Only In America: Illegal Immigrants And Their Allies Rally To Protest Law Enforcement
Thousands of people stream into downtown Los Angeles for what was expected to be one of the city’s largest pro-immigrant rallies, Saturday, March 25, 2006. Many of the marchers wore white shirts to symbolize peace and also waved U.S. flags. Some also carried the flags of Mexico and other countries. ‘The crowd is estimated at 25,000 and growing,’ said police spokeswoman Sandra Escalante. (AP Photo/ Matt Warnock)
Representing constituents or special interest? (Hint)
Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa addresses demonstrators gathered to protest federal immigration legislation in front of City Hall in Los Angeles, Saturday March 25, 2006. A person is holding on to Villaraigosa’s belt to make sure he doesn’t fall off the building. The U.S. House of Represenatives passed a bill that would make it a felony to be in the U.S. illegally, impose new penalties on employers who hire illegal immigrants and erect fences along one-third of the U.S.-Mexican border. The Senate is to begin debating the proposals on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Ann Johansson)
AP reports: “Tens of thousands of immigrant rights advocates from across Southern California marched Saturday in protest of federal legislation that would build more walls along the U.S.-Mexico border and make helping illegal immigrants a crime.”
So what all the fuss about? H.R.4437 Title: To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to strengthen enforcement of the immigration laws, to enhance border security, and for other purposes. (Synopsis)
Elger Aloy, 26, of Riverside, a premed student, pushed a stroller with his 8-month-old son at Saturday’s Los Angeles march.
“I think it’s just inhumane. … Everybody deserves the right to a better life,” Aloy said of the legislation.
That’s right, kid. Just as long as you’re not paying for it.
Where does the AP find these people? Funny how there’s no quote from someone who thinks enforcing immigration laws is actually, um, a good thing.
But his comments aren’t that far off what Roger Mahony, cardinal archbishop of Los Angeles, wrote in a recent op-ed:
Current law does not require social service agencies to obtain evidence of legal status before rendering aid, nor should it. Denying aid to a fellow human being violates a law with a higher authority than Congress  the law of God.
. . .That does not mean that the Catholic Church encourages or supports illegal immigration. Every day in our parishes, social service programs, hospitals and schools, we witness the baleful consequences of illegal immigration. Families are separated [Editor's note: they leave their families willingly], workers are exploited and migrants are left by smugglers to die in the desert [Editor's note: they put themselves in the position for abuse]. Illegal immigration serves neither the migrant nor the common good.
What the church supports is an overhaul of the immigration system so that legal status and legal channels for migration replace illegal status and illegal immigration. Creating legal structures for migration protects not only those who migrate but also our nation, by giving the government the ability to better identify who is in the country as well as to control who enters it.
With all due respect to the cardinal, he seems to be speaking from an other-worldly state of mind. The issue at hand is not just illegal immigration, but also concerns controlling immigration. It’s not about figuring out ways to make it easier for immigrants to enter America, but being able to stem the flow. Or does the good cardinal believe that jobs are in such abundance that America can employee the world? Just one look at the Church’s charitable efforts and the daily food lines which prove that’s not the case. If the nation already has so many in need of care, why add to the numbers?
As we’ve asked before, where are all the environmentalists? After all, the concerns of overpopulation are real and serious. Especially, since illegal immigrants reportedly have more children on average than legal citizens. Call it an education thing.
And speaking of that, what about the stress on our public infrastructure. Many states (in other words, tax payers) are forced to absorb the high costs of paying to educate the children of illegal immigrants in our already-overcrowded public school systems. What does that look like? (Click the link)
SCUFFLE: March 24, 2006 - A school district officer grabs a youth who allegedly threw a bottle at another officer at South East High (Brian Vander Brug/LAT)
L.A. Times reports: “High School Students Leave School to Protest Immigration Legislation — Hundreds take to the streets to call attention to a Republican House bill that activists contend is punitive and tinged with racism.” Of course. What else?
On the eve of a large rally planned downtown, hundreds of Los Angeles-area high school students staged a walkout Friday to protest proposed federal legislation that calls for building a 700-mile-long wall along the Mexican border and making felons of illegal immigrants.
Disrupting classes at more than half a dozen schools, students marched onto city streets waving Mexican flags and clutching red, white and green balloons as they chanted “Viva Mexico!”
“Without immigrants, this country wouldn’t be anything,” said freshman Anna Benitez, as she joined about 500 fellow Huntington Park High students outside the school on Firestone Boulevard.
How’s Mexico doing?
