IMMIGRATION NEWS   
                                                                                           
Official information releases are presented with the most recent information.  The following information releases are contained in this section. Public information releases (press releases, fact, etc.) News Releases describing events and  announcements of national, regional and local interest. Updates keeps us all aware of routine changes such as  immigration law and visa caps , also AILA and Bender's updates with News and Conference updates to keep our clients updated.

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               Licensed Professional:  John A.Nicelli Esq.  (Updated 07-03-10)

3 sub-contractors charged with employing Unauthorized Workers in Miami school construction project
A Miami federal grand jury returned an indictment charging three Miami residents with conspiring to induce undocumented aliens to enter and remain in the United States by providing them with employment at a Miami-Dade school construction project, following an investigation by U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations in Miami and the Miami-Dade County Public Schools' Office of Inspector General (MD-OIG).
more info click here:    ICE,             (July 1, 2010).

Majority Support the DREAM Act, Poll Finds
A poll commissioned by a Family-Advocacy group in Washington, D.C., indicates that support for the DREAM Act has increased nationally, even as tensions over immigration continue. The DREAM (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) Act would allow undocumented Immigrants
brought to the U.S. as young children a chance at "Permanent-Residency Status"  if they meet specific requirements.   more info click here:   Texas Tribune,     (June 30, 2010).

Transcript of President Obama's Immigration Speech
White House, July 1, 2010
Into this breach, states like Arizona have decided to take matters into their own hands.  Given the levels of frustration across the country, this is understandable.  But it is also ill conceived.  And it’s not just that the Law Arizona passed is divisive -– although it has fanned the flames of an already
contentious debate.  Laws like Arizona’s put huge pressures on local law enforcement to enforce rules that ultimately are unenforceable.  It puts pressure on already hard-strapped state and local budgets.  It makes it difficult for people here illegally to report crimes -– driving a wedge
between communities and law enforcement, making our streets more dangerous and the jobs of our police officers more difficult.   more info click here:  White House.gov     ( July 1,2010).

RIGHTS OF UNDOCUMENTED WORKERS UNDER FEDERAL LAW
You look around and things seem pretty grim. Set foot in Arizona after July 29, 2010 and the Cops might think you are there ILLegally once they see your brown skin and hear you talk Spanish. Other places might not be much better since similar bills already have been introduced in Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Minnesota, South Carolina and Michigan. Stay away from Kansas and Idaho where English has been the “Official Language” since 2007. If you get a job at a meatpacking plant near Fremont, Nebraska, don’t try to rent an apartment or a house – maybe you can sleep in your car. Hazleton, Pennsylvania is not thrilled to see you in town either, despite some setbacks in the courtroom. Scratch Oklahoma off your list if you are worried about Electronic Verification or your job has anything to do with State Contracts. If you don’t speak English, forget about getting a Commercial Driver’s License in Missouri. If tough times force layoffs in Mississippi, the American who
used to work alongside you doing the same job can sue your employer if the boss knew or should have known that you did not have the right to work. If you get a job and your boss cheats you, keep your mouth shut if you want to avoid removal.  Welcome to America 2010. more info click here:
Gary Endelman and Cyrus D. Mehta,       (June 29, 2010).

They Pushed Back
A decision by the Federal Government to grant special visas to about 150 Indian metalworkers is the most encouraging news yet in a case that has cast a harsh light on the dark side of legal immigration.  The criminal investigation is not yet complete. The workers’ advocates argue that the Department of Justice needs to remove ICE as its designated lead agency in the Signal investigation. They’re right. ICE is too entangled in this debacle to investigate Signal or itself.
more info click here:    NYT Editorial,             (June 29, 2010).
  
Denying Citizenship for Unauthorized Immigrants' Children is a bad idea
Ending birthright Citizenship might be the worst idea of the Immigration debate. It strikes at the core of American Identity, punishes all Americans by requiring them to prove their Citizenship, overthrows two centuries of legislative intent and court rulings, and accomplishes next to nothing in
resolving ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION. more info click here:  Edward Schumacher-Matos,  
(June 25,2010).

Bill to deny Birthright Citizenship would face obstacles
Groups say altering the amendment or its interpretation would create a subclass of citizens and lead to discrimination. Ian Bratlie, an Immigration Attorney, said challenges have gone in favor of Immigrants going back to the 1800s. Legally, it's a nonstarter, Bratlie said. There's court case history and a long legislative history supporting it. Ginnie Graham,  more info click here: 
 Tulsa World,       (June 20, 2010).

Does ICE target the right Aliens?
Some Immigration Attorneys contend enforcement under the Obama administration has become even more aggressive. The situation is worse today, said Coral Gables Immigration Attorney Eduardo Soto, who has practiced Immigration Law for almost 20 years. There seems to be pressure on Immigration Officials to remove as many aliens as possible, no matter whether they have criminal records or not.  more info click here:      Miami Herald,      (June 20, 2010).

How a Right-Wing Immigration Lie Went Viral
Did California really pass an Immigration Law that's just as punitive as Arizona's but just failed to enforce it?  more info click here:   MoJo,               (June 21, 2010).

More Texas counties join Secure Communities
Dozens of Texas counties eagerly participate in a Federal program called Secure Communities, which aims to ferret out criminal aliens and expedite their removal from the U.S. Twelve more counties in South Texas joined the program last week, bringing the total to 66 in less than two years since the
program’s inception here. Run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the program allows local law enforcement to compare the fingerprints of anyone arrested against those in a Department of Homeland Security database to determine if the individual is removable under Immigration Laws.
more info click here:  Texas Tribune,    (June 21, 2010).

Secure Communities now activated in all Virginia counties
RICHMOND, Va.- U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced Secure Communities was activated as of last week in every county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. This biometric information sharing strategy enables ICE to identify any alien booked into local Law Enforcement's custody for a crime. This capability is part of ICE's comprehensive strategy to improve and modernize the identification and removal of criminal aliens from the United States.  more info click here:   ICE,   (June 21, 2010).

Another Bad Idea From Arizona
Not satisfied with a shameful New Law that invites, indeed demands, racial profiling, some Arizona politicians are now pushing for a Law that would deny citizenship to babies born in Arizona whose parents cannot prove they are Legal Immigrants. more info click here:    NYT Editorial,     
(June 20, 2010).

On Border Violence, Truth Pales Compared to Ideas
The rate of violent crime at the border, and indeed across Arizona, has been declining, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as has ILLegal Immigration, according to the Border Patrol. While thousands have been killed in Mexico’s drug wars, raising anxiety that the violence will spread to the United States, F.B.I. statistics show that Arizona is relatively safe. more info click here:
 NYT,        (June 19, 2010).
 
Sheriff’s deputies for Maricopa County, Arizona ,
took people into custody in March at what they
said was a drop house in Phoenix.
By RANDAL C. ARCHIBOLD
Published: June 19, 2010

MALDEF Secures Settlement with Ottawa County to Protect Latino Michigan Couple's Right to Marry
MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund) reaches favorable settlement agreement with Ottawa County resulting in a change to their policy regarding the issuance of marriage licenses to individual without social security numbers. more info click here:   MALDEF,
(June 15, 2010).

Fairness, Efficiency and Professionalism Needed in Immigration Courts
The ABA advocates for the creation of an independent body to adjudicate Immigration cases, but appreciates that implementation of such an entity may take a number of years to implement. Thus, in the near term the association suggests several incremental reforms that it believes could be implemented to improve the system.   more info click here:   ABA,       (June 17, 2010).

Minorities tell Congress of Racial Profiling
The stories of minorities being racially profiled in Michigan and other states were heard today at a Congressional hearing held by U.S. Rep. John Conyers of Detroit, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.  more info click here:    Detroit Free Press,      (June 17, 2010).

Analysis: Enforcing Arizona Immigration Law will be hard
A legal analysis by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office asserts that Arizona's New Immigration Law will be difficult to enforce because it is based on outdated sections of Federal Law
with very narrow legal parameters. more info click here:  Arizona Republic,   (June 17, 2010).

And then they came for the Children...
Just when you thought Arizona Lawmakers couldn't stoop any lower, these cowardly and shameful Politicians grab a shovel and put in a basement. more info click here:   Ruben Navarrette Jr.,      (June 17, 2010).

Feds: Trailer stuffed with Immigrants
Forty-eight unauthorized Immigrants were found locked in tractor trailer at an Immigration checkpoint just north of Laredo, Customs and Border Protection said Tuesday.  more info click here:  San Antonio Express-News,       (June 17, 2010).

1st Circuit: No proof of intent to steal needed for aggravated Identity Theft Conviction
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit has affirmed a lower court's enhanced sentence for aggravated identity theft for a defendant who possessed someone else's Social Security card, despite no proof that he intended to steal from another person. more info click here:   NLJ,      
(June 15, 2010).

The New ICE Age
The Federal Government could begin cracking down on employers who hire undocumented workers and on residents with expired visas, according to a copy of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s new strategic plan obtained by The Texas Tribune. The plan  "Strategic Priorities for Fiscal Years 2010-2014" was sent to ICE employees but has yet to be made public. It also outlines the
agency’s coming internal realignment; its expansion of operations in Mexico, Colombia and Canada; and the proposed construction of at least four additional regional Immigration Detention Centers.  more info click here:   Texas Tribune,         (June 16, 2010).

Mayors group condemns Arizona Immigration Law
The U.S. Conference of Mayors has approved resolutions condemning Arizona's New Immigration Law and asking Congress for an overhaul of Federal Immigration policies.  more info click here:  AP,       (June 15, 2010).

Supreme Court rules in favor of Deported Immigrant
A single tablet of an anti-anxiety drug got Jose Angel Carachuri-Rosendo 10 days in jail in Harris County and a quick deportation to his native Mexico. Too quick, a unanimous U.S. Supreme Court said Monday in a ruling that could affect thousands of Legal Immigrants who face Deportation over minor criminal records. more info click here:   AP,        (June 14, 2010).

Texas Law School Clinic has a hand in U.S. Supreme Court Win
On June 14, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of a lawful permanent resident of the United States facing Deportation. The high court’s 9-0 decision in Carachuri-Rosendo v. Holder also was a victory for Geoffrey Hoffman, director of the University of Houston Immigration Clinic at the University of Houston Law Center, and three law students who worked on Jose Carachuri-Rosendo’s case. more info click here:  Texas Lawyer,     (June 15, 2010).

Academics condemn Arizona Immigration Law
The decision to join together in issuing the open letter below represents an unprecedented and historical moment of collaboration. As academics and professionals concerned about social and environmental justice, human rights, and due process, we add our collective voices to those of many others from across the country calling for the immediate rescission of SB 1070 (and, as amended, HB 2162) and HB 2281 in the name of equity, compassion, integrity, constitutionality, and sound public policy. for more info click here:  Consortium of Professional and Academic Associations,    (June 14, 2010).

Clinton: Obama wants Immigration reform passed this year
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton this week told an Ecuador television reporter that President Barack Obama is courting Lawmakers support for Immigration Reform and wants it to happen this year. more info click here:  The Hill,     (June 12, 2010).

Harvard Student says he faces Deportation from US
Harvard officials immediately threw support behind Balderas. Eric Balderas has already 
demonstrated the discipline and work ethic required for rigorous University Work, and has, like so many of our undergraduates, expressed an interest in making a difference in the World, said Christine Heenan, Harvard's Vice President of public affairs and communications. The case also
sparked a buzz on Social Media sites and among Student Immigrant Activists who see the Balderas situation as the ideal test case to push the proposed DREAM act a Federal Bill that would allow ILLegal Immigrants a pathway to Citizenship via college enrollment or Military Service.
more info click here:   AP,      (June 11, 2010).

