Florida, District 26

This Entrepreneur Wants the U.S. Immigration System to Better Reward Hard Work
Jennifer Lucio Vargas has entrepreneurship in her blood. The founder and CEO of Miami’s 305 Communications and Events was born to immigrant parents from Cuba, and her father worked tirelessly to put himself through Harvard undergraduate and law school. “He worked cleaning toilets while he was in school,” she says. Read More

After Coming as a Refugee, Pastor Creates App to Bring Tithing Into the 21st Century
Ten years ago, Oswaldo Otero was given a chance to start his life anew in the United States, after being threatened for his work for the conservative party and his political journalism in Bogota, Colombia. “I came here running away from death,” he said. “I had to flee for my… Read More

Petition Comments to the DOJ/EOIR regarding the “Retrospective Regulatory Review” (submitted Nov. 27, 2012)
The Council, in collaboration with AILA, inter alia, urged EOIR to amend regulations pertaining to telephonic and video hearings (see page 4). Read More

Immigration Policy Stifled the Athletic Ambitions of One of Florida’s Most Promising Tennis Players
Adrian Escarate was three years old when he arrived in Miami from Santiago, Chile with his parents and older brother. The family overstayed their tourist visas and never tried to establish permanent residency. This was in the 1990s when life was manageable for undocumented immigrants. Escarate’s parents were able to… Read More

After Surviving Brutal Kidnapping, Colombian Immigrant Becomes Successful Miami Entrepreneur
Cristhian Mancera loved his native Colombia and had planned to stay there forever. But when he was kidnapped at age 28, he lost faith in his country. “I was held for 10 hours and thought I was going to die. I was hit in the head multiple times,” he… Read More

Immigrants in Indiana
Five percent of Indiana residents are immigrants, while another 5 percent of residents are native-born U.S. citizens with at least one immigrant parent. Read More

Immigrants in Iowa
Six percent of Iowa residents are immigrants, while five percent of residents are native-born U.S. citizens with at least one immigrant parent. Read More

Local Enforcement of Immigration Laws Through the 287(g) Program
Updated 04/02/10 Since 2004, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) has greatly expanded its partnerships with local police through the 287(g) program. As of March 2010, more than 1,075 local officers have been trained and certified through the program under the 67 active Memoranda of Agreement (MOAs) in 24 states. However, while the number of MOAs has increased, the numerous problems surrounding them have also become more apparent. Recent reports have found that 287(g) agreements are costing localities millions to implement while ICE provides little oversight and support to the program. Additionally, crime-solving activities are being compromised, the trust between police and community is eroding, and accusations of racial profiling and civil rights violations are on the rise. Furthermore 287 (g) agreements are being used as political tools that interfere with the kind of true community policing that protect and serve our communities. Read More
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