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U.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.
Letter from Business Urges Congress to Create a 21st Century Immigration System
As an increasing number of organizations voice their support for comprehensive immigration reform, the business community added theirs this week through a letter to Congress. Business now joins a broad swath of the American public that wants Congress to pass immigration reform. The letter sent to Members of the U.S. House of Representatives represents a […]
Read MoreUtah Republican donors sign letter to Congress urging passing of immigration reform
Michael Smith, Deseret News July 30, 2013 According to a press release this morning from Republicans for Immigration Reform, more than 100 Republican donors from across the United States sent a joint letter to Republican members of Congress on Tuesday, urging legislators to pass substantive immigration reform. … The following nine executives from Utah were […]
Read MoreWhy Citizenship Matters in Immigration Reform
As the August recess approaches, the debate surrounding immigration reform and citizenship will shift away from Washington and into town hall meetings and events in local communities. In anticipation of this, today the AFL-CIO hosted an event on citizenship featuring among others, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and Representative Xavier Becerra (D-CA). Both men emphasized the […]
Read MoreRepublican donors send letter to GOP: “Take action” on immigration
Sandra Lilley, NBC Latino July 30, 2013 Former Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, who started a political action committee,Republicans for Immigration Reform, organized more than 100 business leaders, who sent a letter today to Republican members of Congress urging for immigration reform with a path to legalization. “Immigrants are often entrepreneurial, family-minded, and guided by faith. […]
Read MoreBig-Name G.O.P. Donors Urge Members of Congress to Back Immigration Overhaul
Ashley Parker, The New York Times July 30, 2013 WASHINGTON — More than 100 Republican donors — many of them prominent names in their party’s establishment — sent a letter to Republican members of Congress on Tuesday urging them to support an overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws. The letter, which calls for “legal status” for the […]
Read MoreUS: Labor shortage hastens push for immigration reform
Fresh Plaza July 29, 2013 Nearly a month after the US Senate passed a comprehensive immigration bill, the debate in the House drags on. Meanwhile, local farmers are eager for a solution. They’re facing an ongoing labor shortage that many feel could be solved by immigration reform. Joe Pezzini walks onto a field in Castroville […]
Read MoreImmigrant Scientists Enrich the U.S.
Peter Coclanis, Wall Street Journal July 28, 2013 The economic case for U.S. immigration reform has been made often and well. We know about the striking business success of entrepreneurial immigrants and the children of immigrants. We know about the key roles newcomers to America are playing in economically stressed communities all over the country. […]
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