ICE and Local L.A.Cops target Oil Cleanup Workers
Federal Immigration Agents visited Louisiana Oil Spill command centers and checked workers 
Immigration Status at the request of the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Department, which said yesterday that it is concerned about criminal elements coming into the area. The Sheriff’s Office harked back to Katrina, arguing that criminals posing as Immigrant Workers came rushing into the area then, too, and vowed to continue probing oil spill Workers.  more info click here: 
    BrentinMock,            (June 9, 2010).

   

Valedictorian could face Deportation
As model students go, Eric Balderas had it all. He was the valedictorian of his 2009 Highlands High School graduating class. He was on the academic decathlon team and student council. He played varsity soccer. And he got a full scholarship to Harvard. But this week, it's what Balderas didn't have that finally caught up with him: U.S. citizenship or legal immigration status.
more info click here:  San Antonio Express-News,    (June 11, 2010).


Public Opinion Snapshot: Comprehensive Immigration Reform and the Arizona Law
Supporters of the Arizona law are also overwhelmingly supportive (84 percent) of comprehensive immigration reform. more info click here:   CAP,     (June 7, 2010).

Arrest: suspect posed as Immigration Agent
An El Monte man suspected of robbing at least eight people in El Monte and Rosemead while posing as an Immigration Agent was behind bars Sunday, authorities said.   more info click here:  Pasadena Star-News,      (June 6, 2010).

Feds check papers of oil spill cleanup workers
Federal Immigration Officials have been visiting command centers on the Gulf Coast to check the Immigration Status of response workers hired by BP and its contractors to clean up the immense oil spill. more info click here:  Annie Correal,       (June 4, 2010).

Profiling allegations probed in N.C.
The Alamance County Sheriff's Office is the latest North Carolina Law Enforcement Agency to face scrutiny over racial profiling accusations, as the U.S. Department of Justice launches a probe into whether it has illegally targeted Latinos.   more info click here:   AP,       (June 5, 2010).

Slow economy hinders Refugee Resettlement in U.S.
As Health and Human Services, Homeland Security and State department officials
begin consultations to make recommendations for the number of refugees allowed into
the United States in 2011, the Nation's high unemployment is creating challenges for
them.  more info click here:  GovExec.com,      (June 3, 2010).

More on the Mark Lyttle Story
This is a copy of a "Notice of Intent to Issue a Final Administrative Removal Order" issued on September 5, 2008 to a U.S. citizen. It was canceled about eight months later, after Mark Lyttle had spent about four months stateless in Mexico and four other countries in Latin America.   more info click here:   Jacqueline Stevens,      (June 3, 2010).
 


Tucson joins officer suing Arizona over Immigration Law
Tucson has joined a civil lawsuit by a Police Officer that challenges Arizona's New Immigration Law. Originally named as a defendant in a suit filed in April by Tucson Police Officer Martin Escobar, the city has decided to join him in suing the State. more info click here:  Tucson Sentinel,   (June 2, 2010).

Profile: John Morton, ICE Chief
At the center of this storm is the Chief Enforcer of Immigration Law in the United States, the foreign-born son of a Lawful Permanent Resident who has spent much of his professional life prosecuting National Trespassers."  more info click here:    GovExec.com,      (June 1, 2010).

Arizona's Freedom Summer Begins
It was more an atmosphere of Fiesta rather than fear that rippled through a crowd of thousands who rallied Saturday on the steps of the Arizona Legislature to denounce the newly enacted "Papers, Please" Law - SB1070." more info click here:   Marc Cooper,        (May 31, 2010).
Arizona march and rally. (Marc Cooper)


Administration opposes Arizona Law that penalizes hiring of Unauthorized Immigrants
The Obama administration on Friday urged the Supreme Court to review and set aside an Arizona Law that sanctions employers who hire Illegal Immigrants, saying it would disrupt the "careful balance" that Congress struck in Federal Immigration Law.  WaPo,    (May 29, 2010).

ICE Investigating reports of sex abuse at T. Don Hutto
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is investigating allegations that a guard at a Taylor Texas detention facility sexually assaulted female detainees on their way to being deported. more info click here:  AP,        (May 28, 2010).

Arizona Law Is Stoking Unease Among Latinos
Latinos and several police chiefs say they worry that the Law, which requires the police, “when practicable” and if they have reasonable suspicion, to check the Immigration Status of people they stop, detain or arrest for another reason, will widen a chasm of trust that they have struggled to close.  more info click here:  NYT,        (May 27, 2010). 

Performers to Stay Away From Arizona in Protest of Law
A coalition of music groups has announced that its members will boycott all performances in Arizona to protest a tough new Anti-Immigration Law there, and it has urged fans to sign a petition demanding the revocation of the legislation, which it calls “an assault on the U.S. Constitution.” more info click here:  NYT,             (May 27, 2010).

Why conservatives should oppose Arizona's Immigration Law
The latest issue freedom-loving conservatives should be concerned about is the Arizona Immigration Law. This Law clearly challenges Citizens' freedoms, and it does so by putting some Americans at risk of losing their freedoms while others stand little or no chance of being affected. Conservatives'
most important responsibility is to remember to protect Freedom, Liberty and the rights of every Citizen. The Arizona Immigration Law doesn't do that, and that's why I oppose it. I do not want to live in a Nation where American Citizens are asked "Where are your papers? We are better than that. The writer, a Republican, represents Florida's 14th District in the U.S. House.
more info click here:    WPA,        (May 28,2010).

LAPD's Beck joins other chiefs to say Arizona Immigration Law could cripple Law Enforcement
Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck joined other law enforcement leaders in Washington on Wednesday to slam Arizona's crackdown on illegal immigration, saying it could cripple police work and drive a wedge between officers and the communities they are trying to protect. more info click here:   L.A. Times,         (May 26, 2010).

The Part of "ILLEGAL" That I Don't Understand
Carl Shusterman on why immigration lawyers have no hair left. more info click here:     CarlShusterman,              (May 26,2010).

Throwing Good Money After Bad
Immigration Enforcement without Immigration Reform Doesn’t Work.
more info click here:  IPC,       (May 26, 2010).

Immigration Case Backlog Still Growing
The number of cases awaiting resolution before the Immigration Courts reached a new all-time high of 242,776 at the end of March 2010, according to very timely government enforcement data obtained by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse TRAC. The case backlog has continued to grow - up 6.3 percent  since TRAC's last report four months ago, and nearly a
third higher 30.4% than levels a mere 18 months ago. more info click here:  TRAC,   (May 24, 2010).

Arizona violating treaty ratified by U.S.
What has been largely absent from the public debate about the legality and morality of SB 1070 is Arizona's blatant violation of international Human Rights Law, as underscored by several U.N. experts. The law flies in the face of Arizona's Human Rights obligations, particularly the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), which the United States ratified in 1994 and which is binding on all levels of Federal, State and local governments, including Arizona Govenor Jan Brewer, who signed the bill.  more info click here:
 Chandra Bhatnagar,     (May 21, 2010).

Broken Immigration System "must be fixed"
As former chairs of our respective political parties, we typically haven’t always agreed. So some people might be surprised that we hold similar views in support of comprehensive immigration reform. more info click here:  George Bruno and Fergus Cullen,       (May 21, 2010).
 
American Ideals
When you think about the sort of rhetoric of hate , it assumes that everybody’s packing their bags and racing north. It’s just not the case, and the kind of people who choose to immigrate are really people who look a lot like the American ideals. They’re ambitious. They’re fairly self-confident. They’re risk-takers. They’re kind of strong, hearty people. They’re usually driven because they want to protect their families, which are on the borderline of really falling apart because there’s actually no way to make any money in the country they’re sitting in. That’s the majority and then there’s a new stratum globally , very successful, capable professionals who move around mostly in the science and engineering fields. Our housing industry, our service industry, our gardening, landscape industry, you name it, it’s been dependent for decades on Mexican labor. None of those people qualify for an employment-based visa. So when the hate mongers say, Why can’t they wait in line? Why can’t they get a visa? - there aren’t any visas to get! There’s no line to wait in! And that’s why everyone who knows this area of law says without Comprehensive Immigration Reform you really aren’t going to solve any of these pop-up issues.   more info click here:  NYT,          (May 21, 2010).

AFL-CIO: Federal Government Must Cut Ties with Arizona Law Enforcement
The AFL-CIO and the nation’s largest civil rights coalition issued a strongly worded call for the Obama administration to sever its ties with Law Enforcement officials in Arizona or be complicit in the State’s racial-profiling Anti-Immigrant Law, also known as S.B. 1070. more info click here:  
AFL-CIO blog,   (May 14, 2010).

Trenton Gets It Right
Arizona and Trenton are both grappling with a broken immigration system, where millions live outside the law. Arizona’s approach is: Stay anonymous and afraid and then maybe you’ll get out. Trenton’s is: Tell us who you are, and help us build a community. Neither solution will solve the big problem. But it is clear which is the more effective, humane and responsible. more info click here:  NYT,    (May 23, 2010).

Arizona Immigration Law fallout harms LDS Church outreach
The law, which makes it a state crime to be in the country without proper Immigration Papers, has tarnished the Mormon Church's image among many Latinos, a huge group the church is aggressively trying to attract. Pearce, a devout Mormon, has been the driving force behind virtually every bill introduced in recent years aimed at clamping down on ILLegal Immigrants. Mormon officials say Pearce does not speak for the church, which has not taken a stance on Arizona's Law or the issue of Immigration. Still, it has put the church on the defensive. more info click here:  Arizona Republic,       (May 18, 2010).

Esequiel Hernández Jr. - 13 years later
Every year on or about May 20th I remind readers: In 1997, U.S. Marines patrolling the Texas-Mexican border as part of the war on drugs shot and killed Esequiel Hernández Jr. Mistaken for a drug runner, the 18 year old was, in fact, a U.S. citizen tending his family's goats with a .22 rifle. He became the first American killed by U.S. Military Forces on native soil since the 1970 Kent State shootings. I own very few DVDs, but this one I do own and I urge everyone to buy/view it.  See the video,  watch the video here:   POV,          (May 20, 2010)
 

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) -
Berkeley has become the latest California city to boycott Arizona in response to the State's New Law targeting ILLegal Immigration. The City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to restrict staff from traveling to the state on city business. The council also called on city officials to look into canceling contracts with businesses in the state. Other California cities, including Los Angeles, Oakland and San Francisco, have passed similar measures. The new Arizona Law requires Police Enforcing another Law to question people about their Immigration Status if there is reason to suspect they are in the country ILLegally. Critics say it will lead to racial profiling of Hispanics. But supporters say the Law is needed because the Federal Government has failed to secure the border. The Oakland Tribune,  (May 19,2010).

Md. second-grader gives first lady pop quiz on Immigration
On Wednesday, with TV cameras rolling during an event to promote healthy eating, a second-grader at a Silver Spring elementary school asked first lady Michelle Obama why the president was "taking everybody away that doesn't have papers." more info click here:   WaPo,    (May 20, 2010).

The Police and Immigration: New York's Experience
The most severe consequence of the city's cooperation with Federal Immigration officials is the lack of trust in Law Enforcement that it creates among the public. A spouse, for example, may be reluctant to report abuse if she fears that the consequence will be deportation of the father of her children. When immigrants perceive the local Police Force as merely an arm of the Federal Immigration Authority, they become reluctant to report criminal activity for fear of being
turned over to Federal Officials. Given that Immigrants (Legal and iLLegal) currently comprise 36% of the city's population, this unwillingness to cooperate with local Law Enforcement presents an obstacle to stemming crime in the city as a whole. more info click here:  Robert Morgenthau,   
(May 19, 2010).