Is it any wonder that most parents are fleeing for the suburbs? Not just for better test scores.
And let’s not forget about healthcare: The enormous burden to hospital emergency rooms, where illegal immigrants get treated for everything. What is Congress doing about it? Not much.
In a Washington Post op-ed, Robert J. Samuelson argues that We Don’t Need ‘Guest Workers’:
It’s said that having guest workers is better than having poor illegal immigrants. With legal status, they’d have rights and protections. They’d have more peace of mind and face less exploitation by employers. This would be convincing if its premise were incontestable: that we can’t control our southern border. But that’s unproved. We’ve never tried a policy of real barriers and strict enforcement against companies that hire illegal immigrants. Until that’s shown to be ineffective, we shouldn’t adopt guest worker programs that don’t solve serious social problems — but add to them.
We agree fully.
Furthermore, a 2005 Pew Hispanic Center report says most immigrants from Mexico had jobs at home, but came to the United States for higher-paid work. Mas dinero is the name of the game.
Michelle Malkin takes on the notion of America being a “nation of immigrants.” That’s the politically-correct mantra. It’s a rhetorical device used by special interests to advance an agenda. Nothing more. (See Alien Nation)
Finally, with all the talk about illegal immigrants and their fight (as if they are the only ones with problems), what about the poor, disenfranchised blacks? Let’s consider.
Warren Mass writes:
All political grandstanding aside, however, an article in the February 20 Los Angeles Times [Oddly enough, it's no longer available] addressed another side of the guest worker coin  a side that sheds light on a very illiberal aspect of it. The article, by Times staff writer Teresa Watanabe, publicized the plight of black workers in the L.A. area, where the unemployment rate for blacks is now 14 percent. A key figure in the story was a man named Drexell Johnson, who leads an organization called Young Black Contractors of South Central Inc. As Watanabe notes:
The news that President Bush and some members of Congress are pushing to bring more blue-collar guest workers into the country  perhaps 400,000 annually  leaves the contractors indignant.
“Hell, no, don’t bring no one in from nowhere,†said Johnson, a 47-year-old Mississippi native who founded his consortium of 35 minority contractors a decade ago. “Train the people here. Give the people here the same opportunity you’re willing to give someone out of this country.â€ÂUPDATE: Read the full article here, via Truthout.org (Thanks to reader TT)
And it is not just black workers who are concerned about the flood of cheap labor that guest worker proposals would bring. The article cited a Pew Hispanic Center poll last August that reported that 34 percent of American-born Hispanics surveyed believed that illegal immigrants hurt the economy by driving down wages and 32 percent opposed a temporary-worker program. Though those percentages represented a minority of Hispanics, they were significant enough to indicate that there is no unified “Latino†position on the matter.
Two unemployed black men quoted by the Times were Damon Metters, who is living with his father until he finds work, and Anthony Brooks, who is living in a homeless shelter. Watanabe observes: “News of the guest-worker plan brings strong reactions from both men.
“‘No!’ Brooks said. ‘Why don’t they let us have the jobs?’â€Â
Why, indeed?
And why isn’t Jesse Jackson & Co. speaking out against the flood of cheap labor that further dims the chances of helping poor blacks?
It’s not about jobs, it’s about votes.
UPDATE:
Patterico says “We’ve already lost the battle, folks.”
We contend the battle hasn’t even begun. Wake up, folks. This is what liberal tolerance has wrought. And this could be next.
UPDATE: (3/27)
Michelle Malkin: “Welcome to Reconquista”
Includes many photos of those “living in the shadows.” Hardly.
Also see: “Minutemen Attacked”
Dare you speak out in favor of immigration control?
Mickey Kaus: Put Out More Flags–L.A. Times True to Form:
That propagandistic LAT story on Saturday’s big demonstration, the one that mentioned the presence of Mexican flags only in the tenth paragraph, has now been amended and updated–to eliminate any reference to Mexican flags at all! The story now also contains the following:
In contrast to demonstrations 12 years ago against Proposition 187, Saturday’s rally featured more American flags than those from any other country.
From what I saw, this statement is false. There were about as many Mexican as American flags (as reported below). Here’s what to me seems a representative LAT photo of the crowd–judge for yourself.** Maybe it depends what part of the demo you were at and at what time. But at the very least “more American flags” is a highly deceptive assertion. (If U.S. flags predominated, it would be only by a slim, 51-49-type margin.) It’s hard to believe Dean Baquet thinks this is good journalism. … [Thanks to alert reader V.]
