A new advertising campaign has got American progressives spluttering into their soy lattes. Plastered across the pages of the liberal American canon - newspapers and magazines like the New York Times, the New Republic, the American Prospect, the Nation and Harper's - are a series of full-page ads calling for progressives to join forces with anti-immigration activists in the name of saving the environment. The ads, which show bulldozers ripping up pristine forests while endless traffic jams snake off toward the horizon, blame overpopulation - driven, of course, by unchecked immigration - for suburban sprawl, greenhouse-gas emissions, depleted water resources and traffic congestion. "300 million people today, 600 million tomorrow," the ads warn darkly. "Think about it."
This isn't the first time that anti-immigration groups have tried to co-opt the American environmental movement. A few years back, the Sierra Club - itself founded by a Scottish immigrant - had to fend off a hostile takeover bid from right-wing activists who tried to win seats on the group's board of directors. In fact, anti-immigration campaigners' attempts to win over environmentalists date back to at least the 1970s, when Herbert Gruhl, a founder of Germany's Green party, made the ecological case for anti-immigration policies. When German Greens didn't bite, Gruhl went off in a huff and founded his own far-right ecological party. Since then, his ideas have been championed by German neo-Nazi groups and eagerly embraced by the British National party.
America's anti-immigration activists are doing their best to live up to that pedigree. Three of the five groups behind the current campaign are listed as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Centre's Intelligence Project for their ties to white supremacists and their promotion of racist conspiracy theories. It's hardly surprising, then, that many of the ads' claims are best taken with a hefty pinch of salt. Suburban sprawl, notes the Sierra Club's energy programme director, Dave Hamilton, is "due to economic development without land use controls, not necessarily immigration". As for those pictures of endless traffic jams, studies show that, as a group, immigrants contribute least to congestion because they're more likely to carpool or use public transport.
In fact, it's debatable whether immigration has any significant environmental impact. US government scientists say there's insufficient evidence (pdf) to draw a conclusion one way or the other, while cornucopian economists like Julian Simon - a free-marketeer who's loathed by most environmentalists - have argued that immigration-fuelled population increases will make little or no long-term difference to the US environment. It's even been suggested that on a global scale, immigration helps to slow population growth. Immigrants from the developing world tend to reproduce more slowly than they would have done if they'd stayed home, while their remittances promote economic development and slow population growth in their home countries.
Of course, while there's scant evidence that immigration damages the environment, it's pretty clear that current efforts to curb illegal immigration are having a serious negative impact. The security fence being built along America's southern border slices through a number of key wildlife refuges, preventing the migration of animals such as black bears, grey wolves and jaguars. A study by the Mexican government found that the border fence would put as many as 85 endangered plant and animal species at heightened risk, in violation of a 1983 conservation agreement between the US and Mexico. That's apparently of little concern to the Bush administration. Homeland security chief Michael Chertoff has routinely waived environmental regulations in order to hasten the wall's construction.