Top 5 reasons National ID is bad for Americans
Under Schumer’s plan, every person who seeks a job in the U.S. citizens and non-citizens—would be required to present a biometric ID card to potential employers verifying one’s eligibility to work. Employers would match an individual’s fingerprint to a fingerprint scan on the ID card. This system would provide the backbone for America’s first-ever national identity card system something all Americans and immigrants should oppose. more info click here:  NYCLU,    (May 20,2010).

A Generation Gap Over Immigration
Forget sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll; immigration is a new generational fault line.
for more info click here: NYT,      (May 17, 2010).

ACLU And Civil Rights Groups File Legal Challenge To Arizona Racial Profiling Law
The American Civil Liberties Union and a Coalition of Civil Rights groups filed a Class Action Lawsuit
today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona challenging Arizona's new law requiring
Police to demand "Papers" from people they stop who they suspect are not authorized to be in the U.S. The Extreme Law, the coalition charged, invites the racial Profiling of people of color, violates the First Amendment and interferes with federal law. more info click here:  ACLU,    (May 17, 2010).

ACLU, NAACP and Other Groups Seek Federal Injunction to Stop SB 1070
As it had announced it would do last week, the ACLU along with several other groups filed suit in
Federal Court today, seeking to have Arizona's "Papers Please" Legislation enjoined before it's scheduled to take effect by the end of July. more info click here:  Stephen Lemons,    (May 17, 2010).

Arizona's War on Immigrants
If there was a poor family in Kentucky, and the Father ventured to California to find a job to support
them, he’d be a Hero," Kee explained, What’s the difference here? Only that somebody drew a line
in the sand. more info click here: Truthout,   (May 16, 2010).

Forcing our Blues into Gray Areas: Local Police and Federal Immigration Enforcement
A Legal Guide for Advocates, Revised and Updated; collaboration by national Appleseed, Nebraska Appleseed, New Jersey Appleseed, Texas Appleseed, and Washington Appleseed. more info click here:  aspx    (May, 2010)

Kris Kobach's Misleading Statements to the Arizona Republic on SB 1070
Kobach  the guy being paid $300 per hour to tutor Sheriff Joe Arpaio's boys in beige in Immigration
Law - once again offers the shibboleth that SB 1070 simply "mirrors" federal law, citing the federal
requirement that all registered (read, "Legal") Aliens carry with them their Alien Registration Documents. Now, if this was all the Law did, Kobach might have a point, But of course the Law is far broader than that, and it forces local cops to enforce Federal Immigration Law, contrary to the plenary power the Federal Government has over Immigration via the U.S. Constitution.  more info click here:  Stephen Lemons,      (May 16, 2010).  

Obama's Aunt given OK to stay in United States
A Boston Immigration Judge has granted President Barack Obama's aunt, Zeituni Onyango asylum,
clearing the way for her to stay in the United States and possibly to become a US citizen, her lawyers said today. Immigration Judge Leonard I. Shapiro, after hearing closed-door testimony from the Kenyan native in February, granted her plea on Friday. more info click here:  Boston Globe, 
(May 17, 2010).

Trenton issues IDs to All
As a New Law in Arizona makes the failure to carry Immigration Documents a crime and spurs similar proposals in other States, Trenton is one of a small but growing number of municipalities that have moved in the opposite direction, making sure that Illegal Immigrants have documents to make their lives easier. At least six City Governments, including San Francisco and New Haven, now endorse or issue photo identification cards to residents. The latest is Princeton, N.J., where advocates for Immigrants, with the consent of both the borough and the township, will begin issuing cards on May 22, 2010; other New Jersey communities have also expressed interest. Oakland, Calif., has approved a program but has not yet started issuing cards. more info click here:  NYT, 
(May 16,2010).

Six questions for supporters of Arizona Law  ??????
For more information click here: Andres Oppenheimer,  (May 15, 2010).

Boss, The Drone!
An unmanned aerial drone will begin patrolling Texas’ border with Mexico next month. The Federal Aviation Administration today approved a June 1, 2010 start date for the project following months of pleading by Texas lawmakers, including Govenor Rick Perry and U.S. Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn. more info click here: Texas Tribune,   (May 14, 2010).

Bersin Unlikely to Receive Senate Confirmation
The leaders of the Senate Finance Committee made it clear Thursday that they would not support
Alan Bersin, commissioner of US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), for Senate confirmation when his interim appointment expires at the end of 2011. Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), chair of the committee, repeatedly slammed Bersin for his failure to obtain federal I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification forms for ten domestic employees at his home in California over the past 20 years, including six employees in recent years. "As the person responsible for securing our nation's borders, your failure to follow the Law in this matter is unacceptable, Baucus protested during a Senate confirmation hearing for Bersin.  more info click here:  Homeland Security Today,        (May 14, 2010).
ALAN BERSIN 

Commissioner US Customs
and Border Protection (CBP)

US Labor Department unveils new tool to help Employees and Small Businesses understand H-1B visas
The U.S. Department of Labor today unveiled a new tool to help employers and others understand
how to comply with requirements under the H-1B visa program, which allows for the temporary
employment of foreign workers in the U.S. in certain specialty occupations. more info  click here:
DOL,        (May 13, 2010).

Above The Law?
Given Mr. Bersin's credentials as a "Tough enforcer of Immigration Laws", the Bersins certainly were
careful to verify the legality of each of these nannies using the legally-required I-9 (Employment
Eligibility Verification) form within three days of their hire as required by the Immigration Reform
and Control Act of 1986, correct? This is where things go a bit awry. more info click here:
Carl Shusterman,         (May 12, 2010).

Behind the Sound Bites on Arizona’s Immigration Law
Because in the vast majority of the circumstances in which the Arizona Law requires officers and
officials to demand documents, the only possible articulable fact that would lead to the demand is
ethnically based, the Law conflicts with the Fourteenth Amendment. It also is just plain against American values to engage in this kind of ethnic profiling. Crystal Williams, more info click here:  AILA Executive Director,        (May 11, 2010).

Immigration Reform
 

Evangelicals' full-page ad in D.C. will call for Immigration Reform
Galen Carey, director of government affairs for the National Evangelical Association, tells Yahoo!
News the organization is seeking to rally support for Comprehensive Immigration Reform. The campaign begins with a full-page Ad Thursday in Roll Call, a Washington newspaper that covers Congress. more info click here:  Yahoo News,    (May 11, 2010).
 
Green Cards to Be Green
Everyone calls it a "Green Card," but for many years the coveted identification that Immigration
Authorities issue to lawful permanent residents has been variously pink, beige, blue, white — just
about anything but green. Now it will be, though that is the least high-tech feature of a redesign
announced Tuesday by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. more info click here:  NYT,       (May 11, 2010).

NEW GREEN CARD
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services


Letter to Major League Baseball Commissioner, Bud Selig
We strongly urge you to relocate the 2011 All-Star Game from Phoenix and to pressure teams to pull all winter and spring training games from Arizona while this Un-American Law is in effect. We hope that Major League Baseball will once again prove to be an example of strength and courage to those who work so hard to be a part of this country we all love.  more info click here:  
America's Voice Online,   (May 11, 2010).

UN experts says Arizona Law violates international human rights treaty
Arizona's New Law on Legal Immigration could violate international standards that are binding in the United States, six U.N. human rights experts said Tuesday. more info click here: AP, (May 11, 2010).

MENENDEZ URGES M.L.B. PLAYERS ASSOCIATION TO BOYCOTT 2011 ALL-STAR GAME IN ARIZONA
Today, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), the lone Latino currently serving in the Senate, urged a Major League Baseball players’ boycott of the 2011 All Star Game over Arizona’s new immigration law. In a letter to Major League Baseball Players Association Executive Director Michael Weiner, Menendez pointed out that more than one in four major leaguers is of Latino descent, and similarly, more than one in four is foreign born. more info click here: WCVI,    (May 10, 2010).
 
Broken promises break hearts
Outraged lawmakers promised to intervene when they heard the story of a young Japanese widow
who was being forced to return to her native country, despite her American Marine-husband's wishes
that she raise their son in Tennessee. But more than a half-year later, the young mother and her
baby son have gone back to Japan, her Tennessee in-laws are heartbroken, and the legislation that
was supposed to keep the family together has stalled in Congress. more info click here: Knoxville News Sentinel, (May 8, 2010).

Farmers: Immigration Reform needed for AG Workers
Farmers want Congress to pass an "AgJobs" Bill that would enable those who have worked in U.S.
agriculture for at least 150 days in the previous two years to get some kind of Legal Status. They
also say the Visa program for Temporary Workers needs to be simplified. Without those changes,
some farmers say they may have to cut back production because of a shortage of reliable labor.
more info click here:    AP,         (May 10, 2010).

Background checks can't determine Intent
You can do all the checks in the world, there’s no way to know what’s in their heart or head, said
Crystal Williams, executive director of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. People rarely
go to their interview and say they think it would be a great idea to plant a bomb in Times Square.
more info click here:  NYT,       (May 8, 2010).

License to frustrate: Get-tough ID policies could snag all Floridians
No matter how you feel about Illegal Immigration, and no matter how much we want to protect
ourselves from Terrorism, the hellish bureaucratic scenes now unfolding at DMV offices across
South Florida serve as a reminder: Be careful what you wish for. more info click here: Michael Mayo, 
  (May 8, 2010).

Illegal Status of Army Spouses Often Leads to Snags
He served one tour of duty in Iraq, dodging roadside bombs, and he would like to do another.
But throughout that first mission, he harbored a fear he did not share with anyone in the military.
Lieutenant Tenebro worried that his wife, Wilma, back home in New York with their infant daughter,
would be deported. more info click here:   NYT,    (May 7, 2010).

Activists launch boycott of Arizona over Immigration Law
Civil rights and labor groups on Thursday urged Americans not to travel to Arizona, as they launched
a National Boycott in response to the state's divisive new Anti-Illegal Immigration Law.
more info click here:  AFP,     (May 6, 2010).

Arizona is Not the First State to Take Immigration Matters into their Own Hands
Arizona’s controversial New Immigration Law (SB 1070) is the latest in a long line of efforts to
regulate Immigration at the State Level. more info click here:   IPC,    (May 6, 2010).

Bill aims to strip certain Americans of their Citizenship
A Bipartisan group of Legislators on Thursday introduced Legislation in Congress to strip Citizenship
from any American found to be involved in Terrorism.  CNN,      (May 6, 2010).

Lieberman Bill Unconstitutional
Senator Lieberman today proposed a bill that would strip American Citizenship from anyone who
has provid[ed] material support or resources to a Foreign Terrorist Organization or engaged in, or purposefully and materially support[ed], Hostilities against the United States or any of its Allies.
Unfortunately for Senator Joe, the Supreme Court has made it crystal clear over the last four decades that the Federal Government simply has no power to take away U.S. Citizenship.  
Shayana Kadidal, Senior Managing Attorney, Center for Constitutional Rights, more info
click here:  HP,     (May 6, 2010).

More Legal Groups Join Boycott of ABA's Phoenix Meeting
More New York Legal groups have announced they will boycott an American Bar Association-backed
conference next week in Phoenix in reaction to Arizona's controversial New Immigration Law.
more info click here:  NY L J,     (May 6, 2010).

