Anti-Immigrant Hardliners Declare War on the Clergy

[one...two...tree 2,762]

By Wendy Feliz Sefsaf, Immigration Impact

Nativist groups are pulling an old strategy out of their play book as they attack members of the clergy. This tired exercise includes identifying a constituency that is in support of solving our nation's immigration problems (currently the religious community), coordinating with other like-minded groups to disseminate faulty arguments (this time using the bible to condemn immigrants), claiming to be acting in the name of someone other than your self (in this case the American worker), and finally going after them with all the fervor you can muster to convince them that the bible preaches against helping strangers, that leaving the status quo in place is good for American workers and see how many spiritual leaders you can peel off.

The fact of the matter is, these restrictionist groups will do and say just about anything to stop progress towards immigration reform—but their latest attempts to divide people do not stop at the parish door. Attempting to turn the religious community against immigrants is ironic given that communities of faith have been at the forefront of fighting for immigrants rights for many years. At a time when xenophobia and angry rhetoric aimed at immigrants has become rampant, Catholics, Lutherans, Evangelicals, Jews, and Muslims have and continue to stand up for immigrants—even when many other groups do not.

Another shortcoming with restrictionist strategy is the claim that they are standing up for the American worker. Number one, they have no track record of ever doing so. Number two, the commitment by labor unions like SEIU and AFL-CIO to work towards immigration reform shows that the real defenders of the American worker are already on board for change.

Despite their claims, the difficult economic and employment issues we face are not helped by mass deportation. We know that immigrants stimulate our economy and studies have shown that immigrants don't actually compete with U.S. workers in the workforce. Immigrants have different skill sets and are a highly mobile part of the workforce. Researchers have found that where there are high levels of native unemployment there are low levels of immigration and vice versa.

A recent Immigration Policy Center report Untying the Knot: The Disparity Between Immigrant Workers and Unemployed Natives finds:

Even during a time of economic recession and high unemployment, most native-born workers do not compete with most immigrants for the same jobs. This is apparent even when we compare unemployed natives with employed "recent" immigrants who came to the United States within the past decade. Unemployed natives and employed recent immigrants tend to have different levels of education, to live in different parts of the country, to have experience in different occupations, and to have different amounts of work experience. As a result, they could not simply be "swapped" for one another.

Additionally, these restrictionist groups have long claimed that U.S. is importing more than a million workers a year, yet another dubious scare tactic that has no basis in reality.

There is no limit to where anti-immigrant groups will go to stop progress on reforming our broken immigration system. Rather the responsibility lies with us, to stand up and preach the truth about how the status quo is no longer acceptable.

http://www.alternet.org/module/printversion/143303

Edited October 17, 2009 by Col. 'Bat' Guano

[Nagishkaw 510]

*yawn*

[justashooter 430]

xenophobia is an unreasonable fear of foreigners.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

[peejay 327]

Despite their claims, the difficult economic and employment issues we face are not helped by mass deportation. We know that immigrants stimulate our economy and studies have shown that immigrants don't actually compete with U.S. workers in the workforce. Immigrants have different skill sets and are a highly mobile part of the workforce.

The dead giveaway that this paragraph refers to illegal aliens rather than real immigrants is the backhanded reference to deportation. Legal immigrants have no reason to fear summary deportation. Illegal aliens are deportable and have no legitimate right to live and/or work illegally in the USA.

This article is nothing more than illegal alien cheerleader propaganda that uses deception to assert that illegal aliens are legitimate immigrants entitled to live/work in the USA. They are not entitled nor are they "immigrants". They are illegal aliens in violation of long standing immigration laws.

No...jumping over a fence, swimming across the river, or overstaying a visa while using stolen/fraudulent ID to illegally work in the USA is not an immigrant. It is an illegal alien.

Nor does the clergy have any legitimate authority to harbor, aid, and abet criminal activity.

[Danno 1,228]

This whole story is a joke for the simple reason of:

How can there be a "war" on Clergy when most Clergy would say "open boarders" are a bad thing.

Steve are you suggesting the "Clergy" are in agreement that with unemployment rates well over double-digits in many areas... we need import more people (legal or not) to come here looking for jobs that don't exist?

War? ...doesn't even sound like a disagreement.

[alienlovechild 75]

Despite their claims, the difficult economic and employment issues we face are not helped by mass deportation. We know that immigrants stimulate our economy.

