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U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions suggested Wednesday that Chicagos status as a so-called sanctuary city for undocumented immigrants contributes to the citys high murder total.

Last year, Chicagos 2.7 million residents experienced more murders than the 12 million people who live in New York and Los Angeles combined, Sessions said in a speech from Miami. Respect for the rule of law has broken down in Chicago. The sanctuary city policies are one sad example of that.

But a fact-check published Thursday by the Better Government Association and PolitiFact says the connection Sessions made between violent crime and city immigration policies is groundless.

Matt Dietrich, who wrote the fact-check, said there is ample evidence that Chicagos high murder total is a result of gang violence and not illegal immigration.

Dietrich spoke with WBEZs Melba Lara on Thursday about his report. Below are highlights from their conversation

Matt Dietrich: There are a lot of elements that go into this fact-check but I think the overarching one is that Jeff Sessions is trying to connect a couple of dots here that simply cannot be connected. Hes taking Chicago and using it as an example because of the number of homicides and the amount of gun violence in Chicago, and hes equating that with illegal immigrants, in other words saying that if Chicago police would get tougher on immigration that the shootings and murders would go down.

Theres ample evidence and I think police superintendent Eddie Johnson has said it repeatedly that this is a product of gang violence in the city, not illegal immigrants.

Dietrich: The research says overwhelmingly that undocumented immigrants are much less likely to commit crimes. We quote in the fact-check from one of the authors of a study on this, and he says illegal immigrants are very motivated not to blow that opportunity by getting in trouble with the police. Theyre here mostly because the want to work and they have added incentive to not break the law.

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Dietrich: What Chicago has is a directive to police officers that they are not to use immigration status as grounds for detaining someone. They are not to question people about their immigration status. The interaction that they can have with federal immigration agents is very limited, by directive. However, that same directive also has a four-point clause that says that the conditions that I just described dont apply if a suspect has an outstanding criminal warrant, if the suspect has been convicted of a felony, if the suspect is a defendant in a case in which a felony charge is pending or if the suspect has been identified as a known gang member or admits that theyre a known gang member.

So as far as having an official policy that protects what Jeff Sessions calls criminal aliens, no, thats not true.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. Click the play button to hear the entire segment, which was produced by Patrick Smith. Web story written by Justin Bull.

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Report: Link Between Chicago Murders And Illegal Immigration 'Groundless' - WBEZ

The man accused of smuggling 39 illegal immigrants in the back of a tractor-trailer, resulting in the death of 10 immigrants, now faces the death penalty after he was indicted by a federal grand jury in San Antonio Wednesday afternoon.

James Mathew Bradley Jr., 60 of Clearwater, Fla, was indicted on five charges. The charges include conspiracy to transport and harbor undocumented aliens for financial gain resulting in death, transportation of undocumented aliens resulting in death, conspiracy to transport and harbor undocumented aliens for financial gain resulting in serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy, transporting undocumented aliens resulting in serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Bradley faces the death penalty or up to life in prison if hes convicted on the transportation resulting in death charges. He faces 20 years for the serious bodily injury charge and 10 for the felon in possession of a weapon charge.

Early in the morning of July 23, San Antonio Police Department officers responded to a Walmart off Interstate-35. According to court documents, one of the officers found the trailer with Bradley in the cab, and a number of people in the back of the trailer.

Ten of the illegal immigrants were already dead, two are still in the hospital, and 22 are in federal custody and charged as material witnesses. Five of the immigrants, including four juveniles, have been released and turned over to immigration authorities. The juveniles are being watched over by Office of Refugee Resettlement.

Immigrants who were held in the cab estimated there were as many as 200 people in the trailer during the transport, according to court records. They said they paid differing fees for being smuggled.

Bradley claimed he didnt know the immigrants were in the trailer and only found out when he exited the vehicle to relieve himself, and then tried to help them.

As Fox News reported in July, Bradley told investigators he heard banging and shaking in the trailer and was surprised when he was run over by Spanish people and knocked to the ground, according to a criminal complaint.

Bradley has remained in federal custody since he was arrested at the scene.

