Widely covered in the media has been John McCain’s town hall meeting in Arizona from Tuesday, in which anti-immigrant “jerks” started shouting about how the only way to stop undocumented immigrants is with guns and how immigrants would “go home” if the US cut off their welfare (a null argument, since they’re not eligible).
McCain himself shrugged off the encounter, saying that he has done down halls for years, and jerks show up sometimes. “Occasionally I get a jerk like that guy,” he said. Town halls “are vigorous and a little combative. That’s what it is supposed to be about. Loosen up.”
Meanwhile, in Colorado, Sen. Mike Bennet (D) held a similar town hall, in which he met a Marine Corps veteran who was honorably discharged in 2009–and whose mother was deported in 2011. Read about his story here.
Below are other important immigration news clips driving the debate today:
New York Times: Arizona Senators, After Detour, Renew Immigration Push
By Ashley Parker
New York Times: Arizona Senators Return to Fray on Immigration
By Ashley Parker
The Hill: More than half of Congress has never debated immigration reform
By Cameron Joseph
Mother Jones: Obama’s Immigration Plan Is Far Harsher Than Reagan’s
By Adam Serwer
New York Daily News (Opinion): The only ‘real’ immigration reform must affect all of the nation’s 11 million undocumented immigrants
By Albor Ruiz
ABC/Univision: President Obama: Immigration Leak Won’t Block Reform
By Jordan Fabian
Dallas Morning News: Ted Cruz says President Obama playing politics with immigration reform
By Gromer Jeffers
NPR: Meet The Virginian Shaping The House GOP’s Immigration Plan
By David Welna
Talking Points Memo: How Obama’s Path To Citizenship Actually Works
Benjy Sarlin
Mother Jones: Think You Can Beat the Immigration Maze?
Latina Lista: New 50-month analysis shows ICE detained over 800 US citizens and over 28,000 green card holders
Immigration Impact: Reaching the Six-Month Mark on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
Wendy Feliz
Think Progress: Private Prison CEO Assures Investors of ‘Strong Demand’ For Beds After Immigration Reform
Nicole Flatow
Think Progress: Conservative Think Tank Undermines Right-Wing Misinformation On Cost Of Immigration Reform
Rebecca Leber
NBC Maine: Maine businesspeople call for comprehensive immigration reform
February 19, 2013
Dallas Morning News: Conservative evangelical Christians sign on for immigration overhaul pitch
By Wayne Slater
Huffington Post: Immigration Report: Agency Made 800 Requests For Law Enforcement To Hold U.S. Citizens
By Elise Foley
Los Angeles Times: Report: Some citizens detained at immigration officials’ request
By Cindy Carcamo
ThinkProgress: Private Prison CEO Assures Investors of ‘Strong Demand’ For Beds After Immigration Reform
By Nicole Flatow
NPR: Three Ways To Totally Transform U.S. Immigration Policy
By David Kestenbaum
New York Times (Editorial): Immigration Reform and Workers’ Rights
Washington Post (The Fix): The Republican party’s immigration problem in 2 minutes and 41 seconds
By Chris Cillizza
Washington Post (The Fix): How immigration threatens to tear the GOP apart
By Chris Cillizza and Aaron Blake
Los Angeles Times: Lack of immigration reform threatens California farmers
By George Skelton
El Paso Times: Urging immigration reform: El Paso leaders plan lobbying trip to Washington
By Diana Washington Valdez
OC Register: O.C. labor group to push immigration reform
By Andrew Galvin