The bottom line is that while environmentalists can't ignore population growth, it's a global issue that demands global solutions. The notion that America can solve or stave off environmental problems simply by sealing her borders is both factually incorrect and ideologically repugnant. At its core, the immigration lobby's cynical parochialism is based on the assumption that Americans can reasonably continue to pollute and consume at current levels, as long as they prevent anyone else from joining in. That's an ugly, nationalistic line of reasoning that some academics argue flirts dangerously with eco-fascism. Either way, it's a logic that has no place either in progressive circles or in the modern environmental debate.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/aug/01/immigrationpolicy.usa
Saturday, August 2, 2008
McCain, Obama similar on immigration reform, but paths differ
John McCain and Barack Obama don’t agree on much, but they come close on immigration. The two presidential candidates think the country’s immigration system needs reform. Both believe America’s borders need to be secured. They want to create a path to citizenship for the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants in the country. Both want to crack down on employers who hire undocumented immigrants. And they want all immigrants to learn English. But neither as president will be able to escape the politics of the debate. Political tensions likely will affect the way each would implement reform. Here’s a look at what we can expect on immigration from a McCain or an Obama administration. Reforming a broken systemThe two candidates, along with advocates on all sides of the issue, believe the next president will have no choice but to deal with immigration. McCain, a Republican, came under fire from many hard-liners in his own party as the immigration debate heated up in 2006 and 2007 for his attempt to push through bipartisan reform legislation.McCain and Democrat Obama both voted for the reform legislation in 2006, although the bill never made it out of Congress. The bill, among other things, would have built a fence along the Mexican border and allowed illegal immigrants to become citizens if they followed certain guidelines. Supporters of a get-tough approach on illegal immigration hammered McCain for what they saw as rewarding people who entered the country illegally. Since then, McCain has backed away from his own proposals and now says he underestimated Americans’ desire to secure its borders first and then enact reform later.“We must first prove to [Americans] that we can and will secure our borders first, while respecting the dignity and rights of citizens and legal residents of the United States,” McCain said in June. “But we must not make the mistake of thinking that our responsibility to meet this challenge will end with that accomplishment.”His emphasis on border security and enforcement highlights his change on the issue. McCain believes additional reforms would come later. Obama is pushing for a comprehensive fix.“We need immigration reform that will secure our borders, and punish employers who exploit immigrant labor - reform that finally brings the 12 million people who are here illegally out of the shadows by requiring them to take steps to become legal citizens,” Obama said in June. “We must assert our values and reconcile our principles as a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws.”The difference in the candidates’ approach to reform is important, said Clarissa Martinez, director of immigration and national campaigns for the non-partisan civil rights group the National Council of La Raza. A piecemeal approach will not work, she said. “Dealing with border alone will not really deal with the restoration of law,” Martinez said.Immigrants already hereKey to both candidates’ plans is how to deal with 12 million illegal immigrants already in the country. Neither believes it is practical to deport all illegal immigrants.Obama supports allowing undocumented immigrants who are in good standing to pay a fine, learn English and go to the back of the line to become citizens.In the meantime, Obama sees allowing illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses as a practical solution to documenting those here illegally. McCain as president would require all undocumented immigrants to enroll in a program to resolve their status. Under his proposal, background checks would be performed and immigrants would have to pay taxes they owe. Those who want to apply for citizenship would also have to go to the back of the line, behind those who have applied legally.To cut down on illegal immigration, both support building a fence along the border with Mexico. Obama calls for additional personnel, infrastructure and technology at the country’s borders and ports – and so does McCain, who also says he will work with governors to certify that borders are secure as well as provide additional funding to border states.EmployersBoth candidates want to develop employment verification systems. Obama has pushed proposals to create a system for employers to verify workers are legally eligible to work in the United States. McCain is also pushing for a similar system and has said the Department of Homeland Security would vigorously prosecute employers that continue to hire illegal immigrants.Both would also create registries or databases of temporary workers.Can change happen?But the next president, whoever it is, will need to balance what sometimes are competing interests to be successful in reforming the current system, analysts say. The issue is not one that divides clearly along party lines, so McCain or Obama will have to consider his supporters and tread carefully, said Angela Kelley, director of the Immigration Policy Center, a pro-immigrant research and policy group.Labor unions, backing Obama, are highly interested in how immigration reform will affect the workers they represent, she said. Obama will also need to balance not alienating Hispanic voters, expected to be in his column in November.McCain will have to balance the interests of the business community, traditionally a Republican base, as well as those in the party who take a hard line on illegal immigration, Kelley said. Reform will also depend on Congress.“I have a feeling that there are a lot of folks in Congress that don’t want to go down that path,” said Ira Mehlman, a spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which seeks to stop illegal immigration and reduce immigration overall. Other issues, such as the economy and war in Iraq, are likely to occupy the new president’s attention before immigration, Kelley said. “I think the issue is a necessity for the next president,” she said. “It’s just an issue of when it’s going to be called.”
http://www.mgwashington.com/index.php/news/article/mccain-obama-similar-on-immigration-reform-but-paths-differ/1391/
http://www.mgwashington.com/index.php/news/article/mccain-obama-similar-on-immigration-reform-but-paths-differ/1391/
Penn Station: Obama's immigration stance
Have you ever wondered exactly what Sen. Barack Obama's stance on legal and illegal immigration is?
