Posts with the tag immigration

Calling Immigrants ‘Third-World Gold Diggers’ Was Just ‘Colorful Language,’ Anti-Immigration Group Assures

Erin Rosa — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:42:49 EDT

Embattled by numerous reports of its ties to white nationalists, The Center For Immigration Studies (CIS), a Washington D.C.-based think thank that strongly opposes immigration reform, lashed out today against advocacy groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and the National Council of La Raza for participating in “smear” attacks and “manipulating the press” on the immigration issue.

But in the end, it was CIS executive director Mark Krikorian who justified his own smears, defending his groups’ labeling of immigrants as “third-world gold diggers” by calling such rhetoric “colorful language that was too colorful.”

The CIS event, held this morning in Washington, was organized to premiere CIS’s newest report, “Immigration and the SPLC,” a quasi-investigative look at the watchdog group’s research and financial records.

It’s no secret why CIS had dedicated a 27-page report to disparage the SPLC and other entities like the NCLR, a Latino advocacy organization. Both of the targeted organizations have been steadfastly producing research that ties the Center and other anti-immigration groups to white nationalism and racist rhetoric.

But rather than actually responding to anything said about CIS, the report focuses on times when SPLC allegedly took quotes from other anti-immigration groups out of context. The report also blames the media for being too “cooperative” when citing SPLC, and questions the objectivity of the watchdog group for working with pro-immigration groups like the NCLR.

In an effort to get to the bottom of some of these claims, I asked Krikorian a question, about an instance, cited by SPLC, where one of CIS’s reports (no longer on the Web site) referred to immigrants as “third-world gold diggers.”

Rosa: I’m certainly not here to defend the SPLC as an organization. I guess I’m more interested in some of the things they’ve said about the Center for Immigration Studies that I didn’t see in the report, and I just wanted to get some context on it. I know in the report there are some quotes that are used and kind of taken out of context in relation to [the Federation for American Immigration Reform], but one of the quotes that they take from a December 2008 report authored by the Center that dealt with fraud—marriage fraud to get green cards for undocumented immigrants—one of the things the SPLC and other groups have cited. And I just wanted to get your response to it and to understand the context. The quote goes, this is from the report, “if small time con-artists and Third-World gold diggers can obtain green cards with so little resistance, then surely terrorists can (and have) done the same.”
Krikorian: Well, this was written by a Foreign Service officer who had worked on visas in much of the world actually. It’s a, ya know, we actually cut out a lot of the colorful language in that—that one got by us. But the concept is correct, I mean in the sense of people on the make using marriage fraud as a way to get into the United States. The point is, if that’s possible, then people with different motives, security related, terrorist related motives, can also get in. The point is valid.
I don’t know. Would I have worded it that way if I had written it? Probably not. But it doesn’t invalidate the point. In fact, I gotta say, now we’re talking copy editing. This is a very different thing from being you know, equivalent to the Aryan Nations. If you wanna deal with copy editing and how many angels should be described as dancing on the head of a pin, well that’s fine. But we’re talking about minutiae here, rather than the legitimacy of voices in a fundamental national debate
Rosa: Well, just to follow up, with the “Third World gold diggers” kind of comment, I mean, do you think that kind of incendiary rhetoric that insinuates that all immigrants are from the Third World, or that they’re all interested in money, do you think that works to foster, what [the panelists] were talking about, a “healthy debate?”
Krikorian: Like I said, I wouldn’t, I mean, uh, looking back over it, I would have cut that out as well or reworded it. But, ya know, it was colorful language that was too colorful. Um, but, is it beyond the pale, I would say no.

The Plaza: Immigrants Marching For Their Children, To Keep Families Together

Erin Rosa — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 10:46:48 EDT

CampusProgress is proud to present The Plaza, a blog that brings news from Spanish-language media outlets to an English-speaking audience.

Today the daily Hoy Nueva York interviews two families who are planning to participate in the March for America on Washington this Sunday, as part of a personal struggle support immigration reform and to keep their families from being torn apart.

As map, from Reform Immigration For America's website, shows who is traveling to Washington DC for the massive "March For America" mobilization taking place Mar. 21.

