By Sara Kugler Frazier
June 24, 2010
Chief executives of several major corporations, including Hewlett-Packard, Boeing, Disney and News Corp., are joining Mayor Michael Bloomberg to form a coalition advocating for immigration reform — including a path to legal status for all undocumented immigrants now in the United States.
The group includes several other big-city mayors and calls itself the Partnership for a New American Economy. It seeks to reframe immigration reform as the solution to repairing and stimulating the economy.
...
The billionaire mayor, a former CEO of the financial information company Bloomberg LP, also said at the time that all 12 million undocumented immigrants in the United States should be given the opportunity for citizenship, saying that deporting them is impossible and would devastate the economy.
For full article, see here.
(Posted by Alice Bynum.)
Monday, July 19, 2010
Evangelicals Support Amnesty
By Laurie Goodstein
July 18, 2010
At a time when the prospects for immigration overhaul seem most dim, supporters have unleashed a secret weapon: a group of influential evangelical Christian leaders.
Normally on the opposite side of political issues backed by the Obama White House, these leaders are aligning with the president to support an overhaul that would include some path to legalization for illegal immigrants already here.
...
Several evangelical leaders said they were convinced that Hispanics are the key to growth not only for the evangelical movement, but also for the social conservative movement.
“I’ve had some older conservative leaders say: ‘Richard, stop this. You’re going to split the conservative coalition,’ ” Dr. Land continued. “I say it might split the old conservative coalition, but it won’t split the new one. And if the new one is going to be a governing coalition, it’s going to have to have a lot of Hispanics in it. And you don’t get a lot of Hispanics in your coalition by engaging in anti-Hispanic anti-immigration rhetoric.”
(S)ome evangelical leaders said their latest strategy was to push a handful of lame-duck Republicans to join Democrats — probably after the midterms — to pass an immigration bill on the ground that it is morally right.
For full article, see here.
(Posted by Alice Bynum.)
July 18, 2010
At a time when the prospects for immigration overhaul seem most dim, supporters have unleashed a secret weapon: a group of influential evangelical Christian leaders.
Normally on the opposite side of political issues backed by the Obama White House, these leaders are aligning with the president to support an overhaul that would include some path to legalization for illegal immigrants already here.
...
Several evangelical leaders said they were convinced that Hispanics are the key to growth not only for the evangelical movement, but also for the social conservative movement.
“I’ve had some older conservative leaders say: ‘Richard, stop this. You’re going to split the conservative coalition,’ ” Dr. Land continued. “I say it might split the old conservative coalition, but it won’t split the new one. And if the new one is going to be a governing coalition, it’s going to have to have a lot of Hispanics in it. And you don’t get a lot of Hispanics in your coalition by engaging in anti-Hispanic anti-immigration rhetoric.”
(S)ome evangelical leaders said their latest strategy was to push a handful of lame-duck Republicans to join Democrats — probably after the midterms — to pass an immigration bill on the ground that it is morally right.
For full article, see here.
(Posted by Alice Bynum.)
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Federal Government vs. Arizona
By Jerry Markon and Michael D. Shear
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
The Obama administration sued Arizona over the state's new immigration law on Tuesday, an assertion of federal power that sets up a rare clash with a state on one of the nation's most divisive political issues.
The Justice Department lawsuit charges that the Arizona law cracking down on illegal immigrants conflicts with federal law, would disrupt immigration enforcement and would lead to police harassment of those who cannot prove their lawful status. Filed in federal court in Arizona, it says the state's measure is unconstitutional and asks a judge to stop it from taking effect. "The Constitution and the federal immigration laws do not permit the development of a patchwork of state and local immigration policies throughout the country," the lawsuit says.
For the full Washington Post article, see here.
(Posted by Alice Bynum.)
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
The Obama administration sued Arizona over the state's new immigration law on Tuesday, an assertion of federal power that sets up a rare clash with a state on one of the nation's most divisive political issues.
