Rep. Steve King: immigration kills

November 30, 2006

Two things have been abundantly clear about Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) for quite a while: 1) he’s one of the House’s less-sane members; and 2) he really hates immigration. But even I was surprised to see just how far King is willing to go on both points.

While the military “quagmire” in Iraq was said to tip the scales of power in the U.S. midterm elections, most Americans have no idea more of their fellow citizens – men, women and children – were murdered this year by illegal aliens than the combined death toll of U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan since those military campaigns began.

Though no federal statistics are kept on murders or any other crimes committed by illegal aliens, a number of groups have produced estimates based on data collected from prisons, news reports and independent research.

Twelve Americans are murdered every day by illegal aliens, according to statistics released by Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa. If those numbers are correct, it translates to 4,380 Americans murdered annually by illegal aliens. That’s 21,900 since Sept. 11, 2001.

Now, as a rule, immigrants to enter the United States illegally are loath to commit crimes — they know that the quickest way to deportation is to get arrested. But let’s put that aside and consider the merit of King’s apparent belief that there’s a rash of homicidal immigrants rampaging through the country.

As this elected member of Congress sees it, there are 12 murders a day committed by illegal immigrants. He’s not talking about car accidents; King is specifically referring to literal murder. He admits that there’s no actual data from law enforcement sources on this, but King insists his report is accurate.

The numbers just don’t stand up to scrutiny.

Captain’s Quarters, a very conservative blog that generally supports the Republican line on immigration, took a good look at King’s numbers and wasn’t impressed. For example, Ed found that there were a total of 16,692 murders in the United States in 2005. If King were right, it would mean illegal immigrants commit 26.2% of all murders in the country, despite comprising less than 7% of the overall population.

In fact, the FBI does not categorize Hispanics as a separate racial group in its statistics, but instead includes them with Caucasians. Even so, the numbers demonstrate rather clearly that King and WND are talking out of their hats. Of all the people arrested for murders in 2005 (10,083), only 4,955 were white/Hispanic, and that includes all arrests in that racial category. In order to believe King and WND, every single one of these people would have to be illegal aliens.

Asinine hardly begins to describe this report. Conservative decry junk science; bad statistics are just as bad. It took me all of 10 minutes to check this data, something that Rep. King apparently couldn’t bother to have his staff do, and a standard fact check that [World Net Daily] declined to perform. It seems that some people will believe almost anything as long as it can be used to demonize illegal aliens.

Yep, that’s true. The regular ol’ scare tactics haven’t been as effective as the right had hoped, so King and his like-minded allies have had to ratchet things up a bit by effectively telling the nation, “Support the far-right on immigration reform — or some Mexican guy might kill you.”

And as long as we’re talking about Steve King, I thought I’d remind readers that this guy really is mad as a hatter. We are, after all, talking about a lawmaker who:

* compares [tag]immigrants[/tag] to [tag]cattle[/tag].

* told reporters, “There probably are not 72 virgins in the hell [al Zarqawi is] at. And if there are, they probably all look like [White House correspondent] Helen Thomas.”

* described Joseph McCarthy as “a great American hero.”

* argued that the civilian violent death rate in Washington, D.C., is actually higher than it is in Iraq, and cited bogus data while making the case.

* told Newsweek that federal courts “have defied federal law,” and he has a plan to “put the courts back in their appropriate constitutional place,” though he wouldn’t say what the plan is.

* was one of only 11 lawmakers to vote against emergency relief funds for Hurricane Katrina victims.

And now he wants people to believe that illegal immigrants murder 12 Americans a day. The mind reels.

Not worth the ones and zeros.

  • “I know for a fact there are 52… er, 82…er, 150… er, 25… illegal immigrants in America running the conspiracy known as the Democratic Party” – Steve King (some time in the future)

    There really are some politicians who qualify for illustrating by their existence where the old Texanism “He needed killin'” comes from. King is a leading example followed by …. (fill in name of your most unfavorite purveyor of fascist poison).

