Florida, District 13

American Immigration Council Asks U.S. Supreme Court to Ensure Bond Hearings for Certain Immigrants Seeking Protection in the United States
The American Immigration Council, other immigrant rights organizations, and legal service providers filed a friend-of-the-court (or amicus) brief with the U.S. Supreme Court. The brief urges the justices to find that immigrants who seek humanitarian protection from removal should have access to bond hearings—instead of being subjected to mandatory detention. Read More

Statement for the House Judiciary Committee on “Courts in Crisis: The State of Judicial Independence and Due Process in U.S. Immigration Courts”
The American Immigration Council submitted a written statement to the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship for a January 29, 2020, hearing on “Courts in Crisis: The State of Judicial Independence and Due Process in U.S. Immigration Courts.” The statement shares our analysis and research regarding the systemic… Read More

Tampa Bay Times Column: U.S. House should pass Dream and Promise Act
Eight years ago, I was living every college graduate’s nightmare: After spending so much time and money studying health science at Hillsborough Community College, I was stuck making minimum wage as a manager at a local shoe store. As an undocumented immigrant without a work permit, I didn’t have many… Read More

Peruvian Brings Yoga to Growing Tampa Neighborhood
Lorena Saavedra Smith came to New York City with $300 in her pocket after earning her bachelor’s degree in Peru. While working as a nanny, she took English classes at a community college. Two years later, she got a job as a bilingual marketing representative for a real estate company. Read More

International Students Generate Millions for Oklahoma University — and Town
Kyle McMichael is the international student advisor at Southeastern Oklahoma State University, located in the small town of Durant, 150 miles southeast of Oklahoma City. The mere presence of foreign students not only guarantees his job, it also represents roughly $3 million for the university in out-of-state tuition revenue. “They… Read More

This Republican Business Owner Is Frustrated by How Long the Immigration Process Can Take
Native Ecuadorian, Republican, and conservative Christian Rosie Paulsen has dedicated much of her career to helping her fellow immigrants in Pasco County, Florida start and grow their own businesses. It’s why, in 2009, she founded the Pasco/Hernando Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. “There were a lot of international people that were… Read More

Border Patrol Agents as Interpreters Along the Northern Border: Unwise Policy, Illegal Practice
Advocates along the Northern Border report a recent, sharp increase in the use of U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) agents to provide interpretation services to state and local law enforcement officers and emergency responders. This most often occurs when an officer or responder encounters an individual who does not speak English and proactively reaches out to USBP for assistance. But it has also occurred when USBP agents respond to an incident report in lieu of, or in addition to, local law enforcement officers. In other cases, USBP agents have reportedly begun responding to 911 emergency assistance calls, especially if the caller is known or perceived not to speak English. Much of this activity appears to have been precipitated by the fact that the U.S.-Canada border has undergone a dramatic transformation, including an influx of newly assigned USBP agents.Immigrants, their advocates, and community members are reporting—and official statistics confirm—that there are simply too many USBP agents on the ground, apparently with too much time on their hands, who lack adherence to stated priorities.This special report by Lisa Graybill for the Immigration Policy Center lays out the problems with border patrol agents serving as translators and make recommendations intended to promote Title VI compliance, maintain the integrity of the USBP mission on the Northern Border, and protect the rights of immigrants and their families who call the Northern Border home. Listen to the teleconference. Read More
Make a contribution
Make a direct impact on the lives of immigrants.
