Election 2008: What’s At Stake?

Immigration is a fraught issue, and in recent years dozens of groups have sprung up to advocate for one position or the other, to lobby Congress, to fund candidates, or to fight it out in the courts. With all the vague or patriotic-sounding names, it can get pretty confusing. You might see spokespeople from these organizations quoted as experts in news articles, but sometimes reporters fail to identify a group’s position. This weekly feature will help you become a savvier consumer of immigration news.

This week’s organization is one of the most powerful out there: FAIR.

Name: Federation for American Immigration Reform

Type: 501(c)(3). Like charities such as the American Red Cross, FAIR is exempt from taxes and technically cannot engage in political activities.

Stance: FAIR advocates restricting immigration, both legal and illegal. It claims 250,000 “members and supporters,” whom it encourages to lobby Congress for stricter immigration laws.

Funding: Right-wing foundations and philanthropists. FAIR is one of the richest and most powerful immigration organizations in the U.S. In 2006, the last year for which data (PDF) is available, its total assets were $10,065,563.

Major Players: FAIR was founded in 1979 by environmentalist and anti-population growth activist John Tanton, who has founded a number of other anti-immigration groups. Anyone who reads news stories about the immigration debate will have come across FAIR’s media director, Ira Mehlman—probably more than once. In fact, over the past year Mehlman has been quoted in 140 newspaper articles, from the Los Angeles Times to the Washington Post. Dan Stein, FAIR’s president, also makes frequent media appearances and, according to FAIR, has testified before Congress more than 50 times.

Controversy: FAIR has accepted more than $1.5 million in donations from the Pioneer Fund, a group that advocates for eugenics. The Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil rights organization, lists FAIR as a hate group.