Ray Bogan is a Fox News multimedia reporter based in El Paso, Texas. Follow him on twitter: @RayBogan

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Texas illegal-immigrant disaster: Suspected driver of crowded truck indicted, could get death penalty - Fox News

Opinion column: Proponents of immigration policies fail to account for full cost.

A half century ago, Oregon Gov. Tom McCall had a message for residents of neighboring states. "Come visit us," he implored."But for heaven's sake, don't come here to live."

McCall understood that a rapidly expanding population would stress the state's air, water and land.But today's "environmentalists?" Not only do they eschew sustainable population growth, they champion that part of the population whose presence here is the most preventable and violates U.S. law to boot.

In a recent joint statement, Doug Moore and Erica Stock representing, respectively, the Oregon League of Conservation Voters and the Sierra Club's Oregon chapter lambasted the efforts of Oregonians for Immigration Reform to stem illegal immigration to our state. "How can we not welcome," they asked, the illegal immigrants "who move in search of a better life?"

Here are some answers to their question.

Already, the Federation for American Immigration Reform has estimated, some 170,000 illegal immigrants reside in Oregon.

Their impact?"One acre of natural habitat or farmland is converted to built-up space or highway for each person added to the U.S. population," reports the Carrying Capacity Network, which advocates for sustainable U.S. population levels.Every additional person in our country, environmental scientist Peter H. Gleick has estimated, uses 1,600 cubic meters of fresh water annually.And every added car, notes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "emits about 4.7 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year."

Oregon's population already tops 4 million.Between 2015 and 2016, Portland State University's Population Research Center has calculated, that population grew by more than 62,000, or 1.6 percent a rate that will double the number of people here in slightly more than 40 years. Absent restraints, the illegal immigration championed by Moore and Stock will exacerbate the growth that will degrade our air quality, stress our water supplies, and eat up ever more undeveloped and arable land.

Oregonians for Immigration Reform has worked successfully to deter illegal immigration to our state.In 2014, OFIR spearheaded the ballot measure via which two-thirds of voting Oregonians rejected the Legislature's attempt to grant state driving privileges to illegal immigrants privileges which would have drawn even more of them here.

This summer, OFIR activists are collecting signatures to put Initiative Petition 22 onto the November 2018 statewide ballot. If they succeed, Oregonians will have a chance to repeal the state law that keeps police and sheriffs from offering their full help to federal immigration authorities a law that has made our state an inviting destination for illegal immigrants.

Were he alive today, David Brower, the Sierra Club's first executive director, likely would have supported OFIR's efforts. "Overpopulation is perhaps the biggest problem facing us, and immigration is part of that problem," he stated flatly. "You don't have a conservation policy unless you have a population policy." Moore and Stock endorse a population policy that encourages unbounded illegal immigration.What does that say about their commitment to a clean, sustainable, livable Oregon?

One can't be both pro-environment and pro-illegal immigration.Even if their "leaders" don't understand this, many rank-and-file members of OLCV and the Sierra Club doubtless do.They should join with members of Oregonians for Immigration Reform to help reduce illegal immigration to our state.

Richard F. LaMountain is a longtime member and former vice president of Oregonians for Immigration Reform (oregonir.org).He lives in Cedar Mill.

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'Illegal immigration' bad for environment - Pamplin Media Group

A Vermont mans alleged weapon of choice during an argument about immigration enforcement with a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent was liquid manure.

Mark Johnson, who says his livelihood in agriculture has been nearly ruined by illegal immigrants working on local farms, is accused of spraying a border patrol vehicle with manure on Aug. 3 at the edge of a farm field about two miles south of the Canadian border.

He is due in court Thursday in North Hero to answer charges of assault and disorderly conduct.

The 53-year-old man, who does custom manure spreading in northern Vermont, told the Lake Champlain Islander, a weekly newspaper, he was unhappy with the lack of serious efforts by the immigration agency when it comes to illegal immigrants allowed to work on local farms.

The Border Patrol, the sheriffs, state police, game wardens cant go onto the farms, Johnson said.

He told the Associated Press that he asked the Border Patrol agent why authorities were not doing more -- and he didnt like the answer.

