Border Legislative Conference

The Border Legislative Conference began in 2002 and is comprised of legislative representatives from states along the US/Mexico border.  Members meet regularly to discuss issues relating to the border.

In 2003, the BLC declared:

Whereas, the goal of the Border Legislative Conference is to empower border state legislators to engage in the binational agenda and provide input and direction in the development of policy between both countries;

 

On the subject of  IMMIGRATION:  (pay attention to the number of immigration buzz words)

The members of the Border Legislative Conference conducted an open and passionate discussion on the topic of immigration. Participating legislators strongly reaffirmed their call on the federal governments of the United States and Mexico to work towards the implementation of a comprehensive immigration accord that addresses the United States’ demand for workers and the border security needs of both countries.

Some of the concepts which were adopted at the conference included:

• Limited state resources should not be diverted to support policies and initiatives that tolerate or result in racial profiling in border communities;


• It is the United States government’s obligation to fund and oversee a well-trained Border Patrol acting consciously of basic human rights of immigrants;


• Legislation, or any acts that violate the human rights of immigrants, documented or undocumented, should be condemned. Law enforcement agencies, both federal and state, must treat all immigrants with respect and dignity and adhere to the legal rights they are entitled under state, federal or international treaties, especially the rights of minors through the utilization of procedures and programs that protect them;


• Legislation that focuses solely on enforcement will be ineffective. Border legislators support fair and comprehensive immigration legislation that balances border security concerns with recognition of the U.S. demand for workers in the numerous sectors of the U.S. labor force, including agriculture, construction, and the service economy;


• Border legislators support laws that offer a path to citizenship, under clearly defined guidelines, to immigrants who have demonstrated citizenship, paid taxes, and birthed children and grandchildren;


• A temporary worker program that allows employers to sponsor low-skilled immigrant workers to obtain residence status should be supported. Undocumented students under the age of 21 should be able to satisfy the requirements under such a program by attending an institution of higher education or a secondary school full-time;


• Border legislators support legislation that provides a larger number of employment and family-based residency cards to promote family unification and reduce backlogs in application processing;


• The ongoing implementation of the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America between the U.S., Canada and Mexico, aimed at establishing a common security strategy, competitiveness, quality of life, and to promote economic growth by streamlining the secure movement of low-risk traffic across our shared borders, should be supported;


• Border legislators support legislation that authorizes additional federal funds to states and local governments for reimbursement of the indirect costs relation to the incarceration of undocumented immigrants should be supported; as well as for the health and educational needs of immigrant populations;

Discourage state legislation aimed at taxing immigrants' remittances; and border legislators recognize and respect signed international immigration agreements between United States and Mexico.

Remember 2003?  Jeff Flake, John McCain and Jim Kolbe were trying to push through their idea of "Comprehensive Immigration Reform".  It was so much to the liking of immigration activist, Frank Sherry, that his response was,

THIS IS HUGE!

Fast Forward to 2008:

Legislators from the State of Sonora presented members of the Border Legislative Conference a resolution expressing strong concerns regarding the adoption and implementation of an employer sanctions law in the State of Arizona. The law imposes penalties on employers that knowingly or intentionally hire undocumented immigrants in Arizona. The resolution was unanimously supported by Mexico members of the Border Legislative Conference. Mexico members requested the Chair and Vice Chair of the Border Legislative Conference that the document be included in the meeting minutes to ensure the expressions and concerns of the Mexico delegation regarding this law are recorded.

So, we are not allowed to pass laws and create policy unless they are first approved by other nations?  Sounds like one of the excuses the US attorney used when he argued recently in front of the Supreme Court over portions of SB1070.  What happened to sovereignty?  What are we even doing agreeing to resolutions with other countries that are not in our nation's best interest?

The Mexican BLC representatives were upset by the E-Verify bill which passed the Arizona legislature in 2007.  The same bill which sparked a lawsuit against the state of Arizona and which one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit was  Maricopa County Board of Supervisors candidate, Steve Chucri.

(Chucri, President of the Arizona Restaurant Association, is seen standing on the far right, next to Jason LeVecke, Carl's Jr. franchise owner, and Mac Magruder who owns several McDonalds franchises in the valley.  Businesses that depend on cheap labor).

There was another BLC conference held in San Diego around the same week in April 2008.  According to the minutes, they also discussed immigration:

The members of the Border Legislative Conference unanimously adopted Resolution 2005-

01 urging the federal governments of the United States and Mexico to accelerate discussions

on the topic of immigration. The resolution also expresses concerns over the current impasse

in the United States Congress on immigration reform, as well as a lack of progress on

practical and comprehensive legislative solutions to address this important matter.

They also appointed then Representative, Amanda Aguirre to the BLC Health Committee.  She certainly knows all about how to take advantage of   utilize healthcare resources at the border.

