They'll never go home on their own

Conventional (liberal) wisdom suggests that illegal aliens will not self-deport. They say that pressure applied through enforcement will not result in a reversal of the influx of illegal aliens.

They just might be wrong.

Here’s a link to the Center for Immigration Studies that suggests enforcement has resulted in a reduction in illegal aliens to the tune of 1.2 million people: http://www.cis.org/trends_and_enforcement

And here is the bullet-point summary:
“*Our best estimate is that the illegal immigrant population has declined by 11 percent through May 2008 after hitting a peak in August 2007.
*The implied decline in the illegal population is 1.3 million since last summer, from 12.5 million to 11.2 million today.
*The estimated decline of the illegal population is at least seven times larger than the number of illegal aliens removed by the government in the last 10 months, so most of the decline is due to illegal immigrants leaving the country on their own.
*One indication that stepped-up enforcement is responsible for the decline is that only the illegal immigrant population seems to be affected; the legal immigrant population continues to grow.
*Another indication enforcement is causing the decline is that the illegal immigrant population began falling before there was a significant rise in their unemployment rate.
*The importance of enforcement is also suggested by the fact that the current decline is already significantly larger than the decline during the last recession, and officially the country has not yet entered a recession.
*While the decline began before unemployment rose, the evidence indicates that unemployment has increased among illegal immigrants, so the economic slow-down is likely to be at least partly responsible for the decline in the number of illegal immigrants.
*There is good evidence that the illegal population grew last summer while Congress was considering legalizing illegal immigrants. When that legislation failed to pass, the illegal population began to fall almost immediately.
*If the decline were sustained, it would reduce the illegal population by one-half in the next five years.”

(end of quote from the CIS report)

I was startled by the item above that said self-deportation was seven times more effective than the combined enforcement efforts of our government. Just imagine what could happen if Washington got serious about E-Verify and worksite raids. It’s really sad that the Bush agenda was so focused on legalization that they let enforcement go by the wayside.

On a perhaps unrelated note, Homeland Security has just announced a new program called "Operation Scheduled Departure" where they are inviting the deportable fugitives to report for deportation with the agreement that they will not put them in jail for being fugitive absconders.

Time will tell whether the program turns out to be nothing more than a free ride home at the end of the growing season but it has merit. I am particularly pleased that Jim Hayes (the ICE executive who has done so well in Southern California) is heading up the effort. If anyone can make it work, he can.

Now we'll see some action!

It has taken a long time to get Bush to say the word “recession.” (He’s a stubborn one, isn’t he?)

But I read a recent Pew report that is sure to get the politicians to line up at the microphones and demand some action on the economy.

I refer you to a June report from Pew Hispanic Center entitled: “Latino Labor Report 2008.”

The alarm has been sounded.

“Due mainly to a slump in the construction industry, the unemployment rate for Hispanics in the U.S. rose to 6.5% in the first quarter of 2008, well above the 4.7% rate for all non-Hispanics.”

The gap between Hispanic and white unemployment was approaching one half of one percent. Now it is nearly two percent.

But wait…it gets worse. Foreign-born Hispanic unemployment rates are even higher at 7.5%.

And horror of horrors…Mexican-born unemployment is higher still, at 8.4%.

Hold on, folks. Immigrants who have arrived since 2000 have the worst unemployment rate of all at 9.3%

Now, how many of these good folks are illegal aliens? Here’s what the report says about it: “This report is not able to identify immigrant workers by whether they are documented or undocumented because the immigration status of workers is not recorded in the source data. However, estimates by the Pew Hispanic Center show that unauthorized migrants account for about 5% of the U.S. labor force and about one-third of the foreign-born labor force. They are overrepresented in certain industries such as construction, where they account for 12% of employment (Passel, 2006). Most unauthorized migrants are from Latin American countries, with those from Mexico accounting for about 55% of the total.”

With all this bad news Washington will surely take action. We can’t tolerate this kind of economic news. Just watch for Dick Durbin to call a press conference on this matter.

The link to the Pew Report is a 39 page pdf: http://pewhispanic.org/files/reports/88.pdf

Put down that pepper!

We have a winner.

The FDA just confirmed Serrano Pepper salmonella contamination at a farm in Neuvo Leon, Mexico.

They also found Jalapeno contamination elsewhere in Mexico.

Here are photos of those bad boys:

Our next task is to teach the FDA the difference between peppers and tomatoes. Some US growers would appreciate it.

Ruben swerves to the right

Ruben Navarrette is what they call a conservative in San Diego media circles. He’s something of a unique commentator since he is Latino himself. Most of the time he walks the middle of the beam, getting just edgy enough to keep both sides reading his column.