** Update: Reader J.G. notes a banner or placard in the upper-right hand corner reading “THIS IS STOLEN LAND”–another sentiment you won’t read much about in the LAT (and another reason Mexican flags aren’t the same as Italian flags). … 8:10 P.M. link
RELATED:
Border Security or Boondoggle?
(Includes many more links)
See these important sites:
Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)
VDARE.com
Yahoo! News: Immigration
We Need A Fence
Technorati Tags: Los Angeles, Immigration, Illegal Aliens, Special Interests, Mexico
March 25th, 2006 at 4:05 pm
When will businessmen who hire illegal aliens start going to prison?
March 25th, 2006 at 4:56 pm
Unbelievable the cohonas these Latinos and specifically, Mexicans have.
Where are the Poles, Russians, Kenyans, Japanese, and OTHER immigrants protesting?
Why can’t you see them? BECAUSE THERE ARE NONE. They all come across LEGALLY.
Let’s face it. It’s come down Mexicans wanting to basically impose it’s will on WHITE America.
Plain and simple, that’s what it’s all about.
They have conquered White (and Black) America without EVER FIRING A SINGLE SHOT.
And of course, WHITE America is talking out of both sides of it’s mouth. Disgusting.
March 25th, 2006 at 5:00 pm
Having trouble getting a trackback to you. I’ve referenced your post (FYI)
March 25th, 2006 at 5:16 pm
Thousands March in L.A. Over Immigration
Tens of thousands of immigrant rights advocates from across Southern California marched Saturday in
March 25th, 2006 at 5:21 pm
They should have arrested all the illegals they saw…
Bush is for the illegals because there are some in his family from mexico
March 25th, 2006 at 6:27 pm
[...] California Conservative comes in with the dirt on what the fuss is all about. So what all the fuss about? H.R.4437 Title: To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to strengthen enforcement of the immigration laws, to enhance border security, and for other purposes. [...]
March 25th, 2006 at 6:37 pm
Where are the Poles, Russians, Kenyans, Japanese, and OTHER immigrants protesting?
Why can’t you see them? BECAUSE THERE ARE NONE. They all come across LEGALLY.
Well in fact there are 40,000 Irish white illegals in America. Who protested in Washington. So you can get off your anti- Mexican horse now.
In Ireland we are taking in about 50,000 -70,000 immergrants a year (Irelands population 4 million) mainly from Eastern Europe but some French, Nigerians,Americans and British. Roughly 8-9% of the workforce was not born in Ireland. In fact our country is crying out for workers to fill the jobs we have. Yet most of the Irish will not come home to mostly better paid jobs and legality no idea why really maybe it is the rain in Ireland.
March 25th, 2006 at 6:47 pm
James, other groups marched with Latinos in NY along with Irish. And you forgot Walmart and the illegal Russians….
Josh, they can’t arrest everyone what about the economy? what about New Orleans where illegal immigrans are now legal to rebuild???
You guys forget how we as a country have benefited on the backs of illegal immigrants, how businesses have flourished and how backyards were hemmed and how your fruits made it to market…and now that there are so many of them you can’t stand to live by brown people living next door. And that is the truth!
March 25th, 2006 at 7:22 pm
They should throw every ILLEGAL out of the country!!!
A big wall down there would work wonders along with law enforcement on top shooting anybody trying to sneek through..
March 25th, 2006 at 9:52 pm
My contempt for George Bush knows now bounds. And it increases even more when I hear his proposals about illegal immigration. Odd, but I side with a lot of right wingers on this issue.
The availability of cheap illegal immigrant labor is killing this country. It’s heaviest toll is exacted on those who I care most about: the working poor. The working poor citizen in this country is my hero. He works and struggles to make a family. He wants that job in construction. But some illegal immigrant can do the job for less because he does not have a family here.
Jail the employers who hire these people. When the hell is America going to wake up?
Oh, and by the way, tons and tons of methamphetamine are brought into this county by illegal immigrants to destroy lives and families and poison our citizens and damage the brains of our children. Not like anyone gives a sh**
March 25th, 2006 at 10:08 pm
mkultra, my admiration of George W. Bush knows no bounds, either (well…actually it does). And it’s important to figure out realistic solutions to the illegal immigration problem- not just meaningless platitudes about throwing them all out…’cause it ain’t going to ever happen like that.
What I can’t get is how these supporters of La Raza and other multicultural racist organizations mischaracterize those against illegals as anti-immigrant, anti-Mexican, and somehow racist.
