Thursday, May 26, 2011

SC House Passes “Immigration Reform”


Three years ago, South Carolina “Republicans” bragged that they had passed the “toughest immigration law in America.”

Not so much, apparently.

On Tuesday, an updated version of “immigration reform” cleared the S.C. House of Representatives by a 69-43 vote – prompting state lawmakers to once again boast that they had “cracked down” on this hot-button issue.

The House vote sets up a showdown with the State Senate, which passed a fee-laden version of the bill earlier this year.

The “Arizona-style” legislation that passed the House requires state and local law enforcement officers to verify the immigration status of individuals they arrest or stop for traffic violations – and to “complete a data collection form” regarding the “age, gender, and race or ethnicity” of each individual.

That data will be managed by a new Immigration Enforcement Division of the S.C. Department of Public Safety (DPS). Meanwhile, lawmakers would be given the authority to deny state and federal funding to any local law enforcement agency that fails to comply with the new law.

“If the federal government refuses to enforce these laws, the South Carolina General Assembly will support state laws that do,” House Speaker Bobby Harrell said.

That’s tough talk, for sure … but what actually happens after illegal immigrants are identified?


READ MORE of this ARTICLE by FITNEWS.COM

Thursday, May 19, 2011

513 immigrants, stuffed into two semi trucks

WATCH VIDEO

12 hours ago - KTVK 3TV Phoenix 3:08 | 267 views


PHOENIX - A recent photograph showed 513 immigrants, stuffed into two semi trucks en route from Guatemala to the United States. Busted by an x-ray machine which showed people packed like sardines.…

Georgia passes immigration reform

Georgia has passed an immigration reform bill that is similar to Arizona's SB 1070, which had empowered that state's local law enforcement officers to check the immigration status of criminal suspects they believed were in the country illegally. However, after signing the legislation on Friday, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal made sure to say the state is trying to work with, not against, the federal government in enforcing the nation's immigration laws.

Along with giving local law enforcement the authority to enforce federal immigration laws, Georgia's "Illegal Immigration Reform and Enforcement Act of 2011" also requires employers to use the federal E-Verify system to confirm the legal status of new hires. It also includes provisions on new training for police officers and sheriff's deputies to implement the law, as well as additional funding to counties for confinement of state inmates. "Georgia is a welcoming state with vibrant immigrant communities and a highly diverse population," Deal said in a statement. "There's no better way to promote the quality of life of all who live here and no better way to protect taxpayers than upholding the rule of law."

Georgia has the sixth-highest number of illegal immigrants of any state, according to Deal, and that status creates "enormous expense to Georgia taxpayers." "Those who claim that this law will have a negative financial impact on Georgia completely ignore the billions of dollars Georgians have spent on our schools, our hospitals, our courtrooms and our jails because of people who are in our state illegally," Deal said.
Deal also said lawmakers took into account federal objections to other states' immigration laws, such as Arizona's SB 1070, when writing Georgia's new law. For example, a federal judge threw out parts of Arizona's law in July, including the portion allowing police to ID suspected illegal immigrants. "We do not wish to go to war with the federal government. We wish to partner with the federal government to enforce the current law of the nation," Deal said. "Illegal immigration is a complex and troublesome issue, and no state alone can fix it. We will continue to have a broken system until we have a federal solution. In the meantime, states must act to defend their taxpayers."

Read Deal's entire press release and download the new law.

