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March 5, 2017 Despite an uptick in illegal immigration in recent months, Canada won't be tightening its border security anytime soon.

Several hundred people have illegally crossed into Canada from the United States since the beginning of the year, officials say, with much of the activity taking place in the weeks immediately following President Trump's controversial executive order temporarily barring refugees and citizens of seven majority-Muslim countries from entering the United States.

Canadian and US government officials are working to find a way to handle the recent influx of asylum seekers, withHomeland Security Secretary John Kelly expected to visit Canada later this month to discuss border security. But for now, saidPublic Safety Minister Ralph Goodale on Saturday, the increase isn't enough to warrant additional border security measures.

"We are concerned and we will deal properly with the extra hundreds," said Mr. Goodalesaid at a news conference in Emerson, located near the North Dakota border. "But the full border deals with 400,000 people moving in both directions every day. It also handles (more than $1 trillion) in trade every day."

At least 183 people have walked across the border in freezing temperatures since Jan. 1, according toRoyal Canadian Mounted Police in Manitoba.

But "thecurrent accelerated rate started in the first week of February," Goodale said Saturday. "[W]eve been following this very, very closely."

The 2016 presidential campaign elicited warnings sometimes serious, sometimes lighthearted from scores of Trump opponents vowing to move north in the event of a Trump victory. In the days following the election, Canadian real estate brokers reported a surge in interest from American homebuyers and some disappointed voters have already followed through on their promises to relocate.But the majority of those crossing over illegally, experts say, are not disgruntled American citizens, but anxious refugees and undocumented immigrants seeking asylum.

The campaign rhetoric and election victory of Trump, who said on "60 Minutes" in November that he planned to deport or incarcerate "2 million or 3 million" undocumented immigrants with a criminal record upon taking office, led many of the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States to fear for their future. More than 1,200people entered Quebec illegally and requested refugee status in 2016 nearly five times the totalin 2015,according to the Canada Border Services Agency. More people requested refugee status this past November alone than throughout all of the previous year.

That surge, immigrant rights advocates say, saw a greater increase with the signing of Trump's now-frozen travel ban blocking refugees and citizens of seven majority-Muslim countries.

"A comment that we might hear is that theyre scared of whats happening in the US," Rita Chahal of the Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council told The Guardian in February. "A couple of people have said they watched what happened in the airports last weekend, they were afraid. Theyre afraid that they might get put in detention, they might get deported, that their applications wont be accepted, so they express a lot of fear."

One reason why crossing illegally is so appealing, experts say, is theCanada-US Safe Third Country Agreement. Under this agreement, established in 2004,a person who is in the US, which is considered a safe country, cannot request to be admitted into Canada as a refugee. But those who request refugee status once they are already on Canadian soil and are able to pass criminal checks will be allowed to have their cases considered.

The process to apply for refugee status is considerably quicker than the process in the United States. Anyone caught trying to cross the Canadian border can apply for refugee status. The applicant will thenreceive a date to appear before a refugee tribunal, which by law cannot be more than two months away. In the meantime, there is no need to wait in a detention center unlike in the United States and anyone put in detention has the right to see a judge within 24 hours.

Typically, about 60 percent of immigrants who go before the tribunal are granted asylum, but chances partly depend on the country of origin,Melissa Anderson, spokeswoman for theImmigration and Refugee Board of Canada, told Public Radio International (PRI) last month. Citizens of Syria, Iraq, and Eritrea have anacceptance rate of more than 80 percent and are not required to appear before the refugee tribunal in person. Members of theRoma minority from Romania and Hungary are also usually accepted.

Public Safety Minister Goodale's comments on Saturday underscore remarks made byCanadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau less than two weeks ago, in which he told parliament that Canada would continue toaccept asylum seekers crossing illegally from the US while ensuring security measures were taken to keep Canadian citizens safe.

"One of the reasons why Canada remains an open country is Canadians trust our immigration system and the integrity of our borders and the help we provide people who are looking for safety," Mr. Trudeau said, as reported by Reuters. "We will continue to strike that balance between a rigorous system and accepting people who need help."

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Why Canada won't tighten border security despite an uptick in illegal immigration - Christian Science Monitor

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About 250 students and faculty members attended the protest, which was organized by the Cornell Coalition for Inclusive Democracy, Heat Street reported.

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No ban, no wall. Sanctuary for all, protesters chanted.

