East Valley Immigration

Round up of immigration news

2008-12-16T16:51:00.002-07:00

So it's been a pretty busy few days in the news. We've been seeing an uptick in people found stranded and abandoned in the desert, drop houses and on the freeways after accidents. I'm sure the weather plays a factor as it's easier to walk a few miles when it's 60 degrees than when it's 115.

It's only December so I hope this isn't a trend we see getting worse.

Truck full of illegals crashes in Eloy killing 2.

26 immigrants say they were kidnapped and left in the desert

Human Smuggling ring broken up. 21 arrested- 10,000 made it through

Mexican's are leaving the country planning never to return.

No mo money...

2008-12-08T14:47:00.003-07:00

If there's one thing in this world that makes everything run, it is money. Which is why this news story is great!

The Arizona Supreme Court ruled Friday that investigators can inspect electronic money transfers from other states to Mexico. This is a big ruling since the common practice is to wire money from other states to border towns in Sonora for coyotes to smuggle humans across the Arizona border.

I'm a fan of anything that makes it harder for coyotes to make money and continue the despicable things they do.

11,000 by land or 1,00 by sea...

2008-12-05T10:40:00.004-07:00

The Republic had an interesting story the other day. Mexico has started sending illegal Cuban migrants home in an attempt to stem the flow as they try new ways to sneak into the U.S.

"The Department of Homeland Security said 11,126 Cuban migrants used the Mexico route last year, compared to just 1,055 who showed up in the Miami area."

This absolutely shows how porous and embarrassing our southern borders are. Cubans have resorted to traveling 120 miles to Mexico, up through Texas, and most likely back to Florida instead of 90 miles by boat.

How are we doing such a good job patrolling wide open waters yet we can't crack down on widely used crossing points by land?

I hope incoming DHS Secretary Napolitano shows some love for her home state and since she's over both Border Patrol and the Coast Guard, maybe she can figure out why one is more effective than the other.

I'm back...Just when Napolitano decides to leave!

2008-12-01T11:29:00.003-07:00

Okay, so it's been forever since I've posted. I didn't give up on the blog but it has been a little hectic around these parts and I wasn't able to keep the blog updated. A LOT has happened.

A few major events that happened that we'll definitely be hearing more about are as follows:

Governor Napolitano is heading to Washington to be the Secretary of Homeland Security. This will likely have huge implications with border security and immigration changes. Homeland Security controls many different enforcement agencies with I.C.E. among them.

Illegal Aliens drunk driving and killing people. While they certainly aren't the only ones drinking and driving, it makes the headlines much bigger when they are illegal aliens, and breaking other laws while here.

Mesa enacts much stronger ID checks for all of their contractors putting teeth to the clause in their contracts requiring all workers are legal citizens.

Budget cuts coming for most if not all State, County, and City budgets. How this will effect immigration enforcement is up in the air but it doesn't look good. When faced with less money to work with, what programs are going to get cut first?

Pearce press conference on Prop 202

2008-10-02T22:45:00.003-07:00

Looks like Russell Pearce is out and about trying to educate everyone on the realities of Prop 202. Russell Pearce, Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas, and Sheriff Joe held a press conference yesterday after a recent Cronkite/Eight poll was released whowing Prop 202 passing with 63% of the vote.

Everyone's wallet is a little lighter these days

2008-10-02T22:31:00.002-07:00

In a repeat of last month, Mexican's living in the U.S. sent home 12 percent less money in August. Because 12% is bigger than 7%, this also takes the cake for the biggest drop in history.
It's staggering that in the first 8 months of the year, over $15.5 Billion was sent across the border.

As expected, "a slowing U.S. economy and stepped up immigration enforcement by the U.S. government, including record deportations and increased border security, are behind the drop."

The big question is, what will happen when the economy inevitably does turn around and the housing slump is over? We've made great strides so far but now is the time to really step up and fix this problem.

Proposition 202

2008-09-27T22:12:00.000-07:00

Okay, so election time is coming up soon and there's one issue that's very important. Proposition 202 is misleadingly called "Stop Illegal Hiring." It's even being pitched by many as "fixing the little holes" in the Employer Sanctions Law. Well, the fact that Russell Pearce is opposed to it pretty much sums up how many "holes" are actually going to be fixed.

This law will in essence, gut the hugely successful Employer Sanctions Law. I urge you to vote NO on Prop 202

If the 9th Court says so

2008-09-19T15:26:00.006-07:00

In a huge win for Russell Pearce and other supporters of Arizona's Employer Sanctions Law, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the law. This will no doubt encourage those states sitting on the fence to move forward with their own versions as many other states have already done so. Rep. Pearce noted that it's unlikely it will be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court since that would definitely make it a national precedent.

In the appeal, it was noted that future lawsuits would not be controlled by this ruling meaning that if an when an employer is prosecuted, they could appeal and have their case heard.

It should be noted that the Ninth Circuit Court is considered a liberal court so if they are upholding it, you can bet it's pretty air tight.

It's slip 'n slide time

2008-09-19T15:26:00.002-07:00

The first three employees from the Golfland raid have pleaded guilty to lesser charges. They were originally charged with forgery and identification theft, which are felonies. The will now be sentenced after pleading guilty for criminal impersonation. Ya, I don't know the big difference either. According to the article this is a sign that they may be cooperating and giving up evidence but we'll have to wait and see if that's the case. Either way, it looks like this will be the first case to be tried under the Employer Sanctions Law (more on that next).

I.C.E., I.C.E. Baby

2008-09-11T15:17:00.002-07:00

Cue the Vanilla Ice music, the Federal Government is coming to town. In what they call a scheduled audit, I.C.E. will be looking into Sheriff Joe's immigration enforcement practices and whether or not it matches up to the original agreement.
They claim this has nothing to do with the complaints they've received but I find that hard to believe. Really though, regardless of what side of the fence you are on you should welcome this. Joe supporters should welcome this because Sheriff Joe has said time and time again they are in line with the agreement and everything they do is completely legal. His opponents now have a chance to have an answer to the question, "Is this legal?"

Get your candles while you can!

2008-09-11T15:00:00.003-07:00

You better get on the phone with your Gold Canyon Candle Distributor soon if you're worried about keeping your living room smelling like roses. Sheriff Joe and his deputies raided the Chandler headquarters and arrested 65 people- 37 for being in the country illegally.
The debate of course continues of whether or not this is the most effective way to catch and deport illegal immigrants. One positive thing is that they arrested 23 people for identity theft.

On thing that will be argued and may end up in a lawsuit is whether or not it was legal to prevent the company attorney from being present. It doesn't help Arpaio's case of nothing to hide when his deputies are preventing attorneys from being present. Time will tell.

Mesa on the map

2008-09-11T14:50:00.002-07:00

Mesa is making its way onto the National Map announcing last week that Gaylord Entertainment will be building a 1,500 room resort and convention center. This is a pretty amazing thing to happen to Mesa and it looks like Gaylord is a great employer. How does this relate to immigration? Well, when a resort employing 2,000 people comes to town the possibilities become endless. Looking at the company's profile (they are publicly traded), it looks like they have won a ton of awards for being the best employer in the market. I'm sure they will be using E-Verify to make sure all 2,000+ employees are hired legally.

Election Results

2008-09-10T10:36:00.002-07:00

Sorry for the long delay in posting. I was out of town for a bit and supposedly I wasn't the only one. Russell Pearce cleaned up in District 18 and Mesa Issues covered Gibbons' response pretty good. I think Kevin is a little off on this one. First, when looking at turnout between Districts 18 and 19, 18 always runs about half. Second, to overcome a margin of defeat liek he did, he didn't do that great of a job turning out his voters. He should have realized that when campaigns go negative like they did in this race, people sometimes choose to stay home- especially in a primary. Finally, I'm no expert but it seemed to me like it was too much too late. He needed to start a month before he did. I read many people saying they got up to 10 mailers the day before election and even some after! Some of that money should have been spent early on introducing Gibbons (I still don't know much about him).
Anyway, this is all relevent because it shows that people approve of what's been done on the immigration front. Also, that Russell Pearce has done many things other than just immigration and feel he will continue to do a good job.
Here are the full results from the election.

Today is Election Day!!

