America's Voice Blog

Posted 10/11/11 at 10:33am By Mahwish Khan

With Anti-Immigrant HB 56, “Alabama Is Revisiting Its Darkest Pre-Civil Rights Traditions”

Our colleague, Maribel Hastings, who has been in Alabama for the past week, wrote a very powerful column, which appeared in The Guardian over the weekend. It's definitely worth a read, highlighting the very human toll the new anti-immigrant law is having. The piece is titled "Sweet Home Alabama No More,"  and the subhead captures the reality: "With a minority population terrorized by this racist HB56 law, Alabama is revisiting its darkest pre-civil rights traditions."

An excerpt:

One young father from Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico told me, through tears, that his 12-year-old son, who is undocumented, has always been an honor student who recently won a school trip to go to the Space Museum in Huntsville. He didn't go, because he was afraid the police would detain him.

"We don't have much time to think it over … maybe we can get our affairs in order here in two or three weeks and see what our options are, maybe moving to another state, or straight to Mexico," the father said. Some families don't dare to leave the house, even to get basic items like food. The church deacon said that he knew people who had gone days without leaving to buy groceries; he had offered to bring them food himself. Those who do leave the house do so knowing the risk they take.

"We leave the house afraid. We cross ourselves – we wonder if we will come back home again," one young mother from Michoacán told me. "It's very hard. We wanted to make another life for ourselves, but we're not allowed. We hope that their hearts will be turned and they'll let us stay here, at very least for our children, who were born here."

This is exactly what the law doesn't take into account. It claims to target undocumented immigration, but ignores the fact that much of the immigrant community is comprised of "mixed status" families: undocumented parents with native-born US citizen children, who are already suffering the effects of the law. Some immigrants have reported being denied basic utilities, like water and electricity; some, including pregnant women, are afraid to go to the doctor even though they are sick, for fear of being detained; some don't dare bring their US citizen children to the doctor, for fear of being detained.

After reading that, Maribel's conclusion proves shamefully accurate:

And so, in "Sweet Home Alabama", history is repeating itself – a shameful history of outrages against civil rights.

Posted 05/13/11 at 02:17pm By Mahwish Khan

Editorials in Spanish Language Media Opine On Obama’s Immigration Push

Protesters in El Paso during Obama immigration speechNews of President Obama’s recent push for immigration reform has dominated the news this week, and media personalities have been vocal about what they think are Obama’s real intentions for immigration reform.  Some have called his efforts “insincere” while others have praised him for finally playing to his base; this is entirely politics, some argue, while others say that yes, it might be, but it’s also good policy.

We wrote a round-up yesterday of what folks in the English language press have been saying about Obama’s renewed push for immigration reform. Here are a few of the opinions from the editorial pages of Spanish language media -- and you'll see that there's a consensus that actions are needed from the President.

From El Diario-La Prensa NY, in “Nice Speech, Now Show Real Commitment:”

For Obama, who is running for re-election, votes hang in the balance. Latinos —who overwhelmingly supported him in 2008 – have grown increasingly disappointed by his failure to deliver on his promise of immigration reform. And instead of progress, Latinos have seen themselves assailed by flawed and harsh deportation policies that separate families.

The President yesterday praised his deportation policy by saying that he had "increased the removal of criminals by 70%." Yet, frequently, those supposed "criminals" include too many fathers and mothers caught up in broad sweeps—immigrants who pose no threat to public safety.

With the House in the hands of right-wing Republicans and the presidential race around the corner, there is little chance that Obama will be able to rally the GOP’s support around this issue. By no means should he fold.

The President must not only continue to push for legislative action but also scale back immigration enforcement programs—such as 287g and Secure Communities— that unnecessarily break apart families. And he can answer the call of thousands of young people by implementing the DREAM Act. This would provide high school graduates with a legal status if they meet strict criteria.

There are specific ways to help Latinos and immigrant communities now.

Click here to read more.
Posted 03/23/11 at 12:56pm By Maribel Hastings

Obama Pledges Not to Divide Families While DHS Separates 4-year-old American From Her Parents

Originally posted at America's Voice Español:

The Spanish-language press reports today on a pair of contradictory developments.

On the last stop of his visit to Latin America, in El Salvador, President Barack Obama declared that “we have to make sure that we’ve got a legal immigration system that is effective and is not frustrating for families, doesn’t divide families.”

He added,

“we also have to make sure that those who are in the United States illegally at this point, but in some cases have been there for a long time, in some cases have children who were born in the United States and are United States citizens, that they have a pathway to get right by the law.”

