Category: Other Immigration

Is Islam a threat to America?

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

That is the title of a very long article at the Tennessean yesterday.  Regular readers of RRW know that Nashville, TN is one of the most, let’s just say active cities in the US where citizens are addressing and educating the public on the issue of radical Islamic activity.  High levels of Muslim immigration to Tennessee only make the issue hotter there.

As is usual for the Tennessean, the slant of the story denigrates those who are doing the educating.  It is my view that good fortune has brought together some well-educated and brave people willing to speak up, one such group is ACT for America.  Here, one of its leaders suggests banning Muslim immigration.

Act! For America, a national group whose mission is to educate people about the “multiple threats of Islamofascism,” has 328 local chapters across the country. One of its largest chapters, with about 400 members, is in Davidson County. Act West Nashville has 400 to 600 people on its mailing list but local leaders will not say how many of those are considered active.

The group has shown films like Homegrown Jihad, which alleges there are 35 terrorist training camps in the United States, and First Comes Saturday, Then Comes Sunday, which claims Muslims will first destroy Jews and then Christians. It also runs a blog at actwestnashville.com, with links to Web sites like Jihadwatch.com.

Act West Nashville spokesman Vijay Kumar, who was born in India but is now an American citizen, thinks the United States should ban immigration from Islamic countries. The group has met to share its concerns with 40 churches and community groups, Kumar said…..

Read the whole article.

Interestingly, the Tennessean left out of the discussion how they were caught flat-footed (scooped by Ken Timmerman at Newsmax) last May when a group of citizens from across the US and Europe (including me) went to Nashville for a long-planned educational conference on Islam and were booted from the hotel (Loews Vanderbilt!) days before the conference began.  The charge by the manager, Tom Negri, was that we threatened the safety of their guests and employees by having an educational discussion about Islam.  Of course, what does that say about free speech and local Muslims???  Ultimately,we had police protection in our new location!  If there was no radicalization going on in Nashville, as this article attempts to show, then why would Negri have fear for his guests’ and employees’ safety?

In my view, this was left out of the story because it would shed a negative light on the part of the Muslim community of Nashville and demonstrate paranoia on the part of the Open Borders “community organizers,” like Negri and his pal from Chicago, Avi Poster.

And, by the way, hotels such as Loews Vanderbilt depend on cheap immigrant labor, here, so they have a financial interest in more immigrants in Nashville.

See other stories on that Nashville experience here, here and here.

Endnote:  Did you notice in my post yesterday on immigration statistics from the Migration Information Source that Tennessee is in the top 5 states in the US for the percentage of growth in the immigrant population.

However, between 2000 and 2008, the five states with the largest percent growth of the immigrant population were South Carolina (68.2 percent), Georgia (57.7 percent), Tennessee (56.3 percent), Nevada (55.0 percent), and Mississippi (51.7 percent).

Catholic Charities of Tennessee helps boost those numbers as the major refugee resettlement agency there.

Migration Policy Institute: great resource for immigration statistics

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

The other day when I was telling you about the Top Ten Migration Stories of the year from MPI, I came across this article in their Migration Information Source section of the website.  It is a great piece of work that everyone interested in refugees and immigrants should bookmark for future reference entitled, “Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States.”

Here is just a tiny sample of the information they have collected.

What are the top five states in terms of the number of immigrants, share of immigrants in the total state population, absolute growth, and percent growth between 1990 and 2000 and between 2000 and 2008?

In 2008, the top five US states by the number of immigrants were California (9,859,027), New York (4,236,768), Texas (3,887,224), Florida (3,391,511), and Illinois (1,782,423).

When classified by the share of immigrants in the total state population, the top five states in 2008 were California (26.8 percent), New York (21.7 percent), New Jersey (19.8 percent), Nevada (18.9 percent), and Florida (18.5 percent).

Between 1990 and 2000, the five states with the largest absolute growth of the immigrant population were California (2,405,430), Texas (1,375,206), New York (1,016,272), Florida (1,008,227), and Illinois (576,786).

Between 2000 and 2008, the five states with the largest absolute growth of the immigrant population were California (994,772), Texas (987,582), Florida (720,683), New York (368,635), and Georgia (333,200).

Between 1990 and 2000, the five states with the largest percent growth of the immigrant population were North Carolina (273.7 percent), Georgia (233.4 percent), Nevada (202.0 percent), Arkansas (196.3 percent), and Utah (170.8 percent).

However, between 2000 and 2008, the five states with the largest percent growth of the immigrant population were South Carolina (68.2 percent), Georgia (57.7 percent), Tennessee (56.3 percent), Nevada (55.0 percent), and Mississippi (51.7 percent).

For future reference you will find this post linked in our ‘where to find information’ category, here.

