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ID Card for Workers Is at Center of Immigration Plan
Under the potentially controversial plan still taking shape in the Senate, all legal U.S. workers, including citizens and immigrants, would be issued an ID card with embedded information, such as fingerprints, to tie the card to the worker.
The ID card plan is one of several steps advocates of an immigration overhaul are taking to address concerns that have defeated similar bills in the past.
The uphill effort to pass a bill is being led by Sens. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) and Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.), who plan to meet with President Barack Obama as soon as this week to update him on their work. An administration official said the White House had no position on the biometric card.
Sinema & Nowakowski pander to illegals.
“We cannot afford to lose millions of federal dollars (by not counting illegal aliens) the census can provide to our state and our 
New Study Shows Costs of Illegal Aliens Under House Healthcare Could Top $30 Billion Yearly
Based on our analysis of Census Bureau data, we estimate that there are 6.6 million uninsured illegal immigrants in the United States who could be covered by the new health care reform bill (HR 3200). Even though HR 3200 states that illegal immigrants are not eligible for the proposed taxpayer-funded affordable premium credits, there is nothing in the bill to enforce this. An amendment was defeated in committee that would have required the use of the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program, used by almost all other means-tested programs of this kind.
Among the findings:
- We estimate that there were 6.6 million illegal immigrants without health insurance in 2007 who had incomes below 400 percent of the poverty level, which is the income ceiling for the proposed affordable premium credits.
- If all uninsured illegal immigrants with incomes below 400 percent of poverty received the proposed credits, the estimated cost to the federal government would be $30.5 billion annually.
- We estimate the current cost of treating uninsured illegal immigrants at all levels of government to be $4.3 billion a year, primarily at emergency rooms and free clinics.
- On July 16, an amendment by Rep. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) that would have required use of the SAVE program to prevent illegal immigrants from receiving the affordable premium credits was defeated by the House Ways and Means Committee.
- At present, 71 other means-tested federal programs require use of the SAVE system to prevent illegal immigrants and other ineligible non-citizens from accessing them.
- Even though there is no mechanism to prevent enrollment, it is likely that many income-eligible illegal immigrants would not enroll out of fear or lack of knowledge of the new programs. Thus, the actual costs could be less than the $30.5 billion estimated above. However, if illegal immigrants are legalized, a much larger percentage can be expected to enroll, with a corresponding increase in costs.
- Uninsured illegal immigrants tend to use less health care on average than others without health insurance because they tend to be young. This fact is incorporated into our current cost estimate of $4.3 billion. However, government-provided affordable premium credits paid to insurance companies would be the same for everyone, regardless of age or preexisting conditions. Therefore, the younger age of illegals does not result in lower average costs for taxpayers for this program.
- It is also worth noting that we estimate that 38 percent of illegal immigrants had health insurance in 2007 and that there are at least 360,000 uninsured illegal immigrants with incomes above 400 percent of poverty who would not qualify for benefits under HR 3200.
- Illegal immigrants could benefit from the expansion of Medicaid under HR 3200. The bill does not require identity verification for those claiming U.S. birth. Of illegal immigrants with incomes under 400 percent of poverty, Story.
Senator Pearce - SB 1108
On Friday, March 5th at 10 AM, the Senate Appropriations Committee will debate and vote on SB 1108. The sponsor of SB 1108, Committee Chairman Senator Russell Pearce, has proposed a “strike everything” amendment that replaces SB 1108, in its entirety, with the intended language from SB 1102 (Constitutional Carry).
SB 1102, which was headed for a Senate floor vote, was derailed last week after the attachment of the Cheuvront amendment during the Senate Committee of the Whole (COW), creating a Class 4 Felony for private sellers of firearms who fail to verify a buyer’s citizenship when the sale is conducted at a gun show: http://www.azcdl.org/html/news.html#CheuvrontAmendment .
Now that we have a second bite at the apple, it’s critical we remind the Senate Appropriations Committee members to support the amended SB 1108. A letter has been prepared and is waiting for you at our Action Center:
http://capwiz.com/azcdl/issues/alert/?alertid=14750316 .
