Mexico is offering compensation for guest workers to the U.S. who'd had part of their wages withheld (money the Mexican government and banks just kept — i.e., stole). This happened 60 years ago. And many of the workers seeking the money now live in the United States — guests who never left! Does anyone seriously think a new "temporary" worker program could turn out any differently?

Crime reporter killed in Mexican border city

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (AP) — A crime reporter in the violent Mexican border city of Juarez was killed Thursday, adding to dozens of journalist deaths in a country where newspapers are so fearful, many refuse to cover drug violence.

Armando Rodriguez had covered crime for 10 years in Ciudad Juarez, working for El Diario newspaper. He was shot several times as he sat warming up his car outside his home.

From a WaPo item on next week's meeting between Obama and McCain:

In an interview Friday, [Sen. Lindsey] Graham said that Obama requested the meeting during a 20-minute phone call that the South Carolina senator described as a "pleasant" discussion about how they could work together effectively.

From the Boston Globe: Read more...

Now that we know who’s going to be in the White House and Congress next year, what are the prospects for immigration?

Despite big Democratic gains in Congress, the results aren’t as bad for the cause of immigration enforcement as a simple partisan approach to the issue might suggest. After all, one of the ways Democrats have been picking up formerly Republican seats over the past few elections has been to nominate immigration hawks like Heath Shuler of North Carolina and Brad Ellsworth of Indiana. Read more...

P.J. O'Rourke's take on last week's defeat touches on, among many other things, immigration: Read more...

I get bored with this biennial ritual, but the raza-hustlers and the open-borders crowd are back touting the awesome power of the Hispanic vote. AP's contribution yesterday: "In key states, Latino vote fueled Obama's victory." A bunch of these interchangeable groups is having a press conference today in D.C., announcing that "Our voice was heard at the polls, and we will continue to make sure our voices are heard."

Well, no. Read more...

A new Zogby poll shows only about a third of Obama's voters supported him because of his backing for an amnesty, while two-thirds either voted for him despite his support for amnesty (15%) or it wasn't a factor at all in their decision (51%). Interestingly, among McCain voters, 59% did it despite his amnesty stance, 28% didn't care, and only 11% supported him because of his backing of amnesty. Read more...

Even if The One's minions gut immigration enforcement, it's still alive at the state level. Arizona voters rejected the mendacious attempt by the business community to gut the state's toughest-in-the-nation immigration law (the ballot measure was called the "Stop Illegal Hiring Act" when it would have actually stopped the efforts to stop illegal hiring). In addition, Maricopa County (Phoenix) re-elected immigration hawks Sheriff Joe Arpaio and County Attorney Andrew Thomas.

From Ross Douthat's "whither conservatism" contributon at Slate:

Which means that the best thing, by far, for the American right would be for every sect within the conservative temple to spend some time in self-examination before it turns to flinging blame.

. . .

But not how you think:

Central American immigrants adopt Mexican ways in U.S.

. . .

Now that the election is over, Julie Myers, the head of immigration enforcement, has announced she's leaving. I was skeptical of her appointment at first (Michelle Malkin was too), but I was wrong. Myers has probably been the most effective champion of immigration enforcement we've ever seen. Read more...

No, not the election; we already know that. Rather, who will win Mickey Kaus's new prize for the expected pro-amnesty spin on McCain's 2-to-1 shellacking among Hispanic voters (which is actually in the usual range for a Republican): Read more...

We now know what Gov. Palin thinks about immigration, and the results are not good (h/t Auster):

Amnesty

Governor, let me ask you about immigration. How many undocumented immigrants are there in Alaska?

From "A Somali Influx Unsettles Latino Meatpackers": Read more...

Roy Beck ruminates on the cost-effectiveness of worksite immigration enforcement.

Bob Schieffer asked the only immigration question in the final 2004 debate, which both candidates dodged — but this time, not even that. As usual, Mickey Kaus is on the case: Read more...

Shocking news from the job front — immigration enforcement is actually prompting one of D.C.'s biggest construction companies to focus on recruiting and retaining American workers. Or, as the story in today's Post puts it, "With federal immigration authorities stepping up workplace raids across the country, Miller & Long's management is getting nervous about relying heavily on non-citizen workers." The result? A campaign by the firm to "diversify its mostly Latino workforce": Read more...

A friend in suburban Houston writes about the aftermath of Ike:

In my very spoiled town, the locals had no problem opening side streets (with chain saws), clearing driveways (ditto), and cleaning lawns on their own.

Sugar Land is normally the quintessential suburb where most lawn work is done by illegals.

The local citizenry had no problem rising to the occasion when the need arose.

I still think Mickey Kaus is right that a President McCain would be more likely to succeed in pushing amnesty through Congress than a President Obama, but reader Patrick has an interesting, opposite perspective:

The best thing to happen to anti-amnesty Republicans in Congress is the rise of McCain/Palin bringing back the GOP 'brand' and the increasing the generic GOP ballot.

As we remember the lives of those lost seven years ago today, it is important to reflect upon our security failures in the context of immigration so that we may prevent future acts of terrorism.

The Center has produced extensive research on the nexus between immigration and terrorism. All of our national security-related publications are available on-line.

In his Washington Post op-ed today on the implications of the Census Bureau's new population projections, the Center's Director of Research, Steve Camarota, briefly touched on an issue that doesn't get enough attention in the right. Read more...

This is what happens when nations distort their economy and society through widespread use of foreign labor.

Breaking news from the Houston Chronicle:

While many view the contentious border fence as a government fiasco, an animal rights group sees a rare opportunity.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals plans today to announce an unusual marketing pitch to the U.S. government: Rent us space on the fence for billboards warning illegal border crossers there is more to fear than the Border Patrol.

How about replacing Olbermann's "Worst Person in the World" contest (which you'd think I would have won by now because of my book) with the "Worst Person in the Congress." I know there's a lot of competition, but my nomination for today would be Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-Ill.). Read more...

The union at Tyson's Shelbyville, Tenn., chicken plant has negotiated a new contract that adds Eid al Fitr as a paid holiday for all employees, and drops Labor Day. A few observations: First, just complaining about illegal immigration won't do — this change was made to accommodate Somali and other Muslim (legally admitted) refugees, sought out by Tyson (and other meatpackers) as an alternative to illegal Hispanic workers. Read more...

The open-borders crowd is in a tizzy because of the Center's report yesterday showing that attrition works and that the number of illegal aliens can be reduced through comprehensive enforcement. Read more...

After hyperventilating about the "Dickensian cruelty" of the immigration raid at the (genuinely Dickensian) meat plant in Postville, Iowa, the New York Times (or at least its news side) appears to have figured out that the open-borders crowd is full of it. The new insight about the value of immigration enforcement: Read more...

New Jersey's junior Democratic wiseguy, Sen. Bob Menendez, has put a hold on legislation to re-authorize the E-Verify program, which enables employers to determine whether new hires are legal. He's holding this successful enforcement effort hostage to increased guestworker visas. Here's what a reader sent me this week about the value of the E-Verify program to his firm: Read more...

So I'm in the Atlanta airport with Sharansky's new book. I was coming up an escalator reading about his having looked for a bookstore in New York because he "had a few free hours and probably the same weakness as any author: wanting to see your book on the bookshelves." And as I get to the top of the escalator I notice a book store on the left, and what do I see front and center on the shelves but my own book!