BY CAROLYN SZCZEPANSKI
The Southern Poverty Law Center released its second list of anti-immigrant "nativists” today, and Kris Kobach, a UMKC law professor and chairman of the Kansas Republican Party, made the top 20. Calling the profile a "hit piece," Kobach tells The Pitch that the SPLC report is riddled with errors.
Based in Alabama, the SPLC identifies and tracks the activities of hate groups. In recent years, the nonprofit has highlighted the growth of anti-illegal-immigration organizations such as the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps. But, according to the SPLC, it’s not just the Minutemen who are having a negative influence on immigration policy.
In their quarterly magazine, Intelligence Report, released this week, the SPLC profiles 20 activists it brands “new-wave Nativists.”
“The net effect of their collective effort,” the magazine says in its introduction, “has contributed mightily toward darkening the skies of an already harsh political and social climate, with the tone of the national debate on immigration growing nastier by the day and with Latinos increasingly being subject to discrimination and violence.”
According to the SPLC, one of the men who has been a leader in that collective effort is Kobach.
In their short “snapshot,” the SPLC describes Kobach as a far-right Christian fundamentalist who’s been accused of inflating his law credentials and taking money from racists in his 2004 run for Congress. He’s also the “the man behind many of the deeply flawed anti-illegal-immigrant laws passed recently,” the SPLC says, including ordinances in Pennsylvania and Missouri that punish employers and landlords for hiring or housing undocumented immigrants. (The bio also cites a Pitch profile of the immigration professor in January 2007.)
Kobach says SPLC has it all wrong. In fact, federal judges in the past three months have upheld municipal and state laws that the UMKC professor helped craft. In January, a federal judge ruled that the Kobach-assisted, anti-illegal-immigration ordinance in Valley Park, Missouri, did not violate federal law. Last month, an Arizona judge upheld a law that requires employers to check the status of its workers or risk losing their business license if they're caught with undocumented employees. Kobach also helped Arizona lawmakers author that bill.
The chair of the Kansas GOP also takes issue with SPLC's nativist label, calling it a "gross distortion" of his views.
"I think that one of the greatest tragedies in our system is that legal immigrants have to wait so long to be reunited with their family members," he tells The Pitch in an e-mail. "I want legal immigration to be more efficient, so fewer people are tempted to break the law. I do not agree with nativists — who are opposed to all immigration, legal and illegal — at all. But, of course, that doesn't fit the SPLC's agenda, so they leave out the truth."
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Review: They Made Me a Fugitive (1939) If you repeat the title of the Strand's new picture—"They Made Me a Criminal"—you can almost fancy you hear the voice of John Garfield, accusing the Warner Brothers. But they all have to go through the same mill at Warners': Muni did it in "Scarface ....
I don't like discrimination but what part of "illegal" don't we understand here. Doesn't 'illegal' mean we created a law somewhere for some legit reason?
And about those H1B visas... the 'legal' way in.. didn't anyone think these folks have families they want to bring over with them? Thus more people coming to take away more jobs.
(and why can't Walgreens hire people who speak clearer english?)
Hey DDh, there are a lot of folks in D.C. offering solutions. Problem is, they can't agree on any because of the special interests and election year fears. Hate to hear about tragedies like the one with the two teenage girls. It's a common ocurrence these days.
Kobach is up to his deception bit again. Valley Park's ordiance, which still has very little chance on appeal, only got the judge's nod because the city REPEALED the provision governing landlords and altered the business provision such that, in practice, they are unenforceable. SPLC is exactly correct about the original ordinance, which Kobach neglects to mention, were laughed out of court.
Very funny that groups that want our laws enforced and illegal immigration to cease, are labeled as haters by the special interest groups such as the SPLC, LaRaza, the TIRRC, Mecha, Lulac and others. Should we call them anti-American since they are against enforcing the laws of the United States in regards to illegal immigration? Take, take, take from the American people and get a free ride all the way. Kris Kobach is an American citizen trying to preserve our nation from the invasion by millions of illegal aliens. Thank you to those who speak to protect our communities and neighborhoods from the balkanization created by illegal immigration.
Mike, I think the whole problem could be solved by heath schulers save act . Illegal Immigration could be fixed by an ex-NFL quarterback, now congressman. Once a leader always a leader and a pretty good Quaterback too. the reason I am so pissed about the Illegal's is I know people who know the families of the 2 teenage girls who were killed by an illegal drunk driver .
Hey ddh, you are a riot man. LMAO. What makes you think I have an issue with the minutemen? They are not an issue for me at all. Those who have problems with them should be focusing on the bigger issues in this area, not what is going on in the Arizona desert. My "La Terrorist ass Scumbag friends" overestimated their value to the KC area. Don't lump us all in one group ddh. We may share some views, not all.
