They wanted to live in a country where they could raise their children in accordance with their Christian beliefs.
The Romeikes were initially given asylum, but the Obama administration objected – claiming that German laws that outlaw homeschooling do not constitute persecution.
Please, Mr. President, have mercy on this Christian family. They came to our shores longing to be free.
On Monday, the Supreme Court declined to hear the Romeike’s appeal – paving the way for the Christian family of eight to be deported.
“I think this is a part of the Obama administration’s overall campaign to crush religious freedom in this country,” said Michael Farris, chairman of the Home School Legal Defense Association. His organization is representing family.
“The Obama administration’s attitude toward religious freedom, particularly religious freedom for Christians is shocking,” he told me in an exclusive telephone interview. “I have little doubt that if this family had been of some other faith that the decision would have never been appealed in the first place. They would have let this family stay.”
Had the family stayed in Germany, where homeschooling is illegal, they would have faced the prospect of losing their children. Like the Pilgrims, they fled their homeland yearning for a place where they could be free.
Farris said the religious bias perpetrated by the Obama administration is “palpable.”
“It’s a denial of the essence of America,” he said. “The Pilgrims left England to go to Holland to seek religious freedom. They came here to seek religious freedom and parental rights for their children. Had this administration been waiting at Plymouth Rock, they would’ve told the Pilgrims to go back home.”
There are nearly 12 million illegal immigrants living in the United States. You’d think the Obama administration could find a place eight immigrants who want to live here legally.
In one term, the Obama Administration has deported roughly 80 percent the number of immigrants the George W. Bush administration deported in two.
ReplyDeleteIn fiscal year 2012, 419,384 immigrants were deported from the U.S., beating the record of 392,862 in 2009. Based on data provided by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Obama administration has deported roughly 1.6 million immigrants between 2009 and 2012. The previous administration deported about two million between 2001 and 2008.
Statistics also show a record number of deportations of immigrants with a criminal background and an increase of deportations of immigrants with a non-criminal background from 2011. While data for 2013 is not yet available, part of the increase seen in 2012 could be due to the increase in apprehensions along the U.S. — Mexico border, which increased from 340,000 in 2011 to 365,000 in 2012.
Obama is expected to list immigration as one of his State of the Union address’ main talking points Tuesday. In last year’s speech, the president spoke positively of the nation’s immigrant population.
“Our economy is stronger when we harness the talents and ingenuity of striving, hopeful immigrants,” Obama said. “Now is the time to do it. Now is the time to get it done,” he added, referring to immigration policy reform.
In the months that followed Obama’s 2013 address, a comprehensive immigration reform bill emerged from the Senate but stalled in the House of Representatives in the fall. Though House Speaker John Boehner said the House had “no intention of ever going to conference on the Senate Bill,” he is said to be working with Republicans on a list of “principles” for immigration reform.
Obama has let in millions more than GW. Hard to find illegals to deport if you are enforcing our laws.
Deleteas Representative Smith determined, the administration has started counting certain “returns” as “removals” in order to artificially inflate the numbers and create a “record level” of deportations. Specifically, those illegals caught by the Border Patrol who are shuttled to a different town along the border before they’re returned are being dishonestly counted as deportations. The point of this Alien Transfer Exit Program (ATEP) is to disrupt smuggling networks and make it harder to just keep crossing until you get through. But they’re still just returns, without any “administrative or criminal consequences placed on subsequent reentry.” This has falsely increased the number of total removals by more than 100,000 in the past two years. Smith noted, “When the numbers from this Border Patrol program are removed from this year’s deportation data, it shows that removals are actually down nearly 20% from 2009.”
This is not just a case of spin or fudging or “political lying,” as VDH describes it below. This is pure fabrication. And, naturally, the MSM fall for it.
When you don't like the numbers, change how you count them. The new way to count is to count those turned back at the border as deported. How disingenuous of you to make that claim.
DeleteA comprehensive reform bill?? That is funny. Secure the border first, then talk about if we really want 11-30 million illegals to become citizens. Remember legal immigrants bring an average of 3 people after naturalization. Do we really need 90 million poor, many added to the welfare rolls?
