p>People For the American Way released a report today previewing the strategies to be employed by right-wing activists fighting against common-sense immigration reform this year. Drawing on years of expertise on the Right, the report details the nine strategies designed to defeat any efforts to reform our country’s immigration system, as well as tools for fighting back against these dishonest attacks.

“American citizens deserve an immigration system that works for our country,” said Michael B. Keegan, President of People For the American Way. “That means we deserve comprehensive immigration reform. But the anti-immigrant, far-right fringe has been successful in torpedoing sensible legislation in the past and they’re gearing up to do it again. Supporters of reform are intent on learning from past mistakes, and part of that means understanding the strategies we face.”

The report, “(P)reviewing the Right Wing Playbook on Immigration” is the latest in People For’s “Right Wing Watch: In Focus” series and adds to research already published on PFAW’s RightWingWatch.org. It lays out nine strategies the Right will use to attack any common-sense immigration reform movement:

1: Appeal to Racial Fear and The ‘Brown’ Threat to ‘White’ America – “What is happening to us? An immigrant invasion of the United States from the Third World, as America’s white majority is no longer even reproducing itself.” – Pat Buchanan

2: Appeal to Racial Resentment by Portraying Immigrant Rights Advocates as Racists — “[NCLR is] the Ku Klux Klan of the Hispanic people” – Michael Savage

3: Portray Immigrants and Their Supporters as Invaders, Conquerors, Enemies of the U.S. – “The homegrown multiculti-mau-mau-ers know exactly what they believe, and they know exactly what they are doing. They aim to mainstream the ‘Stolen Land’ mantra and pervert history. They aim to obliterate America’s borders by sheer demographic and political force.” – Michelle Malkin

4: Portray Immigrants as Criminals and Terrorists – “Illegal immigration” is a “slow-motion Holocaust,” and a “slow-motion terrorist attack on the United States.” – Congressman Steve King

5: Portray Immigrants as Carriers of Disease and Weapons of Bio-Terrorism – “The next time you eat in a restaurant or sleep in a hotel or motel….just remember to bring your own food, dishes, untensils [sic], glasses, towels, and maybe your own water. The person who cooked your meal or made your bed may very well be the one who picked your fruit and vegetables, yesterday….and we’ve heard the stories about what they do in the fields….haven’t we?” – Mothers Against Illegal Aliens

6: Stop Reform by Shouting ‘Amnesty’ – “‘Comprehensive’ is the code word for amnesty.” – Pat Buchanan

7: Denigrate Reform Efforts as Vote-Buying — “The Democrats know it’s to their advantage to bring in Third World hordes who will one day become Democratic voters.” – Rick Scarborough

8: Portray Anti-Immigrant Stance as ‘Pro-Worker’ (While Voting Against Worker Interests) — “If they were not in the country, we wouldn’t have to worry about emergency room or health insurance costs at all. And Americans would have these jobs.” – Congressman Virgil Goode

9: Push Divisive Black-Brown Wedge – “[Illegal immigration is] the greatest threat to black people since slavery.” – Ted Hayes

For additional information, or to arrange an interview, contact Drew Courtney or Josh Glasstetter at [email protected] or 202-467-4999.

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