U.S. citizen nearly deported for protesting Donald Trump

As if this presidential race couldn't get any weirder, Arizona gives us one of the craziest stories of the 2016 campaign: a U.S. citizen who was almost deported because she protested Donald Trump.

Why can't an Ivy League graduate become a U.S. citizen?

The immigration reform debate has been raging for years, but rarely do we see the perspective of actual immigrants, and their experiences working through our dysfunctional system. Contrary to popular belief, becoming an American citizen or gaining legal residency is not a matter of "getting in line" and filling out paperwork. Just ask William Han.

Han is from New Zealand, and came to America on a student visa, with dreams of one day becoming a U.S. citizen, until those dreams hit reality. Han has earned two degrees from Ivy League colleges, and for the past 15 years, has tried to become an American citizen. In a recent essay for Vox.com, he has documented perhaps the most complete breakdown of how difficult it is to become an American, and outlines the various obstacles and costs even he has been unable to overcome. If an Ivy League graduate cannot navigate our dysfunctional system, how does a family from Central America or Asia with little money and no legal resources stand a chance? This is why we have illegal immigration; many of these immigrants do not want to flaunt our laws; they are often left with no other choice.

While Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) should be tracking down true criminals like Kate Steinle's murderer or gang members, they focus on easy targets for deportation, like families trying to gain legal status or students like Han. Here's an excerpt from his essay:

When the rest of the world send America its best and brightest, America says 'Go away.' Numerous American friends, when the subject of my immigration status came up, have said to me things to the effect of, "Why don't you just become a citizen?" To the Americans I have known, it really seems that people, or at least law-abiding people like me, should be able to just go down to the DMV, fill out some paperwork, and get citizenship. Time and again I have had to disabuse my friends of this misconception. What matters when it comes to obtaining citizenship is your "status" while you're in America, and your status can be difficult to change. Years spent as a student do not count. Neither do years on a work visa unless your employer is willing to sponsor your green card. 

To read his entire piece, click right here to visit Vox.com.

Fearmongering doctor finds fame attacking border kids

Dr. Elizabeth Vliet

Dr. Elizabeth L Vliet isn't an expert on infectious diseases, but she plays one on TV. In fact, she is a board-certified psychiatrist who is using the recent furor over immigration to make a name - and maybe some money - for herself.

Dr Vliet has appeared several times on Fox News warning that the refugee children from Central America, who are fleeing to the United States to escape drug and gang violence at home, are bringing a number of dangerous infectious diseases with them. There isn't any actual proof to any of this, and there has been no outbreak of major diseases among the children detained along our border. Because she is a doctor, however, her statements are taken as fact without verification.

Last June, Vliet penned a column for The McAllen (TX) Monitor in which she claimed border kids were bringing in every disease short of Mad Cow into the country. Again, she cited no proof or examples, but instead provided a rundown of a list of terrible diseases and their effects. Her column, however, led to her TV appearances on both Hannity and Justice with Judge Jeanine, who both took anti-immigrant stances and used Vliet's statements to validate them.

Vliet's misleading statements have also been adopted by anti-immigrant activists and bloggers, who use them to justify their racist rhetoric by blaming immigrants (particularly children) for anything and everything. The website The Federalist Papers actually used Vliet's statements to blame the measles outbreak at Disneyland on illegal immigrants, even though all the evidence points to a Disneyland employee (and U.S. citizen) as the source of the outbreak.

The Gateway Pundit also used Vliet's arguments to blame the measles outbreak on illegal immigrants, stating that 72 cases of measles reported in 2011 were "imported" from other countries. While The Gateway Pundit tried to blame those cases on illegal immigrants, the source they used stated the exact opposite. The source, For The Record, could find no instance in which a case of measles could be attributed to an immigrant, legal or illegal. Of the 72 cases "imported" from other countries, 52 were caused by American citizens who brought the disease back while traveling abroad, while the remaining 20 were brought in by foreign tourists.

Vliet's campaign against immigrants isn't the first time she has ventured outside her expertise to gain a little notoriety. Besides being an expert on demonizing immigrant children, Vliet has parlayed her experience as a psychiatrist into a successful money-making venture - as a hormone health expert. Her website bills her as specializing in "preventive and climacteric medicine for women and men."  She has also written at least five books on the subject, including "It's My Ovaries, Stupid," all promising answers on how to improve your health by addressing hormone imbalance.