The Justice Department lawsuit charges that the Arizona law cracking down on illegal immigrants conflicts with federal law, would disrupt immigration enforcement and would lead to police harassment of those who cannot prove their lawful status. Filed in federal court in Arizona, it says the state's measure is unconstitutional and asks a judge to stop it from taking effect. "The Constitution and the federal immigration laws do not permit the development of a patchwork of state and local immigration policies throughout the country," the lawsuit says.
For the full Washington Post article, see here.
(Posted by Alice Bynum.)
Monday, July 12, 2010
The Year in Nativism By Heidi Beirich
The relentless demonization of immigrants by hard-line nativist groups was punctuated by murder last year, when the leader of Minuteman American Defense (MAD) and two followers were accused of shooting a Latino man and his 9-year-old daughter to death in Arizona. The crime set off a firestorm of mutual recriminations among nativist leaders — but it did nothing to slow the movement’s growth.
The double murder took place near the town of Arivaca last May, when MAD leader Shawna Forde and two of her confederates allegedly stormed into the man’s house before being driven away by shots fired by his wounded wife, who reportedly later identified Forde as one of her attackers. Officials say that Forde wanted money to finance her group and believed her victims were cash-rich drug dealers.
Read the rest of the article here
(posted by Zona Keo)
The double murder took place near the town of Arivaca last May, when MAD leader Shawna Forde and two of her confederates allegedly stormed into the man’s house before being driven away by shots fired by his wounded wife, who reportedly later identified Forde as one of her attackers. Officials say that Forde wanted money to finance her group and believed her victims were cash-rich drug dealers.
Read the rest of the article here
(posted by Zona Keo)
Thursday, July 8, 2010
President Obama on Immigration Reform 7/1/10
To read the President's speech, click here.
President Obama's speech responds to the latest controversy over the issue of immigration, the Arizona law. The President began by asserting that rather than defer this pressing problem or yield to the politics of the moment, we should confront this challenge with honesty and determination. Setting the tone for his idea of reform, Obama emphasized the contributions of immigrants: talent and labor, the economic rewards of attracting the best and brightest, a young workforce, fast-growing economy, and diversity advantaging us in global competition.
After he stated that there are 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States (and the attendant problems), Obama rejected the two most extreme solutions on the table, mass amnesty and mass deportation, because the former lacks accountability and the latter would "tear at the very fabric of this nation -– because immigrants who are here illegally are now intricately woven into that fabric."
Obama's plan for immigration reform turns on "accountability for everyone." The government must be accountable for securing our borders (including focusing limited resources on stopping gangs and potential terrorists rather than those looking for work). Businesses must be held accountable for creating the demand for undocumented workers and the incentive to come here illegally, as well as deliberately hiring and exploiting undocumented workers, such that a significant portion of our economy operates outside the law. However, businesses also need "a reliable way to verify that their employees are here legally." And finally, individuals must admit they broke the law, register, pay their taxes, pay a fine, and learn English, because it's fair, it sets an example of our expectations for others who would come here, and it shows the individuals that being a citizen includes rights and responsibilities.
Additionally, "our creaky system of legal immigration" requires reform to "make it easier for the best and the brightest to come to start businesses and develop products and create jobs."
In terms of policy, Obama believes reform depends on accountability for government, businesses, and individuals, and he gave indications as to the sort of change he imagines. Certainly, he outlined a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants currently residing in this country. Specifically, Obama named the DREAM Act as a path to citizenship for young people who were brought here illegally as children. Obama also alluded to the well-known movement for a national ID card (so businesses can know their workers are here legally), and suggested that a patchwork of immigration policies varying state-by-state will not stand - immigration policy must be national. Furthermore, he condemned the Arizona law for its unenforceability as well as driving a "wedge between communities and law enforcement." Finally, it's possible that Obama was indicating an Agricultural guest worker program when he said, "We need to provide farms a legal way to hire the workers they rely on, and a path for those workers to earn legal status."
