State and Local
Welcoming Week Honors Immigrant Contributions and Builds Bridges in Local Communities
The heated political rhetoric so far in the 2016 presidential campaign has often been at the expense of immigrants. And the policy solutions put forth by some candidates have centered around punitive, impractical measures that are out of touch with the humane approach most Americans want to see… Read More
States Continue to Expand Access to Driver’s Licenses for Undocumented Residents
Currently, ten states and the District of Columbia offer driver’s licenses to undocumented residents of their states who can meet certain requirements. Two additional states, Hawaii and Delaware, passed similar laws this year, with others also beginning their pursuit of this practical public safety and economic policy. For example,… Read More
Annual Review of State-Level Immigration Policy Still Trending Pro-Immigrant
After long legal battles over punitive, state anti-immigration laws like Arizona’s SB1070 and Alabama’s HB56, state governments learned the limits on what types of immigration policies they can set at the local level. Since then, states have begun moving in a new direction by more generally enacting state immigration laws… Read More
Nebraska and Alabama Changing Their Stride on Immigration
In 2010 and 2011, Nebraska and Alabama made national headlines for their anti-immigrant measures. Fremont, Nebraska passed a local ordinance to check immigration status of renters, and Alabama passed HB 56, the most restrictive anti-immigrant state legislation in history. However in 2015, we’re seeing a changing tide in… Read More
California Leads the Transition in Pro-Immigrant State Lawmaking
In the last two decades, the state of California has transformed itself from a leader in anti-immigrant policymaking—most famously attempting to bar the undocumented from attending public schools and localizing immigration enforcement through Prop 187—to a leader in providing creative, forward-thinking policies on immigration. A new analysis by the… Read More
Without Legalization, State Policies Remain Crucial to Healthy Communities
In the absence of meaningful immigration reform to address the situation of the millions of undocumented individuals living in the United States, state policies have become more and more important. One of the areas in which that is especially true is public health. It is unquestionable that healthy communities require broad access… Read More
These Four Maps Illustrate How States Are Shaping Immigration Policy
The New York Times published a series of maps illustrating the different ways in which states either attempt to welcome immigrants into their communities or go out of their way to make them feel unwelcome. The main indicators include which states have a policy allowing undocumented immigrants to drive… Read More
Early Legislative Action in States Shows Mixed Bag of Immigration Proposals
While some state attorneys general are suing to stop President Obama’s immigration executive actions, many state lawmakers are working to address immigration issues within their own states. New York, for example, is trying to pass new reforms to help young immigrants afford college while Colorado legislators try to limit… Read More
States Begin New Year by Implementing New Immigration Laws
Many of the positive immigration reforms approved in 2014 happened in the states. Despite federal inaction on federal immigration reform, state and local officials took pragmatic steps to help undocumented immigrants living in their communities better integrate. Connecticut and California were two of 10 states as well as the… Read More
Cities in States Suing Over Executive Action Are Welcoming Immigrants
Half of the states have joined a lawsuit challenging President Obama’s executive action on immigration, the latest being Tennessee. Yet leadership of cities across the nation support the administration’s actions—even those within states whose governors and attorneys general are suing to stop it. What explains the disconnect?… Read More
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