Interestingly La Raza, which was one of his chief supporters has now called Obama the "Deporter in Chief". Here's the complete story:
Deletehttp://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/03/04/285907255/national-council-of-la-raza-dubs-obama-deporter-in-chief?ft=1&f=1001
The Obama administration deported just 1 percent of illegal immigrants living within the interior of the U.S. last year, according to statistics released Thursday, which signals that most illegal immigrants face little chance of being kicked out of the country.
DeleteIn fiscal year 2013, which ended Sept. 30, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement removed 133,551 immigrants, down more than 25 percent from the previous year, even as the estimated number of illegal immigrants grew to 11.7 million.
The numbers underscore the lack of capacity — and of political will — to remove most illegal immigrants.
The administration said the drop in interior enforcement is deliberate as it tries to focus more on border security and recent border crossers, and to go after immigrants in the interior only if they have amassed serious criminal records.
“Increasing border security is a top priority, and the results you see today clearly illustrate our ongoing commitment to this goal,” said John Sandweg, acting director of ICE.
When border and interior deportations are included, that total fell 10 percent from 2012, from nearly 410,000 to 368,644 this year. That is the lowest figure of President Obama’s five-year tenure.
The drop didn’t please either side of the immigration debate.
Even with the dip, immigrant rights advocates said, Mr. Obama has deported more than 2 million illegal immigrants during his time in office. They said the deportations were inhumane and included many parents of young children.
“How much longer do we have to stand by and watch our families get torn apart by unscrupulous immigration agents?” said Eddie Carmona, campaign manager for the Campaign for Citizenship.
Activists disputed Mr. Sandweg’s claim that 98 percent of those kicked out of the country are “priority” category offenders who either have violated immigration laws repeatedly, have amassed criminal records or are fugitives.
“It’s easy for the administration to say that those deported fit their priorities when this White House has practically made sneezing a criminal act for immigrants,” said Pablo Alvarado, executive director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network. “These numbers may represent political calculus for the Beltway, but for immigrant families, they represent our parents, siblings and loved ones.”
From the other side is criticism that only one-third of deportations came from the interior, calling into question the administration’s enforcement claims.
“This information further reveals that the administration has been manipulating its figures to mislead the public,” said Stephen Miller, spokesman for Sen. Jeff Sessions, an Alabama Republican who led opposition to a legalization bill this year.
“The administration’s catch-and-release policy not only needlessly jeopardizes public safety but undermines the wages and employment of struggling U.S. workers,” Mr. Miller said.
Mr. Obama’s aides repeatedly have issued policies carving out categories of illegal immigrants who they say shouldn’t be deported. The most prominent was a decision last year to halt deportations of “Dreamers,” or younger illegal immigrants usually brought to the country as minors by their parents.
Maybe the drop in deportations shows less willingness on the part of the illegal to try to cross the border after having possibly been caught and sent back multiple times. There comes a point where they finally give up at least for a while. The Dreamers. It is the right thing to do. Most of these kids are bi lingual have been educated in American schools, had no say in being here in the first place and know no other home. I do have more compassion for this group then most illegals. victims of circumstances that they were in no position to control. It is a tough question but the current course is the right thing to do for these kids and young adults. Many were just infants when brought here and know nothing of their home country. They are for all intents and purposes, American, even if not by birth.
DeleteIts Sad, they would have been good tax paying Americans. Good neighbors. Not a leech on society
ReplyDeleteYou know the same way people like Live free feels about the Hispanics is the same way the that another group of people who came to this country were treated; the Germans who by the way eventually became a powerful ally of the republican party. I don't come on line to debate you guys oh no it is a diversion from my real work genealogy. A branch of my family (actually two of them) are from Germany. the branch of germans on my mom's side came later 1850's. But my fathers side Germans came in the mid 1700's. Here is an excerpt from a book on german immigration:
ReplyDelete"Some contend that the German element was not good for this country generally because it constituted 70% of the entire population and living isolated upon their own farms marrying and intermarrying as they did adhering to their own language publishing their own books writing their songs and conducting their religious services in German, they remained a separate and distinct people. Others however maintain that German thrift and religious zeal set a good example in every section where they located and that they gradually became so noted for their fine farming and staunch morality, that they commanded the respect of all. This was as true of the Holland Dutch who settled New York as of the German element in Pennsylvania Virginia and Kentucky."
