Tag: Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Washington lobbyist for big business: “The basic goal is to promote the free flow of labor into the USA”.

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment
Tamar Jacoby

That is a quote from Tamar Jacoby, President and CEO of  Immigration Works USA, at a meeting we reported, here, in 2009.  It was a closed-to-the-public and press conclave held at a MARRIOTT HOTEL in Washington, DC and included such luminaries as Grover Norquist.  The assembled, as reported by a NumbersUSA expose‘, were talking about how to get amnesty after grassroots activists (like those who would later become the tea party) had defeated the Kennedy/McCain/Bush “comprehensive immigration reform” in 2007.

So, when you find yourself getting all sentimental about the impoverished immigrant coming to the US for a better life, have some sympathy for the immigrant but remember that the biggest driver for amnesty is BIG Business—whether its the meatpackers I mentioned in my previous post or the major hotel chains looking for maids and dishwashers—make no mistake, there is BIG money behind the amnesty/open borders movement AND the Refugee Resettlement Program.

That 2009 secret gathering (Storming the Hill National Summit) was located at a Marriott Hotel, and….

The welcome was by Deborah Marriott Harrison, who is granddaughter of the Marriott Hotels founder and V.P. Government Relations for the chain.

Burmese refugees working for Marriott in Utah

I’m sure the grateful refugees receiving awards for their good service by a Marriott hotel are wonderful people.  But, don’t for one second think that refugee resettlement is driven primarily by warm and fuzzy humanitarian motives—this is about making money with legal laborers who come ready to work and have almost zero chance of going home again.  Refugee labor is better than other immigrant labor for that very reason.

Here is just a bit about the awards the Burmese refugees received from grateful hotel management:

Five years ago, the Marriott Summit Watch needed new housekeeping staff members. At the time, hiring a group of Burmese refugees seemed like a good business decision with help from Utah’s Department of Workforce Services and the Refugee Services Office, hiring the refugees was an easy process.

[…..]

However, hiring refugees did not come without a few hiccups. Company lore tells of mishaps like dishwashers overflowing with suds from Palmolive, or the machines being loaded with toasters. “We had to learn their culture to teach and train them,” Belnap says of the early days working with the refugees.

These days, transitions for refugees working at the Marriott are becoming a little easier. Are Min, unofficially serves as the Marriott’s representative to help new refugees. He also works with Refugee Services to help those new to the area buy groceries, find places to do laundry, and adjust to life in Utah. He also encourages other refugees to apply to the Marriott Summit Watch. “We talk about how much better this Marriott is,” he says.

The Marriott is also very happy with their Burmese employees and Belnap says the company frequently speaks with other employers in Utah about the benefits of hiring refugees. “[It’s] rewarding in every way,” he said, “these are hardworking people, working to benefit themselves and their families.” Another advantage to hiring refugees versus other foreign employees is that they are legal to work as soon as they arrive, [and they have no where else to go!—-ed] said Perkins. Are Min says a few of the other hotels in Park City also hire refugees including the Canyons, Westgate, and Montage, among others.

But, it’s not always so great for the generally docile Christian Burmese as we saw here a few years ago when a Burmese Muslim refugee murdered a little Christian Karen girl after the Muslims were placed in the same apartment complex in Salt Lake City as the Christians.

The point of  what I’ve posted above is that “humanitarianism” is not driving the open borders movement, corporate giants are (along with the federal refugee contractors like Catholic Charities), and that the lives of the refugees are not always as sweet as this Marriott propaganda would have you think.

The bottomline for me is that I would have a lot more respect for the Refugee industry (and for the open borders position generally) if they admitted that their goals were largely financial (and political) and not driven by emotion and a sympathy for the poor and downtrodden immigrant.   If the general public understood that point then perhaps a serious policy discussion might be possible… but I won’t be holding my breath.

Senator Rand Paul: Did the meatpackers, hungering for cheap captive labor, get to him?

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

…..or was it Grover Norquist that got to him?

Oh brother, looks like we are having another invasion of the body snatchers moment.  Just when I thought there was someone speaking up for American workers besides NumbersUSA and Rush Limbaugh we learn that Paul has been snatched by big business interests.   (Imagine a conversation) Kentucky big meatpacker to Paul:  Get with the program boy if you want to move up!