Trixie:
I not for sure you'll get what you want. When Kobach was in power he instituted a program to screen and seek-out Muslim Men.
Sorry mike your La terrorist ass scumbag friends lost there war with the minuteman !!!
Wow, all of you are pretty much wrong! Kris is far from a racist. He is very much for the beauty of our diverse nation...AND the rule of law.
Also, just to correct your lack of 3rd district political knowledge, Moore has won 5 times, is in his 5th term in office. He has not won because he represents the 3rd, ie he has voted 97% of the time with Pelosi. That is not representative of the electorate of 3D. He has won because the Republican party has been at war with itself in this district. We won't have that problem this time. We're bonded behind Nick Jordan and will beat Moore.
Hey DDH, Dennis Moore works for those who voted for him. Kobach sucks up to anyone local or not as long as they sign his paycheck. Conservatives have lined up Phill Kline, who runs around with a bible prosecuting anyone for whatever, Adam Taff, now a convict, and your hero, KKKris.
Dennis Moore knocked them all down. Looks like the majority voted down the extremists, aka KKKris & Co not once, not twice, but three times. Ok, go back to jacking off DDH.
Mike you idiot can't think of anything else besides racist. "La terrorist idiot". P.S. he is making more money doing law against Illegals
Look how moore turned out you jack off !!!
Kris is hot. I wish he'd do an Eliot Spitzer on me! I wouldn't even charge him (for the first three times).
chuck, no but if your a racist and use code words that pretain only to people with brown skin then your a hate-monger. Grow-up,anyway why do you hate Christian --immigrants, are you anti-christian too.
So let me get this straight. If you aren't totally for unfettered immigration to the United States, than you're a hate monger?? Mmmm-kay.
Yes call those numbers and tell them to don't support hate mongers and their hate mongers bill.
Ruben thanks for the info.
We need to burn the phone lines to The Capital Monday, Tuesday and Wed. ALL THREE DAYS
Info Follows
Kansas Immigration Reform EffortK.I.R.E. This is URGENT The Senators say they are not hearing from the people ? We don't want this bill to DIE in committee because we didn't make some phone calls!!!
Wednesday March 12 The Federal & State Affairs committee will vote on SB 458. If they do not hear from us, the people, they will give in to the pressures from the Chamber of Commerce and others who are threatening not to support them if they vote for it. They say they are not hearing from us!!!!! WE MUST CALL THEM ON MONDAY & TUESDAY MARCH 10 & 11 AND TELL THEM WE WANT THIS BILL PASSED.
THERE IS GREAT POWER IN NUMBERS!!!!
Here is all you have to do: Call 1-800-432-3924 ( the legislative hotline) - Give your NAME and CITY and the names of the Senators you want to get this message. Then politely state your short message similar to this " I want SB 458 voted out of committee AS WRITTEN, no amendments, and onto the Senate floor for debate and vote. This bill is VERY important to me." Here are the names & phone numbers of the Senators on the committee
Capitol Office
Room: 281E
Phone: 785-296-7361
Email: vratil@senate.state.ks.us
Capitol Office
Room: 261E
Phone: 785-296-7360
Email: reitz@senate.state.ks.us
Capitol Office
Room: 522S
Phone: 785-296-7390
Email: brungardt@senate.state.ks.us
Capitol Office
Room: 181E
Phone: 785-296-7357
Email: gilstrap@senate.state.ks.us
Capitol Office
Room: 402S
Phone: 785-296-7382
Email: lynn@senate.state.ks.us
Capitol Office
Room: 121E
Phone: 785-296-7358
Email: brownlee@senate.state.ks.us
Capitol Office
Room: 422S
Phone: 785-296-7364
Email: francisco@senate.state.ks.us
He did run for office dumb ass. He got his extremist ass kicked by Dennis Moore. I caught part of his show on KMBZ the other day. It focused on what else? Immigration. This time he was blaming immigrants for bringing drug resistant TB to the U.S. In fact, his medical expert guest disputed that claim, no matter how Kobach tried to spin his claim. He is a racist, look at the hate in his eyes, that says it all.
UMKC ought to audit the amount of time he spends on his KKK like crusade when he is on taxpayer payroll.
what a joke the southern Poverty Criminal supporter center, go Kobach run for office!!!
Makes you wonder how UMKC School of Law continues to employ the agent of hate. Unless of course, UMKC School of Law obtains some $$$ financial benefit from all the attention Kris Kobach gives them.
UMKC School of Law..harboring agents of hate.
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