At the Unity: Journalists of Color convention last week in Chicago, Obama laid much of it out in detail.
And as far as the senator is concerned, there's nothing wrong with the large numbers of people around the world wanting to immigrate to the United States. The problem is America has an illegal immigration system that runs parallel to a legal one, he said.
As a result, Obama is a major proponent of sweeping immigration reform.
"We are a nation of immigrants and we are nation of laws," Obama told the audience of journalists. "The problem that I see isn't the number of immigrants that are coming. We are actually advantaged by the number of immigrants coming. The fact that we're getting people who still want to come to this country and live out the American dream, that's all good."
But Obama said reforming the immigration process and making it more fair is a must.
"That means cracking down on employers who are hiring undocumented workers and only paying them minimum wage and not paying them overtime," Obama said. "We need adequate border security. We need to provide a pathway for citizenship for those undocumented workers who are here who have put down roots. We need to get them out of the shadows. They'll have to pay a fine. They'll have to learn English. But let's give them an avenue to become fully part of the American society."
Any comprehensive immigration reform also must examine and reform the legal system, he said.
"We have to make sure we have a realistic approach," Obama said. "Frankly, we are probably underrepresented when it comes to immigrants from certain parts of the world. It's harder for Haitians to immigrate than it is for persons from other countries in some cases. That's something we need to prevent."
Obama still needs to give us more details on his approach to immigration reform. As president, he'd be responsible for providing the leadership and direction on the issue.
But whatever his plan ultimately would look like, it will be viewed as controversial. Obama must avoid the temptation to lean too far to the right on immigration, especially if he plans on counting on the much needed Hispanic vote in November.
http://primebuzz.kcstar.com/?q=node/13485
At the Unity: Journalists of Color convention last week in Chicago, Obama laid much of it out in detail.
And as far as the senator is concerned, there's nothing wrong with the large numbers of people around the world wanting to immigrate to the United States. The problem is America has an illegal immigration system that runs parallel to a legal one, he said.
As a result, Obama is a major proponent of sweeping immigration reform.
"We are a nation of immigrants and we are nation of laws," Obama told the audience of journalists. "The problem that I see isn't the number of immigrants that are coming. We are actually advantaged by the number of immigrants coming. The fact that we're getting people who still want to come to this country and live out the American dream, that's all good."
But Obama said reforming the immigration process and making it more fair is a must.
"That means cracking down on employers who are hiring undocumented workers and only paying them minimum wage and not paying them overtime," Obama said. "We need adequate border security. We need to provide a pathway for citizenship for those undocumented workers who are here who have put down roots. We need to get them out of the shadows. They'll have to pay a fine. They'll have to learn English. But let's give them an avenue to become fully part of the American society."
Any comprehensive immigration reform also must examine and reform the legal system, he said.
"We have to make sure we have a realistic approach," Obama said. "Frankly, we are probably underrepresented when it comes to immigrants from certain parts of the world. It's harder for Haitians to immigrate than it is for persons from other countries in some cases. That's something we need to prevent."
Obama still needs to give us more details on his approach to immigration reform. As president, he'd be responsible for providing the leadership and direction on the issue.
But whatever his plan ultimately would look like, it will be viewed as controversial. Obama must avoid the temptation to lean too far to the right on immigration, especially if he plans on counting on the much needed Hispanic vote in November.
http://primebuzz.kcstar.com/?q=node/13485
Illegal Versus Inhumane: Unauthorized Immigrant Shackled While in Labor; Can't Feed Newborn
JUANA VILLEGAS is a Mexican immigrant who broke federal law. As The New York Times recently reported, she was deported in 1996, but she returned illegally to the United States. What is more troubling, however, is what happened to her in custody of law enforcement this month. Overzealous use of the law trampled decency.
