01/06/09 FAIR’s New Report Misses the Real Numbers of Americans Who Want Comprehensive Immigration Reform.
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12/26/08 For many, hope is the word this holiday. On the topic of immigration reform, the New York Times chimes in: It's way too early to tell whether the United States under President-elect Barack Obama will restore realism, sanity and lawfulness to its immigration system. But it's never too early to hope, and the stars seem to be lining up, at least among his cabinet nominees.On that note, happy and hopeful holidays to all!
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12/26/08 Arpaio's critics aren't amused. They say they fear the show will give the controversial sheriff positive publicity, ignoring what they call a darker side to his 16-year tenure as top lawman in the county that includes Phoenix. "It's going to celebrate a sheriff that's frankly scaring this community, a sheriff that has seen violent crime increase significantly in his county, a sheriff that is racially profiling the Latino community, and I doubt that the show is going to reflect that," said Paco Fabian, spokesman for the immigrant-rights group America's Voice.
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12/22/08 What’s more absurd than not blaming the GOP for killing immigration reform? Putting the fox in charge of the chicken coop, as it were: giving employers free reign to treat their workers as they will. Immigration reform that’s got a chance must be good for US workers, immigrant workers, and the economy. We needn’t choose between worker protections and real immigration reform, but we do need to separate fantasy from reality.
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12/19/08 Congressman Ray LaHood (R-IL) is the grandson of Lebanese immigrants and has been a co-sponsor of several immigration reform measures. Originally set to retire after his seventh term representing Illinois' 18th District, Ray LaHood has a firm history of bipartisanship. The Congressman co-sponsored comprehensive immigration reform legislation, and his pick is just another appointment that bodes well for getting a real reform passed in the new administration.
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12/19/08 He has long railed against the Constitution, which holds that all babies born in America are U.S. citizens. Borrowing a line from the Minutemen’s playbook, he calls these children “anchor babies,” not Americans, and seeks to get their citizenship�along with the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution�revoked. But trying to anchor an election in bashing undocumented immigrants? That’s one boat that didn’t float this election.
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12/18/08 Today's Associated Press announcement that Rep. Hilda Solis (D-CA) is the President-elect's pick to head the Department of Labor is an exciting development for all workers in our country. Not only has Solis been a long-time labor advocate, she has stood firm for immigration policy that makes our nation stronger. She has also been a leader on the issue of immigrant detentions and the ill-conceived Bush administration raids.
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12/18/08 As the Washington Post reported yesterday, citizenship delays likely prohibited thousands of immigrants from voting in this historic election. Immigrants already have to struggle with enough obstacles in the citizenship process: high fees, long waits, tougher tests among them. Now it turns out they have to deal with federal courts that won't swear them in on a timely basis. It's time for the courts to make naturalization a real priority.
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12/16/08 The FOX network is giving a giant megaphone to a public official known for his anti-immigrant antics and racial profiling. "Smile! You're Under Arrest" will celebrate the slimy depths Sheriff Joe has been willing to sink to in Maricopa County, Arizona. Well, today we're launching a new video asking that Joe get the attention he really deserves- an investigation by the Department of Justice.
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12/16/08 "Immigration Sunday" is just one of many faith-based efforts to bring communities together in the wake of stepped-up immigration enforcement that targets immigrant workers and their families, instead of reforming our nation's immigration laws. As the Bishops of Minnesota continue to plan for "Immigration Sunday," we hope that leaders of other states, and from all faiths, take up the call.
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12/15/08 Immigration Impact reported on a new ruling today that would force DNA samples of any detained immigrant. Immigration and civil liberties groups are decrying the new rule, saying that it poses a direct threat to basic constitutional and privacy rights. Now, considering the likelihood of legal U.S. residents and citizens getting caught up in immigration raids, it's even possible that individuals who are legally in the U.S. with no criminal history will be subjected under this new rule to DNA testing without their consent.
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12/15/08 On Election Day, the American people hired leaders they believe will tackle and solve tough problems. They fired politicians who cover up inaction and ineffectiveness with slick sound bites and punchy slogans. The public wants action �- and results � on a range of tough issues. Of course, economic recovery is job number one, but the public demand for action on illegal immigration has been underestimated for too long.
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12/11/08 No not really, but the Washington Post is reporting that Department of Homeland Security Head Michael Chertoff has had undocumented workers cleaning his home for over four years. Coupled with last week's announcement that a high-ranking New England Border Patrol official had undocumented workers cleaning her home, hypocrisy at DHS now seems to be the rule, rather than the exception.
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12/10/08 Farmworker Justice, an advocacy group for those who harvest our nation's food, slammed a new series of midnight regulations by the Bush Administration. The regulations would slash wages and cut protections for the already-vulnerable workers who bring food to our tables. Now is not the time for throw-backs to bracero-era immigration policy. Congress must both reverse these midnight attacks on worker justice, and work toward a real, comprehensive reform in the 111th Congress.
