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States that Passed Arizona-style Immigration Laws Now Face Costly, Uphill Legal Battles
Despite repeated warnings from business groups, tourism and industry boards and advocates about the hefty price tag attached to Arizona-style legislation, state lawmakers continued to push “get tough” copycat proposals. Many ultimately rejected SB1070-style legislation (26, to date) due to high costs and political backlash, while others severely watered down, altered or put on hold […]
Read MoreHill Update: House Considers Immigration Amendments in Appropriations Bill
This week, the House of Representatives is considering the Homeland Security Appropriations Bill, H.R 2017—which is, of course, a golden opportunity for lawmakers to attempt to tack on immigration amendments. As of today, 19 immigration and border related amendments were filed. The House agreed to eight of the amendments and rejected two.
Read MoreControversy Over Deportation of Haitians Continues
BY ROYCE BERNSTEIN MURRAY, ESQ. Last week, CBS refused to display an advertisement on its Jumbotron in Times Square denouncing the deportation of Haitians because it was too controversial. Deportations to a cholera-plagued and earthquake-devastated country should be controversial, especially in light of DHS’s recent announcement that it would extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for […]
Read MoreAdministration Uses Executive Authority to Keep Educated Grads in U.S. Longer
By H. BOB SAKANIWA, AMERICAN IMMIGRATION LAWYER’S ASSOCIATION As President Obama indicated in an immigration speech in El Paso, Texas, earlier this month, in a global marketplace, the United States needs the best and brightest to stay in our country to work, innovate and help create jobs for the benefit of all Americans. Well-educated, foreign-born […]
Read MoreMore States Toss Costly Immigration Legislation in Final Days of Session
As many state legislative session wrap up for the year, more lawmakers are jumping ship on controversial enforcement measures targeting undocumented immigrants. Whether they are under pressure from business groups, conflicted over the bills’ substance, or realize that these measures will cost their state millions in legal challenges, implementation expenses and tourism revenue, lawmakers are […]
Read MoreGeorgia Gov. Nathan Deal Signs Arizona-Style Enforcement Law
Today, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal signed HB 87—an Arizona-style immigration law which allows police to investigate the immigration status of certain suspects and requires businesses to verify work eligibility of new hires—into law, despite the threat of economic boycotts and negative fiscal impacts. Georgia’s state legislature passed HB 87 last month amid outcries from businesses […]
Read MoreState Lawmakers Continue to Push Immigration Enforcement Measures, Despite Warnings
Although state lawmakers have heavily revised their immigration measures—stripping away provisions they believe will meet fierce opposition—they nevertheless continue to push forward, determined to put anything resembling “get-tough” legislation on the books. In fact, a number of measures targeting undocumented immigrants moved through state legislatures in recent weeks, including Florida, Indiana, Oklahoma and Alabama—despite warnings […]
Read MoreMore States Voice Disapproval Over ICE’s Secure Communities Program
The national debate over ICE’s Secure Communities program has recently picked up more steam as several states’ have very publicly voiced disapproval. The program, which shares the fingerprints of individuals booked into jails with federal immigration databases, has been widely criticized for failing to target serious criminals, for increasing the potential for racial profiling, and […]
Read MoreOne Year After SB 1070, States Are Still Grappling with Cost of Immigration Measures
One year ago this month, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer put her star on the political map when she signed SB 1070, a controversial immigration law which required state and local law-enforcement officials to inquire about immigration status during any lawful stop, detention, or arrest. Some states learned from Arizona—the numerous protests, Supreme Court challenge, costly […]
Read MoreBy the Numbers: How the FY 2011 Budget Impacts Immigration
After the threat of a government shutdown last week, Congress finally managed to approve a budget that will keep the government running through the 2011 fiscal year. Included in that budget, however, are a host of cuts that will impact immigrants and immigration programming in the fiscal year to come. As policy experts and economists […]
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