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India: New Source of U.S. Illegal Immigrants
Hopes for Strong Immigration Laws Dim
The New Silent Majority?


COMMENTARY: by NPG President Donald Mann

The American people don't like to be taken for fools. But that's the way the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is treating us these days.

Almost two years after Congress mandated that a fence be built along our nation's southern border, the DHS is still all over the map as to how they will accomplish this feat. Meanwhile, countless thousands of illegal immigrants flow into our country each month.

It was obvious from the very beginning that the Bush administration, which has been against the border fence all along, was going to drag its feet on this project. However, their hypocrisy has been startling. And the confusion over what is - and what isn't - working is downright baffling. On February 22nd, Reuters ran a story reporting on a joint press conference where Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey touted new initiatives to improve border security. They highlighted the new "virtual fence" being built near Nogales, Arizona. Commenting on the deployment of the system, Chertoff was quoted as stating, "I have personally witnessed the value of the system, and I have spoken directly to the Border Patrol agents...who have seen it produce actual results."

Yet, six days later, a front page story in The Washington Post on February 28th, related how plans for the same "virtual fence", a hodgepodge of towers, radar, cameras and other electronic gadgets, has suffered a "setback" on its initial test of 28 miles. The bottom line to the story was that rather than the first 100 miles of virtual fence being in place by the end of this year, it will be 2011 (two full years into the term of the next president) before it will be fully built and operational - and that"s just the first phase. The virtual fence is to complement 370 miles of physical fence and 300 miles of vehicle barrier that should be completed by the end of this year.

In House and Senate hearings last week, investigators for the General Accounting Office (GAO) who are auditing the project essentially stated that DHS and Boeing, Inc. (who has the contract to construct the fence) have created such a mishmash of a failed system in putting a quick-fix virtual fence in place that they now have to go back to square one to rectify the problem. Even at this point in the project, costs for expanding beyond the test project are unknown because according to Richard Stana, the GAO"s Diector of Homeland Security Issues, DHS officials "do not yet know the type of terrain where the fencing is to be constructed, the materials to be used, or the cost to acquire the land."

What is so ridiculous about this entire scenario is that all of the time, energy and money (tens of millions of wasted dollars spent thus far) invested in the so-called virtual fence seems so useless. The Congress passed legislation calling for a "fence" - something most Americans define as a solid barrier - and rather than set out to build a structure similar to the physical fence that has been so effective in cutting border crossings in southern San Diego County in California, we are trying to be politically correct and create a high-tech 21st century project that does not look like a wall across our southern border.

Here at NPG, we have consistently been skeptical of the Bush administration's promises to "get tough" on illegal immigration and stop the continuous flow of illegals into our country. We live in a nation that can act with amazing speed when we are threatened. But to date, our leaders in Washington, D.C. have treated the need for a border fence as a second rate project and permitted it to fall victim to bureaucratic bungling rather than give it the top priority it deserves.

Certainly, the DHS has proven to be effective in tracking down certain terrorist threats but it has failed miserably when it comes to protecting our borders. With all the politics involved, it is questionable whether we will ever see the real border security measures we have been promised.

In closing, it is important to note that the Pew Research Center reported this week that their studies project a U.S. population of 438 million by 2050 and that 82% of this growth will come from immigration, both legal and illegal. The question has to be asked: In arriving at these shocking numbers, did they factor in a fence at our southern border?


INDIA: NEW SOURCE OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

A recent story by Mike Swift in the San Mateo County Times has exposed a new, fast-growing group of illegal immigrants that most people don't think about - they come from India!

The story cites a recent U.S. Department of Homeland Security estimate that there are 270,000 unauthorized Indian natives now in the U.S. - a 125% jump since 2000. The Times covers California's Silicon Valley and the story notes that this fast-growing group is recognized as a highly-skilled workforce. It is comprised of a great many individuals who first entered the country legally as students or tourists, or initially received an H1-B work visa, but then did not renew their legal status.

In the story, the Times quotes Gabriel Jack, a San Jose immigration lawyer who states, "They come here as professionals, most often in the H-1B program, and given the fluctuations of Silicon Valley, the business climate, these guys lose their jobs. They get laid off or they wager their hands on a start-up coming in." Jack also notes that there is a giant backlog of people waiting for green cards - a wait that is up to seven years!

Frank D. Bean, director of the Immigration Research Center at the University of California, is quoted as saying "we are going to see this high-skilled illegal workforce emerging. From a narrow economic point of view, it might work. From a social justice, fairness point of view, it's a time bomb."

