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Home Front: Culture Wars
Bankrolling illegals in Pittsburgh
2005-05-29
EFLNew South Federal Savings Bank is giving illegal aliens home mortgages to help them realize the American dream. Its Casa Mia program is designed to help tax-paying immigrants "without traditional forms of documentation" -- like anything indicating they are Americans. Remedios Gomez Arnau, consul general of Mexico in Atlanta, is working closely with the massive Alabama-based bank "to ensure the accurate identification of Mexican immigrants."

New South describes itself as Alabama's largest thrift with $1.4 billion in assets. It has residential mortgage loan offices in 13 states and services home loans in 30 more, the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands. If enough illegals apply, New South plans to offer Casa Mia mortgages in Atlanta, Phoenix and Houston "in the near future."

Unless, that is, the bank officers are arrested for helping to harbor illegal aliens.

"What this bank is doing is a clear violation of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act," said Craig Nelsen, executive director of Friends of Immigration Law Enforcement. FILE describes itself as an association of legal and legislative volunteers working on behalf of Americans to ensure that immigration law is being enforced. It is a felony to encourage an alien to reside in the United States, knowing that such residence is in violation of the law, Nelsen stated in a letter to New South. It is hard to imagine almost any court taking seriously a claim that helping an illegal alien buy a house to live in -- a house situated inside the United States -- isn't encouraging the illegal alien to reside illegally in America, he added.

The Friends of Immigration Law Enforcement is threatening to use the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) to file a civil damages lawsuit against the bank.

The New South online Uniform Residential Loan Application states in the acknowledgement and agreement section that "the property will not be used for any illegal or prohibited purpose or use ... ."

Presumably, that would include harboring illegal aliens in an Alabama casa.
Posted by:trailing wife

#13  2b, Seafurious does have a point. However, as you know, the oppoisition thrives on blurring the lines between legal immigrant and illegal alien.

Calling them 'Immigrants' is one way, "Undocumented Worker" is another. They will call them anything - including Martian Citizens in order to 'omit' their illegal status.

Claiming that we are trying to deny benefits to people who are 'non-citizens' would be a feather in their hat. Do you think Peter Jennings or Chris Matthews will make the distinction between legal residents and illegal aliens? They will take a story about an illegal alien being denied a mortgage and report it as being denied because they are not american citizens. (Omitting the fact that they are illegal aliens).

I just think we should stay on-target and stress the fact that these people are illegal.
Posted by: CrazyFool   2005-05-29 22:16  

#12  cf..I still think sea's point is valid. Your wife is a permanent resident. Others are legal visa holders.

But some are just plain citizens of another country, with no extra titles. Should we provide free tution for citizens of another country? Should we provide free health care for citizens of another country? Sure, they pay taxes here, but if I pay taxes in another country, should that afford me all rights and privileges of citizenship of that country? All points for discussion - but the bottom line is they have no rights and no status as us citizens. They are citizens of another country. Period.
Posted by: 2b   2005-05-29 17:21  

#11  Seafurious, The problem is not all of them are mexican and people will claim 'Racism!' (of course they will anyway....).

Also some Mexican citizens are here legally (Permanent Residents, Temporary Visa). My wife is a Philippine citizen (also a Permanent Resident to the U.S.). I dont know if we want to give any cause for the pro-illegal-alien sector to blur the lines by claiming we don't want these services for Permanent Residents or Legal visa holders. Lets be very clear that we are targetting illegal aliens.

I dont care if they are from Mexico, Peru, Canada, China, Pluto, or the ninth plane of hell - if they are not here legally they are illegal aliens - with the stress on ILLEGAL.
Posted by: CrazyFool   2005-05-29 16:17  

#10  What did I miss? The headline says Pittsburgh but the story talks about an Alabama bank.
Although the story was in a Pittsburgh paper the headline looks wrong.
Posted by: Huh?   2005-05-29 14:29  

#9  yes it would. From now on, I intend to do that.

Brilliant! Just like the zipper - and as always in such cases, why didn't someone think of it sooner?
Posted by: 2b   2005-05-29 14:04  

#8  I had a thought last nite...rather than calling them "Illegal immigrants" or "Illegal aliens," why don't we just call them what they are: "Mexican citizens"

As in "increased health care benefits for citizens of Mexico", "better housing for citizens of El Salvador" "In state tuition rates for Guatemalan citizens"

Would that change the tenor of the discussion?
Posted by: Seafarious   2005-05-29 13:24  

#7  Who is going to pay for the inevitable losses?

Who will it be?

Probably you and me. And then they will just whine that they are entitled to it because they work hard. As if everyone else doesn't.


Bill Mexico for it.
Posted by: badanov   2005-05-29 11:54  

#6  keep the spotlight on these roaches
Posted by: Frank G   2005-05-29 11:38  

#5  Somebody has to cover the losses of such a plan. Illegal aliens often do seasonal work and often from city to city. Defaults are virtually guaranteed. The housing market is hot now, but what about when it's not?

Who is going to pay for the inevitable losses?

Who will it be?

Probably you and me. And then they will just whine that they are entitled to it because they work hard. As if everyone else doesn't.
Posted by: 2b   2005-05-29 11:12  

#4  Remedios Gomez Arnau, consul general of Mexico in Atlanta, is working closely with the massive Alabama-based bank "to ensure the accurate identification of Mexican immigrants."

Said Senor Arnau: "We are excited to see a loan product specifically aimed at helping Mexican immigrants."


Translation: We are providing illegal aliens with legal identification in a direct violation of U.S. Federal Law.

Sorry but these are not immigrants - they have not been granted immigration status and are here in violation of federal law.
Posted by: CrazyFool   2005-05-29 10:43  

#3  I'd not want to be in on the next audit by FDIC.
Posted by: Mrs. Davis   2005-05-29 10:27  

#2  I wonder what these people will do when all these 'law abiding' people start to default on their loans?

Cry to the FDIC?

By definition these are not 'law abiding' people. If they can't wait and follow the established procedure to immigrate legally what makes you think they will pay off a long term mortgage?
Posted by: CrazyFool   2005-05-29 10:03  

#1  Hmmm, something's not quite right here:

If enough illegals apply, New South plans to create a huge loan loss reserve on its books offer Casa Mia mortgages in Atlanta, Phoenix and Houston "in the near future."

There, that's better...
Posted by: Raj   2005-05-29 09:43  

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