How the strange case of Obama’s Uncle Onyango complicates immigration reform
Most presidents have politically troublesome relatives: Jimmy Carter had colorful brother Billy, Bill Clinton hadbrother Roger, and the George Bushes had son/brother Neil, who was involved in both the savings-and-loan scandal of the 1980s and Asian “sex romps” that emerged in a messy 2003 divorce. Obama has a passel of half-siblings, but his requisite nettlesome relative may turn out to be an uncle, Onyango (Omar) Obama. In August 2011, Uncle Omar was pulled over in Framingham, Mass., for driving under the influence. His arrest revealed both several outstanding orders for his deportation and his relationship to the president. Shortly after the arrest, Uncle Omar…
Obama says he’ll push for immigration reform day after budget battle is resolved
President Barack Obama vowed to pick back up a push on immigration reform after he and Congress resolve a stalemate over the budget and lifting the federal debt ceiling. “We had a very strong Democratic and Republican vote in the Senate,” Obama said of immigration legislation that stalled in Congress, in an interview with Univision’s KMEX in Los Angeles. “The only thing right now that’s holding it back is again, Speaker Boehner not willing to call the bill on the floor of the House of Representatives. So we’re going to have to get through this crisis that was unnecessary, that…
House Democrats unveil immigration plan in hopes of pressuring Republicans
House Democrats released their own comprehensive immigration proposal Wednesday, hoping to put renewed pressure on the Republican majority to move forward on stalled border legislation. But GOP aides quickly dismissed the proposal and said it was unlikely to get a vote in the chamber, reducing the bill to a symbolic attempt to keep immigration reform alive while Washington focuses on the government shutdown. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and several colleagues unveiled the proposal at a news conference on Capitol Hill, saying Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) should put immigration legislation up for a vote by the full House before…
Advocates ask Obama to act unilaterally on Immigration
With immigration legislation stalled in Congress, advocates are intensifying pressure on the Obama administration to act unilaterally to stop deportations or grant legal status to some of the 11 million people now living in the U.S. illegally. Activists are stepping up acts of civil disobedience like one last month in Phoenix, where they blocked a bus full of immigrant detainees. And labor leaders plan to press the issue with a top White House official in an upcoming meeting. Many advocates continue to hold out hope for a legislative solution even as some shift their focus to the White House. “If…
Companies helping Immigrants obtain US citizenship
For immigrants working toward the American Dream, some employers are now helping them reach their dream of becoming Americans. Health clinics, hotels and a clothing factory are pairing up with immigrant advocates to offer on-site citizenship assistance as one of the perks of the job in greater Los Angeles, Miami, Washington and Silicon Valley as they aim to make naturalization more convenient for the 8.5 million legal immigrants eligible to become U.S. citizens. The effort is billed as a win-win for both employee and employers: Workers avoid legal fees and having to shuttle to and from law offices to complete…
US Senate passes historic Immigration bill 68-32
The United States Senate approved a landmark immigration bill Thursday afternoon after lawmakers in Washington voted 68-to-32 in favor of the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013. The Senate put its collective support behind the bill, a bipartisan effort that has been at the center of discussion on both sides of the aisle since it was introduced in Washington in April of this year. Should the bill clear both chambers of Congress, President Barack Obama will be asked to ink his name to a comprehensive immigration reform bill that will provide new opportunities for unlawful residents…
Senate Could Have Final Vote on Immigration As Early As Today
WASHINGTON — The most significant overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws in a generation easily cleared the final obstacle to passage in the Senate on Thursday, when 68 senators, including 14 Republicans, voted to end debate on the bill and move to a final vote. The bill is expected to pass the Senate with strong bipartisan support as early as Thursday, but similar legislation faces an uncertain fate in the Republican-controlled House, where there is significant opposition from conservative members. The Senate bill offers a 13-year path to citizenship for the 11 million unauthorized immigrants in the country, as well…
Supreme Court to Review Immigration Dispute
The Supreme Court on Monday waded into a complicated dispute over a law aimed at keeping immigrant families together in a case that underscores the occasionally tense relationship between immigration proponents and the Obama administration as Congress debates immigration reform. The justices said Monday they will hear an appeal from the Obama administration arguing that children who have become adults during their parents’ years-long wait to become legal permanent residents of the United States should go to the back of the line in their own wait for visas. Under U.S. immigration law, children 21 and older cannot immigrate under their…
Report: Immigration bill cuts US deficit by $197 billion in 10 years
The Congressional Budget Office determined late Tuesday that the Senate’s immigration bill will not add to the federal deficit in the short or the long term, enervating one of the most powerful arguments against passing immigration reform and giving Democrats something to crow about. “This report is a huge momentum boost for immigration reform,” said Sen. Charles Schumer, a member of the “Gang of Eight” who wrote the bill, and a deputy to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. “This debunks the idea that immigration reform is anything other than a boon to our economy, and robs the bill’s opponents of…
US House committee takes up tough immigration bill
WASHINGTON (AP) — A key committee in the Republican-led House moved Tuesday toward approving a tough enforcement-focused immigration bill, over objections from Democrats and disruptions from protesters shouting “Shame, shame, shame!” Meanwhile in the Senate, a Republican lawmaker floated a compromise border security proposal he hopes can win over support for sweeping immigration legislation under consideration there that opens the door to citizenship for 11 million immigrants now here illegally. And on a day of fast-paced developments on an issue that is a top priority for President Barack Obama, House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, moved to quiet speculation that he…
