MFIRE/Eagle Forum May 31, 2007 Protest At Senator Trent Lott's Jackson Office - Summary and Photos
MFIRE/Eagle Forum May 31, 2007 Protest
At Senator Trent Lott's Jackson Office -
Summary and Photos
click here to go directly to photos
The MFIRE/Eagle Forum protest from 11:00 a.m. to noon at Senator Trent Lott's downtown Jackson office was a huge success! Approximately 70 people participated, and many persons driving past on Capitol Street honked their horns and gave a thumbs up. Several people spontaneously joined the protest when they saw it taking place.
MFIRE President Rodney Hunt and WJNT News Talk 1180 AM radio personality Kim Wade were interviewed by the press (television and newspapers).
Following are articles from the Sun Herald (Biloxi) and The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson) regarding our protest. Our photos follow the articles:
June 1, 2007
By Brendan McKenna - Sun Herald Washington Bureau
Sen. Trent Lott didn't craft the immigration bill under debate in the Senate.
He hasn't even committed to voting for it. But Lott, along with many of his Republican colleagues, is coming under fire for his role in the bill's progress.
Several dozen people attended a protest outside of Lott's Jackson office Thursday to "voice our frustration, disappointment and not understanding of why Sen. Trent Lott is pushing the Kennedy-Kyl bill," said rally organizer Rodney Hunt, president of the Mississippi Federation for Immigration Reform and Enforcement.
Hunt said he feels Lott has "flip-flopped" from opposing amnesty for illegal immigrants to using his position as Republican whip in the Senate to advance a bill that amounts to amnesty.
Lott and his aides strenuously deny the senator has changed his tune on amnesty. In his column this week, Lott rejects amnesty for illegal immigrants.
"(W)e should not give them amnesty nor let them off the hook for breaking our laws. They shouldn't get automatic citizenship, and they shouldn't get benefits they don't pay for," Lott said. "They should have to pay a fine, undergo background checks, be constantly employed and pay taxes, and go to the back of the line for citizenship papers - all required in this bill. And if I can make these provisions even stronger, I will."
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff made a similar point last week in a briefing with reporters, saying the immigration bill sets out punishments for illegal immigration that are similar to other misdemeanors - paying a fine and probation.
"You don't treat trespassing like you treat murder," Chertoff said. "I think this is a fair way to have people pay their debt to society and still be lenient enough to induce the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants already in America to come forward."
Those arguments don't hold water with Hunt.
"The penalty for illegal entry into the country is deportation," Hunt said.
Lott and Chertoff both argue something needs to be done now to address illegal immigration.
"The Senate has two choices on immigration reform: Do something now to curtail illegal immigration. Or do nothing, accept the status quo and hope it doesn't get worse," Lott wrote. "I'm for doing something, but I won't vote for an unbalanced, flawed bill."
Lott also considers his work to advance the debate on the immigration bill to be a very different case than supporting it.
"As a Senate leader, I'm tasked with moving legislation that actually will become law. This bill is our last hope to deal with the problem of illegal immigration," Lott said. "It's not everything I'd like to do, but it's a good start."
The bill "commands the Department of Homeland Security to certify that our border is secure, before anything else in the bill can be implemented," Lott said.
The argument that Lott is doing his job as the second-ranking Republican in the Senate is no excuse to Hunt.
"If he sees legislation that harms the United States, it's his duty to kill it," Hunt said, adding Congress and recent presidents have a poor record of providing the money needed for stricter immigration requirements. "We do not have a guarantee that we'll ever have any enforcement."
Lott in his own words"I told the President frankly that anything close to amnesty - where illegal immigrants would be absolved of their crime of illegally coming to America - would not get through Congress."
- Lott column, June 24, 2005
"If Mexican nationals want to work in the U.S., we should set up a temporary worker program where they perform a specific job, in a specific location and require them to return home at the end of that work. This would be a better alternative to a guest worker program where these workers would receive amnesty and free passage to citizenship."
- Lott column, May 5, 2006
"The bill requires employers to verify eligibility based on a new, tamper-resistant, encrypted identification system, which would tie each worker to a specific job. Employers would pay harsh penalties for not complying. The temporary worker program is truly temporary. After two years, workers must go home and re-register. No more coming here and staying forever."
- Lott column, May 30, 2007
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click here to go directly to photos
The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson, Mississippi)
"Lott urged to oppose immigration proposal"
June 1, 2007
By Angelle Barbazon
angelle.barbazon@jackson.gannett.com
About 50 protesters assembled outside Sen. Trent Lott's Jackson office Thursday morning to protest a bill that would grant amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants and downsize the proposed guest-worker program.
