Fighting the good fight

You know the hypocrites are really climbing out of their closets when Rep. Maxine Waters changes her tune on immigration. Well, perhaps that's putting it too strongly. More accurately, at the April 13 Judiciary Subcommittee hearing on immigration and border security, she dared to say something negative about a certain type of immigrant. Coming from the pandering Waters, that was a breakthrough.

Waters has always staunchly refused to even consider an open discussion on immigration policies. When not grandstanding about the "benefits" of immigration, she cautiously steers clear of the topic. Just a couple of years ago, when queried about her position on the subject by a reporter from Human Events, Waters prudently replied, "I only give written statements to conservative organizations. I have to write my responses."

Now, at the recent Judiciary meeting, which focused on the impact of foreign gangs in the U.S., she let loose with angry denunciations of the immigrant gangs that are becoming an epidemic in some parts of the country. Referring to the "Mexican mafia," and insisting that she was unconcerned about the race of these "criminals," she declared, "I want you out, if you're committing crimes." According to a report by the Manhattan Institute's Heather MacDonald on The Immigration Blog, Waters fumed that "there is no excuse" for the lack of control over U.S. borders. Furthermore, she exclaimed, "I'm a liberal with a capital L, but I'm sick of it." Could her sudden illness stem from a growing awareness of the discontent now being expressed by growing numbers of Americans?

For the opportunistic black politician, mass immigration flowing from Latin American and Caribbean countries poses a problem. How does one avoid alienating a growing population of immigrants, both legal and illegal, yet appear to be operating in the interests of American blacks? In 1999, the NAACP initiated a nationwide effort to recruit Hispanics into the organization. The pragmatic Julian Bond pointed to the rising numbers of Hispanics who, by 2050, are expected to be 24.5% of the population, as opposed to blacks at 15.4%.

As Hispanics outnumber blacks in once all-black voting districts, politicians like Waters have begun to look to the future when they might no longer depend upon the important knee-jerk American black vote. Back in the 90s, it did not occur to any of these careerist politicians or the NAACP that stopping the ongoing flow of immigrants into the country might better serve their purposes. Determined to fight off the "outreach" strategies of the Republican party to Hispanics and Caribbeans, Democratic politicians, including all the black ones, sought to seduce and win over these burgeoning immigrant communities.

Black politicians became especially nervous when, in 2003, in Florida, a group of Caribbean-American legislators established a caucus within the Democratic party, separate from the state's existing Black Caucus. As reported in Florida's Sun-Sentinel (3/29/03), the hierarchy of the state's Black Caucus expressed frustration, if not anger, over the possibility that a separate Caribbean group might "water down the power of blacks."

In that same year, in Washington, DC, Caribbeans and Haitians formed the bi-partisan Congressional Caribbean Caucus, composed of members of the House of Representatives. The caucus was formed with nine Democrats and nine Republicans. Although this group has held some meetings focused on trade policies between their home countries and the U.S., members admit that immigration policy, especially those having to do with amnesty, is their top priority.

As immigration advocates come together and grow stronger, so too are those Americans who are determined to bring about reform. Democrat and Republican politicians are hesitating and looking over their shoulders these days before engaging in the usual glib orthodoxy that is designed to shut up their opposition. The reality of violent alien gangs is coming too close to home to be cavalierly dismissed with the usual slur of "racist" directed at those who propose to end this illegal invasion.

Some members of Congress are getting the message. Last month, the House approved Senate Bill 1511 (already passed in the Senate), which bans all government agencies and law enforcement from accepting as valid the matricula consular "I.D. card." These cards are issued by the consulates of foreign countries to illegal aliens, to give them a means of functioning as legitimate citizens. They are expressly designed as a method to circumvent U.S. laws.

"Across the country there is a growing populist movement also taking matters into its own hands," writes David Kelly in the Los Angeles Times (4/25/05). He continues:

In Washington, Colorado, Virginia and elsewhere, grass-roots organizations are forming to pass initiatives and pressure politicians into enacting laws denying benefits to illegal immigrants. There are already groups in seven states and more are expected by the end of summer. One congressman may even run for president on a platform of securing the border.

Indeed, the gap between the public and policymakers is widening. For years the federal government made it clear that it would not enforce laws that have long been on the books. And then came this current President's proposal of amnesty, which brought on an even greater influx of illegals hoping to qualify for citizenship the easy way. Kelly quotes Dan Stein of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), who says, "The issue is about elites, major financial interests and global economic forces arrayed against the average American voter. The depth of anger should not be underestimated."

In Georgia, ordinary citizens are waking up. Kelly describes the organizing work of Mrs. Lee Bevang:

"Georgia is one of the top destinations for illegal aliens," said the 48-year-old bill collector. "Folks here could always go out and get a construction job for a decent wage but the contractors have totally taken advantage of illegal aliens, paying them wages no American can live on. My husband has been laid off. The concern about this is just huge."

Georgia's migrant population has mushroomed, growing from between 25,000 and 35,000 in 1990 to 228,000 by 2000, according to government statistics. Like her counterparts around the country, Bevang hopes to build a politically powerful movement that would, as she says, end the "free buffet" for illegal immigrants. "We are a generous country but now it's time to take care of our own people in need," she said.

Mark Krikorian, of the Center for Immigration Studies, nails it correctly in describing the gulf between elites and average Americans. "Elites are less likely to be inconvenienced by immigration. They are hiring illegals, not competing against them for work."

One of the greatest impediments to significant reform is the willful perversion of the Constitution's 14th Amendment on American citizenship. Because it has been misinterpreted in a manner undreamed of by the Founders, most Americans believe that every child born on U.S. territory is automatically a citizen. Rep. Ron Paul would put an end to this misunderstanding, with his call for a new Amendment. H.J.RES.46 would provide that no person born in the United States will be a U.S. citizen unless a parent is a U.S. citizen or lawfully admitted permanent resident at the time of birth. There could be no better reason for amending the Constitution than the desire to regain control over our culture and society.

As the Minuteman Project in Arizona becomes an inspiration to citizens in other states, more organizing efforts are underway. Politicians, along with those judges who strike down the people's Propositions and Referendums, will find it harder to undermine such efforts as they have done in the past.

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