Inside . Obama Administration Implements Non-Enforcement Policy McCain May Not Lead Amnesty Push in 2009 ased on the president’s first six deeds, all leading to the inescapable con- PAGE 2 weeks in office, the April edition clusion that not only won’t the adminis- Bof FAIR’s Immigration Report be- tration vigorously enforce laws against il- gan to connect the dots and sketch out legal immigration, but their intent is to Pelosi Calls Immigration the Obama administration’s immigration dismantle immigration enforcement pro- Enforcement policy. “With or without [amnesty] legis- grams altogether. Following an Immigra- “Un-American” lation, the administration is sending un- tion and Customs Enforcement (ICE) PAGE 3 mistakable signals to illegal aliens that they worksite enforcement action in Belling- will not vigorously enforce laws against il- ham, Washington, in late February, the Obama’s Illegal Alien Aunt legal immigration,” we observed. administration stated publicly that such Gets to Stay Since that time, “unmistakable signals” actions are under review. PAGE 4 have been translated into unmistakable CONTINUED on page 2 Around the Country PAGE 5 Vice President Biden Acknowledges the Obvious: Americans Oppose Amnesty The DREAM Act...Again PAGE 6 t a recent news conference in Costa Rica, Vice APresident Joe Biden, a man known for being direct, came right to the point on the subject of a Amnesty Lobby Amasses potential amnesty for illegal aliens. “It’s difficult to Huge War Chest tell a constituency while unemployment is rising, PAGE 6 they’re losing their jobs and their homes, that what we should do is in fact legalize (illegal immigrants) Responses to Amnesty and stop all deportation,” Biden stated. The vice Lobby’s Pleas president was in the Costa Rican capital meeting PAGE 7 CONTINUED on page 4 Visit us on the web at www.fairus.org FAIRIMMIGRATIONREPORT Non-Enforcement Policy continued By the end of March the review was tions against company executives, while rying out enforcement actions against over and so, apparently, is worksite en- ignoring the illegal workers on the fac- businesses, prosecuting employers, de- forcement. Homeland Security Secretary tory floor or the construction site. porting illegal workers, and discourag- Janet Napolitano signaled in late March While DHS was reviewing and gut- ing other employers from hiring illegal that the arrest of illegal alien workers would ting worksite enforcement, the presi- aliens. In the case of the current presi- be abandoned in favor of going after em- dent was busy appointing illegal alien dent, not enforcing worksite immigra- ployers only. A planned enforcement action advocates to key positions in his ad- tion laws required a deliberate and cal- against a military-related facility in ministration. With the nomination of culated change in direction. Chicago, suspected of employing hundreds Thomas Perez to head up the civil rights The Obama administration’s pol- of illegal aliens, was called off. Even more division of the Department of Justice icy of non-enforcement will not go un- pointedly, DHS released 27 of the 28 ille- and Esther Olavarria as a deputy assis- challenged in Congress or by organiza- gal aliens nabbed in the Bellingham en- tant secretary of DHS, the upper eche- tions like FAIR that have worked hard forcement action and issued them work lons of the Obama administration have to promote sensible enforcement of permits and the right to remain in the now been filled with individuals who U.S. immigration policies. Secretary country for an indefinite period. are openly hostile to any sort of immi- Napolitano’s announcement that work- Napolitano indicated that the admin- gration enforcement. site enforcement would be curtailed istration will focus its enforcement efforts What distinguishes the actions of drew immediate concern from key on businesses and executives responsible the Obama administration from those members of Congress on both sides of for employing illegal aliens. How the gov- of its predecessors is that the president the aisle who urged the administration ernment will be able to prosecute busi- is affirmatively dismantling existing im- to maintain efforts to rescue American nesses and executives for employing illegal migration enforcement programs and jobs from illegal aliens. aliens without conducting worksite en- infrastructure. While Presidents Bill FAIR, too, has been waging a na- forcement is not clear. Nor is it clear how Clinton and George W. Bush did little tional effort to keep the heat on the ad- ICE plans to carry out enforcement ac- to enforce immigration laws when they ministration to protect the jobs of U.S. assumed power, their inaction was workers. In the media, and through our merely a perpetuation of the status quo. national network of immigration re- The status quo inherited by Presi- formers, FAIR will make sure that the dent Obama, on the other hand, was president and Congress hear the voices one in which ICE was successfully