1. USBP monitors WA ferry terminal
2. U.S. Senate race focused on issue
3. 30 states employ English-only
4. Most NC initiatives likely to fail

1.
Plainclothes border agent at WA ferry terminal
By Manuel Valdes
The Associated Press, June 19, 2008

Seattle (AP) -- A Washington state ferry worker has denounced the Border Patrol for using a plainclothes agent to monitor activity at the Anacortes ferry terminal, the same location where the federal agency has been widely criticized for conducting security spot-checks of domestic ferry runs.

John Norby, who works at the terminal directing traffic, said a plainclothes Border Patrol officer approached him in April and asked him if he'd be interested in sharing "intelligence."

"This is a federal police force asking civilians to inform on civilians," Norby said this week.

But Border Patrol officials say having a plainclothes officer patrolling the terminal is standard procedure, part of their efforts to secure the terminal, and nothing out of the ordinary for a law enforcement agency.

In late February, the Border Patrol started conducting unannounced ferry security checks of domestic ferry runs arriving in Anacortes from the nearby San Juan Islands, drawing ire from local government and sharp reactions from pro-immigrant and civil liberties groups.
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http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420ap_wa_ferry_spot_checks.html

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2.
Hagan, Dole put focus on illegals
By Mark Binker
The News Record (Greensboro, NC), June 18, 2008

Raleigh -- Some of the loudest opening salvos of the U.S. Senate campaign have focused on illegal immigration, an emotionally charged issue that has been the subject of stalled legislative efforts at the federal and state levels.

Both Sen. Elizabeth Dole, the Republican incumbent running for a second term, and Kay Hagan, a Democratic state senator hoping to win a seat once occupied by Jesse Helms, have spoken about the need for stricter enforcement of immigration laws.
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http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080618/NRSTAFF/1...

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3.
English-only laws gathering steam
By William M. Welch
USA Today, June 19, 2008

English as an official language has gained momentum as proponents keep going to the ballot box with measures that discourage bilingual ballots, notices and documents.

Thirty states now have laws specifying that official government communications be in English, says U.S. English Inc., a group that promotes the laws. This year such bills are under consideration in 19 legislatures.

"It's multiplying tremendously," says Mauro Mujica, a Chilean immigrant and chairman and CEO of U.S. English. "We've made huge progress."
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http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-06-18-English-laws_N.htm

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4.
Immigration bills stall despite push
By Mark Binker
The News Record (Greensboro, NC), June 19, 2008

Raleigh -- Only two laws related to immigration are likely to pass the General Assembly this year despite increased pressure from activists on the topic, legislative leaders said Wednesday.

"We have to stop making ourselves a magnet among the states for illegal immigrants," said Rep. John Blust, a Greensboro Republican who spoke to a gathering of about 25 anti-illegal immigration activists who gathered outside the legislative building Wednesday morning.

Those at the rally, organized by the North Carolina-based Americans for Legal Immigration PAC, called for sweeping new laws that would prevent tax-funded services from going to those here illegally and more funding to help local law enforcement agencies catch and deport those here illegally.
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http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080619/NRSTAFF/1...