Immigration News & Updates

Napolitano Reiterates Need For Comprehensive Immigration Reform

CaribWorldNews

,

WASHINGTON

, DC,

Fri. May 7, 2009

:  Department of Homeland Security Secretary, Janet Napolitano, this week reiterated the need for comprehensive immigration reform that addresses all aspects of the immigration problem.

Napolitano, during her testimony before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, `Oversight of the Department of Homeland Security,` insisted that it is the only solution to the current problems, `from border security and interior enforcement to reform of our visa programs and legalization for illegal workers.`

For full article visit:

http://www.caribbeanworldnews.com/home_top_stories.php?sid=1533&a=5&cut=301&ad=topstory   

Making the Case: 7 Reasons Why Congress Should Pass Comprehensive Immigration Reform this Year

Today in the Senate, Senator Schumer is holding an important hearing: "Comprehensive Immigration Reform in 2009, Can We Do it and How?" At

NDN

, we believe the answer to whether Congress can pass reform this year is "yes." Below are seven reasons why:

For full article visit:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/simon-rosenberg/making-the-case-why-congr_b_193621.html

Obama Backs off Pledge of Swift Immigration Reform

President Obama Wednesday backed off a campaign promise to make immigration reform a priority of his first term, saying work on the issue has begun but his agenda is already stretched.

“We want to move this process,” Obama said in a prime-time news conference at the White House. “I'm going to be moving it as quickly as I can — I've been accused of doing too much.”

On the evening of his 100th day in office, Obama met the press in the East Room of the White House for his third formal, nighttime news conference. During the presidential campaign, Obama told the League of United Latin American Citizens that he would make immigration reform a “top priority” in his first year.

For full article visit:

http://www.sfexaminer.com/politics/Obama-backs-off-pledge-of-swift-immigration-reform-44031007.html

Timing Immigration Reform

By T. Alexander Aleinikoff

Thursday, April 23, 2009

The Obama administration recently signaled interest in beginning a discussion on comprehensive immigration reform before year's end. It might seem that a severe economic downtown is not the best time for a major legislative initiative on immigration. But starting this conversation now makes sense for several reasons.

For full article visit:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/22/AR2009042203092.html

Obama: Comprehensive immigration reform needed

Thu Mar 19, 11:00 am ET

COSTA

MESA

,

Calif.

– President Barack Obama says the

United States

is a nation of immigrants but the country must have control over its borders.

Speaking at a town hall meeting in

Southern California

, Obama said immigration is a high-emotion issue that cannot be dealt with in pieces. He says he wants to work with leaders in Congress and in

Mexico

to come up with a comprehensive plan.

For full article see:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090319/ap_on_bi_ge/obama_immigration_2

Citing Census, Hispanics Urge Immigration Reform

WASHINGTON

– Saying traditional census outreach will not be enough, Hispanic groups on Wednesday urged the Obama administration to follow through now on its pledge to pass immigration reform or risk an undercount of millions of people.

The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, Univision Inc., the League of United Latin American Citizens and SEIU announced a grassroots campaign that would supplement Census Bureau efforts to reach the traditionally hard-to-count Hispanic community. An estimated 1 million Hispanics, or about 3 percent of the Hispanic population, were missed in 2000.

"Make no mistake about it: The census cannot succeed if Latinos are not fully counted," said Arturo Vargas, executive director of NALEO, noting that Hispanics make up half of the nation's percentage growth. "We are the future of the

United States

."

For full article visit:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090401/ap_on_go_ot/census_immigration_3

House Democrats Ready to Give Immigration Bill Another Shot

House Democrats are laying the groundwork for another major immigration debate later this year, despite the risk that it could prove politically destructive for their party.

Moving broad legislation that would put millions of illegal immigrants on a path to citizenship seemed politically impossible until fairly recently and may still end up too hot for Congress to touch.

Yet Obama sent a signal this month to Hispanic Democrats that he is still committed to the cause and that he plans to host a White House immigration summit before the end of May. That has bolstered the hopes of the legislation’s biggest advocates on Capitol Hill.

For full article visit:
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/house-democrats-ready-to-give-immigration-bill-another-shot-2009-03-24.html

Obama to Address Immigration Reform in Coming Months

WASHINGTON (

AFP

) – President Barack Obama will present plans for immigration reform this year, Hispanic lawmakers said Wednesday after strategic talks at the White House.

Obama "was clear and eloquent and determinate to let us know that we are all together in the route of comprehensive immigration reform," Democratic lawmaker Luis Gutierrez told reporters after the discussion between the president and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (

CHC

).

For full article visit:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090318/pl_afp/uslatamimmigration_20090318191604

Will the Economic Meltdown Push Fixing a Broken Immigration System to the Back Burner?

On the campaign trail last year, Barack Obama promised to make comprehensive immigration reform (

CIR

) "a top priority in my first year as president."

Stressing the importance of "finally bring[ing] undocumented immigrants out of the shadows," Obama laid out the basic framework of  the deal that died twice in Congress in recent years: "they should have to pay a fine, and learn English, and go to the back of the line," he said. "That's how we'll put them on a pathway to citizenship. That's how we'll finally fix our broken immigration system and avoid creating a servant class in our midst."

For full article visit:

http://www.alternet.org/immigration/131149/will_the_economic_meltdown_push_fixing_a_broken_immigration_system_to_the_back_burner/?page=1

Pelosi: End Raids Splitting Immigrant Families

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined hundreds of families Saturday evening at a church in

San Francisco

's Mission District demanding an end to the immigration raids and deportations that separate parents from children across the

United States

.

Pelosi, who has said securing

U.S.

borders is a top priority, used the forum to call for a comprehensive immigration program that recognizes the broad contributions immigrants have made to the fabric of the country.

"Our future is about our children," Pelosi told a crowd of mostly Latino families at St. Anthony's Church.

No matter if those families arrived two days ago or centuries ago, Pelosi said "that opportunity, that determination, that hope has made American more American."

For Full Article Visit:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/07/BAHJ16BE8V.

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