The Immigration Maze
Legal Immigrants, Until They Sought Citizenship
"The Servanos are among a growing group of legal immigrants who reach for the prize and permanence of citizenship, only to run afoul of highly technical immigration statutes that carry the severe penalty of expulsion from the country." New York Times
U.S. Residency Denial For Honor Student Outrages Transylvania University
"As a 12 year old in Sudan, Lino Nakwa was abducted at knifepoint in 1992 by the Sudan People's Liberation Army, which killed his father, according to his asylum papers." The Courier Journal
Illegal immigration issues find way to nation's heartland
"The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement office is allowing Marie Gonzalez to remain in the country for one more year, long enough for her to graduate ..." Chart (subscription) - Joplin,MO,USA
Suits over US citizenship backlogs spike
He has now joined growing numbers of prospective U.S. citizens who are suing the immigration service, which under federal law is supposed to respond to naturalization petitions within 120 days of an applicant's interview. Zambrano passed his in June 2006. Miami Herald
"The Servanos are among a growing group of legal immigrants who reach for the prize and permanence of citizenship, only to run afoul of highly technical immigration statutes that carry the severe penalty of expulsion from the country." New York Times
U.S. Residency Denial For Honor Student Outrages Transylvania University
"As a 12 year old in Sudan, Lino Nakwa was abducted at knifepoint in 1992 by the Sudan People's Liberation Army, which killed his father, according to his asylum papers." The Courier Journal
Illegal immigration issues find way to nation's heartland
"The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement office is allowing Marie Gonzalez to remain in the country for one more year, long enough for her to graduate ..." Chart (subscription) - Joplin,MO,USA
Suits over US citizenship backlogs spike
He has now joined growing numbers of prospective U.S. citizens who are suing the immigration service, which under federal law is supposed to respond to naturalization petitions within 120 days of an applicant's interview. Zambrano passed his in June 2006. Miami Herald
US Economy
E-Verify Would Cost $40 Billion
"The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released the estimated cost to implement H.R. 4088, the Secure America through Verification and Enforcement (SAVE) Act of 2007, and found that the proposed legislation would cost taxpayers more than $40 billion over 10 years." ACLU Press Release
At Tax Time, Many "Illegal Immigrants" Are Paying Too
The tax system collects its due, even from a class of workers with little likelihood of claiming a refund and no hope of drawing a Social Security check. Associated Press
Immigration Issues Worry Farmers
"Keith Eckel is a fourth-generation farmer from northeastern Pennsylvania, and the largest tomato farmer in the state. In March he said he will no longer grow tomatoes because he cannot find enough workers to harvest the fruits from his 2.2 million plants. He blames Congress' failure at immigration reform, and the climate it has created, which diminished the number of potential workers." York Daily Record
"The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released the estimated cost to implement H.R. 4088, the Secure America through Verification and Enforcement (SAVE) Act of 2007, and found that the proposed legislation would cost taxpayers more than $40 billion over 10 years." ACLU Press Release
At Tax Time, Many "Illegal Immigrants" Are Paying Too
The tax system collects its due, even from a class of workers with little likelihood of claiming a refund and no hope of drawing a Social Security check. Associated Press
Immigration Issues Worry Farmers
"Keith Eckel is a fourth-generation farmer from northeastern Pennsylvania, and the largest tomato farmer in the state. In March he said he will no longer grow tomatoes because he cannot find enough workers to harvest the fruits from his 2.2 million plants. He blames Congress' failure at immigration reform, and the climate it has created, which diminished the number of potential workers." York Daily Record
Enforcement
Should cops be la migra?
"...nearly three of four chiefs who had considered but decided against training their officers to do immigration duty did so out of a concern that it would decrease overall public safety because undocumented residents, fearing deportation, would be less likely to contact the police if they were a victim of, or witness to, a crime." LA Times
Immigration, Outsourced
"To see how unhinged things have become, it pays to zero in on the squalid doings in Maricopa County, Ariz. It is home to Phoenix, the country's fifth-largest city, and the largest 287(g) program anywhere. It is run by the county sheriff, Joe Arpaio, who has built a national reputation for toughness through years of cruealty to prison inmates and an insatiable appetite for publicity. Where most departments have only handfuls of officers trained to enforce federal immigration laws, Sheriff Joe, as he is known, has 160. Their efforts are supplemented by what the sheriff says, without apology, is a 3,000-member "posse."" New York Times Editorial
Crackdown on Immigrants Draws Protests in Phoenix
"Last week, the Arizona Ecumenical Council and American Jewish Committee issued a joint letter saying the patrols "evoked a 'police state' atmosphere" and led to "detainment on the basis of a racial profile and dehumanization of innocent people." " Associated Press
L.A. mayor chides ICE for workplace immigration raids
"Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has asked the federal government to review its immigration enforcement priorities, warning that work-site raids on "non-exploitative" businesses could have "severe and lasting effects" on the local economy." LA Times
Visa Violators Swept Up In Widening Dragnet
"In recent years, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has implemented a new strategy to identify people who are here illegally: Get local police to nab them on an unrelated offense, such as a traffic infraction." Wall Street Journal
New Jersey's Immigration Crackdown
"Lawyers and advocates for immigrants say that they have received reports that some police departments, especially in rural areas, are routinely questioning immigrants who are not covered by the directive, including some who were simply passengers in cars pulled over for minor traffic offenses. These actions come dangerously close to racial and ethnic profiling." New York Times Editorial
Crossing the Line?