The protesters want the upstate New York school to provide illegal immigrants, including those not protected by DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), with special funding.

Our endangered community members still lack explicit assurance that the institution that took them in will protect them, Professor Russell Rickford told the Cornell Sun. Thats shameful.

The group also wants Cornell to provide on-campus housing for immigrant students who have been warned not to travel overseas, and fight for legislation that protects illegal immigrants.

They also want campus police not to release information about illegal immigrant students to immigration agents unless it is absolutely necessary.

State explicitly that CUPD will join the Tompkins County Sheriff and Ithaca Police Department in declining to honor civil immigration detainer requests (which is not legally required!) from a federal agent unless accompanied by a judicial warrant, the demand read.

One illegal immigrant student spoke about her struggle to obtain financial aid.

I had to sacrifice meals. I had to sacrifice having the right books. I had to do everything to thrive at this school, Julia Montejo said. Now that Cornells caught up, which is a little late for many people, Cornell is refusing to explicitly state that CUPD will not cooperate with ICE.

Another professor told the crowd that the students would always be in a minority in terms of what they were fighting for.

You will always be in a minority. But, the truth is, we look back on those periods now as periods of grave injustice, where time has turned against what was done. And you dont need the majority; what you need is a very dedicated, involved minority, Professor Joe Margulies said.

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Cornell University Students, Faculty Demand College Provide ... - Breitbart News

Ana Miranda said she recently returned to Gainesville from Mexico, where she visited her deported husband.

Miranda, who said she has papers to legally work here, stays with a daughter and grandchildren at the public housing complex adjacent to Gainesville Housing Authority headquarters, 750 Pearl Nix Parkway.

Mirandas daughter and grandchildren all born in the United States live without fear of being deported. Miranda said thats not the case with many Latinos who fear getting arrested and sent back to their country of origin, as was her husband eight years ago at the height of another crackdown against undocumented immigrants.

Many are afraid to leave their homes, she said. We live in fear.

National debate continues to rage over immigration policies, including the cost of illegal immigrants on communities and what government services, such as public housing, they receive.

On one side of the argument, advocates for illegal immigrants say they pay their way in taxes, including property and sales taxes. On the flip side, others are resentful because undocumented immigrants could be receiving public assistance that should be going to citizens and other legal residents.

The debate has been strongly felt locally as protesters participated in A Day Without Immigrants on Feb. 16, and days later many immigrants and advocates waved signs at passing motorists along E.E. Butler and Jesse Jewell parkways.

These events developed just a few days after immigration agents arrested 680 undocumented immigrants in various states, including Georgia.

As part of an ongoing series on immigration, the Congressional Budget office said the budgetary impact of approximately 12 million illegal immigrants varies from state to state. However, the CBO states that according to most studies state and local governments spend more on unauthorized immigrants than they collect in revenues from that population.

Agencies that render public assistance dont want to get caught in the debates crossfire.

No federal dollars subsidize undocumented

Beth Brown, executive director of Gainesville Housing Authority, points to a standing U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development directive to clear any misunderstanding. The memo states in part: A family is considered to be eligible if at least one member of the family (adult or minor child) is determined to be a citizen or have eligible immigration status.

However, the same directive adds that illegal immigrants are required to pay market rent such that no HUD dollars are used to subsidize them.

Brown said no cash is given out by the agency and no dollars are used for those who cannot show legal documents.

Theres a complicated formula, but anyone not here legally does not get federal dollars, Brown said. No federal dollars are used to subsidize an illegal immigrant.

The Division of Family and Childrens Services takes a similar approach in dispensing the Georgia food stamp program, federally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, according to spokeswoman Mary Beth Lukich.

Lukich said for a family with household members who are here both legally and illegally in the country, benefits are given to those who are legal. However, she said the illegal members income is used to count toward the total household budget.

As an example, Lukich said in a household of five with one ineligible household member, income is counted for all five but benefits are only issued based on four.

In short, undocumented aliens and illegal immigrants are not eligible for SNAP benefits, Lukich said.

Wendy Glasbrenner, a Gainesville attorney with Georgia Legal Services, characterizes as false the notion that undocumented immigrants are abusing the system.

They are not eligible for food stamps or Medicaid or Social Security or Medicare, so the myth that they are draining these resources is false, Glasbrenner said. Of course, if they have citizen children, the kids might be eligible for the same benefits as children born to natural born parents.

