Blog @ MoreWhat.com

Hardly a day goes by without some ‘rights group’ being featured in the MSM. There are groups that could be defined as ‘responsibility groups’ but they receive little attention from those individuals that regard themselves as journalists or organizations that claim to present news and information based on standards of journalism.

Last week one report opened by describing Human Rights Watch as a ‘leading human rights group.’ Could the author be referring to the executive director’s salary? Since 1993 a lawyer named Kenneth Roth has been the executive director of HRW with an annual salary of $350,000. That’s nearly 18% of HRW’s management and general expenses for the year. And they may have 275 employees. And let’s not forget their fundraising expenses of $8,641,358 for 2008 (according to Wiki).

The non-governmental organization claims they do not accept government money directly. But they receive funds from other groups who may. And they supported ACORN at least in 2000 and/or 2001 to the tune of a half-million dollars.

So what’s this all about? The report out last week has Human Rights Watch whining about the rights of illegals. And for all their whining the problem they perceive could be solved if no one entered the United States illegally. They bad mouth countries all over the world for claimed wrongdoing. It is interesting that they say nothing about Mexico’s ‘responsibility’ to correct their own problems and eliminate the attraction to cross the border illegally into another country.

Here’s the report. Have a good laugh. HRW is a scam. The last three paragraphs assume the reader is extremely gullible. Correction, the entire report assumes you are gullible.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

from VOA News….

A leading human rights group is calling on the U.S. Congress and the Obama administration to include protections for immigrants’ rights in their proposals for immigration reform.

New York-based Human Rights Watch released a report Friday saying more needs to be done to protect undocumented immigrants in the workplace and in court.

The group says at work such people are vulnerable to exploitation - including sexual abuse and poor working conditions - and should be allowed to find other jobs in such cases.

It also recommends giving undocumented immigrants a path to legalization that includes government protection, so they feel safe to report crimes.

Earlier this month, President Obama called for bipartisan support for immigration reform. He described overhauling the system as a “moral imperative.” Congress is sharply divided over the issue, with Republicans generally opposing what they call amnesty programs.

The Human Rights Watch report also urges the government to allow immigration judges to consider the ties legal permanent residents have in the United States before deporting them for minor crimes. The group says thousands of legal residents are deported each year without having their family connections or past military service considered.

Human Rights Watch also calls on the government to limit immigrant detentions. The group says those who have committed nonviolent crimes should be exempt from detention.

There is plenty of detail in a recent story about illegal immigration that requires some sort of confirmation before drawing conclusions. What does not appear to require more supporting evidence is that the subject of the story is an illegal immigrant.

Colotl, a Mexico native, has been in the United States for much of her life, coming here with her parents when she was 10. Friends said the family moved often until Colotl graduated from DeKalb County’s Lakeside High School in 2006 with a 3.8 grade-point average.

Her troubles began March 29 when she was stopped on the KSU campus and charged with impeding the flow of traffic. She reportedly told the officer she had a Mexican driver’s license but could not find it; she offered him a Mexican passport that expired in August 2007 as identification. While driving without a license is a relatively minor offense, making a false statement is a felony with a maximum punishment of five years in prison and a $1,000 fine.

The open borders crowd and reconquista fanatics love making a distinction between ‘criminal’ aliens and others who are here illegally. The linked report from AJC demonstrates this point. But their point/counterpoint reference that this story ‘has sparked debate’ on the issue misses the central point.

The student is an illegal immigrant. While the portrayal at AJC suggests she is not an immediate threat to national security and that ICE focuses on ‘criminal aliens’ she is here illegally and being given at least a temporary pass on violating US immigration law.

You will get lost in the minutiae and miss this central point when the MSM and others prey on your natural sympathy for the poster child of ‘just coming here to find a better life.’ A better life should include following the rule of law. The first ‘better life’ component all illegals violate.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Heads of Canadian alien smuggling organization sentenced

BURLINGTON, Vt. - On May 3, Jose Manuel Galdamez-Serrano, 56, Norvin Gonzalez-Morales, 29, Ruben Damas-Hernandez, 31, and Emmanuel Antonio Galdamez, 27, of Montreal, Quebec, were sentenced in U.S. District Court in Burlington following their guilty pleas to alien smuggling offenses. The defendants were extradited to the United States from Canada to face the charges contained in the indictment.

Chief U.S. District Judge William K. Sessions III sentenced Jose Manual Galdamez-Serrano to 60 months imprisonment and three years of probation following his guilty plea to one count of bringing illegal aliens in the United States for the purpose of commercial advantage and private financial gain. Judge Sessions ordered co-defendants Emmanuel Antonio Galdamez and Ruben Alonzo Damas-Hernandez, each to serve approximately 11 months imprisonment and two years probation following their guilty pleas to conspiracy to smuggle illegal aliens into the United States.

