Federation for American Immigration Reform

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A series of articles on The U.S. Immigration Debate

Issues Illegal immigration Labor shortage 9.11 and racial profiling U.S-Mexico Border NAFTA Visa caps
Proposed solutions DREAM Act Guest worker program H.R. 4437 (December 2005) S. 2611 (May 2006) Immigration reduction Free migration Legalization Jackson Lee (2005) McCain-Kennedy (2005) SKILL(2006) REAL ID(2005) Border Fence(2006)
Action 2006 protests
Organizations CCIR, NIF, FIRM, WAAA NCLR, LULAC FAIR, Minuteman Project, MCDC Cal. CIR, SOS CIS, NumbersUSA
Past laws Naturalization Act (1795) 14th Amendment (1868) Chinese Exclusion (1882) Gentlemen's Agreement of 1907 Asian Exclusion (1924) Bracero Program (1942-64) INS Act(1965) IRCA(1986) IIRIRA (1996)
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The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) is "a non-partisan group whose membership runs the gamut from liberal to conservative.[With] grassroots networks [which] help concerned citizens use their voices to speak up for effective, sensible immigration policies that work for America’s best interests".

FAIR is an immigration reduction organization in the United States founded on January 2, 1979 by John Tanton, who has been called the "Father of Anti-Immigration Movement".^{[citation needed]} The organization claims 250,000 members. FAIR states it is for the reduction of immigration, not for the elimination of it. The liberal online magazine The American Prospect accuses it as being "the anti-immigration movement’s most powerful institution".^[1]

FAIR promotes policies to improve border security and stop illegal immigration, and to reduce legal immigration into the United States to around 300,000 people a year. FAIR's policy studies emphasize the environmental, economic, and social consequences of mass immigration.

The FAIR website has tools to help supporters send pre-written faxes and emails to politicians, as well as to receive action alerts.

1 Principles
2 Activism
3 Criticism
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Principles

FAIR advocates "7 Principles of True Comprehensive Immigration Reform:"

1. Cut the Numbers

2. No Amnesty or Mass Guest-Worker Program

3. Protect Wages and Standards of Living

4. Major Upgrade in Interior Enforcement, Led by Strong Employers Penalties

5. Stop Special Interest Asylum Abuse

6. Immigration Time Out

7. Equal Under the Law

The FAIR website contains detailed explanations of each principle and why FAIR considers it important They can be found here.

[edit] Activism

In 2004, "Self-proclaimed white separatist"[2],^[2] Virginia Abernethy, accused FAIR of having "led an effort to divide and control PAN". In response, FAIR released the following:

FAIR firmly believes in the motto e pluribus unum -- "out of many, one" -- that people of all races, religions and ethnic backgrounds who embrace the ideals of our constitution are part of one unified American community. We also believe that America is a society based on the rule of law and that rampant illegal immigration threatens the principles for which this country stands...organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center and the virtually unknown Center for New Community would like to tar all supporters of immigration reform with the same brush, there is a time for complete candor and sober assessment. ..but FAIR and everyone FAIR represents categorically denies and repudiates Abernethy's repulsive separatist views.^[3]

[edit] Criticism

FAIR has been described as "reform lite" by other immigration reduction groups such a Population-Environment Balance and Carrying Capacity Network.^[4]

The liberal online political magazine, The American Prospect, has claimed this as an example of FAIR using nativist, inflammatory, and partisan policy rhetoric and analysis.^[1]

The American Prospect has also criticized FAIR for its connection with the Pioneer Fund. Between 1982 and 1994 FAIR is reported to have received $1.2 million from the foundation, which has been described by Jason Riley as a "white-supremacist outfit devoted to racial purity through eugenics."^[1]^[5]

FAIR has been criticized, along with other immigration reduction organizations, for helping to create and fund immigration reduction groups which are composed of minorities. FAIR funded one such a group in May 2006 , called Choose Black America.^[6]