source..Source: Posted on FoxNews website, story from AP press

PHOENIX — A Wyoming man has given more than $1.5 million to help defend Arizona’s controversial immigration enforcement measure in court, Gov. Jan Brewer’s office said Thursday.

The contribution from Timothy Mellon of Saratoga is the largest to Brewer’s defense fund, which has amassed more than $3.6 million from 41,000 donors nationwide. Mellon could not immediately be reached for comment.

The latest legal bills released Thursday show Brewer’s office has spent more than $440,000 for the first two months of defending the law.

The bills, obtained through a public records request by The Associated Press, are for work performed through June by Phoenix law firm Snell & Wilmer. They do not cover July hearings in federal court before a judge Susan Bolton temporarily blocked enforcement of the law’s most controversial provisions.

Brewer has appealed Bolton’s order to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Her office is defending the state against seven lawsuits challenging Arizona’s law, including cases filed by the U.S. Justice of Department, civil rights groups and two police officers.

Bolton has dismissed two of the cases.

“The fees incurred have been, and will continue to be, sizeable,” Brewer spokesman Paul Senseman said, noting there have been more than 900 legal filings totaling more than 12,000 pages.

Arizona’s law would generally require officers enforcing other measures to check the immigration status of people they suspect are illegal immigrants.

Comment by American Grand Jury:

I find the entire situation such a disgrace. The United States Department of Justice has nothing better to do than sue the State of Arizona over something the Administration refuses to do, PROTECT our Country from illegals, drugs and criminals crossing the border.

What a waste of time and money when such funds could go to building the economy and employing people, and I am not talking about enriching some lawyer’s pocketbook.. God knows we have enough of our taxpayer’s money already stimulating the “wrong” people.

By Gayle Kesselman

It was with trepidation that I went to the National Immigration Summit held in Phoenix, Arizona on July 30 and 31. The summit was organized by national anti-illegal immigration organizations and was scheduled to celebrate the day that Arizona’s State Bill 1070 became law. The National Immigration Summit was planned to send a congratulatory message to Arizonans who were finally able to take effective action to protect themselves from a horrendous crime problem tied to illegal immigration.

As we all know, SB 1070 has become a cause for celebration in the national media. The new law requires, among other things, that foreign nationals carry documentation of their citizenship status. Furthermore, SB 1070 allows local police to check this documentation and to verify an individual’s status if, in the course of their routine police activities, they have reason to suspect that that individual is in the country illegally. As a result of these provisions, local police can more easily turn individuals over to federal authorities for deportation.

But last-minute events threatened to dampen the celebration. As a result of a lawsuit brought against Arizona by Attorney General Eric Holder on behalf of the federal government, Judge Susan Bolton was able to file temporary injunctions against several portions of the SB 1070. But instead of being overcome with disappointment, attendees at the summit were jubilant about the fact that significant portions of SB 1070 had actually become law. That this was not reported in the mainstream media should surprise no one. These details were even neglected to a large extent by the conservative media, which tended to be preoccupied with commenting on what commentators saw as the inappropriate nature of Judge Bolton’s ruling. But the fact remains that significant portions of SB 1070 were not affected by her ruling and are now law in the State of Arizona.

To take just one example, one section of the bill mandates a fine of up to $5,000 a day payable to the State of Arizona by any city which openly declares itself a so-called “sanctuary city.” This would include the city of Phoenix, which, under the leadership of Mayor Phil Gordon, has a policy of not allowing police to question anyone’s citizenship status. When Judge Bolton ruled that the federal government had supremacy in the area of immigration law that could not be overturned by states or localities, she effectively ended the ability of Mayor Gordon to thumb his nose at federal immigration law. Of course, if Mayor Gordon feels that strongly about Phoenix remaining a sanctuary city, he does have the option of having his city pay a fine of $5,000 every day to the State of Arizona. The section of SB 1070 that mandates the abolition of sanctuary cities under penalty of law was not struck down by Judge Bolton, and so it stands.

Another section of SB 1070 makes it illegal for an employer to pick up a day laborer on a busy street under penalty of getting his car impounded. This section of SB 1070 was also left standing by Judge Bolton. This provision goes a long way to shutting down public areas where illegal immigrants congregate looking for work and makes Arizona a less attractive state for illegal immigrants to settle in.

The energy and enthusiasm at the Phoenix Summit was palpable. Attendees saw SB 1070 not as a defeat, but as a victory. SB 1070 was not made null and void, as the mainstream media would have had you believe, and the injunctions put in place by Judge Bolton are temporary. At the summit were Arizonans who were fired up and determined to fight all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary. There was excitement and a sense that time is on their side.

