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National groups

Federation for American Immigration Reform* (FAIR) spokesperson Ira Mehlman听听a blog on April 5 blaming immigrants living in California for supposedly having negative effects on the state鈥檚 traffic congestion and air quality. In late March, California officially issued one million driver鈥檚 licenses to undocumented immigrants in the state. While听听have shown this policy has benefitted the lives of many people, Mehlman was more cynical, saying it 鈥渉as made the state鈥檚 air quality even worse and its roads even more congested (if that was even possible).鈥� He added: 鈥淏ut for California officials, when it comes to accommodating illegal aliens, what鈥檚 a few more global warming-causing pollutants in the air, or a bit more gridlock on the highways?鈥澨�

This is not the first time a FAIR employee has blamed immigrants for traffic congestion. In January, FAIR鈥檚 president Dan Stein听听drastically reducing immigration because of the amount of cars on the road during rush hour. 鈥淚 get up in the morning at four o鈥檆lock to get to work because the highways are choked with traffic,鈥� he complained, 鈥渂ecause immigration levels are not calculated to match the needs, domestic needs of American society.鈥� 听

罢丑别听Immigration Reform Law Institute* (IRLI), FAIR鈥檚 legal arm, has joined the opposition against California鈥檚 pro-immigrant policies. On April 6, IRLI听听two friend-of-the-court briefs opposing California鈥檚 so-called 鈥渟anctuary鈥� state laws. In one amicus curiae, IRLI 鈥� on behalf of the National Sheriffs鈥� Association, Advocates for Victims of Illegal Alien Crime and Fight Sanctuary State 鈥� supported U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions鈥� lawsuit against California for its pro-sanctuary laws. IRLI went as far as to outrageously听听that laws like the California Values Act could potentially lead to 鈥渁rmed confrontation between local and federal officers.鈥�

IRLI filed another brief in support of local municipalities and elected officials in California that are voting to opt out of the state鈥檚 pro-sanctuary status. Escondido, Mission Viejo and Yorba Linda, three of the cities that recently voted to exempt themselves from California鈥檚 sanctuary laws, were part of a larger group of state entities to sign on to IRLI鈥檚 brief. Xenophobic and anti-immigrant听听has been prevalent at the city meetings where the voting has taken place.

On April 12, Andrew Arthur of the听Center for Immigration Studies* (CIS)听听at a congressional hearing about the peaceful Central American migrant 鈥渃aravan鈥� headed for the U.S. border. The hearing, which was sponsored by the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on National Security, was titled 鈥淐aravan of illegal immigrants: a test of U.S. borders.鈥� During his听, Arthur supported President Donald Trump鈥檚 plans to phase out the so-called 鈥渃atch and release鈥� program at the southern border. He also praised Jeff Sessions鈥� 鈥渮ero-tolerance鈥澨�听that claims anyone attempting to or who already has crossed the border unlawfully will be met with "the full prosecutorial powers of the Department of Justice."听

Elsewhere in his remarks, Arthur lamented that Sessions鈥� harsh policies will likely not apply to children in the caravan attempting to cross the border. 鈥淸I]t is doubtful 鈥� the Attorney General鈥檚 鈥榸ero-tolerance鈥� policy will be directed toward these UACs, and therefore will have little or no effect on the illegal entry of such aliens to the United States.鈥� Brandon Judd, a Border Patrol union leader and ally to the organized anti-immigrant movement, also听听and echoed similar talking points as Arthur.听

During an immigration hearing on April 12, FAIR-approved U.S. Rep. John Carter听听that human smugglers who usher unaccompanied migrant kids across the border discriminate based on looks because 鈥渁 lot of the attractive children are not making it to the border.鈥� In 2016, FAIR听听a Carter a 100 percent approval rating. The Texas representative听听a听94 percent rating in 2018 from NumbersUSA, another anti-immigrant group that鈥檚 part of the听John Tanton network.
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State and local activity

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On April 10, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed a bill into law banning so-called sanctuary jurisdictions in the state.听, like other anti-sanctuary policies, designates local law enforcement to act as immigration agents and serve as a de facto arm of ICE. A section of the law also says state funds can be withheld from jurisdictions that do not comply with the new anti-sanctuary policy. Senate File 481鈥檚 passage was lauded by the anti-immigrant hate group CIS, which is听opposed听to sanctuary cities. Only two local groups听听of the bill. One of which being the Iowa chapter of the nativist extremist group the Minutemen.

Of course, designating local law enforcement to serve as immigration agents can often sow distrust between officers and local immigrant communities. Iowa lawmakers recognized this and put in a section that prohibits law enforcement from inquiring about immigration status pertaining to a 鈥渧ictim of or witness to a crime.鈥� Iowa鈥檚 law passed shortly after Virginia Governor Ralph Northam听听a anti-sanctuary measure in his state.听

Efforts by the local anti-immigrant group Floridians for Immigration Enforcement (FLIMEN) to get an E-Verify measure on the ballot in November were recently quashed by Florida鈥檚 Chamber of Commerce. On April 16, the state Constitution Review Commission听rejected听he E-Verify proposal 24 to 12. FLIMEN鈥檚 efforts received听听from FAIR鈥檚 Bob Dane. Passing E-Verify at the state level remains a goal of national anti-immigrant groups despite its听.

In their own words

Mark Krikorian, CIS鈥檚 executive director, responded to reports of there being transgender migrants in the so-called caravan heading from Central America to the U.S. by听: 鈥淗ispanic transgender illegal aliens -- if only they were also Muslim & handicapped, they'd be the Left's ideal immigrants!鈥�

Tennessee State Rep. Jay Reedy, a听听of a bill to ban sanctuary cities in his state,听听the racial slur 鈥渨------鈥� in an anecdote about encountering an undocumented Latino migrant worker when he was a kid. Reedy stated: "And he said, 鈥榃ell, he鈥檚 a w------.鈥� And what they said by a w------, he鈥檚 here illegally.鈥� FAIR鈥檚 State and Local Director Shari Rendall has been听听in Tennessee鈥檚 anti-sanctuary push.听

U.S. Rep. Steve King, an ally of the anti-immigrant movement, celebrated the recent re-election of far-right Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on social media,听, 鈥淥rban & Hungary is the gold standard for Western Christendom.鈥�

Upcoming events

On May 1, the Center for Immigration Studies will kick off its new 鈥淚mmigration Newsmaker鈥� speaker series. The first event of the series, which will take place at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., will be a conversation between and CIS鈥檚 Arnold Arthur and James McHenry, director of the Executive Office for Immigration Review. According to CIS, the series will also feature other government officials from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Department of Justice, and The Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration.

San Diegans for Secure Borders* are still planning to hold a rally to meet the migrant caravan at the southern border. The event is听听for April 26, however, it is unclear when members of the caravan will actually arrive. William Gheen鈥檚听Americans for Legal Immigration PAC* (ALIPAC) was also听听to听hold an event to protest 鈥渃aravans from invading the USA鈥� on May 5. The event has since been cancelled given the nebulous state of the caravan.

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