But he’s out on a limb today. He’s actually standing up to La Raza, MALDEF, LULAC and the thousand other groups who “want it all” for illegal aliens.

His topic: Worksite raids.

Here’s what he had to say about them:

“Liberals and others on the left have staked out a position that essentially says this: If illegal immigrants can make it past Border Patrol agents on the front lines, they should be able to find sanctuary as long as they punch a timecard.”

And…

“On the larger issue of whether there should even be raids in the first place, the choice is simple: You either think that immigration laws are important and should be enforced – including through work site raids – or you don't.

“Apparently, there are a lot of folks out there who fall into the second category. And, even though it might be based on good intentions, that kind of thinking is not very useful to the debate.”

(end of quote)

Along the way Ruben takes some swipes at the following:

*Barrack Obama
*La Raza (NCLR)
*Mayors Antonio Villaraigosa (LA), Ron Dellums (Oakland CA) and Greg Nickels (Seattle)
*Service Employees International Union (SEIU)

And he doesn’t leave out the employers. Rightly so, Ruben suggests that we’ve been far too lenient with the companies who hire illegal aliens.

Regarding today's commentary, I agree with Ruben Navarrette.

Nanny vs. Tabby

That wild and crazy Chicago City Council is at it again. As though our reputation for being a Nanny State isn't bad enough with the goose liver pate ban (currently rescinded) to street-corner cameras the Aldermen have come up with yet another intrusion.

They are at this moment debating MANDATORY spaying/neutering of all family pets in the Chicago city limits. The impetus is pit bull breeders but they are taking it to the limit by suggesting that the government has ultimate control over gonads.

(Insert Rod Blagojevich joke now, folks.)

I'm sure it'll pass, too. After all, dogs and cats can't vote.

I suppose they can always move to the suburbs.

I want to attend the training class for the Chicago Police Department. How do you pat down a collie to check for ovaries?

Biblical words to live by

Part of the Postville Iowa protest included an inter-faith gathering at a local church. It included rabbis (it was a kosher meat packing plant), a smattering of Protestant ministers, and the Catholic Archbishop leading the marchers.

According to the Des Moines Register there were some quotes from clergy, such as:
Lutheran Pastor Mark Anderson called for Congress to change the law, so it helps all workers. "Fix the legislation so people of faith do not have to choose between what is legal and what is righteous," he said.

Hmmm…is Pastor Mark suggesting that we screen people at the border and only include “people of faith?” George Bush uses that term quite a bit when talking about illegal aliens. I suppose the distinction is necessary to exclude the dope dealers, drunk drivers, child molesters, and wife beaters from the amnesty program. (At least the government is saving some of the work for our own.)

Another quote from The Register:
A minister quoted from the Bible: "You shall treat the stranger who resides with you no differently than the natives among you," he read. "Have the same love for him as for yourself, for you too were once strangers in the land of Egypt."

I believe he is quoting from the Book of Deuteronomy in the Old Testament. Chapter 10, if I’m not mistaken.

Aaah…Deuteronomy. If one verse is good, perhaps we ought to adopt the old ways in the rest of Deuteronomy as well.

Like chapter 22, where God condemns transvestites.

Or chapter 7, where He forbids inter-racial marriage.

Or maybe 15, where all loans are cancelled every seven years.

Or 19, capital punishment.

Or slavery, as found in 15.

Or 20, where God grants the spoils to invading armies. We could use some free Iraqi oil right now.

And back in chapter 7, God commands the Israelites to wipe out seven nations. In chapter 20, He tells them to kill the women and children as they invade.

I like the way Deuteronomy suggests we deal with stubborn and rebellious sons. Turn them over to the Elders of the city to be stoned to death. (chapter 21)

Speaking of stoning, the same fate awaits girls who aren’t virgins at marriage. Stoning is the remedy for adulterers as well. (chapter 22)

Yes, going back to the law of Moses sounds like a great idea to me. But I’m guessing that the rabbis and ministers stirring up the crowd in Postville will shy away from the finer points of the law found in Deuteronomy.

The flags of Postville

Postville Iowa was ground-zero for illegal alien advocates on Sunday. If you will recall, ICE conducted a raid there in May and found exactly what they were looking for – people who had no authorization to work in the United States – LOTS of them – 400 or so.

So they brought in folks from Madison, Wisconsin (Go Badgers!) and Chicago to hold an inter-faith rally followed by a march through the streets.

Here are some photos of the protest:

Nothings says, “I love America!” quite like carrying around the flags of Mexico and Guatemala. When will they ever learn?