The Times notes that Jeffery Passel, an immigration expert at the Pew Hispanic Center, "estimates that the number of illegal Indians is even higher, at 400,000 people." It also states that if trends continue, India would trail only Mexico, El Salvador and Guatemala as a source of illegal immigration in just three years. The attraction of getting to the U.S. and staying here is underscored by a Silicon Valley immigration lawyer, Shah Peerally, who flatly states, "I can tell you right now, there are 1 billion people in India, of which maybe 800 million want to come here."

Perhaps the worst part of the Times story cites the fact that according to a U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement official, "The United States has deported slightly less than 500 Indians in recent years." True to form, DHS is operating at peak efficiency in getting a handle on this problem and should have it resolved in about 540 to 800 years! Click on the link above for the full story.


HOPES FOR STRONG IMMIGRATION LAWS DIM

Are the 2008 presidential candidates ready to sell out our country to win the Hispanic vote in November? The odds are the answer is "YES."

A recent story in The Boston Globe that reported on Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama's "new freedom" in discussing immigration, makes it appear that the candidates - including John McCain - are downplaying illegal immigration as a key issue in this year's election.

The story by Sasha Issenberg notes that "As they compete in the Texas and Ohio primaries...the two Democratic presidential candidates are showing a new sense of freedom in embracing positions sympathetic to immigration. The likely nomination of Republican John McCain, who sponsored the last round of comprehensive immigration reform legislation and broadly shares the Democrats' moderate views on the subject, has neutralized a potential difference between the two parties on the issue seen as key to working class blacks and whites, while renewing Republican appetites to pursue Latino voters on the basis of McCain's record."

In the article, Clinton is cited as saying she would consider stopping raids by federal authorities on homes and workplaces suspected of harboring illegal immigrants and Obama "appeared to support the reversal of a plan to build a fence along the border with Mexico." As for McCain, the Globe piece notes, "McCain began last fall to emphasize the need to 'secure the borders first,' but he has told Republican voters in recent weeks that he still sees a legalization plan as an essential part of a national immigration policy and that he would pursue one as president." Click on the link above for the full story.


IS THIS THE NEW SILENT MAJORITY?

The Arizona Republic carried a story on February 24th that highlights how open border advocates are telling "undocumented people" how to avoid being deported.

The story notes that the advice most emphasized is simple: "Remain silent."

The article written by Daniel Gonzalez cited Evelyn Cruz, who heads the immigration clinic at Arizona State University's law school, as saying that the U.S. Constitution guarantees certain rights to everyone, regardless of legal status, including the right to remain silent.

Magdalena Schwartz, a Mesa pastor and member of the Alliance of Valley Religious Leaders, notes that the advice is working and says "she has heard from at least five people in the last month who were stopped by police and remained silent when questioned about their immigration status. 'All they got was a ticket,' she said."

Groups are working to get the "stay silent" message to illegals and are sponsoring forums and handing out brochures that make it clear that "under the law, it is ICE"s job to prove that someone is not in the country illegally." Click on the link above for the full story.


POPULATION AND IMMIGRATION NEWS NOTES

STARTLING POPULATION NUMBERS IN PEW CENTER RESEARCH

The recent population study released by the well-respected Pew Research Center contains some startling facts that should definitely serve as a wake-up call to our nation's leaders and all citizens who need to understand the phenomenal social, economic and environment changes our nation will confront in just 42 years.

The report was authored by Jeffrey S. Passel and D"Vera Cohn. Its major findings include:

* If current trends continue, U.S. population will grow by 48 percent between 2005 and 2050, and 82 percent of this growth will come from immigration - both legal and illegal. The U.S. population in 2050 will be 438 million people.

* Of the 142 million additional people, 67 million will be immigrants and 50 million will be children or grandchildren of these immigrants.

* Between 2005 and 2050, the foreign-born population will more than double from 36 million to 81 million.

* The non-Hispanic white population will increase more slowly than other racial and ethnic groups; whites will become a minority (47%) by 2050.

