Immigration Restrictionists

The Anti-Immigration Movement
The Southern Poverty Law Center monitors hate groups, including some anti-immigrant groups. This links to a portal for the Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Report stories on anti-immigration groups and leaders.

Following is a list of links to additional publications with information about immigration restrictionists and the anti-immigrant movement.

2010

The Anti-Immigrant Movement and the Politics of Exceptionalism

June 04, 2010 - by Roxanne Lynn Doty for the Immigration Policy Center's, Perspectives on Immigration

This paper explores the consequences related to the growing nativist, anti-immigrant movement in the U.S. It provides a look at contemporary, post-9/11 border vigilantism, and the dangerous and unproductive manner in which private citizens are drawing lines between who is worthy of inclusion in our society and who is not.

(P)reviewing the Right Wing Playbook on Immigration

March 17, 2010 - People for the American Way

The report previews the strategies employed by right-wing activists fighting against common-sense immigration reform. The report details the nine strategies designed to defeat any efforts to reform our country’s immigration system, as well as tools for fighting back against these dishonest attacks.

The Year in Nativism

March 02, 2010 - Heidi Beirich, Southern Poverty Law Center

Nativist extremist groups increased nearly 80% in 2009, rising to 309 from 173 in 2008. The spike in the numbers over the last year is almost entirely accounted for by the rapid growth of the Federal Immigration Reform and Enforcement (FIRE) Coalition, dedicated to ending “the invasion of illegal aliens.” FIRE took the lead in 2009 in coordinating the activities of the nativist extremist movement.

2009

The Anti-Worker Truth about the Anti-Immigrant Lobby

December 10, 2009 - America's Voice

This analysis exposes the anti-worker voting records of the most strident anti-immigrant Members of Congress; the tight network of anti-immigrant groups behind the “Coalition for the Future American Worker”; and the anti-immigrant lobby’s long history of attempting to co-opt progressive issues to promote their extremist, single-issue agenda.

Confronting the New Faces of Hate: Hate Crimes in America 2009

June 16, 2009 - Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Educational Fund

this report notes that the number of hate crimes committed against Hispanics and those perceived to be immigrants has increased each of the past four years for which FBI data is available. The marked increase in hate violence against Hispanics correlates closely with the increasingly heated debate over comprehensive immigration reform and an escalation in the level of anti-immigrant vitriol on radio, television, and the Internet.

Minority Meltdown: Immigrants Blamed for Mortgage Crisis

February 26, 2009 - Southern Policy Law Center

How anti-immigrant groups and their friends in the media spread the falsehood that immigrants were responsible for the collapse of the housing market.

Sinister Intentions: Hard Core of Nativist Movement Growing

February 26, 2009 - Southern Poverty Law Center

Even as the total number of anti-immigration groups has remained more or less the same in recent years, the number of extremist groups within the nativist movement has continued to climb.

Behind the Mask: Center for Immigration Studies Hardly ‘Independent’

February 26, 2009 - Southern Poverty Law Center

The Center for Immigration Studies has never found any aspect of immigration that it liked. CIS' creation was part of a carefully thought-out strategy aimed at creating a set of complementary institutions to cultivate the nativist cause. Companion Piece: Fudging Facts: A Look at CIS' Studies.

Lie Down with Dogs: NumbersUSA Founder Has Little-Known Past

February 26, 2009 - Southern Poverty Law Center

Roy Beck, who runs Numbers USA, was one of the editors for John Tanton's publication, The Social Contract. He once developed a program with Tanton that targeted Republicans for recruitment to the nativist cause.

2008

Fear and Loathing in Prime Time: Immigration Myths and Cable News

May 21, 2008 - Media Matters

This report documents the rhetoric surrounding illegal immigration on some of the most influential cable news shows. These shows overflow not just with vitriol, but also with a series of myths geared toward creating an anti-immigrant hysteria.

2007

The Teflon Nativists

December 11, 2007 - Southern Poverty Law Center

A report on the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).

