As the Trump administration gets ready to tackle illegal immigration, a member of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission noted the impact on the black community that he believes is too often ignored.

“Black males are more likely to experience competition from illegal immigrants,” Commissioner Peter Kirsanow told The Daily Signal.

Kirsanow, an attorney in Cleveland and former member of the National Labor Relations Board, said illegal immigration is both a short-term and long-term problem for young black males.

“What happens is you eliminate the rungs on the ladder because a sizable number of black men don’t have access to entry-level jobs,” Kirsanow said. “It is not just the competition and the unemployment of blacks. It also depresses the wage levels.”

A U.S. Civil Rights Commission study in 2010 determined immigration had a disproportionate impact on black Americans, but the study didn’t distinguish illegal immigration from legal. The findings came through various field hearings with experts.

“About six in 10 adult black males have a high school diploma or less, and black men are disproportionately employed in the low-skilled labor market, where they are more likely to be in labor competition with immigrants,” the commission report says.

The report continues:

Illegal immigration to the United States in recent decades has tended to depress both wages and employment rates for low-skilled American citizens, a disproportionate number of whom are black men. Expert economic opinions concerning the negative effects range from modest to significant. Those panelists that found modest effects overall nonetheless found significant effects in industry sectors such as meatpacking and construction.

A 2012 Census Bureau report found more than half of American-born blacks did not continue their education beyond high school, while the rate was even higher for foreign-born Hispanics.

Kirsanow noted that the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that the labor force participation rate for people with less than a high school diploma is 46 percent, which he argues means there is no shortage of low-skilled workers in the United States. The labor force participation rate for those with a college degree is 73.8 percent.

The NAACP, the nation’s leading black civil rights group, did not respond to The Daily Signal for this story. However, the organization has supported immigration reform that would provide legal status to illegal immigrants.

Moreover, an NAACP action alert cited research that increased immigration was actually helpful to the black community. After the Senate passed a 2013 amnesty bill, the group’s statement said:

Comprehensive immigration reform must focus on the basic American principles of preserving family unity, opposing wasteful spending, and protecting and promoting human and civil rights, human dignity, and fairness. It must also be very aware of the economic impact any new policies will have on the American people: that is why the NAACP was pleased to learn of studies which have found that more often than not, Latino immigrants and African-Americans fill complementary roles in the labor market. The study, by the Immigration Policy Center released in June of this year concludes that in metropolitan statistical areas, the increase of the Latino immigrant experience significantly raises wages, lowers unemployment, and elevates job creation for African-Americans.

The Immigration Policy Center is a research arm of the American Immigration Council, an immigrants’ rights advocacy group.

The Congressional Black Caucus also did not respond to inquiries from The Daily Signal. However, the group of African-American House members, all Democrats, has previously supported comprehensive immigration reform proposals, stating on its website:

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus unanimously support Comprehensive Immigration Reform legislation that provides a path to citizenship for millions of immigrants currently living in America and particularly for the more than 3 million immigrants of African descent.

Kirsanow contends that certain politicians and advocacy groups are more concerned with advancing the Democratic Party.

“Some people are putting party preference over the needs of their constituents,” he said. “The [Congressional Black Caucus] styles themselves as protecting and enhancing the interest of black Americans. The problem is that black workers are being ignored. So, there is another agenda at work.” (For more from the author of “How Illegal Immigration Harms Black Americans, According to Civil Rights Commissioner” please click HERE)

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Four members of Congress are calling on the Obama administration to quickly address the recent spike in illegal immigration along the U.S.-Mexico border.

In a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, the four lawmakers ask the administration to “take immediate action and mobilize all available resources of the department to stop the ongoing surge of illegal immigration at the southwest border.”

The letter was sent Thursday by Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., along with Reps. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., and Trey Gowdy, R-S.C. Grassley and Goodlatte lead each chamber’s judiciary committees.

According to the letter, the lawmakers believe the immigration surge is connected to the U.S. presidential election.

“Numerous media reports indicate that this surge is a large-scale effort to enter the United States before this year’s presidential election,” the letter states. “The onslaught of illegal immigration reflects continued efforts by aliens from Central America—El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala—to overwhelm our limited resources at the border, which inevitably results in the release of tens of thousands of removable aliens within the United States.”

The letter also states that “thousands” of Haitians and Africans are gathering in two Mexican cities, Tijuana and Mexicali, and “asserting dubious claims of asylum [to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers], which will practically guarantee their entry.”

In the last fiscal year, according to the letter, 408,870 illegal immigrants were found by the Border Patrol attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border.

“Of those apprehended, more than 77,000 were members of so-called ‘family units,’ which represents an increase of 95 percent over [fiscal year] 2015 figures, and nearly 60,000 were unaccompanied alien minors, which reflects a 49 percent increase over the previous fiscal year,” the letter reports.

Currently, the 40,000 illegal immigrants are being held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The letter warns that this record number could easily reach 47,000 in the very near future.

“Without additional funding, ICE likely will release thousands of those detained into the United States, many of whom are criminals, who will abscond and hide from authorities,” the letter states.

Goodlatte, Gowdy, Grassley, and Sessions are calling on Homeland Security to immediately address this issue. They noted the department abruptly canceled a briefing last week with congressional staff, leaving questions about the recent surge unanswered.