The Georgia Legal Services Program is a private nonprofit law firm funded by grants, the largest coming from the Legal Services Corp. funded by Congress, according to Glasbrenner. She said the firm does no immigration work, and can only represent immigrants who are documented or are victims of domestic abuse or human trafficking.

Because of our restrictions, our Hispanic caseload does not match the Hispanic population in Gainesville, Glasbrenner said.

Health services dont check legal status

David Palmer, a spokesman for the District 2 Public Health Department that covers a 13-county region that includes Hall, said the agency follows the law when it comes to providing health services.

In 2016, the Hall County Public Health Department served 22,667 clients who made a total of 57,721 visits and received 221,555 services, according to Palmer. He said about half of the clients served and more than half of the services provided were for children from infancy to age 12.

Palmer said childrens services include nutrition, immunizations, dental and physicals.

So one child may receive multiple services throughout the year, Palmer said.

In some instances, Palmer said it might be less of a burden to the state in the long run to provide certain preventive services free to avoid the spread of diseases that could infect others. For example, he said those with infectious diseases such as meningitis, pertussis, tuberculosis and sexually transmitted diseases may be treated.

Palmer said that as a safety net for basic health needs, the agency does not require proof of legal immigration status.

We dont want an environment that people feel threatened, Palmer said. Thats the last thing we want to do. We do ask all our clients if they have insurance or how they will pay for services.

If a person is uninsured, Palmer said the agency will ask for proof of income. According to the services provided, fees are charged on a sliding scale from paying nothing to paying 100 percent of the bill.

Palmer said some services may be provided at no cost for people who are income eligible. He said one example is the federally funded Vaccines for Children program that provides immunizations to uninsured children.

The Northeast Georgia Health System spends more than $17 million annually on charity care in Hall County, according to the most recent information provided by spokeswoman Michelle Oleson.

Oleson said the cost is probably higher because the $17 million figure does not include bad debt attributed to those unable to pay their bills. However, Oleson said NGHS cant pinpoint a number of cases that may go to illegal immigrants.

I dont think we track how much of this comes from undocumented or illegal immigrants, Oleson added.

School enrollment hard to measure

Hall County Schools Superintendent Will Schofield told The Times its illegal for public schools to ask any questions about legal status. For that reason, he said he cant quantify what percentage of the school district budget is dedicated to providing a K-12 education to illegal immigrants.

We have no records related to that, Schofield said.

Gainesville Schools Superintendent Wanda Creel cited the 1982 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Plyler v. Doe declaring that state cant deny students a public education on account of their immigration status.

We cannot require students or parents to disclose or document immigration status, Creel said.

Last month U.S. Rep. Doug Collins, R-Gainesville, introduced legislation to end tax-funded benefits to individuals residing in the United States illegally. The legislation attempts to undo a provision under the Obama Administrations Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy allowing illegal immigrants to claim the Earned Income Tax Credits retroactively.

Under no circumstances should our system allow illegal immigrants to glean benefits at the expense of American taxpayers, and this bill allows call for us to examine the rule of law and enforce it fairly, Collins said in a statement.

Ann Nixon, who not too long ago headed Habitat for Humanity and is now on the One Hall United Against Poverty Board with the United Way, said that debate misses the mark. She said the community should be reaching out to everyone in need instead of categorizing groups of people.

Its not based on their immigration status, its based on humanity, Nixon said.

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Weighing humanity vs. cost of illegal immigration in Hall County - Gainesville Times

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I was troubled because, on the face of it, what I heard sounded like potential federal criminal law violations and/or ethical violations, U.S. Attorney Billy Williams told Willamette Weekreporters. Generally, were talking about obstruction of justice.

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The case took place in January at the Multnomah County Courthouse in Oregon, where 22-year-old Diddier Pacheco Salazar was set to plead guilty to two charges in connection with a January 1 DUI arrest, the Willamette Weekrecently reported. On January 27, Pacheco pleaded guilty to one count of driving recklessly and one count of driving under the influence of intoxicants.

According to the Oregon newspaper, plainclothes federal agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had been at the courthouse looking for illegal immigrants. That is when lower court judge Monica Herranz allegedly had Pacheco escorted out through a private entrance in order to avoid being captured by ICE agents who were looking for him to arrest him on immigration charges. Federal agents arrested Pacheco two weeks later at another court hearing.