"David Jones, president of the Arizona Contractors Association, says about 35 percent of Arizona's 280,000 construction workers are Latinos, and even with a downturn in housing construction, it's hard to find workers. "We have created an atmosphere in which Latinos, whether legal or illegal, no longer feel welcome here," he says." Newsweek
Abuse of Immigrants"...nearly three of four chiefs who had considered but decided against training their officers to do immigration duty did so out of a concern that it would decrease overall public safety because undocumented residents, fearing deportation, would be less likely to contact the police if they were a victim of, or witness to, a crime." LA Times
Immigration, Outsourced
"To see how unhinged things have become, it pays to zero in on the squalid doings in Maricopa County, Ariz. It is home to Phoenix, the country's fifth-largest city, and the largest 287(g) program anywhere. It is run by the county sheriff, Joe Arpaio, who has built a national reputation for toughness through years of cruealty to prison inmates and an insatiable appetite for publicity. Where most departments have only handfuls of officers trained to enforce federal immigration laws, Sheriff Joe, as he is known, has 160. Their efforts are supplemented by what the sheriff says, without apology, is a 3,000-member "posse."" New York Times Editorial
Crackdown on Immigrants Draws Protests in Phoenix
"Last week, the Arizona Ecumenical Council and American Jewish Committee issued a joint letter saying the patrols "evoked a 'police state' atmosphere" and led to "detainment on the basis of a racial profile and dehumanization of innocent people." " Associated Press
L.A. mayor chides ICE for workplace immigration raids
"Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has asked the federal government to review its immigration enforcement priorities, warning that work-site raids on "non-exploitative" businesses could have "severe and lasting effects" on the local economy." LA Times
Visa Violators Swept Up In Widening Dragnet
"In recent years, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has implemented a new strategy to identify people who are here illegally: Get local police to nab them on an unrelated offense, such as a traffic infraction." Wall Street Journal
New Jersey's Immigration Crackdown
"Lawyers and advocates for immigrants say that they have received reports that some police departments, especially in rural areas, are routinely questioning immigrants who are not covered by the directive, including some who were simply passengers in cars pulled over for minor traffic offenses. These actions come dangerously close to racial and ethnic profiling." New York Times Editorial
Crossing the Line?
"David Jones, president of the Arizona Contractors Association, says about 35 percent of Arizona's 280,000 construction workers are Latinos, and even with a downturn in housing construction, it's hard to find workers. "We have created an atmosphere in which Latinos, whether legal or illegal, no longer feel welcome here," he says." Newsweek
Case highlights room for abuse in H-2B program
"In a statement released less than three weeks after the Southern Poverty Law Center sued, Marler announced Signal International no longer would hire new temporary workers under the government's H-2B program until protections are put in place to shield the workers and the U.S. companies that hire them. Signal also was pursuing claims against its recruiters for charging excessive fees and making false promises, according to Marler." Houston Chronicle
"In a statement released less than three weeks after the Southern Poverty Law Center sued, Marler announced Signal International no longer would hire new temporary workers under the government's H-2B program until protections are put in place to shield the workers and the U.S. companies that hire them. Signal also was pursuing claims against its recruiters for charging excessive fees and making false promises, according to Marler." Houston Chronicle
Border Fence
Tommy Lee Jones on the border fence: "fascist madness"
"The idea of a fence between El Paso and Brownsville bears all the credibility and seriousness of flying saucers from Mars or leprechauns. Or any manner of malicious, paranoid superstition. ... It's very destructive. Very, very destructive. And it's the perfectly wrong thing to do. First of all, it won't work. You can't build a fence that I cannot get over, through, or under if I want to go to Mexico. In that [border] country, you cannot do it. It's a complete folly. Ecologically, it's a complete disaster, and sociologically, it's a complete disaster. It's an act of fascist madness." 02138 magazine
"The idea of a fence between El Paso and Brownsville bears all the credibility and seriousness of flying saucers from Mars or leprechauns. Or any manner of malicious, paranoid superstition. ... It's very destructive. Very, very destructive. And it's the perfectly wrong thing to do. First of all, it won't work. You can't build a fence that I cannot get over, through, or under if I want to go to Mexico. In that [border] country, you cannot do it. It's a complete folly. Ecologically, it's a complete disaster, and sociologically, it's a complete disaster. It's an act of fascist madness." 02138 magazine
Government Authority is Crossing a Line
"Last week, Eloisa Tamez, 73, lost the latest round in her ongoing fight with the US government. A judge ordered her to let Washington survey her land near Brownsville, Texas. It lies in the path of a proposed border fence." Truthout
"Last week, Eloisa Tamez, 73, lost the latest round in her ongoing fight with the US government. A judge ordered her to let Washington survey her land near Brownsville, Texas. It lies in the path of a proposed border fence." Truthout