2008-09-02T11:00:00.004-07:00

Today is Election Day and it's not too late to get out and vote if you already haven't done so. There are a bunch of races going on in the East Valley. The Russell Pearce (website 1, 2) and Kevin Gibbons (Website) race is definitely the one gaining the most immigration attention. Even if you're not in District 18, do your research and pick the best candidate that you feel will represent you the best.

Here are links to the party websites. Pick your party and then pick your district. If you don't know your district or polling place- Click Here.

AZ Republican Party

AZ Democratic Party

The money spout has slowed

2008-09-02T10:44:00.004-07:00

The amount of money crossing the boarder into Mexico dropped by the largest percentage since they started tracking the data.

Remittances - Mexico's second-largest legal source of foreign income after oil - dropped by 6.9 percent in July compared to the year before.

I wish the story would have covered. Obviously that's an illegal source but so is a part of these remittances since not all immigrants that are sending money back are here legally.
It would have also been nice if they mentioned how much is sent back annually and how much that 6.9% ends up in dollars. In 2007, remittances to Mexico were almost $24 Billion!! 6.9% amounts to $1.65 Billion!! That's a lot of money.

Kevin Gibbons Russell Pearce Race

2008-08-27T17:18:00.004-07:00

I've had a bunch of people email asking why I haven't posted a daily update on the District 18 mudfest between Kevin Gibbons and Russell Pearce. Well first, the guys at Mesa Issues, Sonoran Alliance, and Espresso Pundit have done a great job covering it.
Although I have paid very close attention to it, the fact is- Kevin Gibbons is backed by open border, cheap labor groups and Russell Pearce is the guy that wrote the bills helping to seal the border and crack down on the illegal hiring. When it got so nasty and personal, frankly I filled out my ballot and sent it in since my decision was confirmed.
With a week left, I'm sure we'll see a lot more stuff popping up in our mailboxes and I will be sure to post on any stories I see pop up. It will be interesting to see where the final numbers land and to see how close the polls really were. If you didn't catch it, the last one had Russell Pearce at 51% and Kevin Gibbons at 13%. Que up the Ouch!

The grass isn't getting cut today in Mesa

2008-08-27T16:48:00.002-07:00

If your grass didn’t get cut today, click on the link and this might be the reason why. A Mesa landscaping company was raided today as part of an investigation into potential violations of Arizona's employer's sanctions law. After all employees were arrested, 35 that could not produce documentation were loaded on busses to be processed.

The comments section is already more than 700 posts long and I’m sure will come close to 1,000 before the next immigration article pops up. E.J. Montini wrote a blog posting that I’m sure will also attract some attention. In it, he asks the question of whether our resources are better spent going after rapists, murderers, and child molesters.

Human Smuggler Update

2008-08-27T16:46:00.000-07:00

In a great move, a federal grand jury in Phoenix on Tuesday indicted the driver of the SUV, Brian Guzman Ochoa of Hermosillo, Mexico, on four criminal charges, including transportation of illegal aliens resulting in death.I really hope this pressure and all of these charges will get this guy to talk and start handing over names. He's going away for a long time so a few years chopped off might make it worth it. Although, the recent report of hit men coming across the border probably doesn't help, we should be using every technique possible to get to his bosses.

Phil Gordon rips Congress

2008-08-21T15:32:00.002-07:00

Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon was the keynote speaker in Washington today and didn't hold back words when it came to what he thought about our spineless Congressional Representatives. The quote that I'm sure will make all the stories is that Gordon wants to, "knock Congress upside down on its partisan head and tell them to fix the damn problem."

He continued with his challenge saying, "I am calling upon this Congress and the next one, this president and the next one, to make the dual issues of border security and immigration reform their first order of business."

Say what you will about Gordon (and many do and will), but I'm glad he's out there making waves. I don't even care if he doesn't mean it- at least he's saying something. The problem is too big for us to handle alone and Arizona can't be responsible for California, New Mexico and Texas.

Congress site traffic

2008-08-18T17:22:00.003-07:00

TherealKevinGibbons.com posted a release today that points out that the U.S. House of Reps Servers have visited their site a bunch of times over the last month or so. The guys over at Mesa Issues figured they'd check out their site too and found they checked it 2 more times in the same period clocking in at 24.

Well, never to be left out I figured I'd see what my traffic came in at. In classic Congressional fashion, our Representatives aren't that interested in immigration, as they've only hit me up 9 times!

Kevin Gibbons' new campaign sign

2008-08-15T22:01:00.005-07:00

So I was driving around town today and the below sign popped out just like a big yellow warning sign is supposed to. After taking a double take I realized how funny it was and that I had actually seen it before. I logged on to therealkevingibbons.com to see if it was their photo and they've already put up a post clarifying they had nothing to do with it. Pretty clever though to take the picture and design such a funny picture. Have you seen them popping up around town?

Anyone want $10K??

2008-08-14T17:25:00.004-07:00

So after a week of the ICE self deportation program, it appears it's a whopping success. After spending an estimated $61,000 on advertising, they've had 6 people take them up on the offer. I'm sure you'd get at least double that number if you put $61,000 in a pool and everyone who left got a piece of it. The breakdown of people who have signed up is certainly interesting.

"The six who signed up by Wednesday evening included an Estonian in Phoenix, an Indian husband and wife and a Guatemalan in Chicago, a Salvadoran in Charlotte and a Mexican in San Diego, said Virginia Kice, an ICE spokeswoman in San Diego."

Justice might just be served

2008-08-12T16:15:00.001-07:00

In our previous post, I talked about them throwing the book at the driver of the SUV that killed 9 people. Well, the tossing has started as he's been charged for transporting people who were in this county illegally. The fact is though, true justice won't be served unless this guy's boss is taken down.

A few things that are disheartening.

He had been arrested at least three times before for transporting illegal immigrants. One as a guide!
He had ben caught several times by Border Patrol agents with large groups of immigrants.

Others who have been charged with the same crime he is facing have been sentenced to life in prison, which is completely fitting. Maybe now, the severity of it will give him some incentive to talk. Before this, he obviously knew he'd be back within a week with really nothing to worry about.

Makes you feel really good about our border security doesn't it.

Are they flying first class??

2008-08-11T17:00:00.000-07:00

It was released today that the U.S. Government has spent more than $51 million over the past 4 years transporting 64,000 illegal immigrants back to Mexico. That's $796 a person. A quick search on US Airways showed a roundtrip flight was $450. I'm not really sure where all the costs here are but it sounds like there might be cheaper methods.

The article goes on to explain that the purpose is to reduce the death counts from just dropping them off and having them come right back. There's some argument of whether the program is effective.

One argument that is solved is whether or not it's costing a lot of money.

Roundtable Discussion on the Russell Pearce-Kevin Gibbons Race

2008-08-09T15:37:00.004-07:00

The guys over there at Mesa Issues are having a Bloggers Roundtable regarding the important District 18 Senate Race. I took part mainly because of the candidates stances on immigration and how they are polar opposite. While you might not always agree with Russell Pearce on everything, he is by far the most active legislator when it comes to immigration issues.

The tragic side of illegal immigration

2008-08-07T12:41:00.004-07:00

Tragedy struck today south of Florence when an SUV carrying 19 people rolled killing 9 and injuring the rest. These smugglers have no regard for human life and don't care about packing almost 20 people into a car if it means more dirty money. If the driver is still alive I hope they charge him for murder and throw him in jail for the rest of his life. Maybe this kind of heat will lead him to rat out his bosses and we can actually catch some of the ring leaders. We need to bring in some intense CIA interrogators and put them to work.

Going once, going twice....

2008-08-05T16:06:00.004-07:00

So only one taker so far on the offer to self deport. So, I'm not a genius in math but let us walk through the numbers. It's estimated there are 12 million illegal immigrants in the country. The program is not available to those with records so that leaves about 11.5 million. The program also is aimed at those who have been given court orders to leave. That's about 457,000. Anyone want to say we have a problem that isn't going away? I wouldn't laugh as hard if 3 or 4 people stepped up and took the offer. Right now though, 456,999 people are having a good chuckle at the one guy in Phoenix who figured why not. I wonder if the recent heat wave made him figure it was time to pack it up.

One of the better quotes comes at the end.
"ICE officials hesitated to predict turnout but Robert Alfieri, supervisory deportations officer in Charlotte, had a message for critics: “For anyone to say no one will do it, that's absolutely wrong.”

