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IMMIGRATION

With Small Muslim Community, Italy Tries to Stop Extremism Before It Gets Started Rapid expulsions of suspected Islamist radicals—combined with fresh integration efforts—are part of a new Italian experiment By Giada Zampano

Italy is fast-tracking expulsions of dozens of suspected Muslim radicals—often at the first sign of extremism—taking a more aggressive approach than other European countries despite its limited experience with Islamist terror.

Since January of last year, Italian authorities have run checks on about 170,000 people for national security reasons and expelled 115 suspected extremists, including 12 imams, according to the Interior Ministry.

In July, two Moroccan men were expelled after one smashed a wooden crucifix in a Venice church. The other was repatriated after storming into a church and insulting the congregation.

In another instance in September, the government expelled a 33-year-old Moroccan who had served as an unofficial imam in the northern city of Treviso. He had lived in Italy for 18 years and embarked on the yearslong process of obtaining Italian citizenship. But in the final stage, he refused to swear on the Italian constitution because—officials suspect—he had become radical. “This means he was hostile to our traditions and disregarded the founding principles of our country,” Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said.

The rapid-expulsion strategy—combined with broader efforts to integrate Italy’s relatively small but fast-growing Muslim population—lie at the heart of an experiment to prevent extremism before it takes root on Italian soil. Unlike its biggest neighbors, Italy doesn’t have a large second- or third-generation Muslim underclass particularly vulnerable to radicalization, and the government has built its strategy around that fact.

“This is an advantage we need to exploit, acting quickly both on security and integration policies,” said Domenico Manzione, undersecretary of Italy’s Interior Ministry.

The twin approach has attracted the attention of allies, including U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, who praised Italy’s counter-extremism efforts during an October visit to Rome. “We look at Italy as a leader in this field,” she told an audience of justice and law-enforcement officials there. CONTINUE AT SITE

It’s Time for Honest Talk about Muslim Immigration Some immigrants from jihad zones will be involved in murdering Americans. Is this an acceptable price for compassion? By David French

At 9:52 a.m. on Monday morning, a silver Honda jumped a curb at Ohio State University and plowed directly into a crowd of students, sending bodies flying through the air. As students rushed to help, a young Somali immigrant, Abdul Razak Ali Ratan, got out of the car and began attacking horrified students with a butcher knife. All told, eleven people were wounded before a university police officer shot and killed Ratan, ending the attack.

Ratan is the third Muslim immigrant to mount a mass stabbing attack in 2016. The first occurred at an Israeli-owned deli in Columbus, Ohio, the second at a mall in Saint Cloud, Minn., and the third Monday at Ohio State. The attacks together wounded 25 people. The latest stabbing comes on the heels of Afghan immigrant Ahman Khan Rahami’s September bomb attacks in New York and New Jersey that left 29 injured.

The toll continues. Muslim immigrants Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev killed five Americans and wounded 280 in the Boston Marathon bombing and subsequent shootouts. Muslim immigrant Muhammad Abdulazeez killed five men and wounded two in attacks on military recruiting stations in Chattanooga, Tenn. Muslim immigrant Tashfeen Malik accompanied her first-generation Muslim-American husband to attack a Christmas party in San Bernardino, Calif., killing 14 and wounding 22. First generation Muslim-American Omar Mateen — son of Afghan immigrants — carried out the deadliest domestic terror attack since 9/11, killing 49 and wounding 53 at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub.

And if you think these are the only terrorist immigrants — or terrorist children of immigrants — you’re sadly mistaken. The Heritage Foundation has maintained a comprehensive database of terror plots since 9/11, a database that includes foiled attacks. The number of Muslim immigrants involved is truly sobering. For every successful attack, there are multiple unsuccessful plots, including attacks that could have cost hundreds of American lives.

After all these incidents, can we finally have an honest conversation about Muslim immigration — especially Muslim immigration from jihadist conflict zones?

RELATED: It’s Time We Faced the Facts about the Muslim World

When we survey the American experience since 9/11, two undeniable truths emerge, and it’s past time that we grapple head-on with them. First, the vast majority of Muslim immigrants — no matter their country of origin — are not terrorists. They won’t attack anyone, they won’t participate in terrorist plots, and they abhor terrorism. Some even provide invaluable information in the fight against jihad. That’s the good news.