Looks like Paul is singing a different tune now that he has Presidential aspirations compared to 2011 when he stood up to one of the leading LEGAL labor importing programs in the US—the Refugee Resettlement Program—when it imported two (now convicted) Iraqi refugee terrorists to work in the Kentucky meatpacking industry.

Read it all at Potomac Tea Party Report, here!

 

Christian RIGHT now shilling for big business/Muslims and supporting “comprehensive immigration reform”

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

(Just an aside) I’m sure it hasn’t escaped readers here at RRW that “comprehensive” never includes reforming the refugee resettlement program.

An Act of God or an Act of Grover (Norquist)?

The coalition largely driven (up to now) by big business (cheap labor!), the Christian Left, and the hard core Open Borders Socialists, can say they have won over the generally conservative Christian Right according to this article in Politico yesterday (hat tip: Robin):

The usual suspects pushing immigration reform have a new ally in the fight this time — the religious right.

Christian conservatives, who stayed on the sidelines in 2006 or opposed reform outright, have sprung into action for the cause.

They’re talking to their congregations from the pulpit. They’re urging lawmakers in private meetings to support reform. And they’re even calling for change publicly.

The efforts have dramatically changed the dynamics of the debate, so much so that Republicans anxious to vote yes on a deal might have the political cover to do it.

“I think it is night and day, particularly among social conservatives,” Faith and Freedom Coalition’s Ralph Reed told POLITICO of the support for immigration reform.

Reed’s group released a letter Tuesday that outlines broad goals for reform, like keeping families together, reforming the visa system and securing the border.

High profile leaders are also weighing in. Mathew Staver, vice president of Liberty University, the college started by former TV minister Jerry Falwell, is on board. Focus on the Family, which for years has focused on issues like opposing abortion rights and gay marriage, is supporting immigration reform for the first time in its history — even using its radio broadcast that reaches millions to push its message.

Giving cover!

Social conservatives are directly targeting GOP offices and trying to show that they can give cover to lawmakers in the South, West and Midwest, who are worried about facing retaliation at the ballot box in 2014.

Just because they have the word “evangelical” in their name doesn’t make them conservatives!

Nearly a dozen groups, including Bread for the World, Esperanza, Christian Community Development Association and the National Association of Evangelicals, have launched a 40-day “I was a stranger” campaign asking parishioners to read a bible verse dealing with immigrants each day.  [Is your church doing this? Tell them you are offended or find another church—ed]

The National Association of Evangelicals is the parent organization of World Relief one of the big nine federal refugee contractors.   From its Form 990 (2010) note that they are a $53 million dollar a year organization and YOU the taxpayer funded them that year to the tune of $31 million.   It has been my view that these refugee contractors are nothing more than head-hunters for the service industry, the meatpacking giants  and other industries in need of cheap captive labor disguising themselves as humanitarians.  A side benefit is that the immigrants are in need of welfare and become Democrat voters.

So where does Norquist the Islamist come in?

Doesn’t Republican Norquist see that immigrants in the first generations vote for Democrats?  Could it all just be about money from his industry supporters that Norquist cares about?  Or is he really interested in a specific subset of immigrants?

This closing section of the Politico story has Norquist written all over it—Ali Noorani is Grover’s Pakistani buddy (big smooch from Noorani to Grover ), and this is classic Norquist strategy:

It’s not just religious leaders looking to help galvanize support from social conservatives. The National Immigration Forum has created its “Bibles, Badges and Business” effort that targets conservative lawmakers by bringing in pastors, law enforcement and business owners into the debate. The group helped facilitate more than 70 meetings on Capitol Hill in December, of which 56 were with Republicans.

NIF is preparing to roll out a formal network to help provide a vehicle for sharing and strategy.

Ali Noorani, head of the forum, said it just makes sense when looking at how immigration reform is going to get passed.

“A conservative voter is going to listen to a conservative leader, especially in conservative states,” Noorani said. “From our perspective, this is about voters hearing from their pastor police chief or business — why their Republican member of Congress needs to be supported in this push for immigration reform.”

For more on Ali Noorani who created the political agitation group Massachusetts Immigrants & Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA), see my previous posts here.