Okay buddy.

I guess Kevin Gibbons really does think he's the immigration expert

2008-07-30T22:48:00.004-07:00

So in the debate between him and Russell Pearce, Kevin Gibbons claimed he was the "immigration expert." That comment got a few chuckles from the crowd as most people actually think that Pearce's legal middle name is "anti-illegal alien".

What a few have said is that being an immigration attorney is what makes him an expert. I actually gave him the benefit of the doubt on that argument until I got this picture emailed to me.

I'm trying to figure out how "Immigration Without Barriers" (Gibbon's trademark) and "Protect Our Border" go hand in hand. To me, the border is a pretty big barrier (not enough for the 12 million foreigners who live here illegally). I don't have a law degree, but then again I don't think it takes a genius to figure out something isn't meshing here.

Things might just be changing

2008-07-30T15:32:00.002-07:00

A report from the Washington Post states that illegal immigration appears to be in a decline. There is an interesting quote in the article. One of the study's authors said, "Some people seem to think illegals are so permanently anchored in the United States that there is no possibility of them leaving. ... This suggests they're not correct. Some significant share might respond to changing incentives and leave."

Another article in the Republic, which set off the usual wave of comments (almost 1,300 at the time of the post), clearly shows that illegal immigrants are leaving and either going to other states or going back home. The article points out how residents in the Reed Park area in Mesa are slowly disappearing.

One thing both of these articles mention, is that legislation like Russell Pearce’s Employer Sanctions Law is at least part of the reason. It is interesting that even though not one business has been fully prosecuted under the new law, it’s effect are being felt.

It's a party and everyone's invited!

2008-07-29T09:45:00.004-07:00

Have you ever had 50 people over for dinner at your house? The largest dinner party I've ever had was 15 and let me tell you, it was a nightmare. The AC was set at 74 and it was still sweltering in the room. I can't imagine the situation in this house even if all of the facilities were working fine. I'm glad they caught the coyote and hope they throw the book at him. For all of your renters, there's another one on the market so line up!

UPDATE: Not to be left in the dark, Mesa PD found 13 people holed up in a drop house near Dobson and Broadway this afternoon. 63 people in one day. Anyone wanna bet we have a problem with illegal immigration? I'm pretty sure the big numbers aren't because smugglers are offering a Tuesday special on sneaking people into the country.

UPDATE 2: I guess they didn't check all of the closets as the number has gone from 13 to 22. That brings the tally for the day to 72!!

Kevin Gibbons money and the immigration connection

2008-07-24T11:59:00.002-07:00

So I've posted more than I usually would regarding a political campaign but I feel this is pretty big and has a direct influence on immigration matters for our state and valley. Mesa Issues had a great post about District 18 Senate candidate Kevin Gibbon's money and the trail that follows. As the Sonoran Alliance points out, a lot can be said about a candidate by looking at those who pay the big bucks to get them in there. As the press release points out, 30% of his total donations come from Yuma. Which makes me pose the question, why do people in Yuma care about what's going on in Mesa? This is where I come in.
It worries me when out of town people cut checks with the hopes of gaining some influence that helps their cause. I know, it happens every day. When I know about it though, it helps me to make decisions that I get to make like voting.

All talk??

2008-07-23T17:25:00.002-07:00

The Sonoran Alliance has a great post about Governor Napolitano and a Tribune article which really flew below the radar. The political game is getting a little old. We need people who are going to actually do somethign to fix the problems we are facing. Napolitano certainly has shown that's not exactly her intentions. While admirable that there are less felons on the street today, taking money from one agency and giving it to another as political punishment isn't helping much.

Well the weather outside is frightful...

2008-07-22T14:49:00.003-07:00

A story out of Tucson today is saying that Border Patrol agents might be singing in the rain lately because the wet weather has been a good deterrent for illegal border crossers. They claim it's just because they are doing their job.

I personally think it's a little bit of everything. The Employer Sanctions Law, more MCSO enforcement, struggling economy, and a housing market in the tank probably have an equal influence.

For those avid anti illegal immigration advocates, it's one more reason to be singing in the rain.

Is Kevin Gibbons the anti-illegal alien candidate?

2008-07-21T17:58:00.002-07:00

District 18 here in the East Valley is heating up and quickly becoming one of the most watched/blogged about races. Take a guess why. Yup, immigration. It probably helps that you have Russell Pearce (a la Employer Sanctions Law) on one side, and Kevin Gibbons (a la "Immigration Without Barriers") on the other.

The Republic printed a community column (Sonoran Alliance follow up here) over the weekend written by Bob Hisserich. The article states he lives in Gilbert but after some Google research I see he actually lives in Mesa and actually ran for City Council a few years back.

Hisserich points out that Gibbons is a proponent of "revisiting" the Employer Sanctions Law. No one can argue, as Hisserich points out, that this os one of the most effective, non-discriminatory laws in the nation.

As he also points out, Gibbons has taken a few thousand dollars form the backers of the aptly named "Stop Illegal Hiring Act" which will basically gut the current Employer Sanction Law. I'm sure we'll be hearing from the Gibbons camp on this matter but from what I can find on his website and other places, I'm not sure he's going to argue much.

I guess what needs to be decided is do you feel our elected officials should be passing laws that strengthen or weaken our ability to stop illegal immigration in our state.

Update on Sheriff Joe's Lawsuit

2008-07-17T13:51:00.003-07:00

New information is out today about the lawsuit that was filed against the MCSO. Reading the details in the article confirm my though that this lawsuit has the potential to endorse or end Sheriff Joe's sweeps. The lawsuit alleges 4 Hispanic citizens in separate incidents were detained or asked questions based solely on their race. Time will certainly tell on this one.

This aint no Filibertos

2008-07-17T13:44:00.002-07:00

Many might remember the little issue Filibertos had a few years back. They were employing mostly illegal immigrants at their restaurant. To show you how the climate has changed, they actually didn't get in trouble for hiring illegals. They got busted for not paying taxes for those employees. I just remember not being able to buy a burrito at 3 AM after that.

Well, you might be in the same situation if you're in Las Vegas and looking for a Big Mac. A company that owns 11 McDonald's restaurants in Nevada was fined a million bucks for employing 58 illegal immigrants. It's obvious Nevada is lacking in any laws like Employer Sanctions.

Human Smuggling Numbers and Lawsuits

2008-07-16T21:09:00.003-07:00

Busy day for illegal immigration in the news today. First, the Special Crimes Bureau of the Maricopa County Attorney's Office has prosecuted its 750th case under Arizona's human smuggling statute. Unfortunately, the article uses the 750th case as an example of the cases that have been prosecuted. The illegal alien is a guy who paid a smuggler to get him into the country and take him to California.
One positive but two negatives.
Positive- we caught an illegal alien who was in this country illegally.
Negatives- Our tax dollars were spent to prosecute and deport a guy who was on his way to California, and the big fish who took the $1,200 is still out there smuggling many more in.

I want to see the big guys get the book thrown at them for this. No plea deal. Take them all the way to trial.

Speaking of trials, MCSO got sued today. a lawsuit was filed alleging that MCSO officers have racially profiled Hispanics during sweeps performed by MCSO. This is defintiely not the last time we hear about this and I'm sure this might just be the deciding factor in whether the sweeps continue.

Joe might be looking for a second home in Mesa

2008-07-15T15:11:00.003-07:00

I know Fountain Hills is a great place to live but I'm hopeful all this time in Mesa has Sheriff Joe in the market for a second home. Well okay, he hasn't exactly been in Mesa but his deputies have been camping out here.

It looks like the second round of sweeps wrapped up with 40 arrests, 26 of which were illegal aliens. I guess time will tell if this was to prove he can come without any warning or of this will be a regular occurrence. Mesa PD was pretty quiet so I'm sure the media spats between Joe and Gascon might be a thing of the past.

One thing is, both The Republic and Tribune aren't giving it much press. Their articles are surprisingly short. What's guaranteed to never be short are the comment pages.

