(March 24, 2021, Washington, D.C.) – Taking heat from everyone from the President of Mexico to border state Democrats for the humanitarian, health, and national security border crisis his administration has triggered in just two months, President Biden has thrown one architect of the mess, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas under the bus, and tasked another architect of the mess, Vice President Kamala Harris, with fixing it.
"Today's move by President Biden is like pulling Inspector Clouseau off the case and replacing him with Lieutenant Drebin," quipped Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). "Like Secretary Mayorkas, Vice President Harris has a long record of open hostility toward controlling our borders and enforcing our immigration laws."
Given the vice president's track record of encouraging illegal immigration and disparaging immigration enforcement agencies, President Biden's announcement that she will lead the effort to restore order would be comical if it were not so serious. "I have asked her, the VP, today, because she is the most qualified person to do it, to lead our efforts with Mexico and the Northern Triangle and the countries that are going to need help in stemming the movement of so many folks, stemming the migration to our southern border," Biden said, apparently without irony.
"President Biden's memory may be a bit faulty, but the rest of us remember that we actually had agreements with Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries that were helping us stem mass migration. He tore them up!" Stein charged. "He also halted construction of the border wall and scrapped numerous other policies put in place by his predecessor that discouraged people from abusing our political asylum process and from putting their kids into the hands of criminal cartels that smuggle them across the border. Until President Biden and Vice President Harris are prepared to restore the policies they blew up, the crisis will continue no matter who's making the photo ops at the border," concluded Stein.
March 21, 2021
Pete stood out as the conservative leader with the leadership and the innovative ideas needed to open our schools, save small businesses, and protect Virginians' rights
Arlington, VA - Following today's Arlington Republican Women's Club and Monticello Council of Republican Women Forum, Pete Snyder for Governor Campaign Manager Jim Hilk released the following statement on Pete's forum victory:
"Pete proved himself to be the conservative outsider that Virginia needs to restore the rights of Virginians, revitalize small business, and open our schools. Pete is offering fresh, innovative solutions to make Virginia the leader it once was.
"Pete is the only proven conservative in this race that can get Virginia leading again, and today's forum confirmed that."
Pete Snyder announced his candidacy for Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia in January 2021. Pete is a small business champion and conservative outsider committed to exposing the systemic incompetence in Richmond and disrupting the status quo. Pete is a small business owner, an innovator, and a problem solver. A true pioneer, Pete started his first company, New Media Strategies, the first social media marketing company in the country, when he was 26 years old. Over the years, as an angel capital investor and CEO of Disruptor Capital, Pete has helped found and grow many small businesses in Virginia and across the country.
When those in charge in Richmond failed to lead us during this pandemic, Pete and his wife Burson stepped up. Together and with the help of friends and neighbors the Snyders created the Virginia 30 Day Fund, a zero-overhead, non-profit organization that has helped save more than 1,000 small businesses across Virginia and more than 2,500 small businesses across America. Their 30 Day Fund efforts have raised more than $40 million to date, and every single dime of that goes to help keep hard working heroes afloat and their small business dreams alive. This is the very kind of new leadership, new energy and innovative thinking Pete will bring to Richmond to restore common sense and get Virginia leading again.
Pete, who has been a World Championship level certified BBQ judge (which the Washington Post's Politifact rated as "100% True"), is the proud owner of Pete's Pig Rig, the most infamous BBQ smoker in the Commonwealth. Pete, his wife Burson, his six-year-old daughter Bee, and their puppies Willie and Waylon live in Charlottesville, Virginia.
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March 18, 2021
IRLI brief details human, financial costs of White House executive order
WASHINGTON—On Tuesday, the Immigration Reform Law Institute filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida in support of the State of Florida's request for a preliminary injunction against the Biden administration's immigration enforcement priorities set forth in ICE's February 18, 2021, interim guidance memorandum.