Lee Youngblood, Lott's press secretary, said the protest was not the first to take place at the office of Mississippi's longtime congressman.
Youngblood said the bill is a "work in progress" in the Senate. Immigration is a national issue that should not be ignored by elected officials, he said.
"Is it a perfect bill? No," he said. "But it is something, and it's a good start."
The Mississippi Federation for Immigration Reform and Enforcement, or MFIRE, and the Eagle Forum of Mississippi organized Thursday's protest.
"We're here because we want to voice our frustration with Sen. Lott's position on the bill which will be going before the Senate next week and will extend amnesty to 12 (million) to 20 million people that are here illegally," said Rodney Hunt, MFIRE president.
Hunt said illegal immigration is a national and local problem that needs to be addressed.
"There are, in the United States right now, 630,000 people who have been ordered to deport by federal immigration judges that have faded into the woodwork, and our government doesn't know where they're at," he said.
Hunt said Lott does not believe illegal immigration affects Mississippi to any large extent.
"I think Sen. Lott really must not know what's going on in Mississippi," he said, citing what State Auditor Phil Bryant said during an interview with WLBT-Channel 3 several weeks ago regarding the number of immigrants and their cost to taxpayers each year.
Bryant's office released a report in 2006 saying that illegal immigrants cost Mississippi taxpayers $25 million annually for health care, education and prison costs. It is estimated that more than 100,000 illegal immigrants are in the state.
Dot Ward, Madison resident and Eagle Forum member, said she participated in the protest because she felt "there's a disconnect with Congress and the White House and the average citizen."
Ward said she supported Lott until he backed the immigration bill. She said his actions compelled her to speak out.
David Bianchi, also a Madison resident, said he drove past the protest and decided to participate.
"I'm against Mexicans coming here and taking what we worked so hard for," he said. "I'm against anyone coming here to harm this country."
Ward said the government should enforce the immigration laws already in place. He said the latest proposal would place a hardship on education, crime prevention and social services in Mississippi.
MFIRE/Eagle Forum Protest at Senator Trent Lott's Jackson Office
Thursday, May 31st, 2007
Below: The first few people arrive and begin protesting
before the official start time of 11:00 a.m.
Below: the number of protesters rapidly begins to increase
Below: MFIRE President Dr. Rodney Hunt (in tie)
is interviewed by the media
Below: Dr. Hunt (center)
Below: Kim Wade of WJNT News Talk 1180AM
with MFIRE member Jennive Ramsey
Below: Kim Wade of WJNT News Talk 1180 AM
is interviewed by the media
MFIRE-Sponsored July 6th, 2006 Luncheon Featuring
Minuteman Founder Chris Simcox -
Summary And Photos
Click here to go directly to photos
Chris Simcox's July 6th , 2006 visit to Mississippi has energized the immigration reform efforts in our state and should be a wake up call for our politicians. Mr. Simcox is founder of The Minuteman Civil Defense Corps and is the person most responsible for exposing the lawlessness and chaos on our southern and northern borders.
The day began with a one-hour dynamic interview with Mr. Simcox on Larry Nesbit's News Talk radio program on WJNT 1180 AM. The highlight of the day was Mr. Simcox's keynote address at a luncheon at the Capital Club in downtown Jackson that was hosted by the Mississippi Leadership Forum.
MFIRE was honored to sponsor the luncheon and participate in the program. MFIRE Board member Mark Mayfield, Esq. spoke about our organizational goals and purpose, legislative agenda, and our petition that will be submitted to the Mississippi Legislature at the beginning of its 2007 session. President Rodney Hunt had the privilege to introduce Mr. Simcox to the 120 plus business and political leaders in attendance, including members of the Mississippi Senate and House of Representatives. Yvonne Brown, mayor of Tchula, Mississippi and a candidate for Mississippi's 2nd Congressional District, gave the invocation.
The Minuteman Civil Defense Corps now has 500,000 supporters nationwide with 8,000 of their volunteers watching and patrolling our borders. These 8,000 patriots have been carefully screened and through their vigilance, turned over 13,000 illegal aliens to the Border Patrol without one incident of violence.
Mr. Simcox stated that the U.S. Border Patrol detained 1.2 million illegal aliens from 89 countries this past year. Also, 45,000 of these illegal aliens were from countries that the State Department has indicated are sponsors of terrorism. Since the Border Patrol intercepts only one in three to five attempts to violate our borders, the vast scope of the chaos on our borders should be alarming to our elected leaders, as it clearly has become a major issue with voters. Mr. Simcox also emphasized the depravation and breadth of drug and human trafficking and the decrease in wages and jobs for Americans, directly attributed to the invasion of illegal aliens across our porous borders.
