mexican consul general in Tucson said parents naturally want to give their children every advantage and securing U.S. citizenship is something a small percentage of Mexican families can afford.
“This is not a new phenomena,” said Juan Manuel Calderón Jaimes, who says he’s seen the practice for almost 30 years. “Many families of means in Sonora send their wives here to give birth because they have the resources to pay for the services.”
Expectant mothers can either schedule a Caesarean section or arrive a few weeks before their due dates to give birth at TMC. It is one of 13 packages aimed at Mexican families, some of which include a stay at a local resort and shopping excursion. Story
Illegal immigration costs us all dearly
Catastrophe, in the aftermath of the collapsed housing bubble, still pervades our East Valley while blame searches for a home. We already know that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are two of the baddies. Their downfall began in the 1990s, under a Democratic administration, when the two quasi-private mortgage companies, in cahoots with the feds, were pressured to finance underqualified buyers. Though there were some efforts to correct the problem, the failed policy continued to worsen under the Republicans. Even with that, the monster bubble could not have happened unless the market met demand. Think about it. The market responded with the help of huge numbers of low-paid, illegal workers. Their agents were not only industry lobbyists, but also those who insisted Americans wouldn’t do the work. They spread the mantra beyond our southern borders, and underprivileged Mexicans heeded the call. Now, our depressed neighborhoods speak to the results of that vast, cheap labor force. Did I mention illegal? Did I mention citizen workers were kicked to the curb? Story.
Phoenix playwrite makes clear intention of RAZA studies.
Regarding James Garcia’s comments in the Arizona Republic Sunday’s Plugged In section. Mr. Garcia has indeed solidified the reasoning for the need to stop all RAZA studies. He states (as does RAZA studies) that the 
We the peeps
Camouflaged Gunmen Fire on Trio
The Arizona Game and Fish Department is reviewing procedures on work near the Mexico border after three government employees were fired on east of Arivaca Lake last week.
Two Game and Fish employees and an employee with Pima County Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation, were fired at Thursday by a group of men while scouting for a land access project.
“This is the first time in recent history that our employees have been fired at on the border,” said Leonard Ordway, supervisor for Game and Fish’s Southern Arizona region. Story
Al Sharpton Takes on Phoenix’s Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Calls For Videos Showing Racial Profiling
The civil rights leader said the videos will help a federal investigation of alleged civil rights abuses by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office
PHOENIX — The Rev. Al Sharpton on Friday called for opponents of an Arizona sheriff who has aggressively cracked down on illegal immigration to videotape alleged racial profiling by the sheriff’s office.
The civil rights leader said the videos will help the U.S. Department of Justice in an investigation of alleged civil rights abuses by Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s office.
“We’re gonna start some freedom rides around this county, to show how people of a certain skin color are treated different than other people,” Sharpton told a crowd of several hundred people at the Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church in Phoenix.
Sharpton spoke with Arpaio later Friday in a meeting that the sheriff called cordial.
Arpaio said Sharpton did not mention his freedom rides plan, but asked about racial profiling.
“I tried to educate him that we don’t do it,” Arpaio said.
Sharpton had planned a press conference after the meeting but was whisked away as dozens of Arpaio supporters rushed toward him. About 50 protesters for both sides were outside the sheriff’s office in downtown Phoenix, separated by a police line.
The meeting joined two figures known for outsized egos and media antics, but Sharpton had said it would have a serious message. In April, Sharpton called for Arpaio to resign or be removed from office.
“I will not fly all the way across country to engage in the personality of Sheriff Joe,” Sharpton said. “But I will fly anywhere to protect the rights of Citizen Jose and Citizen Jamal.” Read the Rest
No Worries for Illegal Alien Workers Under New DHS Guidlines
After a two-month review of worksite enforcement policies, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) issued new guidelines on April 30 for its agents in the field. The guidelines appear to reinforce the Obama administration’s intent to gut immigration enforcement, especially when it comes to detaining and removing illegal aliens in the workplace.
Janet Napolitano, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has stated that the focus of the administration’s enforcement strategy will be the prosecution of employers who hire illegal aliens. However, under the new guidelines, enforcement against employers would likely be very limited. ICE will rely less heavily on tips from workers and others in deciding which companies to target for enforcement. Tips from the public are used routinely in every other area of law enforcement, and have successfully led to prosecutions of employers who hire illegal aliens. However, the new guidelines would curtail the use of informants in immigration enforcement.
Although DHS claims that “ICE will continue to arrest and process for removal any illegal workers who are found in the course of these work-site enforcement actions,” the guidelines seem designed to reduce dramatically the arrest and removal of illegal alien workers. Before ICE can begin a worksite enforcement action against an illegal alien employee, the agency will be required to obtain an agreement by a federal prosecutor to press criminal charges against the employer. Such a requirement is unusual and difficult to secure. It is rare for prosecutors to agree to bring charges before they have reviewed all of the evidence. Story