‘Qué Pasa’ in Immigration: DREAM Act Can’t Wait; More Border Funds; Secure Communities Deports 47K

America's Voice Blog

Posted 08/10/10 at 11:11am

La Opinión, the largest Spanish-language daily paper in the US, joins the chorus of those calling on Congress to pass the DREAM Act, as the Obama Administration affirms its commitment to the bill. Pro-immigrant groups continue to criticize Congress for passing another border bill instead of a real solution, and documents show that 47,000 people have been deported under the Secure Communities program in its 20 months of existence.

The DREAM Act can't wait. La Opinión (Los Angeles) publishes an editorial titled “The DREAM Act can’t wait” (“DREAM Act no puede esperar”) calling on Congress to pass the bill in question. The editorial board writes:

“The DREAM Act must be passed this year. If this does not happen as part of a comprehensive immigration reform, it should be put to a separate vote or included as part of another bill. But it can wait no longer.”

EFE reports that immigrant youth in New York are conducting three days of demonstrations, starting today, in an attempt to pressure Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Representative Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) to help push the DREAM Act forward. The bill would legalize undocumented immigrant youth who have completed at least two years of college or enlisted in the military.

Another EFE report notes that President Obama is pushing to make college education more affordable to improve graduation rates across the country. The agency reports that Secretary of Education Arne Duncan confirmed that the Obama Administration is committed to passing the DREAM Act.

More funds for the border. El Diario Las Américas writes that the $600 million bill to fund more agents and resources at the border has generated criticism from pro-immigrant groups, who accuse Congress of avoiding realistic, long-term solutions such as comprehensive immigration reform. AOL Latino, Al Día (Philadelphia), and LatinoCalifornia.com, among other outlets, reprint “Numbers don’t lie,” a column on this topic by Maribel Hastings of America’s Voice.

47,000 deported under Secure Communities. The Associated Press (English-language version here) reports that over the last 20 months, immigration officials have deported almost 47,000 people under the “Secure Communities” program, which identifies undocumented immigrants who have been checked into prison. According to the article:

“About one-quarter of those kicked out of the country did not have criminal records.”

In other news... El Diario-La Prensa (New York) prints an editorial discussing “myths and realities” about immigrants.

America's Voice has started a new series, “‘Qué Pasa’ in Immigration,” to bring Spanish-language coverage of immigration and politics to a wider audience. Look for daily roundups (in English) of some of the best Spanish-language news.

The latest Spanish-language reporting and analysis on immigration can now be found at AmericasVoiceEspanol.com. Check it out!