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New Report Shows Immigrants and Refugees in the City of Spokane Paid Over $116 Million in Taxes and Held $307 Million in Spending Power in 2019
SPOKANE, WA – A new report released today by New American Economy (NAE), in partnership with the City of Spokane and the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce, underscores the critical role that immigrants in Spokane are playing in filling the region’s labor demands, starting small businesses, and supporting the local economy through their consumer […]
Read MoreFilipino Immigrant Uncovers Asian American History in Spokane
Charity BagatsingPublisher, event organizer and Asian immigrant historian In 1991, Charity Bagatsing came to Spokane from Manila, Philippines at age 21. “Everything I had to start a new life was in two suitcases,” she says. Yet she persevered in her adopted country, raising four children and developing a career as both a publisher of The […]
Read MoreMexican Immigrant Becomes Community Activist in Spokane
Lupe GutierrezCaregiver and Latino rights advocate When Lupe Gutierrez followed her American husband from Mexico to Spokane in 1991, she was a nervous mother of three with only a sixth-grade education. But the support of two local Americans helped her become a successful and devoted community member. The first was her English as a Second […]
Read MoreFederal Judge Strikes Down DACA: What You Need to Know
Nearly a decade after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to provide protections to undocumented immigrants brought here as children, Judge Andrew Hanen of the Southern District of Texas struck down the program on July 16, ordering U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to stop issuing […]
Read MoreCongress Must Ensure a Permanent Solution for Dreamers
U.S. Judge Andrew Hanen of the Southern District of Texas ordered the Biden administration to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.
Read MoreAttorney General Garland Brings Back Administrative Closure for Immigration Judges
Attorney General Merrick Garland vacated Matter of Castro-Tum on July 15, reviving a key tool to help judges prioritize cases in the overburdened immigration court system and allow people facing deportation to pursue all available paths to legal status. In Matter of Cruz-Valdez, the attorney general reversed a decision by prior Attorney General Jeff Sessions. […]
Read MoreWho Is Ed Gonzalez? Biden’s ICE Nominee Signals Few Changes for the Agency
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) may soon have its first Senate-confirmed leader in nearly five years. On July 15, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held a hearing on the nomination for the head of ICE, Ed Gonzalez, who is currently the Sheriff of Harris County, Texas. Gonzalez’s nomination presents a unique […]
Read MoreThis Special Program Gives Refugee Athletes a Chance to Compete in the Olympics
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has decided to expand a unique venture for the upcoming 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo: The Refugee Olympic Team. The expansion is part of the IOC’s long-term effort to empower displaced athletes both before and after the Olympics. The Refugee Olympic Team will feature athletes from 13 countries around the world, including Afghanistan, South Sudan, Syria, and Venezuela. The success of the original refugee team—which featured just 10 people during the […]
Read MoreICE Will Stop Arresting and Detaining Most Pregnant and Nursing People
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will no longer detain most people who are pregnant, postpartum, or nursing, according to a new policy released on July 9. However, ICE did not commit to a total ban, saying that there will still be “very limited circumstances” that will allow the agency to detain pregnant people. The […]
Read MoreBiden Administration Commits to Returning Deported Veterans
Since the founding of the United States, immigrants have served in the U.S. military. In recognition of the sacrifices involved in military service, the federal government has provided an expedited path to citizenship for immigrant servicemembers for years—but it isn’t automatic and not all who serve qualify. Given how easy it is for the federal […]
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