Obama indicates he's in no rush to pass Immigration Overhaul
The president is silent on a timetable for completing a bill, saying that he merely wants to start
working on the issue before the year is out. more info click here:  Tribune,   (May 5, 2010).
 
The American Bar Association to hold a conference in Phoenix
ABA announced today that it will move forward as scheduled with the Equal Justice Conference in Phoenix May 13 – 15. The American Bar Association has already made its opposition to the New Arizona Immigration Law known,  and we will continue to do so,  said ABA President Carolyn B. Lamm. The law infringes on Civil Rights and belies our Nation’s Principle of Justice for All. When justice for anyone in America is threatened, it diminishes us all as a Free People. "The Equal Justice Conference brings together all components of the legal community to further the delivery of legal services to the poor and low-income individuals who are in need of Legal Assistance", Lamm continued. “We are not going to allow these efforts to be even temporarily derailed by an Unjust Law. Doing so would have a further detrimental effect and run contrary to ensuring the principles on which our nation was formed, continue to thrive". more info click here:  abanow,     (May 4, 2010).

Arizona Loses 19 Meetings in Reaction to Immigration Law
In the aftermath of the passage of Arizona's Immigration Law, SB1070, the Arizona Hotel & Lodging
Association reports that 19 groups have canceled events in the State, representing 15,000 room nights. Meetings & Conventions, more info click here:  M&C,   (May 5, 2010).

Operation Streamline to be discussed (May 18,2010)
Aarti Kohli, director of Immigration Policy at the Warren Institute, will discuss a recent research
project examining a Department of Homeland Security program that requires the Federal Criminal
prosecution and imprisonment of all Unlawful Border Crossers. The program, known as Operation
Streamline, mainly targets migrant workers with no criminal history and has resulted in skyrocketing
caseloads in many Federal District Courts along the border. San Diego, more info click here: CCIS 
 (May 5, 2010).

Phoenix Suns Owner's bold statement on Immigration changes focus of Game 2
Like it or not, the Suns owner has caused a huge stir this time around. His team will wear orange
"Los Suns" jerseys Wednesday night in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals against the
Spurs, a maneuver designed to celebrate the NBA's diversity and illustrate his displeasure with
Arizona's new Immigration Law. more info click here:  Arizona Republic,     (May 4, 2010).

Both sides in Arizona's Immigration debate use Crime argument
Statistics show foreign-born residents commit fewer crimes, but backers of an Illegal Immigrant
Law say Public Safety is their key motivation. more info click here:  L.A. Times,   (May 3, 2010).

ABA Pressured to Move Immigration Conference out of Arizona
The American Bar Association is facing mounting pressure to move a conference in Phoenix
scheduled for next week after its co-sponsor backed out and two New York Public Interest Law
groups called for a boycott to protest Arizona's controversial "New Immigration Law."
more info click here:  N Y L J,   (May 4, 2010).

Both sides in Arizona's Immigration Debate use Crime Argument
Statistics show foreign-born residents commit fewer crimes, but backers of an Illegal Immigrant
Law say Public Safety is their key motivation. more info click here:  L.A. Times,      (May 3, 2010).

Involuntary Servitude
The 13th Amendment Banned Slavery in 1865. A modern form of it still subsists, however, hidden
behind Residential Walls and, when exposed, unremediable in the courts. Its locale is Apartments
and Houses occupied by Foreign Diplomats. more info click here:  Vivian Berger,  (May 3, 2010).

5 Myths about Immigration
Doris Meissner, a senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute, served as Commissioner of the U.S.
Immigration and Naturalization Service from 1993 to 2000. more info click here:  WaPo,  (May 2, 2010).

A Country Of Immigrants
To the sound of drums and the sight of American flags, more than 25,000 people — a microcosm
of a national movement — marched on Dallas City Hall Saturday in the latest episode in the never ending Texas immigration saga.  more info click here:  Texas Tribune,   (May 3, 2010).

AG: Court challenge possible on Immigration Law
Attorney General Eric Holder and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano were critical
Tuesday of Arizona's new law on immigration and Holder said the federal government may challenge it. more info click here: AP,   (May 3, 2010).

Arizona Law will likely collide with Constitution and Lose
My prediction is that, in the coming weeks before the Arizona Law goes into effect, a suit challenging the Constitutionality of the Law will be filed, a court shortly thereafter will Bar the Law from being enforced, and Arizona's Pernicious Law will never go into effect." Kevin R. Johnson, dean of the University of California, Davis, School of Law.  more info click here:  sacbee,   (May 2, 2010).

OK, folks, let's see your ID's
The debate over whether Texas should mimic Arizona's get-tough Immigration Law isn't just about
policy.  It's personal.  The prospect of Local and State Law Officers questioning people about their
Immigration Status prompted Senator Leticia Van de Putte to recall an experience from some two
decades ago involving former Appeals Court Justice Rudy Esquivel.   more info click here: 
 Houston Chronicle,     (May 2, 2010).

Thousands gather for Immigrant Rights March in downtown L.A.
Tens of thousands of immigrant rights demonstrators rallied in downtown Los Angeles and across
the country Saturday to protest a tough new Anti-Illegal Immigration Law in Arizona and stalled
legislative reforms in Congress.  more info click here:  L.A. Times,   (May 1, 2010).

About 35 Arrested at Immigration Rally
About 35 immigrant advocates have been arrested in front of the White House fence, including a
U.S. congressman, after they sat down and defied orders from police.  more info click here: AP,
(May 1, 2010).

Racial Profiling in Arizona? That’s nothing new, critics say
As the country debates whether a tough new Arizona Law against Illegal Immigration will lead to
Racial Profiling, Latino Activists and Civil Rights Attorneys contend that Profiling is already a reality in the Maricopa County, where two-thirds of the state's residents live.  more info click here:  
L.A. Times,   (May 1, 2010).

Dallas Immigration Rally ends with crowd estimated at 25,000
The march was one of several dozen similar May Day rallies from New York to Los Angeles that
ranged in size from hundreds to tens of thousands. By nearly all accounts, Dallas drew one of the
nation's largest crowds. more info click here:  Dallas Morning News,    (May 01, 2010).

Recession, Enforcement driving Immigrants to leave U.S.
As word spreads that jobs are harder to come by in the U.S. because of the recession, others are
deciding not to come in the first place, slowing an unprecedented flood of immigrants that's lasted
more than a decade. U.S. employers, meanwhile, are hiring fewer undocumented immigrants
because they have a bigger pool of unemployed legal workers to choose from and because they
fear tighter immigration laws, immigrants and experts say. more info click here:  Marisa Taylor,
(May 1, 2010).

Ballplayers Join Protest of New Law
A day after protesters rallied against Arizona’s new illegal immigration law outside Wrigley Field
in Chicago, Major League Baseball thrust itself into the national debate. more info click here: NYT, (Apr. 30, 2010).
 
Revision to Arizona Law Sets Conditions for Questions by the Police
Govenor Jan Brewer on Friday signed a follow-on bill approved by Arizona legislators that makes
revisions to the State’s sweeping Law against Illegal Immigration. She said the changes should
quell concerns that the measure will lead to Racial Profiling. more info click here:  AP,  (Apr. 30, 2010).

Austin Police Chief: Arizona Law "Killed" Community Policing...
Having spent my entire adult life in the service of our nation as a Professional Peace Officer, I
believe the unintended consequences of Arizona's action will be that the children and families of
all Americans are being placed at greater risk of being harmed by the molesters, rapists and other
thugs prowling our neighborhoods in search of their next victims. Art Acevedo, Austin Police Chief
since 2007, began his law enforcement career in 1986 with the California Highway Patrol. He has
been a leader of the National Latino Peace Officers Association for 20 years and is currently the
National President. Born in Havana, Acevedo migrated to the United States with his family in 1968.
more info click here:  AMERICAN-STATESMAN          (Apr. 30,2010)

Baseball Alarmed by Arizona Immigration Law
Baseball’s entanglement in Arizona’s new immigration measure, Senate Bill 1070, goes well beyond
the small swath of protestors demanding Major League Baseball pull the 2011 All-Star Game out of
Phoenix and boycott Arizona Diamondbacks games. More than 1,000 players, and hundreds more
executives, coaches, trainers and business staff, spend about eight weeks of spring training in the
Phoenix area. Latin Americans represent 25-plus percent of major league players, and the percentage in the minor leagues is even higher. The sweeping reform, which critics say invites racial profiling,  is almost certain to hit baseball if the federal government doesn’t intervene.  more
info click here:  Jeff Passan,     (Apr. 30, 2010).

First Legal Salvo Launched Against Arizona Immigration Law
A coalition of religious groups today commenced the legal battle against Arizona’s new controversial
Immigrant Law, filing suit in the U.S. District Court to stop its implementation.  more info click here:  NAM,      (Apr. 29, 2010).

A distinctly American response
Americans are not accustomed to the command "Your papers, please," however politely delivered.
The distinctly American response to such a request would be "Go to Hell," and then "See you in Court." The government of Arizona, it turns out, has been ambushed by its own legislature. If this vague Law is applied vigorously, the state will be regularly sued by citizens who are wrongfully stopped. But if the law is not applied vigorously enough, it contains a provision allowing citizens to sue any Agency or Official who "Limits or Restricts the Enforcement of Federal Immigration Laws.
Either way lawyers rejoice, Michael Gerson,  more info click here:  WP,    (Apr. 28, 2010).

Bill Clinton: we must increase Immigration
Former President Bill Clinton waded into the debate on Wednesday with the bravado of someone
never facing election again. “I don’t think there’s any alternative but for us to increase immigration,”
he said, both to help the economy grow and to fix the long-term finances of Medicare and Social
Security.  I just don’t see a way out of this unless that’s part of the strategy,” he added in his
remarks at a meeting on fiscal policy in Washington.  more info click here:  NYT,    (Apr.28, 2010).

Dems want Border Security before Legalization
An emerging immigration proposal by three Democratic senators calls for more federal enforcement
agents and other border security-tightening benchmarks before illegal immigrants could become
legal U.S. residents.  more info click here:  AP,       (Apr.28, 2010).

Justice Department considers suing Arizona to Block Immigration Law
Officials in the Obama administration are urging the extraordinary step of suing Arizona over its New Immigration Law, and the Justice Department is considering such an action to block the legislation from taking effect, Government Officials said Wednesday. more info click here: WaPo, (Apr.29, 2010).

Lawsuit against Arizona Law to be announced Today
On Thursday, April 29, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. (MST), MALDEF, the American Civil Liberties Union, the
ACLU of Arizona and the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) will hold a news conference on
the steps of the State Capitol Executive Tower in Phoenix, Arizona to announce that they are preparing to challenge Arizona's Extreme New Law, which requires law enforcement to question people about their immigration status during everyday police encounters and criminalizes immigrants for failing to carry their "Papers." The Unconstitutional Law, the groups say, encourages Racial Profiling, endangers public safety and betrays American Values. more info click here: ACLU, (Apr.28, 2010).

Obama: I need GOP help on CIR
President Obama said late Wednesday that "there may not be an appetite" to overhaul the Nation's
Immigration Laws this year, even though he believes there is a pressing need to do so. "It's a matter
of political will," Obama said during a rare visit to the press section of his presidential plane. . .
This is a difficult issue. It generates a lot of emotions . . I need some help on the Republican side.
more info click here:  WaPo,   (Apr.29, 2010).