Employer Sanctions , Russell Pearce, Kevin Gibbons

2008-07-15T14:41:00.004-07:00

I know, the three things you mumble in your sleep. It seems the fight has continued in my neck of the woods, which is no surprise since these two candidates are on opposite ends of the spectrum. The guys over there at Mesa Issues posted a press release they got from Mesa Resident Bob Hisserich. (They also mentioned it on Sonoran Alliance)

Here are the basic facts. E-verify works. The guys supporting the "Stop Illegal Hiring Act" (who, according to the release are also big supporters of Gibbons) are crazy to get rid of this requirement. It's equal across the board which I like. I started a new job recently and had to do it myself and to be honest, it was just the same as the old I-9 (only it's not full of fraud and other issues). Here is the release in its entirety.

Kevin Gibbons Funded by Employer Sanctions Opponents

Bob Hisserich to Gibbons: Give Back Money from “Stop Illegal Hiring” Masterminds

MESA –When it comes to employer sanctions, District 18 Senate Republican Candidate

Kevin Gibbons claims that he wants to revisit the issue as part of a “comprehensive plan

that deals with all of the different aspects of the issue.” As a national leader in employer

sanctions, thanks largely to Senate Candidate Russell Pearce, Arizona has one of the most

effective, non-discriminatory laws in the nation.

Gibbons motive behind this quest to change the employer sanctions laws came into focus

when I discovered some of Gibbons campaign donors contributed the maximum amounts

are behind the deceptively titled “Stop Illegal Hiring Act.”

The people behind this initiative have been vocal opponents of any illegal immigrations

enforcement efforts and are bankrolling Kevin Gibbons to get their voice heard in the

legislature. Arizona has too many people in office who are not who they appear to be and

electing Mr. Gibbons would be like hiring a fox to guard the henhouse. Gibbons has

received $2,640 in donations from prominent members of the campaign – shared donors

include:

- Andrew Pacheco, Campaign Chairman

- Marion “Mac” Magruder

- Sandy Magruder

- Western Growers Political Action Committee, AZ

- Anna Marie Aja, Western Growers

- Matthew Bigham, Western Growers

- Chad Willems, Campaign Consultant

In all, those who have donated to Mr. Gibbons have also contributed nearly $35,000

directly to the “Stop Illegal Hiring Act,” not to mention the ADDITIONAL $38,000 in

donations filtered through “Wake Up Arizona” which is made up of the same individuals.

Their ballot initiative, if passed, would significantly weaken Arizona’s Employer

sanctions laws.

Mr. Gibbon’s supporters want to abolish the required use of E-Verify and want to go

back to the far riskier and much maligned Federal I-9 process which is full of fraud. E-

Verify is 99.7% accurate and is working to help employers hire LEGAL employees easily

in conforming to Arizona State Law. Gibbons would be mistaken to attempt to

discontinue the use of E-Verify. My wife has been a Human Resource Professional for

21 years and uses E-Verify and attests to it’s effectiveness in hiring a legal workforce.

Returning to the old system would require Arizona to wait until the Federal Government

has taken action against an employer before the State is allowed to take action. That

would be unmistakably a step in the wrong direction.

What’s more, their plan eliminates the use of anonymous tips to help catch people who

are hiring people illegally! If anonymous tips are good enough to report other crimes

they should be good enough for hiring those who are suspected of being in the country

illegally.

Gutting Arizona’s employer sanctions law is not something that the constituents of

District 18 or the citizens of Arizona will stand for. Apparently Kevin Gibbons doesn’t

want to revisit the law, he wants to gut it on behalf of the “cheap labor” donors who are

bankrolling is campaign. The people of District 18 deserve better than someone

masquerading as a Republican who has a workable, tough policy on illegal immigration

enforcement and hiring.

If Kevin Gibbons wants to represent the people in District 18, Kevin Gibbons should

remove his mask of being a Republican, be honest, and admit that the people behind his

campaign are really the people behind the deceptive “Stop Illegal Hiring Act.”

# # #

Sweeps part duex...or dos, whatever your flavor is

2008-07-14T22:39:00.003-07:00

Joe missed Mesa so much he came back today to do some sweeps. My guess is it was right in the vicinity of the Tribune offices after the reports this weekend. Actually, they were pretty spread out. My friend at Mesa PD said they were told to keep an eye out for large groups gathering but to stay on the down low. I actually knew about it right when they started because he called me but wanted to see when the news would pick up on it. A short time later I got a heads up from another friend who had seen the release announcing the conference this afternoon. Gotta love announcing your unannounced sweep. The numbers were around 10 illegals at press time. I'm sure we'll get a final count tomorrow.

Tribune Coverage Here

Republic Coverage Here

$2 Billion Dollars...

2008-07-14T11:04:00.005-07:00

That's a lot money. A Republic article over the weekend pegged the amount of cash that flows each years to Arizona's drophouse rings at almost $2 Billion. Smugglers are finding news ways to get that money across the border and sad to say, it's not getting any easier. One thing that is surprising is that Arizona is the only one out of the 4 border states that is actively combating illegal profits from smugglers. That's just crazy because this is the slime we should be going after.

This is also troublesome because as the article points out, Arizona is all by it's lonesome in this and the money has started to shift to other states where their isn't as much of a watchful eye. Hopefully we can all get on the same page here and put the screws on these guys.

And now you have, the rest of the story

2008-07-14T10:22:00.003-07:00

So if you were looking for a book to read over the weekend, you should have just picked up a few copies of the Triune. They finished up the last of their 5 part series on the Maricopa County Sheriff's office, and their increasing role in the enforcement of illegal immigration.

Part Three comes out swinging. The title definitely doesn't hold anything back. "Sweeps and saturation patrols violate federal civil rights regulations."

One thing at the center of the debate has been whether these sweeps are legal. The Tribune says the following regarding this issue.

Those regulations specifically forbid crackdowns like Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s “crime suppression/anti-illegal immigration sweeps” unless there is “reliable, empirical data” that serious crime is taking place. That’s defined as 911 calls and crime statistics based on reports, among other things.

But the sheriff’s office conducts large-scale operations without any evidence of criminal activity. The sweeps are billed as crackdowns on general crime, primarily in neighborhoods where many Hispanics live and work.

That’s exactly what federal Immigrations and Customs Enforcement rules are designed to prevent. And although Arpaio and his top officers admit they ignore the rules, ICE says MCSO is following its federal contract.

I smell a lawsuit coming on. This is the part I really don't like mainly because it's going to cost taxpayers a lot of money.

One thing that lots of attention gets you is a lot of eyes. That’s great when everyone is on the same page. When you have a polarizing issue such as immigration, people start looking for problems. One of my concerns is that this training and the ability to detect and deport criminals is going to get yanked away because someone in power doesn’t agree with what some are doing. The Feds at any point could come in and shut MCSO down immediately. This would leave basically no ability to even check those booked for serious crimes. If someone in Washington thinks someone else isn’t doing his or her job that may just happen.

Three years ago, a top ICE official told Congress the agency would prevent local police from undertaking the kind of work MCSO now does.

Paul M. Kilcoyne, then an assistant director of investigations for ICE, told lawmakers in July 2005 the partnerships were intended to assist the federal agency’s work.

ICE’s field offices would keep close watch on the local officers they train so “that we are not out there doing roundups or just general immigration work,” Kilcoyne said in testimony before the House homeland security committee.

MCSO’s contract with the federal agency supports that expectation. It stipulates that ICE agents will “supervise and direct” deputies when they conduct immigration operations.

But that’s not happening. The sheriff’s office files reports to ICE when it makes illegal immigration arrests, but agents are not present. “We obviously don’t supervise them doing their operations,” said Kidd, the ICE agent who oversees the partnership with MCSO.

I could go on forever. I will post what the Tribune calls the Key findings of their report. Judge what you may and let me know what you think about Joe and whether this series has changed your mind one way or another.

• Deputies are failing to meet the county’s standard for response times on life-threatening emergencies. In 2006 and 2007, patrol cars arrived late two-thirds of the time on more than 6,000 of the most serious calls for service.

• MCSO’s arrest rate has plunged the past two years even as the number of criminal investigations has soared.

• The sheriff’s “saturation” patrols and “crime suppression/anti-illegal immigration” sweeps in Hispanic neighborhoods are done without any evidence of criminal activity, violating federal regulations intended to prevent racial profiling.

• Rampant overtime spending on immigration operations drove the agency into financial crisis and forced it to close facilities across the county. Although MCSO officials have said state and federal grants covered all the expense, illegal immigration arrests actually are costing county taxpayers millions of dollars.

