Keep up-to-date on immigration issues by reading local and national news stories!
Please note that unless indicated, neither the views expressed in the articles themselves, nor the views expressed in response to the articles by way of posted comments or blogs, are those of The Advocates for Human Rights.
03/22/10 Tens of Thousands Rally for Immigration Reform (The New York Times) Frustrated with the lack of action to overhaul the country's immigration system, tens of thousands of demonstrators rallied on the National Mall and marched through the streets of the capital.
03/22/10 In Nebraska, issues of immigration and abortion collide (Los Angeles Times) Nebraska long has regarded itself as a antiabortion state. But for months, the state has wrestled with an issue that pits its signature conviction against another belief -- that illegal immigrants should not receive tax-supported services. So two viewpoints collided with this question: Should Nebraska pay for prenatal care for the unborn children of illegal immigrants?
03/22/10 Editorial: Liberians safe for now (Star Tribune) For the third time since 2007, about 1,000 Liberians living in Minnesota can breathe a sigh of relief. After facing possible deportation on March 30, on Friday they learned that the White House wisely agreed to extend their temporary protected immigrant status for 18 months.
03/19/10 ‘Immigration Will Be First Casualty of Health Bill’ (Wall Street Journal) According to Sen. Lindsey Graham, the Democratic health care bill destroyed any chance of immigration reform passing the Senate this year.
03/19/10 Senators announce framework for bipartisan immigration bill (Los Angeles Times) Charles Schumer, a Democrat, and Lindsey Graham, a Republican, propose increasing resources for border enforcement and legalizing millions of illegal immigrants. President Obama praises the proposal.
03/18/10 Woman freed from prison with law students' help is immediately deported (Los Angeles Times) A mother of four who spent 23 years in prison accused of setting a deadly fire and was paroled with the help of law students who believed she got an unfair trial was deported Thursday, just hours after she was released.
03/18/10 A high-tech, low-result border fence (Los Angeles Times) The virtual border wall, a network of sensors, cameras and radar meant to help the Border Patrol nab illegal crossers, has never worked as planned, and according to the Government Accountability Office, even the tests designed to evaluate it are badly flawed. 03/17/10 Immigrants vulnerable to being shortchanged (Houston Chronicle) There are signs that the recession has prompted more employers to shortchange their workers, either by failing to pay the promised amount or by offering less than minimum wage in the first place. Construction, restaurant and janitorial workers appear particularly vulnerable, especially if they are immigrants who don't speak English or lack legal status.
03/15/10 Immigration Offer Draws Few Haitians (The New York Times) Within days of the devastating earthquake in Haiti on Jan. 12, the United States government declared that Haitians living illegally in the United States were eligible for temporary protected status. While advocates and government officials alike said that this was one of the most effective ways to get help to needy quake victims, the number of applicants has fallen short of expectations.
03/15/10 Somali population, cultural tension rising in St. Cloud (Minnesota Public Radio) A student at Tech high school in St. Cloud, Minn., created a Facebook.com group called "I hate the Somalians at Tech High", a tangible sign of the racial tensions growing in St. Cloud area schools.
03/12/10 Obama 'Fully Committed' to Revising Immigration Laws (The Wall Street Journal) According to President Obama, his commitment to comprehensive immigration reform is unwavering, and he will continue his work with this important effort.
03/11/10 Obama Links Immigration Overhaul in 2010 to G.O.P. Backing (The New York Times) President Obama said Thursday that he would proceed with an overhaul of the immigration system this year if he could attract substantial Republican support. The bill is however unlikely to go forward if the president uses a legislative shortcut sidestepping Republicans to pass his health care bill.
03/11/10 Young immigrants declare illegal status (Chicago Tribune) Overcoming their fear of deportation, a group of college-age immigrants publicly admitted their undocumented status at a rally at the Federal Plaza on Wednesday in hopes of putting a face on the need for comprehensive immigration reform.
03/11/10 Liberians seek extension of protected status (Minnesota Public Radio) The clock is ticking once again for thousands of Liberian immigrants who've been living in the U.S.on a legal, but temporary, basis for years. They could be forced to leave the country at the end of the month -- unless the Obama administration takes action soon to extend their legal status.
03/10/10 Critics Blast Transborder Immigrant Tool as 'Irresponsible' Use of Technology (Fox News) The Transborder Immigrant Tool (TBT), the brainchild of three faculty members at the University of California-San Diego and a colleague at the University of Michigan, is a software application that can be installed into a GPS-enabled cell phone. In addition to helping immigrants locate water and landmarks, it also could alert them to Border Patrol checkpoints. And to make the trek a little less arduous, it also plays recorded poetry.
03/09/10 ID Card for Workers Is at Center of Immigration Plan (The Wall Street Journal) Lawmakers working to craft a new comprehensive immigration bill have settled on a way to prevent employers from hiring illegal immigrants: a national biometric identification card all American workers would eventually be required to obtain.
03/10/10 Long, complex path to citizenship puts lives on hold (The Tennessean) A new report on immigrant employment found connections between U.S. citizenship and higher incomes, broader career options and lower poverty rates. Immigrants who have become citizens earn on average almost 15 percent more than their non-citizen counterparts.
03/06/10 Paterson Rewards Redemption With a Pardon (The New York Times) New York Gov. David A. Paterson announced on Saturday that he had pardoned a man whose rise from poverty and street crime in Chinatown to success as an information technology executive was about to end in deportation.
03/05/10 Obama calls in key senators to discuss immigration legislation (Star Tribune) President Barack Obama plans to focus attention on immigration next week by meeting at the White House with two senators crafting a bill on the issue.
03/05/10 Obama risks alienating Latinos with lack of immigration reform (The Washington Post) As president, Obama has followed the cerebral strategy that increased enforcement will win support for immigration reform. But if there is no serious progress on the issue, many disillusioned Latinos will reconsider their support for Obama.
03/04/10 Obama looking to give new life to immigration reform (Los Angeles Times) Despite steep odds, the White House has discussed prospects for reviving a major overhaul of the nation's immigration laws, a commitment that President Obama has postponed once already.
03/01/10 Marshall teen deported to El Salvador (St. Paul Pioneer Press) Seventeen-year-old Jairo Yanes was a junior at Marshall High School until last Monday. That's when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents caught up with him.
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