In its brief, IRLI argues that ICE's enforcement priorities violate the law because they prevent immigration officers from taking mandatory enforcement actions against a broad range of aliens. For instance, under ICE's enforcement guidelines, only terrorists, spies, other national security threats, those who entered the United States after November 1, 2020, aggravated felons, and criminal gang members may be apprehended or removed. Any other alien, including other criminal aliens, may not be removed or detained. As Florida demonstrated in its request for an injunction, DHS is declining to take enforcement actions against criminal aliens that fall outside the narrow enforcement priorities by refusing to issue immigration detainers or to take those criminal aliens into custody as required by law.
The case is the latest effort by states to push back against the Biden administration's failure to enforce immigration laws and protect the American people. Last month a judge in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas granted the Lone Star State's motion for a preliminary injunction against DHS 100-day deportation moratorium. IRLI and Attorneys United for a Secure America (AUSA), a project of IRLI, had both filed friend-of-court briefs in that case.
"The arguments of these states could not be more legitimate," said Dale L. Wilcox, executive director and general counsel of IRLI. "Many of these aliens are facing final orders of removal because of their criminal activity in the United States. Keeping these people in the country comes with a cost, both in terms of finances and, more importantly, the human cost of those victimized by the actions of these criminals and others who will be drawn to the United States by the magnet of loose immigration enforcement. It is simply wrong for Washington to expect the states to bear these burdens because of their own reckless dictates."
The case is Florida v. United States, No. 8:21-cv-00541 (M.D. Fla.).
(March 18, 2021, Washington, D.C.) – The following statement was issued by Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), in response to House passage of the American Dream and Promise Act (H.R. 6) and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act (H.R. 1603) amidst a historic border surge:
"The mass amnesty bills advanced by the House today are bad policy, even under the best of circumstances. Passing them in the midst of a full-blown border crisis driven by the Biden administration is an affront to the integrity of our system, as well as to the safety and security of the American people.
"These bills do not acknowledge the crisis at the border nor the abuse of our asylum process, much less offer any steps to remedy the situation. Instead, they offer a clear indication that amnesty and unchecked migration are now the biggest priorities of Democrats on the issue.
"What happened today is no surprise – lawmakers have taken no initiative to address the crisis and instead are worsening it by advancing bills that incentivize migrants to come to the country illegally. The only crisis, as far as all Democrats and a handful of Republicans are concerned, is the lack of amnesty for illegal aliens already here, and these bills aim to 'fix' only that problem.
"Senate Republicans must hold firm and oppose both the American Dream and Promise Act and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act if they are brought to the floor in the upper chamber. The border crisis is raging, and the American people are watching – address the crisis, do not exacerbate it."
American Dream and Promise Act (H.R. 6)
"This legislation grants a pathway to citizenship to roughly 3 million illegal aliens who are already in the country—which is well beyond the 700,000 or so active Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients. The bill also provides a pathway to citizenship to hundreds of thousands of migrants under temporary relief and humanitarian programs, including Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED). It also does not contain any immigration enforcement provisions to address the current crisis on the southern border."
Farm Workforce Modernization Act (H.R. 1603)
"The Farm Workforce Modernization Act would amnesty approximately 1.5 million illegal alien farmworkers, expand the H-2A guestworker program as unemployment remains high, add 40,000 green cards to the EB-3 category, and only mandate E-Verify across the agriculture sector. The bill title is deceptive; the legislation does nothing to actually modernize America's agricultural workforce. That would require automating many of these jobs using advanced technology and programs designed to give farmers access to those innovations. Further, the framework for improving legal farm labor already exists – fix problems within the current H-2A program. This, and encouraging the adoption of labor- and cost-saving automated harvesting technologies, represents true modernization. Another senseless amnesty at the worst possible time does not."
The principle that immigrants be self-sufficient predates our republic, and has been codified into law since 1882. But none of that, nor the burdens placed on the American people, matters one whit to an administration that is hell-bent on eliminating all rational rules and enforcement where it comes to immigration." – Dan Stein
(March 12, 2021, Washington, D.C.) – The following statement was released in response to the Biden administration's decision to cancel the public charge rule in the midst of an immigration crisis. The statement should be attributed to Dan Stein, president, Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR):
"After decimating immigration enforcement and creating a crisis on our southern border, the Biden administration has decided to stick it to the American taxpayers by canceling a rule that would have barred people who are likely to become public charges from immigrating to the United States legally.
