One of the most difficult issues facing America today is the question of how to address illegal immigration. There is the very human aspect of deportations and families being broken apart, of people dying in the desert on the Southern border in their effort escape poverty, and of people who are working hard and contributing to this country. At the same time, there are those who want to uphold the rule of law, who see America's way of life being eroded by the influx of eleven-plus million illegal immigrants, and who are concerned about securing the border.
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FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
The White
House:
Immigration
June 15, 2012 Deferred action
status for qualifying young people.
Aug. 18, 2011 Change in policy on
deportations.
Transcript May 10, 2011 Remarks on
comprehensive immigration reform.
Transcript
July
1, 2010 Remarks on comprehensive immigration reform.
U.S. Senate Committee on Judiciary - Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security
U.S.
House
Committee
on
Judiciary
-
Subcommittee on Immigration,
Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law
Congressional
Immigration
Reform Caucus (Rep. Brian Bilbray, Chair)
Congressional
Hispanic
Caucus
(Rep.
Nydia
Velazquez,
Chair)
Department
of
Homeland
Security
-U.S. Immigration
and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
"responsible for
identifying
and shutting down vulnerabilities in the nation’s border, economic,
transportation
and infrastructure security."
-U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services (USCIS)
"responsible for the
administration
of immigration and naturalization adjudication functions and
establishing
immigration services policies and priorities."
STATES
National
Conference
of
State
Legislatures
Arizona S.B. 1070:
U.S. Supreme Court: Arizona v.
United States - oral
arguments, decision.
[PDF]
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit: USA v. State of
Arizona.
U.S. District Court-District of Arizona: SB
1070
Case
Information.
Arizona files a countersuit
against the federal government, Feb. 10, 2011.
DOJ press release
on challenging constitutionality of S.B. 1070, July 6, 2010 | response.
Gov. Jan Brewer's remarks on
signing S.B. 1070, April 23, 2010.
Some responses:
NDLON, NCLR
Arizona
Border
Security
Information
Center
LOCAL
Ohio Jobs & Justice
PAC: List of Sanctuary Cities
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
think tank/policy
Center for Immigration Studies
"...an independent, non-partisan, non-profit research organization founded in 1985. It is the nation's only think tank devoted exclusively to research and policy analysis of the economic, social, demographic, fiscal, and other impacts of immigration on the United States... It is the Center's mission to expand the base of public knowledge and understanding of the need for an immigration policy that gives first concern to the broad national interest. The Center is animated by a pro-immigrant, low-immigration vision which seeks fewer immigrants but a warmer welcome for those admitted."
American Immigration Council (formerly American Immigration Law Foundation)
"honoring our immigrant history and shaping how
Americans think about and act towards immigration now and in the
future..."
Educating citizens about the enduring contributions of America's
immigrants; Standing up for sensible and humane immigration policies
that reflect American values; Insisting that our immigration laws be
enacted and implemented in a
way that honors fundamental constitutional and human rights; Working
tirelessly to achieve justice and fairness for immigrants under the law.
Immigration
Policy Center - the research and policy arm of the American
Immigration Council.
"an independent non-partisan, non-profit think-tank dedicated to the study of the movement of people worldwide."
"a nonpartisan research organization that seeks to improve understanding of the U.S. Hispanic population and to chronicle Latinos' growing impact on the nation."
controlling the border
Federation for
American
Immigration Reform
"FAIR seeks to improve border security, to stop illegal immigration, and to promote immigration levels consistent with the national interest—more traditional rates of about 300,000 a year."
"on-line action tool to limit U.S. overpopulation and over immigration"
"A Minuteman believes in a strong, safe and secure America that begins with borders open only to those who have a legal right to enter, and who have met all the lawful criteria to cross into our territory established by the sovereign American people. Minutemen vow to use every legal means at our disposal to assist law enforcement authorities in identifying and apprehending those who violate our borders, whether they are illegally trafficking people, weapons, arms, property, sexual slaves or any other contraband."
Let Freedom Ring's WeNeedAFence.com
"promoting a
state-of-the-art
border fence between the U.S. and Mexico."
Immigration Reform Law
Institute
"a public interest legal education and advocacy organization dedicated to advocating for the rights and interests of United States citizens in immigration-related matters.
comprehensive
immigration reform
Campaign to
Reform Immigration for America
"The Campaign to Reform Immigration for America is a united national effort that brings together individuals and grassroots organizations with the mission to build support for workable comprehensive immigration reform. The Campaign to Reform Immigration for America is, in part, a project of the Tides Advocacy Fund."
"The mission
of America’s Voice is to realize the promise
of workable and humane comprehensive immigration reform."
Fair Immigration Reform Movement
"the meeting place and united voice of the dynamic
grassroots movement
advocating for comprehensive immigration reform and the civil rights of
immigrants in America... FIRM is a project of the Center for
Community Change, a national organization dedicated to improving the
lives of low-income people and people of color."
"The mission of the
National
Immigration Forum is to embrace and uphold America’s tradition as a
nation
of immigrants. The Forum advocates and builds support for public
policies
that welcome immigrants and refugees and are fair and supportive to
newcomers
in the United States."
"a multicultural, migrant youth-led, social media hub for the movement to pass the DREAM Act and pursue the enactment of other forms of legislation that aim to mend the broken immigration system."