car- of the American public. McCain Won’t Provide GOP Cover for Amnesty ne of the political necessities of of it. When politicians do something Opromoting unpopular legislation, that is guaranteed to anger the voters like amnesty for illegal aliens, is bipar- they want to be sure that they can tisanship — or at least the appearance spread the blame around. CONTINUED on next page PAG E 2 MAY 2009 McCain continued Immigration Enforcement Is “Un-American”, Says Without a prominent Republican like John Speaker Pelosi McCain prepared to on-enforcement of immigration laws is not take a public role, an Nthe exclusive policy of the Obama adminis- amnesty-only bill would tration. The president has key allies in his effort to likely be a Democrat- dismantle immigration law enforcement among only bill — which may the leaders of Congress. House Speaker Nancy be more political risk Pelosi (D-Calif.) made it very clear that she is in than the Democratic complete lockstep with the administration when leadership is prepared she addressed amnesty supporters at a San Fran- to take. cisco church on March 18. Echoing the exaggerated claims of the illegal In previous attempts to pass an illegal alien amnesty, con- alien lobby that ICE agents are indiscriminately gressional Democrats had President Bush and Sen. John McCain “terrorizing” illegal aliens, Speaker Pelosi told a (R-Ariz.) to provide political cover. In 2009, the political land- gathering of amnesty supporters, “Who in this scape is very different. President Bush is back on his ranch in country would not want to change a policy of Texas, and in a closed door meeting with Hispanic business lead- kicking in doors in the middle of the night and ers in March, McCain angrily told them that he was not going to sending a parent away from their [sic] families? It lead the charge in Congress for amnesty legislation. must be stopped…What value system is that? I It is not that McCain has had a change of heart on amnesty; think it’s un-American. I think it’s un-American.” rather, according to The National Journal, McCain let loose on Pelosi went on to reinforce the Obama ad- Hispanic leaders for the failure of Hispanic voters to rally around ministration’s systematic dismantlement of exist- him in his bid for the presidency, despite his long-time support ing worksite enforcement policies. Begun in late for amnesty. Of course if McCain had looked at countless polls 2007 by the Bush administration, the Immigra- of Hispanic voters, he would have realized that the economy and tion and Customs Enforcement agency’s (ICE) other issues were the primary factors that influenced how His- stepped-up worksite enforcement strategy was panics voted. creating effective deterrence to employing illegal It is clear, then, that when these comments are coupled with aliens — too effective for the Obama administra- indications that amnesty supporters on the political left intend to tion and Speaker Pelosi. “We have to have a sever their ties to the business lobby, which demands more guest change in policy and practice and again ... I can’t workers, achieving even the veneer of bipartisanship for an amnesty bill in 2009 is likely to be far more difficult than in the We have to have a change in policy recent past. Without a prominent Republican like John McCain and practice and again. .I can’t say it prepared to take a public role, an amnesty-only bill would likely enough, the raids must end. The raids be a Democrat-only bill — which may be more of a political risk must end. than the Democratic leadership is prepared to take. CONTINUED on page 7 PAG E 3 FAIRIMMIGRATIONREPORT VP Acknowledges Obvious continued with Central American leaders at an in- a plan in 2007 while they were in the even during relatively good economic formal regional summit. Senate. times. Biden reiterated the Obama admin- While the Obama administration re- In spite of Biden’s remarks, the illegal istration’s support for “a comprehensive mains committed to a sweeping illegal alien lobby and its supporters in Con- approach” to immigration reform, but alien amnesty, Vice President Biden’s re- gress continue to press for consideration asked for “forbearance” as the U.S. strug- marks offer some hope that the adminis- of amnesty legislation. As the economy gles through its worst economic crisis tration may take a more pragmatic and rising unemployment have become since the Great Depression. “Compre- approach to immigration policy. overwhelming concerns for the public, hensive” immigration reform has be- Amnesty for millions of illegal aliens is FAIR has been working in Washington come a euphemism for legislation that inherently a bad policy idea that under- and around the country to raise aware- guarantees amnesty for millions of law- mines the rule of law and the interests of ness of the impact that amnesty would breakers in exchange for promises of bet- law-abiding citizens and immigrants, have on workers, taxpayers, and on state ter enforcement in the future.