The bad news is the second truth: Some Muslim immigrants (or their children) will either attempt to commit mass murder or will actually succeed in killing and wounding Americans by the dozens. All groups of immigrants contain some number of criminals. But not all groups of immigrants contain meaningful numbers of terrorists. This one does. It’s simply a fact.

Moreover, there isn’t an even geographic distribution of terrorists. We don’t have as many terrorist immigrants from Indonesia, India, or Malaysia as we do from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Somalia, or from the conflict zones in the Middle East. It’s much less risky to bring into the country a cardiologist from Jakarta than a refugee from Kandahar.

Illegals Flooding the Border in Advance of Trump Inauguration By Rick Moran

Central American governments are reporting that thousands of their citizens are leaving their countries and moving toward the U.S. border. The human smugglers known as “coyotes” are telling the illegals that if they want to go to the U.S., the time to go is now, before Donald Trump takes office.

Reuters:

Trump’s tough campaign rhetoric sent tremors through the slums of Central America and the close-knit migrant communities in U.S. cities, with many choosing to fast-forward their plans and migrate north before Trump takes office on Jan. 20.

During fiscal year 2016, the United States detained nearly 410,000 people along the southwest border with Mexico, up about a quarter from the previous year. The vast majority hail from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.

Since Trump’s victory, the number of people flocking north has surged, Central American officials say, contributing to a growing logjam along the southern U.S. border.

“We’re worried because we’re seeing a rise in the flow of migrants leaving the country, who have been urged to leave by coyotes telling them that they have to reach the United States before Trump takes office,” Maria Andrea Matamoros, Honduras’ deputy foreign minister, told Reuters, referring to people smugglers.

Carlos Raul Morales, Guatemala’s foreign minister, told Reuters people were also leaving Guatemala en masse before Trump becomes president.

“The coyotes are leaving people in debt, and taking their property as payment for the journey,” he said in an interview.

Merkel Says She Will Deport 100,000 Migrants By Rick Moran

In one of the most shocking flip-flops in recent political history, German Chancellor Angela Merkel now says she will deport about 10% of recently arrived migrants — 100,000 of them.

But more than that, her tone on granting asylum to migrants has radically changed.

Sunday Express:

The beleaguered Chancellor said authorities would significantly step up the rate of forced returns as she battles to arrest an alarming slump in her popularity which has fuelled a surge in support for the far-right.

Mrs Merkel, whose decision to roll out the red carpet to migrants from across Africa and the Middle East spectacularly backfired, has taken an increasingly tough tone on immigration in recent months.

And in her toughest rhetoric yet the German leader told MPs from her party this week: ”The most important thing in the coming months is repatriation, repatriation and once more, repatriation.”

The stance marks an astonishing U-turn from the once pro-refugee Chancellor, who has been widely pilloried by critics at home and abroad for her decision to throw open Germany’s borders to millions of migrants.

Her extraordinary change of heart has been prompted largely by a series of catastrophic local election results for her ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, which was trounced by the populist Alternative fur Deutschland in both her home state and the capital Berlin.

The party’s slumping poll ratings have sparked alarm amongst her allies in both the CDU and its coalition partner, the Christian Social Union (CSU), with talk that senior officials would try to oust her.

Columbia University Plans to Provide Sanctuary, Financial Help for Undocumented Students By Debra Heine

Fearing a “crack-down” on illegal immigration in the wake of the election of Donald Trump, Columbia University has declared itself to be a safe space for undocumented students.

According to the Columbia Daily Spectator, the university plans “to provide sanctuary and financial support for undocumented students as many face concerns about immigration policy under President-elect Donald Trump.”

Via The Hill:

Provost John Coatsworth said in an email sent to students and teachers Monday that the university would not let immigration officials onto its campus without a warrant or provide the information of undocumented students to authorities without a court-ordered subpoena.

If the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is terminated — as Trump has threatened to do — the university said it would increase financial aid and other support to undocumented students who lose the right to work.

Trump’s victory has “prompted intense concern for the values we hold dear and for members of our community who are apprehensive about what the future holds,” the provost said in the email.

“The experience of undocumented students at the College and Columbia Engineering, from the time they first seek admission through their graduation, will not be burdened in any way by their undocumented status,” he said.

