As countless reports and briefings by now have noted, the US-Mexico border is more secure than ever. Even though a 2007 immigration reform bill did not pass through Congress and become law, every border security benchmark from that bill has since been met or exceeded. Yet many legislators who...
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Further evidence of the nation’s dysfunctional immigration system was on display this week, when ICE–in anticipation of the upcoming sequester–released several hundred immigrants from their detention facilities. It’s unclear where this policy came from, but immigrants–who have been the focus of decades of political battles–are now being used as...
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Washington Post (Blog): Citing fiscal crunch, the government releases “several hundred” detained immigrants By Suzy Khimm Associated Press: McCain and Graham press Obama on border security, later praise president on immigration issue Reuters: Lindsey Graham Emerges As Strong Voice In Congress By John Whitesides USA Today: Ad hits Sen....
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Labor unions, business leaders, faith denominations, law enforcement, and conservative pundits and lawmakers have all joined a coalition of voices pushing for immigration reform this year. The tech industry–with its particular interest in more H-1B visas for high-skilled tech workers–is coming onboard too, this week announcing a “virtual march for...
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Deseret News: New sources of support for immigration reform By Mercedes White Wall Street Journal: The GOP’s Immigration Dilemma By Laura Meckler CNN: Video: Sen. Graham on spending cuts and immigration February 26, 2013 Los Angeles Times: President to meet with John McCain, Lindsey Graham on immigration By Michael...
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In Chicago today, families torn apart by the US immigration system gathered to launch the Keeping Families Together Story Tour, which will highlight the voices of those who have been separated from loved ones due to deportation. Over the next three weeks, more than 500 family members will join...
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Last Friday, the Austin Immigrant Rights Coalition, the Border Network for Human Rights, and other partner organizations held a Reform Immigration for Texas Alliance march, in which 2,000 people came from all over Texas to march in favor of immigration reform. Watch video of their protest here. As an...
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Happening in the U.S. House of Representatives this week are not one, not two, but three subcommittee hearings on immigration-related topics, spanned across two different committees (Homeland Security and Judiciary). All House Committees are, of course, currently controlled by Republicans. Unlike the hearings of the last few weeks, these next...
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POLITICO reports that Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (R) endorsed a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants on Friday saying: We just have a broken system. And to me, if somebody wants to come in and live the American dream and work hard…we should have a system that works and...
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This weekend, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and one of the key players in the effort to pass immigration reform, appeared on CNN’s State of the Union. He expressed hope that a reform bill can be passed, noting “The time is now.” Chairman Leahy...
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