1. USBP spurs ire of WA group
2. CA judge tosses ID case
3. AZ co. race highlights issue
4. Matricula distributed in AK
5. OK group sues over law
6. MD man arrested for threat
7. Visiting scholars missing

1.
Farmers unhappy as Border Patrol expands Washington operations to catch illegal immigrants
By Manuel Valdes
The Associated Press, October 15, 2008

Seattle (AP) -- Expanded U.S. Border Patrol operations in Washington state have created friction between the agency and a farmers organization, underscoring the debate over immigration versus the labor needs of the state's agricultural industry.

The Washington Farm Bureau, which represents thousands of farmers across the state, is criticizing roadblocks the agency has set up in several counties, including some inland ones near agricultural areas. Farmers say they already have trouble finding enough workers and that the Border Patrol operations may scare off even more.

From apples to raspberries, Washington's multibillion-dollar agricultural industry is labor intensive, depending on tens of thousands of farm workers a year. Many farm workers in the United States are believed to be illegal immigrants, often using fake identification documents to gain employment.

"We're very unhappy with the feds," said Dan Fazio, director of employer services for the Washington Farm Bureau. "We believe these roadblocks violate the constitution, be it the federal or the state's."

For the Border Patrol, the expanded operations help to carry out its mandate to secure the northern border. That includes nabbing illegal immigrants, catching drug smugglers and protecting the country against terrorism.
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http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-ap-farm-scene-border-friction...

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2.
Judge tosses challenge to S.F. ID card plan
By John Coté
The San Francisco Chronicle, October 14, 2008

San Francisco - -- A San Francisco Superior Court judge ruled Tuesday that the city's plan to issue municipal identification cards to residents regardless of immigration status does not violate state and federal law.

Judge Peter Busch tossed out a lawsuit filed by the Immigration Reform Law Institute of Washington on behalf of four San Francisco residents who argued the program would amount to aiding and abetting illegal immigration.

The ruling was a victory for city officials looking to implement the ID card program, which the Board of Supervisors approved in November but Mayor Gavin Newsom put on hold in August to make sure it complies with state and federal laws. Newsom's move came after a series of Chronicle articles explaining how the city regularly shielded young illegal immigrants from deportation after they were found guilty of felony crimes. That practice has since been stopped.

The mayor also wants to address administrative questions, such as how to prevent the cards from being counterfeited or fraudulently obtained.

"The program is a go. The last challenges are administrative and technical as opposed to political," said Supervisor Tom Ammiano, who sponsored the ID card legislation and is running for state Assembly. "I'm looking forward to expediting the implementation. ... I'd love it to happen before I leave the board on Dec. 1."

Mayoral spokesman Nathan Ballard welcomed Busch's ruling but said it would have little impact on the review being conducted by City Administrator Ed Lee.

"We want to make sure we move forward with a bulletproof program," Ballard said. "This ruling is separate. This is about one lawsuit. The mayor believes the program is legal; however, he wants to make sure that it's implemented safely."

Ballard would give no timetable for completing the program review, saying it would take "as long as it takes."
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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/15/BABN13GQ0D.DTL

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3.
Immigration key issue in race for Sheriff
By Corey Rangel
The KNXV News (Phoenix), October 14, 2008

Illegal immigration is expected to be a big, if not overriding, factor in the race for Maricopa County Sheriff.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio has made a name for himself with his no holds barred approach on immigration enforcement.

His opponent in November’s race, Dan Saban, calls Arpaio’s stance divisive.

Arpaio, and his campaign, declined to be interviewed for this story, though it’s no secret how Arpaio feels.

“Maybe they don't like the sheriff but I don't care. I'm going to keep doing my job,” said the sheriff during an interview at one of his immigration sweeps.

In the past, he’s also told ABC15 he’s “the only one enforcing the illegal immigration laws and if they think I’m going to stop, I’m going to increase our vigilance.”

To fight illegal immigration, the sheriff has created a toolbox of tactics including his controversial immigration sweeps, an illegal immigration hotline, and a working partnership between his deputies and federal immigration agents.

However, Saban has been critical of Arpaio.