Interestingly enough-it almost seemed as if he were talking about the case of 4-year-old girl Emily Samantha Ruiz, who was born in the United States to undocumented parents.

The girl returned to the United States from a visit to Guatemala with her grandfather. The grandfather was detained for a suspected past violation of immigration laws, while the child, instead of being turned over to her parents, was sent on a flight to Guatemala along with her grandfather. The story is another example of the precarious situation in which families of mixed immigration status live.

News agency EFE and Los Angeles daily La Opinión report on the case today. 

EFE writes that

“the recent deportation to Guatemala of Emily Samantha Ruiz, a girl born in the United States, has unleashed a media war between immigration officials and the girl’s parents, and opened a number of questions about the uncertain future of U.S. citizen children of undocumented parents.”

It adds,

"Ruiz, a 4-year-old girl, was de facto deported along with her grandfather on March 11th, and her case has fueled criticism of the Obama Administration, which pro-immigrant groups are asking to intervene in the girl’s favor.”

The agency notes that “Emily’s case leaves a lot of questions demanding answers, and soon, from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and other federal agents with regards to the child’s rights, and the rights of her parents to reclaim her without respect to their own legal status in the country…At stake is not only the CBP’s image but also Emily’s future, and that of thousands of citizen children in the same condition.”

Click here to read more.
Posted 02/10/11 at 03:27pm By Web Team

‘Qué Pasa’ in Immigration: New Poll Shows Immigration is a Central Concern of Hispanic Voters

Today, La Opinión publishes the first of a series of articles of opinion polls among Latino voters conducted by the firm Latino Decisions in collaboration with Impremedia.

La Opinión writes:

“An opinion poll among Latino voters in the United States revealed a high level of economic anxiety in the community, a disconnect in the economic decisions made by the Obama administration and the highest level of concern ever seen about the current immigration policy.”

 

"A poll of 500 Latino voters was conducted in January and February 2011 in 21 states where 95% of registered Latino voters live. It has a margin of error of +/-4.38% [...]

"[...]poll reveals a high level of concern among Latino voters regarding immigration: 47% think it is the first issue the government should address. This interest increases to 54% among naturalized citizens.”

 

Click here to read more.
Posted 02/01/11 at 12:18pm By Web Team

‘Qué Pasa’ in Immigration: Is 287(g) really detaining the worst of the worst?

The Impact of 287 (g). Today, the Spanish-language press covers a newly-released report from the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) which concludes that around half of all undocumented immigrants detained under the 287(g) enforcement program are detained for misdemeanors and traffic violations rather than serious crimes. Telemundo, La Opinión (Los Angeles), Notimex and the AP, among others, cover the report.

Update from the Border.  Relatedly, news agency AFP reports that Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said during a speech in El Paso, Texas, that in the last two years the United States has deported 779,000 undocumented immigrants.

Anti-Immigrant Wave. The Spanish-language press also continues to inform readers and viewers of the spread of anti-immigrant bills across the country. Telemundo reports that California has jumped on the bandwagon of states considering bills similar to Arizona’s SB 1070, with a proposal from Republican Assemblyman Tim Donnelly.

Click here to read more.
Posted 01/27/11 at 01:02pm By Web Team

It costs $12,500 to deport an undocumented immigrant; the U.S. spent $5 billion in 2010

Noticiero Telemundo (Telemundo’s news broadcast), for example, said that “Republicans responded to Obama with anti-immigrant policies.”

Al Día (Philadelphia) writes that “support for mass deportation won out over support for immigration reform during the hearing held by the Immigration Subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives.” 

And Notimex writes that “the Republicans asked Obama to conduct raids to protect American jobs.”

The AP reports that deporting each undocumented immigrant costs $12,500, and that in 2010, with almost 400,000 people deported, the total cost reached $5 billion.

Click here to read more.
Posted 01/26/11 at 12:38pm By Web Team

‘Qué Pasa’ in Immigration: Obama seeks to solve undocumented immigration “once and for all”

EFE, Notimex, AFP, and Univisión.com, among others, write that Obama called on Republicans and Democrats to “take on, once and for all, the issue of illegal immigration.” “I am prepared to work with Republicans and Democrats to protect our borders, enforce our laws and address the millions of undocumented workers who are now living in the shadows,” he continued. 

The president also reiterated his support for the DREAM Act, to legalize undocumented young people, and asked, “let's stop expelling talented, responsible young people who could be staffing our research labs or starting a new business, who could be further enriching this nation.”

