The Minuteman Civil Defense Corps is getting ready to again battle against amnesty for illegal aliens – this time with a fresh Congress and a new President.
Chris Simcox, the Minuteman president and Carmen Mercer, the organization’s vice president, are hitting the nation’s airwaves, fax machines and the digital highway with dire warnings that President Barack Obama is already colluding with Democrats in Congress to enact “comprehensive immigration reform.”
In the immediate sights of the Minutemen is Senate Bill S.9, introduced along with nine other bills that were touted to be on the front burner of the Democratic Congress.
S. 9 is called the “Stronger Economy, Stronger Borders Act of 2009,” which, according to Simcox and Mercer, was written to serve as a placeholder for what will evolve to “comprehensive” immigration legislation for the new Congress. One of the main focuses of the bill is “reforming and rationalizing” avenues for immigration.
Some of the remarks by Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., at the time of the bill’s introduction, drawn from the Congressional Record, include:
“Those who oppose a realistic solution to address the estimated millions of people currently living and working in the United States without proper documentation have offered no alternative solution other than harsh penalties and more enforcement.
“The policies of the last 8 years, which have served only to appease the most extreme ideologues, must be replaced with sensible solutions. I am confident that our country and our economy will be far more secure when those who are currently living in the shadows of our society are recognized and provided the means to become lawful residents, if not a path to citizenship.”
But Simcox isn’t buying such high-minded language and the notion that bringing illegals “out of the shadows,” will somehow boost a faltering economy.
“You see? We’ve got a bad economy that’s getting worse -- and the only way to fix that is to give amnesty to 20 million illegal immigrants!” exclaims Simcox.
“If S. 9 gets through the U.S. Senate -- and who’s going to stop it, unless millions of Americans whip them into line again -- it’s a sure bet that it will be pushed hard in the U.S. House by Nancy Pelosi, Barney Frank, and the rest of the pro-amnesty ‘leaders’ of the Democrats there,” argues Simcox.
But reform advocate Leahy is just as adamant that the status quo is anti-productive and in some ways downright un-American:
“If our immigration policies are to be effective and play a role in restoring America's image around the world, we must reject the failed policies of the last 8 years. We cannot continue to deny asylum seekers because they have been forced at the point of a gun to provide assistance to those engaged in terrorist acts.
“We cannot continue to label as terrorist organizations those who have stood by the United States in armed conflict. We must not tolerate the tragic and needless death of a person in our custody for lack of basic medical care. We must ensure that children are not needlessly separated from their parents and that family unity is respected.”
Simcox also warned that a recent meeting at a hotel on Capitol Hill, attended by a group of influential leaders in the Latino community, did not augur well for safeguarding the borders.
Concerning that meeting, The New York Times quoted John Trasviña, president of the pro-amnesty group MALDEF (the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund), which hosted the event, as noting that they now have “friends in high places” in the Obama administration.
Simcox also opined that President Barack Obama has signaled on numerous occasions his philosophy on immigration:
On Dec. 4th, 2007, in discussing illegal aliens on NPR, Obama said that he wants “to give them a pathway, so that they can earn citizenship, earn a legal status.” On June 28th, 2008, Obama told an audience that he supports “reform that finally brings the 12 million people who are here illegally out of the shadows by requiring them to take steps to become legal citizens.” On Feb. 21st, 2008, Obama said that he wants the federal government to have the ability “to deal with the 12 million people who are living in the shadows and give them a way of getting out of the shadows.” Barack Obama has supported the DREAM Act to give in-state college tuition rates for children of illegal aliens. He voted YES on continuing federal funds for declared “sanctuary cities.” He voted YES on establishing a “guest worker” program. He voted YES on allowing illegal aliens to participate in Social Security. He voted to provide funding for social services for noncitizens. Summing up, Simcox only concludes: “If the S. 9 amnesty bill gets through Congress, President Obama will sign it into law!”
Whatever ultimately happens on the immigration front, 2009 may join earlier years as a frustrating one for reformers.
In 2006 and 2007, Congress attempted to pass reforms to the nation’s immigration system. In 2006, the Senate passed legislation, only to be thwarted by those in the House of Representatives. In 2007, the House passed legislation only to have it blocked in the Senate by Republican Members opposed to a reform.
The Minuteman Civil Defense Corps is a volunteer group dedicated to preventing illegal crossings of the United States border. Headquartered in Peoria, Ariz., the organization has chapters in several states.
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