Karin Brulliard, from the Washington Post posed the following questions (in black) to FIRE Coalition National Director Jeff Lewis for an article she was writing for the Washington Post. 
Karin's questions were and are excellent questions, and the FIRE Coalition was happy to respond. The Washington Post article was published on June 8, 2008. The article, as published, can be found here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/04/AR2008060404019.html

1) First, just for background's sake, what is the mission of the FIRE Coalition? 
What policies does the coalition advocate?

What should be done about the illegal immigrants here now?

Jeff Lewis: The FIRE Coalition mission is primarily to educate "We the People" and the people we elect about their duties and responsibilities to halt and reverse the largest invasion in world history. The FIRE Coalition is "solution-oriented." We advocate the enforcement of our laws, and a reduction in immigration, both legal and illegal, to a level that looks out for the best interests of the American people, and the security and sovereignty of the United States as an independent and free nation. There is no such thing as an "illegal immigrant." An immigrant is a person that legally migrates to another country with the intention of assimilating into that nation, respecting their laws and culture, and who makes a concerted effort to learn their language. You cannot have dual-allegiance.

What should be done about the illegal aliens already here? The FIRE Coalition strongly advocates "attrition through enforcement." The United States already allows more "legal" immigration each year than the rest of the world combined. Our elected officials each took an oath to "uphold and defend" the Constitution and the laws written from it. The FIRE Coalition advocates removing the incentives that draw illegal aliens to our country. If they cannot find a job, or a place to rent, they will go home. Law enforcement are obligated by design, and by law to protect the law-abiding citizens of the United States. Citizens and businesses have an equal responsibility to help facilitate the "rule of law."

Illegal aliens need to go home to their native country. Any sort of amnesty for illegally entering the U.S. or for over-staying visas would be rewarding breaking the law. Each time the United States has exercised compassion by granting amnesty to the good and decent illegal alien, the flood of invaders has increased. Our elected officials need to remember who they represent, who elected them to office, and what "so help me God" meant. That oath is not just a ceremonial ritual, it is a sacred trust between the public official and the American people.

2) What is the purpose of the Operation Body Count project? What message are you trying to get out?  
The FIRE Coalition's Operation Body Count has several purposes, but primarily it is to remove the plausible deniability that most legislators and public officials have in three areas: the magnitude of the number of deaths of American citizens caused by illegal aliens, to illustrate that something can and should be done to stop it, and to remind the people we elect that it is their responsibility to take action. Operation Body Count doesn't just focus on those Americans killed, but also on the most egregious offenders in public office who are aiding and abetting the on-going slaughter of American citizens at the hands of illegal aliens.

So much emphasis is placed on the plight of the "poor immigrant family," or on how sending illegal aliens home would be cruel. Operation Body Count is intended to help remind our elected officials of exactly whom they are supposed to be protecting first and foremost, and that would be the citizenry of the United States, NOT the illegal alien invaders. It gets back to that allegiance issue. Who are our public officials elected to represent? Illegal aliens, or American citizens? One would think that's a no-brainer, and yet, we have countless legislators who, instead of showing some character and integrity, are betraying their oath of office, and the blood of the American citizenry that has died because of their refusal to secure our borders, or to enforce our laws is on their hands.

The Operation Body Count victims' posters illustrate the failed policies and derelict decision-making of our government. America is engrossed in a global war on terror. We spend hundreds of billions of dollars abroad, supposedly to keep us safe from terror. I won't get into the debate as to whether or not we should be engaged in such a war, but considering Americans are being killed at a rate 8 times higher on American soil by illegal alien insurgents than are being killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, it's a big lie to suggest we can't afford to build the double-layer fence, or secure our ports of entry, including deploying troops along the border, which was authorized by Congress last fall. There is absolutely no truthful explanation except that Congress and the President are aiding and abetting the invasion and demise of the United States.

3) What effect do you think OBC has? Does it get the attention of people who might not have been paying much attention to this issue? If so, can you explain how you see that -- do you get emails or calls from folks who say they came across the site and were influenced by what they saw? (I'm specifically talking about OBC here). What do they tell you?  
OBC has a chilling effect, especially the victims' yearbook posters. Looking into the faces of the law enforcement officers, women and children, and military that are no longer alive because of the invasion gives people pause. I receive calls, emails, and letters from across the nation where people have used the OBC posters in public events, to educate elected officials and law enforcement, and to generally re-focus the dialog where it belongs: on the American citizen, and the American family. One example I can share that illustrates the impact of OBC happened last fall. I'm sure you are aware of what transpired in Irving, Texas. Citizens there printed out the OBC posters and carried them to rallies there. The pro-illegal supporters didn't like them because they totally diffuse the diversion away from the dialog we should be having, which is what it is in the best interest of the American people, their children, and future. When national and local media covered the events in Irving, they completely edited out any and all footage in which the OBC posters were used. Apparently, the truth hurts, and the complicit media knew that their aiding and abetting the invasion would be harmed by looking into the faces of the American citizens who could no longer speak for themselves because they had died at the hands of an illegal alien.