Click here to read more.
Posted 12/21/10 at 08:02am By Jackie Mahendra

DREAM Act Vote Blog Roundup: Democracy for Some

dream act students

Updates [9:15 AM EST]: The links to Think Progress below were updated, and here are a couple we missed:

-

Here's a sampling of what progressive blogs have been saying about Saturday's DREAM vote.

Huffington Post:

Mike Lux: Celebration and Mourning on the Same Day:

Even with the bitter defeat of the DREAM Act, progressives need to take a moment here at the end of this tough year and celebrate the end of DADT. As MLK liked to remind us, the arc of the moral universe is long, but it curves toward justice.

Joshua Hoyt: Democracy for Some:

Today our Democracy was expanded when the U.S. Senate voted to allow gay men and women to serve proudly and openly in defense of our nation. But today Illinois Senator Mark Kirk joined a Republican filibuster and, with a minority of 41 votes, also blocked the DREAM Act from coming to a vote in the Senate. This effectively killed the hopes of thousands of undocumented immigrant children to earn their legal status by going to college or joining the U.S. military to defend our nation.

Harry Reid Questions 'Mental Capacity' Of His GOP Colleagues:

During an interview with the New York Times, Reid did a little forecasting about the legislative limits of the next Congress..."For his part, Mr. Reid predicted, "We'll get some things done," naming comprehensive immigration legislation as one possibility. If Republicans' vulnerability among Hispanic voters does not persuade them to compromise, he noted, "they have real problems with their mental capacity."

Killing the DREAM Act: Still No Room in the Inn:

As the media prattles on about the so-called "War on Christmas" -- an ideological battle over terminology, at best -- people's lives hang in the balance. Actions speak louder than words. One way Christians can protect the place of Christmas in our society -- indeed, the credibility of Christianity more generally -- is by acting in harmony with its core principles: grace, welcome and hospitality.

Crooks & Liars:

John Amato: Sen.Tester, the DREAM Act is not Amnesty.

Sen. Jon Tester, the Democratic senator from Montana who was elected in 2006 with significant help from progressives, was one of the Democrats who voted against the DREAM Act today, and it's very disappointing to see the lame rationale he provided yesterday via email.

Fox's Uma Pemmaraju Asks Rep. Steve King if He's Running in the GOP 2012 Presidential Primary

Kristol Claims DREAM Act Was Political Ploy by Reid and Obama to Make Republicans Appear Anti-Hispanic

Another Sunday, another week where Bloody Bill Kristol proves that he's wrong about everything once again. This Sunday, he claimed that President Obama and Harry Reid were trying to get the DREAM Act passed just to make Republicans appear anti-Hispanic. Sorry Bill, but I think they've been doing a pretty good job of that all on their own.

Daily Kos:

Kos: Montanans speak out on Sen. Jon Tester's DREAM betrayal:

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee sent an email into Montana asking its list members in the state what they thought of Sen. Jon Tester's betrayal on the DREAM Act. PCCC wondered how taking a baseball bat to innocent kids who wanted to join the military or go to college would play with his progressive constituents.

Kos: Jon Tester and the DREAM Act

Not only will I do absolutely nothing to help his reelection bid, but I will take every opportunity I get to remind people that he is so morally bankrupt that he'll try to score political points off the backs of innocent kids who want to go to college or serve their country in the military....To me, he is the Blanche Lincoln of 2012 -- the Democrat I will most be happy to see go down in defeat. And he will. Nothing guarantees a Republican victory more than trying to pretend to be one of them.

Kos: Kay Hagan betrays key constituency

Sen. Kay Hagan is already running for reelection in North Carolina for what she clearly sees as a tough hold in 2014. She will be a freshman senator running for reelection for the first time -- the most vulnerable point for any elected official. If the economy and political climate haven't improved by then -- and there's no guarantee that they will -- Hagan's road to reelection will be a tough slog. And she won't have Obama's coattails among African Americans to pad her numbers.

Daily Kos Open Thread and Diary Rescue:  Seneca Doane gives a thumbs-up to President Obama in DADT/DREAM: Persuasion and force as paths to victory. (BentLiberal)

In the Bah, Humbug! Category: HSNews (Hispanically Speaking News) asserts in DREAMers: Unused and Unmatched Ambition - Watch out for Act Two that yesterday's defeat is by no means the end of the story. (ybruti)

Daily Kos: Midday Open Thread:

Not a link, just an observation. The repeal of DADT was exhilarating, but the failure to pass the DREAM Act was a significant disappointment. On the bright side,  major Latino television stations interrupted their traditional coverage to cover the vote. Hopefully, they will have learned that Republicans for the most part don't like them, and Democrats (for the most part) do. That said, one has to wonder: what the heck were the Democrats who voted against it thinking?