  • Not to defend Rep. King or his obviously fabricated report, but the first paragraph of the Capatin’s Quarters commentary appears to assume that all of the illegal-alien murderers must have been Hispanic, which does not seem to be implied by King’s statement. Even if a great number of illegal aliens are Hispanic, certainly not all of them are, and many non-Hispanic illegal aliens might also be committing murders, so there’s no reason to assume that all 4,380 illegal alien murders that Rep. King alleges occurred were committed by Hispanics. Therefore, it doesn’t follow that “In order to believe King and WND, every single one of these people [i.e., white/Hispanic murderers] would have to be illegal aliens.”

  • Based on King’s numbers, the vast majority of murders in the United States are caused by non-immigrants. So either we let in more immigrants—thus watering down the murder rate—or we start getting rid of bona fide U.S. citizens.

    I motion that we export all Republicans to Iraq. Do I have a second?

  • “Conservative decry junk science…..”

    Wow, the lunacy of that comment alone deserves its own topic here.

  • Steve, not all could go. But, the Selective Service COULD select every healthy service age Republican on record as supporting the Iraq incursion.
    Just think of all of those College Republicans supporting our country in this way, doesn’t it warm your heart?
    Think of all the business opportunities that the Young Republicans in the Chamber of Commerce could drum up!

  • King didn’t get the 06 memo that the dogeared Republican playbook of fear tactics aren’t working anymore.

  • Though I keep no personal statistics, I am confident I am right when I tell you that just this morning on my way to work, I was almost murdered 5 or 6 times by overtly illegal immigrants.

    Oh, and all of you were in equal danger.

  • On the other hand, if he is talking about immigrant behaviour when Europeans first came a-calling and started taking over the place, he might have a point…

    I motion that we export all Republicans to Iraq. Do I have a second?

    Aye! But only if they are flown over and dropped off. Sans parachutes. We can strap pillows to their feet or something.

  • I note that commenters take issue with the Captain’s post, providing additional information on prison population and the like. Perhaps the better solution would be for this site to have done its own research if it disputes the figures.

    On a related note, remember the big ChicagoMarches in support of IllegalImmigration? All three major PoliticalParties in Mexico were involved in organizing those marches. If you still support those marches after learning that, then you support foreign forces attempting to meddle in internal U.S. politics.

  • Dear Mr. PhonyName #11:
    Do you mean the three political parties that are currently at each other’s throats and damn near ready to plunge their country into a civil war — um, I mean insurgency? And yet they were able to cooperate in organizing a unified political demonstration in a foreign country, in a city thousands of miles away from the border? THOSE three political parties? What else did the voices in your head tell you?

  • Twelve Americans are murdered every day by illegal aliens, according to statistics released by Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa. — CB

    And that’s not accounting for the fifteen Americans kidnapped daily by the illegal aliens from outer space…

  • WND gives fishwrapper a bad name, and Steve King is a loonie, but this issue is not a joke. There have been killers who took full advantage of the way that illegal aliens can travel freely between the US and Mexico. And until the US tracks this type of person statistically, it will be left to the imagination exactly how many people are killed by illegal aliens. The number is obviously not as high as our wingnut brethren say, but it is also not anywhere near zero. Dems can ignore this issue at their own peril.

    One notorious example comes to mind, the “Railroad killer” who murdered about 15 people in 1997-99:

    http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/06/27/national/main1758029.shtml

    FBI special agent Don K. Clark says that the manhunt was complicated by the fact that Resendez had “no permanent address” while continuing to travel unchecked “throughout the United States, Mexico and Canada.”
    http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/notorious/resendez/track_1.html

    I think it’s quite possible that Mexican criminals could be attracted to the US, because if they are caught here in many cases they will merely be deported. If they commit serious crimes they can simply slip back over the border into Mexico. If tried in the US, they’ll get a proper trial, whereas in Mexico they either just shoot them or if they do go to jail it’s a real hellhole. There’s also a huge underground infrastructure here that illegals can tap into, and access to firearms is far easier.

    But most importantly, this is a political landmine. We should not ignore the power of emotional issues like this one, it cuts across all political lines. It may well be that statistically you’re in little danger from a Mexican murderer, but people don’t think like that, and we can’t just wish away the fact that they don’t.

    Dems don’t have a popular position on immigration*. And mark my words, illegal immigration is going to be an even bigger issue next cycle. Here in Texas, it is coming to a real boil, and we’re not the only place that’s true.