"Immigrants who want to become citizens and live in
the
U.S.
permanently
would have to comply with existing laws and procedures. The Red Card
Solution creates a different system for the vast majority merely
seeking work in the U.S."
COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS
see the list
at Campaign to Reform Immigration for America
Casa
de
Maryland
CASA's primary mission is to work with the community to improve the quality of life and fight for equal treatment and full access to resources and opportunities for low-income Latinos and their families. CASA also works with other low-income immigrant communities and organizations, makes its programs and activities available to them, and advocates for social, political, and economic justice for all low-income communities."
Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
"...dedicated to promote the rights of immigrants and refugees to full and equal participation in the civic, cultural, social, and political life of our diverse society.In partnership with our member organizations, the Coalition educates and organizes immigrant and refugee communities to assert their rights; promotes citizenship and civic participation; monitors, analyzes, and advocates on immigrant-related issues; and, informs the general public about the contributions of immigrants and refugees."
THINK TANKS
Brookings
Cato Institute
Center
for
American
Progress
The Heritage
Foundation
PARTY PLATFORMS
Democrats, Republicans and Major Third
Parties
OVERVIEW
The immigration issue is highly politicized, and the two sides
routinely talk
past
each
other. Frequently one hears straw
arguments about the impossibility and
consequences of suddenly deporting millions of people. People who
want to
control illegal
immigration are accused of being racist. Discussion is often
driven by political calculations rather than what is best for the
country. Potentially millions of votes are at stake.
Progressive and labor groups see the possibility of adding to their
ranks. Progressives argued that President Obama would lose votes
if he failed to keep his
promises. Conservatives often seem to be seeking to out-tough
their opponents on the immigration
issue. (see for example Republican presidential primary ads from 2007 bottom of
page
or some of the rhetoric from the 2012 Republican presidential primary).
In 1994 California voters passed Proposition 187, which would have denied public services to illegal immigrants; the measure wound its way through the courts before dying in 1999 (1,2). The issue was again brought sharply into focus by S.B. 1070, the tough measure signed into law by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) on April 23, 2010. The U.S. Department of Justice filed suit challenging the constitutionality of Arizona's law on July 6, and half a dozen other lawsuits were filed as well. In Phoenix on July 28, one day before the law was to take effect, U.S. District Judge Susan R. Bolton issued a preliminary injunction blocking major provisions of S.B. 1070 from being implemented. In February 2011, the State of Arizona filed a countersuit against the federal government. During 2011 other states including Utah, Indiana, Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina passed laws similar to S.B. 1070. Meanwhile, the Arizona case was winding its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which heard oral arguments in Arizona v. United States on April 25, 2012. On June 25 the Court issued an opinon striking down some portions of the SB 1070, but upholding the controversial "papers please" provision (>).
An August 2010 report (>)
by
the
Pew
Hispanic
Center
found
that
one
in
eight
children
born
in
the
United
States
in
2008
had
an
"unauthorized
immigrant
parent
[or
parents]"
According
to
the
report,
"In
total,
4
million
U.S.-born
children
of
unauthorized
immigrant
parents
resided
in
this
country
in
2009,
alongside
1.1
million
foreign-born
children
of
unauthorized
immigrant
parents."
This
led
to
a discussion of "anchor babies"
and whether the 14th Amendment needs to be revised.
The most high profile piece of federal legislation in the past several years has been the DREAM Act (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act), which would provide a pathway to legal status for undocumented students. First introduced in 2001, the bill fell short in the lame duck session of Congress following the 2010 mid-term elections. On June 15, 2012, the Obama Administration announced a temporary, and controversial, fix, a deferred action process on deportations for qualifying youths brought to this country illegally by their parents (>).
June 25, 2012--Scene
outside
the U.S. Supreme
Court on the day the Court issued its decision on Arizona v. United States.
April 25, 2012--Scene
outside
the
U.S.
Supreme
Court
on
the
day
of
oral
arguments on Arizona v. United
States.
OLDER PHOTOS
July 28, 2010--Children's
march
against
deportations.
July 20, 2010--DREAM
Act
mock
graduation.
May 19, 2010--Visit
of
Mexican
President
Felipe
Calderón.
May 1, 2010--Rally
and
civil
disobedience
for
comprehensive
immigration reform.
March 21, 2010--Reform
Immigration
for
America
March
on Washington.
MORE OLDER PHOTOS
[use
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Sept.
7,
2006--Immigrant rights rally.
May
17,
2006--Lobbying (a)
and
immigrant
rights
mass
rally
and
march
(b).
May
12,
2006--Minutemen rally after cross country caravan.
May
1,
2006--"You Don't Speak for Me" press conference.
April
16,
2006--Former Speaker Newt Gingrich speaks on "Ending the
Dishonesty:
The Way Forward on Border Control and Patriotic Immigration."
April
10,
2006--"National Day of Action for Immigrant Justice" rally for
comprehensive immigration reform.
April
4,
2006--Announcing the May 1 "The Great American Boycott 2006."
April
4,
2006--Immigration summit at the United States Hispanic Chamber of
Commerce's 16th Annual Legislative Conference.
Feb.
8,
2006--Rally on immigration organized by the Minuteman Project.