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Immigration bill spurs protest - Demonstrators call proposed crackdown on illegal workers too harsh
Riverside Press-Enterprise ^ | 2/13/06 | Sharon McNary

Posted on 02/13/2006 8:31:45 AM PST by NormsRevenge

Hundreds of people gathered along 40 miles of state Highway 111 in the Coachella Valley Sunday to protest a proposed federal law that would heighten enforcement targeting undocumented immigrants.

In groups ranging from a few dozen to more than 150, the mostly Latino crowds of demonstrators cheered honking autos in Coachella and Indio; waved farmworker union, American and Mexican flags at a ritzy resort in Indian Wells; and held hands before a strip mall in Cathedral City.

About 75 picketed the street in front of the office Rep. Mary Bono, R-Palm Springs, to protest her vote in December for HR 4437, a bill by James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis.

In a statement on her congressional Web site, Bono said current immigration laws are insufficient and not well enforced in the nation's interior. The bill increases accountability in enforcement and is part of a comprehensive effort to restore the integrity of the nation's borders, she said. A Bono representative did not return calls Friday or Sunday requesting comment on her support of the bill.

The bill is pending in the Senate, where debate is expected on whether to remove some of its many enforcement provisions and add a guest-worker program advocated by President Bush.

The Republican Party is split over the issue, with law-and-order conservatives angry at the prospect of undocumented immigrants getting permission to work when legal immigration can take years and thousands of dollars in legal fees. Meanwhile moderates and business interests want the low-cost labor that immigrants provide.

The demonstration, organized by the Comite Latino of Coachella Valley, immigrant rights advocates, was billed as "Manos Unidos en Contra el Racismo," or Hands United Against Racism. The group is also collecting petition signatures against the bill.

Many of the demonstrators were like Christina Vargas, 30, a native-born American citizen who answered the call of a Spanish radio station KUNA-FM 96.7 to protest the bill in person on sidewalks along Highway 111 from noon to 3 p.m.

She said she was most bothered by the bill's provision that would make it a crime to help a person who is illegally in the country.

"It would be against the law for me to help them -- like, we couldn't give them housing," she said. That is an impractical demand to place on Americans and legal permanent residents who have friends and family who are undocumented, she said.

So she stood with about 150 others along the highway in her hometown, Cathedral City, holding hands with her Mexican-born parents, who obtained legal residency 20 years ago.

Her mother, Augustina Jaramillo, 57, said she was in the United States for several years before obtaining permission to live and work here. Those years were difficult, but the political climate now is worse, she said, because immigrants seem to be hated.

"I don't feel welcome," said Jaramillo, whose children and grandchildren are citizens.

In Indian Wells, about 150 people affiliated with the United Farm Workers gathered on the curving sidewalk along a grassy, flowering parkway fronting the Indian Wells Resort, cheering drivers who honked. Some passengers waved from windows in support; a few made rude gestures.

"We're messing with the aesthetics of the area," said UFW Regional Director Joe Mota. "We want them to know that we as farm workers provide the bounty for America."

Coachella City Councilman Eduardo Garcia, who mingled with demonstrators, said he wants his city to declare itself a pro-immigrant city to counterbalance a recent vote by the city of Costa Mesa to pursue an agreement for its police force to aid federal immigration law enforcement.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Politics/Elections; US: California
KEYWORDS: aliens; california; crackdown; demonstrators; illegalworkers; immigrantlist; immigrationbill; protest; spurs; tooharsh
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1 posted on 02/13/2006 8:31:47 AM PST by NormsRevenge
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To: NormsRevenge
She said she was most bothered by the bill's provision that would make it a crime to help a person who is illegally in the country.

Isn't it already a crime to aid and abet a criminal?

2 posted on 02/13/2006 8:41:28 AM PST by Graybeard58 (Remember and pray for Sgt. Matt Maupin - MIA/POW- Iraq since 04/09/04)
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To: NormsRevenge
Meanwhile moderates and business interests want the low-cost SLAVElabor that immigrants provide.

There, fixed it.
3 posted on 02/13/2006 8:42:25 AM PST by steel_resolve
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To: NormsRevenge; gubamyster; HiJinx
"In groups ranging from a few dozen to more than 150, the mostly Latino crowds of demonstrators cheered honking autos in Coachella and Indio; waved farmworker union, American and Mexican flags at a ritzy resort in Indian Wells; and held hands before a strip mall in Cathedral City."

If mobs of American illegals waved US flags and "demanded their rights" in Mexico, and they would be lucky to escape alive.

4 posted on 02/13/2006 8:45:15 AM PST by Travis McGee (--- www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com ---)
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To: steel_resolve
As long as we're correcting things, let's change this:

Many of the demonstrators were like Christina Vargas, 30, a native-born American citizen

to the more accurate version here:

Many of the demonstrators were like Christina Vargas, 30, a native-born anchor baby American citizen, born to illegal alien parents ...