• Despite the money and manpower expended, the sheriff’s office has arrested only low-level participants in human smuggling rings: drop house guards, drivers and the immigrants they ferry.

• Deputies regularly make traffic stops based only on their suspicion that illegal immigrants are inside vehicles. They figure out probable cause after deciding whom to pull over.

Day 2 of Tribune's Special Report

2008-07-12T14:23:00.004-07:00

Day Two of the Tribune investigation on Sheriff Joe Arpaio's illegal immigration enforcement deals with the budget woes the MCSO has been having and the possible effects this enforcement has had on it. Another long one but again, definitely a good read.

Here are some of the highlights and quotes from the article.

We are quickly becoming a full-fledged anti-illegal immigration agency,” Arpaio boasted in a July 2007 news release.
During that conversion, MCSO neared financial collapse and its day-to-day police work suffered, a Tribune investigation found.
Arpaio and his top aides deny that immigration enforcement contributed to the agency’s money problems. They blame large-scale investigations, increased criminal activity, the cost of shuttling inmates and efforts to protect Arpaio from a now-discredited assassination plot.
But county payroll data, MCSO arrest reports and budget records from the state Department of Public Safety show otherwise.
Rep. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, is House appropriations chairman and MCSO’s most important advocate in the Legislature. Pearce secured grant money for the sheriff’s office to arrest illegal immigrants. But the state split the $5 million between MCSO, the Pima County Sheriff’s Office and the Phoenix Police Department. “You can’t just give it all to one agency,” Pearce told the Tribune in April. “It’s a statewide issue.”

This is one figure that made my jaw drop and start to rethink a career in blogging.

Detective Ernest A. Quintero, a human smuggling investigator, collected $11,676 in overtime from July through September, records show. He earned $17,000 in regular salary during that period.

The basic facts are this. No one can dispute that illegal immigration is expensive for everyone. There are real and direct costs and there are secondary costs. My concern is that my tax money is going to something that someone else should be paying for or to something that is an ineffective use of my money.

What is Kevin Gibbons drinking??

2008-07-09T22:54:00.004-07:00

Sonoran Alliance posted a press release today put out by the District 18 Chairman pointing out that Kevin Gibbons has taken quite a bit of money from the Liquor Industry. At first, I didn't get why this was a big deal. My uber-political co-worker pointed out a few things.
First, it's a Republican Primary and for one reason or another it's a no no to take liquor money.
Second though is the reason for this post. I guess the industry has felt the effects quite a bit because of the employer sanctions law that has caused many illegal immigrants to leave the state. This exodus of residents in the state has hurt the industry's bottom line.

As I said before, looking at all the signs, a major element in this race will revolve around the illegal immigration debate.

I tried to do some more research on both candidates and it looks like Gibbons's website isn't quite up yet and only provides information on how to donate. The links are below.

Kevin Gibbons Website
Russell Pearce Website

The Mesa PD Policy in the eyes of the Republic

2008-07-09T22:42:00.001-07:00

The AZ Republic chimed in with an editorial today. It seems that maybe they had a lot of the same questions others have been asking. So they decided to help everyone out and explain the new policy in a paint by numbers kind of way. Hope this helps (it might at least cut down on the emails I've been getting).

Day 1 of a Tribune Special on Sherrif Joe

2008-07-09T14:37:00.004-07:00

The Tribune has put together a 5 part series titled "Reasonable Doubt" that deals with illegal immigration and specifically the Maricopa County Sheriffs Office. It's a long read but definitely a good one. I made it half way through and will update the blog once I've had a chance to soak it all in. If the second half is anything like the first half, I'd love to be a fly on the wall at MCSO today.

UPDATE:Okay, so the emails have come flying in. Most want to know where I stand on the Joe fence. My answer is lame I know, but I’m a fence sitter. I started this blog after seeing a twice deported man arrested for terrorizing the community for over two years (Chandler Rapist). The criminal element of illegal immigration is unacceptable. I know, they’re all breaking a law by being here. I’m talking about the ones who come here and commit the crimes that many legal residents do too. We have enough problems dealing with those criminals, we don’t need to add to it. I also am concerned with the huge costs of illegal immigration that the state and local municipalities seem to be left picking up.
I feel we absolutely need to make it known to our representatives in Washington how unacceptable their inaction is and how our borders need to be secured.
On to Part One of what appears to be a novel.
The Editors note paints a good picture of the purpose of the series. It says, “Six months ago, the Tribune began an investigative project to answer three basic questions about Arpaio’s illegal immigration enforcement effort: How does it work? What is it costing the taxpayers? And what is the effect on other aspects of his agency — and public safety in general — if his focus has become so heavily on illegal immigration?”
The first article starts with a background description of how the MCSO evolved into and immigration agency. Sheriff Joe has always been the toughest Sheriff in town, but he hasn’t always been so focused on illegal aliens. To give a little tickler and a hint at which direction the article goes, this is what the Trib claims they also found out.
The newspaper also found:

• Deputies are failing to meet the county’s standard for response times on life-threatening emergencies. In 2006 and 2007, patrol cars arrived late two-thirds of the time on more than 6,000 of the most serious calls for service.

• MCSO’s arrest rate has plunged the past two years even as the number of criminal investigations has soared.

• The sheriff’s “saturation” patrols and “crime suppression/anti-illegal immigration” sweeps in Hispanic neighborhoods are done without any evidence of criminal activity, violating federal regulations intended to prevent racial profiling.

• Rampant overtime spending on immigration operations drove the agency into financial crisis and forced it to close facilities across the county. Although MCSO officials have said state and federal grants covered all the expense, illegal immigration arrests actually are costing county taxpayers millions of dollars.

• Despite the money and manpower expended, the sheriff’s office has arrested only low-level participants in human smuggling rings: drop house guards, drivers and the immigrants they ferry.

• Deputies regularly make traffic stops based only on their suspicion that illegal immigrants are inside vehicles. They figure out probable cause after deciding whom to pull over.

Its long but very worth it to read and get some background and maybe a little more insight as to why Sheriff Joe Arpaio is so polarizing.

Stark Contrast Between Cities

2008-07-08T17:09:00.003-07:00

With Mesa in the news about their recent change in policy, it's interesting to look into Mesa Police Chief George Gascon's former playground. Gascon was Assistant Chief of Police prior to coming to Mesa. A California judge blocked a lawsuit that sought to enlist Los Angeles police officers in weeding out illegal immigrants. While Mesa has changed it's policy to require all those arrested to have status checked along with giving the ability to check those suspected of being here illegally; LAPD officers "alert immigration officials if a suspect is a gang member who has been previously deported, or if a suspect is arrested for a felony or multiple misdemeanors." I did some research and the second part rarely happens and only if supporting evidence is so overwhelming they don't have the choice.

Again, while Mesa's policy isn't a cure all- it is definitely a first step in the right direction. My friend on the Mesa PD is ecstatic because before there were so many what if's. The primary goal for him is to weed out those criminals that they have arrested time and time again that they know are here illegally.

Break out the Tivo

2008-07-07T16:05:00.002-07:00

ABC has ordered 11 hours of "Border Security USA", a new series focusing on the efforts of border protection agencies to halt illegal smuggling and immigration. I personally can't wait. The article state that "a typical episode might jump from a border patrol in Texas to security screeners at a New York airport to a Coast Guard boat off Puerto Rico." It will be interesting to see how other states deal with this issue and maybe how it effects their everyday lives.

He's Baaaack

2008-07-06T15:51:00.000-07:00

Sheriff Joe returned to Mesa, this time a little more quiet and looking for underage drinkers and the clerks who sell them booze. Oh ya, and illegals. One of the 8 clerks arrested was suspected of being in the country illegally. I remember the good old days, when you could go to the Lucky 8 on University your ID that said you were 16 magically worked like you were 21.
Anyway, I'm glad these guys are paying some sort of price. The last thing we need are a bunch of drunk kids drinking and driving.

Round 2 of Russell Pearce v Kevin Gibbons

2008-07-05T23:52:00.001-07:00

It's been a lazy weekend for most. Kevin Gibbons may have been grateful for that. Unfortunately for him, bloggers don't rest.
Sonoran Alliance picked right up on the press release Thursday afternoon announcing that Kevin Gibbons had taken money from Jim Pederson (as we reported here).
Later that night, Gibbons announced that he had donated the money to a domestic violence shelter (little did he know a smackdown was about to ensue).
In response to the fact that in many peoples eyes, he is the Democrats choice for the seat- the endorsements came flying in for Pearce.
I've taken a minute to read the finance reports for Gibbons and I'm torn. Is it the $1,500 or so from the former Democratic Chairman or the tens of thousands from farmers in Yuma who have a knack for favoring cheap labor from accross the border.

