The cartels in Mexico cause chaos and misery for Mexican citizens. The 'Border War Zone' has moved to Culiacan.

 

Bullets in Sinaloa

By Silvio Canto, Jr.  www.americanthinker.com

Sinaloa is a Mexican state in northwest Mexico. To the west, it's the Pacific Ocean and to the east a couple of other states. The largest city is Culiacan, a city of about a million people and a place that most of us didn't hear much about until a famous cartel came into the news, i.e., the Sinaloa cartel.

In recent days, bullets are flying in Sinaloa because the cartels are fighting each other for territory as well as angry over their leader’s capture. This is the story:

August 10 was, for many in Mexico, a quiet Sunday like any other. But in Sinaloa -- a northwestern state facing the Pacific -- it was no ordinary Sunday. That day, 17 homicides were committed: one every 85 minutes.

According to Mexican government figures, it was the most violent day of 2025 in Sinaloa, exceeding every other state in the country. Sunday’s killings were some of the latest in a spate of violence that has gripped the state following the surprise arrest of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, who authorities say is a long-time leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of Mexico’s oldest and most violent criminal organizations.

Since his capture, homicides in Sinaloa have risen by more than 400%, according to an analysis of public data conducted by CNN.

A friend who lives down there told me that it's scary everywhere. As often happens down in Mexico, the bullets often hit innocent people enjoying a coffee, a Saturday night dinner, or even a trip to a shopping center. The shooting is intense.

As I hear from other friends in Mexico, the cartels are also fighting for routes to the U.S. It's a consequence of shutting down the border, so the cartels are fighting each other to bring their business up north.

It's tough to live in those circumstances but people down there don't see much of a change coming.

This once great American Republic has a tremendous amount of work to do - this post explains our herculean task!

 

The misunderstood melting pot: America’s identity under siege

By M. Ray Evans www.americanthinker.com

The “melting pot” is one of the most misunderstood concepts in America today. Born from Israel Zangwill’s 1908 play, The Melting Pot, it painted a vision of immigrants from all corners of the world blending into a unified American culture—adopting shared values, speaking English, and embracing the principles of liberty and self-reliance that define the nation. It was about becoming American, not just living in America. Today, progressives and globalists have twisted this idea into a hollow celebration of multiculturalism, claiming that tossing people from every culture together, with no expectation of unity, somehow makes us stronger. This lie is tearing apart the nation’s foundation, and Americans are fed up with seeing their identity eroded by those who refuse to assimilate.

The original melting pot was a contract. Immigrants—whether Irish, Italian, or German—came with nothing but grit and a willingness to adapt. They learned English, celebrated American holidays, and raised their kids to honor the flag and the Constitution. They didn’t demand special treatment or cling to old-world ways; they melted into a culture built on Judeo-Christian roots, hard work, and loyalty to the United States. That process created a nation unlike any other—one where shared values trumped tribal differences. It wasn’t perfect, but it worked, forging a people who led the world in freedom and prosperity.

Now, that vision is under attack. The left’s version of the melting pot isn’t about unity—it’s about division. They push “diversity” as a virtue, encouraging foreigners to keep their languages, customs, and allegiances, no matter how much they clash with American principles. Neighborhoods where English is barely spoken and foreign flags fly proudly are spreading. This isn’t blending; it’s fragmentation. The expectation of assimilation has been replaced with demands for accommodation, as if America should bend to every newcomer’s whims. Schools teach in foreign tongues, cities tolerate practices that violate our laws, and activists cry “bigotry” when anyone dares demand loyalty to the nation. This isn’t a melting pot—it’s a mess.

The consequences are clear. When foreigners refuse to adopt American values, they bring ways of life that don’t fit. Some cling to collectivist ideologies that mock individual liberty. Others push religious or cultural practices—whether rooted in tribalism or rigid traditions—that reject equality and freedom. Progressives cheer this as “cultural richness,” but it’s a betrayal of what made America great. If your homeland’s ways are so superior, why come here only to recreate them? The melting pot was supposed to transform immigrants into Americans, not transform America into a patchwork of foreign enclaves.