Much better.

5 posted on 02/13/2006 8:47:43 AM PST by skip_intro
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To: NormsRevenge; 1_Inch_Group; 2sheep; 2Trievers; 3AngelaD; 3pools; 3rdcanyon; 4Freedom; ...
Click to see other threads related to illegal aliens in America
Click to FR-mail me for addition or removal

If we really and truly do need the farm laborers, then let's set up a category of Visa that allows them to do seasonal work here.

If we don't need them, well then...hire Americans, pay them a decent (farm labor) wage, and send the illegals packing.

6 posted on 02/13/2006 8:58:16 AM PST by HiJinx (~ Proud Poppa and Dad ~ Grateful Husband ~)
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To: NormsRevenge

President Bush has been great on most things except for our border.
He has been great on the war on terrorists.
But on the border he is a gross failure.
He acted fast and correct on the 3,000+ people murdered at the world trade center.
He ignores the many rapes, murders and robberies which might be larger than the murders and money loss at the world trade center.

Start building the fence.

It should be made a felony for Criminals who overstay their visas and Invaders.

I believe we should give amnesty to these poor CRIMINALS or INVADERS.
This should be a 2 week amnesty to get the heck out of our Country.
The ones who ignore this amnesty should be buried in a tent city jail and fined $10,000 or buried elsewhere.
All aiders and abettors of these CRIMINALS or INVADERS should get 1 year in a tent city jail and a $10,000 fine for each CRIMINAL aided.
Those in government should be the first ones charged.


7 posted on 02/13/2006 9:06:31 AM PST by HuntsvilleTxVeteran (“Don't approach a Bull from the front, a Horse from the rear, or a Fool from any side.”)
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To: NormsRevenge

Illinois


Illinois Minuteman Informational Meeting
Saturday February 25, 2006
1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The Centre of Elgin, 100 Symphony Way
Elgin, Illinois 60120
Susan Tully, the National Director of FAIR, will be a featured speaker. Find out how you can get involved combating illegal immigration locally and nationally.
For more information, please contact:
Telephone: 1-847-626-7818
Website: http://illinoisminutemanproject.com/
E-mail: illinoisminutemanproject@yahoo.com


"No Amnesty Rally"
Sunday, February 26, 2006
1 pm - 3 pm
Speaker Dennis Hastert’s District Office,
27 N. River Street
Batavia, Illinois
For more information, please contact:
Telephone: 1-847-626-7818
Website: http://illinoisminutemanproject.com/
E-mail: illinoisminutemanproject@yahoo.com


Illinois Minuteman Informational Meeting
Friday, March 3, 2006
Informal chat time from 5-6 PM / Formal meeting presentation from 6-9 PM
Rock Island VFW Conference Room, 3715 9th Street
Rock Island, Illinois
Find out how you can get involved combating illegal immigration locally and nationally.
For more information, please contact:
Telephone: 1-847-626-7818
Website: http://illinoisminutemanproject.com/
E-mail: illinoisminutemanproject@yahoo.com


8 posted on 02/13/2006 9:23:18 AM PST by chicagolady (Mexican Elite say: EXPORT Poverty Let the American Taxpayer foot the bill !)
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To: HiJinx
Protect our borders and coastlines from all foreign invaders!

Support our Minutemen Patriots!

Be Ever Vigilant!


9 posted on 02/13/2006 9:26:05 AM PST by blackie (Be Well~Be Armed~Be Safe~Molon Labe!)
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To: NormsRevenge

Oh my, a propaganda piece that has all the required elements within a few short paragraphs.

Purposely mislabel illegal aliens, illustrate their humanity and solidarity, name a few "evil" Republicans out to give them a hard time, claim that the Republicans are hiding from the press (implying cowardice), insert the grain of truth (The Republican Party is split over the issue...), reassert the lie that they're "immigrants" while plastering the "Racist" label on those wanting laws enforced, make it seem as if the government is going to play Nazi to the illegals role of persecuted Jews, perpetuate the concept that gate-crashing is excusable while blaming the vague boogieman of politics, pile on the tired myth that our economy would collapse without them and, finally, laud a city official as he proposes seditious actions.

But we're supposed to believe that the press is fair and unbiased.


10 posted on 02/13/2006 9:27:39 AM PST by NewRomeTacitus
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To: NormsRevenge
"It would be against the law for me to help them -- like, we couldn't give them housing," she said. That is an impractical demand to place on Americans and legal permanent residents who have friends and family who are undocumented, she said.

Hey, senorita, should it then not be illegals to help embezzlers, bank robbers, murderers and rapists?