We have more good news. Representative Frank Antenori (http://azcdl.capwiz.com/bio/id/51325), who sponsored the House version of Constitutional Carry (HB 2347), has been appointed to replace Senator Jonathon Paton who vacated his seat to run for the U.S. House of Representatives. Senator Antenori is expected to be present when SB 1108 moves to the Senate floor for debate and vote.
Meanwhile, Senator Antenori’s House version of Constitutional Carry, HB 2347, passed out of the MAPS Committee on February 3, 2010 and is awaiting a review by the House Rules Committee before heading to a floor debate in the House COW.
In other news, we are expecting SB 1168, the Senate version of the firearms preemption bill, to be scheduled for a Senate COW debate, hopefully this week. When the calendar is posted, we will let you know via an Alert
67% Say Illegal Aliens Are Major Strain on U.S. Budget
Eighty-three percent (83%) of Republicans and 73% of voters not affiliated with either major party say illegal immigrants are a budget strain. Just 48% of Democrats agree, and nearly as many (40%) disagree. Similarly, 77% of Republicans and 71% of unaffiliated voters see the availability of government money and services as drawing illegal immigrants to America. But only 50% of Democrats share that view. The differences between the Political Class and Mainstream voters are even sharper. While 78% of Mainstream voters say illegal aliens are a significant strain on the budget, 60% of the Political Class disagree. Seventy-five percent (75%) of Mainstream voters think the availability of government money and services draws illegal aliens to the United States. Fifty-three percent (53%) of the Political Class reject that view. But then 59% of the Political Class say legalizing the status of illegal aliens already living in the Untied States is more important than gaining control of the border. Seventy-six percent (76%) of Mainstream voters put controlling the border first. The majority of Republicans, Democrats and unaffiliateds believe control of the border is more important, but that view is more strongly held by GOP and unaffiliated voters. Eighty percent (80%) of voters rate the issue of immigration as at least somewhat important in determining how they will vote in the next congressional election. That includes 50% who say it is very important to them. Last summer, as California lawmakers struggled to close a $24-billion budget deficit, 64% of voters in the state said illegal aliens put a significant strain on the state budget. Story.
AZ may criminalize presence of illegal aliens
Over the past several years, immigration hard-liners at the Arizona Legislature persuaded their colleagues to criminalize the presence of illegal border-crossers in the state and ban soft immigration policies in police agencies — only to be thwarted by vetoes from a Democratic governor. This year, their prospects have improved. A proposal to draw local police deeper into the fight against illegal immigration has momentum, and even opponents expect the new Republican governor to sign off on the changes. The proposal would make Arizona the only state to criminalize the presence of illegal immigrants through an expansion of its trespassing law. It also would require police to try to determine people’s immigration status when there’s reasonable suspicion they are in the country illegally. “The greatest threat to our neighborhoods is the illegal alien invasion,” said Republican Sen. Russell Pearce of Mesa, sponsor of the proposal, explaining that some illegal aliens who are criminals bring violence and other crimes to the United States. Supporters say the new rules are needed because the federal government has done a lousy job of trying seal the border and crack down on aliens in the country’s interior. Story.
Frosty Wooldridge: With No Enforcement - Immigration Fences, Laws Are Useless
Janet Napolitano personifies the “Peter Principle”, which states that government officials enjoy promotion to their highest level of incompetence. As Arizona’s governor, she watched her state become a major expressway for illegal aliens. She did nothing to stop the invasion. She stood paralyzed while Phoenix became the carjacking capitol of the world with 57,000 cars stolen annually. Illegals overran Arizona’s schools, medical systems and prisons. Drugs and lay-up houses flourished. National Park Ranger Kris Eggle suffered death by being gunned down by drug runners at Organ Pipe National Monument. Thousands of tons of trash accumulated on the land from illegals storming the border. Additionally, U.S. Senators McCain and Kyle did nothing to stop the onslaught-as well as the rest of the U.S. Congress-save Congressman Tom Tancredo from Colorado. Drunk and criminal aliens killed citizens and police officers with equal abandon. All the while, Phoenix Mayor Gordon provided illegal alien sanctuary policy to protect illegals from being deported.
