Filter
Counting the Votes on Immigration Reform in the House
For most people who follow the immigration debate, it is an issue which at its core is about values like fairness, faith, and family. Those who support immigrants’ rights and want to see our immigration system reformed follow the ins and outs of the debate via nightly news, daily media clips, or blogs like this […]
Read MoreImmigration reform: Minnesota’s changing face of labor
August 7, 2013 David Beal, MinnPost When bipartisan federal legislation to overhaul the nation’s immigration system failed in 2007, Bob Fitch decided he’d seen enough. The solution, he believed, was to unite trade associations and provide cover for individual business owners who supported such legislation but hesitated to speak out for it. Then the executive […]
Read MoreArizona Governor Jan Brewer Still Cannot Connect the Dots Between Immigration Reform and Border Security
Anti-immigrant politicians suffer from a chronic inability to understand that immigration reform must be truly comprehensive if it is to be effective. That is, all facets of the extremely complex U.S. immigration system must be fixed at the same time if the system as a whole is to function properly—everything from border enforcement to family […]
Read MoreForging Consensus on Visa Program Critical to Crafting Effective Policy
A proposal being considered in the House revives the debate around the number of visas that would be allocated to less skilled workers, also known as “W” visas. In particular, Representatives Ted Poe of Texas and Raul Labrador of Idaho are working on an immigration bill that could double the number of visas of less […]
Read MoreCourts Continue to Reject Arizona Style Laws, Even as House Embraces SAFE Act
Last year, in Arizona v. United States, the Supreme Court reaffirmed that the federal government, rather than the states, has both the responsibility and the authority to enforce immigration law. Leaving immigration enforcement to the whims of individual state legislatures and law enforcement officers was, according to the Court, likely to undermine the federal framework […]
Read MoreHow to Have Productive Conversations on Immigration
In preparation for the August recess, the Immigration Policy Center released a new guide to answering the tough questions on immigration. This is perhaps a misnomer, as the issues we cover—the intersection of crime, the economy, integration, and immigration—aren’t so much tough as they are complicated. There is plenty of evidence available on the significant […]
Read MoreU.S. Ag Secretary: Immigration reform key for Fla. industry
Anthony Clark, The Gainesville Sun July 31, 2013 Comprehensive immigration reform is critical to secure the workforce needed by Florida’s multibillion-dollar agricultural industry and would benefit the broader economy, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in an interview with The Gainesville Sun. Vilsack has been on a media blitz with reporters in farm states to emphasize […]
Read MorePressure Mounts on House To Tackle Immigration Reform
As July comes to a close and August recess begins, prospects for immigration reform in the House of Representatives are looking up. While some saw the pronouncements from House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) that the House would not take up the Senate bill as a death knell, it looked […]
Read MoreThe Criminal Alien Program (CAP): Immigration Enforcement in Prisons and Jails
The Criminal Alien Program (CAP) is an expansive immigration enforcement program that leads to the initiation of removal proceedings in many cases. While CAP has existed in one form or another for decades, there is still much to be learned about the program, how it is organized, and how it works. What is known is that CAP extends to every area of the country and intersects with most state and local law enforcement agencies.
For years, the CAP program has operated with little public attention and many of its elements have only recently come to light following FOIA litigation against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The information obtained through the lawsuit regarding CAP’s current organization and staffing suggests CAP is not a single program, but a loose-knit group of several different programs operating within ICE. Other than a small number of staff responsible for the administration of CAP at ICE headquarters, there is no dedicated CAP staff. Rather, ICE pulls personnel and resources from across the agency to perform CAP-related functions.
The ICE declarations and deposition also explain how CAP functions within prisons and jails. There appears to be little consistency in, and little or no policy governing, how CAP cooperates with state and local law enforcement agencies in different regions and in how CAP interacts with detainees in different facilities. Instead, CAP appears to function as an ad hoc set of activities that operate differently across the country and across penal institutions, raising questions about the adequacy of oversight, training, and accountability of the personnel implementing CAP.
This information confirms that there is still much about CAP that remains unknown or unclear. Given the breadth of CAP, the centrality of its role in immigration enforcement, and its large impact on the immigrant community, it is critical that ICE clarify how CAP operates.
Georgia business groups join call for immigration overhaul
Jeremy Redmon, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution July 31, 2013 The Georgia Chamber of Commerce joined more than 400 business groups and companies nationwide Tuesday in sending a letter to Congress calling for the passage of immigration overhaul legislation. Facebook, Google and Microsoft are among the heavy hitters that signed the letter along with the Georgia Green Industry Association, the […]
Read MoreMake a contribution
Make a direct impact on the lives of immigrants.
