State and Local
Florida Legislators Approve In-State Tuition for Undocumented Students
The Republican-controlled Florida legislature has passed HB 851, a bill allowing qualified undocumented immigrants to pay in-state tuition rates at public colleges and universities. After voting against similar bills in previous years, the Florida Senate approved the legislation on Thursday. The state House had already passed the… Read More
Virginia Allows DACA Recipients to Pay In-State Tuition
Young immigrants in Virginia who receive temporary legal status through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program now qualify for in-state tuition at state colleges and universities. Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring made the announcement Tuesday at the Northern Virginia Community College. “We should welcome these smart,… Read More
Why Allowing All Immigrants to Drive Legally Is Good Policy
Immigrants across the country are helping to revitalize declining areas and growing state and local economies, and local officials increasingly recognize the vital roles of these immigrant workers, business owners, and entrepreneurs. Some states and cities are creating welcoming initiatives to draw immigrants to and help them integrate into their… Read More
Growing Number of Localities Limit Detention of Immigrants
At least 14 counties in Oregon have stopped honoring detainer requests from federal immigration officials. Their decisions followed a federal court ruling that officials in Clackamas County “violated one woman’s Fourth Amendment rights by holding her for immigration authorities without probable cause,” according to the Oregonian. Maria… Read More
Report Documents Dramatic Shift in State Immigration Policies
For more than 100 years, the federal government has had authority over U.S. immigration policies while states possessed only limited power to regulate the “lives and livelihoods” of immigrants living within their borders. However, the past decade has seen an increase in immigration-related legislation including anti-immigrant laws, which have… Read More
Labor Shortages Increase U.S. Reliance on Imported Foods, Harming Local Economies
While U.S. consumers increasingly seek out locally grown produce in grocery stores and farmers markets, imported fruits and vegetables are making up a growing share of the produce consumed in the United States. U.S. agricultural production is out of alignment with the demands of consumers and one problem is… Read More
Local Anti-Immigrant Laws Die as More States and Municipalities Pursue Pro-Immigrant Policies
The Supreme Court announced this week that it would not review the appeals of lower-court decisions finding that local anti-immigrant ordinances passed by Farmers Branch, Texas and Hazleton, Pennsylvania were unconstitutional infringements on federal immigration law. The laws would have required private landlords to verify the immigration status… Read More
States Make Progress on Helping DREAMers Afford College
For several years now, more and more states have begun to allow undocumented immigrants to pay in-state tuition at public colleges and universities. In fact, a majority of young undocumented immigrants now live in a state that offers tuition equity regardless of immigration status. In 2014, additional… Read More
Fremont’s Anti-Immigrant Ordinance Out of Step with Other Cities in Nebraska
Last week, the residents of Fremont, Nebraska voted to keep a 2010 anti-immigrant housing ordinance on the books. While the small town, with a seven percent foreign born population, has chosen to continue down its current path of exclusion, other places in Nebraska are pursuing inclusive strategies… Read More
Farm Bureau Warns Enforcement-Only Immigration Reform Would Harm America’s Food Supply
The on-the-ground harm of enforcement-only state immigration policies is clear. The “self-deportation” style laws in Arizona, Alabama, and Georgia all dealt severe blows to the states’ economies, particularly the agricultural industries. A federal enforcement-only approach to immigration reform would have a similarly harmful impact, leading… Read More
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