Pima County Sheriff Calls Arizona Law "Stupid", Will Not Enforce It
Dupnik called the Law "Racist" and "Disgusting" and "Stupid" and, in his "Nuanced Judgment"
could not be enforced without mandatory Racial Profiling. Dupnik's reckoning of the legal issue is
that he's just as likely to be sued for Racial Profiling as he is for not doing enough racial profiling,
so he's standing pat, and will not Enforce the New Law. more info click here: HuffPo, (Apr.28, 2010).

Duncan Hunter: Let's Deport American Kids
Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) wants to start deporting American Citizens. Not all American Citizens,
mind you. Just the Natural-Born American citizens that are the children of Illegal Immigrants.
more info click here:  TPM,   (Apr.28, 2010).

Arizona Immigrant Law draws ire, possible referendum
Politicians weighed in on Arizona's tough new immigration law Tuesday, while Mexico cautioned its
Citizens about an "Adverse Political Atmosphere" in the state and a Phoenix man said he was aiming
to get a referendum to repeal the measure on November's ballot.  more info click here:  AP,
(Apr.27, 2010).

Thousands of protesters listen to activists speak
as they attend a rally at the Arizona Capitol voicing …


CIR moved to back burner?
Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid backed off Tuesday from his pledge to fast-track an overhaul
of the Nation's Immigration Laws, after fellow Democrats voiced skepticism and a key Republican
supporter abandoned the effort. more info click here:  WaPo,  (Apr.28, 2010).

Dallas prepares for march, 100,000 expected
Promoting a theme of "We Are All Arizona," activists are predicting that a tough new immigration law in that state will spur protests nationwide and bolster a previously planned march Saturday in downtown Dallas. Dallas police are preparing for a crowd of up to 100,000 for Saturday's march, Assistant Police Chief Charles Cato said Monday. more info click here:  Dallas Morning News,
(Apr.27, 2010).

Holder: Feds may challenge Arizona Law
Attorney General "Eric Holder" said Tuesday that the federal government may go to court to challenge Arizona's new law which makes it a state crime to be in the United States illegally.
more info click here:  npr,    (Apr.28, 2010).

Homeland Security Secretary
Janet Napolitano


In Wake of Immigration Law, Calls for an Economic Boycott of Arizona
A spreading call for an economic boycott of Arizona after its adoption of a to ugh immigration law that opponents consider racially discriminatory worried business leaders on Monday and angered the governor.  NYT,   (Apr.26, 2010).

Staffing companies charged with hiring undocumented workers
The president and office manager of two Bensenville, Ill., staffing companies that supplied temporary workers to suburban warehouses were charged Monday with unlawfully hiring dozens of illegal aliens to form their labor pool. more info click here:  ICE,  (Apr.26, 2010).

Nobody wins on Immigration Reform
The Arizona Legislature’s passage of a new hard-line anti-immigration law may force both Democrats and Republicans into a place they don’t want to be: dealing with the contentious, no-win issue of immigration reform in the midst of an election year. more info click here:  Politico,  
(Apr.26, 2010).

American trucker carded for his Birth Certificate in Arizona...
Arizona officials are now supposed to ask anyone they suspect of being in the U.S. illegally for papers proving otherwise. A local news report suggests that kind of thing happens already. A commercial truck driver who would give his name only as Abdon says he was pulled over this month at a weigh station, asked for his birth certificate, and taken into custody when he couldn't provide it.
Laura Conaway, more info click here:  msn,         (Apr.26, 2010).

Arizona's new Immigration Law is Unconstitutional
Not all of it will be thrown out by the courts but the most controversial provision has to be, Here's why. James Doty, more info click here:   salon,     (Apr.26, 2010).

Swipe the November Election
What moved GOP Governor Jan Brewer to sign the Soviet-style show me your papers law is the exploding number of legal Hispanics, US citizens all, who are daring to vote - and daring to vote Democratic by more than two to one. Unless this demographic locomotive is halted, Arizona Republicans know their party will soon be electoral toast.more info click here: Greg Palast,
(Mar.26, 2010).

Immigration Reform Could Mean National ID Card for All Workers
Whatever the fate of the Schumer-Graham proposal, it already has given the idea of a national ID another airing. Americans will need to decide whether it is indeed the “mark of the beast” or an inevitability of the new need for high-tech controls at workplaces and airports.
more info click here:  NAM,    (Apr.26, 2010).

Iraq war veteran may be denied Citizenship
Ekaterine Bautista served honorably for six years and earned a Combat Action Badge, but she used a relative's name. She fears deportation. more info click here:  LA Times,   (Apr.26, 2010).

Latinos, Blacks Join Fight for Civil Rights in Arizona
A united front of black and Latino Arizonans mobilized against a state law that they see as a threat to their civil rights on Sunday at the First Institutional Baptist Church in downtown Phoenix. Jan Brewer signed SB 1070 into law on Friday, making Arizona the first state in the nation to make it a crime for a person to be undocumented. More than 3,000 people demonstrated outside the state capitol and hundreds gathered at the church to protest the law. Human rights activists, religious leaders and congressmen called for peaceful mobilizations, boycotts and, if necessary, civil disobedience to stop the legislation they believe would lead to racial profiling, unsafe communities
and economic turmoil. more info click here:  NAM,  (Apr.26, 2010).

Uncovering the Truth - FOIA Request on Secure Communities
On April 27 national and local immigrant rights, criminal justice and social justice groups throughout the country will kick off a week of actions aimed at "Uncovering the Truth on Police and ICE Collaboration.""  more info click here:  CCR,   (Apr.26, 2010).

Obama Blasts Arizona Law ...
In an unusual White House attack on state legislation, President Barack Obama harshly criticized an Arizona measure to crack down on illegal immigration and made clear Friday that he is looking for an election-year fight over the volatile issue. more info click here:  WSJ,  (Apr.24, 2010).

Not in my state: Anti-Immigration Law doesn't reflect the beliefs of Arizona's people
The Arizona I've known since moving here from Chicago as a boy is a free thinking, hospitable state capable of balancing great natural beauty and cultures of all sorts. This place we've heard about lately, the Arizona willing to risk economic boycotts and international ridicule in the pursuit of an ugly, discriminatory law? I don't recognize it , Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon. more info click here: WP (Apr.24, 2010).

AILA Votes to Boycott Arizona After Signing of Anti-Immigrant Law
The Board of Governors of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), moments after Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed into law the harshest anti-immigration bill passed in the U.S. in more than a decade, instructed its Executive Committee to move the Association’s fall 2010 conference, previously scheduled for Arizona, to another state. more info click here:  AILA, 
(Apr.23, 2010).

Latinos Fight To Be Heard In Arizona
Nowhere in the country is the immigration debate more heated than in Arizona where a controversial new bill has been making headlines. Latinos comprise 30 percent of the state's population, yet they are not a powerful local constituency, relative to other states like New Mexico or Florida. Tuscon, Arizona based NPR correspondent Ted Robbins explains why the demographic has been marginalized politically.  more info click here:  npr,      (Apr.23,2010).

Arizona's Shameful Bill ...
It is nothing short of astonishing that Arizona Govenor Jan Brewer Friday signed a bill that could make it dangerous just to look Hispanic, E.J.Dionne.  more info click  here:  WP   (Apr.23, 2010).

Fast Facts on Arizona’s Immigration Crackdown
The New Law’s Dangerous Economic, Social, and Legal Consequences. more info click here:  CAP,  (Apr.23, 2010).

A U.S. Border Patrol truck parks along the
U.S.-Mexico border in Nogales, Arizona.


Rep. Bilbray Can Spot "ILLegal Immigrants" By The Way They're Dressed
Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-CA) said that trained professionals can spot an undocumented immigrant simply by the way they're dressed. more info click here:  Media Matters,  (Apr.22, 2010).

What does Arizona's Immigration Law do?
Arizona Govenor Jan Brewer on Friday signed the state's immigration bill into law. It is considered to be among the toughest legislation in the nation. more info click here: CNN,  (Apr.23, 2010).

 A Border Patrol officer inspects vehicles this week at a
checkpoint in Tombstone, Arizona,  the Mexican border


Obama: Arizona Immigration bill "misguided"
Our failure to act responsibly at the federal level will only open the door to irresponsibility by others. And that includes, for example, the recent efforts in Arizona, which threatened to undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans, as well as the trust between police and their communities that is so crucial to keeping us safe. In fact, I’ve instructed members of my administration to closely monitor the situation and examine the civil rights and other implications of this legislation. But if we continue to fail to act at a federal level, we will continue to see misguided efforts opening up around the country. As a nation, as a people, we can choose a different future - a future that keeps faith with our history, with our heritage, and with the hope that America has always inspired in the hearts of people all over the world. more info click here:  White House,    (Apr.23, 2010).

Breaking: Governor Brewer to announce decision on Immigration bill at 1:30pm
Governor Jan Brewer will announce her decision on the state's immigration bill, SB1070, Friday afternoon. She will make the announcement during a news conference at ADOT Human Resource Development Center at 1:30 p.m. Friday, April 23, 2010. more info click here:  KVOA,  (Apr. 23, 2010).

Texas Border Watch Program, $153,800 Per Arrest
Perry has invested a total of $4 million of federal grant money that he controls in the Texas Border
Watch Program. Twenty-nine cameras have been installed on the 1,200-mile Texas-Mexico border,
or one camera for every 41 miles of border. Internet viewers have helped police make a total of
26 arrests that’s about $153,800 per arrest. And some border law agencies are not even using
the cameras for police work. more info click here:  Texas Tribune,   (Apr.20, 2010).

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer to Choose the Future
Arizona Governor Jan Brewer is about to decide the fate of her State, that of her party, and her
own political future. Brewer is contemplating whether or not she should sign the latest in political
assaults against ethnic minorities in America. The bill sitting lightly on her desk and heavily on her
mind is SB 1070. The bill would require that police officers ask for proof of citizenship should they
suspect a person of being undocumented. In a single stroke of her pen Governor Brewer can set
back her party even deeper into a demographic hole, transform her state into a national social
pariah, and downgrade her political future to that of a speaker on the circuit forged by
Tom Tancredo and Lou Dobbs. Is Brewer Tom Tancredo or is she Ronald Reagan?"
more info click here:  Mario Solis-Marich,     (Apr.20, 2010).


Arizona Legislature sends Immigration bill to Governor
Arizona lawmakers approved a sweeping immigration bill Monday, intended to ramp up law
enforcement efforts even as critics complained it could lead to racial profiling and other abuse.
The state Senate voted 17-11 nearly along party lines to send the bill to Governor Jan Brewer,
who has not taken a position on the measure championed by fellow Republicans.
more info click here: AP,   (Apr.19, 2010).

Arizona Governor Brewer promises to "do the right thing"
In regards to Senate Bill 1070, she stated, "I will tell you that I never make comment, like most
governors throughout our country, before a bill reaches my desk. But I hear you, and I will assure
you that I will do what I believe is the right thing so that everyone is treated fairly.
more info click here:  Phoenix New Times,  (Apr.18, 2010).

Cardinal Mahony criticizes Arizona Immigration bill.
Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony lambasted legislation passed Monday by Arizona lawmakers
that would crack down on illegal immigrants, likening it to "German Nazi and Russian Communist
techniques" that compelled people to turn each other in. more info click here: LA Times, (Apr.20, 2010).

ICE's PR windfall
Editor's Note: Immigration marriage fraud happens all the time, but how often does ICE make
arrests and bring criminal charges? Not very often...until a case like this falls into their lap.
more info click here:  ICE,   (Apr.16,2010).