“He is so extreme and willing to use those limited resources on one thing [immigration] and compromise everything else," said Saban.
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http://www.abc15.com/content/news/phoenixmetro/story.aspx?content_id=215...

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4.
Going for the ID
By Samatha Friedman
The Arkansas Democrat Gazette, October 14, 2008

In April 2007, the Mexican government formally opened its 47 th consulate in the United States in Little Rock, bringing the first — and still only — foreign consulate to the state. Mexico’s is the largest consular network operated by any country inside another.

Four years before, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee had flown to Mexico City to meet with former Mexican President Vicente Fox to suggest he consider establishing consular representation in Arkansas. In 2006, the U. S. Census Bureau reported that Arkansas had 104, 920 Mexicans out of a Hispanic population of 138, 283. Considering the thousands of uncounted illegal aliens, Andres Chao, Mexican consul in Little Rock, estimates the actual number of Mexicans is closer to 185, 000.

In its first year and a half, the consulate issued almost 30, 000 documents to Mexicans in its jurisdiction of Arkansas, eastern Oklahoma and western Tennessee — and Mississippi, until the New Orleans consulate reopened in March. For Mexican nationals, those documents include consular identification cards, passports, powers of attorney, birth certificates and marriage licenses, as well as visas for foreigners planning to spend prolonged periods of time in Mexico.

The consulate, at 3500 S. University Ave., reports that the greatest demand is for the identification card, called the matricula consular in Spanish and issued by the Mexican government since 1871. The card represents more than half of all documents issued. “It is useful for opening bank accounts, but also is useful for them to have an identification with their real name and real address,” Chao said. “The Mexican national needs to prove with an original birth certificate that he is a Mexican national, then show another original ID card and then, proof of residence. With these documents, we are allowed to get them a passport or matricula consular.” At $ 27, the card, which is valid for five years, is cheaper than a passport, which costs $ 74 and expires after three years or $ 101 for a six-year version. An additional benefit to the matricula is the fact that it includes the bearer’s address, while the passport does not, says Eric Levy, a deputy consul. The U. S. government requires passports for any person entering the country by air — and beginning in June 2009, by land or sea as well. Levy says many customers purchase a matricula and a passport.

“The purpose of the matricula consular is for the sending state to have a registry of their citizens living in the receiving state,” Levy says. It is up to municipal governments, banks and other agencies to decide whether to accept the card as a means of identification.

According to the consulate, 1, 439 police departments, 265 counties, 435 cities and 475 banks accept the card nationally.

A dispute has erupted over the use of the card in acquiring an American driver’s license. The state of Arkansas does not accept foreign documents other than passports when issuing driver’s licenses. Foreign passports must be accompanied by an Immigration and Naturalization Services card or a U. S. visa.

Carlos Cervantes, state director of the Arkansas chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens, said it would be logical to allow use of the card in helping uninsured Mexicans acquire licenses and car insurance.

“I don’t want to get hit by any uninsured [driver ], whether he’s documented or undocumented, whether he’s a citizen or noncitizen,” Cervantes said. “We need to figure something out so they can participate in the rules of the law.” The card has been criticized as facilitating illegal aliens’ functioning in day-to-day society and threatening national security. In 2003, Steve McCraw, assistant director of the FBI Office of Intelligence, testified to the U. S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and Claims that the consular ID card “is not a reliable form of identification, due to the nonexistence of any means of verifying the true identity of the card holder.” “We have absolutely no hand in how these cards are issued or who they’re given to or what sort of background is run on these folks, so for the [United States ] to accept these cards as a legitimate form of identification, we would be completely remiss in checking for a number of things that we check for when we issue identification here in the [United States ],” said Caroline Dierker, national spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security. “In terms of security, it would be a risk because we don’t have any role in giving the cards.” Levy said the Mexican government observes strict procedures when checking clients’ application documents. In the aftermath of increased security and identity concerns after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Mexican government also set up an intraconsular database in 2002.

