Home > The Border Line > Archives > 2008 > October
October 2008
Appeals court hears Hazleton case
A federal appeals court heard arguments Thursday on whether an immigration ordinance in Hazleton, Pa. is legal.
The law — which cracks down on landlords that rent to illegal immigrants and businesses that hire them — has been copied by other cities and towns around the country and is considered an important test case.
A federal judge ruled in July that the Hazleton ordinance would violate due process rights guaranteed in the Fourteenth Amendment and conflicted with federal law.
The court also ruled that the Constitution provides due process protections to all persons, including illegal immigrants.
On Thursday, two lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union argued that the Hazleton’s ordinance is illegal because it conflicts with what Congress envisioned with the Immigration Control and Reform Act of 1986, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
The paper also quoted Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta, who is running for a U.S. House seat. He defended the ordinances, saying they don’t conflict with federal law because, ultimately, “only the federal government will determine immigration status” after a person’s paperwork is submitted to authorities in Washington.
Read more here.
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Most immigrant veterans from Latin America, Europe
Most foreign-born veterans in the U.S. Armed Forces are from Europe and Latin America, according to a new analysis by the Migration Policy Institute, a non-partisan research group in Washington.
The countries where the highest numbers of U.S. immigrant veterans were born include the Philippines — representing 12 percent of foreign-born veterans — and Mexico, birthplace to 11 percent.
Read more here.
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Groups protect “New American” voters
Labor unions, civil liberties groups and Hispanic organizations are gearing up to protect a unique segment of voters: new Americans.
A record 1.4 million people applied for citizenship in 2007 and another 480,000 followed this year.
If a large number of new citizens participate, they could influence a tight election — especially in the contested states of Florida, New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada, experts say.
The AFL-CIO, the nation’s largest labor organization, is waging a campaign to help new Latino voters get to the polls and cast their votes. It’s part of a broader voter protection effort.
“Many Hispanics will be first time voters in this election, making them especially vulnerable to voter intimidation and misinformation,” said Arlene Holt Baker, AFL-CIO executive vice president.
The union’s effort includes a Spanish-language radio ad campaign featuring actor Edward James Olmos that details voter protection issues. The union is also distributing thousands of Spanish-language voter “Bill of Rights” cards in several states, including Ohio, Virginia, Florida and Nevada.
Read more here.
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Obama releases more Spanish-language ads
The Obama campaign released three new Spanish-language ads on Monday which it said would be “the closing argument” to the Latino community during the final week of the campaign.
It also announced that Sen. Barack Obama would speak to voters directly through a 30-minute prime time ad on Univision, a Spanish-language television network.
The three ads will run in Colorado, Nevada, Florida, New Mexico and Virginia, said New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, part of Obama’s Hispanic outreach team.
“The Latino community clearly understands what’s at stake,” said Richardson, during a conference call with reporters.
Richardson said that the unemployment rate among Hispanics is about 8 percent and that Latinos are disproportionately affected by the mortgage foreclosure crises.
One of the ads features Obama speaking in Spanish talking about the American Dream. That ad was leaked last week on YouTube. See it here.
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Palin: Treat illegal immigrants “humanely”
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said Sunday that she does not support deporting all illegal immigrants and that they should be treated humanely.
Ramos asked whether undocumented immigrants should be deported.
This was Palin’s answer: “There is no way that in the U.S., we would roundup every illegal immigrant — there are about 12 million of the illegal immigrants…John McCain has been so clear with his policy and it makes a lot of sense too. We secure our borders first. But then with a comprehensive approach we must deal humanely with those who are here, and we must allow the steps to be taken to protect the families of those who are here, maybe as illegal immigrants today.”
On whether she supports amnesty: “No, I do not. I do not. Not total amnesty. You know, people have got to follow the ruler. They’ve got to follow the law, and we have got to make sure that there is equal opportunity and those who are here legally should be first in line for services being provided and those opportunities that this great country provides.”
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Martinez responds to Obama speaking in Spanish
Sen. Mel Martinez, a Florida Republican, issued a statement in response to ad in which Barack Obama speaks in Spanish about the American Dream.
Martinez said: “This election is about more than beautiful words, it’s about who decides how your money is spent, who chooses your doctor, and our standing around the world. John McCain is a tested leader who loves America, puts his country first, and trusts you to make the best decisions for your family. At this time of great uncertainty, Hispanics and all Americans can trust in the leadership and experience of John McCain. He, like I, has lived the American Dream and wants to bring prosperity and security to all our families.”
Martinez was born in Cuba and came to the Untied States as a child.
See the Obama ad on the entry below.
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Obama speaks Spanish in new ad
An early version of a new Obama campaign ad was leaked on YouTube Friday.
In the ad, Barack Obama speaks in Spanish.
The Washington Post said in its political blog that the ad below is not the final version and that the campaign is upset that the version leaked.
In the ad, Obama focuses on the American Dream. He says that Americans who work hard — whether they are wealthy or poor — should be able to have healthcare and a good education for their children.
Here it is:
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Hispanic population grows by 30 percent this decade
The U.S. Hispanic population has grown by nearly 30 percent this decade, much of it spurred by births in the United States, according to a study released Thursday.