On July 3, Villegas, nine months pregnant, was pulled over in a Nashville suburb and arrested after admitting that she did not have a license. At the county jail, Villegas's illegal status was discovered by a federal official. That official was there as part of the federal 287(g) program, which trains local police to enforce federal immigration laws.
Two days later, Villegas went into labor. At the hospital her foot was cuffed to the bed, and the cuffs were reportedly removed only for two hours before she gave birth and for six hours after. An officer stood guard in her hospital room.
After she left the hospital, Villegas was held in jail. She could not breastfeed her baby and was not allowed to use a breast pump. She says she developed a breast infection and her baby became jaundiced.
Needless to say, the 287(g) program wasn't intended to snare pregnant women. Rather, it is supposed to help officers "pursue investigations relating to violent crimes, human smuggling, gang/organized crime activity, sexual-related offenses, narcotics smuggling, and money laundering," according to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Yet the perceived need for even local officials to crack down on illegal immigrants has become an obstacle to treating people humanely.
Villegas has been released to the custody of her family and faces deportation. Her case shows how much the country needs comprehensive immigration reform that deploys legal resources where they are most needed.
http://www.alternet.org/immigration/93625/illegal_versus_inhumane:_unauthorized_immigrant_shackled_while_in_labor%3B_can't_feed_newborn/
On July 3, Villegas, nine months pregnant, was pulled over in a Nashville suburb and arrested after admitting that she did not have a license. At the county jail, Villegas's illegal status was discovered by a federal official. That official was there as part of the federal 287(g) program, which trains local police to enforce federal immigration laws.
Two days later, Villegas went into labor. At the hospital her foot was cuffed to the bed, and the cuffs were reportedly removed only for two hours before she gave birth and for six hours after. An officer stood guard in her hospital room.
After she left the hospital, Villegas was held in jail. She could not breastfeed her baby and was not allowed to use a breast pump. She says she developed a breast infection and her baby became jaundiced.
Needless to say, the 287(g) program wasn't intended to snare pregnant women. Rather, it is supposed to help officers "pursue investigations relating to violent crimes, human smuggling, gang/organized crime activity, sexual-related offenses, narcotics smuggling, and money laundering," according to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Yet the perceived need for even local officials to crack down on illegal immigrants has become an obstacle to treating people humanely.
Villegas has been released to the custody of her family and faces deportation. Her case shows how much the country needs comprehensive immigration reform that deploys legal resources where they are most needed.
http://www.alternet.org/immigration/93625/illegal_versus_inhumane:_unauthorized_immigrant_shackled_while_in_labor%3B_can't_feed_newborn/
Iowa marchers say ‘No more raids!’
Chanting “Sí se puede! (Yes we can) No more raids!” about 1,500 people marched through the streets of this small farm town July 27 in support of workers arrested in the May 12 immigration raid of Agriprocessors, a kosher meatpacking plant.
The march was led by several workers wearing GPS tracking bracelets on their ankles. Forty-five of those arrested in the raid were given conditional release for “humanitarian” reasons and required to wear the bracelets. They are not allowed to travel out of state or work pending upcoming court hearings.
Pedro, who worked at Agriprocessors for three years and did not want his last name used, said his wife was arrested in the raid and was given a five-month prison sentence. “This protest is very important, especially for the Agriprocessors workers in jail. It shows that there is support.”
The raid by as many as 500 cops led by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents was the largest immigration raid of a single plant in U.S. history. Close to 400 workers were detained, with 302 charged with criminal offenses. The use of mass criminal charges represents a deepening assault on the rights of undocumented workers.