This isn’t about one group—it’s about a broader failure. Across the board, too many arrive without learning the language or respecting the culture. They demand rights without responsibilities, expecting handouts while contributing nothing to the nation’s spirit. Some bring values that glorify violence or oppression, incompatible with a country founded on life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Social media users nail it when they call out “diversity” as a buzzword for dismantling the shared identity that holds us together. One post put it bluntly: “The melting pot meant becoming American, not turning America into a free-for-all.” That’s the heart of the issue—without assimilation, we’re not a nation; we’re a collection of strangers.

The economic and social toll is undeniable. Unchecked immigration overwhelms schools, hospitals, and communities, draining resources meant for citizens. Crime rises in areas where cultural clashes fester, and taxpayers foot the bill for welfare and services that reward those who don’t integrate. The left’s obsession with open borders and multiculturalism only deepens the divide, pitting newcomers against those who cherish America’s heritage. Trump’s 2025 crackdown, with boosted funding for deportations and border security, is a start—hundreds of thousands arrested, thousands sent back, millions self-deporting—but it’s not enough. Legal immigration, too, needs a hard look. Programs that bring in workers who don’t prioritize American values risk creating enclaves that weaken national unity.

The root problem is a refusal to enforce the melting pot’s original promise: assimilate or leave. Too many immigrants want the benefits of America—jobs, safety, opportunity—without embracing its soul. They fly foreign flags at protests, demand special laws, or push beliefs that undermine the Constitution. The left’s narrative—that every culture is equal and must be preserved—ignores the truth that not all values align with America’s. A nation without a shared identity isn’t a nation at all. It’s a house divided, ready to collapse.

Restoring the melting pot means demanding commitment. First, make English mandatory—no more bilingual schools or government forms catering to those who won’t learn the language. Second, require legal immigrants to pass tough civics tests, proving they understand and respect America’s founding principles. Third, limit immigration to levels that allow integration, not overload. Fourth, end policies like chain migration and birthright citizenship for those here illegally, which incentivize gaming the system. Finally, deport anyone who rejects American values or brings harm to our way of life. This isn’t hate—it’s survival. A nation that can’t define itself won’t last.

The melting pot isn’t a myth, but it’s been sabotaged by those who’d rather see America fractured than united. It’s time to fight for the country’s soul—demand assimilation, protect our values, and reject the lie of multiculturalism. Join organizations like the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) or find local rallies to push for policies that restore the true melting pot. Stand up, speak out, and demand that those who come here become American—or go home.

It sounds like a good plan - a plan to correct horrible consequences of the illegal alien invasion.

 

Medieval disease outbreaks?

By Jim Davis www.americanthinker.com

Has anyone noticed the incredible scrutiny that left-wing propaganda bureaus (formerly known as “news media”) give to every little disease outbreak?

 Let’s take measles, for example. It’s a virtually harmless childhood disease. You get measles once, and you’re immune for life.

When I was a child, whenever any of our friends got the measles, it was time for a slumber party. All the kids who weren’t immune from previous outbreaks got the measles, and stayed home from school for a few days.

Our parents planned it that way. Development of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine in the 1970s put an end to this “abusive” practice. Nowadays, measles outbreaks are front-page news.

·         From my hometown NBC affiliate, WEEK-TV in Peoria, Illinois: “US nears its highest measles case count in more than 30 years.”

·         From ABC News: “2 dead and at least 58 sick from growing Legionnaires' disease cluster in New York City.”

·         The worst appears to be tuberculosis. It’s an airborne disease, there is no cure, and it’s fatal.

·         The arrival of monkeypox also got a lot of fanfare. The Healthcare Industrial Complex got over its self-imposed censorship about all LGBTQ diseases for about ten minutes, to admit that it’s spread by homosexuals.

In Southern California, there was a typhus outbreak in 2018. It became so widespread that a deputy district attorney got infected. The local NBC affiliate was quick to blame it on pervasive rat infestations, which plague all big cities.