The fact here is you have two candidates running for this seat. One has a voting record as Republican as they come and whose middle name should be "Enforce the Law". The other has taken huge money from Democrats, cheap labor advocates, and who owns the trademark on "Immigration wihtout Barriors."

I can see now why the County Party took the rare step in endorsing a candidate in a primary.

Someone got caught trying to hide the cookie jar

2008-07-03T19:18:00.000-07:00

In a press release sent out today, it's been uncovered that Kevin Gibbons took over $1,500 from former Democrat Party Chairman Jim Pederson. In case you don't know who that is, he is a millionaire developer who lost to Senator Jon Kyl a few years back. He also is credited for attracting Napolitano to run for Governor.
Something tells me that when you have Russell Pearce running for a seat and a major Democrat throwing money his opponents way, that opponent can't be good for illegal immigration activists. I've reported briefly on Kevin Gibbons and will surely be doing more research. It's already hard enough to get any good legislation through, the last thing we need is an open-boarders Democrat in Republican's clothing messing things up.

Mesa Council Follow Up

2008-07-03T17:37:00.000-07:00

So the City of Mesa met this morning to discuss the announced changes to the policy. As the title of the article states, "Immigration policy must protect freedoms."
Basically, the law is very black and white in some areas and shady in others and we can't afford to get sued. I can respect that. I can also respect the fact that there are certain rights we all have and they are willing to err on the side of caution even if it means some people slip through.
As I said, it's not perfect but I'm happy to see my city taking a step in the right direction

Immigration Initiatives fail before they're given a chance

2008-07-02T17:43:00.001-07:00

Two voter initiatives that would have toughened Arizona illegal immigration laws will not be on the ballot in November. Money is being blamed as the culprit as there just wasn't enough of it to hire the paid signature gatherers to get the 100,000+ needed to get them on the ballot. Russell Pearce was able to get the resolution passed in the Legislature but sadly it came down to who had the bucks in the end. Supporters aren't considering this a defeat though as they feel it only raises the profile on the topic of illegal immigration.

Mesa is getting things done

2008-07-02T17:25:00.000-07:00

As promised throughout his campaign, Mesa Mayor Scott Smith and the City of Mesa have announced a new policy regarding illegal immigration. (Tribune here) (Republic here) The new policy makes it mandatory that all people arrested will have their immigration status checked.
Some of the details are as follows:

• Police "shall" check immigration status of everyone people arrested for crimes.

• People cited and released for minor offenses may be asked about their immigration status. If an officer "develops" probable cause to suspect the person is here illegally, ICE will be informed.

• Immigration status will not be sought for crime victims and witnesses, juveniles, people stopped for civil traffic violations, people seeking medical assistance or people participating in police volunteer activities.

The council meets on Thursday to discuss the details so it will be interesting to see what comes out of that meeting. Some say this does not go far enough. For some, it will never go far enough. As Smith said though, this is just the first step. as long as I hear that our leaders will continue to look for ways to effectively handle this problem, I'm okay as I understand you can't have a perfect solution with so many variables in the air.

Operation Ghost Pt. 2

2008-06-27T15:01:00.000-07:00

Day two is in full swing. It looks though like everyone is going to movies instead of to the protest area. The crowds were much smaller today than yesterday. I think everyone made their point and didn't care to stand in the heat again. I wonder how many people would have shown up if two of the more prominent Pro-Arpaio groups would have shown up. As is, over 200 people were there on day 1. Maybe next time since Joe has promised to return.

Mesa Sweeps Day 1

2008-06-26T22:46:00.000-07:00

The first day is done and the final tally so far is 13 with 15 additional people arrested for other things. I spent a bit of time driving around today and much to my chagrin I didn't get pulled over. Outside of Mesa Drive and Baseline, I didn't see very many Mesa PD either. Now, that kind of goes in contrast to what Sheriff Joe is saying but I do have to say, I drove maybe 10 miles throughout the city and the count was 10 MCSO- 1 Mesa PD.
I am 100% for enforcement, but I am 110% for civil liberties and rights. I have to say I'm a little disappointed in the following statement- "The Maricopa County sheriff blamed the city's police chief, George Gascón, for upstaging the event by creating safe places for protesters and having officers ready to quell violence should it break out." This country was founded on the basis of freedom of expression. Both parties shoudl be given a place to make thier statements heard so that MCSO can get their business done throughout the city. Like it or not, these things bring out the crowds and it's important that they all make their voices heard in a safew and organized manner.

We'll be watching you

2008-06-25T16:42:00.000-07:00

Sheriff Joe has caught the attention of a few people. The Attorney General has announced they plan to watch over the upcoming immigration sweeps in Mesa to make sure everything is kosher and that it's maintained as a peaceful event. If I were Joe, I would welcome them with open arms. With as many open lawsuits as he has right now, he can't afford to look like he's hiding anything. If he's truly following the letter and spirit of the law, he shouldn't have anything to worry about.

Russell Pearce v. Kevin Gibbons

2008-06-24T17:18:00.002-07:00

Mesa Issues had great coverage of the Golfland event and added a tidbit in there about the upcoming election for State Senate between Russell Pearce and newcomer Kevin Gibbons. It appears that Gibbons, who is an immigration attorney, had the copyright for INMIGRACIÓN SIN BARRERAS (literally, Immigration without barriers). It's not unusual to have polar opposites in an election, but this is just the primary for the Republican candidate!! I'm sure we'll hear much more about this as Russell has clearly been the most outspoken representative on issues pertaining to Illegal Immigration.

Break out the Broom, the Sheriff is coming to Mesa

2008-06-24T16:34:00.000-07:00

As promised, the 48 hour window has been opened and Sheriff Joe is planning to set up shop in Mesa. The letter hand delivered didn't say exactly when or where the sweeps would take place but that they will be happening on Thursday. I'm sure this will be the start of a big he said, she said argument. Already, Arpaio is accusing Mesa PD of leaking information about the event. Gascon countered that he actually heard from the media about the forthcoming letter. Stay tuned for more details.

Splish Splash someone's takin a bath

2008-06-23T21:11:00.000-07:00

Looks like 6 people are unknowingly working more than one job. In a followup report on the Golfland raids, the 9 people arrested that day were charged with forgery and 6 of them were charged with using someone elses identity.
Unfortunately, this part of illegal immigration is not a victimless crime. In the worst cases this causes years of problems people trying to fix their credit or unravel the mess caused by identity theft.

Mr. Smith goes to Washington

2008-06-20T16:19:00.000-07:00

So Scott Smith is living up to his campaign promise to be tougher in illegal immigration. The Tribune and Republic (I like Gary Nelson's title bringing back prizes) both have great articles that sum up what's going on in Mesa. I'm impressed to see good things happened. As a little background, the previous city council sent a letter to Washington in March. Like by scorned by a girlfriend, we never heard back. Smith and city manager Chris Brady made it part of a quick trip to DC to follow up. After being told they were 70th in line and they'd have to wait- they negotiated for more. What Mesa will now have is what Smith calls a temporary solution while we wait for the in the field training. While this isn't perfect, it's a huge step in weeding out illegal aliens who are arrested.

Both parties duck on immigration

2008-06-17T15:44:00.000-07:00

These are the headlines everyone hates to read. Interesting article about how the upcoming presidential election will have a huge effect on the illegal immigration debate...or not. Although polls list it as a major issue on people's minds, both McCain and Obama would love for it to disappear. This isn't what you want to hear if you're looking for some solutions to come out of Washington.
Both candidates are walking on egg shells. McCain has half his party to try and keep happy after backing a plan many call amnesty.
Obama is trying to court Latino voters while not going too far as to go against those in the party who aren't for open borders.
Expect this topic to come up between now and November. Just don't expect for either candidate to put it on the agenda.

Here is another article that is an interesting read. The first sentence really sums it up. "The next president will inherit a broken immigration system."