The attorney for the illegal alien expressed surprise at the disappearance of his client from the courtroom.I prepped my client. I said, I dont know if theyre going to pick you up outside or what, but heres how to prepare,' Salazars lawyer John Schlosser said to the local reporters. After the court appearance, I went out in the hallway and sat. My client never came out. I cant say that Im surprised he didnt come out, but I gave him his options, and assume he had to have been escorted out some other way.

While federal authorities have not yet filed criminal charges against Herranz, her court superiors are also carrying out an inquiry into her alleged actions.

Breitbart Texas associate editor and senior political news contributorBob Pricecontributed to this article. He is a founding member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter@BobPriceBBTX.

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and Stephen K. Bannon. You can follow him onTwitterand onFacebook.

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DOJ Investigates Oregon Judge for Allegedly Helping Illegal Immigrant Flee ICE Agents - Breitbart News

If the national press wanted to prove it's not the "enemy of the people," it could start by covering illegal immigration more like it's a serious problem and less like their husbands just left them.

It's nearly impossible to find a news story on illegal immigration that doesn't read like a Nicholas Sparks novel.

President Trump signed an executive order in late January that recommitted the White House to enforcing immigration laws, including deportation of just about any illegal immigrant who has committed a crime (including fraud) and "the immediate construction of a physical wall on the southern border."

This might otherwise be known as maintaining the U.S. as an actual country with established borders and laws.

Regarding the so-called DREAMers, immigrants brought into the country illegally as children and who were given legal protections to stay by former President Barack Obama, the New York Times in February noted that Trump harbors some natural sympathy.

"The problem that Mr. Trump faces as he worries aloud about how to handle the young immigrants encapsulates the beating heart of the difficult choices confronting him," said an article in the Times.

News stories on abortion are couched in the most sanitized, passionless terms, but on immigration, "the beating heart" leaps to the forefront of the Times' conscience.

After one illegal immigrant who had been living in America for decades using a fraudulent Social Security number was deported in February, all three network prime-time newscasts put together packages on "the family she leaves behind."

Those were CBS correspondent Carter Evans' words.

Also from the Washington Examiner

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03/05/17 12:01 AM

Mental exercise: What would happen if the IRS found out that an actual citizen, Carter Evans, for example, was employed for years under a fake Social Security number?

When Trump signed a separate executive order in January that put a hold on incoming Syrian refugees and non-citizens coming from some Muslim-majority countries (the order has since been stayed by federal courts), New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof likened it to the establishment of internment camps.

"When Japanese-Americans were rounded up, other Americans were silent," he said, unbothered by the dissimilarity of a policy that forcibly relocated real citizens in their own country, but stewing nonetheless. "Today, it is heartwarming to see Americans of all creeds standing up against similar bigotry."

By "Americans of all creeds," Kristof means: Two judges and some protesters.

Otherwise, a clear majority of Americans, 54 percent, said they at least "somewhat" approved of it, according to a poll published Feb. 8.

Also from the Washington Examiner

Two Harvard-educated lawyers could manage the investigation into Russia's influence in the 2016 election.

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This past week, Trump said in his first joint session address to Congress that he was directing the Department of Homeland Security to create a new office for the Victims Of Immigration Crime Engagement, or VOICE.

"Joining us in the audience tonight are four very brave Americans whose government failed them," he said, acknowledging four guests he invited and who had family members killed by illegal immigrants.

The Washington Post editorial board called it "the ugliest moment" of Trump's speech and asserted that the victims were only "allegedly" murdered by illegal immigrants.

In the cases of those "allegedly" murdered by illegals, one person, illegal immigrant Pedro Espinoza, was convicted in 2012 of killing 17-year-old Jamiel Shaw II.

Another illegal immigrant confessed. Luis Enriquez Monroy Bracamontes, stated in court in 2015, "I killed them cops," a reference to two police officers, Danny Oliver and Michael Davis Jr., he says he shot dead.

Three Americans are gone but for the Post, the "ugliest moment" was Trump's vow to reduce crime by immigrants who violated the law and snuck into the country.

The national media are affronted when Trump calls them the "enemy of the people."

But that's only because Trump doesn't specify he's referring to legal citizens.

Eddie Scarry is a media reporter for the Washington Examiner.

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'Impartial' media always side with illegal immigrants - Washington Examiner