This is just so rich...


The anti-illegal immigration movement is singing Congressman Joe
Wilson’s praises, but the lawmaker who was rebuked by the House this
week recently helped extend the stay of one of those very “illegals”
the activists hope to remove from the country.

Hundreds of illegal immigration opponents are gathering in Washington
right now for the annual Federation for Immigration Reform (FAIR)
effort to lobby Congress for tighter border controls and other
policies designed to keep undocumented immigrants out of the U.S.

This year, they’re making Wilson, a South Carolina Republican, their
new poster boy after he famously shouted “You lie!” during President
Obama’s speech on healthcare reform last week. Wilson’s outbust
occurred as Obama was saying he has no intention of giving illegal
immigrants access to health care benefits in his reform plan, and CNN
personality and avowed anti-illegal immigration crusader Lou Dobbs is
giving Wilson “great credit” for advancing the cause, per The
Washington Independent and Politics Daily.


Wilson may have a conflict of interest, however. Two months before he
heckled Obama, he introduced legislation to keep Sainey Fatty, an
illegal immigrant from Gambia, in the country. Fatty came to the U.S.
for school in the early ’90s and lived here for seven years while
under a deportation order, according to his friend Bill Cook’s blog.

In his bill, Wilson asks Congress to forgive Fatty’s immigration woes,
drop the deportation order against Fatty and allow him to remain in
the country legally.

Wilson’s communications director Ryan Murphy told Raw Story in an
e-mail that “Congressman Wilson does not support illegal immigrants
getting access to a government taxpayer funded health insurance
program.” He did not respond to questions about what motivated Wilson
to keep Fatty in the country or whether Wilson supports Fatty’s
ability to receive medical care in the U.S.

Officials with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement told Raw Story
they aren’t allowed to comment on the details of requests for asylum,
although Fatty’s friend Cook says in his blog that Fatty is allegedly
a Christian convert who abandoned his Muslim roots. Cook did not
respond to Raw Story’s request for comments, and restricted the
public’s ability to view his blog after Raw Story left a voice-mail
message at his office. Government workers familiar with the process in
which members of Congress fight deportation orders say many
undocumented people file asylum claims stating they would face
violence if they return to their native countries after converting to
Christianity.

After South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham followed
Wilson’s lead, Fatty gets to stay in the U.S. for at least the next
15 months. Graham introduced legislation similar to Wilson’s in the
Senate, which essentially gives Fatty an automatic stay on the
deportation order to give the Senate time to act on Graham’s bill.
Fatty is now allowed to remain in the U.S. until the 111th session of
Congress adjourns.

“By the grace of God, Fatty has been granted a stay on his
deportation,” his friend Cook’s blog reported last month.
“…Congressman Wilson and others reached out to Senators DeMint and
Graham, who were able to secure a temporary stay–word reached Fatty
less than 30 minutes before his flight out of the U.S. was slated to
leave today. Praise God for His kindness!”

On Wednesday night, Congressman Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) lauded Wilson
for a different reason during a reception for efforts to end illegal
immigration: “It looks like the Senate is going to fix the language in
the health care bill,” said King, “to require proof of citizenship…
amnesty in the health care bill has gone down because of who? Joe
Wilson!”

Fatty did not respond to requests for comment, but the company website
for HIS International, a South Carolina group that bills itself as a
non-denominational Christian organization, lists him as an employee
since 2003.

The group’s website says it helps foreign students with practical
matters like getting driver’s licenses and gives these students the
“option” of joining them for Bible study sessions and retreats. They
also provide help accessing medical care.