The organized anti-immigrant movement, no stranger to controversy and manipulating tragedy for its own gain, is cynically, although not surprisingly, using the tragedy in San Francisco for its own profit.
On Monday, Dan Stein, president of the flagship anti-immigrant and recognized hate group Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), sent an email to supporters soliciting donations following last week’s shooting. NumbersUSA was not far behind.
The organized anti-immigrant movement is using the tragedy in San Francisco for its own profit.
Claiming, “FAIR has been at the forefront of stopping” sanctuary policies, Stein asks readers to “Help us fight the FAIR fight to stop sanctuary city laws that are acting as magnets to draw even more illegal immigrants across our borders.” Stein conveniently omits the fact that the prevalence of such policies has greatly increased in recent years after a federal court ruling regarding the unconstitutionality of several ICE policies.
NumbersUSA, the other primary lobbying arm of the organized anti-immigrant movement, was far more ambitious in its fundraising appeal sent to members yesterday.
With an email subject line that simply reads “Sanctuary Kills,” NumbersUSA Vice President of Operations Jim Robb writes that “refusal to enforce the law killed her” – while also disingenuously asserting that sanctuary policies are illegal. The legality of such policies have, in fact, been affirmed in a 2009 report by the non-partisan Congressional Research Service.
Robb’s solicitation also included a map of sanctuary jurisdictions created this week by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS). “These places are releasing known illegal-alien criminals, many of whom are dangerous felons, from jails and prisons directly onto the streets and into Americans’ neighborhoods,” Robb writes. “Is this what you want for our country?”
Robb concluded his appeal stating NumbersUSA’s goal is to raise “$100,000 by Saturday Midnight.”
What would all this money the anti-immigrant movement hopes to raise go towards? There’s a good chance at least some of it will go to pay the salaries of the men leading the organizations who have profited tremendously from promoting policies that demonize immigrants.
According to tax documents NumbersUSA hosts on its website, Robb made more than $150,000 working for the group in 2013 and NumbersUSA President Roy Beck profited even more, garnering nearly $250,000. The same year FAIR president Stein earned more than $297,000, according to FAIR’s tax documents.