HB 87 - Illegal Immigration Reform and Enforcement Act of 2011; enact

Article provided by American City & County


Wednesday, May 18, 2011

DEVELOPMENT RELIEF & EDUCATION for ALIEN MINORS: DREAM ACT

The Dream Act

The DREAM Act (acronym for Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) is a American legislative proposal first introduced in the Senate on August 1, 2001[1] and most recently on May 11, 2011 when the bill was re-introduced in the U.S. Senate [2].
This bill would provide conditional permanent residency to certain illegal and deportable alien students who graduate from US high schools, who are of good moral character, arrived in the U.S. legally or illegally as minors, and have been in the country continuously for at least five years prior to the bill's enactment. If they were to complete two years in the military or two years at a four year institution of higher learning, the students would obtain temporary residency for a six year period. Within the six year period, a qualified student must have "acquired a degree from an institution of higher education in the United States or [have] completed at least 2 years, in good standing, in a program for a bachelor's degree or higher degree in the United States," or have "served in the armed services for at least 2 years and, if discharged, [have] received an honorable discharge."[3] Military enlistment contracts require an eight year commitment, with active duty commitments typically between four and six years, but as low as two years.[4][5] "Any alien whose permanent resident status is terminated [according to the terms of the Act] shall return to the immigration status the alien had immediately prior to receiving conditional permanent resident status under this Act."[6]
In a December 2010 report, the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation estimated that the November 30th, 2010 version of the dream act would "reduce deficits by about $1.4 billion over the 2011-2020 period and increase government revenues by $2.3 billion over the next 10 years."[7] Moreover, a recent UCLA study estimates that between $1.4 trillion and $3.6 trillion in taxable income would be generated for the economy over a 40 year period based upon estimates ranging between 825,000 and 2.1 million potential DREAM Act beneficiaries successfully obtaining legal status through the legislation.[8]

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The Dream Act - Info


This information is based on the current legislation introduced on March 26, 2009 by Senator Richard Durbin and Representative Howard Berman.

Purpose

The purpose of the Development, Relief and Education of Alien Minors Act, also called the DREAM Act, is to help those individuals who meet certain requirements, have an opportunity to enlist in the military or go to college and have a path to citizenship which they otherwise would not have without this legislation. Supporters of the DREAM Act believe it is vital not only to the people who would benefit from it, but also the United States as a whole. It would give an opportunity to undocumented immigrant students who have been living in the U.S. since they were young, a chance to contribute back to the country that has given so much to them and a chance to utilize their hard earned education and talents.

Would I qualify?

The following is a list of specific requirements one would need in order to qualify for the current version of the DREAM Act.
  • Must have entered the United States before the age of 16 (i.e. 15 and younger)
  • Must have been present in the United States for at least five (5) consecutive years prior to enactment of the bill
  • Must have graduated from a United States high school, or have obtained a GED, or have been accepted into an institution of higher education (i.e. college/university)
  • Must be between the ages of 12 and 35 at the time of application
  • Must have good moral character
If you have met all those requirements and can prove it, once the DREAM Act passes you will be able to do the following:

What do I need to do if the DREAM Act should pass?

If the DREAM Act passes, an undocumented individual meeting those qualifying conditions stated above, would have to do the following:
  1. Apply for the DREAM Act (Since the legislation has not yet passed, there are no specific guidelines on how to apply)
  2. Once approved and granted Conditional Permanent Residency, the individual would have to do one of the following:
    1. Enroll in an institution of higher education in order to pursue a bachelor's degree or higher degree or
    2. Enlist in one of the branches of the United States Military
  3. Within 6 years of approval for conditional permanent residency, the individual must have completed at least two (2) years of one of the options outlined in the previous step
  4. Once 5 ½ years of the 6 years have passed, the individual will then be able to apply for Legal Permanent Residency (dropping the conditional part) and consequently will be able to apply for United States Citizenship
Those who have already completed at least 2 years of college education towards a bachelor's degree or higher degree, will still have to wait the 5 ½ years in order to apply for Legal Permanent Residency even though you may have already obtained a degree.
Students who do not complete the requirements will be disqualified .

Sources

To see the text of the legislation go here. Under word/phrase, click on Bill Number instead, type in S. 729 (in the Senate) or H.R. 1751 (in the House), in the search box and you will be directed to the bill.

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Wednesday, May 11, 2011

AZ. Gov. Brewer predicts: Obama's El Paso talk of immigration reform no sale

...

Governor Jan Brewer of Arizona predicts, "I believe, that  tomorrow, he's going to be talking about comprehensive immigration. Well, that's not going to sell in Arizona.  I don't think it's going to sell in America."
"I believe he's doing it for political reasons and I think that no one wants to talk about any of these other issues, until we get our borders secured," said Brewer, adding, "The people of Arizona are frustrated - this issue is not going to go away."