Citizens like Kathy McKee and Russell Pearce pushed for Proposition 200 to stop the invasion. Anti-illegal immigration groups formed to stop the incursion. Sheriff Joe Arpaio battled to arrest, prosecute and deport illegals, but found Napolitano his biggest obstacle. Rusty Childress created www.immigrationbuzz.com to stop illegals from invading Arizona communities.. Story
Lawmakers want schools to count illegals that cost taxpayers $1,500,000,000 each year
State lawmakers voted Wednesday to force public schools to count how many students are in the United States illegally, the first step toward challenging federal law that requires schools to educate all, legal and otherwise. Officially, Sen. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, said SB1097, approved on a 5-2 margin by the Senate Committee on Education Accountability and Reform, is simply a fact-finding mission. He said there are lots of guesses but no actual data on how many of the approximately 1 million students in Arizona schools are neither U.S. citizens nor legal residents. And his legislation would require the Department of Education to compute the cost to the state. “Don’t you think the taxpayer has a right to know who they’re paying for?” Pearce asked.
A 1982 U.S. Supreme Court ruling requires public schools to educate all children who live within the district, without charge, regardless of whether they are in this country legally. Pearce said one of the reasons the high court decided against the state of Texas was because there was no evidence of the cost to the public. This study, said Pearce, will provide the data - and a basis for Arizona to ask the high court to reconsider its decision and let states exclude illegal aliens.
The Pew Hispanic Center estimated several years ago that anywhere from 60,000 to 65,000 of the students in Arizona schools are not legal residents, figures that translate to about $650 million a year in state aid and local taxes. Pearce said those numbers are low, suggesting the cost to taxpayers is at least $800 million a year and perhaps as high as $1.5 billion. Story.
Illegal immigration hurts black America.
“Many of the black scholars dance 
Arizona may change Judge selection process.
If SCR 1002 is approved by both the House and Senate it would send the question to the November ballot, where it would be up to voters, who created 
JD Hayworth for senate volunteer rally 10:30-11:30 this coming Saturday, February 27th
We will gather at the JD Hayworth HQ for a rally to kick off the campaign and instruct you on various volunteer activities. Please plan to attend (and bring a friend)…We need your talent…your energy… and support to put JD over the top!
JD Hayworth 2010, Donations/Mail, PO Box 28604, Scottsdale, AZ 85255
Phoenix Headquarters, 3129 E. Cactus Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85020, (602) 923-3823
Parents drove slaying suspect to Mexico
The parents of a gang member wanted in connection with the fatal shooting a man at a Circle K are accused of driving the suspect to Mexico, according to court documents released Thursday. Manuel Salazar III, 20, allegedly killed Lance Taylor, 23, outside a Circle K near 43rd Avenue and McDowell Road on Feb. 19. Taylor’s wife and mother saw the shooting, police said. Salazar’s parents, Manuel Salazar Ochoa and Carlota Retana-Parra, and the suspect’s sister, Claudia Partricia Salazar, were arrested Wednesday on charges of hindering prosecution in the first degree, a felony, according to court documents. Police said they believe the parents and sister knew he was staying with his 17-year-old girlfriend, who is suspected of driving the getaway vehicle at Circle K. Police said they believe his parents drove him to Mexico, according to the documents. All three are being held on $18,000 bail. Salazar allegedly was trying to steal two 30-packs of beer from the Circle K last week when Taylor confronted him in an attempt to help the store employees, said Sgt. Trent Crump, a Phoenix police spokesman. Salazar listened to Taylor and returned the beer, but as he walked toward the exit, he pulled a handgun from his waistband and started waving it, yelling at Taylor and the employees, Crump said. As he continued out the door, he saw Taylor’s wife, who was opening the door, and said something to her then hit her in the head with his pistol, Crump said. Police said they believe Taylor came up behind Salazar, who turned and shot him as his wife and mother watched. Taylor died at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, and his wife suffered a minor head injury. Salazar’s mother and sister are believed to be here legally, but their residency status might be revoked, according to the court documents.
Anyone with information on Salazar’s whereabouts area asked to call 911, Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS (480-948-6377) or, for Spanish, 480-TESTIGO (480-837-7446).
ACORN Brand New Name, Same Rancid Smell
The Democratic Party’s favorite criminal enterprise the Association of Community Organizers for Reform Now (ACORN) has officially changed its name to “Community Organizations International.” They are also working on dismantling Citizen’s Consulting Inc. (CCI), the umbrella organization in “Nawlins” that collect and distributes all of the cash for ACORN and its subsidiaries. They are also giving different names to all of its local organizations.