And Mayor Villaraigosa is exactly as I feared…a leader who has the best interest of Chicanos at heart over being a representative for all Los Angelenos.
March 25th, 2006 at 10:46 pm
The Black lobby has enormous power in the US - why are they silent?
Jobs America Don’t Want
School Desks Americans Don’t Want
Emergency Room Beds Americans Don’t Want
Ten Emergency Rooms have closed in the LA area in the past ten years, mostly due to the massive spike in uninsured patients, mostly illegals. Remember that the next time you drive on a freeway in LA - along those stretches which are closest to one of these hospitals. If some crazy driver hits you, you are fucked.
Imagine all those 500,000 seeking their primary care at the same Emergency Rooms you need… in an emergency. Absolutely amazing that any politician like Fabian Nunez would be ENCOURAGING this crap.
March 26th, 2006 at 7:35 am
Deport illegals of all nationalities.
Fine/and or put employers of illegals in jail.
give our economy time to adjust to the diminished numbers and we will be fine.
March 26th, 2006 at 9:19 pm
The blacks dont care because the illegals vote for the democraps
March 26th, 2006 at 9:33 pm
Hey CC,
Hell yes we dare to fight! I had to physically interpose myself between five goons and Joe in the picture to keep them from joining in the fun.
We need all Americans to stand up and grow or borrow a set and act like Americans!
This is a fight folks and it could very well get dangerous, hell it already is, so now that the chips are down and the enemy is revealing his true face is it time to run away?
Well, this American won’t and I’m very curious to see how many have the patriotism and love of this country to do more than bitch over their cornflakes.
I’m waiting…
March 27th, 2006 at 6:32 am
What percentage of these demonstraters are citizens and therefore actually entitled to an opinion in the matter of immigration?
March 27th, 2006 at 8:27 am
I can’t believe this has come to this. Everything is about helping some businesses hire some cheap labor. These people seriously warn us that the economy and country will collapse without cheap painters and manicures. Sounds like WaPo finally gave up on their assinine Cheap Lettuce For All warcry.
From WaPo: Here lies the dilemma facing Congress as it attempts an immigration overhaul. Businesses say it is hard to persuade Americans to perform the unskilled jobs that immigrants easily fill. Significantly higher wages might work, but that increase would be passed on to unhappy consumers, forcing Americans to give up under-$10 manicures and $15-per-hour paint and lawn jobs.
I say build the fence now, stopping as much future criminal migration as possible. The protests are over things mostly not related to future migration.
March 27th, 2006 at 11:48 am
[...] Illegal Aliens Demand US Citizens’ Rights » Education: On Vouchers » Russian Scientists Hide From U.N. Inspectors » SB840:Bringing the Failures of Canada to the Golden State Part I » Abdul Rahman To Be Released » Liberals Interpret the Scriptures; The Gospel According to Marx » Randy Quaid Sues “Brokeback Mountain” Producers, Says He Was Told Movie was About Heimlich Maneuver » Fighting Words: The definitive books on the battles of the 20th century » Only In America: Illegal Immigrants And Their Allies Rally To Protest Law Enforcement » Clark Baker for Assembly — Update » A New Enemy in the War on Terror » Jesus, Mary & Hillary » Impeachment Is Increasingly Popular With Moonbats » Abramoff Clearing DeLay? » Kerrey: New Documents Provide “Very Significant Set of Facts” » Hillary Watch » Being An Idiot Isn’t a Strategy Either » S.F. Mayor Gavin Newsom: Google Eyed » Sen. Reid’s Political Props: Soldiers, Police, Firefighters and Flags » Russia Provides Saddam with U.S. military strength at start of Iraq War [THIS IS RAY’S POST; IT NEEDS FORMATTING WORK; HE NEEDS ASSISTANCE, STARTING WITH SHORTER HEADLINES] List all posts » [...]
March 27th, 2006 at 12:12 pm
You know, it’s probably lucky I’m not in charge. I’d be “Hey, a ton of the illegal’s in our area are at this big protest thing. Call up the national guard, round ‘em up and put ‘em on busses/planes and boats back to their country of origin.”
Remember, if they’re illegal, they are NOT guaranteed any of the rights under the U.S. constitution.
March 27th, 2006 at 12:41 pm
I say put them in boats and then sink them!
I am sick of these lawbreakers marching and demanding things.
March 29th, 2006 at 11:18 am
[...] RELATED: Mayor’s LAPDog Gives Truants Spring Break Who’s Behind the Immigration Rallies? Is “Illegal Alien Schizophrenia†On The Loose? Coloring The Debate: “Brown Is Beautiful†Only In America: Illegal Immigrants And Their Allies Rally To Protest Law Enforcement [...]