Oklahoma Immigration Law takes hit
An appeals court refused Monday to reconsider its decision barring Oklahoma from enforcing key parts of a law intended to crack down on the hiring of illegal immigrants. The decision by the
10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is a blow to state officials and other advocates of House Bill
1804, the anti-illegal immigration law passed in 2007. more info click here: newsok, (Apr.20, 2010).

Arizona has rarely invoked its last tough Immigration Law
Proponents of Arizona's tough laws against illegal immigrants say the lack of prosecutions is a
sign of the law's success in deterring border crossers. Critics of the measure, which went into effect in 2008, say the law has only pushed illegal immigrants deeper underground in the workforce.
more info click here:  LA Times,   (Apr.19, 2010).

Arizona Goes Over the Edge
The bill is a grab bag of measures to enlist law enforcement and government at every level to expose and expel the undocumented. Opponents say it verges on a police state, which sounds
overblown until you read it. It would make not having immigration documents a new state
misdemeanor, and allow officers to arrest anyone who could not immediately prove they were
here legally. That means if you are brown-skinned and leave home without a wallet, you are in
trouble. more info click here:  NYT,   (Apr.18, 2010).

Cartel violence pushes Mexicans North
In El Paso alone, the police estimate that at least 30,000 Mexicans have moved across the border
in the past two years because of the violence in Juárez and the river towns to the southeast. So
many people have left El Porvenir and nearby Guadalupe Bravos that the two resemble ghost
towns, former residents say. more info click here:  NYT,   (Apr.17, 2010).

                                                                             
Cartels empty border towns
Hundreds of families are fleeing the cotton-farming towns of the Juarez Valley, a stretch of border
50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Ciudad Juarez. In a new strategy, Mexican drug cartels seeking to minimize interference with their operations are using terror to empty the entire area. They have burned down homes in Esperanza  (Hope)  and torched a church on Good Friday in  El Porvenir
(The Future).  Wherever they strike, they leave notes ordering residents to leave.
more info click here:  AP,    (Apr.17, 2010).

In Arizona, drawing lines over border law
In the days since Arizona passed the nation's toughest law targeting illegal immigrants, this
congenial Old West outpost has shown signs of splintering, with neighbors turning against
neighbors and police worried about racial profiling. more info click here:  LA Times,  (Apr.18, 2010).

Marine's Wife To Be Deported?
Even though a woman has been living in North Texas for 10 years and her husband is a military
veteran, tough immigration laws threaten to split her family and send her back to Mexico.
more info click here:   KDFW,    (Apr.16, 2010).

Immigration Raid Targets Vast Network
Using wire taps, electronic surveillance and undercover agents, the investigation pieced together
the expansive smuggling infrastructure, whose cornerstone were several Tucson, Ariz., shuttle
companies which authorities allege pretended to operate as legitimate transportation firms.
more info click here: WSJ,   (Apr.16, 2010).

Study Belies Image of Immigrants in the Work Force
According to a new analysis of census data, more than half of the working immigrants in this
metropolitan area hold higher paying white collar jobs as professionals, technicians or administrators rather than lower paying blue collar and service jobs.
more info click here:  NYT,    (Apr.15, 2010)

Broad Coalition Urges President Obama And Congress To Oppose Biometric National ID.
A broad coalition of groups today sent a letter to the White House, the House and Senate Judiciary
Committees, the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee urging them to oppose a proposal by Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) that would include a biometric national ID card in comprehensive immigration reform legislation. Signatories are from across the political spectrum and include advocates for privacy, consumer rights, gun owners, limited government and religious liberty. more info click here:  ACLU,    (Apr.13, 2010).

A Mistake of "Proposition 187" Proportions.
Supporters of the legislation have cited clothing, music or an accent as details that should prompt
a criminal investigation a suggestion that should send chills through the entire population, not just Latinos, for its blatant endorsement of profiling by appearance instead of behavior. more info click here:  America's Voice,      (Apr.14, 2010).

Phoenix Mayor: SB1070 is Racist and Unconstitutional.
Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon told SF Weekly that he believes the bill is racist and will be struck down in the courts for being unconstitutional. Basically, he says, it's reversing the burden of proof to make a person have to prove he or she isn't an illegal immigrant. more info click here:  SF Weekly,  
(Apr.14, 2010).

Arizona may target all Latinos, regardless of status
When they come up with these things, it doesn't matter if I'm here legally, said Jose Melendez,
a 55-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen from Guadalajara, Mexico. "If they see a Mexican face and
a Mexican name, they'll ask for papers." more info click here:  WashingtonPost,    (Apr.14, 2010).


Does Arizona SB1070 "thread the needle?"
Muzaffar Chishti,a lawyer who tracks state and local immigration laws at the Migration Policy
Institute's office at New York University Law School, said the Arizona bill might be unconstitutional
because, with a few exceptions, immigration enforcement is the sole responsibility of the federal
government. "I don't see how it could pass constitutional muster," Chishti said. Immigration enforcement is seen exclusively as being in the federal domain except in certain conditions.
Kris Kobach, a University of Missouri-Kansas City law professor, disagreed.  "There are some things that states can do and some things that states can't do, but this law  threads the needle perfectly," said Kobach,  who worked with Arizona lawmakers to craft the measure.
more info click here:  Arizona Republic,       (Apr. 14, 2010).

Tacos for Immigration Justice
Advocates for immigration reform can count on tacos as more than a quick lunch as they push or federal action. Members of the Association of United Family Loncheros , a group of 25 or so catering truck owners who make their leaving with curbside sales of tacos and other fare, recently decided to donate part of their profits to help cover various aspects of the public campaigns to promote immigration reform. This initiative is called Tacos for Justice, and is centered in Los Angeles, although it has lined up some support as far away as Texas. more info click here:  Impulso,     
(Apr.14, 2010).

Arizona passes strict Illegal Immigration Act
The bill mandates that police determine people's immigration status if there is a 'reasonable 
suspicion' they are undocumented. Immigrant rights groups say it amounts to a police state.
more info click here:  LA Times,   (Apr.13, 2010).

Rethinking Immigration Detention
The Obama Administration has pledged reforms to reconstruct this regime as a "truly civil detention system." This essay considers the possibilities and limits of these initiatives, which target excessive conditions of confinement but leave other excessive practices intact. Not with standing these proposed reforms, the expansion of existing enforcement initiatives means that the government
will continue to detain non-citizens, in the words of its own head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, “on a grand scale”  which may constrain its ability to dismantle many of the detention regime’s quasi-punitive features. While excessive detention  conditions may well be tempered for many individuals, large-scale incarceration seems here to stay for the foreseeable future.
 more info click here:  Anil Kalhan, (SSRN)          (Apr.12, 2010).

Immigration: Could it solve Social Security, Medicare woes?
One logical way to deal with the crisis of funding Social Security and Medicare is to have
more workers per retiree, and the simplest way to do that is to allow more immigrants into the
United States.  Immigration reform and entitlement reform have a lot to do with one another.
more info click here:  Robert Reich,     (Apr.11, 2010).

Hispanics skeptical that Obama, Democrats will deliver Immigration Overhaul
Immigrant advocacy groups have ratcheted up the pressure on lawmakers, saying they risk
losing the support of Hispanic voters if they do not establish a way for the 12 million people thought to be in the United States illegally to achieve legal status. They say there could be political
consequences in swing states such as Colorado,  where Hispanics made up 13 percent of the
electorate in 2008.  more info click here:  WaPo,     (Apr.11, 2010).
 
Reid: "We’re going to have Comprehensive Immigration Reform Now"
The Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, told an exuberant crowd at an immigration rally Saturday
in Las Vegas that Congress would start work on an immigration overhaul as soon as lawmakers
return this week from a recess. We’re going to come back, we’re going to have comprehensive
immigration reform now, he said in a speech to more than 6,000 people, mostly immigrants,
gathered downtown. more info click here:  Julia Preston, NYT ,      (Apr.10, 2010).
 
Economic Prosperity - The Missing Immigration Mission
Angelo Paparelli on what's missing from our immigration policy picture.  more information
click here: Immigrators  (Apr.9, 2010).

New Report Highlights Impact of Immigration Enforcement on the Child Welfare System
A new report released today examines the impact immigration enforcement has on the thousands
of children of undocumented immigrants, 73% of whom are U.S. citizens. This includes risks to
child safety and well-being, such as the needless separation of children from parents. The report also highlights the growing challenges for state child welfare agencies that encounter separated children.  more info click here:  First Focus,   (Apr.7, 2010).

Will Immigration Reform Affect the US Labor Market?
What will be the economic impact of legalization of the undocumented? That’s become the billion-dollar question in a shaky economy. A new study from the Public Policy Institute of California looks back at immigrants who achieved legal status in 2003 to see what effect legalization had on their wages and earnings. Laura Hill is a research fellow at PPIC. NAM Editor, Sandip Roy.
 more info click here: NAM,   (Apr.7, 2010). 

Economy won't falter or flourish because of immigration reform, study finds
Legalizing millions of immigrants would have little impact on the economy, according to a new
report, neither vastly improving the financial prospects of illegal immigrants nor curtailing the
opportunities of everyone else. more info click here: Contra Costa Times,  (Apr.7, 2010).

Advocates Gear Up For Immigration Debate
NPR's Ron Elving discusses the upcoming immigration debates with George Grayson, CIS, and
Clarissa Martinez de Castro, NCLR. more info click here: NPR,   (Apr.6, 2010).

Immigration Reform critical to NY Farms, Orchards
Now that health care reform is on the books, it's time for Congress to get on with immigration
reform, especially as it relates to the needs of agriculture. Specifically, the apple industry, along
with most other New York commodity groups, is looking for immediate consideration from Rep. Scott Murphy, D-Glens Falls, and Rep. Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam, of the Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits and Security Act." James S. Allen, president of the New York Apple Association, Inc.,
more info click here: TimesUnion.Com       (Apr.6, 2010).

INSPECTOR GENERAL RELEASES DAMNING REPORT ON IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM
NCLR continues to call for an end to the 287(g) program and will recommend in a forthcoming
report that all current 287(g) agreements with local law enforcement agencies be terminated. NCLR remains concerned by the lack of oversight and poor management of a program that has failed to meet its intent and priorities, as corroborated by the OIG report. more info click here:  NCLR ,
   (Apr.5, 2010).

ICE and South Carolina company sign first-ever IMAGE agreement in the state.
LONGS, S.C. - The owners of a Longs' privately-owned construction company signed the state's first
ever agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) today to strengthen hiring practices and to combat the unlawful employment of illegal aliens.  more info click here: ICE,   
  (Apr.5,2010).

End It: 287(g) is Beyond Repair and Harms Local Communities Every Day
Especially in light of last week's revelation that ICE has not shaken off its quota culture, the OIG's 287(g) report must lead ICE to stop its unsupervised outsourcing of federal immigration enforcement immediately. more info click here: ACLU,  (Apr.5,2010). 
 
Border violence brings Asylum Policy into question
Soto is among the estimated tens of thousands of Mexican nationals, including many journalists,
officials and business leaders, who have relocated to the United States since Mexican President Felipe Calderón launched a sweeping offensive against drug organizations in 2006. But because the legal standards of asylum are so high — and some researchers say even outdated — many, like Soto, face devastating challenges when it comes to reaching a safe haven in the United States.
Jazmine Ulloa,  more info click here:  Brownsville Herald,   (Apr.3,2010).

