New York Times immigration reporter drops pretense of objectivity

Illegal immigration is an issue of great importance in California. It affects our economy, our schools, our social services, our prisons and much more.

Whether you support the status quo, the proposals from President Obama or President George W. Bush, or a crackdown on those living in the U.S. illegally, there are many reasons to take the issue very seriously, and to try to think through the implications of the decisions our elected leaders make and voters make through initiatives.

But not if you are the reporter covering immigration for the nation's most influential publication. She's pursuing a crusade, not attempting to explore a very complex issue.

“The campaign to win amnesty for illegal immigrants is 'a very substantial civil rights movement,' according to New York Times reporter Julia Preston, who, along with other progressive journalists, spoke about the issue to a Washington, D.C. audience on Friday.

“Preston is the New York Times’ primary immigration reporter — and the paper is cheering the push by progressives and employers to grant amnesty to 11 million illegal immigrants during an extended recession. The Gray Lady also backs the simultaneous campaign to double legal immigration, which would bring in 22 million additional immigrant workers and consumers by 2023.

“But, warned Preston, a 'popular resistance out in the country' has sprung up to oppose amnesty.

“A major part of her job is exposing and tracking the resistance, she said.

“'I have to write about… Where is the resistance? How strong is it? Is a popular resistance in this cycle or is it more of a political/ideological resistance?' she said.”

They have a 'civil right' to be in America

That's from Neil Munro of the Daily Caller. The next time someone tells you there's no liberal bias in the media, feel free to laugh until you break a rib.

What's amazing about the illegal immigration debate is that the same people who advocate amnesty of various kinds are often the same people who worry about income inequality. Incredibly enough, about the only journalist who ever regularly points out these issues are inextricably linked is quirky Los Angeles Democrat Mickey Kaus. Here's an example.

Mickey's thesis: Millions of Americans without college degrees struggle to find decent work, raise their kids and pay the bills. So what do American politicians and mainstream media want to do to change this picture? Make job prospects for these millions of Americans even more problematic by legally adding millions more low-skilled workers to the jobs market.

Kaus is onto something when he points out the contempt/indifference the elite media have for struggling poor people — or at least the ones who are citizens.

I am not remotely against increased legal immigration. I would be all for bringing in millions of well-educated, high-achieving new citizens — from Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe, everywhere — through a merit-driven immigration system like Canada. But that's not what we're contemplating.