The definition of asylum has been twisted beyond recognition by the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. Increasingly, what was intended to provide refuge for those fleeing repressive governments is now providing a generous welcome for those claiming flight from repressive social norms.

VDARE.com readers can check their local PBS listings for Oct 26 to see the likely future for the “new normal” in asylum admissions.

“Breaking Free: A Woman’s Journey”, part of a fall PBS series on immigration and refugee issues, will detail the asylum appeal of Rodi Alvarado, a victim of severe domestic violence from Guatemala.

Initially granted asylum by an immigration judge, the Board of Immigration Appeals reversed that decision in 1999. At that time Attorney General Janet Reno proposed regulations granting asylum to Ms. Alvarado and codifying the availability of asylum for women and girls who claim to be fleeing domestic abuse. Those regulations were never finalized and are still awaiting final approval from the Attorney General.

It was expected by many that John Ashcroft would formalize the new regulation. The expectation is near universal in the human rights/immigration/refugee lobby that Alberto Gonzales will finalize the new regulation. Indeed, most recently, DHS has urged acceptance of the Reno/Clinton regulation and recommended asylum for Ms Alvarado.

Supporters of domestic violence as grounds for asylum like to point out that it did not open the flood gates in Canada when that country adopted relaxed criteria vis a vis domestic violence. But Canada is only bordered by the U.S. . The U.S. is bordered by Mexico.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has found that domestic violence in Mexico is “pervasive, officially tolerated, and in some areas, legally approved”. (Aguirre-Cervantes v. INS, No. 99-70861, Mar. 21, 2001). That certainly goes for most other countries in the region such as Ms Alvarado’s home of Guatemala.

If domestic violence is grounds for admission to the U.S. then we may not need the Bush immigration plan after all. Half the region will be eligible for admission under asylum law. And the other half will not be stopped from following them in. (So much for putting an end to domestic violence.)

The PBS “documentary” on Rodi Alvarado’s “journey” is part of a lobbying effort supported by refugee and asylee federal contractors, large corporate donors and immigration lawyers and enlisting popular opinion molders from Hollywood, TV and rock music.

The Human Rights / immigrant rights lobby is not offering to sacrifice any of its resources to aid victims of domestic violence. It could for instance, lobby for an immigrant status that stopped somewhere short of the full rights and entitlements that a successful asylum claim brings. But immigrants with such a status might require support from the supporters of relaxed asylum criteria. Click here to see what entitlements await Ms Alvarado when she gains asylum. (see below)

I have sat in on sessions where the director of the National Immigration Forum spoke of the importance of timing the release of such quasi-news stories around Thanksgiving when, according to their marketers, Americans are most likely to be receptive to the message in the story. No, I am not saying that Frank Sharry is pulling the strings of MSM puppets, but the MSM is congenitally incapable of talking to both sides on the question of humanitarian immigration. Going exclusively to one side for “stories” differs little from serving outright as a publicity agent for that side’s agenda. One side’s agenda is what viewers are in for with PBS’s Thanksgiving story.

Federal “Means-Tested” Public benefits available to asylees include:

• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
• Medicaid
• Food Stamps
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Social Security Disability Insurance
• Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD) (direct services only)
• Child Care and Development Fund
• Independent Living Program
• Job Opportunities for Low Income Individuals (JOLI)
• Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
• Postsecondary Education Loans and Grants
• Public Housing
• Refugee Assistance Programs
• Section 8 Subsidized Housing
• State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
• Title IV Foster Care and Adoption Assistance Payments (if parents are “qualified immigrants”)
• Title XX Social Services Block Grant Funds

If Canada was to be a bilingual country with most power concentrated in Ottawa’s federal government, in the nature of things it would be francophones who would end up occupying most positions of authority in it. The inclination is always stronger for minorities to learn the language of a majority. Anglos weren’t going to be bilingual in significant numbers. Francophones would be, and so rule the land. This part of the three wise men’s vision was addressed to the mandarinate in Quebec, actual or aspiring; francophone civil servants, chattering classes and company executives grooming their sons and daughters to be the bureaucrats, politicians, journalists, entrepreneurs and administrators of the next generation.

Unintended consequences, By George Jonas , National Post, October 14, 2005

What Jonas, a Hungarian immigrant to Canada, (Class of ‘56) is saying is that Canada’s official bilingualism has turned into a jobs program for Canadians of French ancestry, who are the minority language group, entrenching them in control of the Civil Service.

A similar situation prevailed in South Africa, in the 1960’s, where Afrikaners had a lock on civil service positions, including the railways, because you had to be bilingual, in English and Afrikaans for those jobs. (Modern day South Africa has an 11-language policy.)

What does that mean for the future of American bilingualism? Well, it means a lot of promotions for Hispanics, and it means that Americans will lose jobs because they can’t speak Spanish.

And politically, it may eventually mean that only people who speak Spanish can run for President.

Which means more people named Bush.

I am remiss in my blogging, immigration crime-fighting being a time consuming task here in Georgiafornia. More on that later.

In many areas of the country, political correctness, laziness and fear of being labeled as un-American - or worse - can have a negative effect on assembling some of the 80% of Americans who take the position that we should secure our borders and enforce out laws.

In Alabama…not so much.

Last Saturday, in Birmingham, 1500 Americans gathered under one roof to make their own position crystal clear. I love typing that…1500 Americans rallied last week in Alabama.

The occasion was the “Alabama Tea Party”, organized and staged by husband and wife morning drive time radio team Russ and Dee Fine of the “Russ and Dee Show.”

From here in Marietta, we tip our hat, with gratitude, to Russ and Dee Fine for organizing the very successful event; it was a masterstroke of planning and patriotism.

An added bonus…watching 1500 of his neighbors loudly boo the mere mention of Morris Dees’s name - less than one hundred miles from the slick parasitic huckster’s estate – it was an absolute hoot.

Thanks Russ and Dee!

It was interesting to note the Birmingham News’ coverage of the day’s activities…it gave an accurate, if brief, account of the “Tea Party”, and shared it with a report of a “Cultural Festival” being held not far away.

The News failed to list the speakers, so I will point them out here: and add my friend, Erin Anderson, who did her usual terrific job.

The impact of so many people making their voices heard cannot be overstated, and does not go un-noticed in the re-election campaign offices of sitting Congressional Representatives.

From the Birmingham News; Cultural festival, rally spotlight illegal immigrants October 16, 2005, by Dawn Kent

“Dancers dressed in colorful native costumes from Latin American countries swung gaily in step with a fast-paced drumbeat Saturday in Linn Park, celebrating Hispanic culture and heritage.

A few blocks away, red, white and blue balloons were the backdrop for a flag-waving crowd who gathered to rally against the tax burden and job losses they attribute to an influx of illegal immigrants.”

One must have a daily exposure to our local paper here in Georgia to imagine how differently the Atlanta Journal Constitution would have written up the story.

If they would have at all.

An interesting observation from someone who has attended many events like the “Cultural Festival”: most of the “businesses” that set up tables and displays are banks and credit card companies looking to cash in on the presence of the area’s illegal aliens…there is un-tapped gold in these oppressed willing workers.

“Nonprofit organizations and businesses also were on hand to offer information to Hispanics about health care, education, mortgages and insurance”.

No mention of the federal laws being violated by further profiting from the illegals.