 
...

 
The Obama administration has fought back in courts against implementation of Arizona's Bill 1070, a law fully supported by most border states but so controversial that liberals have labeled it "The Gestapo Law,". The Federal government has  posited it as an infringement on Federal responsibility. The Department of Justice prevailed, winning an injunction blocking Arizona's rights to go forward with many of  their immigration enforcement plans.

Continue reading on Examiner.com

Texas House passes immigration reform bill

The Texas House passed a controversial immigration reform measure ...


The state House passed HB 12, the controversial “Sanctuary Cities” legislation, which would prohibit cities, counties and other governmental entities or special districts from adopting a policy that prevents law enforcement from asking persons lawfully detained or arrested if they are in the country legally.

The measure was passed on a 100 to 47 vote just after midnight.
 
...
RELATED INFORMATION BELOW:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Cities Call for Comprehensive Immigration Reform

WASHINGTON, May 10, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/

--In the wake of President Obama's speech discussing immigration reform, the National League of Cities (NLC) reiterates its call for comprehensive immigration reform at the federal level.  The plethora of immigration measures being proposed by state and local governments demonstrates a clear need for federal leadership on the issue. 



NLC calls for the President and Congress to overcome their differences and find a way to move forward.  Reform will provide an avenue for cities to move people out of the shadows and allow them to become fully contributing participants within their communities.

"Immigration has been a source for economic growth and innovation.  From its founding, the nation has been strengthened socially, culturally and economically by recent immigrants," said James E. Mitchell Jr., president of NLC and Councilmember, Charlotte, NC.  He continued, "Our nation needs to remain open to new sources of ideas and inspiration if we are to compete in the global market."

NLC supports legislation with the following key principals:
  • Providing greater border security and enforcement;
  • Recognizing the human and civil rights of both citizens and non-citizens;
  • Strengthening penalties against employers who knowingly employ undocumented workers;
  • Creating a program for the admission of temporary workers based upon the needs of the economy and over time qualifying for legal permanent residency;
  • Providing adequate fiscal support for city and state governments that are disproportionately shouldering the costs of the current broken immigration system; and
  • Establishing a process whereby the 12 million undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States may earn legalized status through payment of appropriate fees and back taxes, background checks, absence of criminal or gang activity, consistent work history, meeting English and civics requirements, and "waiting their place in line."

NLC is at the forefront in working with cities on their immigrant integration challenges. Through the Municipal Action for Immigration Integration (MAII) program, NLC promotes civic engagement and naturalization among immigrant communities.

The National League of Cities is the nation's oldest and largest organization devoted to strengthening and promoting cities as centers of opportunity, leadership and governance.  NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans.

www.nlc.org
www.nlctv.org
www.citiesspeak.org
www.twitter.com/leagueofcities

President Obama pushes immigration overhaul

EL PASO, Texas — President Barack Obama Tuesday challenged lawmakers to enact immigration reform, declaring that immigrants benefit the U.S. economy and that the border is more secure than ever.



“The question is whether those in Congress who previously walked away in the name of enforcement are now ready to come back to the table and finish the work that we’ve started,”... “We’ve got to put the politics aside.”

...

“We’re here at the border today because we also recognize that being a nation of laws goes hand-in-hand with being a nation of immigrants,” Obama said at Chamizal National Memorial park, a dusty outpost on the bluffs of the Rio Grande named for a century-long border dispute. Obama made his now-familiar moral argument for immigration reform and reiterated his proposals: provide a path to citizenship, secure the borders, improve the existing immigration system and crack down on employers who exploit illegal workers.
 
...
“We have gone above and beyond what was requested by the very Republicans who said they supported broader reform as long as we got serious about enforcement,” Obama said. “Maybe (next) they’ll say we need a moat. Or alligators in the moat.”
 
...

Obama also is hitting hard the argument that immigrants, with their hard work and entrepreneurship, are a boon to the U.S. economy.

...