It found that Latinos have accounted for about half the overall population growth in the United States, which it calls a “significant new demographic milestone.”
The study was released by the Pew Hispanic Center, a non-partisan research group in Washington.
The report also found that 80 percent of the growth in the Hispanic population occurred in the South and the West.
The number one county in Hispanic population growth was Los Angeles County in California where the number of Latinos increased by about 435,000 from 2000 to 2007.
Hispanics in the report include U.S. citizens, legal residents and illegal immigrants.
Read the report here.
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Mexico to deport illegal immigrant Cubans
Mexico and Cuba signed a migration agreement this week. Under the pact, Mexico agreed to deport Cubans who sneak into Mexico en route to the United States.
According to Reuters, Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque said: “We believe now there will be fewer attempts to use Mexico as an illegal corridor for Cuban immigrants trying to get to the United States.”
Roque made the comments at a news conference with Mexican officials.
More than 11,000 Cubans slipped into the United States via Mexico last year, according to U.S. authorities, Reuters said.
Read more here.
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College-educated immigrants working as cab drivers, dishwashers
More than 1.3 million college-educated immigrants living in the United States are unemployed or working as taxi drivers, dishwashers, security guards or in other unskilled jobs, said a report released this week by the Migration Policy Institute.
The study — which calls the phenomenon “brain waste” — also says that highly skilled immigrants experience a sharp drop in employment status upon first arriving in the United States. However, they quickly recover depending on a number of factors, including English skills, region of origin, and length of time in this country.
Overall, college-educated immigrants from Asia and Europe fare better at finding skilled jobs than immigrants from Africa and Latin America, the report says.
“While policymakers in Europe, Canada and elsewhere are focusing intently on attracting highly skilled immigrants, it is all the more necessary for the United States to fully leverage the talents of college-educated immigrants already living here—more than half of whom came with academic degrees earned abroad,” said Michael Fix, co-author of the report.
Read more here.
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Group goes after Obama on driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants
A new advertisement by an independent political action committee attacks Sen. Barack Obama for supporting driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants.
It is sponsored by the National Republican Trust PAC.
The ad features an image of Sept. 11 hijacker Mohammad Atta and says that the terrorists relied on getting driver’s licenses to carry out the plot.
“Obama’s plan gives a license to any illegal who wants one,” the ad says.
According to Politico, the ad will air in broadcast and cable in Ohio and a few other states.
See it here.
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Largest Spanish-language U.S. daily endorses Obama
La Opinion, the nation’s largest Spanish-language newspaper, on Friday endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for president.
The paper, based in Los Angeles, said that Obama has shown himself to be “a different kind of Democrat with a profound social conscience, who values the role of the individual” in changing the country.
It also says that Obama offers realistic plans and “recognizes that there are no magic solutions.”
Read the endorsement (in Spanish) here.
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Most state immigration bills don’t become law
An interesting study by the Migration Policy Instiitute examined the 1,059 immigration bills introduced in state houses across the country last year.
It turns out that only about 16 percent were enacted into law. They rest were rejected, expired or are still pending, the study said.
The bills with the highest rate of passing were those that expanded immigrants’ rights.
See the report here.
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McCain won’t stop immigration raids
Sen. John McCain said this week he would not stop immigration workplace raids if he wins the election.
When asked about the issue, McCain said: “I can’t tell you that we should stop rounding up people who have come to this country illegally, but I can tell you we will treat the whole issue with a humane and compassionate fashion.”
In the interview with Univision, the Spanish-language network, McCain also said: “The Mexican government right now is in a huge struggle with the drugs cartels that are controlling border towns. It is not just illegal immigration; it is illegal drugs coming across our country, and the cartels threatening the very government of Mexico. But we need to do it in a humane and compassionate fashion. These are God’s children and I have always said that. And we have to have a temporary worker program that truly is temporary and works.”
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McCain, Obama keep sparring in Spanish on immigration
While the presidential candidates don’t say a word about immigration in English, they continue to fight over it in Spanish.
This week, Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign launched a new Spanish-langauge ad which says that Sen. John McCain “surrendered to anti-immigrant forces” and “betrayed” the Latino community.
The ad refers to McCain saying during a presidential debate that he would not vote for his own immigration bill.
The legislation — popular in the Latino community — would have provided a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants and created a guest worker program.
During the presidential campaign, McCain backed away from the bill saying that border security must come first, before any legalization plan.
McCain’s camp has denounced Obama’s Spanish-langauge ads, saying that McCain championed the immigration bill at great political risk.
Here is the Obama ad:
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Some Latinos still undecided on presidential election
A new poll says that a significant number of Latino voters in key battleground states are either undecided or still open to persuasion in the presidential election.
In Colorado, one in five Latino voters are undecided or do not strongly support one of the candidates. In Florida, it’s one in four and in Nevada, it is one in three.
The survey released by the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, known as NALEO, also found that the economy is the top election priority of latino voters.
Nearly a third of respondents said they had trouble making their mortgage or rent payments at some point during the past 12 months.
Read more here.