Russell Pearce would not be happy

2008-06-14T16:02:00.000-07:00

Stuff like this must just make Russell Pearce and other lawmakers shake their heads. "An immigration official says about 81 percent of Arizona businesses aren't using a federal database to check the work eligibility of their employees, as they are required to do by state law." I've actually gone onto the site and clicked around a little. Doesn't seem like rocket science to me. Granted many of those employers may not have hired new employees since January given the downturn in the economy but that's still a shockingly high number.

Another Rental opens up

2008-06-13T15:56:00.000-07:00

2 drop houses were raided and over 30 were taken into custody. Human smuggling is right up there with drug smuggling. I put it in second because if the people didn't pay to be smuggled in the first place, they wouldn't be faced with such horrible situations. Same story as usual here. Man pays $1,500 to be brought into the US. Upon arrival, he's sold to another organization that turns around and threatens to kill him if he doesn't give them $3,500 more. This scum shoudl be locked away forever and I'm glad there are laws on the books that make this a very serious crime. For those looking, there is a nice three bedroom house available. Slightly used. May need the carpets cleaned.

The numbers are in

2008-06-11T15:51:00.000-07:00

According to one group, 8.3% of Arizonans are illegal immigrants. That puts the number at about 500,000. I wonder how many of those are convicted criminals (I know, I know, they're all criminals)? The report does state the because of the Employer Sanctions Law, that number may be dwindling.

And you thought it was just for kids on summer break

2008-06-10T16:16:00.000-07:00

Editors caveat here:I worked one summer at Golfland. Not sure if that makes me biased or not (probably not) but figured I'd mention it. When I worked there though, I could count on one hand how many workers of Hispanic Origin were working there. I guess kids just don't want to be lifeguards anymore. It probably has to do with the heat and preferring to sit at home playing Guitar Hero.

Anyway, family fun lands Golfland, Waterworld and Big Surf were raided today after investigators were tipped off that up to 100 employees were working there with fake social security numbers. The raids resulted in arrests of 9 employees and this may turn into the first case to be prosecuted under the Emplyer Sanctions Law.
I'm a little confused to exactly which laws they used to raid the place but in addition to the 9 employees they took over 400 employee records. Using one law to enforce another sounds a little shady so hopefully they dotted the i's before going in so these charges stick. I mentioned Scott Smith winning the Mayor's race a few weeks ago. Not that she had a hand in this but it is ironic that former mayoral candiadte Claudia Walters' family members own Golfland.

We are not alone

2008-06-09T21:22:00.000-07:00

Some may think that the United States is the only land of the free and therefore the most likely place people would be clamoring to immigrate to even by illegal means. An article in the Republic today highlights the growing problem European countries are having in regards to illegal immigration.
Italy's newly elected mayor has vowed to bulldoze 20 immigrant shantytowns in the city along with his promise to expel 20,000 immigrants with criminal records. Here in America, like it or not, all citizens have some form of rights. Then again, we don't have shantytowns either (although some would argue parts of the valley would qualify). I'm all for expelling 20,000 people with criminal records. How do you do it thouhg? With up to 20 million illegal immigrants estimated to be in the country, how can you logistically expel even those with criminal records? Sooner or later our elected officials will have to come up with an idea or solution. If not, those on the fringes will.

Phoenix Police are asking questions

2008-05-22T20:50:00.000-07:00

New questions that is. Effective immediately, Phoenix police officers under a new policy will begin asking all criminal suspects about the immigration status. This is waht came out of the four-member panel appointed by Mayor Phil Gordon late last year.

This is a step in the right direction. A small step but a step nonetheless. I'm all for police having every tool they can to fight any crimes they come across. I would personally like to see it stronger but beggers can't be choosers. They can just set up blogs and complain about it.

Scott Smith elected Mayor of Mesa

2008-05-21T13:56:00.001-07:00

Scott Smith, a newcomer to Mesa politics, won the Mesa Mayoral election yesterday beating former councilman Rex Griswold (Tribune coverage here) (Republic coverage here). This is definitely a win for Mesa and their approach to illegal immigration. I have not written anything about the race because there are other blogs that have done a much better job than I could have. Mesa Issues by the way is a great blog if you're involved in any way with Mesa.

I say this is a win for Mesa because Smith is the only candidate throughout the entire race to even talk about immigration. He won the backing from Russell Pearce and stated his main goal was to create a policy for Mesa regarding illegal immigration. Mesa might have a policy but you would never know it by asking anyone who works there, including any police officers. Time will tell if Smith lives up to his campaign promises.

Joe Arpaio goes to home to Fountain Hills

2008-05-06T13:30:00.000-07:00

Sheriff Joe stayed close to home today for work after he took his illegal immigrant/crime suppression sweeps to Fountain Hills today. Reading the comments, supporters and critics both point to the number of suspects suspected of being in the country illegally (3).

He's on to Mesa next and has agreed to give Police Chief Gascon a 48 hour heads up before arriving. We'll see what kind of reaction he gets there. I'm sure it will be much bigger than this one because you're closer to the valley and the drive is a little closer.

Pearce putting the pressure on

2008-05-05T16:42:00.001-07:00

Rep. Russell Pearce wants to give power to the people this November. He's urging State Lawmakers today to approve a resolution that will put a measure on the ballot this year. I talked about how this measure might be the last chance this session for any immigration related laws to be passed. The measure would require all law enforcement agencies to determine the citizenship status of anyone arrested. It also would require them to turn over to federal authorities anyone suspected of being in the country illegally.
Like it or not, giving the public a chance to vote on measures like these is the best way to pressure the Federal Government to step up and do it's job. It sends a clear signal that we want this problem fixed and are willing to pass laws to do so.

Russell Pearce wins and loses at the same time

2008-04-29T13:16:00.000-07:00

The Senate approved an immigration enforcement bill last week that ended up on the Governors growing stack of veto's yesterday. The bill would have would required city and county police agencies to have their officers tackle federal immigration violations. She vetoed it saying it could be a $100 Million drain on what is looking like an already over tapped budget. Interesting enough, some argue the effects of illegal immigration are double that amount. Russell Pearce actually benefits from this a little as he is pushing his own more comprehensive ballot measure.

That measure spells out that anyone who entered this country illegally or remained here after a visa expired is guilty of the state crime of trespass, whether on public or private property. And that clearly would give all police — and not just those with the special federal training — the power to arrest them.

It's that little sliver of land about the size of AZ Mills Mall

2008-04-06T15:57:00.000-07:00

Well after two days in the town of Guadalupe, the Valley of the Sun has 9 less illegal immigrants (okay 5 are probably already back). Sheriff Joe and 60 of his closest friends were in Guadalupe for what turned out to be yet again a controversial but somewhat successful sweep.

We all know your dirty laundry

2008-04-04T20:15:00.000-07:00

A judge denied a motion by the lawyers for the Chandler Rapist’s case to be moved out of Maricopa County. Sorry bud, your peers all know who you are because you terrorized us for two years. I’m pretty sure even your illegal immigrant peers aren’t going to let you off for this one. You’ve definitely given them a bad name and are helping to shine a spotlight on them.

Can't we all just get along?

2008-03-29T15:54:00.000-07:00

Not when politicians and immigration is involved. Gordon and Arpaio are at it again, and this is a huge problem. You can't have two of your highest officials in a public pissing match. All it does is divide the argument even further and does nothing to get us closer to a solution. Here's to hoping they can work it out.

Is it legal to stand on the sidewalk and look for work?

2008-03-25T17:41:00.000-07:00

I think it all depends on what your selling. I'm pretty sure that none of the three day laborers that filed the lawsuit look like Julia Roberts but they're fighting for their right to sell their services while standing on the side of the road. This will be a very interesting case to follow since it will probably be a landmark case if it passes. I took a few law classes in school and I'm pretty sure the law passed by Cave Creek is unconstitutional. There have been quite a few cases before and all have been struck down in defeat.

The biggest problem with day laborers is that it really shows a lack of police or government presence. Regardless of how active the municipality is, it's never encouraging to see hordes of people standing around looking for work. Like it or not, most are likely to be here illegally.

It would be nice to have some happy medium but I don't see that happening. I went to a debate a few weeks back and Mesa Mayoral Candidate Scott Smith made a very good point. He pointed out that the City of Mesa was able to stop cruising on Main Street, why can't they stop basically the same thing on Broadway and Gilbert?