University President Lee Bollinger said the university is in a period where it doesn’t know what will happen to “a lot of students and faculty and staff with respect to immigration policy.

“There are lots of areas that are uncertain and it’s a deeply puzzling and concerning time,” he said in a statement.

Connecticut Will Protect Muslim Refugees, Gov. Dannel Malloy Says Governor says he will oppose any move by Trump administration to bar Muslim refugees from settling in his stateBy Joseph De Avila

NEW HAVEN, Conn.—Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy said Tuesday he would oppose any action by President-elect Donald Trump that would bar Muslim refugees from coming to his state.

Mr. Malloy has made accepting Syrian refugees a priority for his administration. Some 339 Syrian refugees have settled in Connecticut in 2016, according to the U.S. State Department.

“I would fight any attempt to limit refugees being given status based on religion,” Mr. Malloy, a Democrat, said. “I’m hopeful that the rhetoric from the campaign will give way to a sensible approach to honoring our long-term international commitments.”

The Trump transition team didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Mr. Malloy made his comments at an event at the Jewish Community Center of Greater New Haven where Syrian families also spoke. One Syrian refugee, who lives in New Haven with his pregnant wife and six children, said he is grateful for the chance to build a home in the U.S. He and his family arrived in Connecticut three months ago and he is now taking English classes.

The refugee said he is familiar with Mr. Trump’s statements and but so far isn’t too concerned for his family. “I feel comfortable,” he said. “People didn’t change their behavior toward us” after the election.

Karen Foster, assistant refugee resettlement coordinator for Danbury Area Refugee Assistance, a nonprofit organization, recently began helping Syrian families in Connecticut.

“We have spoken to them about the election…to let them know that they are safe,” Ms. Foster said. “They can’t be sent back. They are legal here. They are legal residents and they are authorized to work.”

‘Sanctuary Cities’ Vs. National Security and Public Safety Why ‘sanctuary city’ mayors should be given an MVP Award by ISIS and drug cartels. Michael Cutler

The lunacy of the immigration executive orders and other actions of the Obama administration to block the enforcement of our immigration laws and immigration anarchy will be brought to a screeching halt on the day that Donald Trump replaces Mr. Obama in the Oval Office.

However the “Immigration All-Clear” will not be sounded across the United States in cities and states that have been declared “Sanctuaries” by the mayors and governors who have created a false and very dangerous narrative that equates immigration law enforcement with racism and bigotry.

This insidious false claim has been heartily embraced by the demonstrators who are rampaging across the United States to protest the election of Donald Trump and his promises to secure the U.S./Mexican border and enforce our immigration laws.

This is the false narrative that has enabled mayors of so-called “Sanctuary Cities” to foist this lunacy on the residents of their cities and was the focus of my article, “Terrorism, Enclaves and Sanctuary Cities: How sanctuary cities facilitate the growth of terror enclaves in America.”

The challenge for the Trump administration and for all Americans, is to eliminate these enclaves of lawlessness.

Sanctuary cities are highly attractive to illegal aliens and the criminals, fugitives and likely terrorists among them who entered the United States by evading the inspections process conducted at ports of entry by the CBP (Customs and Border Protection) inspectors and are vulnerable to arrest and removal (deportation).

Sanctuary cities, however, certainly do not provide “sanctuary” for the residents of those cities who, all too often, fall victim to the crimes committed by these criminal aliens. However, what is generally not understood is that Sanctuary Cities endanger every person in the United States, no matter where they live.

Terrorists would most likely seek to set up shop in sanctuary cities to evade detection and arrest.

They can use the security provided by such “leaders” as Chicago’s Rahm Emanuel and New York’s Bill de Blasio as a staging area for attacks they might carry out in the cities where they live or in other cities they could easily travel to on the day of an attack.

While politicians from both parties often claim that the “Immigration system is broken” as a way of justifying their positions of advocacy for massive amnesty programs and the creation of these dangerous “sanctuaries” for criminals, fugitives and terrorists, in reality, this is “Immigration Failure — By Design.”

America’s borders and immigration laws are our first line of defense and last line of defense against international terrorists, transnational criminals, fugitives from justice and those foreign nationals who would displace American workers wrecking havoc on the lives of those Americans and their families when they lose their jobs and their paychecks.