Endelman and Mehta on Portability
Given the crushing backlogs in the EB-2 preference for India and China, and the EB-3 for India, where the wait can exceed 30 years, one would hope that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service’s Appeals Administrative Office (AAO) would read INA § 204(j) more  generously, which allows a foreign national to “port” to a new job in a same or similar occupation
so long as the I-485 adjustment of status application has been pending for more than 180 days.
This should happen even if the employer substituted another person on the labor certification
after the original beneficiary left the employer. Unfortunately, the AAO does not think so in an unpublished decision dated "March 26, 2010."  more info click here: Cyrus  (Apr. 4, 2010).

High Court: Lawyers Must Give Immigration Advice
In a decision that could affect tens of thousands of people, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled
that immigrants living in this country must be told by their lawyers whether pleading guilty to
a crime could lead to deportation. more info click here:  NPR    (Mar.31, 2010).

Napolitano says U.S. will target Immigration Reform
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on Thursday told a packed lecture hall at Arizona State University that the Obama administration is setting its sights on immigration reform."We're going to keep pushing this until we get it over the finish line,  said Napolitano,
who served as Arizona's governor, attorney general and U.S. attorney before joining the Obama administration last year."more info click here:  Arizona Republic,   (Mar.25,2010).

OBAMA vows commitment to Immigration Reform:
WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama is reassuring immigration reform advocates that he is
committed to working with Congress on a comprehensive bill to fix a "broken immigration system." In a videotaped message presented on giant screens to thousands marching on the National Mall,
Obama warned of the cost of inaction. He said problems with today's immigration system include
families being torn apart, employers gaming the system and police officers struggling to keep
communities safe.  Obama said he would do everything in his power to forge a bipartisan consensus on immigration reform this year. Activists have been frustrated about the pace of that reform. Obama's taped comments were released just as he worked to get last-minute votes on a health
care overhaul. The Associated Press Sunday,  (March 21, 2010) 4:22 PM

Latinos increasingly critical of Obama's record on Immigration
As tens of thousands of immigrants and their supporters prepare to demonstrate in
Washington on Sunday in favor of an immigration overhaul, the Obama administration is finding
its relationship with this largely Latino community complicated by its mixed and misunderstood
record on immigration enforcement. more info click here:  WaPo,   (Mar.20, 2010).

2 Senators Offer Immigration Overhaul
Two senators, a Democrat and a Republican, unveiled the outlines on Thursday of a proposal to
overhaul the immigration system, which would require illegal immigrants to admit they broke the
law before they could gain legal status and require all workers in the United States to carry a
biometric identity card to prove that they are eligible to work.  more info click here:  WaPo,  
(Mar.18, 2010).

Obama on Immigration: Then and Now
Waiting, and hoping, doesn't make our borders safe. It doesn't keep families together. It
doesn't strengthen our economy. It doesn't bring human beings out of the shadows so they can work
harder and pay more taxes. Only action now by President Obama and this Congress will bring fairness and justice to a system that is fundamentally unfair and unjust. The need for comprehensive immigration reform is urgent. The proposals exist. The road to reform is clear. Then, as a candidate, Barack Obama said he was ready to travel that road. Now, as President, we need him to hold to that promise and begin the journey today. more info click here: Luis Gutierrez, (Mar. 7, 2010).

"CHANGE TAKES COURAGE"


A Moment of Truth on Immigration Reform
The people who will be in Washington on Sunday will be marching behind a banner that reads
"Change Takes Courage." By their faith in democracy they are showing that they have the courage.
Let’s hope our elected leaders in Washington muster up some of their own. for more info click here: Frank Sharry, (Mar. 6, 2010).

Handicapping CIR in 2010
Rodriguez said that Obama must employ the same sustained public sales effort and private arm
twisting strategy he used to get the health bill passed if he wanted to get an immigration bill through Congress. The question is if the president has the political capital and the where withal to push a bill through, Rodriguez said. more info click here: MCN,  (Mar.25,2010).
 
Court Keeps Asylum Seekers in Limbo
Chicago’s federal immigration court is backed up with a record 8,696 cases. The average wait for a hearing is more than a year. Some immigrants don’t mind, since the backlog buys them time here. But it’s hard on asylum seekers. And it has consequences on other parts of the justice system.
more info click here: Chicago Public Radio,  (Mar.25,2010).

287(g)program in N.C. fails to meet objective of targeting violent criminals
Nearly a third of immigrants flagged for deportation from N.C. jails were arrested on traffic violations, according to a report released this week by two researchers at UNC Chapel Hill.  The study concluded that the program failed to meet its objective of targeting violent criminals, Nguyen said. Out of the jail inmates flagged for deportation, just 13.3 percent had been arrested on felony charges. for more information click here: Charlotte Observer,   (Mar.25,2010).


Rutgers plans to launch N.J. 'Immigration Infrastructure Map' online
The Rutgers Immigration Infrastructure Map, a work in progress since last June, will identify
and describe each of the 650-plus social-service agencies in New Jersey that support immigrants,
 and will map them on a website. more info click here:  NJ.com,   (Mar.21,2010).

House of Death informant won't be deported to Mexico.
The House of Death informant, Guillermo Ramirez Peyro, has won a huge victory in the
U.S. Court system. After some five years of battling in the immigration courts, twice being granted
protection under the Convention Against Torture, and twice having that lower court ruling overruled by the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) — and twice having that BIA decision reversed and remanded by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals — the BIA has finally ruled in Ramirez Peyro's
favor.  Editor's Note: Bill Conroy has been reporting on this case for 6 years, and doesn't get
enough credit for that recently MSM picked up the story. more info click here:  Bill Conroy,     
  (Mar.24,2010).

ICE officer refuses to exercise discretion in favor of Veterans.
Robin Baker, ICE Field Office Director in San Diego admits on camera he has never favorably
exercised prosecutorial discretion in a veteran case. more info click here: 10News   (Mar.23,2010).
 
ICE-Team Examines Increase In Deportation Of Military Veterans
Baker does review every case involving ex-military personnel and he has discretion to keep those
veterans out of the deportation process.  Reporter Lauren Reynolds asked Baker, "So you could
stop it if you wanted to"? He replied,"Yes", but he hasn't stopped deportation for the 25 or so
cases he's reviewed so far. more info click here:  10News     (Mar.22,2010).

Recent restaurant raids show Immigration Agency's new strategy.
The filing of federal criminal charges against six Springfield restaurant employees on March 10 reflects a change in workplace enforcement strategy by the government agency charged with fighting illegal immigration. more info click here: SJ-R   State Journal-Register, (Mar. 22,2010)

Court to weigh Citizenship rule that varies by sex.
The Supreme Court is entering a curious corner of U.S. immigration law that applies only to children born outside the U.S. to one parent who is an American and one who is not. The law makes it easier for children whose mother is a citizen to become citizens themselves. Even after reform legislation in 1986, children of American fathers face higher hurdles claiming citizenship for themselves.  more info click here: FORBES.  AP, (Mar. 22,2010).

Broad coalition packs Mall to urge overhaul of immigration laws.
Tens of thousands of immigrants and their supporters from across the United States packed the Mall on Sunday in a last-ditch effort to spur Congress and the White House to overhaul the nation's immigration system and offer its 10.8 million illegal immigrants a path to citizenship this year against increasingly long odds. more info click here: POST  WaPo, (Mar. 22, 2010).

 
Photos from the March For America: Over 200,000 Rally for Immigration Reform.
As the buses leave Washington to return to Florida, New York, and as far away as California, here are some of our photos from the day. These are mostly crowd shots -- over 200,000 people came out to call for real immigration reform, economic justice for workers, and to keep families together.  
photos click here:  PHOTO      America's Voice Online,   (Mar. 21,2010)
 
DHS Unveils Initiatives to Enhance E - Verify Fact Sheet Introduction On March 17, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano joined U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Alejandro Mayorkas to announce a trio of initiatives to strengthen the efficiency and accuracy of the E-Verify system. These initiatives include a new agreement with the Department of Justice that will streamline the adjudication process in cases of E-Verify misuse and discrimination; an informational telephone hotline for employees to provide a more timely, effective and seamless customer experience for workers seeking E-Verify information; and new training videos focusing on E-Verify procedures and policies, employee rights and employer responsibilities in English and Spanish.
Background
E-Verify is a free, easy-to-use Web-based system—operated in partnership by USCIS and the Social Security Administration—that allows participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of newly-hired employees. More than 192,000 participating employers at more than 705,000 worksites nationwide currently use E-Verify to electronically verify their workers’
employment eligibility. Since Oct. 1, 2009,  E-Verify has processed more than six million queries.
for more information click here: AILA  AILA InfoNet Doc. No. 10031966.  (Mar.19,2010)


Statement on the Murders in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico
These appalling assaults on members of our own State Department family are, sadly, part of a growing tragedy besetting many communities in Mexico. They underscore the imperative of our continued commitment to work closely with the Government of President Calderón to cripple the influence of trafficking organizations at work in Mexico. This is a responsibility we must shoulder together, particularly in border communities where strong bonds of history, culture, and common interest bind the Mexican and the American people closely together. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State, Washington, DC,  more info click here: murder (Mar.14, 2010). 

Border Patrol arrests man for crossing street.
For the residents of Derby Line, crossing back and forth between the US and Canada unfettered had been no big deal for years. But last year, gates went up at the major crossings in the town, "as part of added security measures," reports WCAX. And now, at least one resident of Derby Line has been arrested for doing what he had been doing for years -- crossing into Canada for a bite to eat.
 more info click here: crossing

    "Raw Story", (Mar.17,2010).
 
   
Increasing Evidence That Recession Has Caused Number of Unauthorized Immigrants in US to Drop.
The construction industry, which employed hundreds of thousands of immigrants before the recession, is sensitive to business cycles. In another indication that the recession has affected the size of the unauthorized immigrant population, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) now estimates that the number of unauthorized immigrants residing in the United States fell by about 1 million between January 2007 and January 2009. According to a new DHS report, 11.8 million unauthorized immigrants lived in the United States as of January 2007. By January 2009,that number had fallen to 10.8 million. Though estimates of illegal immigration are subject to wide margins of error, the new report is consistent with an earlier study that also found a decline in the unauthorized population beginning in 2007. In April 2009, the Pew Hispanic Center estimated that between March 2007 and March 2008, the size of the unauthorized immigrant population decreased by 500,000 people. Pew has not published more recent estimates. The DHS report indicates that the drop in unauthorized immigrants was particularly pronounced in certain states. California and Florida experienced the greatest absolute decreases between 2007 and 2009, as each state lost more than 200,000 unauthorized immigrants. In California, this represented an 8 percent drop and in Florida a 25 percent drop. In Arizona, the unauthorized population fell by 13 percent, but in absolute terms this was less than 75,000 people. In terms of country of origin, the number of unauthorized Mexican immigrants dropped by only about 5 percent (or about 300,000). DHS estimates that the number of unauthorized Chinese immigrants fell by about half and the number from Brazil by about a fifth. In contrast, there was a marked increase in the number of unauthorized immigrants from Honduras and Ecuador. By: Muzaffar Chishti and Claire Bergeron,  more info click here:  Migration Policy Institute.           (Mar. 15, 2010).

Statement by U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Carlos Pascual on the March 13 Killings of U.S. Consulate Staff in Ciudad Juarez
Both President Obama and Secretary Clinton have affirmed that this tragedy underscores the absolute need for our continued commitment to work closely with the Calderon Administration to end the influence of drug trafficking organizations and the violence that they spawn. As the President and the Secretary Clinton have said, This is a responsibility we must shoulder together, particularly in border communities where strong bonds of history, culture, and common interest bind the Mexican and the American people closely together. more info click here: usembassy  (Mar. 14, 2010).
 