    * Americans agree (85%) that illegal immigration is a “serious” problem, and over half (55%) say it is “very serious.”
    http://www.npg.org/immpoll.html

  • On a related note, remember the big ChicagoMarches in support of IllegalImmigration? All three major PoliticalParties in Mexico were involved in organizing those marches. If you still support those marches after learning that, then you support foreign forces attempting to meddle in internal U.S. politics.

    First of all, no, I don’t remember those big “ChiCagomarChes”. But even assuming for a minute that this is true… so what? Did they break any laws in the process of doing so? Are any of them terrorist groups? Have we declared war on Mexico recently? Do domestic groups in this country never attempt to “meddle” in the internal politics of other countries? If they do, do you think they should stop?

    I can just imagine you trying to write a legal thriller.
    PROSECUTOR: “I will ask the chair of the American PuppyPunchers Party one more time, do you, or do you not, support a complete strangers’ peaceful, democratic, legal efforts to influence public opinion a foreign country? Well? Answer the question, sir!”

  • Well, RacerX, as long as the Bushite administration thinks that illegal aliens cross borders over fences rather than flying into this country and overstaying their visas (as the 9/11/01 highjackers did) we aren’t really going to be able to deal with illegal alien crime. Or legal alien (resident) crime for that matter.

    The INS is a joke, without workplace enforcement there is practically no way to deal with immigration and visa violations, but the Bushites for years ignored workplace enforcement (only this year starting to once again crack down). Which probably explains why nearer half the illegal aliens in this country who entered since the last reform (1986) entered during Boy George II’s watch.

  • If you still support those marches after learning that, then you support foreign forces attempting to meddle in internal U.S. politics.

    OK LoneWacko, guess we need to declare war on Mexico.
    You go first, we’ll be right behind you. Later.

    One notorious example comes to mind, the “Railroad killer” who murdered about 15 people in 1997-99.

    Um, yeah. But can you find another? America has never had a problem producing serial killers (predominantly caucasian males), so trying to conflate one guy into a crime wave doesn’t work and I think the fact that the rabid right hasn’t made this guy into their poster boy shows even they know this.

    No one is saying illegal immigrants don’t commit crimes or we should just roll back the borders and let all comers through, just as I’m not saying that we need to monitor all caucasian males because when compared to the rest of the population that’s the group that likes to chop people into bite sized nuggets. But for whatever reason the majority of people only care about illegal immigration as it affects the job market and cultural issues like bi-lingual signs. (My eyeeees, it burns!)

    The idea we’ll be up to our necks in blood thirsty foreigners hasn’t taken off and I don’t think it will. Why? Because the majority of ReThuglicans are best friends with large corporations that would go under without a steady pool of rights-free, throw away workers. They don’t want mass xenophobia because it puts them in a very uncomfortable position. Bush has already backed off a few times because every time it comes up people start yammering about mass deportations. Oops, can’t have that, who’ll mow the lawn for a buck an hour, or buiid this new subdivision for a tenth of what we’d have to pay a legal resident? People aren’t too pleased with the guest worker solution either. Goodness, could it be the ReThugs have created another cleft stick for their arses? I hope so.

  • Racerx,

    That’s an interesting and well-researched post, but a couple of points in response. First, and foremost, the issue isn’t so much whether illegal immigrants commit murder (or, for that matter, commit other crimes aside from illegal immigration itself)– the issue is whether illegal immigrants commit crimes at a higher-than-average rate. No doubt one could point to specific instances in which an illegal immigrant has killed someone, but, unless it can be shown (and maybe it can be) that the rate of murder by illegal immigrants is significantly higher than the average rate, then it doesn’t seem as though any correlation could be shown between immigration status and proclivity toward homicide.

    Second, and this is a more minor point, it is not, at least at the federal level, the case that where illegal immigrants commit crimes in the United States, “if they are caught here in many cases they will merely be deported.” Illegal immigrants convicted of violating federal law serve their full sentences in federal prison, and then are deported. I’m not sure if this practice is the same under the law of the various states, but I’d be a little bit surprised if it wasn’t.

  • What baffles me most about King is that Iowa’s ag business requires immigrant labor to survive. It is as if King no longer has the slightest connection to the needs of his constituents and simply shouts stupid things in public as loudly as he can because he needs to drown out the voices in his head telling him to perform unspeakable sex acts on livestock…

  • “What baffles me most about King is that Iowa’s ag business requires immigrant labor to survive.” – Fitz

    Yep, preferably has oppressed slave labor kept locked up in domitories on the corporate farms, not walking the streets of Ames Iowa (only town I could think of).