This speech outlines Obama's expectations for immigration reform and his conviction that as immigrants continue to be important for America, the beacon the Statue of Liberty represents should continue to "shine as a source of hope around the world, and a source of our prosperity here at home."
(Posted by Alice Bynum.)
President Obama's speech responds to the latest controversy over the issue of immigration, the Arizona law. The President began by asserting that rather than defer this pressing problem or yield to the politics of the moment, we should confront this challenge with honesty and determination. Setting the tone for his idea of reform, Obama emphasized the contributions of immigrants: talent and labor, the economic rewards of attracting the best and brightest, a young workforce, fast-growing economy, and diversity advantaging us in global competition.
After he stated that there are 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States (and the attendant problems), Obama rejected the two most extreme solutions on the table, mass amnesty and mass deportation, because the former lacks accountability and the latter would "tear at the very fabric of this nation -– because immigrants who are here illegally are now intricately woven into that fabric."
Obama's plan for immigration reform turns on "accountability for everyone." The government must be accountable for securing our borders (including focusing limited resources on stopping gangs and potential terrorists rather than those looking for work). Businesses must be held accountable for creating the demand for undocumented workers and the incentive to come here illegally, as well as deliberately hiring and exploiting undocumented workers, such that a significant portion of our economy operates outside the law. However, businesses also need "a reliable way to verify that their employees are here legally." And finally, individuals must admit they broke the law, register, pay their taxes, pay a fine, and learn English, because it's fair, it sets an example of our expectations for others who would come here, and it shows the individuals that being a citizen includes rights and responsibilities.
Additionally, "our creaky system of legal immigration" requires reform to "make it easier for the best and the brightest to come to start businesses and develop products and create jobs."
In terms of policy, Obama believes reform depends on accountability for government, businesses, and individuals, and he gave indications as to the sort of change he imagines. Certainly, he outlined a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants currently residing in this country. Specifically, Obama named the DREAM Act as a path to citizenship for young people who were brought here illegally as children. Obama also alluded to the well-known movement for a national ID card (so businesses can know their workers are here legally), and suggested that a patchwork of immigration policies varying state-by-state will not stand - immigration policy must be national. Furthermore, he condemned the Arizona law for its unenforceability as well as driving a "wedge between communities and law enforcement." Finally, it's possible that Obama was indicating an Agricultural guest worker program when he said, "We need to provide farms a legal way to hire the workers they rely on, and a path for those workers to earn legal status."
This speech outlines Obama's expectations for immigration reform and his conviction that as immigrants continue to be important for America, the beacon the Statue of Liberty represents should continue to "shine as a source of hope around the world, and a source of our prosperity here at home."
(Posted by Alice Bynum.)
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Top 10 myths about immigration
Top 10 myths about immigration
By Leo Anchondo of Justice for Immigrants
1. Immigrants don't pay taxes.
Immigrants pay taxes, in the form of income, property, sales, and taxes at the federal and state level. As far as income tax payments go, sources vary in their accounts, but a range of studies find that immigrants pay between $90 and $140 billion a year in federal, state, and local taxes. Undocumented immigrants pay income taxes as well, as evidenced by the Social Security Administration's "suspense file" (taxes that cannot be matched to workers' names and social security numbers), which grew by $20 billion between 1990 and 1998.
For article, see here
[posted by Prof. Montejano]
By Leo Anchondo of Justice for Immigrants
1. Immigrants don't pay taxes.
Immigrants pay taxes, in the form of income, property, sales, and taxes at the federal and state level. As far as income tax payments go, sources vary in their accounts, but a range of studies find that immigrants pay between $90 and $140 billion a year in federal, state, and local taxes. Undocumented immigrants pay income taxes as well, as evidenced by the Social Security Administration's "suspense file" (taxes that cannot be matched to workers' names and social security numbers), which grew by $20 billion between 1990 and 1998.
For article, see here
[posted by Prof. Montejano]
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