Archive for the ‘Immigration Reform’ Category

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California Murder Suspect Had Seven Felonies and Five Deportations Francisco Sanchez, who shot and killed Kate Steinle at San Franciscos Pier 14, is an illegal alien with seven convictions and five deportations under his belt. The suspect admitted to killing the young woman at the popular tourist destination in an interview released this weekend. Delaware Senate Approves Bill to Give Drivers Licenses to Illegal Aliens On June 23, the Delaware Senate approved S.B. 59 to allow illegal alien residents in the state to receive drivers licenses. The Senate voted 17-1 to advance the bill for approval in the House of Representatives. California Governor and Legislators Craft Deal to Give Illegal Aliens Health Care Last Wednesday, California Governor Jerry Brown and a handful of state legislators announced that they reached a $115.4 billion budget agreement to cover illegal aliens in the states Medi-Cal program. Federal law already requires states to... Illinois Passes Bill to Give Law Licenses to DACA Beneficiaries Last week, the Illinois General Assembly passed S.B. 23 to allow illegal aliens granted deferred action under President Obamas DACA program admission to the state bar. The bill enables DACA beneficiaries to practice law in the state despite not having a legal immigration status.

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Florida Immigration Reform – FSHCC

The U.S. government will now allow minors in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras who have a relative living legally in the United States to apply for asylum or a residency permit at offices in their own country, Vice President Joe Biden said Friday.

Topics: hispanic children, immigration reform, immigration news

U.S. President Barack Obama plans to announce next week a package of executive measures that will protect some five million undocumented immigrants from deportation, The New York Times reported Thursday.

Topics: Florida Immigration Reform, immigration reform, obama

Unaccompanied minors from Central America are flooding across the United States-Mexico border in response to rumors that American immigration policy is changing. The kids want in before its too late.

Topics: hispanic children, immigration reform, American Dream, Immigrants

With President Obamas decision to delay executive action on immigration until after the November elections, the hopes of thousands of American families facing deportation were dashed. On a press call yesterday, national, local immigration advocates, legal experts, and family membersincluding those profiled by Julia Preston of the New York Times todaydiscussed current Ohio deportation cases in the pipeline and the many good people and families who simply dont have two months to wait for action on immigration. To listen to the call click here.

Topics: hispanic community, immigration reform, immigration, hispanic families

Comprehensive immigration reform legislation would give a majority of Americas 11 million undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship and work authorization. But with immigration reform stalled in the House, President Obama announced that he plans to fix as much of our immigration system as I can on my own, without Congress. The President is reportedly considering deferring the deportations of up to 5 million immigrants, starting with those with families. While most columnists have supported the Presidents authority to take action, a minority have accused President Obama of rewriting the law and called him a domestic Caesar.

Topics: Florida Immigration News, Florida Immigration Reform, Florida Hispanic community, Obama administration

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Florida Immigration Reform - FSHCC

Immigration Reform 2015: DHS Decreases Deportations …

Under the direction of the Obama administration, the Department of Homeland Security has started changing the enforcement of United States immigration laws, focusing on integrating long-term undocumented immigrants instead of deporting them. The DHS has shifted its methods of enforcement to target onlythree groups of undocumented immigrants for deportation: convicted criminals, terrorism threats or those who recently crossed the border, according to the Washington Post.

The new policies push agents to ignore the majority of undocumented immigrants except for the three focus groups, and come amid legal challenges to the President Barack Obama's executive action from last year, Deferred Action for Parents of Americans, which protected roughly 5 million eligible undocumented immigrants from deportation who have children who are U.S. citizens or legal residents before a federal judge put a stay on its enforcement until the conclusion of the lawsuits.

The change in DHS policy, however, merely governs the actions of immigration officials, rather than offering undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship, which may have a wider effect, according to the Washington Post.

"We are making it clear that we should not expend our limited resources on deporting those who have been here for years, have committed no serious crimes, and have, in effect, become integrated members of our society," said Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson in a recent speech. "These people are here, they live among us, and they are not going away."

The news comes after a Monday report by the Center for New Community revealing that DHS employees have been colluding with white nationalist, anti-immigrant groups. Unions representing Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents consulted the Federation for American Immigration Reform, the Center for Immigration Studies and NumbersUSA, three anti-immigration groups, on immigration enforcement, according to Al Jazeera.

Many suggest that the policy changes may make drastic changes to the relationship between immigration enforcement and undocumented immigrants.

"It does have the potential to be extremely significant," Marielena Hincapie, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center, told the Washington Post about the policy change. "It would allow people to live without that noose over their heads of the threat of deportation at all times."

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Immigration Reform 2015: DHS Decreases Deportations ...

