Republican introduces bill seeking to stop children born to undocumented immigrants from gaining US Citizenship
It’s the first week of the 113th Congress, and one House member is already trying to stop children born in the United States to undocumented parents — whom he calls “anchor babies” — from gaining citizenship. Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), an outspoken hardliner on immigration, introduced a bill on Thursday that would “clarify those classes of individuals born in the United States who are nationals and citizens of the United States at birth.” The Supreme Court has consistently held that anyone born in the United States, regardless of their parents’ immigration status, should receive citizenship under the 14th Amendment. King disagrees, as do 13 co-sponsors on the bill, including Reps….
Undocumented students can receive financial aid under new California Dream Act
The California Dream Act went into effect New Year’s Day, opening up new scholarship and financial aid possibilities for undocumented students across the state. Now students who were brought to the country illegally can apply for financial aid from the state’s universities and colleges. One undocumented college graduate spoke to NBC4, saying she struggled because she couldn’t receive the kinds of benefits that younger students in similar situtations are now free to pursue. The 23-year-old former student didn’t share her first name, because her undocumented status is not something she shares publicly. Her mother brought her to the United States at the…
U.S.-Canada Visa and Immigration Information-Sharing Agreement
U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Jacobson and the Canadian Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Jason Kenney signed a U.S.-Canada Visa and Immigration Information-Sharing Agreement on December 13, 2012. This agreement will enable Canada and the United States to share information from third country nationals who apply for a visa or permit to travel to either country. This will better protect the safety and security of Americans and Canadians and facilitate legitimate travel and business. Increased information sharing will support better decision-making by both countries to confirm applicants’ identities, and identify risks and inadmissible persons at the earliest opportunity. It…
New US immigration policy on which illegal immigrants it can deport
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director John Morton released a new deportation policy Friday that focuses exclusively on those with serious criminal convictions. One of the major changes in the guidance for agents is that it “restricts the use of detainers against individuals arrested for minor misdemeanor offenses such as traffic offenses and other petty crimes.” “Smart and effective immigration enforcement relies on setting priorities for removal and executing on those priorities,” said Morton, in a statement. “In order to further enhance our ability to focus enforcement efforts on serious offenders, we are changing who ICE will issue detainers against.” The new policy directs agents…
Obama Administration Hits Another Deportation Record — Almost 410,000
The Obama administration hit another record high in the number of deportations – nearly 410,000 in the past year, immigration officials announced Friday. The officials framed the record rate – a point of contention among immigration advocates, including many Latino civil rights groups – as proof of its “focus on removing from the country convicted criminals and other individuals that fall into priority areas for enforcement.” About 55 percent, or 225,390 people deported, were convicted of felonies or misdemeanors, about twice that number of people in such categories deported in fiscal year 2008, which runs from October to September. “While…
Illinois driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants measure advances
SPRINGFIELD— As many as 250,000 illegal immigrants would be able to get a special driver’s license in Illinois under legislation that advanced in the Senate today. Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, maintained the bill is needed to make Illinois roads safer because drivers licensed under the program would be insured and tested for vision and driving ability. The move comes as the nation’s political leaders jockey over how best to address numerous broad issues involving undocumented immigrants, but Cullerton said the state should not wait on the license issue because Illinois would be “better off.” “We care about the highways in our state,”…
US House of Representatives votes to eliminate DV-lottery and instead offer advanced-degree visas
Testing the waters of what is expected to be a turbulent battle over immigration policy next year, the House voted Friday to make green cards accessible to foreign students graduating with advanced science and math degrees from U.S. universities. But even this limited step, strongly backed by the hi-tech industry and enjoying some bipartisan support, is unlikely to go anywhere this session of Congress, dramatizing how difficult it will be to find lasting solutions to the nation’s much-maligned immigration system. For Republicans largely shunned by Hispanic voters in the November elections, the 245-139 vote for the STEM Jobs Act was…
Republicans Counter Immigration DREAM with Achieve Act
Two Senate Republicans on Tuesday unveiled their version of the DREAM Act, called the Achieve Act, which would provide legal status for hundreds of thousands of young undocumented immigrants, many of whom have spent most of their lives in the United States. The bill introduced by Sens. Jon Kyl of Arizona and Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas is the latest effort by Republicans to show they are serious about tackling the immigration issue after their poor showing among Latinos in the Nov. 6 election. Both Kyl and Hutchison, both retiring at the end of this session, said they’ve been working on their…
Illinois may grant driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants
CHICAGO (Reuters) – Illinois may soon become the most populous U.S. state to grant a form of driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants, after the nation’s growing Hispanic population boosted the power of Democrats in national and state elections on November 6. A bipartisan group of Illinois politicians announced on Tuesday they would propose such a law when the legislature convenes on November 27. Washington state and New Mexico are the only states that currently allow illegal immigrants to get licenses. Utah allows driving permits. As the fifth most populous state, Illinois would be the biggest state to adopt such a…
Immigration Reform Effort To Begin Soon After Obama’s Inauguration
WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats are planning to quickly revisit immigration reform after President Barack Obama’s inauguration, according to several Democratic sources. What type of legislation they will end up pushing has yet to be discussed in detail. But the party feels emboldened by Tuesday’s election results, in which Republicans suffered a blistering defeat among Latinos. And there is a sense that the political landscape couldn’t be more ripe for a legislative topic that’s proved dicey in the past. “I am optimistic,” Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said of immigration reform at a Christian Science Monitor breakfast on Thursday morning. Schumer chairs…