April 2nd, 2006 at 11:20 am
[...] RELATED: The Documents of The “Undocumented” They Pledge Allegiance To The Flag… Only In America: Illegal Immigrants And Their Allies Rally To Protest Law Enforcement [...]
April 5th, 2006 at 12:37 pm
[...] RELATED: It’s Not About Immigration Rethinking Our Borders Education for Illegal Immigration California Dreamin’: Illegal Immigrants Demand Tuition Break Is It ‘Amnesty’ or ‘Earned Citizenship’? The Documents of The “Undocumented” They Pledge Allegiance To The Flag… Only In America: Illegal Immigrants And Their Allies Rally To Protest Law Enforcement [...]
April 6th, 2006 at 9:15 am
Once again the senate is selling out the base for what? This time it is for non citzens. I can guarantee that the republican majority is going to be lost due to John Mccain and his cohorts. We have been loyal republicans and cannot vote Democratic but also cannot support the republicans when we have our elected people selling out the country to illegals. The revolution has begun on both sides. Mike Meador
April 11th, 2006 at 12:51 pm
IT’S TIME NOW TO SEND HOME ALL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WE HAVE BEEN LIED TO FOR A LONG TIME ABOUT WHY THEY ARE HERE AND JUST WHAT THEY ARE DOING. WE NEED TO VOTE OUT OF OFFICE ALL THE GUTTLESS PEOPLE IN CONGRESS EVERYONE MUST GO!!!
April 11th, 2006 at 11:02 pm
[...] RELATED: Illegal Immigrants Rally For Mexico Will Illegal Aliens Take America by Force? SF Mayor Gavin Newsom: Vows to Ignore The Law, Again Immigration Reform: The Writing Is On The Wall, And It’s In French Immigration: “The Revolution Has Come†(Sure looks like it) Rethinking Our Borders Education for Illegal Immigration California Dreamin’ Illegal Immigrants Demand Tuition Break Is It ‘Amnesty’ or ‘Earned Citizenship’? They Pledge Allegiance To The Flag… Only In America: Illegal Immigrants And Their Allies Rally To Protest Law Enforcement [...]
May 1st, 2006 at 11:54 am
I’M VERY HAPPY THAT THE IMMIGRATION PEOPLE IS FIGHTING FOR THERE RIGHT.
AND I HOPE THEY STICK TO WHAT TERE DOING SO THEY COULD GET THROUGH THIS ALL TOGETHER! AND I’M HAWAIIAN.
May 1st, 2006 at 12:24 pm
We’re sure glad that you be happy that “the immigration people is fighting for there right.” (sic)
But this news is about illegal immigrants and, by law, they should have no rights anymoreso than a burglar is entitled to your personal property.
May 2nd, 2006 at 4:46 am
[...] RELATED: Only In America: Illegal Immigrants And Their Allies Rally To Protest Law Enforcement [...]
August 28th, 2006 at 12:44 pm
[...] RELATED: Illegal Immigrants Rally For Mexico Will Illegal Aliens Take America by Force? SF Mayor Gavin Newsom: Vows to Ignore The Law, Again Immigration Reform: The Writing Is On The Wall, And It’s In French Immigration: “The Revolution Has Come” (Sure looks like it) Rethinking Our Borders Education for Illegal Immigration California Dreamin’ Illegal Immigrants Demand Tuition Break Is It ‘Amnesty’ or ‘Earned Citizenship’? They Pledge Allegiance To The Flag… Immigration Protest in LA: Photo Essay Only In America: Illegal Immigrants And Their Allies Rally To Protest Law Enforcement [...]
May 27th, 2007 at 8:39 pm
[...] RELATED: Selling Out Americans To Illegal Aliens Only In America: Illegal Immigrants And Their Allies Rally To Protest Law Enforcement The Cost of Illegal Immigration: Paying For Their Children Illegal Immigration: What Did France Discover That the GOP Can’t Grasp? Senate Immigration Bill Would Allow 100 Million New Legal Immigrants over the Next Twenty Years [...]
June 26th, 2007 at 2:56 pm
[...] Sorry, George. We’ve been there, done that — now, our country must seriously deal with stopping the flood of illegal aliens, millions more than 20 years ago. And rewarding them with citizenship is certainly not the way. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., an architect of the bill, said he was proud of the vote, calling it “a major step forward for our national security, for our economy, and for our humanity.” [...]