Although she often promotes herself as an expert on various issues, some of her former patients take issue with her professionalism. On the Vitals.com website, Vliet earned a 2.5 star rating, with some patients complaining about her bedside manner, and others complaining that they couldn't speak with her on the phone unless they paid an extra fee. One patient even called her "mean and nasty," claiming one phone consultation left her in tears.

For now, however, Dr. Vliet seems content on being an expert on the issue that brings her the most attention: feeding the fear and hatred of immigrant children.

Ten facts showing immigrant children aren't spreading the Enterovirus

You've probably heard political pundits contending that the recent outbreak of Enterovirus 68 in the midwest was spread by unaccompanied immigrant children who settled there after being released by U.S. Border Patrol. We decided to look into that and verify the claim, but found that there is no proof of a correlation between the two. Here are ten facts about Enterovirus that will change your perception about the outbreak, along with sources for each fact.

1. Enterovirus 68 is not new in America. It was first reported in 1962 in California, and it could be related to earlier enterovirus outbreaks in Asia. Enterovirus 68 has been reported in the United States every year since 1987. What is unusual this year is the higher number of cases. Source: CDC.

2. It is common for outbreaks of Enterovirus this time of year. The virus usually begins infecting people in late summer and into the fall, but the number of cases decreases as fall moves on. Children with asthma or similar respiratory diseases are more susceptible to the virus. Source: CDC.

3. The first cases of Enterovirus 68 were reported in Kansas City, Missouri, and Chicago, Illinois. The location of the outbreak is important, as it does not correlate with large numbers of immigrant children in those areas. Source: CDC.

4. Missouri and Illinois are not significant destinations for unaccompanied immigrant children. Contrary to some reports in online media (none from reputable news sources), the areas affected by the outbreak did not receive large numbers of immigrant children from the border surge. The entire state of Missouri only received 173 immigrant children, ranking them at #34 out of 50 states in terms of number of immigrant children received. Illinois received 437 children, ranking them #18 out of 50. Source: US Office of Refugee Resettlement.

5. The top ten states receiving immigrant children have seen no major Enterovirus 68 outbreaks. Texas, New York, California, Florida, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, North Carolina, Georgia, and Louisiana, the top ten states receiving immigrant children, have not seen significant Enterovirus 68 outbreaks. Source: U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement.

6. No cases of Enterovirus 68 have been reported in Arizona. Despite its location along the border with Mexico and the fact that 217 immigrant children were released there, no cases have been found in Arizona. Source: CDC.

7. Enterovirus 68 is not a common virus in Central or South America. Since 2008, outbreaks of Enterovirus 68 have been reported in the United States, Asia and northern Europe, but not Central or South America. Since the 1960s, only a handful of cases have ever been reported in the region. Source: CDC.

8. Texas has seen only scattered cases of Enterovirus 68. Despite receiving the most immigrant children, over 6,000 in fact, very few cases have been reported here. Most are in the Dallas area (10), and none have been reported in areas along the coast and border, including the Valley, San Antonio, and Houston, were large numbers of immigrant children were released to the public. Source: KENS 5, San Antonio.

9. California has only seen 32 cases of Enterovirus 68. Despite receiving over 4,000 immigrant children, only 32 cases of Enterovirus 68 have been reported in the state, out of 691 nationwide. The cases are spread throughout the state in major urban centers, not along the Mexican border. Only five cases in San Diego have been reported. Source: ABC News.

10. Unaccompanied border children have higher rates of vaccination than children in Texas. Earlier this year, as the border surge began, many claimed we would see outbreaks of diseases like Tuberculosis, brought over by border children released to their families across America. The outbreaks never materialized, because the countries the children came from (Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras) have all vaccines paid for by the government. For example, 93% of children from those countries are vaccinated against the measles, higher than the rate of American children vaccinated against the disease (92%). Source: Texas Observer.

Rockwall Conservative to GOP: Alienate Hispanic voters at your own peril

The Rockwall Conservative is at it again! With so many blogs out there, it's hard to find the diamonds in the rough, those conservatives who are saying some truly profound things we should hear, not just regurgitating talking points and preaching to the choir. That's why I'm pretty picky with the folks I link to; I only want to list sites that I feel are worth your valuable time. The Rockwall Conservative is certainly one of them.