Also, see Discover the Networks (DTN) about Noorani’s National Immigration Forum(NIF).  Although the entry is several years old, DTN lists the board members at the time:

The NIF Board of Directors includes such notables as: (a) James Zogby, President of the Arab American Institute; and (b) Jeanne Butterfield, currently the Executive Director of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, and formerly the Director of the Palestine Solidarity Committee, which acted as the political arm of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Also sitting on the NIF Board are members of the American Civil Liberties Union, the Service Employees International Union, and the Los Angeles branch of the Central American Refugee Center, which backed the Communists in El Salvador’s civil war and helped pioneer the “sanctuary” movement to subvert American immigration law.  [For Maryland readers, the sanctuary movement brought us CASA de Maryland–ed]

Here is today’s NIF board (Jeb Bush is on it!).

For more on Norquist, see my archive here.

Update!  New poll! Most Americans want illegal immigrants to go home and will support the political party that stands for enforcing immigration laws!

Should Norquist and Napolitano decide our immigration policy?

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Editors note:  This is cross-posted from Potomac Tea Party Report and mostly involves illegal immigration which we mention here from time to time.  Also there are ramifications for asylum because if a path to citizenship is available for all those who entered the US illegally, then surely the thousands of pending asylum cases would become moot literally overnight should “comprehensive immigration reform” come to pass.

Of course the answer is a resounding NO (to Norquist and Napolitano)!

But, having these two—Grover Norquist and Janet Napolitano—as the poster children for so-called “comprehensive immigration reform” is good for us (the side whose adherents see the rush, to legalize 11 million workers and dependents on the social safety net, as America committing suicide.)

Two stories over the weekend are worth mentioning.

First The Hill reports that the “gang of eight” would let the Secretary of Homeland Security determine if the border is sufficiently secure to grant what amounts to amnesty for the 11 million illegal aliens presently in the country.

Under a bipartisan Senate framework, Democrats say, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano would have final say over whether the border is secure enough to put 11 million illegal immigrants on a path to citizenship.

If Napolitano does not provide the green light for putting illegal immigrants on a pathway to citizenship, the responsibility for judging whether the metrics for border security have been met will be given to her successor. [And just for a minute imagine the stampede to the border this legislation would unleash if signed into law!—ed]

The early debate over immigration reform has yielded two thorny questions: What metrics will be used to determine whether the goals for border security and other safeguards against illegal immigration have been met? Who will decide whether the metrics have been achieved?

Sen. Charles Schumer (N.Y.), the lead Democratic sponsor of the bipartisan immigration reform framework unveiled this past week, said Napolitano should decide.

“What we’ve proposed is that the DHS secretary, whomever it is, will have final say on [whether] whatever metrics we proposes are met,” Schumer said. “We think those metrics will be quite objective.”

Grover Norquist

(LOL! gotta keep my Norquist files up-to-date)

This story from the Daily Caller highlights Grover Norquist as one of the chief proponents of open borders and a corporate gun for hire.

Americans for Tax Reform head Grover Norquist’s insistence that large-scale immigration is good for America and the Republican Party is attracting intense criticism from policy advocates who see him as a pawn of corporate interests.

“There are a whole bunch of people who are listening to loud voices, some of whom claim to be Republican … talking about [employers] who didn’t fill out the paperwork, about going after [an immigrant’s] aunt,” said Norquist, whose opposition to tax increases has made him popular among Republicans and a hate-figure among progressives.

Once advocates for tighter immigration are sidelined, the GOP will be able to win votes from Hispanics and other recent immigrants, he said.

“Removing that threat [of deportation] from millions of Americans will make it possible to have a conversation with [immigrants] about tax policy and spending, and all the other issues we have with legal Americans.”  [Oh sure Grover, as soon as they are legalized they will want to sit down to talk about tax policy—hell, most won’t make enough money to be among the taxpaying members of the public. And, as for spending, they will be voting for candidates who promise a larger “safety net”—ed]

His critics are equally vehement.

“Grover is an extremely effective lobbyist … [and] the thing about Grover is that he has clients who make big money off of immigration,” said Roy Beck, founder of advocacy group NumbersUSA, which helped derail previous efforts to expand immigration.

“Grover is going to do everything in his power to prevent America having a middle class … it appears he thinks oligarchy is a better way to go. … You can’t have a Republican Party when you have a voting base that is impoverished and needs government assistance.”

