For £50 Immigrants Can Join America’s Kaweah Indian Nation
WHO was in America first? So who gets to say who stays?
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - For prices starting at $50, two nonfederally recognized Indian tribes are offering membership to thousands of illegal immigrants, claiming they can achieve legal status by joining the groups.
But immigration authorities insist becoming a tribe member gives no protection against being deported. And immigration advocates condemn the practice, saying it defrauds immigrants of money and gives them false hope.
“You can’t just decide to become a member of a tribe and all of a sudden legalize your status,” said Marilu Cabrera, a spokeswoman for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
In Nebraska, some people reported paying up to $1,200 to join the Kaweah Indian Nation, which became the target of a federal investigation after complaints about the tribe arose in at least five states.
Manuel Urbina, the tribe’s high chief, acknowleged his group has sold at least 10,000 tribal memberships to illegal immigrants for about $50 each.
“We are not going against the law, we’re with the law,” he said, claiming membership papers can help illegal immigrants avoid being detained by authorities if they are asked for documents.
Should it work?
Posted: 18th, August 2007 | In: Twitterings Comments (3) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
Comments
August 22nd, 2007 at 11:09 pm
The problem is that most people do not understand about American Indians and American Indian Recognition. This is evidenced by the ignorant, but well meaning, comments that I have read on this site.
American Indians are unlike other racial/ethnic groups in the U.S. in that they are the only ones that have to prove, by pedigree, to be the race/ethnic group that they claim. Recognition of tribes is based on federal guidelines. Sometimes, some states will recognize tribes at the state level. There are over 500 recognized tribes in America. There are nearly 100 state recognized tribes in the U.S. that are not federally recognized. There are over 3,000 non-recognized tribes in America that are left out in the cold by both the federal government and the states that they inhabit. ONLY the federally recognized tribes have reservations and receive any federal aid for educational, medical, or other benefits/uses.
The Kaweah Indian Nation and the Pembina Little Shell Tribe are both non-recognized “tribes”. They received no benefits and have NO RESERVATION LANDS or POLITICAL POWER. These two groups go against the very nature of what a tribe is supposed to be about. Moreover, they make the true non-recognized tribes look like scam artists as well.
It is my hope that these two groups suffer greatly for trying to harm not only America but also there Amerindian brothers.
It is my hope, however, that my words will be understood by the majority reading this article and that no one will use the actions of these two scam “tribes” as an excuse to perpetuate bigoted racial/ethnic slurs.
S-gi!
August 18th, 2007 at 9:07 pm
I think if it smells like crap, then it is!
Will these reservation’s claim this money as a profit and if so, under what tax catagory?
August 18th, 2007 at 6:46 pm
I suppose as long as they remain on the reservation it would be okay. It is time these lock jawed leeches find a new host!