I’m an undocumented immigrant. My family and I grew up in New Hampton, Iowa. I’m an Iowan. I speak Spanish thanks to my mom, and I can cook like a Mexican. But I’m also an Iowan, and my family respects tradition and family values. This is why my mom... Continue »
Pastor Max Villatoro and his family
It’s been one year since Pastor Max Villatoro was deported to Honduras and torn from his wife, four US citizen children, and Iowa home. Some deportation cases get local and state attention, but rarely do they receive the sort of national attention Pastor Max’s case managed to get. Support... Continue »
Immigrant youth and their allies in Houston, Texas said no to hateful rhetoric as Republican candidates took to the stage for the last night’s Republican debate at the University of Houston. Educational campuses should be places free of harassment. But it looks like that hasn’t been the case for teenagers at Perry High in Iowa,... Continue »
While most Americans who pay attention to politics were focused on the Iowa caucuses for the past few months, immigration activists, including DREAMers, have been actively engaged on the front lines in the state for the past several years. The results have been two-pronged: 1) Defining candidates on the... Continue »
In the aftermath of the Iowa caucus, here’s our assessment of the state of play for immigration politics. For Republicans:  The Entire GOP Field Has Lurched Hard Right on Immigration and Sunk the GOP Brand to the Bottom with Latino and Immigrant Voters: The entire Republican presidential field pledges... Continue »
Brian Beutler in The New Republic and Peter Beinart in The Atlantic Assess Republicans and Immigration Ahead of tonight’s Iowa caucuses, recent analyses from Brian Beutler of The New Republic and Peter Beinart of The Atlantic assess the roots and consequences of the Republican lurch to the right on immigration.  We excerpt the pieces below: ... Continue »
Last January, I wrote that immigration hardliners like Steve King were making the Iowa Republican Caucuses irrelevant. Well, I was wrong — sort of. The demographics (not to mention the conservative ideology) of Iowa Republican caucus goers make it hard for Republican candidates to win both the Iowa caucus... Continue »
Nearly a year after his deportation to Honduras, a new effort to return Pastor Max to his family in Iowa has begun. Rep. Dave Loebsack, from Iowa’s Second Congressional District, yesterday introduced legislation aimed at reuniting the Pastor with his wife Gloria and their four US citizen children in... Continue »
Yesterday, U.S. Congressman Dave Loebsack introduced legislation aimed at uniting deported Iowa City Pastor Max Villatoro with his family. Pastor Max’s case generated widespread local and national attention last year when—despite being a prime candidate for prosecutorial discretion under the Obama administration’s new guidelines—Max was separated from his family and deported to Honduras. Congressman Loebsack’s... Continue »
Trump Inspires Latinos to Vote
Iowa Latinos participated in a silent protest and voter registration event in response to Donald Trump’s campaign stop in Marshalltown, Iowa yesterday, where he eagerly received an endorsement from notorious Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Immigrant activists preparing to protest the Trump/Joe Arpaio rally in Marshalltown. pic.twitter.com/MP189Qq5nu — Kate... Continue »