Filter
The Virtual March on Washington for Immigration
Wall Street Journal February 25, 2013 This is the year when immigration reform might happen, but leaders in the technology industry distrust politicians enough not to take chances. A group of entrepreneurs and venture capitalists is launching a “virtual march on Washington. They will be using the Internet and social media to argue for making […]
Read MoreSkilled Immigrants Filling U.S. Health Care Needs
As the debate around immigration reform continues one of the cornerstones of ongoing discussions is what kinds of skilled immigrants the U.S. needs. There is no doubt that high-skilled immigrants play an important role in America’s innovation economy, and particularly in those industries agglomerated in the Silicon Valleys and Research Triangles of the United States. […]
Read MoreSCOTUS Narrows Protections For Noncitizens Who Received Poor Legal Advice
Almost three years ago, in the landmark decision Padilla v. Kentucky, the Supreme Court acknowledged the severity of deportation and that our current immigration laws make “removal nearly an automatic result” for many noncitizens convicted of crimes. Consequently, the Court held that a criminal defense attorney must advise noncitizen clients about the risks of deportation […]
Read MoreImmigration law is outdated
Cincinnati Enquirer February 20, 2013 … There are literally thousands of high-skilled jobs in the United States that need to be filled so our economy can start moving again. Unfortunately, our universities have a deficit of science, technology, engineering and math graduates who are able to take on these roles. We need these foreign-born students […]
Read MoreReaching the Six-Month Mark on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
The Department of Homeland Security has issued its latest data on the Obama Administration’s initiative that offers deferment from deportation and temporary work permits to young undocumented immigrants under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative. In the first six months of the program (August 15–February 14), 423,634 out of the roughly 936,933 immigrants […]
Read MorePutting the White House Immigration Reform Proposal into Perspective
Over the weekend, the press reported on a leaked draft of portions of the White House’s immigration proposal, and the coverage since then has been largely a frenzied discussion of whether the leak will kill Senate negotiations. There shouldn’t be much chance of that, given the immense pressure on the Senate to not only come […]
Read MoreBipartisan Maine group urges Susan Collins, Angus King to take lead on immigration reform
Bangor Daily News February 19, 2013 Two Republican lawmakers, a Democratic former House speaker, a union member and business representatives joined in an effort Tuesday to pressure Maine’s U.S. senators, independent Angus King and Republican Susan Collins, to take leadership roles in crafting a bipartisan immigration reform package in Congress. At a State House news […]
Read MoreHighly Skilled Immigrants a Key to America’s Future
Fox Business February 19, 2013 … Many immigrants who come to the U.S. start new businesses and create jobs. In fact, a 2011 report by the Partnership for a New American Economy found that 90 companies (18%) of Fortune 500 were founded by people who were foreign born. When one includes the children of immigrants, […]
Read MoreShoddy Court Process Behind the Record Number of Deportations
The Obama Administration is on record for pursuing the toughest immigration enforcement policies in U.S. history, mostly evidenced by its record numbers of deportations. These numbers speak volumes: last year, nearly 400,000 people were deported from the United States. While these numbers are shockingly high and there has been much discussion about how these actions […]
Read MoreOverhauling Immigration Law: A Brief History and Basic Principles of Reform
For more than a decade, efforts to systematically overhaul the United States immigration system have been overshadowed by other events—from foreign wars and national security concerns to the financial crisis that threatened to bring down the world economy. In addition to this ever-changing list of national crises, years of partisan political fighting and the resurgence of a volatile restrictionist movement that thrives on angry rhetoric have made opportunities for advancing genuine reform few and far between. As a result, many in both parties opted for a political strategy that emphasized immigration enforcement over immigration reform, holding to the argument that efficiently deporting non-citizens would reduce illegal immigration and pave the way for more sensible outcomes in the future. Instead, the unprecedented spending on immigration enforcement, the extraordinary rise in deportations, the passage of state anti-immigrant laws, and the almost daily anecdotes of separated families and discrimination finally took their toll. Voters signaled in the 2012 federal elections that they were tired of enforcement-only immigration policies and the senseless pain they caused. Now more than ever, the opportunity to craft immigration laws that reflect American values and needs is a distinct possibility. The White House, Members of Congress, and countless organizations have issued new ideas and principles for making the system work. These proposals vary and will likely change even more as proposals translate into legislation, but there are a number of common themes that exist. This paper lays out an overview of the underlying legal system, the most basic principles of reform, the reasons behind them, and how they are likely to be reflected in coming legislation.
Read MoreMake a contribution
Make a direct impact on the lives of immigrants.
