Illegal immigration 'a dagger aimed at our hearts'

The Globe Gazette ^ | 8/20/2005 | Linda Kane

[4.1O dana super trac pak]

ALBERT LEA, Minn. — Illegal immigration is a dagger aimed at the heart of Americans, according to U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., a leader in the fight against illegal immigration.

Republican Congressmen Gil Gutknecht from Minnesota and Tancredo, chairman of the 70-member House Immigration Reform Caucus, spoke to 100 people at a luncheon Tuesday in Albert Lea.

"Please think about national security," Tancredo said. "People are coming across our borders to do very bad things to us."

The topic was based on immigration, whether legal or illegal.

"It has nothing to do with race, ethnicity or country of origin" but everything to do with the problems that stem from it, Tancredo said.

Those include economic, employment and labor issues as well as crime rates, to name a few, he said.

He said illegal immigration wouldn't be such a big problem if the federal government would enforce the law.

"We have national security problems," he said. Not securing America's borders is the most shameful act on the part of the federal government, Tancredo said.

"This issue of massive immigration is a dagger pointing at our heart," he said.

Tancredo said momentum is growing to combat immigration issues, but a "great wall of opposition" remains.

"I want you to ask your local elected officials — I don't care if it's the county commissioners or the governor — ‘What are you going to do about this issue,' " Tancredo said.

A woman in the audience asked Tancredo if he planned to run for president.

"We need you," she said.

Tancredo said he would if the issue doesn't gain attention at the presidential level.

Gutknecht told the crowd that immigration is an issue that deserves national attention, and he provided many statistics and facts about immigration.

His family emigrated from Germany, Gutknecht said, and he fully supports legal immigration. However, "We cannot encourage individuals to break our laws and enter the country illegally.

"Border protection is important to our national security and economy. For more than two centuries, Americans have fought to protect our sovereignty and secure our borders. Sadly, today our borders are a sieve, allowing illegal immigrants to pour into the country," he added.

Gutknecht offered what he called a snapshot of a typical illegal alien: 32 years old with an average education of seven years, an hourly wage of $5.45 and an annual individual income of $8,982.

Other facts he presented:

-- 42 percent of births to immigrants are to illegal alien mothers. In 2005, births to illegal aliens will account for one in 10 births in the United States.

-- Illegal aliens are eligible for emergency Medicaid services and other medical services.

-- More than 29 percent of federal prisoners are aliens.

-- 55 percent of hired farm workers are unauthorized to work in the U.S.

-- In Minnesota, the cost to educate children of illegal aliens was more than $276 million.

"Facts are stubborn things," Gutknecht said.

Ken Dalager traveled to Albert Lea with at least 10 others from Austin concerned about illegal immigration.

"The people that go to the trouble of getting citizenship, I don't think they're much trouble," Dalager said. "The others slip in undercover and just kind of do things how they want to do them."

Conversations grew heated before the congressmen started speaking, however, as people debated the issue during dinner conversation.

"A simple way to stop illegal immigration is to find the companies that hire them," an Austin woman said.

Everybody is an immigrant, Dalager said. His family migrated from Norway, but years ago policies were different, he said.

"My cousin went to country school and the school board went to her house and said she had better talk English before they sent her to school," he said. "Today they're bending over backwards. You've got to hire two teachers," one that speaks English and one that speaks Spanish.

Paul Westrum of Albert Lea believes in "a common- sense approach to our immigration policy."

He was invited to Tuesday's luncheon by Gutknecht.

"If we don't do something about this immigration issue, we're going to lose our country as we know it," said Westrum, who has researched immigration issues for nearly a decade.

[BeHoldAPaleHorse]

"I heard on the radio today, (WRKO, Boston, w/Hugh Hewitt), that the Minutemen have literally halved the number of illegal immigrants wherever they patrol."

What you didn't hear was that the number of illegal immigrants DOUBLES where they don't patrol.

[William Terrell]

I have no estimate, only commonsense. If illegal Mexicans are making $20k/yr, they are sending much more than $1k/yr home. Fact is, I think any Latin source will purposefully underestimate and under-report amounts of American wealth leaving our shores, probably by vast amounts. They would have a vested interest in doing so. To them, America is a cash cow.

You can believe them if you like.

CA's $9B is a result of socialism by the government and the elite beneficiaries like hospital administrators. Fix that problem and the illegals will have fewer reasons to show up.

Yes, and. . .? The illegals are taking advantage of it, to our detriment, regardless of whether such programs should be in place.

Oh, yes, let's just fix that problem, shall we?

Illegals add $40 billion to the California economy? Whoever told you that? I don't care who or what it, he or they are, you are being sold a bill of goods.

None of this says anything about the destruction of our language, culture and way of life, not to mention the peace and security of this nation.

Numbers don't ever tell a true story. Number can and are massaged to achieve a predefined communication. The unrest of the people who rub against the problem every day tells the story. And we're running large percentages now, and they are growing.

[swampfox98]

Can that many people be in denial?

Rush Limbaugh has a lot to answer for. He has made fools of anyone who dares to "out" the CFR. I listened to him for many years, and agreed with him until I found out our government policy was going in lock step with CFR's plans. Bush has been a godsend to these traitors who are putting out this treason.