DeleteWe now know that Germans became patriotic, useful, successful citizens of America but they were not initially welcome anymore then the Hispanic of today. It was thought then as now they would be the ruination of America. But it didn't happen as they became an industrious part of our society and many of us here today are of german descent.
What's the difference? The Hispanic doesn't fit your description of an American? The southwest is loaded with Hispanic Americans after all it used to be a part of Mexico. They are and will eventually Americanize and assimilate into our society. And they too are hard working industrious people.
Many here advocate for illegals which is laudable. What about the Americans that are unemployed today? What about our teens who are citizens that cannot find minimum wage jobs. Should we address their needs before the illegals?
ReplyDeleteSo many have stated they are much better workers, maybe it's time for Americans to go back to work again. No work, no food stamps, medicaid, etc. (for those that are able to work)
We need immigrants that are educated so they are not a burden on our schools, healthcare system, an impact to our entry level wage base.
But no, we have the we need to help these poor people ignoring Americans and the we need the low wage crowd. Neither are helping America.
It is a really good thing that the African continent did not border the United States to the north... I would suggest that our already debt inflated standard of living would have become seriously eroded long ago... to the point where we wouldn't even chart in the same neighborhood with Europe who are finding that via Brussels, Universal Human Rights are sucking much of the wealth out of European countries...
DeleteRick... regardless of how hard working they are, you cannot support a minimum wage being taken from taxpayers and turn around and invite people to America who only qualify for minimum wage... You want to compare the German immigration of the 1600 thru the mid 1700's... 1) 90% were farmers and their fore self sustaining 2) I would be willing to bet that the ones who assimilated first were the ones who could speak English well enough to transact business with others. I have felt like a foreigner in my own country trying to order a damned hamburger.
My wife does a lot of genealogy work for my family where my branches run to 13th century Germany 15th Century England and 15th Century Scotland.... I don't recall once in my life ever calling myself a German, English or Scottish American... When people start calling themselves Americans and proudly waving American flags at immigration rallies instead of Mexican flags.. maybe I will think that they are 'trying' to assimilate.
No one is ignoring Americans Lou. I know you will never believe it but most of the jobs illegals do, landscaping, painting, restaurant work, yes your fellow Americans are loathe to do whether there are illegals or not. The illegals have these jobs because no one wanted them.
Delete"Illegals have the jobs because no one wants them" This statement is a well planted myth Rick. Its like saying no Americans wanted manufacturing jobs so the Chinese are doing them. When Cesar Chavez organized the American Farm Workers Union, he implored Americans, at the time, to boycott grapes because it was the only way farmers would be forced to pay a decent wage and prevent cheap labor from Mexico displacing American migrant farm workers. He was, however, undermined by both the American consumer and the US government.
Delete"For so many years we have been involved in agricultural strikes; organizing almost 30 years as a worker, as an organizer, and as president of the union--and for all these almost 30 years it is apparent that when the farm workers strike and their strike is successful, the employers go to Mexico and have unlimited, unrestricted use of illegal alien strikebreakers to break the strike. And, for over 30 years, the Immigration and Naturalization Service has looked the other way and assisted in the strikebreaking." Cesar Chavez
The true statement here is that Americans won't do the work for the price that illegals are willing to do it for... and once again it is the US federal government at the center of the problem. What good are immigration laws if they are not enforced... either at the border or by enforcing established hiring laws by forcing employers to hire US workers. Of course the underlying problem here has two other elements 1) we want cheap stuff 2)because of that we refuse to hold employers and our own government responsible for this glut of cheap labor.
Of course their is another element to this... a political aspiration that the world become borderless. I don't necessarily disagree with such an aspiration but unless you 1) have economies of equal stature(and law) and 2) people are freely allowed to pursue life, liberty and happiness, this will benefit only those who aspire to run a one world government.