This past weekend, the Texas State GOP Convention was held in Ft. Worth, and an uprising of some Republican activists had the party's immigration platform removed. The platform, dubbed the "Texas Solution," not only acknowledged our system was broken, but set out common-sense reforms for the system, including a guest worker program and a path to citizenship for undocumented and illegal immigrants. Instead, the immigration platform now in place offers no reform or solution of any kind, and supports a stance that will keep our broken system in place for years to come. This is because the new immigration platform (and those who support it) insist that the border be secured first before reforms are made, a goal that could take decades to achieve, if ever. Meanwhile, millions of decent future Americans are subjected to mass poverty, high crime, drug-fueled violence, and socialistic governments. Our misguided hubris on this issue is costing lives south of the border.

I've posted on this site before that I feel comprehensive immigration reform is a concept supported by conservative principles, free-market capitalism, and Christian ethics. This concept is undermined by those who use vague buzzwords like "amnesty" to derail the process. The anti-reform forces in our party are amassing a political toll as well, one that we will pay in elections to come.

The Rockwall Conservative points out in a new column just what this sort of political grandstanding (and the shrill rhetoric that accompanied it) will cost us in terms of support by Hispanic voters. "I don’t know everything, but I do know some things well," he says in the column. "For example, I know the defeat of the Texas Solution is taken as an assault on legitimate Hispanic citizens and legal residents. Ah! Just what the Democrats wanted!"

To read the entire column, please click here to visit RockwallConservative.me.

Denham: Conservative values demand immigration reform

Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA) represents one of the largest Latino districts in the state, even though conventional wisdom states Latinos don't vote for GOP candidates. Perhaps it is because Denham doesn't let his values sway, and stands up against the anti-Latino rhetoric that has consumed some attention-seeking Republican politicians.

In a recent column for Roll Call, Denham moves beyond the shrill hyperbole and points out, very efficiently, how restrictive immigration regulations hurt families and negatively affect farmers and the agricultural industry, which he knows well. He points out that conservative economic principles demands we address the issue with sensible reform.

To check out this must-read column, click right here.

"Learn Liberty" video crushes immigration myths

Professor Ben Powell, PhD of Suffolk University discusses immigration in this concise and easy-to-understand video from Learn Liberty. He debunks some of the bigger myths about immigration, which any conservative should know, since he simply explains that free market capitalism and self-determination benefit both the immigrant and the country they immigrate to. My only complaint is that he doesn't provide links to his sources, but if you click on our "immigration" tag label below, you'll see links to our coverage on the subject that cites sources that come to the same conclusion.

America's battle over immigration is nothing new

Joe Laughon's recent column for the Cafe con Leche Republicans provides an excellent short history of immigration controversies throughout American history. Given the nature of the rhetoric in today's immigration debate, it is both timely and insightful. I highly suggest you read it - and you can do so by clicking right here.

GOP group: free markets should drive immigration policy

Bob Quasius of the Cafe con Leche Republicans has published a column on WND.com as part of an ongoing debate on immigration reform. He points out that conservatives should reject the current bureaucratic, over-regulated immigration system, and dispels a number of myths about immigrants. When Liberals Attack is proud to support Bob and the Cafe con Leche Republicans, who are moving beyond rhetoric and trying to solve a real problem.

Most people are unaware of what a ridiculous mess our current immigration system is. I didn't know myself until I met Ralph Isenberg of the Isenberg Center for Immigration Empowerment and began hearing horror stories from people they help - immigrants who thought they were doing the right things to be here legally, only to meet a faceless, heartless bureaucracy. Who handles immigration issues? The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the same guys who have been buying up ammo and military equipment for no good reason. Do we really think they want to help someone stay here legally when they need to meet a quota set by President Obama that says they need to deport millions of people every year?

To read Bob's column on how to reform the immigration system using free-market, conservative principles, click right here.

Sarah Palin supported a path to citizenship before opposing it

I'm a fan of Sarah Palin, but I don't get her logic sometimes. For instance, during the 2008 election, she supported immigration reform, saying the U.S. should do the "humane" thing and create a path to citizenship.

Even though the basics of the immigration debate have not changed, Palin now seems to have changed her tune to one that will likely win the support of the very vocal (and very supportive) anti-immigrant movement.

Palin makes a living on TV appearances and speeches for various Republican groups around the country. The question, then, must be asked: is she really saying what she believes about immigration reform, or is she merely playing to those who butter her bread? After seeing how Marco Rubio has been ripped and savaged by his fellow Republicans, does she have the courage to admit she once held his views as well? What has changed between 2008 and now to cause this flip-flop, and why won't she talk about it? One has to wonder.