Additionally, these restrictionist groups have long claimed that U.S. is importing more than a million workers a year, yet another dubious scare tactic that has no basis in reality.

If more illegal immigration stimulates the economy, why don't just invite everyone in? Only nuts want completely open borders.

A million a year isn't that far off but not all legal immigrants are workers. They don't recognize illegal immigration at all in the article. It's pure ####### as there was no major push against legal immigration in the last general election.

"A record 1,046,539 persons were naturalized as U.S. citizens in 2008."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_t...e_United_States

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

*yawn*

ditto

[Danno 1,228]

Despite their claims, the difficult economic and employment issues we face are not helped by mass deportation. We know that immigrants stimulate our economy.

Additionally, these restrictionist groups have long claimed that U.S. is importing more than a million workers a year, yet another dubious scare tactic that has no basis in reality.

If more illegal immigration stimulates the economy, why don't just invite everyone in? Only nuts want completely open borders.

A million a year isn't that far off but not all legal immigrants are workers. They don't recognize illegal immigration at all in the article. It's pure ####### as there was no major push against legal immigration in the last general election.

"A record 1,046,539 persons were naturalized as U.S. citizens in 2008."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_t...e_United_States

Anytime the "open borders" crowd speaks on this issue: their M.O. is to lump the two groups.. and the opposition to Illegals in the same groups (which I think is rather insulting).

Thats like lumping tax payers and non-tax payers in the same pot.

Hey I'm all for reforming how we immigrate people here legally but I don't begrudge anyone who is going by the rules to bring whoever they can. In the same way I don't blame anyone for using any legal "loophole" to avoid paying taxes.

[Darnell 8,480]

'Nice' spin, but I always have to question articles from alternet.org

That entity has it's own agenda, and IMO, will find writers to match their agenda, and then have them write something, to match it's spin.

Sure - the article raises some issues, I think the posters above me (here ) covered it all.

Illegal Aliens - start there, map it out..

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

'Nice' spin, but I always have to question articles from alternet.org

That entity has it's own agenda, and IMO, will find writers to match their agenda, and then have them write something, to match it's spin.

Sure - the article raises some issues, I think the posters above me (here ) covered it all.

Illegal Aliens - start there, map it out..

Steve does pull from sources that make World Nuts look mainstream, like Muckraker Talking Points, and Think Progress.

[Heracles 417]

Despite their claims, the difficult economic and employment issues we face are not helped by mass deportation. We know that immigrants stimulate our economy and studies have shown that immigrants don't actually compete with U.S. workers in the workforce. Immigrants have different skill sets and are a highly mobile part of the workforce.

That is absolute rubbish that illegal aliens do not compete with American workers and that they do not suppress wages.

Basically they just illustrated a point I made yesterday up. What right do Mexicans have to get ahead of everyone else trying to migrate to America? To take it on themselves to jump the line. The numbers clearly indicate this.

Nearly one-third (30.9%) of the foreign-born population came from Mexico as of 2007, while nearly one-quarter (23.6%) came from the countries of South and East Asia (not a country but an entire region)—followed by nations of the Caribbean (8.9%), Central America (7.1%), South America (6.8%), and the Middle East (3.5%).2

Point further illustrated here: Approaching double. Once again, what VISA did they use to enter the United States since it has no unskilled visa class?

The Latino share of the U.S. population grew from 9% in 1990, to 12.5% in 2000, to 15.1% in 2007. The Asian share of the population grew from 2.8% in 1990, to 3.6% in 2000, to 4.4% in 2007, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.5

Best of all is their opinion regarding why they don't compete with American workers. That statement is grossly flawed and can be discredited using countries like Australia, where illegal immigration is almost non existent. When comparing the two, it's easy to see who is doing better and which approach works out better for the average Joe. Medicna houshold income in the US is $44.4K. Median salary per person in Australia, now $53.1K.

Immigrants do not compete with the majority of natives for the same jobs because they tend to have different levels of education and to work in different occupations. As a result, immigrants usually “complement” the native-born workforce—which increases the productivity, and therefore the wages, of natives.13

Edited October 21, 2009 by Booyah!

[HAL 9000 96]

But if latinos are so uneducated... and since most illegals are latino... then that means the competition for employment is on par with the level of education and socioeconomic standing... that doesn't say much for the level where those REAL Americans and the level of employment they seek to preserve.

[zqt3344 21]

GOOD, it is about time and the IRS needs to revoke the clergy's tax exempt status and start letting them pay taxes since they want to break the law and encourage and abet illegal immigration. I guarantee you those fearless compassionate clergy will stop aiding and abetting the illegals!

