New from the Center for Immigration Studies, 8/27/18

What's Happening at the Center In a recent column, Mark Krikorian explains that immigration control is one of the elemental responsibilities of the national government. Failure to enforce immigration law has, among other things, enabled illegal aliens to commit heinous crimes in the United States, most recently the murder of Mollie Tibbetts. Tibbetts's killer lived in the United States for seven years, worked at an Iowa dairy farm with a stolen Social Security number, filed tax returns with the IRS, drove for years without a license, and had a child with a high-school classmate of Tibbetts's (presumably getting listed on the birth certificate). In all of that interaction with our institutions, the killer's illegal status was never questioned. To improve on this failure, deterrents on the border must be improved, systematic and ongoing cooperation between DHS, SSA, and IRS must be established, and E-Verify for all new hires needs to be mandated. In another recent column, Jessica Vaughan explains that there have been 32,000 immigrants incarcerated for homicide since 1974, most of whom came illegally. Hundreds of sheriffs across the country have signed a letter to Congress asking for passage of a House bill to improve enforcement. They cite detrimental increases in transnational drug trafficking, gang violence, sex trafficking, and murders. It is estimated that 75 percent of illegal aliens obtain false documents. The SSA, the IRS, and immigration agencies must be empowered to work together to act on instances of the multiple use of Social Security numbers that are easily detectable within government tax and crime databases. This can be accomplished without new legislation. Video and Transcript 1. CIS Immigration Newsmaker: A Conversation with Director of USCIS Francis Cissna Commentary 2. Mollie Tibbetts, R.I.P.: The role of immigration policy failures 3. After Mollie Tibbetts Tragic Death – We Owe It to Her to Fix Our Broken Immigration System Blog Posts 4. SPLC's Heidi Beirich: A Character Assassin Under the Banner of 'Peace, Respect, and Understanding' 5. EB-5 Program Continues to Spew Garbage Behind It 6. Why We Vet and Inspect Foreign Nationals 7. What Is the Real Identity of the Illegal Alien Who Murdered Mollie Tibbetts? 8. A Long-Removable Nazi Collaborator and an Alleged Terrorist Reveal Weaknesses in the Immigration System 9. Latin America Tightens Borders in the Face of Venezuelan, Nicaraguan Outflows 10. Current Low Refugee Admissions Are Guided by New Vetting Measures 11. After Reviewing FBI Evidence, Lawyers for Suspected Anti-ICE Extremist Withdraw Request for Bail 12. Both Department of Labor and Private Suits Attack H-1B Practices 13. Steny Hoyer, Following the SPLC, Takes the Low Road Toward Electoral Oblivion 14. The Unexpected Order in Ms. L 15. What Nation Is Second When the Big Outsourcers Are Hiring H-1Bs? 16. From Protected Immigration Advocacy to Domestic Terrorism Threat? 17. An Interesting Case Illuminates the Difference Between Extradition and Deportation, and the Complexity of Our Laws 1. CIS Immigration Newsmaker: A Conversation with Director of USCIS Francis Cissna Moderated by Jessica Vaughan National Press Club, August 15, 2018 Video: https://www.cis.org/Immigration-Newsmaker/Immigration-Newsmaker-Conversation-Director-USCIS-Francis-Cissna Transcript: https://www.cis.org/Transcript/Immigration-Newsmaker-Conversation-Director-USCIS-Francis-Cissna Return to Top ******** ******** 2. Mollie Tibbetts, R.I.P.: The role of immigration policy failures By Mark Krikorian National Review, August 24, 2018 https://www.cis.org/Krikorian/Mollie-Tibbetts-RIP Excerpt: That's a lot of interaction with our institutions. That an illegal alien can do all that — for years — without raising a red flag represents a profound failure of policy. For instance: He used someone else's identity to get the dairy-farm job — was the rightful owner of that identity notified when his Social Security number was used to check employment eligibility? If I make a change online to my bank account, I receive an email notifying me of the change so that if it was done improperly I can alert the bank. There is no such notification for the use of our most important personal identifiers, and the Social Security Administration resists the very suggestion of coordination with the immigration authorities to identify illegal aliens in the work force. Return to Top ******** ******** 3. After Mollie Tibbetts Tragic Death – We Owe It to Her to Fix Our Broken Immigration System By Jessica Vaughan Fox News, August 23, 2018 https://www.cis.org/Vaughan/After-Mollie-Tibbetts-Tragic-Death-We-Owe-It-Her-Fix-Our-Broken-Immigration-System Excerpt: The tragic killing of 20-year-old University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts – allegedly by an illegal immigrant from Mexico – appears to be yet another example of America's dangerous and failed immigration policy. Authorities in Iowa charged a man identified as Cristhian Rivera with first-degree murder Tuesday in Tibbetts' death. He is being held in jail on a $5 million cash-only bond. How many more needless deaths will it take for our immigration policies to change? Return to Top ******** ******** 4. SPLC's Heidi Beirich: A Character Assassin Under the Banner of 'Peace, Respect, and Understanding' By Jerry Kammer CIS Blog, August 24, 2018 https://www.cis.org/Kammer/SPLCs-Heidi-Beirich-Character-Assassin-Under-Banner-Peace-Respect-and-Understanding