He stressed that some bipartisan support for comprehensive reform already exists — including from conservative media mogul Rupert Murdoch.

“That’s Rupert Murdoch, the owner of Fox News and an immigrant himself,” Obama said. “I don’t know if you’re familiar with his views, but let’s just say he doesn’t have an Obama bumper sticker on his car.”

Yet Obama’s efforts to reshape a familiar issue to make it more appealing on economic and law enforcement grounds isn’t likely to persuade lawmakers to overhaul immigration policy before the 2012 election.


READ MORE OF THIS ARTICLE

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

DHS Secretary Napolitano: U.S. Justice Will Decide Whether to Challenge Georgia Immigration Reform

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano side-stepped whether the White House will challenge Georgia’s new immigration law in federal court when she spoke to an Atlanta Press Club luncheon on Saturday, but the secretary left no doubt President Barack Obama has no interest in state-by-state immigration reform.

“Those legal determinations will be made in consultation with the Department of Justice, but I think these efforts at the state-by-state level, first of all, they are predicated on a falsity,” Napolitano said at The Commerce Club.  “The falsity is that there has been nothing done and the border somehow is out of control.  That is incorrect,” she said in response to a question.

....

Georgia Governor Nathan Deal’s office says he will sign House Bill 87 which is similar but not identical to the Arizona legislation.  Georgia legislation was passed by the General Assembly this year as a statement that state legislators are tired of waiting for federal immigration reform.

The Department of Homeland Security says Georgia has 480,000 illegal immigrant residents.

Napolitano told the Atlanta Press Club, “This is what the President has said and what I’ve been saying.  State by state won’t cut it.  It’s got to be a federal reform of immigration laws if we are really going to deal with this issue.  Look at the way our system is set up.  Read the case law.  Read the Constitution and you will realize immigration is fundamentally a federal issue.”

READ MORE

African-American, Caribbean- American & Hispanic Pastors challenge Immigration critics' divisive charges

A coalition of African-American, Caribbean-American and Hispanic-American pastors will hold a joint press conference on Tuesday, May 10 at 2:30 p.m. to respond to scurrilous attempts by immigration foes to divide ethnic groups in order to derail comprehensive immigration reform.
 
 
 
WHAT: African-American, Caribbean-American and Hispanic pastors' coalition challenges
immigration opponents and urges comprehensive immigration reform
WHEN: Tuesday, May 10, 2:30 PM
WHERE: Colonial Room, Mayflower Hotel, 1127 Connecticut Ave. NW
SPEAKERS:
  • Rev. Derrick Harkins, Nineteenth Street Baptist Church, Washington D.C.
  • Rev. Luis Cortes, Jr., Esperanza, Philadelphia, PA
  • Bishop Orlando Findlayter, Chairman, Churches United to Save and Heal, New York, NY
  • Rev. Harvey Clemons, Jr., Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, Houston, Texas
READ MORE

Immigration Reform Solutions

Immigration reform is about to make headlines again. Will the GOP screw it up as they always do?

Utah passed immigration reform already:

...Utah’s plan ... would allow undocumented immigrants to get a permit and work legally, after paying a fine of up to $2500 and meeting other conditions...

... In Utah’s version, anyone who is arrested for a felony or serious misdemeanor has to show proof of citizenship...

READ MORE OF THIS ARTICLE

Obama presses case for immigration reform- By Greg Sargent

President Obama is set to travel to Texas tomorrow, where he’ll renew his push for immigration reform.
                    
The talking points also suggest that Obama’s message will rest heavily on the assertion that his administration has dealt with people’s preliminary objection to immigration reform by successfully tackling border security, meaning it’s now time for a permanent solution:
· ... immigration reform is an economic imperative...
        · ... we need to reform our immigration system ...
· ... we must fix our current system...
· ... eliminate a massive underground economy that exploits a cheap source of labor...
        · ...strengthening border security...
       
        · ...border patrol agents today is double what it was in 2004...

READ MORE:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/obama-presses-case-for-immigration-reform/2011/03/03/AFyc3paG_blog.html