Overrunning Oregon

County panel softens tone on Fair Board [over 'Latino' comments]

One of Washington County's commissioners said Tuesday he was outraged that he and his colleagues had publicly "tarred and feathered" two county Fair Board members who questioned the strong Latino flavor at the Fourth of July festival. The Board of Commissioners issued a statement June 30 calling the "sentiments expressed by Fair Board members Kathy Christy and Lyle Spiesschaert diametrically counter to the views of Washington County."

Giant Asian-alien prostitution ring busted in Houston

In all, seven people were charged June 5 with an international conspiracy reaching from Houston to Chile to Red China. Charged along with Lim and Mai, were Sriwan Sakyai, 28, of Houston, Hoc Phan, 43, of Houston, Ratiporn Tantirojanakitkan, 30, of Los Angeles, Yu (last name unknown), of Bangkok, Thailand, and Sawat (last name unknown) of Bangkok, Thailand.

Los Angeles

FBI Bust Profitable, Lethal Street Gang

Eight men from the 26-member Columbia Lil' Cycos, a subsect of the 18th Street gang, were arrested Tuesday during a predawn raid. "The charges we have filed seek to dismantle the entire infrastructure of what we believe to be one of the most organized street gangs in Los Angeles," U.S. Attorney Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters. "We also have seized more than $1 million in cash and property." ALSO SEE: 60 percent of the 18th Street gang's
membership consists of illegal aliens.

Huntington Park

ILLEGAL ALIEN ARRAIGNED IN COYOTE MURDER CASE

Novoa Valesco is charged with killing 36-year-old Maria Gutierrez in Huntington Park on July 12. Investigators say the two were arguing when Valesco allegedly pulled a gun and fired on Gutierrez as she tried to flee in her pickup. The victim suffered a bullet wound to the head and died a short time later.

Mexican Invasion

Immigrant permit plan is proposed

Undocumented Mexican laborers [Illegal Mexican aliens] and other workers from Mexico would receive work permits under a temporary guest- worker program proposed by immigration-reform advocates to the House Judiciary Committee chairman Monday. "This is more than a simple amnesty plan," said Carlos Olamendi, an Orange County restaurateur and one of three leaders of the International Coalition of Mexicans Abroad who met with Rep. Henry Hyde, R-Ill, in his Capitol Hill office. ALSO SEE THIS ARTICLE

Freedom of Speech

LULAC wants teacher fired for "racist" remark

The national president of a Hispanic civil rights group told a West Texas school board he won't rest until officials remove a teacher who said he wished he could schedule his classes earlier in the morning "to keep out the damn Mexicans." Parents and representatives of the League of United Latin American Citizens questioned the school board last week, asking why Tucker had not been fired.

Laredo, Texas

BP agents catch several illegal drug shipments

U.S. Border Patrol agents manning highway checkpoints interrupted the San Antonio trips of several reported drug smugglers who were allegedly transporting cocaine and marijuana during the weekend.

Washington

SENATE LEADERS MAY SEEK ACTION ON FOREIGN WORKER INCREASE THIS WEEK 

Senate Republicans this week may try to jump-start stalled H-1B visa legislation by asking Democrats to limit the number and types of amendments they plan to offer on the bill or by offering the foreign worker measure as an amendment to unrelated legislation.

More On The Story

Fontana woman killed smuggling immigrants

Gutierrez's aunt, Leonor Mendez of Azusa, said she knew her niece regularly moved illegal immigrants from one safe house to another, but she may have done it because she believed in the cause. Gutierrez, as well as Mendez herself, also came to the United States through safe houses more than 20 years ago. ALSO SEE: ARRESTS IN CASE | MAN ADMITS KILLING OVER SMUGGLING FEE

USA Today

Studies look at issues of immigrants, insurance

Immigrants and their children make up more than half of the growth in the nation's uninsured population since 1993, a study says. But another report says few immigrants come here just for health benefits. The study by the Center for Immigration Studies says the uninsured could grow by 3 million to 4 million over the next decade if nothing is done. ALSO SEE: Hispanics face obstacles to health care

Los Angeles

Rampart: 73% of Latinos say LAPD express racist sentiments

The Rampart police corruption scandal is contributing to a malaise in Los Angeles, helping to raise questions about the city's health and image, devastating public impressions of the Los Angeles Police Department and fueling strong sentiment for the appointment of an independent commission to investigate the crisis.