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12/09/08 It's been a month already since we reported on the brutal stabbing of Marcelo Lucero and the rise of violence against those perceived as Hispanic. From Long Island Wins, a personal reflection on the events that took place in the wake of the Ecuadorian immigrant's tragic death...
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12/09/08 So, as Tancredo touts his accomplishments during his 10-year career in the House of Representatives, let's not forget the damage that his demagoguery has done to the Republican Party. Not to mention immigrant workers and families, Hispanics, and all attempts to pass sensible immigration reform in the last decade. It's a relief to know that, even for the Republican Party, his immigration views were too extreme.
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12/08/08 Latino, Asian, and New American voter turnout was at an all-time high in 2008. The power of these voters is now undeniable, and immigrant-bashing has become a losing campaign strategy. All signs indicate that the incoming administration and Congress will tackle immigration reform, and that the leadership of the Republican Party is rethinking its position on the issue.
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12/05/08 Lorraine Henderson, who serves as the regional director of Homeland Security, Customs, and Border Protection in the Boston area is ready to appear in Federal court for "harboring an illegal alien." The charge could carry up to 10 years in jail, but it comes as little surprise to those who have tracked the incompetence, corruption, and misplaced priorities of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
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12/05/08 Joshua Hoyt, executive director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, had a thorough piece in today's Chicago Tribune on just what derailed the GOP this election. "As the Republican Party surveys its post-election train wreck, the pain must be even greater knowing that, with Hispanic voters, the GOP drove itself off the track." The GOP immigration wedge strategy became a serious liability for the Republican Party at every level of the electoral contest this year. With the addition of latest anti-immigrant campaigner, Virgil Goode, our post-election analysis now shows 20 of 22 battleground races we tracked favoring candidates who took a more comprehensive approach on immigration. How many did hardliners win? Two.
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12/04/08 Contrary to claims of “only seeking to reduce illegal immigration,” CNN host Lou Dobbs joins Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio on the list of grumpy old men certain to turn any incident � earthquakes and hurricanes included � into their own personal tirade against immigrants. The goal of all this fear-mongering? Three words: publicity, fame, and money. Sheriff Joe welcomes controversy with his public tirades against � not only immigrants � but all Latino residents of Maricopa County. And in exchange, what’s the good sheriff getting for Christmas?
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12/04/08 Fresh from the folks who brought us “Immigrants Cause Global Warming,” the contentious Center for Immigration Studies is serving up their latest threat to homeland security: Third-World Gold-Diggers. Check out Walter’s full analysis over at IPC’s new blog Immigration Impact.
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12/03/08 Did Dan Stein, president of the recognized hate group FAIR, miss the fact that 15 of his anti-immigrant allies in the House of Representatives just got booted out? Well yesterday Kevin Appleby, of the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops, stepped in to expose his shoddy analysis in a letter to the editor. He conjures a striking visual of the Stein op-ed: If I had to draw it, his article would look like an ostrich with its head in the sand.
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12/02/08 It's official. Self-proclaimed "America's Toughest Sheriff" Arpaio has finally made good on the American Dream. That is to say, Joe's landed his own reality television show. The bad news? Fox's newest star has a history of promoting virulently anti-Latino policies that leave tough police-work behind in favor of blatant racial profiling. The good news? Apparently, the show is set to air on Saturdays at 5 pm. Pink underwear competition on prime time? Not so much.
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12/02/08 We can only hope that other members of the 111th Congress follow Rep. Gutierrez's leadership here. What if we could mandate a renewed "palling around" by DC elected officials with real people who understand the real needs of their communities? Maybe we'd finally make headway on issues like immigration reform.
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12/02/08 Today's Wall Street Journal blog featured our Immigration08.com election analysis in a post entitled, "More Immigration Losers." The byline? GOP hardliners need to face reality. "Virginia Republican Congressman Virgil Goode's narrow loss to Democrat Tom Perriello became official last week, and it caps another bad showing for immigration restrictionists. For the second straight election, incumbent Republicans who attempted to turn illegal immigration into a wedge issue fared poorly."
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12/02/08 Sen. Martinez has been one of the courageous Republican leaders speaking out on the divisive immigration rhetoric employed by his party. Will Sen. Martinez feel more freedom to speak up on immigration, now that a looming re-election is out of the picture? Nothing's certain, but it is safe to say that the GOP's moderate base on immigration is an endangered species worth preserving.
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12/01/08 Today, President-Elect Barack Obama appointed Governor Janet Napolitano (D-AZ) to Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. The Department of Homeland Security is charged with protecting the U.S. from terrorism and responding to natural disasters, among other duties. Last week, America's Voice Executive Director Frank Sharry wrote about some of the problems that have plagued the Department's immigration agency.
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