“It has come to light through information provided to our committees that the department may have issued a directive to limit engagement with Congress until immediately before the election,” they wrote. “Any such directive, if issued, would be an unacceptable political ploy and a serious infringement of Congress’ oversight authority under the Constitution. We fully expect that such a directive, if issued, would be immediately rescinded.”

David Inserra, a homeland security expert at The Heritage Foundation, believes this is yet another instance that illustrates President Barack Obama’s lack of action to address the country’s immigration policy.

“The Obama administration’s failure to enforce our immigration laws and ongoing promises of amnesty or legalization by policymakers have encouraged continuing waves of illegal immigration,” Inserra said in an email to The Daily Signal. “Until the U.S. redoubles the enforcement of its immigration laws and provides ICE and other immigration agencies with the resources they need, the U.S. will keep struggling with the surges of illegal immigration we have seen and continue to see at our borders.” (For more from the author of “What’s Causing the Surge of Illegal Immigration? Lawmakers Want Answers and Action” please click HERE)

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Is Donald “build-a-wall” Trump going soft on illegal immigration? The GOP presidential candidate sought to reassure concerned supporters at a rally in Phoenix this week by debuting an ambitious 10-point immigration plan. With cowboy hats and boots on display throughout the Phoenix Convention Center arena, the large crowd loved every minute of the hour-long speech, heartily cheering such applause lines as “We take in anyone … Not anymore!”

Noticeably missing, however, was his previous call to deport all 11 million or so illegal immigrants. Based on recent statements, he seems to have backed off of that promise. Perhaps he concluded it wasn’t feasible. Perhaps he was advised that Congress would never pass such a law and that he could not constitutionally accomplish it with an executive order.

The event featured several GOP stars, including Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) and Trump’s running mate, Governor Mike Pence of Indiana. When border-hawk Sheriff Arpaio came on stage, the crowd roared so loudly it was like being at a rock concert.

Former 9-11 New York Mayor City Rudy Giuliani was a bit of a surprise speaker, and arguably made the most powerful speech for Trump. “Based on Hillary’s job at the Secretary of State,” he told the crowd, “I wouldn’t elect her to dog catcher in New York!”

Trump’s “Angel Moms” related their tragic stories of relatives killed (or in one case, made into a paraplegic) by criminal illegal immigrants. The speakers all wore Trump’s “Make America Great Again” trademark white baseball cap, as did Trump.

Arizona’s Republican Senator John McCain was noticeably missing from the event. Whenever his name came up, the crowd booed loudly. McCain has angered the conservative base in Arizona for failing to keep his word when it comes to curbing illegal immigration.

Trump Goes After Hillary

Trump’s speech was awash with the points and subpoints of his immigration plan, but he also left room to go after his Democratic opponent. “Hillary only cares about one thing when it comes to illegal immigration, the needs of the illegal immigrants here,” he said, adding that her immigration plan is nothing but open borders.

He said he would create a new task force to find the most criminally dangerous illegal immigrants, “just like dangerous Hillary Clinton, maybe they’ll be able to deport her.” And he said that he consulted with border patrol officers and experts on the illegal immigration problem in order to develop his 10-point plan, whereas Clinton just meets with lobbyists and big donors.

Other parts of his plan include passing Kate’s Law, to ensure that criminal illegal immigrants who illegally re-enter the country receive tough, mandatory minimum sentences. He would triple the number of ICE officers and add 5,000 more border patrol agents. New screening tests would be given to immigrants, with “extreme vetting” done to ensure they have our ideological values. And the 287g program would be brought back to return law enforcement powers to local police, something that was stripped away during the Obama administration.

“We must put American citizens first,” Trump said, and added that since not everyone who comes to America can successfully assimilate, we need to pick the ones who will.

He attacked the media several times for failing to disclose the truth about illegal immigration, and the crowd would turn and yell angrily at the media section. Some members of the media found it difficult getting attendees to agree to interviews, because there was so little trust. The crowd frequently broke into chants, including “USA USA,” “Build a wall,” and “Hillary for prison.”

There were plenty of protesters outside, many dressed colorfully to attract media attention. They carried professionally made signs that said “no hate” or that argued against a border fence. One man held up a piñata of Trump and let small children beat it with sticks. A protester who made it inside the convention hall started yelling while one of Trump’s angels was speaking. About 50 men, including multiple members of law enforcement and security, made their way over to the man and removed him.

The Meeting With Mexico’s President

Trump also talked about his meeting earlier in the day with Mexican President Peña Nieto. It is not clear whether the two discussed Trump’s insistence that Mexico fund a border fence between the two countries. According to the AP, Trump said they didn’t discuss it, whereas Nieto said he told Trump Mexico wouldn’t pay for it. Nieto held a joint press conference with Trump after the meeting, which resulted in considerable backlash against Nieto for daring to find common ground with Trump.

Considering Trump’s aggressive stance on illegal immigration, the meeting was a considerable feat to pull off, one that made Trump look presidential and able to deal realistically with foreign leaders. Perhaps his backing down from his call to deport the 11 million illegal immigrants made the difference. (For more from the author of “Trump Rallies Border Hawks With 10-Point Plan, Hillary Zingers” please click HERE)

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