Integration
State Lawmakers Push for Reforms to Make College Affordable for Young Immigrants
The movement for in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants got off to a quick start in 2014 when Virginia state Del. Alfonso H. Lopez (D) introduced the Virginia Tuition Equality Act. This is the third time Lopez has attempted to pass the bill, which would permit undocumented residents to pay in- state tuition rates. During the 2013, legislative session, one Virginia House committee approved the measure before it died in another committee. “In 2013, it got further than it has ever gotten,” Lopez told the Richmond Times-Dispatch. “That’s why I am optimistic; I think we got great momentum”: Read More
California Court Rules Undocumented Immigrant Can Be a Licensed Attorney
The California Supreme Court ruled last week that Sergio Garcia, a Mexican undocumented immigrant who has spent more than 17 years living in the U.S., should be licensed to practice law in the state of California. In the unanimous decision, California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye wrote it is “extremely unlikely” that Garcia would be deported under current immigration policy. "Under these circumstances, we conclude that the fact that an undocumented immigrant's presence in this country violates federal statutes is not itself a sufficient or persuasive basis for denying undocumented immigrants, as a class, admission to the State Bar," she wrote. Read More
D.C. Follows 11 Other States Allowing Undocumented Immigrants to Drive Legally
As House leaders delay on passing immigration reform that would help millions of immigrants already in the U.S., Washington, D.C., officials are taking steps to improve the lives of undocumented immigrants who call the city home. Last week the D.C. Council passed a bill, written by Council member Mary Cheh, which allows undocumented residents to apply for Driver’s Licenses. D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray signed the bill yesterday. The new policy, which goes into effect May 1, sets up a system where undocumented immigrants will receive licenses that are the same but for their being marked "not valid for official federal purposes." Driver’s licenses for legal residents and citizens will not change. Read More
Understanding DACA’s Education Requirement
When the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was first announced, it was clear that individuals would have to meet some sort of education requirement in order to obtain the program’s many benefits, including a two-year renewable reprieve from deportation, work authorization, a social security number, and—in nearly every state—the chance to apply for a driver’s license. What was unknown was how the immigration agency would address the question of individuals who were unable to finish high school. Would they be categorically excluded from DACA? Or would the agency provide an incentive for those folks to re-enroll in school? Fortunately, the government chose the latter. In doing so, it gave an estimated 400,000 people who met the DACA guidelines but didn’t finish high school a shot at getting DACA. Many of these individuals are thought to be among the 1.2 million who haven’t yet taken advantage of the program. Read More
Record Number of International Students Add $24 billion to U.S. Economy
A record number of international students studying in the U.S. contributed billions to the U.S. economy during the 2012-2013 academic year, according to an economic analysis by NAFSA: Association of International Educators. Over the academic year, international students and their families support 313,000 jobs and contributed $24 billion to the U.S. economy. The NAFSA report is based on enrollment data from the latest Open Doors Report from the Institute of International Education (IIE), which found that 819,644 international students studied in the U.S. during the 2012-2013 academic year. A growing number of students from China and Saudi Arabia led the 7 percent increase. And based on NAFSA’s analysis, the jump adds up to a 6.2 percent increase in job support creation and a 10 percent increase in dollars added to the U.S. economy over the previous academic year. Read More
Remembering the Contributions of Immigrant Soldiers this Veterans Day
Immigrants fill every imaginable role in U.S. society. They are found in every profession, from farmworker to brain surgeon. They are the owners of small neighborhood bodegas and the C.E.O.s of high-tech transnational corporations. They represent their communities in town councils and in the U.S. Congress. And, not surprisingly, they are also found throughout the ranks of the U.S. military, fighting on the front lines and shaping policy in the Pentagon. The importance of the myriad roles that immigrants play in the armed forces has only increased since 9/11. In recognition of their service, tens of thousands of foreign-born military men and women have been offered, and taken, an expedited path to U.S. citizenship. These two decisions—to join the U.S. military and to become U.S. citizens—are perhaps the most powerful signs of full-fledged integration into the social fabric of the United States. Read More
How Immigrants on a Pathway to Citizenship can Revitalize Rust Belt Cities
Like Rust Belt cities such as Baltimore and Detroit, rural towns across America have experienced population declines in recent decades. Some places, however, are an exception to that trend thanks in part to the arrival of immigrants. For example, while other Iowa towns experienced population decline over the past several decades, West Liberty’s population grew because of immigration. As Steve Hanson, superintendent of West Liberty Community School District, notes, “in the last 20-30 years we would have had a population decline if we hadn’t had immigrants come in [for] jobs in the food manufacturing business. They provide a source of labor that wouldn’t have been there.” And West Liberty’s Mayor, Chad Thomas, said immigration has “kept a lot of storefronts and businesses open that probably otherwise would have closed.” Read More
Report: Immigration Leads to Local Job Growth
With a nod to boosting economic growth, Atlanta—Georgia’s capital and the ninth largest metropolitan region in the United States—is embarking on a path to be more welcoming to immigrants. Earlier this week, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said the city’s success is tied to the talent and engagement of all of its members, including immigrants. He also stated that the city would officially join Welcoming America’s Welcoming Cities and Counties initiative, and through this partnership, “Atlanta will continue to work on welcoming, including, and supporting the economic and social contributions of immigrants to enhance our city’s cultural fabric, economic growth and global competitiveness.” The Mayor went on to say, “Our country has always been a nation of immigrants and entrepreneurs. […] immigrants from around the world have kept our workforce vibrant and on the cutting edge […] I think that’s a pretty good message on why we should continue [to embrace] immigration.” Clearly, leaders in places like Atlanta, Detroit, and St. Louis all see the advantages of attracting immigrants and entrepreneurs and cultivating welcoming and receptive environments. But what is the underlying impetus for such initiatives? Read More
Are You Really Too Old for DACA?
It is past time to clear up an oft-repeated misconception about President Obama’s deportation deferral program called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA): it is simply not true that individuals must be under 31 to be eligible for DACA. Any individual born after June 15, 1981 is within—and shall remain within—DACA’s age requirements. Only individuals who were 31 years old or older on June 15, 2012 are ineligible for DACA. The age requirements apply to initial applications as well as renewals, and one of the only things we know about renewals is that no one will age out. As a result, there currently are individuals in their early thirties who are eligible for DACA, and assuming the program continues on, over time, greater numbers of DACA recipients will be over 31. Yet, some news articles and even flyers for legal clinics mistakenly assert that people under 30 or 31 don’t qualify—this gets the age ceiling wrong and also implies that individuals can age out of eligibility. Read More
It’s Immigrant Entrepreneurship Month in Massachusetts!
Massachusetts is no stranger to the many benefits immigrant entrepreneurs bring to communities. From family owned restaurants and shops along small town main streets, to large Fortune 500 companies, immigrant-owned businesses make sizeable contributions to Massachusetts. And as a growing number of places around the country make efforts to attract and welcome immigrants, Massachusetts continues to expand the state’s efforts. October 15 marked the start of the third annual Massachusetts Immigrant Entrepreneurship Month, which will officially run through November 15. State groups—including the Immigrant Learning Center (ILC), the New Americans Integration Institute at the Massachusetts Immigrant and Advocacy Coalition (MIRA), and the state’s Office for Refugees and Immigrants—are leading the initiative, which recognizes the contributions of immigrant business owners and innovators to Massachusetts’ economic development. Read More
Make a contribution
Make a direct impact on the lives of immigrants.