But have no fear just because they are changing their name it doesn’t mean they are changing their ways, ACORN still isn’t opening their books to a real audit. And
The new name will let ACORN leaders continue their operations without worrying about prior bad publicity and the new name will give “cover” to some of its favorite politicians such as Jerrold Nadler and Barney Frank.
According to Matthew Vadum of Big Government,
…ACORN is trying to pass off various state chapters as ”new” groups
As part of the radical group’s fraudulent rebranding scheme, ACORN has renamed its New York chapter New York Communities for Change. Unlike on the West coast where ACORN is at least pretending its renamed California chapter (Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment or ACCE) is not part of the ACORN network, New York Communities for Change shares the same Nevins Street address as ACORN’s Brooklyn office.
A March 4 fundraiser for New York Communities for Change is being hosted by Debra Cooper.
Meanwhile, the Massachusetts branch of ACORN has been renamed New England United for Justice.
More state-level name changes are expected soon while the basic structure of ACORN, which is controlled from the top using interlocking directorates, remains essentially intact.
The ACORN network’s interlocking directorates are deliberately organized to help ACORN escape legal and public scrutiny. “ACORN hides behind a paper wall of nonprofit corporate protections to conceal a criminal conspiracy on the part of its directors, to launder federal money in order to pursue a partisan political agenda and to manipulate the American electorate,” according to a report from the Republican investigators of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
Under indictment in Nevada for election law violations, ACORN feels it can do all this in the light of day because the Obama administration and the Democratic-controlled Congress have no interest in a real investigation of its criminal activities.
“We’ve known for many months now that the name ACORN is going to be retired,” Reid said. “The name has been so damaged to the point where the leadership knows it simply can’t go on as it has with the ACORN label out front and center, especially after all of the reporting.”
In fact, the process has already begun, she noted. Wade Rathke, who founded the organization, announced on his blog that ACORN International has officially changed its name to “Community Organizations International.”
Reid also said ACORN is in the process of dismantling Citizen’s Consulting Inc. (CCI), a New-Orleans based non-profit, which has been used to maintain centralized financial control, ACORN 8 activists claim. Tax records show that CCI is interlinked with several ACORN affiliates.
“ACORN has to be decapitated,” Reid said. “The senior staff and current national board should be dismantled. The only way to have reform is for the current leadership to be removed completely. We also need a forensic audit.”
Mortgages to unqualified illegal aliens
HR 4586 would help eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse in mortgage programs. One of the underreported elements of the foreclosure crisis is that banks eagerly offered mortgages to unqualified illegal immigrants. It is no coincidence that some of the areas with the most foreclosures, such as Stockton and California’s Inland Empire, have high numbers of illegal aliens. This bill would protect taxpayers from subsidizing the restructuring or renegotiation of mortgages of illegal aliens.
ACTION NEEDED - Please ask your Representative to support making E-Verify mandatory in federal mortgage programs. Send a fax or an e-mail by entering your ZIP Code and clicking “Go!” here.
‘Sanctuary cities’ bill ready for debate on House floor
A sweeping illegal immigration bill is set for debate on the House floor after receiving approval from a committee along a party-line vote Feb. 24. The bill, H2632, has three main components: preventing cities and counties from keeping police departments from enforcing federal immigration law, allowing illegal immigrants to be charged with trespassing and curbing the solicitation of day labor. Sen. Russell Pearce, who is sponsoring an identical measure in the Senate, said it is imperative that Arizona get a grip on the illegal immigration problem that is damaging communities across the state. “The greatest threat we have to some of our neighborhoods is the illegal alien invasion,” he said. It would also make it a misdemeanor for any Arizonan to “conceal, harbor or shield” an illegal alien. If someone commits a crime while transporting a person they know is in the country illegally, their car would be impounded and they would face six months in jail and a fine of at least $1,000. Human traffickers transporting 10 or more illegal aliens would face felony charges, up to two years in prison and fines for each person transported. Story.
What happens if???
LET ME SEE IF I GOT THIS RIGHT.
IF YOU CROSS THE AFGHAN BORDER ILLEGALLY, YOU GET SHOT.
