Posted on 07/23/2007 12:21:30 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
As many U.S. cities and states arrest illegal immigrants in raids and toughen laws against them, a Connecticut city is offering to validate them under a controversial, first-in-the-nation ID card program.
Starting Tuesday, New Haven will offer illegal immigrants municipal identification cards that allow access to city services such as libraries and a chance to open bank accounts.
Supporters say the cards will improve public safety and give undocumented workers protections now afforded legal residents. Critics contend it will unleash a flood of illegal immigration, straining services and wasting taxpayer money.
New Haven officials overwhelmingly approved the program last month in a 25 to 1 vote.
Backers and detractors alike say the program appears to fill a vacuum after Congress failed to act on immigration reform, leaving many towns and cities to struggle with how to deal with a growing undocumented population.
Kica Matos, who administers the program for New Haven, said undocumented workers are often targeted by thieves and robbed because they carry cash, a result of not being able to open a bank account.
"Part of the reason they can't open bank accounts is because they don't have forms of identification that were valid," she said.
She said two banks had already agreed to accept the new city card, which will be offered to all New Haven residents, as legitimate identification sufficient for opening an account.
Local Latino advocacy group Junta for Progressive Action estimates 3,000 to 5,000 illegal immigrants live in the city of 124,000 people, many from Mexico, Ecuador and Guatemala.
Yale University Law School, based in New Haven, helped research the city's idea and volunteered legal services. Several immigrants' rights groups also helped build up local support for the identification cards.
PROTESTS
Opponents hope to rally the public against it. Southern Connecticut Citizens for Immigration Reform says the ID cards will change "the entire country as we know it" and is organizing a protest on Tuesday at city hall.
"There are millions of illegal aliens right around us that when these ID cards are available to them, they will rush to them and get some identification that will allow them to go to other cities," said Ted Pechinski, who leads the group.
North Carolina-based Americans for Legal Immigration PAC has circulated a flier in 40 states urging illegal workers to move to New Haven, said its president William Gheen.
"Maybe New Haven needs to learn, if they want the illegals, then they'll get the illegals," he said.
His flier, in English and Spanish, says: "Come to New Haven CT for sanctuary. Bring your friends and family members quickly."
Officials in several cities including New York and San Francisco have expressed interest in possibly starting similar programs, said Matos.
The new ID, she added, does not easily identify a person as an illegal immigrant. "That is the last thing that we want to have happen," she said. The card was created with several features to appeal to all residents, including a debit component and access to city services such as parks.
Fatima, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, said she is eager to apply for the card. "The ID will help me because it's a way to be in this country and get people to know who you are, especially for people who crossed the border and lost their papers," she said. "I feel safe here in New Haven."
I’m going to beat the rush and start banging my head on the desk now. Be back soon.
ACTION ONE Assert your rights. Do this ASAP:
RE: Public officials in government offices (welfare offices, DMV offices, law enforcement offices, etc) who are ignoring illegals and illegal activities are aiding and abetting violations of federal and state laws.
Keep in mind that many states mandate bonding public officials (to protect taxpayers against government fraud).
Aiding and abetting illegal activity seriously impairs a government official's ability to be bonded; violating the terms of getting bonded would necessitate expulsion from a government job.
The following offices should be contacted at once.
(A) Every state has a Dept of Insurance, and an insurance fraud unit, that polices the insurance business.
(B) Every state's Atty General's office should have an Insurance Fraud Prosecutor who should be contacted.
Bonded government officials using tax-funded offices to aid and abet illegal activity should be reported ASAP.
================================================================
ACTION TWO Now, here's another way to go:
Misusing tax funded government offices AND the proceeds from tax-exempt bonds to aid and abet illegal activities could be prosecuted under criminal laws.
The SEC and IRS do NOT like to hear that tax-exempt funds were misued. Or that tax-exempt investors and bondholders were misled about the proceeds of state/municipal tax-exempt bond rederenda.
The DOJ might also be alarmed.
Now if it were to be found that illegal aliens using fraudulent documents voted on tax-exempt bond referenda (and made taxing decisions for US citizens) that is A SERIOUS CRIME.
Express your concerns (A) about the validity of state and municipal bond referenda, and, (B) whether government offices using tax-exempt monies inappropriately should be prosecuted for criminality.
CONTACT THE DOJ EMAIL AskDOJ@USdoj.gov
CONTACT THE SEC EMAIL enforcement@SEC.gov
PHONE THE IRS TOLL FREE 1-800-829-0433 You may remain anonymous if you wish.
And a “New Haven” it is again...for the most wrong-headed of reasons.
This stuff makes me sick to my stomach.
So illegals get to vote on a Bond measure. Big deal. Don't you know Alberto Gonzales has much more important things to take care of....?
Like making sure his Department is out there prosecuting Border Patrol agents who draw their sidearms against drug smugglers.
Gee, why doesn't that surprise me.
>I’m going to beat the rush and start banging my head on the desk now. Be back soon.
I think I just might join you...
The buses from Manassas and Herndon are loading now. Thanks, New Haven!
hope all the illegals from nj move up to the sanctuary city in ct.....let the lib/dem idiots support them and get them off the nj welfare payrolls!!!!!
Problem is, they'll still be benefitting from our federal tax dollars, will receive free medical care courtesy of us paying and insured American citizens, and will retain free use of our infrastructure.
The politicians that support this need to be run out of office. The illegals need to be run out of the country by any means necessary. Any means!
What amazes me is a Police State that is ruthless to citizens with radar detectors, and hostile to the Second Amendment is being so accomodating to illegal criminals.
Yes, exactly! Let more cities run by moron democrats who want to suck up to illegal aliens invite them in. If you were an illegal alien where would you go, to a place with “nice welcoming people” or a place where it was clear you were not wanted? These people are’nt stupid. They just want to walk in, take what they want and walk out. If the door is closed in one city they will go to another city. That’s not hard to understand, even for liberal democrats.
Who do you contact when the GOVERNMENT is corrupt?
The Damn stupid Mayor of New Haven Ct. is doing this . Guess who their congress person is for that district , Rosa Delauro a left wing nut bag . So I have no sympathy for the idiots in ct. Where I live , Oh Yeah by the way to show you the mentality here the Connecticut legislature is a Democrat veto proof majority ,just what the Democrats want for the Congress. So let the left wing nut bags live in their newly created Utopia
“William Gheen has a great idea; encourage the illegals to flood into these sanctuary cities!”
Yep, let them enjoy the benefits of being invaded by the third world.
" You say illegal aliens are setting fire to forests and fields along the border to
distract U.S. Border Patrol Agents to make their crossing easier, and throwing
Molotov cocktails at US agents’ vehicles, and setting fire to their observation posts? "
"I'm the Homeland Security Chief. What do you want me to do about it? "
I know everybody always talks about states leaving the Union, is there ever any talk about ejecting some states from that Union - say, New England? They could quite happily join canada and no one would even notice.
CT has always been a nanny-state. But how many hispanics make it this far north? Such a law doesn't benefit the usual illegals being discussed. Instead, the East Coast gets a different mix of illegals - those crossing over the Atlantic Ocean. I wonder who those could be?
Click here for emails to the Aldermen who voted for this trash....
http://www.cityofnewhaven.com/Aldermen/index.asp
ward1@newhavenct.net
ward2@newhavenct.net
ward3@newhavenct.net
ward4@newhavenct.net
ward5@newhavenct.net
ward6@newhavenct.net
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ward27@newhavenct.net
ward28@newhavenct.net
ward29@newhavenct.net
ward30@newhavenct.net
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