Immigration at the Border
Chertoff and Immigration: Clean House, Dirty Record
The irony of all ironies in the current Administration's fight against undocumented immigration came today when news broke that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) head, and immigration hard-liner, Michael Chertoff, was himself paying undocumented immigrants to clean his house. In fact, according to the cleaning company's owner, James D. Reid, "workers sailed through the checks." Tom Barry of the TransBorder Project of the Center for International Policy says: Despite a wave of lawsuits, investigative reports criticizing DHS detention practices, and protests by immigrant advocates, Chertoff has forged ahead with the controversial border fence, the large-scale jailing of illegal immigrants, and programs to enforce immigration law at the workplace. Read More
Napolitano’s DHS Move: Lucky Country, Poor Arizona
Janet Napolitano of Arizona, Obama's pick for head of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is a border governor who's been in the eye of the immigration storm. Time and time again, she's proved that she understands that it is in our nation's interest to not only secure our borders, but also to provide for a realistic and practical immigration system that is in tune with our country's economic needs. Yet what does the Napolitano pick mean for Arizona? --"Lucky country. Poor Arizona," says a New York Times editorial. Read More
Texas Driver’s License Policy Ill Substitute for Immigration Reform
Texas recently tightened its driver's license policy, making it more difficult for immigrants to get an original, renewal, or duplicate driver's license or state ID card. All applicants must now not only prove they are lawfully in the U.S., noncitizens will also receive a driver's license that is distinct from that of U.S. citizens. This has already resulted in discrimination and the denial of licenses to people who should have qualified. Texas already had strict identity requirements and prohibited undocumented immigrants from obtaining licenses. The new rules mean that noncitizens will get specially designed vertical licenses and anyone who has a visa scheduled to expire in less than six months will not be able to get a license. The special licenses expire with the expiration date of the person's visa. Read More
Fewer Immigrants Coming In, More Going Underground
The impact of the current recession on immigrants and immigration is complex and far from common sense. On the one had, fewer immigrants come and more go home since there are fewer jobs to be had. On the other hand, the absurdities of current enforcement policies drive many immigrants underground, to the long-term detriment of the economy. Two recent articles illustrate these complexities. The Miami Herald announced "Illegal Immigrants Going Home, and Local Labor Market at Risk," and explained how the faltering U.S. economy has meant immigrants are less likely to find regular work, causing some immigrants -legal as well as unauthorized -- to return to their home countries or move to other states because they are unable to find work here. Experts warn that when the economy improves, there will be labor shortages in immigrant-worker industries. Read More
DHS Messages on NPR Cause a Stir
Listeners have lit up the phone lines at National Public Radio (NPR) in response to a message the station is currently running on behalf of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) promoting the E-Verify employment verification system, a controversial and error-ridden program designed to give employers a way to check a person's immigration status. NPR's ombudsman recently responded at great length noting: Whenever NPR's Talk of the Nation dips into the topic of immigration, the national call-in show's telephone board lights up like a Christmas tree. Immigration is an especially hot-button topic. So it's not surprising that when NPR began running a funding credit on Nov. 10 for the Department of Homeland Security's E-Verify program, my office heard from listeners and a few concerned public radio station managers. They all questioned NPR's judgment in running the credit about the federal computer program that employers use voluntarily to check the legal status of new hires. At the least, some said, it is not a good fit for NPR. Read More
Agriprocessors’ Rubashkin Faces Immigration and Wage Violation Charges
This week, former CEO Sholom Rubashkin of kosher slaughterhouse Agriprocessors pleaded "not guilty" in court to 12-counts involving undocumented immigrants, identity theft and bank fraud. When the kosher meatpacking plant was raided by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials, authorities found not just undocumented workers at the plant, but child laborers, and an employer guilty of a host of crimes, including exploitation, abuse and illegal drug production. The New York Times reported, "Some [workers] said they worked shifts of 12 hours or more, wielding razor-edged knives and saws to slice freshly killed beef. Some worked through the night, sometimes six nights a week." Read More
Virginia Seeks to Help, Not Penalize Immigrants
It looks like someone is getting the message that being anti-immigrant isn’t a winning strategy. The Virginia Commission on Immigration plans to send Gov. Tim Kaine 24 recommendations, “most of which would help immigrants instead of penalizing them.” The recommendations include creating an immigration assistance office, allowing more legal immigrants to qualify for health benefits, offering in-state tuition to immigrants who meet specific criteria, and increasing the number of English classes available. The Commission will also call upon the federal government to increase the number of visas for foreign workers and pass comprehensive immigration legislation. Commission chairman Sen. John C. Watkins, a Republican from Chesterfield, echoed the frustration that states and localities are feeling across the country and stated that, “This is really a federal issue. They have pushed it down toward the states, and the time has come for them to deal with it. We have no jurisdiction.” Read More
Border Governor Janet Napolitano Favored for DHS Post
There’s no one better than a border governor to lead an office in charge of securing our borders and heading immigration enforcement and services. Recent reports indicate Governor Janet Napolitano (D-AZ) is emerging as the front runner for the position of Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under the new Democratic administration. DHS is responsible for protecting the U.S. from terrorism, responding to natural disasters, as well as heading customs and border enforcement, citizenship and immigration services, and the secret service. In choosing Napolitano, the incoming administration is tapping someone who has experience with a variety of enforcement measures, while at the same time signaling their desire to have a strong advocate for immigration reform running the agencies that manage and execute immigration policy in America. Read More
Building Border Walls Around Border Walls
It’s not enough that DHS is building hundreds of miles of walls along the U.S.-Mexico border, creating physical and emotional barriers between us and our neighbor, ally, and trading partner. But now there is a plan to build a wall around a portion of the wall. Friendship Park in San Diego is known as a place where families and friends on both sides of the border can meet each other, have a conversation, and see loved ones through the fence. People on the Mexican and U.S. sides have been known to kiss, dance, pray, protest, and eat “with” each other at the fence. Read More
ICE Partners With San Diego County, Seeks Presence in 3,100 Jails
San Diego County recently announced that it would soon be partnering with ICE and dedicating its energy to identifying immigrants in jail for deportation.ICE unveiled its new program – The Secure Communities Program – in March 2008.It gives jails access to ICE and FBI databases so that they can identify inmates who lack legal status or have a criminal history and then turn them over to ICE for deportation. Through this new initiative, ICE plans to eventually have a presence in every one of the 3,100 local jails throughout the U.S. While removing dangerous criminals from the U.S. is an understandable goal, Secure Communities appears to be the latest in ICE’s attempts to get states and localities to do their jobs for them.The best known of these is the 287(g) program, through which local police are trained by ICE, and agree to jointly enforce immigration laws. Read More
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