San Diego

Mexican Mafia member sentenced to 29 years

Frank Macias Madriaga, 45, was found guilty in April of demanding cash payments from drug suppliers as tribute to the Mexican Mafia, also known as La Eme, for the phonetic Spanish pronunciation of the letter M. Federal and state authorities were tipped off to Madriaga's operation in July 1998 when they arrested Mark Anthony Mendez, one of Madriaga's main gang or "crew" members.

Hollywood, Calif.

Suspect Tries To Walk Away From Pursuit

A suspected flasher in a red pickup who led Los Angeles police on a chase around Hollywood, was tackled by police as he tried to walk away. The man, who is expected to be booked for felony evading and ADW on an officer, refused to stop for police near Melrose and Mariposa avenues. The driver, Patricio Mira, was wanted for indecent exposure, a police spokesman told a news wire.

Checking The Troops

Mexico's Ambassador Visits Seattle, Washington

Ambassador Jesus F. Reyes-Heroles met with Mexican and Mexican- American leaders and community members at Bellevue. There, he inaugurated a plaque to honor four individuals who pioneered community efforts on behalf of Mexicans and Mexican- Americans in the state of Washington.

Overrunning Georgia

Gangs' 'billboard' worries residents

He's an engineer and his wife is an artist, not the types you would expect to be hip on the latest gang slang. But when the Gwinnett County couple's quaint middle-class neighborhood was "tagged" with gang graffiti, the duo became a quick study. They learned that the bright-colored scrawlings weren't merely from disrespecting teens. The symbols and letters, deciphered by police, spelled out threats made by one Hispanic gang to other rival gangs.

Humor

LOS ALAMOS SECURITY

From: Bill Richardson, Sec. of Energy
Dear staff members:

Effective Monday: 1. The brown paper bag in which we store the computer disk drives that contain the nation's nuclear secrets will no longer be left on the picnic table at the staff commissary during lunch hour. It will be stored in "the vault." I know this is an inconvenience to many of you, but it's a sad sign of the times.......

Buena Park, Calif.

Hispanics urged to rally against border vigilantes

"We are living under conditions where violence is being inflicted upon our people. How is it possible that we here in California, where we are 11 million strong, no one is responding?" said Armando Navarro, a professor at the University of California, Riverside, at the forum organized by the League of United Latin American Citizens, or LULAC.

Overrunning Georgia

600 local Hispanics make point to Smyrna mayor

Monday night, nearly 600 Hispanics showed up to make their presence known to Mayor Max Bacon and to support the six Mexican bricklayers who were arrested last month for allegedly violating a city noise ordinance that prohibits home construction and repair after 6 p.m. ALSO SEE THIS ARTICLE

George J. Borjas

Mexico's One-Way Remedy

President-elect Vicente Fox of Mexico has wasted no time initiating a much-needed dialogue over U.S.-Mexican immigration issues. More than seven million Mexican immigrants now live in the United States, a number equal to 7 percent of Mexico's current population. And we get an additional 130,000 legal Mexican immigrants and 150,000 illegal ones annually. What Mr. Fox wants to do, however, is radical.

Washington

Mexican Rights Groups Lobby U.S. Congress

The National Coalition for Dignity and Amnesty for Immigrants, backed by Catholic Church officials and the AFL-CIO, held a press conference declaring support for unconditional amnesty and human rights for undocumented workers [foreign invaders] in the United States. They scheduled a rally outside the Capitol on Thursday in support of the movement. (External link - reader submitted.) ALSO SEE THIS ARTICLE