Jeff Flake was again trying to push through comprehensive immigration reform around the same time.



In 2011, the BLC claimed they supported immigration policy that included:

• ...fair and comprehensive immigration legislation that balances border security concerns with recognition of the U.S. need for workers in certain sectors, and that does not preclude them from consideration from eventual citizenship;

• A comprehensive, bipartisan immigration approach that is endorsed by immigrant advocates, and other important stakeholders such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Service Employees International Union, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and the Western Growers Association, as well as their counterparts in Mexico. Additionally, the Utah Compact, which was recently adopted, should be seriously considered by the U.S. Western States.

• ...supports a more humane and appropriate family-friendly system aimed at the legal residency of young people who were involuntarily taken to the U.S. when they were children, who attended school, and who are currently attending an institution of higher education in the U.S.;

• Increase the quotas of employment and increase family based green cards to promote family unification and reduce waiting times for the consideration of their application;

US Chamber of Commerce? 

(Director of US Chamber of Commerce in 2007 giving Flake an award at the Arizona Employers for Immigration Reform conference)

SEIU? 

(Eliseo Medina is a representative of the SEIU seen here at the Supreme Court Hearing on Arizona's immigration bill)

US Conference of Catholic Bishops?  The same group who has ties to radical organizations such as the Center for Community Change who promotes abortion and gay marriage?  (Jerry Lewis should be familiar with CCC.  They donated at least $9000 of "in kind" donations to Promise Arizona during the recall election and who then canvassed on Lewis' behalf. They also were represented at the Supreme Court hearing.)

Western Growers Association?
The same group who signed off on the Arizona Accord along with groups like Chicanos por la Causa, IAF affiliated organizations, and Jerry Lewis?  The group that bemoans any kind of enforcement legislation to combat illegal immigration?

Did we mention that Rep Russ Jones is one of the members of the BLC appointed to represent Arizona?
Stay tuned for more connections....

Jeff Flake Was For Comprehensive Immigration Reform Before He Was Against It

In 2009, Congressman Jeff Flake spoke to some Republican students at Arizona State University.  One of the subjects was about "Comprehensive Immigration Reform".  In particular, the STRIVE Act which he co sponsored with Luis Guttierrez (D-IL)

He said,

The Republican position on immigration, or at least the TONE,

has not been good for us politically. 

Because the tone has been HARSH. 

 And when you look at the vast demographic out there,

Hispanic American in particular, you have a HARSH TONE,

even if your policy isn't any different than anyone elses,

it doesn't serve you well politically.

You can explain it both policy wise,

 you have 12 million people who are here illegally now,

 you've got to have a mechanism to deal with that.

Bring them out of the shadows. 

 You have to go about immigration

in a smart way and a HUMANE way.

Now, where have we heard words like "tone", "harsh", "out of the shadows" and "humane" before?

Here

Here

Here

As recently as last year, Flake said,

'Comprehensive' has gotten a bad word.

But until we have a better one I'll use that.

The article goes on to say that while Flake understands we need to enhance border security, that's not enough.

'You have to have a viable mechanism to deal with the people who are here. My party hasn't come to grips with that.' He explains that his own state of Arizona passed a controversial law (now the subject of a federal court challenge) that allows for us to 'more easily round people up. But that's not the problem. The problem is what to do about them after we get them.' On a political level, he says the 'tone and tenor of the debate' needs to improve on the Republican side. But the substance remains the nub of the problem. He says the problem is 'more complicated' than his party would like to admit.

But given the current politics, he says,

'I'd like to be optimistic [about reform legislation], but I'm not.'

Two weeks later, Flake announced his run for Senate.

In  2003, members of Arizona's delegation including John McCain, Jeff Flake and Jim Kolbe introduced a proposal to deal with the illegal immigration market-driving flow of immigrant workers.

Remember Kolbe?  He donated to the PAC Judgement Matters in 2008 along with Bill Konopnicki and Farrell Quinlan in an effort to defeat Senator Pearce by supporting Kevin Gibbons....Jeff Flake's immigration lawyer brother-in-law (who incidentally, has had his law license recently suspended).

At least Frank Sharry, executive director of the National Immigration Forum was impressed.  He admited that it would have been unthinkable in the late 1990s for three Republicans from a border state to make such sweeping proposals.

Sharry's reaction?

This is HUGE!

Insert an election year.

Not just ANY election year but one which Flake is now running for the Senate.

Then cue the tack to the right.

"In the past I have supported a broad approach to immigration reform - increased border security coupled with a temporary worker program.

I no longer do," Flake says in an immigration-policy statement that was

 expected to be posted on his campaign website as early as today.

"I've been down that road, and it is a dead end.

