Critics: Iowa terror drill portrays immigration foes as killers

William Petroski
Des Moines Register
Thursday, March 24, 2011

Foes of illegal immigration are up in arms over plans for a weekend disaster exercise in western Iowa with a fictitious scenario in which white supremacists shoot dozens of people amid rising tensions involving racial minorities and illegal immigrants.

The exercise is planned for Saturday at Treynor High School in Pottawattamie County and will involve more than 300 people, confirmed Doug Reed, the lead exercise planner for the county’s emergency management agency. Some 30 to 40 “victims” will be transported to area hospitals. He said a terrorism scenario is required by federal officials for the exercise to be eligible for funding.

The exercise scenario describes shootings occurring after rising tensions in the community because of an influx of minorities, Reed said. The newcomers, some who are American citizens and some who are illegal immigrants, were to have moved into a rural area from urban areas in search of more-affordable living. The newcomers are not welcomed by racial extremists, and controversy sweeps the community, he said.

One of the fictional suspects involved in the shootings is described an 18-year-old white male with a quick-tempered father who is a firearms enthusiast with ties to an underground white supremacy group. A second fictional suspect is described as an isolated 17-year-old white male student who was befriended by the older student and who mimics his new friend.

Full story here.

Critics: Iowa terror drill portrays immigration foes as killers

William Petroski
Des Moines Register
Thursday, March 24, 2011


Foes of illegal immigration are up in arms over plans for a weekend disaster exercise in western Iowa with a fictitious scenario in which white supremacists shoot dozens of people amid rising tensions involving racial minorities and illegal immigrants.

The exercise is planned for Saturday at Treynor High School in Pottawattamie County and will involve more than 300 people, confirmed Doug Reed, the lead exercise planner for the county’s emergency management agency. Some 30 to 40 “victims” will be transported to area hospitals. He said a terrorism scenario is required by federal officials for the exercise to be eligible for funding.

The exercise scenario describes shootings occurring after rising tensions in the community because of an influx of minorities, Reed said. The newcomers, some who are American citizens and some who are illegal immigrants, were to have moved into a rural area from urban areas in search of more-affordable living. The newcomers are not welcomed by racial extremists, and controversy sweeps the community, he said.

One of the fictional suspects involved in the shootings is described an 18-year-old white male with a quick-tempered father who is a firearms enthusiast with ties to an underground white supremacy group. A second fictional suspect is described as an isolated 17-year-old white male student who was befriended by the older student and who mimics his new friend.

Full story here.

Immigration Wars: More States Looking at Arizona-Style Laws

HUMA KHAN
ABC News
Friday, March 4, 2011



Undocumented nannies, housekeepers or lawn caretakers in the state of Texas can perhaps breathe easier about deportation. While new legislation in the Texas House of Representatives would make it a state crime to hire undocumented workers, it excludes those employed in single-family households — in other words, them.

The bill, introduced by state GOP Rep. Debbie Riddle, is the first of its kind in the country. It’s unique in that while it appeases those who want more stringent immigration laws, it doesn’t subject Texas households to the rule that would mainly apply to businesses and large employers.

Critics of the bill say it’s hypocritical. Supporters charge it’s needed in a state where the Hispanic population continues to climb swiftly.

Though it remains stuck in political limbo, the bill reflects a wider push toward implementing tougher anti-immigration laws at the state level. More than 100 immigration-related bills are pending in the Texas legislature alone, including those that would give state and local police officers the authority to enforce federal immigration laws, make English the official language and prevent undocumented students from getting in-state tuition and scholarships.

Full story here.

Texas Considering Arizona-Style Immigration Law

Jon E. Dougherty
Newsroom America
Thursday, March 3, 2011

(Newsroom America) — Lawmakers in Texas are eyeing the adoption of an immigration reform law similar to one in Arizona, making the Lone Star state the latest to join about a dozen others also considering it.

Local media reported that the plan being considered by state lawmakers would allow, but not require, state and local police to help enforce federal immigration laws.

Officials said the compromise is meant to placate both Democrats and Republicans. Immigration rights advocates are opposed to the measure, saying it would lead to racial discrimination.

The Texas law mirrors parts of the law passed in Arizona that set off a federal lawsuit and was denounced by President Obama.

Full story here.

House passes Arizona-style immigration bill

House passes Arizona-style immigration bill

 

By ksl.com

 

SALT LAKE CITY — A controversial illegal immigration enforcement bill modeled after Arizona legislation passed Friday in the Utah House of Representatives.


HB70, sponsored by Rep. Stephen Sandstrom, R-Orem, was approved 58-15 after nearly two hours of often impassioned debate on the House floor. Two Democrats joined the GOP majority and one Republican crossed party lines in the decidedly partisan vote.


It now moves to the Senate where there's an effort to put together a comprehensive bill that may combine enforcement with a work permit program.


"I think it will probably get held up in the Senate for awhile while we get it all worked out," said Senate Majority Leader Scott Jenkins, R-Plain City.


Of the enforcement-only bill itself, Jenkins said it has been "watered down enough" that it could fare well in the Senate.

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