AMERICABlog:

Joe Sudbay: Saturday Morning Open Thread

Just to give a sense of how important this vote is to the Latino community (the fastest growing voting demographic), Markos reports that Telemundo and Univision will provide live coverage of the vote. The GOPers - and Jon Tester - are on the verge of severing all ties to the Latino community for decades. Opposition to DREAM is particularly heinous. These kids didn't do anything "wrong." They've grown up in the U.S. They are Americans. Last July, at Netroots Nation, Dan Choi talked to Yahaira Carrillo and several other DREAM Activists. He said, "We might not have our documents, but we have our dreams." This was just a day after Dan had been discharged. It was so powerful then -- and it's even more powerful on the day when both DREAM and DADT get votes in the Senate.

John Aravosis: DREAM Yearbook

Meet some of the DREAM students who the Republicans are spending so much time railing against.

[Dream Student Yearbook]

Think Progress:

Andrea Nill: As DREAM Act Fails, Graham Tells Undocumented Youth They Wasted Their Time

Today, the Senate failed to invoke cloture on the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act. Fourty-one mostly Republican senators voted against a bill which would have provided young undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. by their parents a path to legalization by pursuing a college education or serving in the military. 55 voted in the affirmative.

Sunday Show Guests Assail Republicans For Blocking The DREAM Act

Today on the Sunday political talk shows, guests from a wide array of the ideological spectrum assailed the GOP for blocking the measure:
NBC’s ANDREA MITCHELL: The dumbest thing that the Republicans did was the DREAM Act. … that is going to turn out to be a real setback for Republicans because these are people who wanted to serve in the military and get educated and contribute to the society.

Firedoglake: Dear Senators Hagan, McCaskill, Pryor, Conrad, and Baucus: Our DREAM Is In Your Hands

This week, hundreds of DREAMers visited the Senate, trying to make sure that it becomes impossible for senators to ignore the human side of the immigration debate.

Watch their Pledge of Allegiance. I did this pledge every day as a student at Ralston Intermediate and Loara High Schools in Orange County, CA:

Obama Administration Set New Deportation Record to Appease GOP

In an effort to win GOP favor on immigration legislation in Congress, the Obama Administration stepped up ICE deportations of undocumented workers to record levels. More than 800,000 immigrants were moved out of the United States in just two years by President Obama to appease Republicans, according to the Washington Post.

Click here to read more.
Posted 12/10/10 at 12:31pm By Maribel Hastings

‘Qué Pasa’ in Immigration: The DREAM Lives On

As the future of the DREAM Act remains in the hands of the United States Senate, the Spanish-language press reports today that the upper chamber’s strategy of shelving the proposal in order to consider the version passed by the House of Representatives is breathing new life into the bill’s prospects of becoming a reality. 

La Opinión (Los Angeles) publishes the editorial “Keep the dream alive” (“Hay que seguir soñando”), concluding:

“We must not lose hope. The legislative agenda is tight, but thanks to yesterday’s maneuver, a devastating defeat became another opportunity for young people and the rest of the country.”

News agency EFE reports that “Democrats in the U.S. Senate postponed a vote on the ‘DREAM Act’ for legalizing undocumented students, giving oxygen to a bill which will survive only if it gets 60 votes next week.” 

And Notimex indicates that:

“by a vote of 59 to 40, the initiative’s supporters passed a motion to cancel, for the moment, the final vote on the Senate version (of the DREAM Act), keeping open the possibility that the House’s version could be considered in the coming days.”

Click here to read more.
Posted 12/07/10 at 11:59am By Maribel Hastings

‘Qué Pasa’ in Immigration: DREAM Act: Day of Action, pressure, and the search for votes

The Spanish-language press reports today on the period before votes are scheduled in both houses of Congress on the DREAM Act, a bill which would legalize undocumented young people who wish to attend college or serve in the armed forces. 

The rush to secure the necessary votes in both chambers is marked by events throughout the country to push legislators to vote for it. These include phone banks, vigils, and the delivery of ceremonial “checks” to Congress, illustrating the $2.3 million potential DREAM beneficiaries would generate in revenues to the federal government over 10 years if they could regularize their immigration status, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis of the Senate version of the bill.

La Opinión (Los Angeles), El Universal (Mexico) y Al Día (Texas), among other outlets, cover these developments.

Al Día quotes Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), who says:

“I hope that my Republican colleagues, especially those who have voted for the DREAM Act in the past, join us and support this bill which would help our economy and strengthen our armed forces.”

Noticiero Telemundo titles its report “Battle for the DREAM Act.” 

Click here to read more.

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