The march and rally was called by St. Bridget’s Catholic Church in Postville and Jewish organizations in Chicago and St. Paul, Minnesota. Busloads of protesters came from Chicago, Minneapolis, and Madison, Wisconsin. Six vanloads drove up from Des Moines, Iowa, while many others came from other parts of the state.
Roselina Ramírez, who was picked up in the raid and later released pending a deportation hearing, worked a knife job cutting out chicken breasts for three years. She said there were many injuries and abuses by the Agriprocessors bosses. She never made more than $7.25 an hour. Many workers were trying to improve their conditions by unionizing but the company intimidated workers by threatening to fire them, said Ramírez.
Juanita López, 20, has not talked to her mother, one of those arrested, since the day of the raid. “They make it very difficult for us to communicate with her on the phone,” said López. Her mother is being held in Leavenworth, Kansas. López said a large group of minors worked in the plant. According to a fact book distributed by St. Bridget’s to the press, at least 17 minors ranging from 14 to 17 years old were detained and later released.
Farm activist Randy Jasper, whose farm is about one hour from Postville, said this was the first time he had marched against deportations. “I was impressed by the number of people that came to the protest from nearby towns,” said Jasper. Many of the bystanders waved in support, while others seemed neutral, he said.
Near St. Bridget’s, where the protest began, more than 100 counterprotesters demonstrated in support of the ICE raid. While carrying signs that read “Deport Illegals,” “Secure U.S. Borders,” and “American Workers in American Jobs,” they chanted patriotic and anti-immigrant slogans such as “USA, USA, USA” and “More raids, more raids.” The rightist protest was organized by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), a national anti-immigrant outfit.
“Our aim is to demonstrate public support for vigorous prosecution of employers who, in addition to violating laws against hiring illegal aliens, engage in other sorts of reprehensible and criminal activities,” said a July 24 FAIR press release. “Those who exploit illegal labor and impose burdens on American taxpayers should be sent to prison.”
Jennifer Powell and her sister Lisa LaBrec, both in their early twenties, are U.S.-born workers who joined the protest. “I opposed the raids here when they happened. Immigrants should have the same rights as us,” said Powell, whose husband is from Mexico. LaBrec added, “I am against raids wherever they take place, not just in Postville.”
The march was led by several workers wearing GPS tracking bracelets on their ankles. Forty-five of those arrested in the raid were given conditional release for “humanitarian” reasons and required to wear the bracelets. They are not allowed to travel out of state or work pending upcoming court hearings.
Pedro, who worked at Agriprocessors for three years and did not want his last name used, said his wife was arrested in the raid and was given a five-month prison sentence. “This protest is very important, especially for the Agriprocessors workers in jail. It shows that there is support.”
The raid by as many as 500 cops led by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents was the largest immigration raid of a single plant in U.S. history. Close to 400 workers were detained, with 302 charged with criminal offenses. The use of mass criminal charges represents a deepening assault on the rights of undocumented workers.
The march and rally was called by St. Bridget’s Catholic Church in Postville and Jewish organizations in Chicago and St. Paul, Minnesota. Busloads of protesters came from Chicago, Minneapolis, and Madison, Wisconsin. Six vanloads drove up from Des Moines, Iowa, while many others came from other parts of the state.
Roselina Ramírez, who was picked up in the raid and later released pending a deportation hearing, worked a knife job cutting out chicken breasts for three years. She said there were many injuries and abuses by the Agriprocessors bosses. She never made more than $7.25 an hour. Many workers were trying to improve their conditions by unionizing but the company intimidated workers by threatening to fire them, said Ramírez.
Juanita López, 20, has not talked to her mother, one of those arrested, since the day of the raid. “They make it very difficult for us to communicate with her on the phone,” said López. Her mother is being held in Leavenworth, Kansas. López said a large group of minors worked in the plant. According to a fact book distributed by St. Bridget’s to the press, at least 17 minors ranging from 14 to 17 years old were detained and later released.
