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26 Jul 2011 11:01

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U.S.: Smart move: California allows illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition

  • While many states have chosen to legislate hate and division by approving anti-immigrant laws, California’s governor sends a strong message that investing in today’s student population, regardless of their immigration status, is smart, practical and the right thing to do.
  • Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles leader Angelica Salas • Speaking favorably of Gov. Jerry Brown and the California State Legislature’s actions in passing a bill that allows illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition for their schooling. Eleven other states have laws comparable to California’s, while a dozen others block the practice outright. But considering California is on the literal front lines of the immigration debate, it’s of note. Two other border states — Texas and New Mexico — have similar laws. source

21 Jun 2011 13:46

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U.S.: Weeklong immigration crackdown yields significant results

  • 2,400+ number of convicted foreign nationals deported in a seven-day period during the “Cross Check” enforcement operation
  • 109,700 number of convicted foreign nationals deported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the 2011 fiscal year source
  • » How authorities pulled it off: The “Cross Check” mission checked the records of people convicted of crimes like robbery, drug trafficking and aggravated assault to see if they were here illegally. If they were, officials deported the convicts. This does raise a few questions — such as how much authorities used racial profiling in this operation — but the silver lining is that the crackdown was at least targeted on a group. About 22 percent of those deported already had outstanding orders of deportation, by the way.

19 Mar 2011 22:51

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U.S.: New Mexico: Undocumented immigrants can still get licenses

  • 3 states let undocumented immigrants get licensed, including New Mexico
  • pushed New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, who made a hardcore push against illegal immigrants a cornerstone of her campaign, pushed to block undocumented immigrants from getting driver’s licenses.
  • blocked However, Martinez’s plan stalled in the state senate, where Democrats hold control. While concessions were made, members couldn’t agree, and the bill died on the vine without a vote. source
  • » Immigrants’ rights groups cheer: While Martinez, a Republican, is licking her wounds, advocates for undocumented immigrants have a right to cheer today. “This goes to show that you come in with a radical, extremist agenda, you’re going to get push-back because New Mexico is not a radical extremist state,” said Somos un Pueblo Unido head Marcela Diaz. By the way, amongst border states, New Mexico is the only one that allows immigrants to get licenses.

29 Jan 2011 22:07

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U.S.: Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio back to his immigrant-arresting ways

  • 1,000+ arrests from 18 different sweeps
  • 83 were arrested in the Maricopa County, Ariz. Sheriff’s Office’s latest immigration sweep
  • 68 of those arrested over the lastest two-day sweep were illegal immigrants source
  • » Other fun stuff they found: When the flashy/crazy (depending on your viewpoint) Arpaio goes after immigrants, he doesn’t screw around, and this time was no exception. On top of the dozens of arrests, his people found 725 pounds of marijuana and a bit of meth. Oh yeah, among the list of people helping out Joe with his sweeps? Steven Seagal.

18 Dec 2010 11:53

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U.S.: DREAM Act falters, DADT repeal gets past debate in Senate

  • 55-41 the Senate wasn’t really into the DREAM Act
  • 63-33 however, they can back a DADT repeal (WHOO) source

15 Nov 2010 20:24

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U.S.: California Supreme Court: Yay immigrants, state’s rights

  • YES illegal immigrants can pay in-state tuition source
  • » Score one for state’s rights. In 2002, California passed a law allowing illegal immigrants at California public universities to pay in-state (read: cheaper) tuition, so long as they’d applied to legalize their immigration status. Plaintiffs argued that federal law, which bars illegal immigrants from gaining “any postsecondary education benefit,” trumped California’s law. But the California Supreme Court disagreed, allowing California universities to continue its policy. The decision was unanimous, and also allows California high school grads who reside in other states to qualify for in-state tuition.

02 Sep 2010 10:31

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U.S.: WHOO: Illegal immigration dips by nearly 67 percent

  • 850,000 number of people who illegally entered the U.S. between 2000 and 2005 (which is huge)
  • 300,000 number of people who did the same thing between 2007 and 2009; this is a pretty big deal source
 

27 Jul 2010 09:41

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U.S.: Illegal immigrants in Arizona trying to get out ahead of new law

  • Everyone is selling up the little they have and leaving. We have no alternative. They have us cornered.
  • Mexico-born Illegal immigrant Wendi Villasenor • Describing her upcoming move to Pennsylvania from Arizona. The attempt to drive more than 400,000 immigrants out of the state, which becomes law in two days, has led to a mass exodus of people in the state, many holding makeshift garage sales and either looking to go back to Mexico or elsewhere in the U.S., though a few are taking their chances. source

06 Jul 2010 21:13

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U.S.: Obama immigration lawsuit against Arizona: It’s a constitutional thang

  • In our constitutional system, the federal government has pre-eminent authority to regulate immigration matters. … The nation’s immigration laws reflect a careful and considered balance of national law enforcement, foreign relations, and humanitarian interests.
  • A statement from the lawsuit the U.S. filed against Arizona • Regarding the authority they believe they have over immigration. They want an injunction to stop the Arizona law from happening. If the law leans Obama’s way, it’s a big victory for him; if it leans Arizona’s way, it’s a HUGE victory for states’ rights. Too early to call this one, but it’s going to set a huge precedent no matter who wins. source

25 Jun 2010 22:20

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Politics: Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer thinks illegal immigrants are drug mules

  • Well, we all know that the majority of the people that are coming to Arizona and trespassing are now becoming drug mules.
  • Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer • Saying the kind of thing that’s a weeeeeeeeeee bit controversial, but considering her record as governor, that wouldn’t be anything new. Brewer went even further, saying this: “So they are criminals. They’re breaking the law when they are trespassing and they’re criminals when they pack the marijuana and the drugs on their backs.” We offer the same advice to her that we have to Rand Paul in the past: Keep quiet or people might think you’re crazy. source