Deportation Tales

We're back from Thanksgiving break!  Here's a look at your mid-day headlines: Why Obama's executive action excluded parents of DREAMers The American Immigration Council 's comprehensive guide to executive action Congress returns with immigration action fueling the budget fight Enough is enough: Make a move on immigration reform Immigration could scramble 2016 GOP bids Republicans should push for immigration reform

Here's a look at your mid-day headlines: Was immigration delay Obama's biggest mistake ? Immigration reform in 2015 ?  We could use the money Was the election a rejection of Obama's immigration strategy?  Senator Jeff Sessions seems to think so President Obama discusses immigration reform with new congress Rubio urges Obama to wait on immigration action Is executive action on immigration a bad idea?

Here's a look at your mid-day headlines: Lawmakers and activists call for an end to deportations Obama sells more spin on issue of immigration Allentown, PA city council takes a stand for immigration reform Republicans http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2014/03/19/Republicans-all-dressed-up-for-immigration-reform-but-nowhere-to-go/6231395161195/ all dressed up for immigration reform, but nowhere to go Immigration vote held off at White House request Supreme Court may hear Maryland immigration case Border Patrol chief: Agents unfairly criticized

Here's a look at your mid-day headlines: Obama calls for review of deportations Obama's promise to review deportations has risks Obama meets with Latino lawmakers about immigration reform St. Patrick and immigration Border agent kidnaps , rapes immigrant White House pushes on immigration Another group of 60 migrants attempts to enter the U.S. Hispanic caucus to wait on resolution On immigration , Obama is in a jam Seeing and speaking 360 degrees on immigration

President Obama vows to review deportations.   Finally bowing to public outcry over record deportations and the inhumane treatment of immigrants in enforcement, the president finally  responded with..... more talk , but still no action.  President Obama announced that he has requested a review of his administration's enforcement policies to see if enforcement can be done "more humanely."  In other words, he's not halting deportations, he just wants to make sure they're done with a smile.  I'm sorry, but isn't the president the "chief" executive?  Isn't he supposed to be in charge of his administration?  If he has to request a review in order to understand the impact his enforcement policies are having on thousands of families he promised to help over six years ago, he's more out of touch than the GOP accuse of him of being.  Speaking of which... The GOP continues to resist immigration push.   So...basically the same thing we tell you ...

Here's a quick look at the headlines mid-day: Immigration change gives legal status to undocumented relatives of U.S. military A sane immigration policy? Why Republicans should embrace immigration reform in one chart Is the right-left immigration alliance fraying ? Is consensus on immigration reform possible? Immigration detainees continue hunger strike

Here's a look at some hot topics in immigration heading into this week: Can the GOP neutralize immigration as an election issue?   As the last presidential election demonstrated, the GOP is doing really bad among supporters of immigration reform and immigrant communities.  Actually, "really bad" doesn't even come close to describing how badly Republicans are doing with the aforementioned demographics.  Republicans aren't even competing for votes from these demographics.  That may not matter though.  With the upcoming congressional elections, experts estimate that almost all Republican incumbents represent districts with a relatively low number of immigrants.  If that's the case, those candidates stand to lose more from supporting immigration reform than from supporting it. Even so, a hard-line approach such as that espoused by many within the GOP may wreak havoc for GOP candidates in future presidential elections and in more diverse districts.  As ...

Aiding of terrorism and the like.   For many years, one of the few bars to asylum, you know, aside from the nearly impossible standards applicants need to meet in order to qualify, has been the ban from eligibility of anyone who has ever had ties to terror groups.  This ban applies even to those with loose or incidental ties.  It was especially problematic because the ban was so broad that many who could hardly be considered terrorists were refused asylum.  This week, the Obama administration decided to ease such restrictions in very specific, narrow circumstances, citing the need for a change based the unfair blocking of thousands of legitimate refugees.  Essentially, the change would apply only to those the U.S. government does not consider a threat.  Not surprisingly, the GOP is opposed to the change. Is the GOP backpedaling on immigration reform?   Less than a week after announcing their blueprint for immigration reform, GOP   leaders in...

Happy Martin Luther King Junior Day! Is there a quota for how many immigrants should be detained?   According to a recent report out of the New York Daily News there is.  This is particularly troubling because no other law enforcement agencies have a quota for the number of people they should keep in jail.  This is unprecedented and unique to immigration.  It is important to remember that this is not the number of people the government wants to deport, only the number of immigrants it wants to keep detained while they await a decision as to whether or not they will be deported.  In other words, many of these men and women are individuals who qualify for relief from deportation and have no valid reason to be detained at all, much less month after month until an immigration judge decides what to do with them.  Good job Homeland Security!  We hope this makes you feel better about yourself.... Democrats renew support of a path to citizenship. ...