IF YOU CROSS THE SAUDI ARABIAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU WILL BE JAILED.
IF YOU CROSS THE CHINESE BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU MAY NEVER BE HEARD FROM AGAIN.
IF YOU CROSS THE VENEZUELAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU WILL BE BRANDED A SPY AND YOUR FATE WILL BE SEALED.
IF YOU CROSS THE CUBAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU WILL BE THROWN INTO POLITICAL PRISON TO ROT.
IF YOU CROSS THE NORTH KOREAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU GET 12 YEARS HARD LABOR.
IF YOU CROSS THE IRANIAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU ARE DETAINED INDEFINITELY.
IF YOU CROSS THE U.S. BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU GET:
a.. A JOB,
b.. A DRIVERS LICENSE,
c.. SOCIAL SECURITY CARD,
d.. WELFARE,
e.. FOOD STAMPS,
f.. CREDIT CARDS,
g.. SUBSIDIZED RENT OR A LOAN TO BUY A HOUSE,
h.. FREE EDUCATION,
i.. FREE HEALTH CARE,
j.. A LOBBYIST IN WASHINGTON
k.. BILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF PUBLIC DOCUMENTS PRINTED IN YOUR LANGUAGE
l.. THE RIGHT TO CARRY YOUR COUNTRY’S FLAG WHILE YOU PROTEST THAT YOU DON’T GET ENOUGH RESPECT
m.. AND YOU CAN VOTE..
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I HAD A FIRM GRASP ON THE SITUATION…
Thomas’s reply on court’s ruling.
We disagree with the court’s conclusion that our office has a conflict of interest and we will appeal that decision. We are encouraged that the court’s ruling authorizes the Maricopa County Attorney to appoint independent special prosecutors.
In accordance with that ruling we shall appoint special prosecutors to assume responsibility for the investigation of all matters relating to members of the Board of Supervisors and the Judiciary. This is what we have been seeking since the start of this investigation. However, the Board of Supervisors denied our repeated attempts to do so. Had they facilitated the appointment of special prosecutors this protracted legal process would not have been necessary. We have also requested that the Board of Supervisors call a special meeting Friday to facilitate the appointment.
We are dismissing the criminal complaint against Judge Donahoe and the second Stapley indictment without prejudice pending the outcome of the appeal of the court’s decision and the appointment of special prosecutors.
Chandler, stepping closer to what we need.
This is a step in the right directions, but what we would like is officers trained in the 287(g) and for them to ask citizenship for civil matters….. The Chandler Police Department’s
Andrew Thomas and the good guys win again!
But Barnett Lotstein, a spokesman for Thomas, called the ruling “a 
Story
Watch the Fox 10 biased and unfair approach to this story
PLEA supports Hayworth
The Phoenix Law Enforcement Association, which represents thousands of police officers, threw its support Monday to Hayworth. The candidate said he and and the police union share strong opposition to one hot-button issue. “Illegal immigration is a flashpoint in the city of Phoenix — which sadly seems to take on so many aspects of a sanctuary city– and really stands in the way of these law enforcement professionals doing their job,” said Hayworth. Hayworth, who has the support of current PLEA President Mark Spencer, said illegal immigration is not the only concern of police officers. “As I have sat down with the leadership and the rank-and-file of Phoenix law enforcement, really it is all said in that description of their profession — they are about law enforcement, enforcing all of the laws.” Story.
Nullification. State vs Federal. A must read.
The main basis for the theory is that the states created the 
HB 2382 and SB 1097 (Student Data Collection)
Arizona Legislators will meet during two separate committee meetings this week to vote on bills mandating that all school districts gather information on the citizenship status of students, including the number of students who cannot prove lawful status. This information will then be given to the Department of Education. Any school district that fails to comply may have their state funding withheld.
HB 2382 will be heard at 2 p.m. Tuesday, February 23, 2010 in Government (HHR 4)
http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/49leg/2r/bills/hb2382p.htm
SB 1097 will be heard at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, February 24, 2010 in Education (SHR1)
http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/49leg/2r/bills/sb1097p.htm
Please take action to prevent the passage of these bills by submitting your comments via ALIS
http://alistrack.azleg.gov/AlisTrack.asp
The enemies of our Constitutional Republic are on the move.
