Yakima, Washington: County declines to meet with immigrant advocates over Secure Communities

Yakima, Washington: County declines to meet with immigrant advocates over Secure Communities...A last-ditch effort by immigrant rights advocates to meet with the Yakima County Commission prior to the implementation next week of a new illegal immigration program fell flat earlier this week. OneAmerica, a Seattle-based immigrant rights group with volunteers in Yakima County, sent a letter to commissioners and law enforcement officials Friday requesting the meeting over the program known as Secure Communities....Yakima County will be the first in the state to adopt the program. Lewis, Benton, Franklin, Grays Harbor, Island, Pacific and Walla Walla counties have also requested access to the program and will likely be activated in the coming months, a spokesman for the State Patrol said.

http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2011/06/15/county-declines-to-meet-with-immigrant-advocates-over-secure-communities

Yakima, Washington: Yakima City Council approves use of E-Verify

Yakima, Washington: Yakima City Council approves use of E-Verify...Amid a new round of politically charged rhetoric about illegal immigration, a divided Yakima City Council narrowly reversed itself Tuesday and approved the use of E-Verify over the objection of Hispanic community leaders. The council voted 4-3 to require that contractors who do business with the city must verify the legal status of their employees by using the controversial federal employment-screening database.

http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2011/06/07/yakima-city-council-approves-use-of-e-verify

Yakima, Washington: Another Try for E-Verify.. Yakima City Council may decide whether to adopt the use of E-Verify tomorrow night

Yakima, Washington: Another Try for E-Verify.. Yakima City Council may decide whether to adopt the use of E-Verify tomorrow night...will reconsider using a federal employment verification program that was shot down last year over concerns of racism (HUH????) Council member Dave Ettl wants the city to use the "E-Verify" program. It's used to electronically verify if a person can legally work in the U.S. If approved, any contractor doing work for the city would have to use E-Verify. Ettl says he's worked to calm those who are concerned that e-verify is racist.

http://www.kapptv.com/article/2011/jun/06/another-try-e-verify-yakima/

Yakima, Washington: Illegal Aliens Cost Yakima County Jail Millions (that's just one county!)...

Yakima, Washington: Illegal Aliens Cost Yakima County Jail Millions (that's just one county!)...Last year, taxpayers forked over more than $2 million to house Illegal Aliens at the Yakima County Jail. 527 illegal alien inmates passed through the jail; 150 more than just a few years earlier. Jail workers say more illegal aliens are accused of violent crimes, meaning longer stays and higher costs. It's typical for a murder suspect to be in the jail for longer than a year...At the end of June, Yakima County will be joining the "Secure Community" project, a software program that tracks which inmates are here illegally, by running fingerprints through a federal database. That could free up several jailers, and if successful, thousands in taxpayer dollars. This year, the Yakima County Jail expects federal reimbursements to total only $150,000. It's a mere fraction of what you're spending each year to house those who are in this country illegally and committing crimes

http://www.kimatv.com/news/local/122991463.html

Yakima, Washington: Illegal aliens set to tilt election scales by being included in district headcounts

Yakima, Washington: Illegal aliens set to tilt election scales by being included in district headcounts... immigrant rights activists are suing the city in an attempt to re-jigger the city’s current voting procedures. (YIKES) Will the voting power of American citizens be diluted because illegal aliens are given political representation. Eric Holder wants the answer to be yes.”

http://news.yahoo.com/s/dailycaller/20110404/pl_dailycaller/illegalalienssettotiltyakimawashelectionscalesbybeingincludedindistrictheadcounts