Republicans in Congress have launched a major offensive to force several million undocumented immigrants to leave the United States with a bill that would make it mandatory for U.S. employers to electronically verify workers' legal status. It sounds like a reasonable idea, but the way they want to do... Continue »
Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) haven't met before. But Gutierrez, one of the House's most passionate pro-immigration advocates, is getting personal with the freshman tea-party senator, labeling him an "extremist" and saying his Cuban-born parents benefitted from the same type of "generous" immigration policies that... Continue »
Yesterday, Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) each introduced their own versions of mandatory E-Verify legislation. Freshman senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) is an original cosponsor of the Grassley bill. Marco Rubio might have stayed out of the immigration debate in Florida but he definitely... Continue »
There is nothing astonishing about the fact that President Barack Obama's Republican critics claim that he is taking U.S. Hispanics for a ride on immigration issues. What's surprising is that some of Obama's closest Democratic allies are beginning to say the same thing. Continue »
Freshman Sen. Marco Rubio is often billed as the answer to the Republicans' Hispanic problem. On his party's shortlist of vice presidential candidates, he is a darling of the tea party, represents the largest swing state — and as the son of Cuban immigrants, could make history as the... Continue »
Tea Party Manatee member Linda Neely drove to Tallahassee to push for the recent immigration bill to pass. And even though it didn't get approved, she hasn't stopped showing her support for the issue. Continue »
Last week, DREAMers and members of Florida's interfaith community came together to thank Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) for sponsoring the reintroduction of the DREAM Act. Continue »
Last week, Florida's business, faith and Hispanic communities came together to celebrate the defeat of Arizona-like immigration bills in the Florida legislature. They made it very clear -- they are done giving out free passes to Hispanic legislators that favor anti-immigrant bills. Yet, just a week after this defeat, Rubio... Continue »
The fact that Florida's state legislature will not advance Arizona-style anti-immigration legislation this year is a welcome development – and one that should puncture several myths that surround the politics of immigration. Continue »
Florida legislators adjourned Saturday without an agreement on a tough immigration bill sought by the governor and attorney general. The House refused to agree with a watered-down Senate version that was passed earlier in the week. Continue »