Looking ahead to this week in immigration news: The New Year starts about the same as the old.   At the beginning of 2013, talk of immigration reform was all the rage.  2014 has started off no different, with headlines and declarations coming from all sides of the political spectrum.  Much like last year,  Catholic bishops and the Chamber of Commerce both support comprehensive immigration reform.  So does Penny Pritzker , the U.S. Secretary of Commerce.  Not surprisingly, the most conservative members of the Republican party have already begun to voice their opposition to immigration reform.  Even so, more moderate Republicans , much like last year, have offered a ray of hope that immigration reform could happen this year.  At the very least, 2014 should be full of many immigration-related headlines. States getting back into the immigration debate.   Back in 2010, state immigration laws were very much en vogue, with the likes of Alabam...

And the year starts off with a bang: California grants law license to undocumented immigrant  - Last week, news broke that California had issued a law license to Sergio Garcia, an undocumented immigrant.  While the case has to be considered a major personal victory for Mr. Garcia, as well as potentially opening the doors to other undocumented immigrants who aspire to become lawyers, California's decision has also been controversial , even among proponents of immigrant rights.  If anything, Mr. Garcia is an example of why the time for immigration reform has come.  States such as California are beginning to recognize the value of immigrants, documented and undocumented, and want to make sure their potential is realized.  Yet the federal government remains completely incapable of even remotely reaching a compromise.  As we begin 2014, look for more cases like Mr. Garcia's.  Every state may not grant law licenses to qualifying undocumented immigrants, ...

As I sat here looking at Facebook, listening to the howling winds outside and thinking about the 0 degree temperatures I have no intention of facing today, I saw the following video shared on a friend's timeline:   While the language used by "el patrón de la migra" is more than a little harsh, I have to say I was impressed by the creative use of lucha libre to express many of the feelings both sides feel about the immigration debate. I actually thought "el patrón" humanized immigrants to the some degree by vocalizing what many of them hear every day from those who are not saying it for entertainment value. In fact, my favorite part of the video had to be when the promoter explained , "After the cameras are turned off, the lights turned off, and the show's over, you'd be surprised at that small little line by the locker room of Latinos who want autographs of la migra." Maybe if we could all just attend some wrestling matches together,...

After a week off for the holiday, there is a lot to talk about.... Obama visits group fasting for immigration reform - With the likelihood of immigration reform falling each day, some groups are resorting to new and more extreme measures to bring attention to the issue.  One such group, the "Fast for Families," has been fasting for weeks on the national mall, foregoing all sustenance with the exception of water.   Obama visited the group on Friday, thanking them for their support of immigration reform and expressing his confidence that reform can still be a reality. State & local government still trying to regulate immigration  - Recently, two communities, Hazleton, PA and Farmer's Branch, TX, have spent millions defending local housing ordinances intended to regulate immigration.  The 3rd and 5th circuits have already struck down the core of each ordinance, but now both cities are petitioning the Supreme Court to review the circuit court decisions.  D...

Are Democrats rooting for the failure of comprehensive immigration reform?   That's what some in the media have theorized .  Could it be that immigration reform will be for Democrats what abortion was for Republicans for so many years?  An issue the party never really takes many positive steps towards resolving, but just by talking about it guarantees support for certain sectors?  Who knows?  Let's just get this passed already. Is immigration reform delayed or defeated?   With John Boehner's announcement this week that there would be no immigration reform in 2013, many have declare immigration reform dead for the time being.  It makes sense.  Many have felt that if reform didn't happen in 2013, it sure wouldn't happen in 2014, an election year.  Still, others aren't so sure and they have a few good historical examples to back them up. Lawsuits.   On Friday, civil rights groups filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland...

Here's a look at what's making news mid-day Clergy, faith leaders urge Paulsen to support immigration reform Yale Law School clinic to file suit over deported veteran Activists to fast on Capitol Hill until Congress passes immigration reform Advocates  press on, despite grim 2013 outlook for immigration reform

Here's a look at what's making news mid-day: National conservative leader's hunger strike for immigration reform "Illegal Immigrant" term banned at UCLA and UC Berkley Illegal immigrant myths extend to organ transplants Entrepreneur immigration can boost economic growth Army vet expelled from U.S. fights deportation Catholics: Full pew push for immigration reform

Remembering the contributions of our immigrant veterans - Being that it is Veteran's Day, it is important to remember the contributions of immigrants to our armed forces.  Lawful Permanent Residents (green card holders) are eligible to enlist in the military.  Each year, an average of about 8,000.00 non-citizens enlist in the U.S. military. As of 2008, there were more than 65,000 immigrants enrolled in the armed forces.  That constitutes about 5% of all active duty military personnel.  Non-citizens have served in the armed forces of the United States going back to the Revolutionary War. In the Civil War, more than 140,000 Irish immigrants alone served in the United States army.  Whole regiments  were made up exclusively of Irish immigrants.  Several of these regiments were formed into the "Irish Brigade," a famed unit that saw action in some of the most important battles of the war.  The brigade was so battle tested that only two other U.S. A...