You like your standard of living but fail to see exactly how the standard of the poor and middle class are being eroded deliberately.. and I can guarantee that the majority of elites (which include the last two presidents) do not hold to the principles of individual liberty.
wrong Scott. Americans don't apply. No one illegal or otherwise can legally be paid less then minimum wage and that's generally not enough for illegals. I get plenty of applications from illegals and Americans alike. On the line expected pay (or some variation) the illegal will almost always ask for more money then the American. We comply with the E verify rules of our state so I cannot hire illegals. But I probably get 4 or 5 apps from illegals to every one from an American. Believe me my friend they (Americans) are not beating the doors down to obtain service work, even in the lean years of the recession. You call it myth because you really don't know, myth that is based in your uninformed opinion. I say this because both your turnarounds of my words are false in the real world. Americans won't do the work (let's say most) and illegals do not work all that cheap.
DeleteDid you also know that E verify rules only apply to larger companies? Those under I believe it is 25 employees don't have to e-verify. Another win for the small businessman isn't it? The guy who is undercutting the Americans by hiring cheap foreign labor. Come on up outta the bubble.
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DeleteThis is yet another problem viewed from the perspective of effect rather than cause. There is no denying that the US needs immigration, if for no other reason than to offset the swell in population of the baby boomers. The problem is that immigration is viewed not for its long term effects but how it can fix short term problems. This seems to be the way of most discussion whether it be healthcare or energy policy or foreign policy. We fail to look at the roots of the problem, repeat them and often make them worse.
DeleteImmigrants often get the blame for many other problems that permeate our society but make no mistake, our immigration policies of the 20th century have cause an abundance of problems. Our first guest worker program in 1917 started a long line of repeated mistakes and consequences. We have repeated this problem so many times that we have lost control of our own borders.
“Americans don't apply.”
You are partially correct in this statement. The creation of this problem goes all the way back to the first guest worker program called ‘Bracero program’ in 1917. It was pointed out then that if you dominated certain professions with migrant workers that those jobs would soon start to carry a stigma that would cause others to shy away from that type of work. During the life span of that program, 76,862 Mexican workers were admitted to the United States. Of this number only 34,922 returned to Mexico, Thus, the program spawned illegal immigration. This of course was caused by the federal government creating a program and not enforcing its provisions and as predicted, the more work areas dominated by migrant labor, particularly illegal migrant labor, the more stigma attached to those jobs. That however does not mean that Americans will not work in these jobs. Of all the jobs that illegal’s specifically and immigrants in general do, only 6 are ‘majority’ immigrant and of those six the lowest American participation rate is 42%. So while there is a stigma attached to some of this work (which should be the job of the US Federal Government to dispel), Americans can and do seek work in all of these jobs.
“No one illegal or otherwise can legally be paid less then minimum wage and that's generally not enough for illegals.”
Estimates are that 45% of the illegal’s participating in the US workforce work in the shadow or cash economy… no SSN, No E-Verify checks. Larger companies, particularly in agriculture and construction use this labor on a day basis. It is true that in some fields immigrants command the ability to upward mobility but they are still a net savings to employers who do not pay SSI, worker compensation, various benefits etc… While no accurate numbers are available, it is estimated that this shadow workforce costs some 500 – 600 billion in lost tax revenue to the federal and state governments. While it is true that these people pay sales taxes on the things they by, they send, in the case of Mexico enough of what they earn to raise the GDP some 3%.
We don’t need just any immigrant… we need specific types and they are definitely not unskilled labor. We already know that if America is to succeed as a service economy our labor force must become highly trained and skilled. By not focusing our efforts on getting our own low skilled people to do this work, by bringing in yet more unskilled and uneducated labor, we exacerbate our retraining problem. That is not to say that poor parents don’t sometimes push their children to higher education but the fact is children with great frequency, repeat the patterns of their parents economically which does not help our economy.
As I have said before, it would be wonderful if the entire world were open and free where people could take their talents where they are needed and compete for a fair wage but the fact is, the world’s economy is far from balanced and just because people are very poor in one country does not mean that Americans should destroy their economy and lower their living standards just to make everyone else fell good about themselves.