Migration Policy Institute’s top ten migration issues of 2009

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

After posting on reports from the Migration Policy Institute just minutes ago, a reader sent me this newsletter from MPI announcing their top ten migration issues of the year.  In announcing the list, editor Kirin Kalia said this in the E-newsletter dated two days ago:

Our fifth annual Top 10 Migration Issues of the Year debuts today…

[….]

With the global recession touching so many facets of life, you won’t be surprised that the Top 10 of 2009 covers the various ways the economic meltdown has shaped migrants’ lives and pushed countries to adapt their policies. The issue discusses events that made headlines, such as the bulldozing of the Calais “jungle,” as well as the less visible ones, like Brazil’s legalization of Bolivian migrants.

Last Sunday, Swiss voters said yes to banning construction of minarets, surprising Swiss leaders and emboldening the far right across Europe, not to mention shocking Muslims worldwide.

See Judy’s good post on the Swiss minaret ban here.

This is MPI’s Top Ten (lots of good information here):

The Recession’s Impact on Immigrants The recession that began in the United States two years ago and spread to most other parts of the worlds has had a deeper and more global effect on migration than any other economic downturn in the post-World War II era. Among the immigrants most affected are those in North America, Asia, and Europe.

 

Enforcement Tactics Shift in the Obama Era – But What About Immigration Reform? – In the absence of congressional action on any broad immigration reform, the election of President Barack Obama was expected to lead to changes in US immigration policy at the executive level.

 

Buyer’s Remorse on Immigration Continues – The global recession has caused countries that once welcomed foreign workers by the tens and hundreds of thousands – particularly Spain – to rethink generous immigration policies as unemployment rates have risen.

 

What the Recession Wasn’t – Some speculated that increasing unemployment could prompt thousands of immigrants to head home and citizens of hard-hit countries to assault immigrants for taking “their” jobs and causing other problems. However, no country in 2009 has seen a mass exodus of immigrants due to the recession, and immigrants have not been systematically attacked.

 

Recession Prompts Some Governments to Cut Immigrant Integration Funding – Commitments to immigrant integration have proved hard to keep in Spain, Ireland, and some US states as governments reexamined their recession-battered budgets in 2009.

 

Canada Bucks the Trend and Keeps Immigration Targets Steady – Despite the highest unemployment rate in nearly a decade, Canada chose to leave untouched its long-standing points system and the number of immigrants admitted for permanent residence.

 

The World Is Talking about Climate Change and Migration – Discussions about climate change and migration ramped up in 2009, in large part due to a number of conferences and reports surrounding the highly anticipated United Nations (UN) Climate Change conference in Copenhagen.

 

More Countries Entering into Post 9/11-Era Information-Sharing Agreements – Over the past year, long-standing discussions and negotiations have resulted in several new information-sharing initiatives that seek to boost security while facilitating travel for legitimate travelers.

 

Some Relief for Immigrants in the Developing World – South Africa, Brazil, and Costa Rica – all destinations for migrants from the region – sought to make the lives of immigrants a little better in 2009.

 

Asylum Seekers Unnerve Governments – As violence flared from Afghanistan to Iraq to Mexico this year, hundreds of thousands fled over land and by boat in search of safety. Asylum seekers’ main destinations – Europe, Australia, and Canada – were not new, but the governments in these countries took a harder line in 2009.

Dueling studies seek to answer question about whether immigrants benefit the economy, or not

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

I’m laughing as I write this because it reminds me of how the debate over global warming has raged for years with dueling scientists presenting their “facts” on both sides of the issue of whether we are warming or not, and whether man has caused the warming.  It took a hacker or a leaker to help us sort out the facts.  Now we see the dueling economists on the issue of immigrants and the economy.

The other day I posted this story about a new report from the Federation of American Immigration Reform that says immigrants (legal and illegal) cost Maryland a pile of money.   In response I received (from a reader) this study  posted at the Migration Policy Institute, with the press release title, “Report Finds Illegal Immigration Has Negligible Impact on U.S. Economy Despite Benefit to Employers, Unauthorized Workers.”   Here is the summary from MPI:

Illegal immigration’s overall impact on the US economy is negligible, despite clear benefits for employers and unauthorized immigrants and slightly depressed wages for low-skilled native workers, according to this report by University of California, San Diego Professor of Economics Gordon Hanson for MPI’s Labor Markets Initiative. The largest economic gains from illegal immigration flow to unauthorized workers, who see very substantial income hikes after migrating, Hanson says, suggesting that policy changes could increase the positive contribution that low-skilled workers make to the US economy by converting illegal flows to legal ones.

Basically it says the illegal immigrants are faring well as are the employers, but government is not getting its cut, so let’s legalize the illegals.  Of course the big question I have is would those immigrant salaries be so low that they wouldn’t be taxed anyway?