100 MINUTES A DAY - IN THE CAR

A February 17th story in the Washington Post relating how more and more drivers are adding luxuries to their personal cars and SUV's includes the following: "Drivers in the Washington area spend more time in their cars than other drivers across the country - an estimated 100 minutes a day, compared with an hour nationally according to transportation planners at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments"


FLORIDA ISSUE: WATER VS. DEVELOPMENT

There is a big feud brewing in South Florida over who has the authority to halt future development. The South Florida Water Management District is opposing new projects based on the fact that there is not enough water available for future growth. At issue is when a planned $1.6 billion overhaul of the Miami-Dade area's water system will be completed. According to the Miami Herald, the Water District granted Miami-Dade "a 20-year permit with the conditions that most of the water for future growth come from a series of expensive 'alternative' water projects to recycle wastewater or tap underground sources beneath the shallow Biscayne Aquifer that now is the county's main source."


AGRI-FOOD FIRMS ARE HOT ON WALL STREET

Steven Levingston of The Washington Post Business Section reports that agri-food companies are a good long term play in today's stock market. Citing the fact that "Feeding the world is a growth business" he notes that "The global population is expanding by more than 70 million mouths a year, and the system that supplies the food is racing to keep pace." Levingston points out that "The agri-food trend is...a long-term structural shift driven in large part by rising populations in Asia and by surging demand for renewable fuels such as corn-based ethanol. Also behind the trend are the increasing affluence of emerging countries, widening dietary tastes and greater longevity for the mouths that need to be fed."


NPG NOTES

NPG SCHOLARSHIP

Please remember to advise any family members or friends who are seeking help with college tuition that we are still accepting essays for our Third Annual NPG Scholarship Contest. The contest is open to all high school seniors and college freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. Students must write an essay on the following topic:

Many people believe that our nation is already greatly overpopulated with regards to our limited natural resources and fragile environment. Do you agree that Congress should create a National Population Policy? What would you recommend as its chief goals?

Three scholarship prizes in the amount of $2,000, $1,000 and $500 are awarded. Essays will be judged on quality of writing, originality, and evidence of critical thinking. The deadline for NPG to receive student essays is April 18, 2008. Access NPG's website at www.npg.org for additional information.


QUOTABLE

"America's first consideration must always be the security and welfare of our citizens. We have welcomed more immigrants than any country on Earth, but always in accordance with our laws and, except in cases of humane emergencies, always based upon the proposition that their admittance was mutually bene

Herb McMillan
Member of the Board
Maryland Taxpayers Association


"In spite of evidence that the U.S. is slipping into a recession, Congressional leaders of both parties are trying to increase the number of visas available for foreign workers. This will lead to fewer jobs for America's own workers...There is no end to the appetite of big business and corporations for more foreign workers at lower wages."

Californians for Population Stabilization
Action Alert


"Every American who cares about this country - every one of us who is proud of what it has achieved and looks forward to what it may yet attain - shares responsibility for keeping its values alive."

Honorable Elliot Richardson
Former Cabinet Member
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WHY THE NPG JOURNAL

The NPG Journal (offered free to all recipients) exists to give more widespread distribution to timely news stories and articles related to population, immigration, environmental and political issues that currently affect our daily life -- or have the potential to seriously impact our future

We realize not all news stories covering population issues will reflect NPG policies and goals. One of our main purposes in creating the NPG Journal is to expose these items to a wider audience, and to draw attention to the fact that so many articles speak to immigration and population issues but often fail to address the central cause of many problems - TOO MANY PEOPLE.

Ultimately, NPG would like to see writers at all levels make the obvious (to us, at least) connection between environmental and resource problems and the growing umber of people in both the United States and the world. Unfortunately, most do not. To that end, we comment as necessary to help our readers see those links in hopes they will continue to speak out on what we deem to be the most pressing issue of our time - population size and growt

NPG President Donald Mann offers his personal insight and commentary on individual stories, especially those that challenge, confirm and/or complement our NPG Research and Forum Papers. The goal of the NPG Journal is to greatly expand NPG's educational mission. As NPG celebrates its 35th Anniversary we continue to emphasize the need for Americans to speak up on population issues and keep our nation -- especially our elected leaders on the national, state and local level - focused on taking action to help resolve today's immigration crisis and work to halt, and eventually reverse America's out-of-control population growt

We welcome your feedback to articles posted on the NPG Journal and urge you to forward us the e-mail address of friends you think would like to receive a complimentary copy of the NPG Journal on a bi-weekly basis. Contact us at www.npg.org


ABOUT NPG

Negative Population Growth, Inc. (NPG) is a national nonprofit membership organization with over 30,000 members nationwide. It was founded in 1972 to educate the American public and political leaders about the devastating effects of overpopulation on our environment, resources, and standard of living. We believe that our nation is already vastly overpopulated in terms of the long-range carrying capacity of its resources and environmen





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