Will Cleveland OH become the next Sanctuary City?

While we are concentrating on closing the back door for illegal immigration by defeating the DREAM Act in D.C. -- a stealth war of amnesty for illegal immigrants is being waged right under our noses and in our own backyards!

There has been a quite but growing storm of support for a more "friendly" atmosphere towards illegal immigrants in the N/E Ohio area. Most of the major cities in OH have passed resolutions supporting immigration reform (Amnesty) and we already have several Sanctuary Cities in OH. 

With the below information -- one has to wonder if Cleveland is not looking to be the next one....

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson has added his name to a select group of big-city mayors and corporate CEOs calling for comprehensive immigration reform.

He is the first Midwest mayor to endorse the Partnership for a New American Economy, a crusade launched in June by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Fox News founder Rupert Murdoch.

Describing immigrants as economic catalysts, the coalition of mayors and business leaders calls for reforms that would offer earned citizenship to illegal immigrants and extend a wider welcome to job-creating, high-skill immigrants.

In August, Jackson joined the steering committee for an international welcome center, which supporters hope will attract more foreign talent and investment to Greater Cleveland. Now, he said, he fully endorses Mayor Bloomberg's coalition. Jackson said he signed on last week after apprising himself of the coalition's goals and strategies.

"Its really basic common sense," he said. "It promotes reform in a way that will be helpful to workers and to business. I'm just signing on to a common-sense approach."

Immigration reform at the national level, coupled with a local welcome center, could help power Cleveland's rebirth, Jackson said.

"We can really position Cleveland as a destination place for immigrants, not only for families, but for international business and international students," he said.

In the northeast Ohio region we often hear of how many younger, college-educated people are leaving the area due to the lack of jobs in emerging markets -- often this is labeled "brain drain."  So instead of working on ways to keep many of the younger people from leaving this area -- Mayor Jackson would rather make a more friendly living and working environment for illegal immigrants. 

Mayor Jackson's support of Bloomberg's "Partnership for a New American Economy" (click here for a list of supporters) is in line with the overall push from community leaders here in the N/E Ohio region to become a Garden of Eden for illegal immigrants as noted in this PD article from April 2010 --

The image of an international welcome center in Northeast Ohio began to take shape last week, along with the obstacles that a pro-immigrant strategy must overcome.

Representatives of groups that work with immigrants and groups that promote economic development shared ideas and concerns Thursday at the downtown headquarters of the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland. They pushed forward, painstakingly, toward a controversial proposal of welcoming immigrants and helping them to settle here.

Supporters of the welcome center concept argue the region needs an infusion of people and talent and that the most likely source is from abroad. They envision a center that would greet and guide international investors, international students and immigrant families.

"Our goal is to make Northeast Ohio the most welcome place for any migrant that wants to come," said Edward "Ned" Hill, dean of the Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University.

For video on the Immigration Welcome Center please click here.

Putting this open-armed immigration plan in action for this area is a local businessman, Eddie Zai, who has formed the Cleveland International Fund.  This fund (a nice compliment to the proposed Immigration Welcome Center), will be used to attract business investors from abroad in exchange for a fast track on becoming a U.S. citizen.  Zai has teamed up with Scott Wolstein of the Wolstein Group and Fairmont Properties for the planned redevelopment on the east bank of the Flats....

Wealthy foreign investors have committed $20 million to the Flats East Bank project, motivated by the promise of profits and permanent residency in America. Forty investors from China, Brazil, Argentina, India and Britain have committed $500,000 each to the east bank.

That qualifies them and their families for conditional green cards. They can become permanent residents two years after receiving the conditional visas -- if the $500,000 investments create at least 10 jobs each. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services offers the visa program to drive foreign investment into distressed American communities, although it has attracted some criticism for giving wealthy foreigners an easier path into the United States.

"I had never heard of this approach, and the people in my circle, who are pretty sophisticated about real estate investment, had never heard of it," Wolstein said. "It raised my antenna."

Of course a new way of 'feeding at the federal trough' would raise Wolstien's antenna -- because after facilitating this poker table buy in for citizenship with Zai, Wolstein expects to secure some PUBLIC FINANCING for help in funding his east bank redevelopment project.

Also lending support in the back door push of amnesty for illegal immigrants at the municipal level is the National League of Cities (NLC). The NLC has passed a resolution ( PDF File) supporting immigration reform (Amnesty) and are asking member cities to do the same.  The NLC water boy for this area is Bedford Mayor Dan Pocek. 

While, important as it is, we are bird-dogging the DREAM Act in D.C., many local communities are quietly working to come out in support of the NLC resolution and are very supportive of the above type initiatives.  This is something we can and MUST combat on the local level in each of our communities. 

You can help fight the attempts of stealth amnesty at the municipal level by putting this issue in front of your local elected officials and request that they pass a resolution supporting the State of Arizona's fight against illegal immigration. With having a new County Council and County Executive, it would also not be surprising if we soon see a pro-amnesty/illegal immigration push at the county level.  Soon after the new Cuyahoga County Council is sworn in, we will challenge them to support the AZ Resolution too.

If your City Council / Township Trustees, as a whole, refuse to support the AZ Resolution please ask the individual members if they would be willing to issue a statement of support.  For a template Resolution supporting AZ, please click here. 

If you have any questions or need assistance in presenting the AZ  Resolution to your city, please email us at clevelandteaparty@gmail.com and we will help in every way possible.