A quick review of a section of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA)- Title 8, United States Code, Section 1182 would quickly dispel the bogus claim that equates the enforcement of our immigration laws with racism.

Australia Strikes Deal to Resettle Refugees in U.S. U.S. to vet refugees; most are from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran and Sri Lanka By Robb M. Stewart (Huh?????)

MELBOURNE, Australia—Some of the hundreds of refugees being held in Australia-backed Pacific island camps are to be resettled in the U.S. under a one-time deal between the countries.

The U.S. government has agreed to accept refugees being held in Nauru and Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said Sunday. Mr. Turnbull didn’t disclose how many were likely to resettled by the U.S. or on what terms, but he stressed the arrangement wouldn’t be repeated or be extended to asylum seekers not already in the camps.

The conservative government has maintained a tough line on asylum seekers who have sought to cross the dangerous waters between Asia and Australia but has moved to empty the offshore immigration detention centers that critics have called Australia’s “Guantanamo Bay.” Negotiations in recent months with various countries to resettle the refugees became more urgent in April when Papua New Guinea’s highest court ordered the closure of Manus, ruling that hundreds of asylum seekers were being held there illegally on Australia’s behalf.

Mr. Turnbull said it had fallen to his government to “stop the boats,” close onshore Australian detention centers and remove children from detention. The deal with the U.S. to handle refugees being held offshore adds to earlier arrangements with Papua New Guinea and Cambodia to accept asylum seekers from the camps.

“Our priority is the resettlement of women, children and families. This will be an orderly process [and] it will not be rushed,” Mr. Turnbull said of the U.S. deal.

The process with the U.S. is due to begin in the coming days and will be administered with the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR. U.S. authorities will conduct their own assessment of refugees and decide which people would be resettled in the U.S., and refugees would need to satisfy standards for admissions, including health and security checks, the Australian government said. CONTINUE AT SITE

Europe’s Planned Migrant Revolution by Yves Mamou

Between 2005 to 2014, Germany welcomed more than 6,000,000 people.

Two essential questions about integration must be put on the table: 1) What do we ask of newcomers? And 2) What do we do to those who do not accept our conditions? In Europe, these two questions of integration were never asked of anyone.

In the new migrant order, the host population is invited to make room for the newcomer and bear the burden not of what is an “integration,” but the acceptance of a coerced coexistence.

“No privileges are granted to the Europeans or to their heritage. All cultures have the same citizenship. There is no recognition of a substantial European culture that it might be useful to preserve.” — Michèle Tribalat, sociologist and demographer.

“We need people that we welcome to love France.” — French Archbishop Pontier, Le Monde, October 2016.

When “good feelings” did not work, however, the authorities have often criminalized and prosecuted anti-immigration critics. The Dutch politician Geert Wilders is currently on trial for trying to defend his country from Moroccan immigrants whose skyrocketing crime wave has been transforming the Netherlands.

Everyone now knows — even German Chancellor Angela Merkel — that she committed a political mistake in opening the doors of her country to more than a million migrants from the the Middle East, Africa and Asia. It was, politically, a triple mistake:

Merkel may have thought that humanitarian motives (the war in Syria and Iraq, the refugee problem) could help Germany openly pursue a migration policy that was initially launched and conducted in the shadows.

Effective Immigration Law Enforcement Under Trump Leaders must follow Trump’s lead or risk alienating their constituents. Michael Cutler

Now that the 2016 Presidential election is literally and figuratively in the history books, candidate Trump must begin the process of transforming into President Trump so that he can implement his goals to “Make America great again.”

Donald Trump has also promised to “Make America safe again” and “Make America wealthy again.”

Trump’s historic rise to power was, in no small measure, the direct result of those promises in addition to the promise to construct a wall along the border that is supposed to separate the United States from Mexico to keep out rapists, murderers and narcotics.

From the beginning of his effort to become America’s 45th President, Donald Trump, the highly successful billionaire, quickly realized that the key to resolving most of the threats and challenges we face was effective immigration law enforcement.

Trump was highly critical of the H-1b Visa Program that enables tens of thousands of foreign high-tech workers to displace American workers and also promised to use “Extreme vetting” to make certain that no aliens, especially those who are citizens of countries that sponsor terrorism would not be admitted into the United States unless our government could be certain as to their identities and the fact that they did not pose a threat to our safety.