    “…the voices in his head telling him to perform unspeakable sex acts on livestock…”

    Is that how midwesterners go mad? Must be all that livestock temptation.

  • OK so this Rep really believes this nonsense. Good for him.

    He probably also believes Men are from Venus and Women are from Mars and that African Americans are still officially slaves in the USA.

    Will someone find out how many illegal immigrants have worked in his yards doing landscaping or how many illegal aliens he has hired as nannies?

  • Orange and James Dillon, you stepped over my main point, which is not that Mexican murderers pose any serious risk to us statistically.

    Of course they don’t.

    The risk they present is as an issue that the Republicans will exploit, especially if Dems do not follow the national sentiment, which is strongly in favor of enhanced border security.

    Of course the Republicans have not enhanced border security for the exact reasons Orange mentioned (they love exploitable labor) but the people this type of issue will resonate with aren’t real big on fact-checking Republican propaganda, are they?

    for whatever reason the majority of people only care about illegal immigration as it affects the job market and cultural issues like bi-lingual signs.

    For now, maybe. But Willie Horton sure was effective, and “Jose Horton” will be too. Not all people care about bilingual signs or Mexicans taking their jobs, but most voters care about violent crime.

    James, I stand by my statements about the punishments meted out to illegal immigrants. I think you misread them somewhat.

    If Dems don’t enhance border security, the Republicans will use this issue. It will resonate, I guarantee it. And if they take over again, we will be at risk, not because of illegal immigrants, but because of Republican misleadership (see the last 12 yrs for examples).

    Again, look at the polls on this, and don’t kid yourself that a reasoned argument will suffice to change public opinion.

  • 15: Both this comment and the one before have the same link under my name, and proof of my statement is offered at the link. Said link also links to this earlier page I wrote on one of my other sites. The last link has additional examples of foreign forces agitating foreign citizens in our country, including a former MexicanConsulGeneral organizing two marches – and one boycott – in Georgia. The ChicagoMarches and at least one of the GeorgiaMarches also featured leaders of the Democratic Party, such as LuisGutierrez and Blago.

    AFAIK, no laws were broken, but (for those who want to learn more about these issues), look into the FARA and try to understand why such laws were passed.

    I tend to think that the vast majority of Americans would oppose foreign forces agitating foreign citizens inside our country, but I can understand how some Democrats would instead choose to apologize for and/or collaborate with said foreign forces. There have been people like that in every country.

  • 23,

    Even assuming that you are right, and that Mexico has, somehow, managed to get its act together (for once ) and decided to meddle in US’s affairs by organising (peaceful) marches…

    US is — has always been — meddling in other countries’ internal affairs, not just accross Latin America but all over the world (who put Saddam on top of Iraq? Who made Taliban into the top dog in Afghanistan?) . And not always peacefully, either (vide Iraq now). Nor have we ever asked the populations of those countries whether they might — per chance — oppose such meddling.

    Sauce for the goose? Tit and tat?

    We need a *sensible* reform regarding immigration and it has to be 3-pronged: dealing with border protection, dealing with who and how fast can get themselves on the path to naturalisation and what to do with those already here but illegally.

    “I can understand how some Democrats would instead choose to apologize for and/or collaborate with said foreign forces. There have been people like that in every country.”

    Um… like Allawi and Maliki in Iraq? And Karzai in Afghanistan? Is that whom you had in mind when you said “in every country”?

  • “On a related note, remember the big ChicagoMarches in support of IllegalImmigration? All three major PoliticalParties in Mexico were involved in organizing those marches. If you still support those marches after learning that, then you support foreign forces attempting to meddle in internal U.S. politics.” – MPPOIM

    No! That would be like deciding to oppose the pro-life agenda because the Pope supports it. When something is right (comprehensive immigration reform, say) then it is right no matter who else supports it.

    And the fact that Osama bin Laden thinks Iraq is the central front of the war between the West and Caliphate/Sharia Jihadism doesn’t mean we have to stay there either.

    Yours is false logic.