Immigration – Times Topics – The New York Times

Jul. 1, 2015

United Nations refugee agency reports that record 137,000 people have crossed Mediterranean Sea in search of better life in Europe so far in 2015; figure represents an 83 percent increase from 2014, and highlights growing refugee crisis. MORE

Op-Ed article by policy expert Nils Muiznieks argues that Europe's ambivalent and even cruel response to refugee crisis represents unacceptable backsliding on shared values of human rights that have marked Continent's progress since World War II; calls for more humane laws concerning migrants, stronger search-and-rescue operations in the Mediterranean and several other measures. MORE

European leaders end two-day summit meeting in Brussels about Continent's migration crisis with pledge to spread 40,000 refugees across nations, though plan lacks any details; meeting exposed angry passions and deep divisions among countries, made more fraught by failure of Greek debt negotiations. MORE

Violent anti-immigration protests in Slovakia and gains by right-wing Danish People's Party in Denmark's elections contribute to sense of fragmentation across European Union as it struggles to keep Greece from default and hold its currency together. MORE

Indonesian smuggler says Australian authorities stopped his boat at sea and paid him over $30,000 to return 65 migrants he was carrying to Indonesia; story, if confirmed, points to tightening of Australia's immigration policy under Prime Min Tony Abbott and potential violation of Austrailan, Indonesian and international laws governing smuggling, bribery and treatment of asylum seekers. MORE

Supreme Court votes, 5-4, to uphold denial of visa for American Fauzia Din's Afghan husband Kanishka Berashk, who was barred from entry into United States because of his past connections to Taliban. MORE

Editorial examines incidents at Walt Disney World and elsewhere that highlight deep problems with the H-1B visa program, saying it allows companies to recruit skilled foreign workers, through outsourcing programs, for pittance at expense of their American counterparts; observes that loopholes allow companies to subvert program created to help companies fill skill gaps when domestic candidates are unavailable; calls on lawmakers to amend program as part of larger immigration reform bill. MORE

United Nations officials say some of 65 Asian migrants who arrived in Indonesia after being intercepted by Australian authorities tell refugee workers that Australians paid smugglers to take them to Indonesia; report has raised questions about hard-line immigration policies that helped Australian Prime Min Tony Abbot win election in 2013. MORE

Politicians in Italy's north say they will not shelter any more migrants rescued in Mediterranean Sea; announcement comes as rescuers pluck 6,000 more migrants from waters. MORE

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Immigration - Times Topics - The New York Times

Obama and Immigration Reform – The Atlantic

Time and again, the Obama administration has stepped forward with a new initiative on immigration. Time and again, those efforts have encountered difficulty, and time and again the White House has thrown up its hands, said it has done all it can, and tried to move on. And each time, immigration advocates have reacted furiously, successfully pressuring the administration to take back up the banner.

That recurring pattern has led to major shifts in immigration policy over the last three years. When the DREAM Act died in Congress, President Obama instituted a policyDeferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACAthat achieved many of the same goals. When immigration reform foundered in Congress, Obama unveiled an executive action that expanded DACA. (Actually, he promised to do so before the 2014 midterm elections, then flinched, then issued the rule after the election.)

Once again, Obamas initiatives have hit a rough stretch, though. First, in February, federal district Judge Andrew Hanen ruled against the program in a suit brought by Republican officials in 26 states. In addition, he put an injunction against it, meaning the administration couldnt move forward with it while the challenge was ongoing. The administration appealed Hanens decision to the Fifth Circuit, and it separately made an emergency request to the circuit to remove the injunction. On Tuesday, a panel of judges refused to stay the injunction, and on Wednesday the administration quietly said it wouldnt appeal that decision to the Supreme Court.

A Lonely Life for Immigrants in America's Rust Belt

But something strange has happened: Rather than erupt in anger at the White Houses concession, advocates have mostly lined up behind it. Why is this time different?

Part of it is legal strategy. Part of it is politics. But perhaps the largest part of it is a simple matter of trust: For the first time in a long time, the relationship between the White House and immigration advocates seems to be going well.

Obviously, our experience has been like pounding our heads against the wall for the first six years. Increasingly, advocates were seen as opponents rather than folks they could partner with, said Frank Sharry, the executive director of pro-reform group Americas Voice. But now, Sharry said of Obama, Hes earned more trust.

The low point in the relationship came in September 2014, when Obamahaving promised executive action before the electionchanged his mind, bowing to pressure from Democrats in tough races who worried the move would endanger them. Advocates were livid. (Democrats were still pummeled at the polls in November.)

Maybe the relationship just had to hit rock bottom to recover. Advocates were jubilant when Obama finally moved forward in November, and the legal challenge to the rule offered a chance for the White House to demonstrate good faith once again. When Hanen ruled against the administration, the administration appealed the decision to the circuit court. But it also requested an emergency stay of the injunction, asking the court to let it move forward with the changes while the legal challenge moved on.

If they hadnt gone forward after Hanen imposed the original injunction, I think things would have blown up, Sharry said. It was at a moment when we were like, can we trust these guys? DOJ was hemming and hawing about whether they should try to overturn the stay. The White House said, advocates want action. We felt heard. It was a unified call, and they responded.

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Obama and Immigration Reform - The Atlantic