According to court documents, the defendants, collectively known as the Galdamez Organization, conspired to smuggle aliens into the United States from Canada beginning sometime in 2004 until 2007. The Galdamez Organization was primarily consists of family members, with Jose Manuel Galdamez-Serrano as the head, his son Emmanuel Galdamez, and son-in-laws Ruben Damas-Hernandez and Norvin Gonzalez-Morales.

The Galdamez Organization offered aliens smuggling services to other alien smuggling groups and persons who trafficked in human beings and to individuals living in Canada who came from other countries, including but not limited to Central and South America, Pakistan and India, whose destination were the United States. More than 100 aliens were smuggled into the United States by the Galdamez Organization.

The aliens were housed at Galdamez Organization members’ homes while awaiting transportation into the United States. They were later driven to areas near the border between Canada and the United States. Galdamez Organization would guide the aliens across the border by foot and at night or directed them where to cross. Other coconspirators involved were from Maryland, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey and New York.

U.S. Attorney Tristram J. Coffin commended the efforts of special agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the U.S. Border Patrol.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara A. Masterson.

– ICE –

April 30, 2010

596 criminal aliens arrested in targeted ICE operation throughout the southeastern U.S.
Operation Cross Check yields the largest-ever number of arrests

WASHINGTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and its law enforcement partners arrested 596 foreign nationals with criminal records during a three-day enforcement surge throughout the southeastern United States, making it the biggest operation targeting at-large criminal aliens ever carried out by ICE in the region.

During the operation, which concluded late last night, ICE officers and agents worked in teams with the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and local law enforcement agencies in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Puerto Rico.

Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for ICE John Morton cited the operation – which involved nearly 400 federal and local law enforcement officers and agents – as another example of ICE’s focus on indentifying and removing criminal aliens from the United States.

“We are a compassionate nation with a proud history of immigration,” said Morton. “But we are also a nation governed by laws specifically designed to protect its citizens and residents. Those who come to the United States to prey upon our neighbors and communities will be prosecuted for their crimes and ultimately returned to their home countries. The results of this week’s operation demonstrate ICE’s commitment to that principle.”

Arrests in Florida and Puerto Rico accounted for the largest number of apprehensions during the operation where a total of 258 aliens were taken into custody. The Atlanta Field Office recorded the next highest number of arrests with 232. The arrestees, 544 men and 55 women, represent 60 different nations, including countries in Latin America, Asia, Europe, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Because of their serious criminal histories and prior immigration arrest records, at least 12 of those arrested during the enforcement surge face federal prosecution. A conviction for felony reentry carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.

Some of the worst of the offenders caught this week during Operation Cross Check include the following case examples:

• Oriel Bernard McCarthy, of Jamaica, was arrested Tuesday by the Atlanta Fugitive Operation Team in Jonesboro, Georgia. McCarthy was recently arrested for aggravated assault and possession of a weapon during the commission of a crime. McCarthy’s criminal history includes convictions and arrests in four states, including New York, South Carolina, Maryland and Georgia for crimes including felony forgery, stalking, criminal domestic violence, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and manufacture, aggravated assault, sexual abuse and forcible contact, possession of stolen property, and robbery. He was ordered removed by an immigration judge on October 21, 2009 in New York City.
• Jose Oscar Avalo-Molina, of El Salvador, was arrested Wednesday by the Miami Fugitive Operations Team in Pembroke Park, Florida. Avalo-Molina’s criminal convictions include first degree murder for which he was sentenced to 20 years in prison. On Feb. 28, 1991, he was ordered removed to El Salvador by an Immigration Judge. Avalo-Molina was removed on Aug. 13, 1997 and subsequently illegally re-entered. This case has been accepted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecution for the crime of re-entry after deportation.

Any of the foreign nationals arrested during this operation who have active warrants will be referred to the associated local law enforcement agency and ICE will place detainers to ensure they return to ICE custody following disposition of their criminal cases. Those who have outstanding orders of deportation, or who returned to the United States illegally after being deported, are subject to immediate removal from the country. The remaining individuals are in ICE custody awaiting a hearing before an immigration judge, or pending travel arrangements for removal in the near future.