Too bad if you don't like the law. It's what Americans want that matters not mexicans.

11 posted on 02/13/2006 9:42:48 AM PST by raybbr (ANWR is a barren, frozen wasteland - like the mind of a democrat!)
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To: NormsRevenge
Conservatives are concerned about undocumented immigrants getting permission to work when legal immigration can take years and thousands of dollars in legal fees.

This is faulty reporting...I would not call it biased, just faulty.

It is not only conservatives that hold this view. This position is held by liberals and conservatives.

12 posted on 02/13/2006 9:53:07 AM PST by BJungNan
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To: NormsRevenge; Stellar Dendrite; NRA2BFree; Happy2BMe; Spiff; Pelham; Das Outsider; moehoward; ...
*PING!* (apologies to all who are already here)

Well, it seems some Anchor-Babies are hung up on the intricacies of "legality"...

She said she was most bothered by the bill's provision that would make it a crime to help a person who is illegally in the country.

And we Americans are most bothered by these "Cafeteria Immigrants" who support OBL, and pick and choose which Laws they will obey, and which they will disregard at their leisure!

"It would be against the law for me to help them -- like, we couldn't give them housing," she said. That is an impractical demand to place on Americans and legal permanent residents who have friends and family who are undocumented, she said.

Hmmm.do they have "friends and family" that might be Rapists...Robbers...Murderers? Maybe they need to learn the language better, and the meaning of words...here, let me help;

Illegal:

Main Entry: 1il·le·gal

Pronunciation: (")i(l)-'lE-g&l
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle French or Medieval Latin; Middle French illegal, from Medieval Latin illegalis, from Latin in- + legalis legal : not according to or authorized by law : UNLAWFUL, ILLICIT; also : not sanctioned by official rules (as of a game)

Main Entry: 2illegal
Function: noun
: an illegal immigrant

Infiltrate:

Main Entry: in·fil·trate
Pronunciation: in-'fil-"trAt, 'in-(")
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): -trat·ed; -trat·ing
transitive senses
1 : to cause (as a liquid) to permeate something by penetrating its pores or interstices
2 : to pass into or through (a substance) by filtering or permeating
3 : to pass (troops) singly or in small groups through gaps in the enemy line
4 : to enter or become established in gradually or unobtrusively usually for subversive purposes intransitive senses : to enter, permeate, or pass through a substance or area by filtering or by insinuating gradually

See, when you know the language, and understand the meaning of the words that make up the Laws...you can STILL ignore the ones you want to because Americans are now Third-Class Citizens behind the Ruling-Eeeelite and the Illegal Infiltrators they are catering to, and find more important to appease that the American Voting Public!

13 posted on 02/13/2006 10:24:50 AM PST by Itzlzha ("The avalanche has already started...it is too late for the pebbles to vote")
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To: NormsRevenge

These people would absolutely crap themselves if they had the first clue what many on the pro-border/anti-illegal alien side would like to see done.


14 posted on 02/13/2006 10:26:53 AM PST by trubluolyguy (Where did they get those ref's, the WWE?)
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To: NormsRevenge

Too many powerful people from the President on down WANT illegals in this country so they can supply cheap labor to business, thus destroying the middle class. The very thought of this makes these people sexually excited.


15 posted on 02/13/2006 10:28:27 AM PST by trubluolyguy (Where did they get those ref's, the WWE?)
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To: Itzlzha
"It would be against the law for me to help them -- like, we couldn't give them housing," she said. That is an impractical demand to place on Americans and legal permanent residents who have friends and family who are undocumented, she said.

The following is from an article titled  The Big Miedo  [The Big Fear].

There's a system, they [illegal aliens from Mexico] believe: They live here, work for cheap and don't make trouble. In exchange, the powers that be don't try too hard to catch them.

[snip]

Americans like to imagine a line between documented and undocumented — between legal and illegal, good and bad — but in the Mexican community, it doesn't exist. Within one family, says Ricardo, you can have numerous, interdependent legals and illegals. The line is as meaningless [to them] as the border.

[snip]

16 posted on 02/13/2006 10:40:46 AM PST by DumpsterDiver
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Comment #17 Removed by Moderator

To: Travis McGee

"If mobs of American illegals waved US flags and "demanded their rights" in Mexico, and they would be lucky to escape alive."

Shows you how far we have fallen......into the abyss.


18 posted on 02/13/2006 10:59:01 AM PST by stephenjohnbanker
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To: stephenjohnbanker

This issue completely sickens me about GWB.


19 posted on 02/13/2006 11:12:18 AM PST by chris1
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To: DumpsterDiver

The GOP won't get a penny from me, or another hour from me, as long as they keep selling us out like this.


20 posted on 02/13/2006 11:15:26 AM PST by chris1
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