Then on MPI’s home page just below the above study announcement is this one:  “Tied to the Business Cycle: How immigrants fare in good and bad economic times.”   MPI’s summary:

Immigrants surpassed native-born workers in several key labor market outcomes from the mid-1990s through 2007, recording higher employment and lower jobless rates — but the trend was reversed with the onset of the current recession. The report, which analyzes employment and unemployment patterns over the past 15 years and two recessions, shows that immigrant economic outcomes began deteriorating before the current recession officially began in December 2007, tracing immigrants’ declining fortunes largely to the housing bust which began in spring 2006.

I am not an economist, so I’m not pouring over these studies and passing  judgement, however if it interests you, be sure to read this post from last year in which I link economist Edwin Rubenstein’s large body of work on the subject.

Be sure also to revisit the work of Robert Rector of the Heritage Foundation where he reports on the cost to the US taxpayer of unskilled immigrant labor, here.

Bottomline, common sense tells us that a large pool of unskilled laborers will push wages down so the big businesses who are working hand in glove with the open borders groups (churches too!) are making out like bandits especially when we know that welfare/food stamps and things like emergency medical care (you, the taxpayer) picks up the tab for other areas of the unskilled workers’ lives.  And, by the way, even legal low-wage employees don’t pay taxes (I’ve heard that only approximately 45% of US families pay taxes).  I guess we need to keep our fingers crossed that some internal e-mails are leaked between economists so that we can better get a feel for who is telling the real story.

Readers, if  you have more studies on either side of the issue, please send links and I’ll add to this post.  Either put them in comments or mail to me at Ann@vigilantfreedom.com

Vamos Unidos USA goes after the Salvation Army

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

You just can’t win with socialist immigration agitators.  The Salvation Army is under fire for asking for identification as it gives out toys to needy children in the holiday season.  Here is the latest attack from Los Angeles by a shady little group called Vamos Unidos USA which implies that the ID requirement is a plot to ferret out illegal aliens.

A national immigrants rights group expressed concern Wednesday over a toy-distribution policy by the Salvation Army which it said could discourage some needy immigrant families from seeking free holiday presents.

Salvation Army officials in Los Angeles say they have long required families of children who receive free toys to present identification when they register to take part in the giveaways, as a means of preventing double-dipping. But a similar policy in Houston – in which Social Security numbers were requested – recently caused some misunderstandings and accusations that the group was checking immigration status.

Members of Vamos Unidos USA say that while they haven’t seen a similar trend in Los Angeles, they want to stop it from happening anywhere and discourage the Salvation Army and other charities from asking for any form of identification that suggests the recipient could face possible discrimination.

“The fact the Salvation Army and some of the other charities have the same policy, the fact that they did not come out from the get-go and say their whole intent to ask for identification was to prevent fraud, led us to believe that there was more to the story,” said, Juan Jose Gutierrez, president of Vamos Unidos USA.

The Salvation Army doesn’t care what sort of ID is used, they just want to be sure that as many kids as possible get toys!

“The reason we ask for some form of documentation is we have limited resources and we want to make sure that more toys get to more children,” he said. “We want to make sure families who register in one part of town don’t register in another part of town. We don’t have enough toys. We don’t want one child to have seven toys, we want seven children to have a toy each.”

Here is what I don’t get, do these socialist groups like Vamos Unidos think that when they have gotten rid of all private initiative/charity and everything is run by the government that they will get more breaks and opportunities for ‘their people?’ 

Who the heck is Vamos Unidos anyway?   Searching around just now I see they are not a legitimate 501(c)3 organization or they would be in Guidestar.  I found this website for a group by that name—apparently they demand rights for street vendors and NYC is a prime area for their ‘work.’  By the way, wasn’t that Pakistani guy who was arrested on terrorism charges a few months back a street vendor?  I wonder if the Vamos folks know the DRUM community organizers?  Sure they do, here  they are listed together as part of “Communities organizing for Justice.”   Readers, you might want to keep this list handy—a useful guide to who’s who among the socialist community organizing immigrant groups.    It includes some groups we have written about previously including the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition.

RESIST! 

Here is more evidence they are part of the socialist movement—they are given funding by RESIST.  Check out this site for an organization that came out of the anti-war movement in the ’60’s, it is an eye-opener. 

Now, check out RESIST’s latest available Form 990 .   Their grantees are listed near the end of the tax return and it will give you a good idea of the number and variety of far left/social justice groups operating in your cities.   Also, they listed their top three donors and one is surprise surprise (not!)—the Tides Foundation.

Next time you see a little article like this one—immigrant group questions Salvation Army—and think it’s just a group of immigrants acting spontaneously, look deeper.  Immigrant activists are well-connected socialists working to “change” America for the worse!

Another thought a short while later:  I wonder if this attack on the Salvation Army is payback for their refusal to go along with the National Association of Evangelicals on amnesty, here.