Again any large legal company does in fact collect SS taxes, payroll taxes federal taxes etc. And Scott how much money have illegals who are properly paid left in the SS system that they can never get back. To not pay these people in the proper manner is an admittance by the employer that they are in fact illegal. Cash work? Much of that goes on between illegally owned businesses and their employees. Of course if you are an illegal company you cannot do the set up necessary to collect proper taxes because well you as the business owner are also illegal. Day labor again I draw your attention to the small businessman who will hire these guys off the lot of home depot for an extra hand for the day, pay him $50 dollars lunch and a 12 pack and send the guy on his way. Scott hardly a day goes by that I don't see this situation unfold before my very eyes around lunchtime. A group of roofers or demolition guys, 1 American the rest Hispanic come for lunch and the American pays the tab. Yes I know it goes on and it is very prevalent in small business, the very people you defend here almost daily. Remember 25 employees or less you don't have to E Verify. Believe me Scott it burns me up that I cannot hire some of these guys in a 160 restaurant chain who will treat them fairly, pay them well and tax them legally, as I don't get enough American apps to fill the ranks sometimes. But they can go to a mom and pop restaurant get hired at minimum wage and you know that the proper taxation probably isn't happening. So Scott there is two sides to the story. And those undercutting American laborers are not who you think they are.
DeleteRick, I have numerous friends in the trades. They no longer bid on certain types of work as they are not profitable. They cannot compete in roofing where a general bids the job. Takes a cut off the top provides the material hires a subcontractor. The subcontractor hires illegals to work the job. The work on a per job basis. The standard here id 5K for labor. The sub contractor lead makes 1K, the people get 500 each. The job last 4-5 days. Know anyone in America that wants to work 12 hours a day 4-5 days for 500 bucks, under the table, tax free.
DeleteIt is a myth Rick, people will do what it takes to survive. Make work a requirement for stamps, medicaid and watch the attitude change.
Interesting thing is I watch illegals working here everyday. Few Americans work on commercial construction sites, there is an overabundance of Hispanics willing to provide day labor.
Business is as guilty as they people who have broken our laws to work here.
I don't disagree with you Lou but it is the small businessman committing this crime but everyone wants to point the finger at companies like mine. We E verify, and have now for probably 4 years. These small guys they don't have to. There is also a little loophole in the law 'seasonal worker". Purely meant for agriculture it is being abused also. It allows you to hire an illegal for up to 9 months.
DeleteI have posted this numerous times before - we don't have an illegal labor problem, we have an illegal employer problem.
ReplyDeleteRather than invest billions in ridiculous border walls that won't work and militarized border patrols, take a fraction of that cash and go after - I mean REALLY go after - those who would exploit illegal labor. Exorbitant fines - say $100k per illegal employed, jail time for the business owners/operators - say 12 months per illegal employed, shut businesses down - one year per illegal employed, etc.
If we did this - really did this - I guarantee that 90% of the illegals in the U.S. would be gone inside of 18 months. Guarantee it. We wouldn't even have to deport them. They'd go on their own. No work for illegals, no illegals. The leftover 10% would mostly be folks here on expired work/student visas and maybe a few international fugitives.
The illegal workers are just poor folks trying to make a better life for themselves and their families. I imagine that most, if not all, on this site would do the same in similar circumstances.
The exploiters of illegal labor are the true criminals and the drag on the labor market. Again, who would you rather bust - the heroin user nodding off on his couch in his apartment or the trafficker that brought the 100 kilos of heroin into the country that ended up in that user's veins? It's the same principle here.
If we get the exploiters of illegal labor, the illegal immigrant "problem" will solve itself.
Right again Pfunky.
DeleteSimple pfunky just phase in SS ID cards with an embedded strip. No card, no employment, no welfare, no food stamps, no disability, no public schooling, no voting.
DeleteViolation for fraud, jail time for the employer, deportation for the illegal.
It's really very easy. Hire 10K unemployed Americans and have them visit places of employment and verify eligibility. Every violation, 5K fine and you can keep the person as long as you can afford it. Return a week later, repeat the process. Fines require a check made out immediately. Travel the country, farms, small business, construction sites. The attitude of business would change over night.
DeleteIt really isn't. Here is the wording from an e verify poster on the US immigration site:
DeleteYou should know that –
In most cases, employers cannot deny you a job or fire you because of your national origin or citizenship status or refuse to accept your legally acceptable documents.