“That means that if you got a matricula in Seattle or Albuquerque and show up here, when we put your data in, the system will automatically have a red flag informing us of your previous matricula and then we will not be able to issue another one,” Levy said. “Regarding the birth certificates, we have trained personnel that check the validity of the birth certificates and any other document presented to us. If there is any doubt about the authenticity of the document, we just don’t issue a matricula.” But birth certificates can be forged, and people have been arrested while possessing multiple consular ID cards, said Bob Dane, press secretary for Washingtonbased Federation for American Immigration Reform. His nonprofit public interest group estimates that 3 million matriculas consulares are circulating in the United States.

Though LULAC does not encourage illegal immigration, said Michel Leidermann, state director of communications, even undocumented immigrants who have demonstrated a commitment to the U. S. economy should be supported in their efforts to operate legally in society.

“Once they’ve been here for years and are good citizens, paying taxes, they don’t have problems with the law, they have American children, they have businesses, they work, and so on, they should be given certain latitudes, contrary to those that just crossed the border yesterday,” he said.

The Washington-based Center for Immigration Studies contends that the matricula consular is only needed for Mexicans residing in the United States illegally because legal residents can obtain other identification documents.

“We should not be doing things that basically make illegal immigration an attractive option, meaning they shouldn’t be able to come here and get a driver’s license, bank account, mortgage, job, among other things, because those are the things that people are immigrating here legally for — to improve their lifestyle,” said the center’s spokesman Bryan Griffith. “Any legal immigrant has absolutely no need for the matricula.” The list of banks accepting the card now includes Bank of America, Chase, Citibank, Capital Bank and regional institutions Twin City Bank, Metropolitan Bank and Arvest Bank, according to Levy. Early this decade, Bank of America, which has 50 branches in Arkansas, was one of the first to accept the card along with a secondary form of ID to open a bank account.
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http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Style/240270/

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5.
Business groups sue over immigration law
United Press International, October 15, 2008

Oklahoma City (UPI) -- A coalition of business groups is asking a U.S. appeals court to prevent an Oklahoma anti-illegal immigration law from being enforced.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Oklahoma Restaurant Association, and the Oklahoma Hotel and Lodging Association, among others, say immigration enforcement should be left to the federal government, not the states, Legal Newsline reported Wednesday.

The groups say the Oklahoma law, which requires employers to verify the immigration status of employees and contractors or subcontractors, forces them to use the voluntary federal online verification system to determine workers' legal status.

The law, which isn't being enforced, also requires that businesses with state contracts to withhold income taxes of contractors and subcontractors if they don't use the federal verification system.
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http://www.upi.com/Business_News/2008/10/15/Business_groups_sue_over_imm...

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6.
Phone Threats to Immigrant Advocates Alleged
By Dan Morse
The Washington Post, October 15, 2008; Page B06

A 34-year-old Maryland man was arrested yesterday on charges of making bomb threats against CASA of Maryland, an immigrant advocacy group based in Silver Spring.

Wesley J. Queen II of Pasadena turned himself in to Montgomery County police and was being held on a $250,000 bond, authorities said. He faces two counts of "false statements -- threatening to use a destructive device" and two counts of telephone misuse.

CASA of Maryland runs four day-labor centers, where workers can gather while waiting to be picked up for jobs. On May 18, police said, Queen made telephone calls to CASA and to a CASA staff member's cellphone. The staff member, Mario Quiroz, said the caller told him, "You shouldn't be surprised if your places start blowing up in pieces," according to a police report on the incident.

Quiroz was able to provide police with a phone number that appeared on his caller ID, which was listed on the report. A phone call to that number yesterday yielded a voice mail announcement from "Jim Queen."
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/10/15/ST20081015...

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7.
5 visiting scholars from Afghanistan reported missing from University of Washington program
By Donna Gordon Blankinship
The Associated Press, October 15, 2008

Seattle (AP) -- Five Afghan scholars visiting the University of Washington to work on their master's theses were reported missing after failing to show up for training sessions, university officials said.

The five were among 38 mid-career government and nonprofit officials in Seattle for a three-month research and training program. They are working toward a master's degree in public policy and administration at Kabul University.
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http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-missing-afgha...