From: Alessandra Soler Meetze <grassroots@acluaz.org>
To:
Sent: Mon, February 22, 2010 3:51:10 PM
Subject: HB 2382 and SB 1097 (Student Data Collection)
Arizona Legislators will meet during two separate committee meetings this week to vote on bills mandating that all school districts gather information on the citizenship status of students, including the number of students who cannot prove lawful status. This information will then be given to the Department of Education. Any school district that fails to comply may have their state funding withheld.
HB 2382 will be heard at 2 p.m. Tuesday, February 23, 2010 in Government (HHR 4)
http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/49leg/2r/bills/hb2382p.htm
SB 1097 will be heard at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, February 24, 2010 in Education (SHR1)
http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/49leg/2r/bills/sb1097p.htm
Please take action to prevent the passage of these bills by submitting your comments via ALIS
http://alistrack.azleg.gov/AlisTrack.asp
or by contacting the members of the House Government
http://www.azleg.gov/CommitteeInfo.asp?Committee_ID=22
and Senate Education
http://www.azleg.gov/CommitteeInfo.asp?Committee_ID=13
committees.
If you email your comments directly to the committee members, you can copy/paste the talking points given below.
HB 2382 and SB 1097 requiring data collection on students (OPPOSE)
These bills are bad for Arizona because:
Any state or local policy requiring schools to collect information related to immigration status would go against an Arizona Attorney General legal opinion from 1978 that prohibits school officials from asking about immigration status and would contradict the Supreme Court’s 1982 decision, Plyler v. Doe, which struck down a Texas law that permitted schools to refuse enrollment to a class of Mexican-American children who could not prove legal status.
- The sponsors of the bill would like the Department of Education to gather this information so that they can know ? theoretically ? how much it is costing Arizona taxpayers to educate immigrant children. However, Plyler v. Doe specifically addressed the issue of cost, ruling that a state “may not reduce expenditures by barring some arbitrarily chosen class of children from its schools,” including undocumented children. In terms of educational cost and need, the court found that “undocumented children are basically indistinguishable from legally resident [noncitizen] children.” Therefore, gathering this information will not save any money down the road because it will be unlawful to exclude them on that basis.
- Gathering this information would result in the loss of sorely needed federal dollars. Collecting this information has the effect of discouraging an entire group of students from enrolling in the public schools based on their national origin; as a result, schools would risk violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1965. State agencies that are found to be in violation of Title VI would forfeit their federal funding.
- This type of policy fuels xenophobia and underscores some politicians’ willingness to pursue an anti-immigrant agenda at the expense of school districts and taxpayers, who would ultimately have to foot the legal bill for defending such policies in court.
- Teachers and school districts should not be in the business of determining immigration status, which, as we all know, can be an extremely complex inquiry. There is no mechanism for school officials to receive the specialized training that federal officers receive to make these determinations, not to mention the serious privacy concerns that this practice should raise for families with school-aged children and the substantial legal liability that school districts would face for erroneous determinations.
Sincerely,
Alessandra Soler Meetze
Do as our enimies do by submitting your comments via ALIS:
http://alistrack.azleg.gov/AlisTrack.asp
Tutorial HERE
Also, check out Life, Liberty and Freedom.
Ch15 reporter directed to “go after Arpaio” like other stations
The following is a letter from Channel 15’s news director, Joe Hengemuehler, to a reporter at the station, Josh Bernstein, that was made public today. The letter shows that Channel 15’s news director now wants his investigative reporter, Bernstein, to “come after” the Sheriff. The letter did not admonish Bernstein to be fair and impartial in his coverage of Arpaio but rather to “COME AFTER” him. Given the email correspondence printed below, Sheriff Arpaio and the Office as a whole fully expect that Channel 15 will soon line up behind KPHO 5 and KPNX 12 as well as the Arizona Republic in a collective effort to denigrate Arpaio and the Office at every given opportunity.
Subject: Arpaio Coverage
Josh, This note is a follow-up to the meeting we had this morning.
Please take a look at the aggressive reporting that two of our competitors are doing on the Arpaio story. These stories were produced yesterday. And please note that both reporters who produced deep packages on Arpaio are out of their station’s investigative units.