Events at the summit were reflective of more general political currents swirling under the radar — certainly of our mainstream media, and even of our conservative media. The fact is that almost every state in the United States has adopted, or is planning to adopt, some sort of measure relating to illegal immigration. And this is happening as a counterpoint to the vacuum of principled leadership on the illegal immigration issue by our politicians in the federal government.

According to Mary Giovagnoli, Director of the Immigration Policy Center, just in the first quarter of 2010, 1,180 immigration bills were introduced in state legislatures, and 206 laws were enacted. To highlight a few examples, Virginia enacted H737, which requires state agencies, public contractors, localities, and private employers with fifteen or more employees to enroll in the E-Verify program by December 1, 2010. E-Verify is a federal program which enables employers to ensure that prospective employees have valid social security numbers and are therefore either U.S. citizens or legal residents. During the same period, South Dakota introduced H1107, requiring evidence of legal presence in the U.S. to renew a nonresident commercial driver license; and Oklahoma introduced H2751, requiring any immigrant unlawfully present under federal immigration law to submit to DNA testing for law enforcement identification purposes if arrested. Both laws were subsequently enacted.

This phenomenon of states asserting their sovereignty in defiance of the federal government is apparent in areas other than immigration. Montana and Tennessee have both enacted legislation which would in effect nullify federal gun laws for ammunition, firearms, and firearm accessories which are manufactured and remain in their respective states. Alaska, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and South Carolina have introduced similar legislation into their state legislatures. And we all know about the lawsuits initiated by numerous states seeking to overturn the recently passed federal health care reform popularly known as ObamaCare.

As Thomas E. Woods points out in his excellent book Nullification: How to Resist Federal Tyranny in the 21st Century, the sovereign states that make up the United States were meant to be checks against federal tyranny. Prior to the Civil War, there was an impressive history of states using their power to attempt to nullify federal laws that the states considered unconstitutional because the federal laws impinged on the sovereignty of the states. For many years following the founding of our country, these attempts occurred in the context of a wide range of issues which had nothing to do with the abominable institution of slavery in the South. As Woods notes, however, beginning with the buildup to the U.S. Civil War and up to the Civil Rights struggles of the 1960s, the issue of “State Rights” has been associated chiefly with attempts to perpetuate racial injustice. Unfortunately, this has led to demonization of those who believe that sovereign states can play a significant role in blocking the federal government when it oversteps its constitutional boundaries.

In some ways, our present divided country is a mirror-image of the one that plunged into civil war a century and a half ago. In those days, “States’ Rights” was the clarion call for those who wished to perpetuate a morally corrupt and oppressive system. In our current era, when it comes to issues including immigration, gun rights, and health care, to name just a few, it is the states who are asserting themselves against a corrupt and oppressive federal government. The revolt of the states is real and growing. It is time to reexamine the issues of state sovereignty with new eyes, free from outmoded canards of the past.

The Cypress Times

Publisher’s Note: We are now receiving numerous conflicting reports regarding the veracity of this article. Numerous sources on the web (found via Google search) are picking up on this report, just as we did at The Cypress Times. The original writer for this article stands by his sources. If you wish to inquire about the sources, please visit the original story source URL listed in the article body below. I can tell you that as of now The Cypress Times has been unable to confirm the story. – John G. Winder, Publisher – The Cypress Times.

UPDATE: Story is now 100% confirmed by second source within the Laredo Police Department

The bloodbath continues along our southern border and now word is coming in that Los Zetas, the highly trained killers formerly with the Gulf Cartel, have crossed into the United States and taken over at least two ranches in the Laredo, Texas area. I am receiving word that the owners of the ranches have evacuated without being harmed.

Founder of the San Diego Minutemen Jeff Schwilk tipped me off to this story and passes along the following information on the location. The ranches are said to be “near Mines Rd. and Minerales Annex Rd about 10 miles NW of I-35″.

