Michael J. Schiffen writes Associated Press:

U.S. immigration agencies say anti-terrorism is their primary mission, but they tried to deport only 12 people on terrorism-related charges from 2004 through 2006, according to a private research study released Sunday.

That group of 12 represents a tiny fraction of the 814,073 people the government tried to remove from the country during those three years. The study’s authors acknowledge the figure understates the anti-terrorism effort by the
Homeland Security Department’s immigration agencies.

I haven’t read this study, but 12 deportation in the current situation seems rather strange. I’m was surprised that all foreign guest workers on critical technical infrastructure weren’t sent home.

Now, Machiavelli said that revolts of the oppressed don’t happen when the oppression is going on–but when something takes place to distract the oppressor. I tend to see mass migration as a hugely oppressive measure directed towards multiple generations of less rich Americans.

Perhaps the rich and powerful really do have a reason to be less afraid of Arabs blowing up the buildings in which they work and play than they do the ultimate reaction of Americans to these horribly oppressive policies. US Elites can manage to maintain the highest level of incarceration of citizens of any country in the world, but can’t manage to enforce US immigration policy. Eventual reaction appears inevitable unless the rich and powerful get a little imagination and vision fairly soon.

I see nothing in US immigration policy to suggest the rich and powerful bozos running the US are serious about security. The US borders aren’t really secure–a coyote is just a bit more expensive–but certainly not out of the reach of Al Qaeda. There has been no real sensible reexamination of visas–no bonding requirements introduced, for example.

The US power elite seems hell bent on self-destruction. I suggest that VDARE.com readers start to seriously consider all criticism of US political and economic elites in a more positive light–and consider how they might fit within an America in which the existing liberal and monied GOP elites are completely discredited.

The Loyal Opposition blog, a Democrat in Minnesota, received this Anarchist flier, (in English and Spanish) from some local activists:

The RNC Welcoming Committee- a group of Twin Cities-based anarchists and anti-authoritarians formed to organize resistance to the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul- stands firmly with immigrant communities in opposing the recent wave of nativist repression led by the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) branch.[Anarchists, a Minneapolis non-profit, and embedded threats. « The Loyal Opposition]

He’s been able to trace the sender, and has questions for the organization that’s hosting these people, who are basically offering to riot in support of illegals, but that’s not my point.

I’m afraid that what struck me is their idea that immigration raids were the result of nativist, Republican plot. They haven’t been keeping up with their plotting, apparently.

Neither Michael Chertoff, head of DHS, nor George Bush, who appointed him, are nativists. In fact, it’s hard to even call them Republicans. If there’s any plot behind the raids, it’s to make the government look like it’s enforcing the law, so Bush can slip amnesty through.

If the anarchists had any tactical sense, they’d wait until after amnesty to threaten riots.

Now for the really important news: Rachel Smith, Miss USA, was booed yesterday by the Mexican crowd at the the Miss Universe competition, where she finished fifth. Smith slipped and fell on the runway, recovering with remarkable grace (video here), but there are reports that the crowd’s rudeness was inspired by a “an illegal immigrant backlash”. Apparently amnesty is not enough.

Rachel Smith was born in Panama and is described on the official Miss USA site as “biracial”. She is a lovely-looking girl, but I can’t help brooding about why my own niece was told by New York modeling agencies recently that there is no longer any demand for six-foot, blue-eyed blondes.

George Borjas is quite right to contrast the easy acceptance by the Canadian media of supply and demand facts in immigration and wage matters with the wilful avoidance of the question by the American MSM. As I blogged on Saturday, the Statistics Canada study mentioned considered the US as well. One might have thought the damage it demonstrated is done to real wages (and income equality in the US) newsworthy south of the border. Yet, now as then, Google News shows not a single American MSM outlet has mentioned it. Like Oklahoma’s new law, some news is not suitable for the peasanty!

Here (PDF) is the study - hat tip, Borjas Blog.

George Borjas’s Blog has a post where he notes that Canada’s Toronto Globe & Mail has an editorial about a recent paper he co-wrote. They write

Immigrants and wages

May 28, 2007
Few Canadians would be surprised to learn that immigrants pull down the wages of the domestic workers whom they challenge for jobs. That has been the law of supply and demand since humans first scrabbled to make a living.

Borjas asks

Can someone please teach the crowd at the editorial page of The Wall Street Journal some of those basic economic principles?
[The Borjas Blog: Canadians Know Their Supply and Demand]