"I used to go to all these farms, spread liquid manure and help them with chopping and everything else," he said. "Then the illegals started coming in, more and more and more, and every time I see the border patrol I stop and ask them, 'Can you please do something about it?'"

The Islander reported the border patrol agent said Johnson became very agitated and he figured he would get out of the way so Johnson could resume spreading manure on the field.

The officer said in police documents he thinks Johnson tried to spray the cruiser twice, but missed the first time. The second time, the entire right side of the vehicle was covered with manure.

According to documents, the patrol agent believed there was no need to file an accident report because there was no damage to the government vehicle. However, upon his return to the Alburgh Port of Entry, the Grand Isle County Sheriffs Department was contacted.

Customs and Border Protection spokeswoman Stephanie Malin told the AP the manure case is being handled by Vermont authorities. She said the border patrol focuses on the international border.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is the primary agency responsible for enforcing immigration laws inside the United States.

Johnson, who said he'd seen a number of border patrol agents parked at different times near where he was spreading manure on Aug. 3, acknowledged he spoke with one of them about his frustrations but thought the agent had left when he turned on the spreader.

He said he didn't realize what had happened until the sheriff's department arrived an hour or so later to cite him.

I thought I was far enough around him. He says I splashed him, Johnson told The Islander. Department of Homeland Security. I thought that was supposed to protect us. How secure do you think I feel with what I have seen?

Grand Isle County States AttorneyDouglas DiSabitotold the weekly newspaper his office is taking the criminal case seriously.

I think it is pretty outrageous behavior. For anybody to intentionally spray manure on anybody or anybodys property is just wrong, DiSabito said.

Johnson said he struggles to keep his business going, but that farmers with illegal immigrants are able to do better because they dont have to pay a proper wage.

I have lost everything because of illegals, he said. Im not the only one that feels this. It is very, very sad.

Many Vermont farms rely on immigrant workers, some of whom are believed to be in the country illegally.

Johnson said he would represent himself in court on Thursday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Border Patrol vehicle sprayed with manure after immigration argument - Fox News

Prominent Democrats were arrested outside the White House on Tuesday as part of rallies to support the Obama-era deportation amnesty for Dreamers.

Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez, Illinois Democrat, and Ben Jealous, a Democrat running to be Maryland governor, were among 25 protesters arrested in front of the White House, as part of a rally organizers said drew 2,000 people.

They were demanding President Trump back the 2012 temporary deportation amnesty, known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, thats currently protecting nearly 800,000 young adult illegal immigrants from being targets for deportation.

Millions of immigrants leave for work or school each day unsure whether they will be arrested and detained, Mr. Gutierrez said. I gave up a few hours of my freedom to stand up for them.

He said to expect an escalation of non-violent protest if Mr. Trump doesnt continue DACA.

Tuesday marked the fifth anniversary of the day DACA went into effect.

The program now faces a severe legal test, with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton saying he will expand an existing lawsuit to challenge DACA unless Mr. Trump agrees to phase the program out.

The president has said he will decide personally how to handle the program.

The activists were also demanding that Mr. Trump continue to offer tentative legal status for hundreds of thousands of visitors from Latin American countries who are in the U.S. under temporary protected status and, under the law, are eventually supposed to go home.

Yet some of those with temporary protected status have been here under protections for nearly two decades, and activists said it was cruel to try to make them leave.

Former Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly, who is now Mr. Trumps chief of staff, has said the temporary status must be enforced. But hes also said Congress could come up with a reprieve for those longtime TPS recipients, giving them a more permanent status.

The White House protest was part of a series of marches and events in dozens of cities across the country.

We are showing that we will get arrested today so that we can raise awareness and allow every single one of our DACA youths and TPS recipients to freely work and pursue their dreams, said Gustavo Torres, executive director of CASA, a Maryland-based group that helped organize Tuesdays protest.

The protesters were handcuffed, taking to a holding facility, processed and released after paying a $50 fine.

Mr. Gutierrez was also arrested for protesting outside the White House when President Obama was the occupant.

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Democratic congressman arrested during illegal immigration protest at White House - Washington Times