DEAR SUPPORTERS OF LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGAINST ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION,

The House Appropriations Committee today (Tues) will be deciding how the federal government enforces immigration laws.

See the story below on how Chairman Price hopes to largely stop ICE and local governments from bothering illegal aliens who haven't committed felonies.

PLEASE PHONE THE MEMBERS OF THE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE LISTED BELOW.

Please phone them at:

202-224-3121

We don't have a minute to spare. Start calling them now and leaving messages on their machines. Keep calling until staffers arrive and start answering phones. Continue to call all day. A firestorm of calls is apparently necessary to shake them from Rep. Price's insistence that illegal aliens who don't commit felonies should be allowed to keep their U.S. jobs in peace.

We believe we have both Democratic and Republican allies who will offer amendments to protect the 287(g) program for local enforcement. It is still possible to protect local enforcement and to continue workplace raids. As you can see in the story below, Chairman Price does not believe there is any harm in foreign workers illegally taking jobs.

Please read my blog that is on the NumbersUSA home page. It contains my comments from here on the Mexico/Arizona border and how Chairman Price and his kind are responsible for some pretty awful things happening down here.

Please phone at least one committee Member on the list below. Call at:

202-224-3121

Tell the person who answers some or all of the following:

You are calling about the DHS Appropriations bill (Department of Homeland Security.

You know the Congressman/woman is on the committee that will be marking up the bill ("marking up" means amending and putting into final form to send to the full House of Representatives).

It is most important the he/she expand funding for the 287(g) program that trains local agencies to enforce immigration law.

You want ICE to continue to conduct workplace raids on companies with huge illegal workforces.

You might want to pick up some of the themes from my border blog. www.NumbersUSA.com

Slam everything from Chairman Price's comments below to which you object.

Minneapolis/Saint Paul – Yesterday, in a voice vote, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to authorize the creation of a national DNA warehouse and broad-scale genetic research on the American public. S.1858, passed by the U.S. Senate last December, has been sent to the President for signing.

Twila Brase, president of CCHC, makes the following statement

HAPPY THANKSGIVING,

I'm taking a break from parades, football games and dinner prep with my wife, my sons and their wives (and assorted grandpets) in a Queens co-op. I hope each of you can similarly find yourself in the midst of warm community this holiday weekend. With Congress away from the Capitol, I finally feel a relative sense of security that allows me to turn my full attention to the fast-approaching presidential primaries.

I've been watching some political ads on the internet and reading through the official websites.

I find myself overwhelmed with a sense of thanksgiving that -- after three decades as a journalist observing reckless, thoughtless federal immigration policies attack the lives of the American people -- I can clearly see that the broad field of presidential candidates is under enormous pressure to move in our direction on immigration.

Candidates that have always been good on immigration have gotten better. Those who were mediocre or incomplete in the past have become good or excellent. And of those who have been terrible on protecting Americans from promiscuous, uncontrolled immigration, many are starting to show signs of doubt (witness the consternation some have been showing over driver's licenses for illegal aliens).

People like you are making that happen. Thanks to all who have been sending faxes and emails, and who have been making phone calls, to presidential campaigns over the last year.

Of course, we aren't even close to where we need to be with these candidates. It is still frighteningly possible that the two nominees will provide barely better than George Bush's disastrous immigration leadership!

There is still so much you can do to help shape the candidates' immigration stances. They are still in flux. Let's continue to "flux" them in the right direction!

A SERIES OF ANALYSIS & SUGGESTED ACTIONS ON PRESIDENTIAL RACES COMING YOUR WAY

Nothing is likely to have more effect on our lives in terms of immigration 2009-2012 (maybe through 2016) than how the primaries & caucuses in January and February narrow presidential choices down to two people.

We will continue through December to rally you to push Congress to:

put back $3 billion into border security initiatives

mandate that all businesses use E-Verify to take the jobs magnet away from illegal immigration

But throughout December we will also be giving you a lot of special analysis of each Presidential candidate and each shift of their immigration positions -- as well as things you can do to nudge those shifts.

As with all of our immigration grading the last 10+ years, we will not be endorsing candidates or favoring Parties or political ideologies. But we will pull no punches in candidly assessing the immigration positions of all. If you want your favorite candidates to get a better write-up from us, you'll need to persuade them to strengthen their immigration positions.

And as always, please contact us if you see anything on our website or in our emails that appears to be in error or incomplete.

IN A TREND OF INCREASINGLY DETAILED EXCELLENT POLICY PROMISES BY PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES -- THOMPSON HAS SET A NEW HIGH STANDARD

When Fred Thompson came out with a detailed immigration policy this fall, I knew it was very good but was too busy leading the fight against amnesties in the Senate to give thorough attention.

"Speech and Thought Crimes" Plan
 
        There seems to be no limit to the arrogant abuse of power among some members of Congress. Using the terms “sexual orientation” and “gender identity,” a whole range of sexual activities will being given special federal civil rights “protected” status just as race and gender are today. And they're tacking it onto a defense bill. What are they thinking?

        Efforts to criminalize any condemnation of homosexual activity passed the U.S. House last May, in spite of an outpouring of opposition (see "Congress denying equal protection"). The House roll call vote can be seen here. The legislation would undermine the equal protection of heterosexual and traditional marriage advocates, whether students, teachers, or administrators by creating federally-protected minority group status for practitioners of all forms of sexual behavior. President Bush has warned the Senate that he will veto the bill if they send it to him.

  S.761 has not been referred to the House Committee on Education & Labor yet, but that is the likely place the bill will be sent. When you speak to the Committee leadership, refer to S761, the bill that will soon be coming to their committee.

        In response to requests for a summary of talking points, we've included them in this update. (See below.)