Some Republicans are so hurt by what Bush has done, that they do live in denial, and pray this is only a bad dream that will soon go away. Sadly, we who know the truth have become the enemy. But the man who personally brought millions of Mexicans here to suck us dry, destroy the middle class - along with our country, is their hero.

I have such great articles by Frosty Wooldridge. But when I try and post them I'm told they won't accept his articles here. If only he had national coverage, there would be riots in the strees when people learn the truth about what our government has done to us.

Our country has only a few years left. About 30 million Mexicans say they will come here in the next ten years - then we will be living in a third world hell hole, thanks to our politicians both Democrats and Republicans.

[janetgreen]

I have such great articles by Frosty Wooldridge

I've sent mail to many talking heads on cable and regular news channels asking that they interview Frosty Wooldridge. He's one of the few who are trying to get the truth out here.

Many long-time Republicans ARE hurt by what GWB has done to America, and many have left the party. I'm one of them, and I wouldn't be surprised if there are a few million of us.

[RoyalsFan]

of the 70-member House Immigration Reform Caucus

Correction: 81-member house immigration reform caucus, 78 republicans and 3 democrats. Copy and paste the link below to see for yourself.

http://www.teamamericapac.org/whatyoucando.htm

[palmer]

I have no estimate, only commonsense. If illegal Mexicans are making $20k/yr, they are sending much more than $1k/yr home.

No, you have only bias. You are trying to prove they don't add anything to the economy so you are assuming they send all their money home. My numbers are for aggregate flow, reported or not. You have no answer for that other than your refusal to accept facts.

Your ilk in this thread have been trying to prove that Mexicans add nothing to the economy. My estimate is based on what I know about the unreported income they make here in VA and the amounts sent back to Mexico as mentioned above. The difference, $40 billion or so, is added to the economy along with the ripple effect. I said above the programs that the illegals take advantage of are the main problem. I also said above I agree with cultural considerations and want to limit immigration.

But my argument remains that illegals add significantly to the economy here. They are not vacuum cleaners discharging south of the border. They have significant amounts of free time and like to spend their money. Your commonsense must not include any actual observation of illegals. Apparantly you think they sit in their shanties after work and play loteria.

[RoyalsFan]

Now I got to correct myself.

The 81-member house immigration reform caucus is made up of 77 republicans and 4 democrats.

[sheik yerbouty]

Not to mention the Arab terrorists who come here via Al qanada..

[exnavychick]

Apparantly you think they sit in their shanties after work and play loteria.

Around here, the shiftless ones hang out at the Walmart Supercenter, scoping out women. No kidding.

[palmer]

mmmmmmmm... Walmart Women...

[exnavychick]

No accounting for taste, I suppose. Of course, I shop there (great prices on Pampers, and Lord knows I oughtta take out stock!), so what does that say about me, heh heh!

[skeeter]

Your commonsense must not include any actual observation of illegals. Apparantly you think they sit in their shanties after work and play loteria.

LOL. You'll learn far more about how illegals spend their free time after a few weeks in the SF Bay Area than you will anywhere in Virginia, that I can promise.

[Sam the Sham]

I agree. The problem, though, is not illegal immigration -- it's the free schools, free health care, subsidized housing, etc. This country could solve much of the illegal immigration problem simply by getting rid of these things.

The American people have decided to enjoy the fruits of their wealth and will not have it stolen from them.

The way to end theft isn't to destroy you own wealth but to get rid of the thief. And your argument is ridiculous in that if you put a rich country next to a poor one people will naturally wish to move from the poor to the rich one.

[Sam the Sham]

Ah, Mr would be el-jefe in the white suit in the big house tries to pretend that he 'cares' about 'profit/wealth of all people.

What you and your kind want is something like much of Latin America. Basically, creating economic class inequalities so vast with cheap labor that it amounts to the restoration of feudalism.

Let me guess. You are really one of those Objectivist types who sees himself as some kind of Nietzschian ubermensch, right ? You aren't bright enough to be a paid shill.

[Sam the Sham]

Most illegals send their 'wealth' straight back to Mexico. And most illegals live hand to mouth so they 'accumulate' nothing.

The entire attractiveness of illegal labor is its cheapness. So what 'wealth' are you talking about ? How much wealth does a nanny in Forest Hills accumulate ?

[Chena]

Interesting. So are you FINALLY agreeing that there IS a difference between ILLEGAL immigrants and LEGAL immigrants?

[Sam the Sham]

Your numbers are absurd.

For one thing, the sheer cost of food and lodging in America can easily come up to $19,000 a year. And you aren't counting in spells of unemployment.

[palmer]

For one thing, the sheer cost of food and lodging in America can easily come up to $19,000 a year.

And that's precisely what contributes to the economy with a ripple effect. It's actually their labor that increases wealth, the compensation and spending are side effects.

[Paul Ross]

You meant ILLEGAL immigration, of course, I expect...

Rolling eyes at predictable childish inanity burbling out of Dane.

[navyblue]

"I find it strange (and frightening) that many people don't want to talk about this outrage that the President has forced upon us without even mentioning it. Can that many people be in denial?"

No Janet, it's because most people are in thier own little world and have never heard of these things!