Employers cannot terminate you because of e verify without giving you an opportunity to resolve the problem
Employers may not use E-Verify to pre-screen job applicants
and may not limit or influence the choice of documents you
present for use on the Form I-9.
For non e verify states it is this:
I attest, under penalty of perjury, that (1) I have examined the document (s) presented by the above named employee, (2) the above listed document(s) appear to be genuine and related to the employee named and (3) to the best of my knowledge the employee is authorized to work in the United States.
Now your investigators lou can come in and check through a file of I-9s. Louman what they are going to find is a drawer full of legal and completed I-9's that state this statement above. It is not the responsibility of the employer to know beyond a reasonable doubt whether a document is real (genuine) or not. I can lay a fake down on the table next to the real McCoy and you will not be able to tell them apart. Even these new plastic hologram permanent resident cards have been cleverly duplicated so that unless you do the work of discovery everyday you won't know the real from the fake. The employer only attests the documents appear genuine and related to the person (Picture). He doesn't attest to the actual validity of the document nor is he asked to.
As for the right to work section of the e verify, It clearly states that you cannot be refused work based on nationality or citizenship, you cannot be pre screened, and you must be given the opportunity to right any problems. No Louman it isn't just that easy.
So if everything is legally verified what are you going to arrest the employer for? You won't see the employees. They will be long gone the minute you hit the door. The law is presented very ambiguously louman, no it is not that easy.
DeleteAs I have said numerous times... This is a problem created and perpetuated by the federal government through ill conceived immigration policy and selective and ineffective (intentional) application of the law.
DeleteBusiness of course convinces us that we NEED unskilled labor even though we have a particularly good supply at hand and as Lou says... Hunger is a great motivator.
Consumers grumble over high food prices and affordable housing even though most of the cost of these things is created by middlemen... many times working in the world of financial skimming.
And their are a groups, benevolent in their intent, who want to open our borders to anyone willing to do a job for a nickel and then complain that wages are to low. They then push the government to stick a gun up the nose of every productive taxpayer to force a minimum wage. They do this while complaining that 'big business' is shipping all of our jobs overseas... Jobs that have no other place to go because of ill conceived trade policy and selective and ineffective (intentional) application of the law.
PS. Big government is not synonymous with strong government just as small government is not necessarily weak.
Scott in the above scenario what do you enforce. The employer did his legally binding duty with due diligence. His paperwork is correct. He has met the provisions of the law as written especially in the case of the hand written non e verify I9 form. "The documents appear genuine and related to the person". Where is the enforceable crime? There isn't one.
DeleteAs I repeatedly say.... the problem is not with companies at all... They do what they do in reaction to the environment that they are in. They are not a benevolent organization. Their entire purpose is to be profitable. The problem is and always has been a government that creates ill conceived laws; Laws that are created because of pandering and collusion between government and industry or with little consideration of long term consequences. This problem, because of our walk away from individual responsibility and distributed government, is becoming more and more concentrated in Washington. If the people in Washington spent its time actually considering legislation that it should rather than meddling every aspect of a citizens life, perhaps they would have time to read the laws that are passed to them by their industry friends and subsequently rubber stamped. The true essence of Pelosi’s ‘We have to pass it to find out what is in it’ comment.
DeleteOn the other hand, while you may console yourself into believing that all of these companies are blind to the fact that some of the people they hire are illegals, there are plenty of companies that help these people establish identity so that they can have an I9 on file and 'say' that they did not know. Big company, small company or corrupt, ineffectual government, our road is being paved with dishonesty and more importantly... apathy... apathy to the rule of law in general and by extension to our constitution.. our basic law.
Government created the immigration problem first by not listening to reasoned argument for how it should be implemented and then by not enforcing the laws that it created. The government requires me to carry a biometric passport to move in and out of the country. I assume that they have a complete record of every country I have been to and a complete history of every time I enter and leave the US…My wife, a British citizen must present the same... shouldn’t I expect the same for people ‘they’ allow as guests into our country? I know intellectually that ‘They’ are in fact ‘Us’… but I feel more and more detached from those things that occur in the name of ‘We The People’.... except for the bill.