Another rental on the market

2008-03-25T15:36:00.000-07:00

Another drop house was found today. Anyone looking to rent? I was actually in the area and drove by to see if I could tell it was a drop house. It actually looked more put together than my next door neighbors house! That's kind of the scary thing, you never know where the next one might pop up. I wonder if the owner of the house had any idea his house was going to be used to smuggle people through. I'm pretty sure their was a clause in the lease limiting the number of people allowed to stay and I'm positive that number was broken.

“Which way should I go George, which way should I go??”

2008-03-01T18:10:00.000-07:00

I can’t wait to hear how the Presidential Candidates dodge the immigration issue in the upcoming election. In this article, it points out the fine line McCain is having to take in courting Hispanic voters and being tough on illegal immigration. I know deep down inside it doesn’t matter what any of them say, we will be in the same mess we’re in 10 years from now. It seems everyone likes to talk about the immigration problem but no one likes to act. At least Arizona still has Russell Pearce.

I’d rather be safe than sorry

2008-02-13T18:52:00.000-07:00

This article is a little disturbing. I still haven’t figured out where I stand on the “they’re just cooks and gardeners” issue. Where I’m crystal clear is in the “I don’t want criminals coming into my country” issue. Because the FBI and Homeland Security can’t get it together, they are going to let people get their permanent green cards before having their background checks complete. If it pops up afterward that they have a criminal background, they will immediately have their cards revoked and they will be deported.

By they way Mr. Sanchez, we need that ticket to a better life back because we didn’t realize you had a tendency to rape and murder people. Also, if you could leave in the next few days and never come back that would be great.

If you can't join them, beat them at their own game

2008-02-10T17:27:00.000-07:00

I don’t know enough about it to give a good opinion, but I figure anything is better than nothing. A few bills filed last week will create a temporary foreign-worker program aimed at allowing Mexican Citizens to register for temporary work visas. My biggest complaint right now is that there is no order in the way things are done. There is a huge demand and according to many people, not nearly enough visas to go around, let alone enough manpower to process the current backlog. The fact is, the Federal Government is unable and unwilling to do anything and it’s going to take things like the Employer Sanctions Law and these bills to get the Feds to finally give us some decent immigration reform.

By golly, you might be on to something!

2008-02-08T17:49:00.000-07:00

As I previously wrote, it appears measures like the employer sanctions law are working. A recent article states that immigrants are leaving the states of Arizona and Oklahoma (which also passed strict immigration laws) and heading to states like Texas and New Mexico. I think this is what the bill was intended to do and it looks like it may be working.

Russell Pearce is throwing a party

2008-02-08T17:39:00.000-07:00

Russell Pearce is a happy camper. A judge upheld the state measure authored by Pearce punishing employers who knowingly employ illegal immigrants. While it has it’s critics, it is very hard to argue that it’s not been effective. Only time will tell it’s full effect on immigration in the valley.

Pow!! Bang!! Boom!!

2008-02-02T17:58:00.000-07:00

Of all the people to hit!! A van full of 11 people ran into a Homeland Security vehicle on Tuesday. Thankfully, it doesn’t appear that anyone was seriously injured. That’s surprising though, since the story usually involves many more people and doesn’t end as happy. One more danger created by human smuggling.

Looking for a cheap place to rent?

2008-02-02T17:16:00.001-07:00

It looks like Russell Pearce and the other drafters of the Employer Sanctions Law did something right. Apartment rentals are dropping like piñatas in heavy immigrant neighborhoods. One of the purposes of the bill was to help encourage illegal immigrants to either not come here illegally, or if they did, to go to states other than Arizona. It appears that many that were here have heeded the call. I’ll be interested to see if neighboring states see an uptick in the amount of new residents they get that also happen to be there illegally. Is there really a true way to count them? I think that’s one of the big problems.

Not quite there yet

2008-02-02T17:10:00.000-07:00

The panel appointed by Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon has asked for a little more time to figure out exactly what they are going to change. This is one of those things caught up in the recent immigration debate with supporters of the current policy stating that it ensures a good relationship between police and the immigrant community; and opponents saying it fosters a “sanctuary city” mentality. I have a few friends who are cops and they are kind of divided when it comes to this issue. They would like the tools to be able to use it when they feel fit, but don’t necessarily feel it’s something they should be forced to do. It will be interesting to see what this panel recommends.

It could be worse

2008-02-02T13:24:00.000-07:00

If you think your Valley city has it bad, at least it’s not officially labeled a Sanctuary City. Ecatepec, a suburb of Mexico City proudly carries the label of “Sanctuary City.” I’ve actually been there. Imagine Guadalupe having 3 Million people and that’s Ecatapec. It’s mayor has instructed it’s police officers not to cooperate with Mexican immigration agents and states that immigration is a “universal right.” The problem with this mentality is that, while it’s a universal right, it’s also a universal duty to pay things like taxes, medical bills, and immigration fees.

Who's can play make believe better?

2008-01-24T16:11:00.000-07:00

Which presidential candidate will pretend the best to do something about immigration? Latino leaders recently endorsed Barack Obama for president while Hillary Clinton has also wrapped up some local endorsements of her own including Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox. As we get closer to the summer and the nominations are cemented, I’m sure immigration will be a very hot topic given Congress’ inability to do anything.

Smuggled in like firecrackers

2008-01-24T15:26:00.000-07:00

One of the most disturbing facets of illegal immigration is the human smuggling element. Say what you want about cooks and gardeners, but when they are locked up and tortured so these smugglers can make even more money, it’s just despicable. Three illegal immigrants were arrested after kidnapping a man. One was 17, the other 22. I wonder if they will mind being bound up, tortured by their new boyfriends after they’re sent to the slammer for a very long time.

Reporting the News

2008-01-20T12:39:00.000-07:00

The Tribune’s Executive Editor wrote an editorial about the headline they used the other day. One thing the immigration debate has done is bring out the fringes. Ripley summed up exactly what I feel about the whole debate.
“Sure, the issue of illegal immigration has brought a lot of bigots out of the closet. But that doesn’t mean all those who want to see our immigration laws enforced are bigots.”
As you can see by the comments, there are quite a few unapologetic bigots. Unfortunately, the line can be a little blurry when you are posting a two sentence statement on a heated topic such as immigration.
I don’t think the headline is at all racist. I think his immigration status is an absolute fact in this case especially considering that he had been deported twice and returned back.

John Smith or Chandler Rapist

2008-01-17T09:56:00.000-07:00

One thing that you can’t argue with no matter what side of the fence you are sitting on is that it is never a good thing when people lie about who they are when applying for a job. If someone at my office were a serial rapist, murder, molester or anything else, I would want to know that information or at least make it easier for the authorities if they were looking. Bravo to Russell Pearce for pushing through the Employer Sanctions Law. It will be interesting to find out if this guy stole someone’s identity or if he lucked out that he started before the law went into effect. Either way, the law is intended to prevent guys like this from getting work here in the state.

Chandler Rapist Case

2008-01-16T11:36:00.000-07:00

Santana Batiz Aceves, a man who has terrorized the East Valley for the last 18 months, and came to be known as the Chandler Rapist, has finally been caught. The biggest shocker in this story is that Aceves is a twice deported illegal immigrant. There are dozens of news stories to link to but a recap in the Tribune is a good one. As I mentioned before, I started this blog mainly because of this story and the events that unfolded. The Republic has a great article about how the arrest is likely to fuel the debate on immigration even more.

The Blog

2008-01-15T11:12:00.000-07:00

I’ve lived in the East Valley all of my life. I attended grade school, high school, and even graduated from Arizona State. I love the valley and am proud to call it home. I have seen a disturbing trend lately though. I’m not sure if it’s the economy to blame, more unemployed immigrants resorting to crime, or the fact that immigration automatically means pages and pages of comments on the Tribune and Republic sites. It seems to be in the news constantly. I decided it was time to blog about it today after finding out the Chandler Rapist is indeed an illegal immigrant. Let me start by saying I’m not racist. I think that our Federal Government has done a horrible job coming up with a viable solution to this increasing problem. Border states like Arizona, California, and Texas are bearing the brunt of the problem too. It’s an unacceptable problem that needs to be fixed and if blogging about it get’s one more person to pay attention, then I’m okay with that.