This week’s special enforcement action was spearheaded by ICE’s Fugitive Operations Program, which is responsible for locating, arresting, and removing at large criminal aliens and immigration fugitives — aliens who have ignored final orders of deportation handed down by the nation’s immigration courts. ICE’s Fugitive Operations Teams give top priority to cases involving aliens who pose a threat to national security and public safety, including members of transnational street gangs and child sex offenders. This week’s operation focused on the apprehension of criminal aliens, which are not necessarily fugitives.

The officers who conducted this week’s special operation received substantial assistance from ICE’s Fugitive Operations Support Center (FOSC) located in South Burlington, Vt. The FOSC conducted exhaustive database checks on the targeted cases to help ensure the viability of the leads and accuracy of the criminal histories. The FOSC was established in 2006 to improve the integrity of the data available on at large criminal aliens and immigration fugitives nationwide. Since its inception, the FOSC has forwarded more than 550,000 case leads to ICE enforcement personnel in the field.

This week’s enforcement operation is just one facet of the Department of Homeland Security’s broader strategy to heighten the federal government’s effectiveness at identifying and removing dangerous criminal aliens from the United States. As a result of this strategy, ICE removed a total of 136,126 criminal aliens from the United States last year, a record number.

For more photos from Operation Cross Check, visit the ICE media gallery.

– ICE –

related:

Jury hands down 1st conviction in Newark illegal alien gang massacre

By VOA News
27 August 2008

U.S. immigration agents have arrested nearly 600 people at a plant in the southern state of Mississippi in the single largest workplace enforcement raid in the nation’s history.

Officials with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) say agents arrested illegal immigrants, including suspects from Peru, Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama, Honduras, Brazil and Germany.

The raid took place Monday at a Howard Industries plant, a facility that manufactures electronic transformers, in Laurel.

Some 475 were transferred to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Jena, in neighboring Louisiana. At least 100 others, including caregivers and juveniles, were released for what authorities described as humanitarian reasons.

Immigration officials say the raid is part of an ongoing nationwide effort to shut down places of employment that hire illegal immigrants.

An estimated 12 million people are living in the United States illegally.

Immigration has been a divisive issue in the U.S. presidential campaign. Both Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama are actively courting Latino voters, who are expected to play a pivotal role in the November election.

Several battleground states have significant Latino populations, including Florida, Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico.

from MoreWhat.com: Hats off to ICE for an outstanding achievement

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Trackposted to The Pink Flamingo, Leaning Straight Up, Cao’s Blog, and Pursuing Holiness, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe

August 12, 2008

ICE arrests 59 illegal aliens employed by Asheville Department of Defense contractor

ASHEVILLE, NC - Fifty-nine illegal aliens working at Mills Manufacturing Corporation (MMC) were arrested here this morning by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) special agents.

The arrests were based on an ICE critical infrastructure investigation that revealed that the illegal aliens had used fraudulent social security numbers to obtain employment. The company, located at 22 Mills Place, has been fully cooperative and is not a target of the ICE investigation.

MMC is a Department of Defense contractor responsible for the manufacturing of parachutes for the U.S. military. Illegal aliens employed at sensitive facilities — such as military bases, nuclear plants, chemical plants, airports and Department of Defense contractors — pose a homeland security threat.

ICE doesn’t believe that those arrested today at MMC had any ill intent against the United States; however, their illegal status could have made them susceptible to blackmail by those with ill intent. Today, ICE has neutralized a potential vulnerability.

“Protecting the integrity of our nation’s critical infrastructure is among ICE’s highest priorities,” said Delburt Richburg, assistant special agent-in-charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Charlotte. “When individuals use fraudulent social security numbers to get jobs, they hide their true identity and history. We need to know who is working on our critical infrastructure sites.”

All of those arrested today were transferred to the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office for immigration processing. All have been placed into removal proceedings for being in violation of U.S. immigration law.

At this point, no criminal charges have been presented against the illegal aliens; however, the investigation continues.

Those arrested today were interviewed by ICE agents to determine if they had medical, caregiver, or other humanitarian issues. ICE identified approximately 29 individuals who qualified for a humanitarian release. These individuals are still required to appear before a federal immigration judge who will ultimately determine whether or not they will be deported.

Among those arrested, were nationals of Mexico, Guatemala, Ecuador and Honduras. ICE contacted local Consular officials, community groups and other to provide accurate information regarding today’s operation.

Family members wanting information regarding those arrested today may contact ICE by dialing 704-679-6140.

ICE’s worksite enforcement investigations are aimed at promoting national security and public safety, protecting critical infrastructure, and ensuring fair labor standards. As of July 2008, ICE has made more than 3,800 administrative arrests for immigration violations during worksite enforcement operations.

– ICE –

Update: L.A. passes illegal alien day laborer mandate