"The rule that would have shielded U.S. taxpayers from having to provide costly public benefits, such as cash benefits for income maintenance, SNAP, most forms of Medicaid, Section 8 Housing Assistance, Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance, and certain other forms of subsidized housing, is now gone, and taxpayers will remain on the hook for these costs.
"The principle that immigrants be self-sufficient predates our republic, and has been codified into law since 1882. But none of that, nor the burdens placed on the American people, matters one whit to an administration that is hell-bent on eliminating all rational rules and enforcement where it comes to immigration.
"Combined with the administration's plan to grant amnesty to upwards of 14.5 million illegal aliens, and subsequent family chain migration that could entitle as many as 52 million more people to qualify for green cards, the price tag for eliminating the public charge rule could run into the tens of trillions of dollars. But, when it comes to achieving this administration's radical agenda of unrestricted immigration, no price appears to be too great."
(March 10, 2021, Washington, D.C.) – "Today's White House briefing by former Ambassador and current southern border Coordinator Roberta Jacobson highlights how utterly detached from reality the Biden administration is about the worsening crisis at the border.
"In her remarks, Jacobson stated that the administration has 'made significant progress' in dealing with immigration. The only 'significant progress' they've made is creating a humanitarian, security, and health crisis with words and deeds that have sparked the greatest surge of illegal migration in our nation's history.
"Again, we heard Jacobson repeat the administration's line that our borders are not open, even as every action they have taken signals that they are, and caution migrants that 'perception is not the same as reality.' No, Ms. Jacobson, in this case perception is reality. Our borders are open and it is the Biden administration that has recklessly opened them.
"Perhaps the most surreal aspect of today's briefing was the reaffirmation of the administration's utterly unrealistic plan to end the crisis they created. Rather than take immediate steps to actually restore effective enforcement policies they have dismantled, the White House continues to suggest that $4 billion to fight 'corruption, violence and economic devastation' in a region that has experienced generations of corruption, violence and economic devastation is going to solve all of their problems and ours.
"The one word that can be applied to the administration's response to the full-blown crisis they have created, and to their feeble attempt to explain it to the American public is 'pathetic'.
"And to make matters even worse, the Democrats have announced that next week, they'll be serving up not one, but two amnesty bills in Congress. Mass amnesty in the middle of a border crisis? That's not leadership, it's further proof of a complete disconnection with reality."
(March 10, 2021, Washington, D.C.) – "Today's White House briefing by former Ambassador and current southern border Coordinator Roberta Jacobson highlights how utterly detached from reality the Biden administration is about the worsening crisis at the border.
"In her remarks, Jacobson stated that the administration has 'made significant progress' in dealing with immigration. The only 'significant progress' they've made is creating a humanitarian, security, and health crisis with words and deeds that have sparked the greatest surge of illegal migration in our nation's history.
"Again, we heard Jacobson repeat the administration's line that our borders are not open, even as every action they have taken signals that they are, and caution migrants that 'perception is not the same as reality.' No, Ms. Jacobson, in this case perception is reality. Our borders are open and it is the Biden administration that has recklessly opened them.
"Perhaps the most surreal aspect of today's briefing was the reaffirmation of the administration's utterly unrealistic plan to end the crisis they created. Rather than take immediate steps to actually restore effective enforcement policies they have dismantled, the White House continues to suggest that $4 billion to fight 'corruption, violence and economic devastation' in a region that has experienced generations of corruption, violence and economic devastation is going to solve all of their problems and ours.
"The one word that can be applied to the administration's response to the full-blown crisis they have created, and to their feeble attempt to explain it to the American public is 'pathetic'.
"And to make matters even worse, the Democrats have announced that next week, they'll be serving up not one, but two amnesty bills in Congress. Mass amnesty in the middle of a border crisis? That's not leadership, it's further proof of a complete disconnection with reality."