Mr. Simcox believes that greedy big business interests and our political leaders, including President Bush, some in Congress, and disconnected local and state officials are responsible for our broken borders. He stated that it is time to stand up and demand , not ask, that our elected representatives protect citizens inside our borders and crack down on illegal immigration.
From left: MFIRE Board Member Mark Mayfield, Esq., Chris Simcox,
Dr. Alan Peeples, and MFIRE President Dr. Rodney Hunt
MFIRE President Dr. Rodney Hunt and Chris Simcox
Chris Simcox and MFIRE Secretary-Treasurer/Webmaster Seamus McGowan
MFIRE President Dr. Rodney Hunt Prepares to Introduce Chris Simcox
Chris Simcox
MFIRE President Dr. Rodney Hunt and Chris Simcox
Telephone Call With Senator Trent Lott's
Policy Adviser On Immigration Issues
January 20, 2006
On Friday, January 20, 2006, I (Rodney Hunt) spoke with Mr. Hugh Gamble, Senator Trent Lott's policy adviser on immigration issues. Mr. Gamble is in Senator Lott's Washington, D.C. office.
I brought up the apparant contradictions in Senator Lott's June 24, 2005 article, "America in the Cross Hairs" (click here to read), and the Senator's January 18, 2006 interview with CNN's Lou Dobbs. In the June 24 article, Senator Lott states,
"I'm among the majority of Americans opposing amnesty for illegal aliens....President Bush advanced a proposal designed to give illegal immigrants employed here a special 'guest worker' status which resembled an amnesty program for illegal immigrants. I told the President frankly that anything close to amnesty....would not get through Congress."
In the January 18 interview with Lou Dobbs, Senator Lott stated,
"...border security is an issue whose time has come.... I do think we're going to probably have some sort of guest worker program.... [border security is] the highest priority but it's not to say that you shouldn't have some legal, controllable [guest worker] program in the future."
Senator Lott mentioned the poultry and landscaping industries as examples of businesses that need guest workers. I asked Mr. Gamble why the construction and service industries were not mentioned since there are vast numbers of illegal workers also taking those jobs. I also reminded Mr. Gamble that any immigration law should protect the wages and working conditions of American citizens, and that the guest worker program proposed by President Bush is merely a public relations ploy and an attempt to legalize an illegal activity. I mentioned that any guest worker amnesty proposals would cause our current immigration situation to rapidly deteriorate with massive new increases of illegal entry into our country.
Mr. Gamble stated that he was not pleased with the way the Lou Dobbs interview transpired, and that the Senator's views on immigration and guest worker programs were correctly stated in the "America in the Cross Hairs" article.
In spite of this 25-minute in-depth conversation with Mr. Gamble, I was still unsure of Senator Lott's position on new guest worker programs. I asked Mr. Gamble to encourage the Senator to respond to our January 13, 2006 letter (click here to read) concerning these matters so that his views could be correctly posted on our website to better inform his constituents.
Rodney Hunt
President, MFIRE
Following is the transcript of Senator Lott's interview with Lou Dobbs (click here to see transcript on CNN website).
Senator Trent Lott, former Senate majority leader, is urging caution despite the intense political pressure to deal with the issue [the Abramoff lobbying scandal], and joins us tonight from Capitol Hill. Senator, good to have you here.
SEN. TRENT LOTT (R-MS), FORMER MAJORITY LEADER: Glad to be with you again, Lou.
DOBBS: ....Let me ask about -- this is straightforward. And that is, what is the Senate going to do? You heard Bay Buchanan -- I believe you heard her, on this broadcast.
She'll say that she believes -- and a lot of other people I have talked with believe -- the Senate is going to turn upside down all of the efforts in enhancing border security, establishing border security and push through the president's amnesty program or guest worker program, as he likes to call it. Is she right?
LOTT: No, I think she's wrong. I think border security is an issue whose time has come. The Senate's going to have to act that area. The House has already acted. So no matter what we do we're going to go to conference and we're going to come up with a bill that is going to be very strong on border security.
As a matter of fact, the idea of putting more funds in border security this year came from Senator Judd Gregg. He put it in his appropriations bill. But, number one, we have got to address this issue.
We need to bring it to the floor of the Senate, have a debate, have amendments. Let the people see how we vote. I do think we're going to probably have some sort of guest worker program. Where the disagreement begins ...
DOBBS: Whoa!