Farm activist Randy Jasper, whose farm is about one hour from Postville, said this was the first time he had marched against deportations. “I was impressed by the number of people that came to the protest from nearby towns,” said Jasper. Many of the bystanders waved in support, while others seemed neutral, he said.
Near St. Bridget’s, where the protest began, more than 100 counterprotesters demonstrated in support of the ICE raid. While carrying signs that read “Deport Illegals,” “Secure U.S. Borders,” and “American Workers in American Jobs,” they chanted patriotic and anti-immigrant slogans such as “USA, USA, USA” and “More raids, more raids.” The rightist protest was organized by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), a national anti-immigrant outfit.
“Our aim is to demonstrate public support for vigorous prosecution of employers who, in addition to violating laws against hiring illegal aliens, engage in other sorts of reprehensible and criminal activities,” said a July 24 FAIR press release. “Those who exploit illegal labor and impose burdens on American taxpayers should be sent to prison.”
Jennifer Powell and her sister Lisa LaBrec, both in their early twenties, are U.S.-born workers who joined the protest. “I opposed the raids here when they happened. Immigrants should have the same rights as us,” said Powell, whose husband is from Mexico. LaBrec added, “I am against raids wherever they take place, not just in Postville.”
Federal officials defend documents used after raid
The U.S. attorneys office and a federal judge are defending the use of documents, including scripts, that were given to attorneys as well as workers arrested in an Immigration raid at an Iowa meatpacking plant. Chief Magistrate Judge Paul A. Zoss for the Northern District of Iowa led the hearings in Waterloo after the raid at the Agriprocessors Inc. plant in Postville on May 12. He said he doesn't understand the American Civil Liberties Union's recent criticism of materials provided at the hearings. "In our district, we have always made available to the lawyers 'scripts' for our routine hearings in criminal cases," he said in a statement provided to The Associated Press. "This practice has not been limited to Immigration cases, but has been used in all cases." Zoss said the "manual" handed out after the Postville raids was "a compendium of these scripts and some of the commonly used district forms."
"It was not a 'defense manual"' he said. The ACLU charged that the packets show a disregard for due process and proof that the U.S. attorney's office put pressure on workers to quickly plead guilty. The ACLU obtained the documents from public defenders in Iowa. "Whether or not they are guilty requires much more careful analysis of the law in each individual case than these documents show existed," Lucas Guttentag, the ACLU's Immigrant Rights Project Director, said earlier this week. He said the documents showed the U.S. Attorney's office was emphasizing speed in handling the cases. "This is part of a larger pattern to achieve quick guilty pleas at the expense of fairness and justice," Guttentag said. Bob Teig, assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Iowa, defended the use of the documents and said the ACLU's comments this week were based on a "lack of accurate information and a misunderstanding of the criminal law process." "The documents helped ensure fairness, understanding, and constitutional rights were of paramount importance throughout the proceedings," Teig said in a statement. "They did nothing to push people into pleading guilty; quite the opposite is true." Agents arrested 389 workers in the raid at Agriprocessors, the nation's largest kosher meatpacking plant. Officials said it was the largest Immigration enforcement operation in U.S. history. Trials were quickly held about 70 miles away at a fairgrounds in Waterloo, where most pleaded guilty within a week. They are serving sentences in federal prisons outside Iowa before being deported. The documents at the center of the debate were provided by the ACLU. They include a step-by-step script for hearings, with suggested wording by judges, lawyers and the immigrants charged. The packets include waivers -- printed in English and Spanish -- that bar workers from pursuing further legal claims or procedures. Others waive the legal right to a grand jury to determine criminal charges. One waiver read, "I have been advised that I have the right to insist that any felony charge brought against me in federal court first be presented to a U.S. Grand Jury ... I would like to waive that right, and agree to be prosecuted under information filed against me in this case by the United States Attorney." Zoss said the scripts are intended as an outline of what will take place during proceedings, but added that he and other court officers often go "off script" as individual circumstances dictate. "By making them available to the lawyers in advance, I feel the lawyers and their clients can better prepare for hearings, and defendants are in a better position to understand their rights," he said. Teig said the Agriprocessors workers who pleaded guilty were not "duped or railroaded." "They pled guilty because of the law and the evidence and the fact that, as they admitted, they were guilty," he said.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-ia-aclu-postvillerai,0,3617380.story