Drug Slayings in Mexico Rock U.S. Consulate
Asked if he believed the couple were targets because of Ms. Enriquez’s consular job, Mr. Redelfs chose his words cautiously, saying, I find it more than a coincidence that two separate incidents involving consular employees who were shot and killed occurred on the same day.  NYT,  
more info click here:  Bender's   (Mar. 15, 2010).

Mexican business owners seek safety in U.S.
At least 160 Mexican business owners thinking about finding a new home country will gather at a Monterey, Mexico, hotel Wednesday morning to attend a seminar covering topics such as the legal requirements and financial resources in Texas to opportunities such as franchises and a review of the resources available to help Mexicans adapt to the U.S. market. Mexicans with enough money find it easy to move to and invest in the United States, thanks to a wide variety of visa categories, some established by the North American Free Trade Agreement, said San Antonio lawyer
Robert Barnett. more info click here:  San Antonio Express-News,   (Mar. 8, 2010) .


Advocates Stage Rally on Steps of City Hall in New York
A warm and sunny afternoon brought out around 150 protesters to the steps of New York’s City Hall
to gain momentum for the March 21 immigration reform rally in Washington D.C. The press conference, organized by the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), encompassed leaders of immigrant, ethnic, labor and faith communities from throughout the state. NYIC anticipates over
ten thousand New Yorkers will attend the rally. more info click here: Latin Dispatch,   (Mar. 10, 2010).

CIR: Very important, but not happening soon:
While many Democrats publicly embrace comprehensive reform, most are privately rooting for inertia rather than tying themselves to any proposal that could be used against them in the midterms. The tough part for Obama, however, is that the Obama, Graham, Schumer summit is also being closely watched by Hispanic groups,  who are demanding proof of action as a reward for their overwhelming support of Obama in 2008. With a massive March 21 pro-immigration reform rally planned for Washington, and Latinos the fastest-growing segment of the electorate, Obama can not afford to alienate them. “For the Latino community in this country, it’s the civil rights issue of their time, so delay obviously adds to disillusionment,” said Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), a Cuban-American who has urged the administration to move mor quickly.  Immigration reform, he added, “would seal the community’s commitment to the Democratic Party.” That opinion is shared by a collection of Hispanic groups, who have pressured the White House in forceful terms, threatening to withdraw support if Obama doesn’t follow through on his commitment.  But the appetite for a huge new push in immigration is as weak as it has been in years,  with moderates like Sen. Susan Collins(R-Maine)   ranking member of the Homeland Security Committee ,  saying it’s not even on her radar. "I’m not even thinking about it," she said. more info click here:   Politico,    (Mar. 10, 2010).

Fiscal Year 2010 Citizenship and Integration Grant Program
Introduction
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the availability of two different grants designed to help prepare lawful permanent residents (LPRs) for citizenship and advance integration in the United States. This year’s program will make nearly $7 million available for citizenship education in communities across the country.

ICE issues 180 I-9 Audit Notices to Employers in 5 States:
Enforcement, Form I-9, 15:31 America/New_York - Be first to Comment!
Today, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued its latest round of I-9 Notices of Inspection (NOIs) to 180 businesses in the Southeast, including Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee. As previously reported, these audits stem from a new government strategy implemented in 2009 to reduce the demand for unauthorized employment and protect employment opportunities in the US. Under this strategy, ICE has been focusing its resources on administrative actions (such as I-9 auditing) rather than using the high profile (and more expensive) ICE raid as done in years past.   ICE - by John Fay -March  3, 2010   posted by W.O.Web.Mstr  (Mar.05,2010)   

New Look of E-Verify Revealed
The DHS began testing its redesigned E-Verify interface, which includes new navigation tools,
case alert functionality, and other features designed to increase employer compliance while maintaining employee privacy. "John Fay".  more info click here:  E-Verify  -    (Mar. 5, 2010)
 
2nd Circuit Revives Woman's Bid for Asylum
A woman who suffered genital mutilation in Côte d'Ivoire may argue for asylum in the United States  in spite of the fact she made return trips to her native country, a federal appeals court has ruled. ( NYLJ)    (Mar. 4, 2010)

Asylum scammer sentenced, fined
Barbara Banks, owner of La Gringa Professional Immigration Services, was sentenced to four years and nine months in federal prison for filing false asylum petitions. A Tampa federal judge also ordered her to forfeit about $816,000 in profits she received from fraudulent activities.
 (Tampa Bay Business Journal)    (Mar. 3, 2010)

I-9  ICE Storm in Southeast
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is issuing Notices of Inspection (NOIs) to 180 businesses in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee. The notices alert business owners that  ICE will be inspecting their hiring records to determine whether or not they are
complying with employment eligibility verification laws and regulations.   ICE, (Mar. 2, 2010)

DHS Fails to Meet Target Immigration Goals
More than one year into the administration of President Barack Obama, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) still must pursue some key changes in support of immigration reform
to embrace Obama's intended immigration policy objectives, a policy group said
Tuesday.  HSToday.  (Mar. 3, 2010) 

CBP headless?
A gap in leadership at the Customs and Border Protection bureau has former commissioners concerned. CBP ex-chiefs Ralph Basham and Robert Bonner and New York City Police Department Commissioner Raymond Kelly sent letters to key senators in February urging immediate action on the nomination of  Alan Bersin to lead the bureau. more info click here:    GovExec.     (Mar. 3, 2010)

How Expanding E-Verify Would Hurt American Workers and Business:
Expanding mandatory E-Verify would threaten the jobs of thousands of U.S. citizens and saddle U.S. businesses with additional costs—all at a time when we need to stimulate our economy.  Expanding E-Verify now would be in direct contradiction to the goal of creating jobs and would slow America’s economic recovery.    (Mar. 03, 2010)

E-Verify is bad for the economy and tax revenues:
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that a mandatory E-Verify program would decrease federal revenues by $17.3 billion over 10 years due to the number of workers leaving the formal economy and working in the unregulated, untaxed underground economy. The CBO’s predictions have come true in Arizona, where E-Verify is mandatory. Businesses are hiring workers off the books which means they are not paying income or payroll taxes. CBO also estimated that implementing mandatory E-Verify would cost $3 billion over 5 years and $6.1 billion over 10 years.    (Mar. 03, 2010)

E-Verify will cost U.S. citizens and legal workers their jobs—the OPPOSITE of what is needed:
If E-Verify were to become mandatory, SSA estimates 3.6 million Americans would have to visit an SSA field office each year in order to keep their jobs. When an employer receives a tentative non-confirmation (TNC) from E-Verify, it means that DHS cannot immediately confirm the work authorization of the worker and the worker must work out the error with SSA or DHS.Employers in Arizona have complained about the number of TNCs received for work-authorized immigrants or U.S. citizens MCL Enterprises, a company that owns 24 Burger King restaurants in Arizona, reported that over 14% of queries to E-Verify resulted in a TNC, and the rate for foreign-born workers was 75%. Sometimes employers do not notify workers that they received a TNC, which means the workers don’t have a chance to correct their records and may lose their jobs. According to a DHS-sponsored evaluation of E-Verify, 42% of workers reported that they did not receive notice of a TNC and were not able to contest it. Sometimes employers fire workers when they receive a TNC without giving the worker a chance to correct the error.  Other employers restrict work assignments or delay training. 

E-Verify is costly for employers:
The real costs of enrolling and participating in E-Verify can run several thousand dollars per
employer. We don’t know how E-Verify will impact small employers who may lack the resources and technology to implement it. While 73% of businesses in the U.S. have less than 10 employees, only 12% of E-Verify users are small businesses. MCL Enterprises testified before Congress that implementing E-Verify was “extremely costly and disruptive” to their operations resulting in lost productivity.

E-Verify does not detect unauthorized workers:
A new evaluation of the federal employment authorization program by Westat found that 4.1% of initial responses were wrong—0.7% of the time legally authorized workers were flagged as not work authorized, and 3.3% of all E-Verify cases involved unauthorized workers who got through the
system.  According to Westat, "many unauthorized workers obtain employment by committing identity fraud that cannot be detected by E-Verify."  The "inaccuracy rate for unauthorized workers" is about 54%. E-Verify will not stop employers from hiring workers off the books, and may encourage
them to do so.
 
E-Verify debate is symbolic, not substantive:
Anti-immigrant groups which have crowned themselves the self-appointed champions of the American worker are willing to throw American workers under the bus in order to pass a harsh immigration provision that is ineffective.  The American people want real solutions, not bitter, symbolic battles over immigration on every piece of legislation.  Let’s work to improve E-Verify
as part of comprehensive immigration reform.   (Mar. 03, 2010)


The Dream that Keeps on Marching for America:
We are gathering by the thousands on the National Mall on Sunday, March 21, not because we believe the economy, jobs, health care, the environment,Toyota acceleration systems, or credit card regulations are less important. On the contrary, as every other American we desperately need solutions to these problems too. We are gathering by the thousands in front of the Lincoln Memorial because, simply put, it is time for America to demand that our government not rebuild our nation's economic foundation on top of a broken and unjust immigration system. We are requesting prompt action by the President and Congress because a practical and fair solution is already on the table and can receive the necessary bipartisan support to make it into law. And, we are meeting as Americans in Washington because we believe passing immigration reform is the responsible, right, and American thing to do. more info click here:  Jorge-Mario Cabrera,   (Mar. 1, 2010).


The State of Nevada is one of few that is tripping over itself to comply with the Real ID Act, the U.S. National ID law.  Are you a "gold star" person?  "With this gold star system, a Nevada license-holder is a little less of a  free, independent person with rights and privileges based on individual merit. A Nevadan becomes an undifferentiated status-holding subject. We’re a long way from the day when the “gold star” people are assigned to better rail cars, but the idea is that  it should never happen.  We should reject entirely the tools that could allow the government to do that."



Symbols, Security, and Collectivism
It’s worth taking a look at the sample license displayed in this news report , especially the gold star
used on the license to indicate that it is federally approved. The reasons for “improving” drivers’ licenses this way are complex. The nominal reason for REAL ID was to secure the country against terrorism. The presence of a gold star signals that this the card bears a correct identity and that watch-list checking has ensured the person is not a threat. Don’t be too thrilled, though. The weakness of watch-listing was demonstrated again by the Christmas-day attempt on a Northwest airlines flight. The underpants bomber wasn’t listed, so checking his name against a watch-list didn’t do anything.    (Feb. 24, 2010)

CBP Notice:
Mitigation of Carrier Fines for Transporting Aliens Without Proper Documents.
This notice  announces that US Customs and Border Protection(CBP) has made changes to the existing MOU and has recalculated and reset the  performance levels CBP will use to measure carrier performance of its travel document screening responsibilities pursuant to the MOU. 
 Federal Register  Vol. 75, No. 34 ( Feb.22, 2010.)

High-Tech Border Fence  
Slow going,  Muti-Billion ($$$) dollar project to Hot-wire the new Southwest Border Fence with
High-Tech Radar, Cameras and Satellite signals have  been plagued with a serious system failures and repeated delays and will probably not be completed for another (7)-seven years,  if it is ever finished at all.   (Feb.22, 2010)

Report: ICE "detainers" capture low-risk, legal immigrants.
A federal program to identify and deport dangerous criminal immigrants has been routinely scooping up legal and unauthorized immigrants with little or no criminal history, according to a locally generated study released this week by the Immigration Policy Center in Washington.  Austin American-Statesman.  (Feb. 19, 2010).