LOTT: Where the disagreement begins is what do you about the illegal aliens, people that are here illegally, that came here illegally? Millions of them. And I don't think that they ...
DOBBS: Do you really think, Senator -- may I ask?
LOTT: Yes.
DOBBS: Do you really think that the Senate after -- with the House of Representatives up for election in November, a third of the Senate, do you really think the House is going to sit there while the Senate basically says your job is over, we're throwing you to the wolves in November.
LOTT: No. No, we're going to do that. I won't do that.
DOBBS: Well, if you pass the guest worker program ...
LOTT: Now, wait a minute. You don't -- one is not mutually exclusive of the other. We need border security, no question about it. But there is a need and an opportunity for workers to come into this country and work in a variety of areas -- the poultry industry, landscaping -- but it needs to be with controls and limits and requirements and ...
DOBBS: And legality.
LOTT: ... and I don't think they're exclusive.
DOBBS: I couldn't agree more. Which would you give -- what should be primary?
LOTT: I give border security first priority. You cannot long survive in a country that cannot control its borders.
DOBBS: Right.
LOTT: That's the highest priority but it's not to say that you shouldn't have some legal, controllable program in the future.
DOBBS: Senator Trent Lott, as always, good talking with you.
LOTT: All right, thanks, Lou.
DOBBS: Thank you.
January 11, 2006
MFIRE Board members Rodney Hunt, Alan Peeples, and Dow Yoder met with Senator Thad Cochran's staff at the Senator's office in Jackson. Representing Senator Cochran were Ms. Barbara Rooks-Jackson (Office Manager and Liaison for Constituent Issues), and Ms. Rooks-Jackson's staff assistant, Ms. Avery Forbes. MFIRE requested the meeting to discuss immigration legislation being considered in Congress and the lack of federal enforcement of current immigration law.
The Board members stated that any immigration policy or laws must protect the wages and standard of living of American workers . We stressed that MFIRE supports the Sensenbrenner/King bill (H.R. 4437), the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005 , which was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on December 16, 2005. This bill would improve our border security and internal enforcement of our immigration laws. It is imperative that similarly worded legislation is passed by the Senate when it considers immigration reform in February, and once the Senate and House bills are reconciled into one bill, signed into law by President Bush.
Although the Sensenbrenner/King bill does not address the approximately 363,000 “anchor babies” born in the United States to illegal aliens each year, and it allows employers six years to comply with required verification of the legal status of their employees, MFIRE believes this bill is a good start.
We stated that we oppose any guest worker amnesty program, and that we want Senator Cochran to join us in opposition to any such proposal. Amnesty failed to end illegal immigration when the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) was passed by Congress in 1986. Indeed, illegal immigration has quadrupled since this failed attempt to solve our immigration problem.
Ms. Rooks-Jackson and Ms. Forbes were very attentive and assured us that Senator Cochran would receive our concerns. They did not indicate the Senator's position on these issues, but did encourage us in our efforts.
Rodney Hunt
President, MFIRE
December 9, 2005
MFIRE Board members Rodney Hunt and S. Ross Aldridge met with Congressman “Chip” Pickering and his Chief-of-Staff, Stanley Shows, at the Congressman's Pearl office on December 9, 2005.
MFIRE Board members shared their views with Congressman Pickering about the effect of massive illegal immigration on our state and nation. Extensive discussion concerned MFIRE 's opposition to the “temporary” guest worker program proposed by President Bush and indeed any new guest worker program. We expressed our view that any immigration reform measure must protect the American worker.
We asked Congressman Pickering to join with 38 of his colleagues on the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus and cosponsor the TRUE Enforcement and Border Security Act of 2005 (H.R. 4313) (click here for more information), authored by Congressmen Duncan Hunter of California and Virgil Goode of Virginia. Congressman Pickering did not state that he would cosponsor the bill.
Mr. Aldridge gave Congressman Pickering a summary of how the State Auditor's Office is looking into how much illegal immigrants are costing the taxpayers of Mississippi in the areas of grants, medical (Medicaid) and emergency room costs, Dept. of Corrections, and education. Mr. Aldridge strongly noted how there is little to no documentation on illegal aliens and how the federal government does all it can to hinder documentation.
Also discussed was the rapid expansion of America's population, which could reach 533 million people by the year 2050, with the major cause of the population explosion a result of massive illegal and legal immigration.
Congressman Pickering stated that the U.S. House of Representatives would be considering new border protection measures the week of December 12, which would be a good start. He did not indicate that he was opposed to new guest worker programs.
We feel that the meeting was productive and will try to arrange follow-up dialogue.
Rodney Hunt
President, MFIRE