"It was not a 'defense manual"' he said. The ACLU charged that the packets show a disregard for due process and proof that the U.S. attorney's office put pressure on workers to quickly plead guilty. The ACLU obtained the documents from public defenders in Iowa. "Whether or not they are guilty requires much more careful analysis of the law in each individual case than these documents show existed," Lucas Guttentag, the ACLU's Immigrant Rights Project Director, said earlier this week. He said the documents showed the U.S. Attorney's office was emphasizing speed in handling the cases. "This is part of a larger pattern to achieve quick guilty pleas at the expense of fairness and justice," Guttentag said. Bob Teig, assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Iowa, defended the use of the documents and said the ACLU's comments this week were based on a "lack of accurate information and a misunderstanding of the criminal law process." "The documents helped ensure fairness, understanding, and constitutional rights were of paramount importance throughout the proceedings," Teig said in a statement. "They did nothing to push people into pleading guilty; quite the opposite is true." Agents arrested 389 workers in the raid at Agriprocessors, the nation's largest kosher meatpacking plant. Officials said it was the largest Immigration enforcement operation in U.S. history. Trials were quickly held about 70 miles away at a fairgrounds in Waterloo, where most pleaded guilty within a week. They are serving sentences in federal prisons outside Iowa before being deported. The documents at the center of the debate were provided by the ACLU. They include a step-by-step script for hearings, with suggested wording by judges, lawyers and the immigrants charged. The packets include waivers -- printed in English and Spanish -- that bar workers from pursuing further legal claims or procedures. Others waive the legal right to a grand jury to determine criminal charges. One waiver read, "I have been advised that I have the right to insist that any felony charge brought against me in federal court first be presented to a U.S. Grand Jury ... I would like to waive that right, and agree to be prosecuted under information filed against me in this case by the United States Attorney." Zoss said the scripts are intended as an outline of what will take place during proceedings, but added that he and other court officers often go "off script" as individual circumstances dictate. "By making them available to the lawyers in advance, I feel the lawyers and their clients can better prepare for hearings, and defendants are in a better position to understand their rights," he said. Teig said the Agriprocessors workers who pleaded guilty were not "duped or railroaded." "They pled guilty because of the law and the evidence and the fact that, as they admitted, they were guilty," he said.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-ia-aclu-postvillerai,0,3617380.story
Neb. governor says immigration a federal issue
Gov. Dave Heineman says problems of illegal immigration need a unified resolution from the federal government.
Heineman spoke Friday at the Fremont Rotary. He says there can't be 50 states and thousands of cities doing it differently.
Heineman wouldn't comment specifically on the city's recently defeated proposed ordinance that would have banned renting to, harboring and hiring illegal immigrants.
Heineman talked about his plans to introduce a bill next year to prevent illegal immigrants from getting state and local benefits -- which critics say is already the case.
A similar bill was introduced last session, but the Judiciary Committee blocked it from advancing.
http://www.kptm.com/Global/story.asp?S=8778200&nav=menu606_2_8
Heineman spoke Friday at the Fremont Rotary. He says there can't be 50 states and thousands of cities doing it differently.
Heineman wouldn't comment specifically on the city's recently defeated proposed ordinance that would have banned renting to, harboring and hiring illegal immigrants.
Heineman talked about his plans to introduce a bill next year to prevent illegal immigrants from getting state and local benefits -- which critics say is already the case.
A similar bill was introduced last session, but the Judiciary Committee blocked it from advancing.
http://www.kptm.com/Global/story.asp?S=8778200&nav=menu606_2_8
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