Immigration Backlash: Violence Engulfs Latinos

December 11, 2007 - Southern Poverty Law Center

A representative sampling of some of the more egregious examples of physical and psychological violence waged against Latinos over the past two-and-a-half years.

Immigrants Targeted: Extremist Rhetoric Moves into the Mainstream

October 23, 2007 - Anti-Defamation League

In this report, ADL exposes individuals and groups who are playing a key a role in mainstreaming extremist rhetoric in the immigration debate in various aspects of American life.

Nativism In the House: A Report on the House Immigration Reform Caucus

October 10, 2007 - Center for New Community

Examines the House Immigration Reform Caucuslooking at voting patterns, individual and PAC contributions, and its relationship with the larger anti-immigrant movement.

Know Your Sources: The Mainstream Press Keeps Finding Wacky Immigration “Experts”

September 19, 2007 - Center for American Progress

Many anti-immigrant leaders have backgrounds that should disqualify them from even participating in mainstream debate. What is sad is they manage to get the American press to quote them without ever noting their bizarre and often racist beliefs.

The Ku Klux Klan Today

February 06, 2007 - Anti-Defamation League

The Ku Klux Klan has experienced a resurgence in part by exploiting fears of an immigration explosion. ADL documents a noticeable spike in activity by Klan chapters across the country.

2006

The Stalking Horses

September 30, 2006 - Southern Poverty Law Center

Two principals in a black group set up by a white-dominated anti-immigration organization discuss the movement and its aims.

Smokescreen

September 30, 2006 - Southern Poverty Law Center

Activists say a black anti-immigration movement is gathering steam. But it seems to be largely the creation of white people.

Extremists Declare ‘Open Season’ on Immigrants: Hispanics Target of Incitement and Violence

May 23, 2006 - Anti-Defamation League

As the public debate over immigration reform has taken center-stage in American politics and public life, white supremacists, neo-Nazis and other racists have declared "open season" on immigrants.

CNN’s Immigration Problem: Is Dobbs the exception—or the rule?

April 24, 2006 - Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting

Anti-immigrant crusader Lou Dobbs is not the only CNN media personality who harbors anti-immigrant views.

2005

Immigration protesters joined by neo-Nazis in California

August 01, 2005 - Southern Poverty Law Center

An article about white supremicist involvement in Save Our State, a California anti-immigrant organization.

Arizona Showdown: High-powered firearms, militia maneuvers and racism at the Minuteman Project

August 01, 2005 - Southern Poverty Law Center

An article observing the Minute Man project along the Arizona border during April, 2005

Restrictionist Efforts to Influence the 2004 Elections

January 27, 2005 - National Immigration Forum

Despite spending large sums of money in an effort to defeat pro-immigrant members of the House and Senate in the 2004 elections, two restrictionist Political Action Committees ultimately had little effect.

2004

2004 Election Analysis: Arizona’s Proposition 200

December 08, 2004 - National Immigration Forum

Analysis of the anti-immigrant ballot initiative in Arizona in the election of 2004, highlighting the positive lessons gained from the fight against this initiative.

Missing the Forest for the Trees

March 31, 2004 - Immigration Policy Center

This paper looks at the battle for control of the Sierra Club by immigration restrictionists who use an “over-population” argument that is based on flawed environmental assumptions.

2002

The Puppeteer

July 31, 2002 - Southern Poverty Law Center

The organized anti-immigration 'movement,' increasingly in bed with racist hate groups, is dominated by one man, John Tanton.

2001

Blood on the Border

May 31, 2001 - Southern Poverty Law Center

Behind the recent upswing in anti-immigration activism are an array of groups. In the eyes of most of these groups, immigrants (typically, non-white immigrants) are responsible for nearly all the country’s ills, from poverty and inner city decay to crime, urban sprawl and environmental degradation.

2000

Is FAIR Unfair?

December 31, 2000 - Anti-Defamation League

This report, focusing mainly on the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), offers a glimpse into how advocacy can cross the line into a divisive and troubling tendency toward scapegoating of the foreign born.