Immigration News & Updates

Immigration Reform Advocates Ready to Try Again

When immigration reform last made an appearance on Capitol Hill, in the summer of 2007, the flood of phone calls from opponents of the legislation was so great, it temporarily shut down the congressional switchboard.

The bill's supporters, an unlikely alliance of Republicans and Democrats from President Bush and John McCain to Ted Kennedy and Harry Reid, had spent months searching for consensus. But the furious, well-organized response from conservatives opposed to "amnesty" for illegal immigrants left them short of the 60 votes needed to bring the bill to a final vote in the Senate.

For full article see:

http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/politics/2009/02/13/immigration-reform-advocates-ready-to-try-again.html

Commentary: Time for Immigration Reform is Now

SAN

DIEGO

,

California

(CNN) -- Obviously, President Obama has a lot on his plate: two wars, an ailing economy, the mortgage crisis and more. But that doesn't relieve him of the obligation to serve up his plan for immigration reform.

Sooner would be better than later. On that point, interestingly enough, you'll find agreement from both sides of the ideological divide. The problem is they don't agree on what "reform" means.

To enforcement-only restrictionists, the phrase "immigration reform" means securing the borders, continuing workplace raids, speeding up deportations of illegal immigrants and limiting the number of legal immigrants.

To immigrant advocates, it means a comprehensive approach that links enforcement, guest workers and earned legalization for some of the 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States.

For full article see:

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/20/navarrette.immigration/

Next Steps for Immigration Reform and Workplace Enforcement

Legislative efforts in immigration reform have died off since the debate on the Comprehensive Immigra­tion Reform Act of 2007 (S. 1348), but for the past several years, the Bush Administration did consider­able work in advancing immigration reform outside the legislative process. One such effort was to enhance internal enforcement of immigration laws. The new emphasis on enforcement has resulted in a noticeable increase in the detention and deportation of illegal immigrants. However, enforcement still faces several obstacles before all immigration laws are successfully executed. For improved enforcement to be an effective component of immigration reform, the necessary resources must be available to support a compassion­ate and responsible policy.

For full article visit:

http://www.heritage.org/Research/Immigration/bg2241.cfm

Farm Worker Programs Debated as US Economy Sours

Agriculture groups push for foreign workers even as US workers lose jobs by thousands

By SHANNON DININNY Associated Press Writer

YAKIMA

,

Wash.

February 11, 2009

(AP)

 

John Wyss had just been hired at one of the nation's largest apple growers in 2005 when the company couldn't find enough workers. Fruit went unpicked, and much of what was picked came off the trees too late.

Hail and harsh winter freezes have shrunk the crops in the years since, reducing the need for workers. But if the weather had cooperated, he said, "We would have had severe labor problems."

It's become an annual argument — farmers nationally complain about a shortage of workers, while labor groups counter that higher wages will secure field hands.

This year, new rules enacted by the Bush administration shortly before leaving office may make it easier for farmers to bring in foreign workers. Plus, Congress faces another push to potentially legalize undocumented farm workers already in the country. At the same time, thousands of

U.S.

workers are losing their jobs in the economic crisis.

How problematic does that make any talk of bringing in foreign workers?

For full article see: http://abcnews.go.com/Business/WireStory?id=6851651&page=1

Immigrant Activists Press Obama on Day 1

NEW YORK, Jan 21 (New America Media) - Even as the masses celebrating President Obama's inauguration dispersed, a new crowd gathered Wednesday for a day-after march to place immigrant rights atop the president's agenda.

Immigrant advocates know their nativist opponents plan to deploy online organizing and viral communication to counter any attempts at immigration reform this year. They intend to seize every opportunity to build momentum on their side.

For full article see:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/oneworld/20090122/wl_oneworld/world3596721232643314

President Asked for Executive Order to Halt Deportation, Work Raids

By Chelsea Schilling
© 2009 WorldNetDaily

A former illgal alien who sought sanctuary in a Chicago church in 2006 before being deported back to Mexico has written a letter to President Barack Obama, asking him to issue an executive order to stop sending illegals home.

Elvira Arellano came to the United States illegally in 1997 and was deported. But she returned less than a week later and began working as a cleaning employee for the O'Hare International Airport. After being convicted of Social Security fraud, she faced another deportation in August 2006. She took refuge in Adalberto United Methodist Church in Chicago and called for the suspension of the nation's immigration laws and a "campaign of resistance."

For full article see:

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=86733

Latinos Hope for Immigration Reform

by Elizabeth Baier, 

Minnesota

Public Radio

January 23, 2009

During the presidential election, Latino voters provided strong support to President Barack Obama. But with the economic downturn taking center stage, many are wondering how far immigration reform has slipped as priority for the new administration.

For full article see:

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/01/20/latinos_obama/?refid=0

Illinois Congressman Vows to Push for Major Immigration Reform

Flanked by hundreds of immigrants and their family members, an Illinois congressman called for a halt Thursday to immigration raids and vowed to push for a comprehensive overhaul that President-elect Barack Obama can sign into law.

Democratic Rep. Luis Gutierrez of Chicago, the House sponsor of a 2007 bill that failed, told a crowd of more than 200 on Capital Hill that he would work to ensure that Mr. Obama follows through on his campaign promise to sign an immigration overhaul in the first year of his presidency.

For full article visit:

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/nation/stories/DN-immigraids_05nat.ART.State.Edition1.4a82527.html

Latinos May Push Obama on Immigration

After months on the sidelines, Hispanics who voted for Barack Obama in record numbers may put immigration reform back on the agenda once he becomes U.S. president in January.

Some 12 million mostly Hispanic migrants live and work in the United States illegally, and the issue of what to do with them divides Americans.

As a senator, the Democrat Obama backed a bipartisan bill last year supported by his Republican rival Sen. John McCain that sought a path out of the shadows for some of them. Republicans defeated the bill amid criticism that it amounted to "amnesty."

For Full Article Visit:

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE4AI1IM20081119?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=10112

Immigration Among Many Failed Policies Americans Want Reformed

 The results of yesterday's elections are a clear rejection by the voters of government of, by and for, special interests, and policies that have brought this nation to the brink of an economic crisis. The economic crisis and the $700 billion taxpayer bailout package overshadowed all other issues in the campaign. However, the public continues to count immigration among the failed special interest-driven policies that must be reformed by the new Congress and the new administration, says the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). 

For Full Article Visit:

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Voters-Reject-Government-That-Ignores/story.aspx?guid={E207281C-7977-4B9A-B939-181446CCA5F2}