My question is, “How did the first rat get infected?” Because typhus, a medieval plague, was virtually eradicated in America in the 1960s. How did that first rat get infected, if the disease was eradicated 50 years earlier?

It’s pretty obvious to me.

For my entire lifetime, SoCal has been the Promised Land for both illegal immigrants and the homeless. Both populations went through the roof and into orbit in our big cities in the past 35 years. Neither one of these groups is carefully screened for diseases or immunization histories.

That’s how these diseases enter the United States after they’ve been eradicated.

Both groups are living in close quarters. Homeless people crowd into squalid camps and homeless shelters; illegal immigrants may have ten or twelve people in a two-bedroom apartment.

 (AI illustration by the author, using Grok & DeepImg.)

And that’s how these diseases are spread.

Deport all the illegals. Clear out all the homeless camps, and put the homeless people who need it (nearly all of them) in rehab, or in mental institutions. Watch these medieval disease outbreaks become a thing of the past again.

Yes, it’s expensive and time-consuming. For the homeless who are seriously mentally ill, it will mean a lifetime in institutions — in other words, going back to the way it was in the 1980s, which wasn’t the Middle Ages. 

This would require a modest change in federal law, lowering the legal standard for involuntary commitment. It’s more kind and generous than leaving them on the street.

I’m sure our sensitive, caring friends in the cities and states that are so blue, they’re ultraviolet — where most of America’s homeless have gathered, due to the ready availability of drug dealers and liquor stores — will provide plenty of social workers.

These professionals can determine whether a particular homeless person belongs in rehab (about half), a psychiatric ward (probably one-third), or a homeless shelter, where a lot of space would quickly become available. After all, roughly 80% of the homeless would be in rehab or a psychiatric ward.

Notice that this solution solves a whole lot of problems that are much bigger than an outbreak of the measles.

Consider getting rid of these disease outbreaks a fringe benefit of solving the two biggest problems (besides Democrats) in our big cities: illegal immigration and homelessness, both magnetically attracted by Democrats.

At the same time, the Healthcare Industrial Complex can start doing its job right, by permanently getting over its self-imposed censorship to loudly identify the biggest remaining threat to public health in America: LGBTQ everything.

 

Immigration - specifically illegal immigration has been and will continue to be one of our most devastating consequences our Nation has ever encountered.

 

EXCLUSIVE: Immigration Chief Reveals What He Found In Aftermath Of Biden Admin

Jason Hopkins Immigration Reporter August 17, 2025 dailycaller.com

When U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joe Edlow returned for another stint in the Trump administration, he expected to wrangle with a mess left by the Biden administration’s border crisis.

Soon, however, Edlow would be met with a surprise. Not only was USCIS forced to tackle a record-setting pile of asylum cases, but he was tasked with leading an agency that, for 4 years, did very little to address immigration fraud. The director has since buckled down on asylum fraud, identifying discrepancies in immigration programs and tightening election integrity.

“What I didn’t know was what some of our backlogs turned into,” Edlow said to the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Nominated by President Donald Trump in March and officially sworn into the position in July, Edlow took the reins of an agency put to the brink amid following 8.5 million migrant encounters along the southern border during the Biden era. Although largely unfazed by what he uncovered, the immigration chief says he was still taken aback by his predecessors’ sheer apathy for weeding out fraud. (RELATED: Mexico Hands Over Notorious Cartel Leaders To Trump Admin)

US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Deputy Director for Policy Joseph Edlow,(R) and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, applaud and congratulate new US citizens during a naturalization ceremony hosted by the USCIS at the State Department in Washington, DC, on October 22, 2020. (Photo by Manuel Balce Ceneta / POOL / AFP) (Photo by MANUEL BALCE CENETA/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Prior to leading the agency, Edlow had served as chief counsel and deputy director of USCIS during President Donald Trump’s first term in office. In July, he returned to a backlog of asylum cases that dwarfed the numbers he previously dealt with.