(March 4, 2021, Washington, D.C.) – The following statement was issued by Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), in opposition to the nomination of Xavier Becerra to lead the Department of Health and Human Services:
"FAIR's strong concerns about the fitness of Xavier Becerra to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are clearly reflected in the Senate Finance Committee's failure to support his nomination.
"HHS is faced with unprecedented strains on its resources as the lead federal agency tasked with dealing with the COVID crisis. The Biden administration's reckless immigration policies have triggered another border crisis and a growing surge of people coming across our borders and multiplying demands on public health resources. Moreover, because HHS is also responsible for the care and housing of unaccompanied children entering the country illegally, the burden on agency personnel and resources will be even greater.
"Unfortunately, Becerra repeatedly demonstrated during his time in Congress and as attorney general of California that his interests rest with those of illegal aliens not the American people. In California, Becerra was among those leading the effort to divert state resources to provide publicly subsidized health care coverage to illegal aliens, even as countless other urgent needs were neglected.
"As secretary of HHS, it is almost certain that Becerra will divert much-needed assets to accommodate the needs of a growing number of illegal aliens, and away from Americans affected by the COVID pandemic.
"As such, FAIR urges the U.S. Senate to reject his nomination as HHS secretary and demand that President Biden appoint someone who will serve the needs of the American people to lead the department."
Senator Mark Obenshain Comments on Democrats' Campaign to Block Parole Transparency RICHMOND, VA, February 26, 2021 - Senator Mark Obenshain (R-Rockingham) commented today on the General Assembly Democrats to water down legislation (HB2167 and SB1104) requiring accountability and transparency from Governor Northam's Parole Board. "Today, Democrats passed a conference report on so-called parole transparency legislation that does little but give the illusion of reform. The Northam Administration is desperate to look like it is doing something to address the growing Parole Board scandal and it urged Democrats to pass a bill that won't provide any additional transparency until long after Northam and his Parole Board are but tiny specks in the rearview mirror. House Bill 2167 contains a provision that will delay the implementation of any additional transparency until July 1, 2022. I could have lived with any of the other changes proposed to the bill, but I will not be complicit in a cynical effort to give the Governor the ability to claim that he supports more transparency when we all know that he does not. This Governor and his administration have consistently endeavored to shield his Parole Board from criticism for its pattern of improper actions. The executive branch has circled the wagons, hidden reports from the state's watchdog, engaged in efforts to silence dissent and now has enlisted his allies in the legislature in efforts to advance a "transparency" bill that is anything but transparent. This is part of an effort by the Governor and his accomplices to block any legislation that remotely resembles any meaningful reform that would expose the actions of the Parole Board to any additional sunlight or accountability. I will not be a party to this effort. Revelations about the Parole Board - both from last May and October, as well as the recent allegations that surfaced this week - point to the need for Governor Northam to clean house and immediately fire the Parole Board members. Additionally, these repeated transgressions necessitate we act now to impose measures that will ensure accountability and transparency for the Board moving forward. This is what I attempted to accomplish by filing legislation in the 2020 Special Session, and again this year with my SB 1104. This legislation received unanimous bipartisan approval in the Senate last year and again this year. However, the House of Delegates amended the bill to make the provisions within it little but window dressing with phony transparency. SB 1104 has died because I would not agree to these amendments. The Democrats' amendments to the bills, would no longer require the Parole Board to confirm or certify to anyone that it has complied with its obligations to notify victims and Commonwealth Attorneys of the impending release of felons convicted of serious crimes. These are the very laws that the Parole Board has been accused of consistently violating and this is the one provision in the legislation that could have prevented further releases of criminals without providing notice to crime victims. I declined to sign the conference report and asked that it be rejected so that we could get a new conference that would strip the delayed enactment clause. That effort failed on a 20-18 vote*," Obenshain said. *One Senator failed to vote on the conference report, but filed a statement that his intention was to vote against the conference report, which would have resulted in a 20-19 vote. Senator Obenshain represents the twenty-sixth district in the Virginia Senate. The district includes the city of Harrisonburg and the counties of Warren, Shenandoah, Page, Rappahannock and Rockingham (part). He is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and is the former Chairman of the Virginia State Crime Commission.
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