Jaime Lopez used to earn $14 an hour, plus benefits, as a maintenance man for an office building outside Minneapolis. Then his employer was audited by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Mr. Lopez and 1,200 other illegal immigrants in the Twin Cities lost their jobs in October 2009. Continue »
Ahead of the one-year anniversary of SB 1070, the Center for American Progress released a new report entitled "A Rising Tide or a Shrinking Pie: The Economic Impact of Legalization Versus Deportation," analyzing what would happen if SB 1070 were carried out to its full intended effect and every... Continue »
After finishing medical school in Bogota, Colombia, Maria Anjelica Montenegro did it all — obstetrics, pediatrics, emergency medicine, even surgery. By her estimate, she worked with thousands of patients. None of that prepared her for the jobs she's had since she moved to the United States: Sales clerk. Babysitter.... Continue »
Arizona's economy would lose $48.8 billion if the state expels all undocumented immigrants living there, according to a report made public Thursday. A mass departure of the undocumented foreigners would eliminate 581,000 jobs in Arizona and tax receipts would drop by 10.1 percent, according to the report by... Continue »
Arizona-style immigration bills are under attack in several states, with some of the strongest opposition to the proposals coming from agricultural interests like the cotton and peach farmers here in central Georgia. Farmers in states from Florida to Indiana are pressuring—and in some cases persuading—state politicians to rethink proposed... Continue »
The federal government is exploring the possibility of using a credit rating giant like Equifax to verify the identity of American workers, a move that could make it far more difficult for undocumented immigrants to get work using stolen Social Security numbers. Continue »
Rhode Island businesses would stand on the front lines of efforts to crack down on illegal immigration under a legislative proposal to require employers to check the immigration status of every job applicant. The measure is one of several proposals dealing with illegal immigration scheduled to go to... Continue »
Arizona established itself over the past year as the most aggressive state in cracking down on illegal immigrants, gaining so much momentum with its efforts that several other states vowed to follow suit. But now the harsh realities of economics appear to have intruded, and Arizona may be looking... Continue »
The state legislature's focus on illegal immigration is hurting the state, a group of 60 Arizona business leaders said Tuesday. "We strongly believe it is unwise for the Legislature to pass any additional immigration legislation," said a letter to state Senate President Russell Pearce, signed by executives from... Continue »
The claim by Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-CA), the chair of the House Immigration Subcommittee, that he is focused on "illegal" immigration was disabused at his latest hearing. Instead, the Chairman pitted native-born workers against foreign-born workers (plenty of whom are citizens). We also learned something about the GOP's... Continue »