“We had about 450,000 cases that were pending on the asylum active docket,” Edlow said of the end of Trump’s first term. “When I got back, there were over 1.5 million cases.”

“Does anything surprise on me what they were doing? Yeah, what surprised me is they weren’t doing much,” he continued. “We already knew that there was a misalignment of priorities and resources, but that became painfully obvious that really USCIS was acting as kind of the the arm of the administration to help maneuver the parole programs, to do what they could on credible fear and to ultimately try to address the growing border crisis that the Bidens have created.”

Americans are painfully aware of the illegal immigration crisis that raged during most of President Joe Biden’s tenure.

Fiscal years 2023 and 2024 were the worst and second worst years, respectively, for inadmissible border encounters in history, according to Customs and Border Protection data, leading to an incredible strain of resources at border communities and major U.S. cities. Altogether, the Biden administration oversaw more than eight million migrant encounters along the U.S.-Mexico border during its four fiscal years in office.

Record-level immigration into the U.S. inevitably correlated to a monumental uptick in asylum claims, which are largely processed by USCIS.

There were roughly 311,000 pending affirmative asylum claims in January 2018, according to a Department of Homeland Security Inspector General report. By the end of fiscal year 2022 — well into Biden’s tenure — this number nearly doubled to 625,000. By 2024, the backlog of affirmative asylum cases surpassed one million for the first time in history.

Affirmative asylum claims are distinct from defensive asylum claims in that they are lodged by foreign nationals already in the U.S. and not in deportation proceedings, according to USCIS. Defensive asylum claims are made by those already undergoing removal.

As illegal immigration skyrocketed, leaving federal immigration agents and local officials scrambling to keep up, the Biden administration implemented a slate of programs that GOP critics characterized as amnesty run-arounds to alleviate the terrible optics taking place at the Mexico border.

Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General analysis of USCIS’ pending affirmative asylum claims

The Biden White House launched the CHNV program, allowing more than half a million Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan and Venezuelan nationals to enter the U.S. Biden officials also revamped the CBP One app allowing foreign nationals to easily apply for asylum en masse, and extended deportation protections for a slate of countries, allowing their citizens to remain in the U.S.

Government officials that held the line against immigration fraud were largely given the boot, according to their accounts. A slate of Trump-appointed immigration judges were booted by the Biden administration, prompting GOP investigation at the time.

“I was punished by the Biden Administration for calling out fraudulent asylum claims while I was an Immigration Judge,” Matt O’Brien — who served as a judge during both the Trump and Biden administrations — said to the DCNF. O’Brien was fired by the Biden White House after establishing a tough record on asylum applicants.

Of the 288 asylum cases he decided, O’Brien granted asylum for 25, granted eight other types of relief and denied relief for 255, according to Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse data. This equated to a denial rate of 88.5%, well above the 57.7% average for all immigration court judges at the time, and a denial rate that earned him the disdain of open-border immigration activists.

“And that happened because open borders radicals love immigration fraud. They have treated it as a feature of the system, not a bug,” O’Brien said. “That’s why we currently have hundreds of thousands of Central Americans who have never experienced persecution getting asylum.”

O’Brien, who now serves as the deputy executive director of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, was among several Trump-appointed immigration judges given the boot during the Biden administration, prompting an investigation by congressional Republicans at the time.

Edlow, not at the helm of the country’s legal immigration system, believes there was a “get-to-yes mentality” among USCIS during the Biden era, paving the way for fraudulent claims to get through.

In contrast, the Trump administration has gone to great lengths to shore up its fraud enforcement apparatus.

In just the past few months, USCIS has implanted new measures to better prevent foreign nationals from voting in U.S. elections and has illustrated how Special Immigrant Juvenile program was rife with adult gangbangers, sexual predators and even alleged murders. However, the USCIS chief says they’ve only just begun cracking down.

“We’ve got to return the integrity of the immigration system, and that’s really a job for USCIS,” Edlow said to the DCNF.