Update – Statement from Mr. Schwilk:

I can personally vouch that this info came in late last night from a reliable police source inside the Laredo PD. There is currently a standoff between the unknown size Zeta forces and U.S. Border Patrol and local law enforcement on two ranches on our side of the Rio Grande. The source tells us he considers this an “act of war” and that the military is needed on the border now!

source.. PrisonPlanet.com

Comment by American Grand Jury:

This is serious business.. we have a Commander-in-Thief sitting on his dead ass crying “racism” and suing the State of Arizona claiming we have no right to protect ourselves. Well Usurper Obama, you are full of hot air. WE HAVE EVERY RIGHT! By the way, what is going on in Texas has been happening here in Arizona for a long time. We have had Mexican drug gangs operating in the State for years. They may have not taken control of any ranches yet but they have killed citizens in our State, including one prominent Rancher in Southern Arizona. We have all kinds of problems in Phoenix with kidnappings, murder and drug trafficking.. compliments of Mexico and the illegal alien problem.

We need the Feds to send in the troops and close down our Southern border.. what about it Usurper? Are you going to protect this Nation? Oh, I forgot, you don’t give a crap about this Nation.. you aren’t even a US “natural born” citizen. Your allegiance is to the Muslim world not America.

NEW Information:

Not sure what to believe but I received this from one of our American Grand Jury members. It seems logical. I hope this is indeed true and the local authorities have it under control.

Here is the update:

Regulator wrote on Jul 25, 2010 4:03 PM:

“Here is the deal on Laredo, Yes they are having trouble and yes A Ranch was taken over.. BUT tx rangers, pd and sheriffs are working with some fed agents. The people are contained in one location. The group is surrounded by both Mexican law enforcement and ours…, It is not that particular gang but a group that are trying to excape the Mexican Gov… After speaking directly with the mayor in Laredo, I am at ease they have this situation under control… Also The mayor said HE is the one calling for the media blackout because he does not want “all the militias and citizens” coming down there and literally starting a war.”

Additional Comment by American Grand Jury:

I hear from a lot of Obots that AGJ is just trying to spread propaganda.. No, that is not true. I leave that up to the Obots. That is their field of expertise. When we find a story that has been shaded so to speak we make an effort to repost the truth. Now I don’t really know what is going on in Laredo. I hope for the best, I really do. No one wants to see Mexican cartel thugs invade our country. The truth of the matter is they are already here and have been for years. The drug cartels have infested many of our cities.

THE REAL ISSUE is we have an illegal alien invasion in this country and it is fast becoming a powder keg waiting to explode. Obama is doing nothing about it and his incompetence has reached “treasonous” levels. The man would really rather play golf than defend our borders. I support Arizona 100% in their efforts to deal with the problem. If the progressives want to call it racism then so be it. We all know the real truth. This is about protecting the welfare system, Democratic votes and power structure in this Country. It has nothing to do with racism. Those that stand in protest and preach “racism” are really saying they want something for nothing.. walking across a border and sponging off the system doesn’t convey any citizenship rights. Again, it is simply wanting the taxpayer in this Country to do something for illegals that their own Country won’t do for them. Go back to Mexico and CHANGE your system of government to give you free welfare if that is what you want. That is what you are supposed to do. We don’t need your kind of change here in the United States.

Headline on Drudge: DEM GOVS WARN: OBAMA SUIT VS. AZ IS ‘TOXIC’

by Abby Goodnough

BOSTON — In a private meeting with White House officials this weekend, Democratic governors voiced deep anxiety about the Obama administration’s suit against Arizona’s new immigration law, worrying that it could cost a vulnerable Democratic Party in the fall elections.

While the weak economy dominated the official agenda at the summer meeting here of the National Governors Association, concern over immigration policy pervaded the closed-door session between Democratic governors and White House officials and simmered throughout the three-day event.

At the Democrats’ meeting on Saturday, some governors bemoaned the timing of the Justice Department lawsuit, according to two governors who spoke anonymously because the discussion was private.

“Universally the governors are saying, ‘We’ve got to talk about jobs,’ ” Gov. Phil Bredesen of Tennessee, a Democrat, said in an interview. “And all of a sudden we have immigration going on.”

He added, “It is such a toxic subject…”

The administration seemed to be taking a carrot-and-stick approach on Sunday. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, in town to give the governors a classified national security briefing, met one-on-one with Jan Brewer, the Republican who succeeded her as governor of Arizona and ardently supports the immigration law.

About the same time as that meeting, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said on a taped Sunday talk show that the Justice Department could bring yet another lawsuit against Arizona if there is evidence that the immigration law leads to racial profiling.

Comment by American Grand Jury:

Obama is going to bury himself and the Democrats on this. This is all about trying to get Hispanic votes in November. Get real! Even the majority of Hispanics [who are legal citizens] don’t like these lawsuits. They are sending the wrong kind of message to people in this Country. Obama’s actions are creating race problems not solutions to Amnesty or Immigration.