Excerpt:Before Heidi Beirich began working at the Southern Poverty Law Center in 1999, she was a left-wing ideologue preparing for a career in the academy. She was a graduate of UC Berkeley and had earned a doctorate in political science from Purdue, where she pursued her interest in the maladies of "white nationalism and neo-fascism". She was steeped in the ideology of postmodernism, which regards the history of Western Civilization — especially in the United States — as an endlessly dreary tale of oppression in the service of white supremacy. As Beirich told ABC News, "I think sometimes Americans forget that this country was founded on white supremacy." Those of us who are now alarmed at the extremism of the SPLC should not forget that it once did heroic work against the Ku Klux Klan, winning lawsuits that drove several branches of the hooded fanatics into bankruptcy. From its base in Montgomery, Ala., its fundraising materials solemnly invoke a vision of "peace, respect, and understanding". That is the voice of the admirable SPLC. Return to Top ******** ******** 5. EB-5 Program Continues to Spew Garbage Behind It By David North CIS Blog, August 24, 2018 Excerpt: Although the funds involved in this particular matter are modest, the settlement called attention to an element of this EB-5 disaster that I have not seen discussed elsewhere, the possibility that the hard-charging Goldberg may have collected more from the big firms indirectly involved in this case than needed to meet the real damages, and he may ultimately need to refund some of the money. I wish some reporter would look into that possibility. Return to Top ******** ******** 6. Why We Vet and Inspect Foreign Nationals By Andrew Arthur CIS Blog, August 24, 2018 https://www.cis.org/Arthur/Why-We-Vet-and-Inspect-Foreign-Nationals Excerpt: Some proportion of criminal aliens who otherwise would not have been granted visas or who would have been denied admission would not have been able to lawfully enter the United States as result of the screening process described above. Although it has largely been forgotten in the immigration debate in recent years, the immigration laws of the United States exist for very specific reasons, none of which have to do with "anti-immigration rhetoric". Among other reasons, they are intended to protect the American people (both U.S. citizens and aliens lawfully present) from various categories of aliens who may pose a danger, including those with communicable diseases, security risks, and criminals. When an alien bypasses those laws and enters illegally, those protections are ineffective, at least until it is too late. Return to Top ******** ******** 7. What Is the Real Identity of the Illegal Alien Who Murdered Mollie Tibbetts? By Dan Cadman CIS Blog, August 23, 2018 https://www.cis.org/Cadman/What-Real-Identity-Illegal-Alien-Who-Murdered-Mollie-Tibbetts Excerpt: The trail leads to Rivera (assuming that's his real name) in part because of a video camera capturing his car in the area where Tibbets disappeared. When questioned, Rivera confessed and led police to her body. It also came out during questioning that he is illegally in the United States, and this in turn led Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to file a detainer against him — purely as a safeguard, it should be noted, since in a case of this kind, the intent and desire is to permit state officials to prosecute for murder. The detainer is solely to take effective removal action, either if the prosecution case falls apart, or sometime in the far distant future after he has finished serving his sentence (assuming it isn't either capital punishment or life imprisonment). Return to Top ******** ******** 8. A Long-Removable Nazi Collaborator and an Alleged Terrorist Reveal Weaknesses in the Immigration System By Andrew Arthur CIS Blog, August 23, 2018 https://www.cis.org/Arthur/LongRemovable-Nazi-Collaborator-and-Alleged-Terrorist-Reveal-Weaknesses-Immigration-System Excerpt: The United States' will and ability to remove persecutors and war criminals is a necessary counterpart to this nation's readiness to accept asylees and refugees. Without putting too fine a point on it, those who engage in human rights abuses abroad should never find safe haven in the United States. It is a disservice to their victims, and an abuse of this country's openness to foreign nationals to allow those who have abused the rights of others and who themselves have received the full due process rights guaranteed by our Constitution to remain, unmolested here. Return to Top ******** ******** 9. Latin America Tightens Borders in the Face of Venezuelan, Nicaraguan Outflows By Kausha Luna CIS Blog, August 23, 2018 https://www.cis.org/Luna/Latin-America-Tightens-Borders-Face-Venezuelan-Nicaraguan-Outflows Excerpt: Latin America states have been generous in their reception of Venezuelans and Nicaraguans fleeing their countries' socialist policies and government repression. However, the "all are welcome" approach adopted by many of their neighbors appears to be deteriorating as emigration from the two countries continue to grow. Return to Top ******** ******** 10. Current Low Refugee Admissions Are Guided by New Vetting Measures By Nayla Rush CIS Blog, August 23, 2018 https://www.cis.org/Rush/Current-Low-Refugee-Admissions-Are-Guided-New-Vetting-Measures Excerpt: The Trump administration has introduced new measures to strengthen the vetting process of refugee applicants seeking resettlement in the United States in