As discussed this morning, I want you to own this story. I want you to be as aggressive about covering the Arpaio story as you are about covering any other story. You’ve told me that you’ve told the Sheriff that you are going to come after him when there’s a story. That time is now. Most of all Josh, I don’t want to get beat by anyone, print, broadcast or online on this story. And I do not want our investigative brand to be diminished in any way.
We have some ground to make up on this one. Let’s start today — by advancing this story and let’s exhaust every angle going forward.
Court Vindicates Trooper’s Ability to Enforce Immigration Laws
On February 4, 2010, the First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston, Massachusetts, issued an important decision involving the enforcement of immigration laws by state and local officers. The case, Estrada v. State of Rhode Island, involved a Rhode Island State Trooper who pulled over a van for failing to use its turn signal to change lanes. Upon approaching the vehicle, the Trooper observed that the van contained between twelve and fourteen Hispanic males. The officer asked for identification from the driver and the passengers, but most passengers could produce no identification, except for two Guatemalan consular identification cards. Upon questioning the driver, the driver admitted that the van’s occupants were illegal aliens. The Trooper then returned to his vehicle to contact ICE. The ICE agent asked the Trooper to bring the van and its occupants to the nearest ICE office. The passengers were later deported.
The Trooper was subsequently sued by the driver and the passengers, with the ACLU representing the illegal aliens. IRLI represented the National Fraternal Order of Police (“National FOP”) to support the Trooper and the State of Rhode Island. The ACLU argued that the Trooper did not have the authority to arrest the illegal aliens. In its brief, IRLI pointed out that the driver and the van’s occupants were committing numerous immigration violations which gave the officer all the authority he needed to arrest the illegal aliens. For instance, IRLI pointed out that the van’s occupants upon presenting their Guatemalan consular cards were admitting that they were of Guatemalan nationality. As a result, the officer had reasonable suspicion to believe that they were aliens in the United States, either lawfully or unlawfully present. When an alien enters the United States, they are required by law to register with the federal government and obtain registration documents which they must keep on their persons at all times. Once the aliens could not present any other form of identification, it showed that the aliens had likely committed either the crime of failing to register upon entering the United States or, if they had registered, for failing to carry their registration documents on their persons. These are both misdemeanors in federal immigration law.
The majority of the Court held that the trooper had established that he should be granted “qualified immunity,” which essentially means that based on the facts of the case, a reasonable officer would believe that he had not violated someone’s rights. Tellingly, the majority justice pointed to one of the registration crimes which only IRLI and the National FOP had identified to the Court. Additionally, the concurring justice issued an opinion pointing out that Consular cards establish that individuals are citizens of foreign countries, and due to the lack of registration documents on the van’s occupants, that there was a “real prospect that there were violations of criminal law…by the van’s passengers.”
This case will have a major impact on the ability of state and local officers to arrest individuals for violating immigration laws. Additionally, state and local governments can more easily pass laws that will help ICE in the enforcement of immigration laws. For example, the State of Arizona currently has pending legislation that would authorize officers to arrest individuals for either not carrying their registration documents or for not registering for their registration documents, consistent with this opinion.
9 arrested at Scottsdale restaurant in identity-theft case
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office arrested nine employees of a Scottsdale Mexican restaurant Friday on suspicion of identity theft and forgery.
Sheriff’s officers executed a search warrant at Arriba Mexican Grill, 15236 N. Pima Road, following a one-year investigation into suspected immigration-related violations.
Nine employees, including the store manager who was found hiding in the bathroom, were booked into jail at 11 a.m., Sheriff Joe Arpaio said.
A North American Union ?
Though the group originally set out to achieve this goal by 2010, few in mainstream America 
JD, McCain and fruit flies!
Now the McCain campaign will have to pull its “Fruit Flies in France” attack ad or they’re going to have to cite a very specific piece of legislation or roll call vote to explain their claim. When the vote was
Maricopa Cty. deputies arrest dozens of undocumented immigrants in 3 traffic stops
PHOENIX — The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday that it has arrested 35 more undocumented immigrants, bringing the 30-day total to 141.
According to MCSO, the Tuesday night’s arrests came after three separate traffic stops in the far North Valley. Deputies from the Human Smuggling Unit identified and stopped the vehicles. Most of the suspects were booked on state human smuggling charges, which is a Class 4 felony.