 The political realities in Washington are such that a

comprehensive solution is not possible, or even

desirable given the current leadership. Border security must be addressed

 before other reforms are tackled....For those who say that this is a late conversion, I've been supporting these border-security things all along."

Border-security "things"?

Even the Vice President for immigration policy and advocacy at the CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS said,

It's kind of hard for him to walk away from this when he has his fingerprints all over the issue...It's not like he just gently engaged it - he was a full-throttle supporter of comprehensive reform. So it's hard for him to erase what in fact has been written in Sharpie pen.

If only Flake's sudden change of heart were believable.  The reality is, however, that his Comprehensive Immigration Reform platform has trailed as a close second, right behind earmarks, throughout his political career. 

He said as much himself.

For those who don't agree with my position,

or think that it ought to be something different,

at least I think they give me a little credit for

STICKING WITH MY POSITION.

He is betting on the hope that the electorate will have short term memories.  He will continue to insult our intelligence by downplaying his former role when he pushed for Comprehensive Immigration bills alongside the likes of Luis Gutierrez.

Then again, he was FOR self-term limits before he was against it.

Pizza Patron.

Maybe there was another reason why Jason LeVecke of the Carl's Jr franchises stood alongside the likes of Jeff Flake pushing "Comprehensive Immigration Reform".

We've discussed Jason LeVecke before.

He fought to overturn the Employer Sanctions Laws in 2008.

It makes even more sense knowing his company Pizza Revolucion, operated 8 Pizza Patron locations and agreed to develop 20 more in Arizona in 2007. 

Dallas, TX - November, 06, 2006 - Pizza Patrón, the premier Latino pizza brand, announced today it has signed a two-year development agreement for 20 locations in Arizona with franchise group, Pizza Revolución. Currently Pizza Revolución operates eight Pizza Patron locations in Arizona (Avondale, Chandler, Glendale, Mesa and Phoenix), and will open the first of several more locations in Phoenix within the next few months. Pizza Revolución is owned and operated by the LeVecke Family, the grandchildren of Carl Karcher, founder of Carl's Jr., who have becen in business for over 5 years beginning with two Carl's Jr. units, and has grown to 51 Carl's Jr. units, 8 Pizza Patron, and a few convenience stores. The LeVecke Family is very dedicated to the Arizona Latino community.

Even going so far as to accept pesos for payment.

There's always an ulterior motive.

Jeff Flake and the Arizona Employers for Immigration Reform

We've introduced you to Todd Landfried before. 

You can get a refresher course Here and Here.

He is the current spokesman for Arizona Employers for Immigration Reform (AZEIR).

His predecessor was Farrell Quinlan.

The AZEIR held an immigration forum breakfast (Immigration Reform Now) on May 30, 2007 at the Fiesta Inn in Tempe, AZ. 

Jeff Flake was the keynote speaker.

On the website "Arizona Marcha", a link at the top will take you to their homepage where you can find a compilation of many of the leftist immigration reform groups, leaders and protests which  have previously been discussed on SHIELD.

Puente AZ

Dolores Huerta  

ACORN

Anti-Arpaio marches

Anti-SB1070/Protest Arizona marches

According to the webpage, Arizona Marcha was started by Jose Munoz and his wife in early 2007 as a coalition of community leaders and activists to organize a march to the Arizona State Capitol on May 1, 2007 in an effort to advocate for comprehensive and humane immigration reform.  The photos on the Arizona Marcha/AZEIR forum page were taken by Jose Munoz.

Also on the Arizona Marcha/AZEIR webpage is a link to listen to Jeff Flake's comments.  This event took place during the time that Congressman Flake and Luis Gutierrez were working together to push through the STRIVE Act.  At one point, Flake mentioned that some people had put out some really good work with regards to immigration reform.  One such person was Tamar Jacoby from the Manhatten Institute.

Tamar Jacoby is a pro-immigration, self-proclaimed "Conservative Republican" who started ImmigrationWorks USA.  Her ultimate goal was to "have a grassroots army in place when immigration reform comes up again in Washington, ensuring that next time, there will be the national business presence that was missing during the last debate."

A member of the Board of Directors for ImmigrationWorks USA is former Arizona US Congressman, Jim Kolbe.

Kolbe donated to PACs such as "Judgement Matters" back in 2008 along with Bill Konopnicki and Farrell Quinlan in an effort to defeat Senator Pearce by supporting Kevin Gibbons....Jeff Flake's immigration lawyer brother-in-law.

In 2004, Jacoby came to Arizona to actively campaign against Prop 200 (Protect Arizona Now).

National pro-immigration figures realize late that if things

go badly in Arizona, they'll go worse in DC and for the country as a whole.