By Wendy Feliz Sefsaf, Immigration Impact

Nativist groups are pulling an old strategy out of their play book as they attack members of the clergy. This tired exercise includes identifying a constituency that is in support of solving our nation's immigration problems (currently the religious community), coordinating with other like-minded groups to disseminate faulty arguments (this time using the bible to condemn immigrants), claiming to be acting in the name of someone other than your self (in this case the American worker), and finally going after them with all the fervor you can muster to convince them that the bible preaches against helping strangers, that leaving the status quo in place is good for American workers and see how many spiritual leaders you can peel off.

The fact of the matter is, these restrictionist groups will do and say just about anything to stop progress towards immigration reform—but their latest attempts to divide people do not stop at the parish door. Attempting to turn the religious community against immigrants is ironic given that communities of faith have been at the forefront of fighting for immigrants rights for many years. At a time when xenophobia and angry rhetoric aimed at immigrants has become rampant, Catholics, Lutherans, Evangelicals, Jews, and Muslims have and continue to stand up for immigrants—even when many other groups do not.

Another shortcoming with restrictionist strategy is the claim that they are standing up for the American worker. Number one, they have no track record of ever doing so. Number two, the commitment by labor unions like SEIU and AFL-CIO to work towards immigration reform shows that the real defenders of the American worker are already on board for change.

Despite their claims, the difficult economic and employment issues we face are not helped by mass deportation. We know that immigrants stimulate our economy and studies have shown that immigrants don't actually compete with U.S. workers in the workforce. Immigrants have different skill sets and are a highly mobile part of the workforce. Researchers have found that where there are high levels of native unemployment there are low levels of immigration and vice versa.

A recent Immigration Policy Center report Untying the Knot: The Disparity Between Immigrant Workers and Unemployed Natives finds:

Even during a time of economic recession and high unemployment, most native-born workers do not compete with most immigrants for the same jobs. This is apparent even when we compare unemployed natives with employed "recent" immigrants who came to the United States within the past decade. Unemployed natives and employed recent immigrants tend to have different levels of education, to live in different parts of the country, to have experience in different occupations, and to have different amounts of work experience. As a result, they could not simply be "swapped" for one another.

Additionally, these restrictionist groups have long claimed that U.S. is importing more than a million workers a year, yet another dubious scare tactic that has no basis in reality.

There is no limit to where anti-immigrant groups will go to stop progress on reforming our broken immigration system. Rather the responsibility lies with us, to stand up and preach the truth about how the status quo is no longer acceptable.

http://www.alternet.org/module/printversion/143303

[Danno 1,228]

Despite their claims, the difficult economic and employment issues we face are not helped by mass deportation. We know that immigrants stimulate our economy and studies have shown that immigrants don't actually compete with U.S. workers in the workforce. Immigrants have different skill sets and are a highly mobile part of the workforce.

That is absolute rubbish that illegal aliens do not compete with American workers and that they do not suppress wages.

Basically they just illustrated a point I made yesterday up. What right do Mexicans have to get ahead of everyone else trying to migrate to America? To take it on themselves to jump the line. The numbers clearly indicate this.

Nearly one-third (30.9%) of the foreign-born population came from Mexico as of 2007, while nearly one-quarter (23.6%) came from the countries of South and East Asia (not a country but an entire region)—followed by nations of the Caribbean (8.9%), Central America (7.1%), South America (6.8%), and the Middle East (3.5%).2

Point further illustrated here: Approaching double. Once again, what VISA did they use to enter the United States since it has no unskilled visa class?

The Latino share of the U.S. population grew from 9% in 1990, to 12.5% in 2000, to 15.1% in 2007. The Asian share of the population grew from 2.8% in 1990, to 3.6% in 2000, to 4.4% in 2007, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.5

Best of all is their opinion regarding why they don't compete with American workers. That statement is grossly flawed and can be discredited using countries like Australia, where illegal immigration is almost non existent. When comparing the two, it's easy to see who is doing better and which approach works out better for the average Joe. Medicna houshold income in the US is $44.4K. Median salary per person in Australia, now $53.1K.

Immigrants do not compete with the majority of natives for the same jobs because they tend to have different levels of education and to work in different occupations. As a result, immigrants usually “complement” the native-born workforce—which increases the productivity, and therefore the wages, of natives.13