I like most others hadn't been paying much attention for some years. I had some "catching up" to do, and began reading materials from many sources and viewpoints. (I don't believe everything I read in the papers or on the internet.) That research was an eye-opener as the issue and driving forces are bigger than you might imagine. As time allows, links will be posted here, with comments as to how some of it ties together. Most will be shorter than this one.
White Supremacists March Against Illegal Immigration
This demonstration photo link is included because HATE groups are alive and active in the anti-immigration movement, not only in California but Georgia too. Here is a link to the photos of the March captured by a California photographer and included on a "The Patch" in Glendora, CA news site.
"Skin heads & swastikas" tell a lot about those who support the movement.
Anti-Immigration Movement is BIG Business for Private Prison Systems see the Business Week Article
Taxpayers are paying about $90 per day per prisoner
in ICE contracted
facilities operated by CCA.
Take a look at the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) map of facilities. Then think about where anti-immigration legislation is heavily focused throughout the nation. Yes, Georgia has these facilities and others coming.
It isn't prudent to lock up people who have only committed minor crimes, like "Driving without a License" (they are "unlicense-able" because they are undocumented.)
Many have committed no crime other than "being" here without papers. Remember, those brought here as children, grow up, graduate high school and want to live the American Dream like everyone else. Rather than passing the DREAM Act so they can join the military, college or community service - WE set them up for a free trip to prison.
They don't view their land of birth as "home." Their heart is in the United States. Prisons teach inmates how to be better criminals. There are better ways to handle this and more productive uses for taxpayer money.
Right now the average wait until the first immigration hearing is around 46 days so CCA has a great revenue stream since ICE (federal taxpayer dollars) pays $90 per day - per prisoner. Yes, CCA has INCENTIVE to see that the anti-immigration movement is loud and strong.
CCA already has a strong presence in the State of Georgia, operating a total of five prisons and detention centers, employing approximately 1,500 corrections professionals with about $54 million annual payroll and paying nearly $8 million in property taxes and utilities annually. In addition to owning and operating the Wheeler Correctional Facility in Alamo and the Coffee Correctional Facility in Nicholls for Georgia,
CCA owns and operates the McRae Correctional Facility in McRae on behalf of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
For Immigration and Customs Enforcement, CCA owns and operates the Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin and operates the North Georgia Detention Center in Gainesville. Collectively, CCA is responsible for more than 7,000 inmates and detainees in Georgia.
These are two known to be in the works:
- September 17, 2010 – Nashville, TN - CCA, the nation's leader in partnership corrections, has been awarded a contract by the Georgia Department of Corrections to manage up to 1,150 male inmates in the CCA Jenkins Correctional Center, which will be designed, constructed, owned and operated by CCA on property currently owned by the company in Millen, Ga. in Jenkins County according to this press release.
CCA needs and wants to fill bed vacancies. The following is from CCA's 2010 Third Quarter financial press release
As of October 31, 2010, we had approximately 11,000 unoccupied beds at facilities that had availability of 100 or more beds, and an additional 1,124 beds under development. This inventory of beds available is reduced to approximately 10,000 beds after taking into consideration the beds committed pursuant to management contracts.
Looks like federal and state governments need to step up efforts to fill these vacant CCA prison beds. I say this "tongue in cheek/"
As DeWayne Wickham suggests, one motive of anti-immigration:
In states like Georgia, Tennessee and Texas, Republicans are pushing anti-immigration bills that critics believe are meant to curb the growing voting strength of Hispanics.
Britton Lofton of Politic365 writes:
What we are not seeing in regular media coverage is how crazy some states are running with immigration enforcement bills. The effort can only be compared to the manner in which post-Civil War legislatures drafted bills to keep Blacks from gaining citizenship. While the circumstances surrounding citizenship for undocumented immigrants and African Americans are like ‘night and day,’ a common thread exists with respect to legislative action to abridge citizenship rights.
Through Republican-led efforts, sixteen state legislatures are strongly considering similar legislation to Arizona’s SB 170, including California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oregon, South Carolina, Alabama, Texas, Utah, Virginia.
Such actions have shades of Post-Reconstruction America.
Like Republican Virgil Peck of Kansas, TWO lawmakers from Georgia have also suggested shooting to kill at the border. State Rep John Yates (R-Griffin), who was reelected, first suggested shooting to kill at the border in October 2010. Here's some video of his comments. Then, in January 2011, Senator Jack Murphy, sponsor of SB40, another anti-immigration bill, made similar comments.
What ever happened to the presumption of innocents? Remember, "presumed innocent until proven guilty?" Inciting hateful sentiments that may urge others to action they believe "sanctioned" by lawmakers is irresponsible and ANTI-American.
Under our Constitution, all people – not just citizens – are entitled to a presumption of innocence, as guaranteed by the Fifth, Sixth, and Fourteenth amendments. Only a judge, not a journalist, politician, or even a police officer, can ascertain whether someone is in the country illegally.
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