Eliseo Medina from the Service Employees International Union,

Tom Espinoza from the National Council of La Raza,

noted independent immigration advocate Tamar Jacoby, and Frank Sharry from the

National Immigration Forum all meet Alfredo (Gutierrez-State Senator from Arizona)

and local activists in Phoenix to work out a plan to fight PAN and a way to pay for it.

Former State Senator, Karen Johnson, outlined the role of ImmigrationWorks USA in a recent article.

The founder, President, and CEO of ImmigrationWorks USA is Tamar Jacoby, who once was viewed as conservative but over the years has drifted ever leftward in the immigration wars. Most recently, she was appointed as a Fellow of the New American Foundation. NAF supports universal health care, the green agenda, global governance, the Palestinian Arabs and, of course, amnesty.

The point man for ImmigrationWorks USA is Todd Landfried. Earlier in his career, Landfried worked for the Clinton Administration's "reinventing government team" and also worked with Vice President Al Gore's "Intergovernmental Team." After leaving Washington, Landfried had a Democratic-oriented radio program in Phoenix for several years which one newspaper called a "far-lefty" program. He recently served as the Executive Director of the Maricopa County (Phoenix area) Democratic Party organization and subsequently as a party officer. Landfried is now the adopted uncle of the Utah Compact. Under the direction of ImmigrationWorks USA, he chaperones the Compact on its tour through the states and lobbies it before state legislatures. He also presents the Compact to the public as a conservative document in ImmigrationWorks USA conferences. His audience is unaware of his liberal history and beliefs or the background of the founder of ImmigrationWorks USA.

Perhaps the meeting mentioned previously between Jeff Flake and the immigration activists in 2009 wasn't as out of the ordinary as we might have thought.

Exposing those behind the Compact: Todd Landfried

Todd Landfried is the point man for ImmigrationWorks USA.

Landfried is also the spokesman for the Arizona Employers for Immigration Reform (AZEIR).

AZEIR organized the Arizona Immigration Conferences held around the State this last year in an effort to work towards "sensible immigration reform for our state and country."

You can see his comments here.

It was Landfried who traveled to Utah by invitation of Utah politicians and businessmen last February with Lydia Guzman (also from Somos America and one of Randy Parraz's pals) to oppose enforcement-only immigration laws set to be discussed in the Utah Legislature. 

On the heels of Utah's immigration bills and the various "newsroom" statements by anonymous authors intended to sway members of the LDS church, it was no coincidence that a letter drafted by a slew of Arizona CEOs suddenly appeared days before a series of new immigration bills were set for vote at the Arizona legislature.  Landfried, of course, was always willing to make a statement decrying the evils of bills attempting to curb illegal immigration.

The people in the business community finally said, ‘Enough is enough,'

and told the Senate president that moving these bills forward now is damaging us.

At a time when businesses are moving out of the state and people are getting laid off, this is not good for the economy or the people of Arizona. We have to stop this.

Within days of the CEO letter, Landfried was using the opportunity to link the principles of the Utah Compact with those of local business leaders. (Remember, the coalition must be "authentic") 

 "...the path to compromise on the issue might be through the business community."  

Landfried was busy following Randy Parraz throughout the recall effort of Russell Pearce as well as promoting the principles of the Utah Compact and the "myths and misconceptions" of immigration.

During the statewide push over the summer to rally support for a similar Utah Compact here in Arizona, Landfried wrote an opinion piece on AZ Central titled, "Let's Find Real Immigration Solutions". It is chock full of the immigration buzz words, spin and half-truths.

It is understandable to see Landfried with the likes of Parraz and the Democrats, but he seemed to appear in some of the most unlikely places throughout the recall/election process.

Like here at the Jerry Lewis announcment at the Wright House in July
 (He can be seen appearing in the background during the Don Stapley interview around 6:25)

and at the Jerry Lewis Election Night Party.

Remember his resume?
Earlier in his career, Landfried worked for the Clinton Administration's "reinventing government team" and also worked with Vice President Al Gore's "Intergovernmental Team." After leaving Washington, Landfried had a Democratic-oriented radio program in Phoenix for several years which one newspaper called a "far-lefty" program. He recently served as the Executive Director of the Maricopa County (Phoenix area) Democratic Party organization
and subsequently as a party officer.

Landfried sent out a news release through AZEIR days after the recall election in LD18.
 In his statement, he says,

 "We believe the voters for whom immigration was an important issue recognized the differences between Pearce and Lewis and voted accordingly...They recognized Lewis' practical and balanced perspective and his call for a permanent  federal solution as the only effective way to secure the border, while providing access to essential labor and addressing the questions of how to deal with those who are already here.

AZEIR welcomes Lewis' fresh and much-needed change in approach to solving this critically important problem....We hope political parties and candidates

realize elections can be won with this approach."

Politics sure makes strange bedfellows.