  • Steve King is not the only looney.
    From: http://www.houstonpress.com/Issues/2006-11-23/news/hairballs.html
    [Temporary Congressperson Shelly] Sekula-Gibbs had said in an interview that the deaths of 2,800 Americans in Iraq needed to be put “in perspective” because after all, 9,000 Americans were killed each year by illegal immigrants, according to the General Accounting Office.

    Seeing as how only 16,000 Americans are murdered each year, that seemed like those dadgum illegals were being very, very busy. So we called the GAO.

    They were baffled. “I’m trying to think how she got there,” says Rich Stana, the GAO’s director for homeland security and justice issues.

    The closest report that might fit, he says, was a snapshot count of all people incarcerated in March 2005. That report showed almost 6,000 illegal immigrants behind bars in federal, state or local facilities for murder, homicide or manslaughter.

    But that includes people charged but not yet convicted, not to mention people serving time for murders committed five, ten, even 20 years ago. “Murder charges usually bring a more than one-year sentence,” Stana says.

    So where did Sekula-Gibbs get her 9,000-deaths-a-year figure? Not from the GAO, as it turns out. Her spokeswoman, Lisa Dimond, says “She got the information from Curtis Collier at Border Watch.”

    Border Watch’s website features much talk about border security; it features a picture of a jet slamming into the World Trade Center; it features a quote from Teddy Roosevelt saying “There can be no 50-50 Americanism in this country. There is room here for only 100 percent Americanism, only for those who are Americans and nothing else.”

    What it doesn’t feature is a report from the GAO saying 9,000 people a year are killed by illegal immigrants.

  • We should all thank Steve King, by having the courage to speak out on illegal immigration I watched Lou Dobbs tonight. And I was very impressed with him. It’s time the American representatives to start representing Americans and not Mexican citizens.

  • To me. It does not matter if the legal immigrants are responsible for only one murder per year, they don’t belong here. It’s time this government starts enforcing our current laws, with employer sanctions, deportations of anyone found here not legally, and stop giving them social services such as schooling, medical care, and any type of welfare, and as far as needing workers for agricultural work, it’s time we started putting prison inmate labor to work, they’re doing it in Colorado. It seems to work, that way he keeps the prisoners busy. They make some money to pay back to restitution and their victims, it’s win-win.

  • Rep. Steve King is a dolt. His talents are more suited to science fiction than law making. By the way, how’s the search going for that fella who claimed responsibility for the 9-11 attacks? I think his name was bin Laden or something like that. His name may as well be For Gotten. It’s folks like King who drove me away from the Republican party. May God bless the 4000 or so military men and women who have given their lives in the contrived Iraqi war, not to mention the countless Iraqi lives lost.

  • Rep. King is a perfect example of the type of legislator/citizen of why the rest of the world is so contemptuous of the US. Heck, I am an American and I am contemptuous of the ignorant know-nothings that are representing this nation or at least a portion of it.
    As a matter of fact, King is a racist and a joke. He beats the drum for bigotry and hate. He dislikes aliens from south of the border because he needs to hate them and trumpet his bigotry and racism in order to win an election or two. He, in fact, thinks aliens (code for our non WASP neighbors to the South).are subhuman or inferior. I grew up in a part of this country where many people sounded just like him. Often they were members of the KKK.

  • I am a independent that has voted for both republicans and democrats. I think I might have discovered the biggest moron in politics- Steve King. Next time I drive through Iowa, I will see if he has bed sheet and pointy hat on. How can a constituency elect such a racist and ignorant fool. This guy should be run out of Washington on a rail. People of Iowa should be ashamed to have an idiot like this represent them.

  • From a distance. Here I sit in northern Uganda, an expat American watching my favorite hour of the week. I stunned, embarrassed, nauseated by the spewings of Rep Steve King.
    Somebody out there tell me that he is not taking his meds.
    What an appalling racist throwback. I am ashamed for him

  • The Representative from Iowa gives fuel to the idiotic fire that people assume of people from the state. How could he make the comments that he makes with a straight face? Obama will have terrorists dancing in the streets? They love him because his middle name is Hussein which automatically means jihad? Why not just pass a law to let the Confederate flag fly over the White House? It is the fear of middle age and/or old white men that they will not be seen as useful if a women or a minority can do the jobs that they do. If that isn’t the reason we wouldn’t be saying “the first women” or “the first minority” to the majority of high level positions in Amerikkka. Yes, I spelled America with three Ks, you figure it out. I guess that Brook Bros. suits and wing tips are more comfortable than bedsheets and combat boots.