3) On the site, you mention 9,000 Americans killed by illegal immigrants each year. What's the source of that figure?  
Congressman Steve King, (Iowa) commissioned a GAO study in an attempt to find out how many Americans are being killed by illegal aliens, since there was no government tracking of illegal alien crime available. This official government study suggests that upwards of 25 Americans die each day at the hands of illegal aliens, primarily due to murder, drunken-driving, and negligence, all of which are preventable. Congressman Steve King spoke in detail about this report at the FIRE Coalition's Constitution Week Press Conference last September. The complete video is available at YouTube.com/firecoalition.

4) Do you ask victims' families for permission to list their names/stories/photos? Some people, of course, might not agree with the FIRE Coalition's positions on the issue of illegal immigration. Have you ever gotten complaints from families? Or thanks? 
We do not ask for permission from victims' families, and it would be a stretch to suggest that those who oppose our positions include the families of victims. Were we to receive a request to remove a particular victim from OBC from the family, we certainly would. We have never received on complaint or such request. Numerous family members of victims have reached out to say "thank you." The FIRE Coalition's Operation Body Count champions the victims on behalf of those already killed by illegal aliens. Losing a family member due to crime or tragedy is hard to deal with regardless of the legal status of the perpetrator. OBC takes the message to our public officials in Congress, state legislatures, and local government in ways that do not require the victims to constantly revisit their loss.

5) Immigrant advocates say that using these crimes and their victims to send a message about illegal immigration serves to brand a whole group of people -- illegal immigrants, most of whom do not cause deaths -- as violent criminals. What do you respond?  
What are "immigrant advocates?" If you mean legal immigrants, then you are referring to a group of people we want to assimilate into the American culture as quickly as possible. If you mean "illegal alien advocates," then you are referring to a group of people that are aiding and abetting the largest invasion in world history, which, by the way, is a felony. The problem cannot be categorized simply into legal and illegal subsets.

Keeping in mind that the United States already allows more legal immigration each year than the rest of the world combined, it is a misnomer that "immigrant rights" advocates are in reality advocating for legal immigrants. Disinformation about who they really represent is used to stir hatred and animosity, so that good-natured Americans will think immigration reform and law enforcement groups such as the FIRE Coalition simply hate foreigners. That couldn't be further from the truth.

The United States has a proven track-record of being the most generous and giving people the Earth has ever known. Just like "sparing the rod spoils the child," ignoring the rule of law, and encouraging or advocating rewarding bad behavior marginalizes and subverts our sovereignty, our culture, and our future as a nation. Many forces are at play to destroy the nation-state around the world, and to create a global government to go with the global economy rhetoric. Which nation-state stands in the way of creating a global government? The United States. Blurring our borders, balkanizing our people by increasing pandering to illegal alien invaders in their native tongues only serves to make "E Pluribus Unum," "From many, one," into "E Pluribus Nada" "From many, none."

Destroy the United States, and you can create a global government. That is what is really afoot, make no mistake. The "melting pot" that the United States embodies requires "melting" into our society, not encouraging breaking us up into social and cultural factions, unable to even communicate with one another. I would suggest that legal immigrants that are offended by FIRE Coalition efforts are being misled. They should direct their animosity where it belongs. If they feel they are being stereo-typed, then I would suggest they encourage the media, the public, and our public officials to use the proper nomenclature to describe whom they are speaking about.

Article IV, Section 4 of the United States Constitution guarantees the states protection against invasion.  It doesn't say we'll try, or to protect us if it's economically feasible, or popular. It states "guarantee." Words do mean something. The Constitution cannot be ignored. Those elected to uphold and defend it don't have a choice, but to do so. One would think they would be eager to do so, especially since they came to us, "we the people," and begged us to let them do so. "...so help me God," means something. Any public official who has taken that oath that knowingly ignores or subverts enforcement of our laws is guilty of treason.

Feel free to ask for any clarification to any of my answers to your questions and I'll be happy to respond. (end of interview)

Jeff Lewis

National Director

FIRE Coalition