Norquist has been pushing to rewrite immigration policy for years, and he’s got his arguments down cold.

The Daily Caller goes on to say Norquist wouldn’t care if the immigrants were Egyptians or Uzbeks (of course not, remember Norquist is an Islamist sympathizer).  And, as we have pointed out on other occasions, the illegal aliens who would be allowed to stay are not just the friendly ones from Mexico and south, but they include Somalis, Iranians, Iraqis and the list goes on of OTMs (Other than Mexicans) coming across our southern and northern borders.  Also, don’t forget, Norquist famously said Shariah Law is compatible with the US Constitution here.

NAACP, SEIU and CASA de Maryland launch war on American workers and taxpayers tomorrow

~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

Editors note:  This is cross-posted from Potomac Tea Party Report.

The civil rights of American taxpayers and our Nation’s sovereignty will be assaulted tomorrow in the opening salvo of the amnesty battle of 2013 as a cabal of pro-amnesty organizations hold a press conference in Washington (ice storm predicted for tomorrow?)

If you were involved in the successful fight against the Kennedy/McCain/Bush amnesty in 2007, it’s time to go to battle for justice for job-seeking Americans and for taxpayers.

Here is their call to war at CASA de Maryland‘s website, but apparently orchestrated by SEIU:

Press Conference – Jan. 28, 2013 – 11 a.m. EST

Civil, Immigrants and Labor Rights Groups to Issue a Call to Action for Commonsense Immigration Reform

WASHINGTON, DC — Leaders of civil society groups including civil rights and labor leaders will hold a news conference to call on President Obama and Congress to act on commonsense immigration reform in 2013. The news conference will be held as the White House and key legislators prepare to unveil proposals to create a long-term solution to the current immigration crisis. President Obama is expected to outline his immigration policy during the State of the Union Address on February 12, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada has made immigration reform the Senate’s top priority this year.

The press conference also will include the announcement of a mobilization campaign across the U.S. to grow support for common sense immigration reform.

WHO:

Benjamin Todd Jealous, President and CEO, NAACP  [hey Ben, so you want to further depress employment for your people?—ed]

Mary Kay Henry, President, Service Employees International Union

Mee Moua, President and Executive Director, Asian American Justice Center

Sr. Simone Campbell, Executive Director of NETWORK

FIRM Leader (TBD)

Héctor J. Figueroa, President, 32BJ SEIU

Verónica Saravía, CASA de Maryland Youth Leader

WHEN:

Monday, Jan. 28, 2013 – 11:00 a.m. EST

WHERE:

National Press Club – 529 14th St. NW, 13th Fl., Zenger Room, Washington

CALL IN (Listen only line): 800 738 1032 or +1 212 231 2900
RSVP: Beatriz Lopez, beatriz.lopez@seiu.org, 202-730-7221

Beware Obama/Rubio/Ryan approach. 

If you are thinking amnesty only involves those friendly Mexicans at your local McDonalds, think again.  We have hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals on Temporary Protected Status from places like Somalia, Syria and El Salvador to name a few; and people like Honduran criminal Roberto Galo (I wrote about him here), will all be given a shot at US citizenship.  And, don’t forget we have thousands and thousands of visa-overstays from everywhere including Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Libya, Egypt and the list goes on.  They will ALL be lining up to stay permanently and eventually gain citizenship.

See that Galo post also for details on Obama/Rubio/Ryan.  The bottom line is that in this “comprehensive immigration reform” there will be no meaningful border control and once the amnesty is granted for those already here, the spigot will open and the third world will flow across our borders.  There will be no social justice, no peace, for law abiding Americans. 

The Left is importing needy people [refugees too!] who will become Democrat voters.

Call your Senators and Representatives in Washington, early and often.  Call Sen. Marco Rubio’s and Rep. Paul Ryan’s offices too!  Tell them NO amnesty and NO deals with an untrustworthy President!   Just because we are weary of this continuous assault (year after year!) on our Nation’s sovereignty that doesn’t mean we give up!  Their goal is to wear us down, that is what the Left does!

For readers of RRW:  As you meet the leaders (not the naive volunteers) of resettlement agencies working in your town or city, you will see that they are mostly Leftists.  The ones that work for “church” contractors are all part of the “religious Left.”  They have a political agenda that goes beyond their humanitarian patina.