  • Well, contrary to what you may think of “my kind”, I am from Iowa, born and raised. My first name is Hassan which is a derivative of Hussein (means good). Arabs/Muslims have been in Iowa and in Steve King’s district over 100 years, well before his daddy was born and certainly before he gradiated (as he might say it) from high school. Many of “our kind” have served in the military and some have made the ultimate sacrifice and we are (almost always) proud to be Iowans and Americans. Unfortunately, there are a lot of Steve Kings in our country – he just happened to make it to another level thanks to the good people of the 5th district. In Eastern Iowa, we have been blessed with outstanding public servants, so in our great state, Mr. King is an anomaly. If he knows so much about what Al Qaida will do,
    he should be over there working for the military, not wasting ink. Hopefully the good people of Northwest Iowa will do the right thing when he is up for re election.

  • TODAY I HEARD REP STEVE KING TALK ABOUT THE GAS PROBLEM. SAY WHAT YOU MAY HE IS ON TARGET. I MADE A LITTLE STUDY OF THE USAGE OF GAS AT MICOM. I DISCUSSED THE PROBLEM. GASOHOL WAS JUST ON THE HORIZON. BRAZIL WAS USING 50 – 50 AND WE AMERICANS WERE USING 10-90 RENEWABLE FUELS. IOWA COULD PRODUCE ALCOHOL FOR $1.20 PER GALLON. I KNEW THAT THE BY-PRODUCTS COULD BE USED A CATTLE FEED. THE PROFESSOR AT HUNTSVILLE AL DISCUSSED THE ENERGY PROBLEM WITH ME. SELMA ALABAMA WAS TRYING TO CONVERT FARM EQUIPMENT TO ALCOHOL. AT THIS TIME GAS WAS LESS THAN $1.00 PER GALLON. THE BREAKEVEN POINT WAS $1.50 AND WE COULD TELL OPEC WHERE TO GO. I WOULD HAVE GROWN CORN ON THE 10,000 ACRES AT RED STONE ARSENAL AND GO 100% RENEWABLE FUEL AND SCARE THE HELL OUT OF OPEC.

    THERE WERE PLANS TO BUILD A COAL GASIFICATION PLANT IN GUNTERSVILLE ALABAMA. SOME ONE LIKE THE GREAT MINDS THAT RUN THE COUNTRY BLOCKED IT. CHECK OUT THE COAL ARABILITY OF COAL REMOVED BY JIM WALTERS MINING OPERATION. FIND THOSE THAT BLOCKED THE PROJECT AND IT WILL BE OIL PEOPLE OR EPA OR BOTH.

    IOWA COULD PRODUCE ALCOHOL FROM CORN BUT ALABAMA COULD MATCH PRODUCTION WITH SORGHUM CANE ON ACRES PER ACRE BASE. WHILE FLORIDA, MISSISSIPPI, NEW ORLEANS AND COASTAL AREAS SUGAR CANE. WIND ENERGY MID WEST, AND HEAT SPOT ENERGY AND OCEAN WAVE AND WATERWAYS AND NUCLEAR PLANTS CAN GIVE SOME RELIEF.

    ONE OF THE AREA MOST EXPLORED IS THE USE OF CORN WITH A BY-PRODUCT TO FEED CATTLE. CORN CAN BE STARTED IN TWO MONTHS AND READY FOR FALL HARVEST. STEVE MAY BE OFF BASE IN SOME AREAS BUT HE IS ON TARGET ON THE ETHANOL.

    THE GOVERNMENT HAS MILLIONS OF ACRES IN LAND BANKS, TVA, CORP OF ENGINEERS.

    RECOMMENDATION: GROW CORN IN EVERY AVAILABLE PLACE I.E. HIGHWAY MEDIANS, GOVERNMENT CONTROLLED LANDS ETC AND ALL PRODUCTION IS EARMARKED FOR FOOD AND FUEL. SECONDLY WORK ON COAL, SORGHUM AND SUGAR CANE, WIND, WATER AND ATOMIC AREAS.

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