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Presidential candidates mum on immigration
Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain discussed many things at last night’s presidential debate including the economy, healthcare and whether to bomb Pakistan.
But they offered nary a word on immigration.
Several groups e-mailed reporters in advance with lists of experts on immigration to help analyze the candidates’ statements.
But the topic didn’t come up. At all.
In fact, immigration has been largely absent as a campaign topic mostly because both candidates support an immigration measure that would give illegal immigrants some kind of path to citizenship.
The only place immigration has appeared is in Spanish-langauge ads. Both candidates have been sparring over immigration in the spots, designed to influence Hispanic voters in swing states.
Read a story about the ads here.
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NRA runs anti-Obama ad citing “rapists, drug dealers” crossing the border
The National Rifle Association is airing an anti-Obama television ad in English and Spanish that links illegal immigrant criminals with gun rights.
The ad features Andy Vaquera, identified as a retired Texas police officer.
He says: “Families should be able to defend themselves against rapists, drug dealers and other criminals illegally crossing our borders. But Barack Obama didn’t think we should be allowed to use a firearm for self-defense. He even voted to allow the prosecution of people who used firearms to defend their families in their own homes. That’s just wrong.”
The ad is part of an aggressive NRA campaign against Obama that includes a Web site — http://www.gunbanobama.com.
The site claims that Obama would be the “most anti-gun president in American history.”
Obama spokesman Ben LaBolt recently told the LA Times that “Obama has always believed that the 2nd Amendment protects the individual right to own a firearm.”
See the NRA ad here.
Read an LA Times story about the NRA campaign here.
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ICE arrests hundreds at South Carolina chicken plant
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested about 300 suspected illegal immigrants at a raid at the Columbia Farms poultry processing plant in Greenville, S.C.
“Our office is charged with enforcing the immigration laws against aliens who illegally enter our country, and those who illegally harbor and employ them,” said W. Walter Wilkins, the U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina. “The execution of this search warrant today marks an important phase of this ongoing investigation into the hiring practices of this employer. Aggressive enforcement and investigative actions are vital to the integrity of our immigration system.”
Read more here.
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Detained illegal immigrants held for weeks, months in Virginia
Illegal immigrants in Virginia who have consented to be deported often stay in U.S. custody weeks and even months because of “a detention and deportation system beset by waste and dysfunction,” the Washington Post reported this week.
Citing lawyers, detainee accounts and observations of courtroom proceedings, the Post said that federal officials regularly misplace files or fail to bring detainees to court hearings resulting in “needless additional jail time at taxpayer expense.”
According to the story, ICE officials reject claims that their operations are strained, saying the agency has made “significant strides.”
Read the story here.
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Pace of illegal immigration slows, study says
The flow of illegal immigration into the United States has declined in the past few years, according to a study released Thursday.
The number of illegal immigrants arriving in the United States has declined from about 800,000 a year earlier this decade, to about 500,000 a year from 2005 to 2008, said the report by the Pew Hispanic Center, a non-partisan research group in Washington.
The findings reverse a decade-long trend where more illegal immigrants arrived in the United States than legal immigrants.
The total number of illegal immigrants — which also includes millions who came legally to the United States and overstayed their visas — appears to have declined since last year — from 12.4 million in 2007 to 11.9 million in 2008. However, the finding is “inconclusive” because of the margin of error in the estimates, the study said.
The study also found:
— Illegal immigrants comprise about 4 percent of the U.S. population and about 30 percent of the nation’s foreign-born population. More than 39 million people born in other countries live in the United States.
— The vast majority of illegal immigrants — four out of five — come from Latin American countries.
— The number of illegal immigrants from Mexico appears to have leveled off since last year at around 7 million.
Read the study here.
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ICE arrests more than 1,700 in anti- gang sweep
More than 1,700 alleged gang members and associates, criminals and immigration violators have been arrested in a nationwide effort to combat street gangs, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced Wednesday.
The effort targeted violent street gangs in 53 cities across 28 states, federal officials said.
“Street gangs prey on the neighborhoods in which they operate and they instill fear through intimidation and violence,” said Julie Myers, who heads ICE. “By partnering with other law enforcement agencies across the country, we are successfully targeting these gangs, arresting their leaders, disrupting their operations, and putting their members and associates behind bars.”
Of the 1,759 people arrested, nearly 1,500 were gang members, associates or those otherwise criminally charged, ICE said.
Read the ICE press release here.
Read a story about the operation here.
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Bill would set minimum standards for immigration raids
Democratic Sens. Robert Menendez and Edward Kennedy have proposed a bill that would set minimum standards for treatment of people during and after immigration raids.
It is dubbed the “Protect Citizens and Residents from Unlawful Raids and Detention Act.”
Immigrant advocates are hailing the legislation.
Ben Johnson, director of the American Immigration Law Foundation, said that the group “applauds Senators Menendez and Kennedy’s efforts to reintroduce the rule of law and the basic principles of fairness and humanity to the enforcement of our country’s immigration laws…Due process and equal treatment under the law are fundamental rights that our country has stood for and are at the heart of the Menendez-Kennedy bill.”