To read all about what Palin said, click right here to read my full report at Examiner.com.

Conservative bloggers find profit in opposing immigration reform

I've seen a disturbing trend among many conservative bloggers lately. Particularly, special interest groups who buy advertising from some conservative blogs seem to be defining how certain issues are reported on those sites. Reporting on an issue without influence from advertisers is always a slippery slope for journalists, but some bloggers seem to have no problem catering to them to keep the money flowing.

My latest report points out a group of bloggers that write for a media corporation funded by ad revenue from a Washington political group. This political group seems intent on preaching broad, hateful rhetoric on the issue of immigration, and the bloggers seem happy to echo that rhetoric. This is why we don't see more meaningful, in-depth reporting on many controversial issues - there's no money in it.

To read about the bloggers involved and the political group buying their favor, click right here to read my story at Examiner.com.

What did Ronald Reagan say about immigration amnesty?

Immigration reform, and the so-called "amnesty" plan that has been proposed, has caused some major division in the Republican party. With all the rhetoric out there, it has been difficult for many conservatives to come to an agreement on the subject. However, President Ronald Reagan settled the issue years ago. To find out what he said about immigration reform and amnesty, click right here to read my column at Examiner.com.

Steve King can't tell the truth when it comes to raising money

We don't like it when politicians don't speak the truth, regardless of their political party. Republican Steve King has done many good things, but he used half-truths and pinned America's problems on immigrants in an effort to raise money. In a fundraising email, he claimed America is on a "death watch" and your donation to his campaign would help stop that, but his claims against immigrants and immigration reform simply aren't true. Click here to read our report about his claims, and why they don't hold up to fact. No amount of money is worth sacrificing the truth.

Gay activists upset over immigrants getting all the attention

Well, aren't we a little miffed? Apparently some gay activists are upset that the talk in Washington isn't all about them, and they are pulling their support of some Democrats (with votes and money) because they aren't being included in immigration reform. To read more about it, click right here to read my article at Examiner.com!

Immigration activist fights government abuse

We've long supported immigration reform, because we believe the American Dream is not something that should require honest, hard-working immigrants to pay big bucks and wait a decade to achieve. The current system, which provides no assistance to immigrants who try to follow the rules, is seriously flawed and is more interested in keeping people out than allowing folks in.

My family had the good fortune of coming to Texas over a century ago, and there wasn't years of red tape to deal with. It isn't like that any more. Worse yet, today's immigrants have to deal with ICE agents who abuse and mistreat foreign nationals in their care. One man is fighting for the rights of good people to make their way through the complicated process, and we profiled his work. You can read all about it by clicking right here.

What would Jesus say about amnesty?

Here is my latest column, also available to read on sites including CafeConLecheRepublicans.com.

For a number of years, I agreed with many of my fellow Republicans on the issue of immigration reform. I was a hard-liner who saw no need for reform, much less amnesty. As a Latino whose family has Texas roots dating back to the 1800s, I resented the fact that anyone who shares my cultural heritage would ignore the law and come here illegally.

However, in recent years, I felt the Lord was showing me things about immigration that I hadn't considered before, and He was convicting me for not following the example of His Son. I admit, for the longest time, I resisted the idea, so certain was I that my hard-line position was legally, ethically, and morally correct. I began to realize, however, that Jesus had something to say about it through His Word, and I began to wonder if my own pride and hubris was keeping me from considering and accepting the idea that He had something to teach me.

What would Jesus say about immigration reform?

For my fellow Republican friends, who get their shorts in a bunch over immigration reform, I'd like to remind them of the parable of the Good Samaritan. A man from Jerusalem was beaten, robbed, and left on the side of the road. A priest and a Levite passed by but did not help him, thinking it was not their problem. A Samaritan, however, a man from a different region and culture, helped the man, treated his wounds, and paid for his care.

Jesus then asked who was the best neighbor to the man. Obviously, it was the one who went out of his way to help - at personal cost with no thought of return or payback. Jesus then said, "Go and do likewise."

When we see the overwhelming violence and poverty in Mexico, and yet choose to pass by, and pretend their suffering is none of our concern, and refuse to welcome them to our country - a country in which most of us are not native to ourselves - we defy the lesson of Christ.

Do we continue to place the blame for our problems on illegals, and characterize them as evil or selfish consumers of our resources, or will we follow Christ's example? Will we allow our own hate and prejudice to define our actions, or will we show mercy and forgiveness as God has shown us?