Chairman Stewart is scheduled to speak in Washington today on “The Toll of Illegal Alien Criminals on American Families.” Here’s my advise, stay home. He has zero knowledge on the subject, he officially is not speaking officially on behalf of the County but rather has made it known that he will be expressing his own opinion. Frankly, I would be better qualified to speak on this matter than he, so who invited him to speak on the matter? Well, the whole ‘Hold Their Feet to the Fire’ campaign held this week was coordinated by Federation for American Immigration Reform(FAIR). Surprise, surprise.
My recommendation for everyone else, is to visit this new application at America’s Voice (http://americasvoiceonline.org/page/speakout/writecongress) and send emails to our elected officials.
For the truth on immigrants and crime, read this press release:
Immigration Policy Center(IPC)
…providing factual information about immigration and immigrants in the United States.For Immediate Release:
Congressional Event Perpetuates Myth of Immigrant Criminality
Crime forum overlaps with restrictionist organization’s lobby daysSeptember 10, 2008
Washington, DC- Tomorrow morning, Republican members of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration are regrettably perpetuating the persistent myth of immigrant criminality with their forum on “The Toll of Illegal Alien Criminals on American Families.” Lamar Smith (R-Texas) and Steve King (R-Iowa) are spearheading tomorrow’s conversation.
Numerous studies by independent researchers and government commissions over the past 100 years have consistently found that immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than the native-born. This holds true for both legal immigrants and the undocumented, regardless of their country of origin or level of education.
It’s not likely a coincidence that Smith and King’s forum is happening during the same week that the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) is lobbying Congress, demanding an impractical and hateful agenda of mass deportations, worksite raids, and other expensive and ultimately ineffective approaches as part of their “Hold Their Feet to the Fire” gathering. The Republican forum is even featuring some of the same witnesses who participated in FAIR’s rally this afternoon.
It is disappointing to see law makers Smith and King–along with their fellow congressmen Darrell Issa (R-CA), Brian Bilbray (R-CA), and Duncan Hunter (R-CA) who attended FAIR’s rally today–tarnish the Republican brand by supporting the agenda of FAIR, an organization designated a “hate group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center. It is especially troubling to see law-makers exploit the pain of the victims of these terrible crimes to promote their political motives. There is no doubt that dangerous criminals must be punished, and that immigrants who are dangerous criminals should not be allowed to enter the US or should be deported if they already are here. But exploiting the profound painful loss of crime victims to spread the myth that immigrants are criminals is irresponsible and disingenuous.
Fact Sheet from the Immigration Policy Center:
“From Anecdotes to Evidence: Setting the Record Straight on Immigrants and Crime” (Washington, DC: September 2008).