order to maximize the detection of fraud and deception. But improving the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) screening capabilities also means admitting fewer refugees. Additional security procedures take time and resources are limited – this explains, in part, the lower refugee ceiling and admissions this past fiscal year (and most probably the upcoming one Return to Top ******** ******** 11. After Reviewing FBI Evidence, Lawyers for Suspected Anti-ICE Extremist Withdraw Request for Bail By Todd Bensman CIS Blog, August 22, 2018 https://www.cis.org/Bensman/After-Reviewing-FBI-Evidence-Lawyers-Suspected-AntiICE-Extremist-Withdraw-Request-Bail Excerpt: In a San Antonio immigration court today, a legal fight was brewing that was expected to produce new information about a relatively rare FBI national security investigation reportedly targeting an anti-ICE DACA student for threatening to make bombs, at the least. For context as to why this case matters, pro-immigration advocates across the country have been demanding the dismantling of ICE, and animus toward the agency has produced some online threats that look and feel like a new kind of leftist, domestic, anti-government terrorism. Return to Top ******** ******** 12. Both Department of Labor and Private Suits Attack H-1B Practices By David North CIS Blog, August 22, 2018 https://www.cis.org/North/Both-Department-Labor-and-Private-Suits-Attack-H1B-Practices Excerpt: Maybe some of the users of the H-1B program, looking at the mounting bills from their lawyers and the bad press they are getting, will start hiring more citizen workers. And maybe one or more of these eight different actions will cost the outsourcers enough money to change their practices. Return to Top ******** ******** 13. Steny Hoyer, Following the SPLC, Takes the Low Road Toward Electoral Oblivion By Jerry Kammer CIS Blog, August 21, 2018 https://cis.org/Kammer/Steny-Hoyer-Following-SPLC-Takes-Low-Road-Toward-Electoral-Oblivion Excerpt: By spreading the "hate group" smear beyond such worthy targets as the Ku Klux Klan and Nazi skinheads to such widely respected organizations as the Family Research Council and the Center for Immigration Studies, the SPLC has cashed in. It has incorporated reckless character assassination and smear into its business plan. It has taken cynical hate-mongering and dressed it up as righteous conviction. It has set out to stifle public discussion by delegitimizing ideological foes. Return to Top ******** ******** 14. The Unexpected Order in Ms. L By Andrew Arthur CIS Blog, August 21, 2018 https://www.cis.org/Arthur/Unexpected-Order-Ms-L Excerpt: Given this order, the "catch and release dilemma" that I described in the June 29, 2018, post would not arise: Parents could either choose to be separated from their children to allow them to proceed under Flores, or choose to have their children remain with them, in DHS family detention. The most fascinating aspect of this order is the fact that a waiver of Flores by parents is the fallback option, not the exception, for their children. It will be interesting to see whether Judge Dolly Gee, who is overseeing the Flores settlement agreement, issues yet another order in that matter in response to Judge Sabraw's latest order in Ms. L. Return to Top ******** ******** 15. What Nation Is Second When the Big Outsourcers Are Hiring H-1Bs? By David North CIS Blog, August 21, 2018 https://www.cis.org/North/What-Nation-Second-When-Big-Outsourcers-Are-Hiring-H1Bs Excerpt: The only employer on Hira's list to dip below the 95 percent Indian mark is IBM; it reported that only 87.3 percent of its H-1Bs over a period of seven years were from India. The second most popular country on the list, but never with more than 3.9 percent of the hires, is China. It appears four times. UAE appears twice. The other second choices were Canada, Kuwait, Malaysia, and the Philippines. One wonders if those few H-1B hires from Kuwait and UAE may have been — at least in part — favors granted by the outsourcers to relatives of its Middle East customers. Return to Top ******** ******** 16. From Protected Immigration Advocacy to Domestic Terrorism Threat? By Todd Bensman CIS Blog, August 20, 2018 https://www.cis.org/Bensman/Protected-Immigration-Advocacy-Domestic-Terrorism-Threat Excerpt: As is well-established, online incitement to violence by extremist groups is viewed as a significant homeland security matter because urging others to kill for a social cause has proven so tragically effective. This concern has usually focused on ISIS, but at least two recent arrests in the United States suggest that some activists among those opposed to President Donald Trump's immigration policies are radicalizing as anti-government extremists, and inciting others online to violence. Return to Top ******** ******** 17. An Interesting Case Illuminates the Difference Between Extradition and Deportation, and the Complexity of Our Laws By Dan Cadman CIS Blog, August 20, 2018 https://www.cis.org/Cadman/Interesting-Case-Illuminates-Difference-Between-Extradition-and-Deportation-and-Complexity Excerpt: Generally, deportation is the process of arresting and expelling a foreign national (usually but not always back to the country of origin) for violations of our nation's immigration laws, whereas extradition is the process of handing over an individual, without regard to citizenship, to another country seeking to prosecute that individual for crimes under that nation's laws. Return to Top Visit Website