How is your local media covering the work-permits-to-illegal-aliens story?

The Obama administration quietly dropped a bombshell late last week when it announced that it would be granting work permits to as many as 300,000 illegal workers currently in deportation proceedings. The mainstream media has marginalized this very important story, especially overlooking the adverse impact the work permits will have on 22 million Americans who want a full-time job but can’t find one. The press continues to ignore the fact that the federal government imports more legal foreign workers every month than it creates jobs. Nor does the media question what Obama’s work-permits-for-illegal- workers means for suffering unemployed Americans.

The Wall Street Journal, Houston Chronicle and Associated Press were among the few to report that Obama’s back door amnesty will grant up to 300,000 work permits to illegal aliens. All three included that vitally important information in their opening paragraphs. The Tuscon Citizen and CNN also reported that illegal aliens would be getting work permits but buried it toward the ends of their stories. Others, including FOX News and the Los Angeles Times, didn’t mention work permits at all. And almost no reporters questioned how giving work permits to illegal aliens will make it more difficult for unemployed Americans to find full or part-time jobs.

The New York Times and KNDO Local News, an NBC affiliate in Yakima county, Washington, were among the few that that allowed someone to make the connection between amnesty and unemployment. KNDO Local News quoted Sandi Brendale of Grass Roots of Yakima Valley:

“We have 22 million Americans right now looking for full time work and we’re going to give work visas to illegals? That makes no sense to me.”

The New York Times quoted Roy Beck, NumbersUSA’s Executive Director:

“This is a jobs issue,” Mr. Beck said. “The president is taking sides, putting illegal aliens ahead of unemployed Americans.”

With no sense of irony, the Tuscon Weekly wrote: “Besides the economy and high unemployment, immigration reform is a major concern for many Latino voters…” But, according to the Pew Hispanic Center, immigration is not a top priority for Latino voters, who are much more concerned about unemployment. Many Hispanic citizens and legal immigrants will be competing directly with the illegal aliens who will be rewarded work permits. Their concerns about Obama’s back-door amnesty are the same as all Americans—grave.

CNN published the most widely circulated column which quoted Secretary Napolitano: “It makes no sense to expend our enforcement resources on low-priority cases,” but failed to question the logic of giving work permits to illegal aliens when 22 million Americans who want a full-time job can’t find one.

Read your local newspaper to be sure it has made the jobs connection when reporting on Obama’s amnesty scheme. Leave comments online, call reporters and editors to spell out the relationship between a potential 300,00 work permits for illegal aliens and unemployed Americans. You continued activism is essential if we are to win this important battle against illegal immigration. Tell us about your efforts in the comments section below.

JEREMY BECK is the Director of the Media Standards Project for NumbersUSA