In The March For Their Children – Hoy Nueva York
By Cristina Loboguerrero
WEST PATERSON, N. J. — Evelyn and José Villalobos will be parents within 7 months, and they are deciding to participate in the pro-immigration reform march on March 21 in Washington D.C. because they want to fight for a change that will allow them to keep their family together.
Evelyn, a 23-year-old Salvadoran who has lived in the United States for 16 years, is now an American citizen. That’s contrary to her spouse, José, who is under a Temporary Protected Status, and can’t legally stay in the country if immigration reform is not approved.
“Now I’m going to have a child, and it’s hard to know that some day they can deport me back to El Salvador and I won’t be able to return and see my baby,” said the 29-year-old, who arrived in New Jersey a decade ago.
“We know that unity is strength,” noted Evelyn. “We are going to wear white and carry an American flag.”
“We want to tell politicians that we exist,” added the young woman, who works in a nursing home.
At 6 am on March 21, the couple will leave Union City and travel a route spanning approximately 226 miles in one of more than 50 buses that will carry hundreds of participants to the so-called March For America.
Twenty miles away from the Villalobos, in Morristown, also located in New Jersey, the Castros, an Ecuadorian family with three small children, have also enthusiastically enlisted to participate in the march.
On immigration reform, Laura [Castro], a 33-year-old who works cleaning houses, states: “It’s the only way to be certain that in the future I won’t be alone, and my children will not be left without a father."
Sergio [Castro], her husband of five years, was arrested by immigration agents at the end of last year, and now he is in danger of facing a deportation order.
Laura came to live in Morristown 15 years ago and has already become a citizen, but she hasn’t been able to submit a petition for her husband.
“The only option that we have now is reform,” she reiterates. “Every member of my family, 7 total, will be going to the march, because we understand that our voices should be heard.”
The bus that will take the Castro family to Washington will leave from the headquarters of an organization called Viento del Espíritu in Morristown, where they will depart with other vehicles that will be providing transportation for 250 people.
A study published by the Pew Hispanic Center last year estimates that New Jersey has the fifth largest undocumented immigrant population, after California, Texas, Florida, and New York. It’s calculated that the state has a undocumented population of half a million.

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The Far-Right Flips Out: Immigrant Marchers Will ‘Wave Flags’ In ‘Whatever Language Is Known by Them!’

Erin Rosa — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:29:18 EDT

Anti-immigration group NumbersUSA, routinely quoted by mainstream media outlets, has finally lost it.

As if discussing the idea of turning women with Mexican heritage into “the new welfare queens” in the United States wasn’t enough, we now have Exhibit B, an E-mail sent to supporters last week disparaging the March For America, a pro-immigration reform rally that will take place in Washington on Mar. 21.

In a clear attempt to fill its coffers with money that will no doubt later be used to flood Congress with phone calls and faxes, the group’s vice president, Jim Robb, writes the following (bold formatting not added by me).

“We're Facing Pro-Amnesty Invasion March 21,” the title of the E-mail reads, in a ginormous 54-pixel font. “A week from Sunday, on March 21, our opponents say they will be busing as many as 100,000 pro-amnesty protestors to Washington, D.C., to march on the Capitol.”

“Did you read that carefully? 100,000 pro-amnesty protesters!” the mailing reads. “Remember the illegal alien marches of three years ago. American flags being burned. Angry speeches and ugly scenes. They are not asking for an amnesty, they are demanding one.”

Of course there’s no evidence for any of these claims. Although since calling Mexican-American women the “new welfare queens” isn’t considered to be a problem for NumbersUSA, I’d really hate to know what they mean by “angry speeches and ugly scenes.” But the E-mail continues.

“Frankly, this is the time to break the piggy bank and send us a gift. Today! Right now!” reads the message, which claims to need $75,770 to oppose the March. “They can turn out a giant crowd to wave flags and shout slogans in whatever language is known by them.”

Do they mean people like this guy, who was one of the millions across the nation who marched for immigration reform on May 1, 2006?

The horror! The horror!

It’s at this point that one wonders how many would give NumbersUSA money just to get the yammering messages to stop?

In Secret Meeting Held By Mainstream Anti-Immigration Group, Talk Of Turning Immigrant Women Into ‘The New Welfare Queens’ And Other Incendiary Rhetoric

Erin Rosa — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:42:57 EST

In a evening conference call held last night, Mar. 8, anti-immigration group Numbers USA—best known for its brute force attacks on Congress to defeat comprehensive immigration reform in 2007—discussed a variety of tactics to thwart an upcoming march on Washington DC by immigrant rights supporters, including one proposal to call immigrant women from Mexico “the new welfare queens in America.”

In a photo taken from a newsletter for the Concil of Conservative Citizens,’ a designated "hate group"according to watchdog the Southern Poverty Law Center, Beck speaks at the group’s national conference in 1997. (Click here to view the newsletter)

The call, which was held at 9 p.m EST, was organized by Numbers USA, and included approximately 45 participants from across the country, many of them representing archconservative“Tea Party” affiliates. In a 30 minute time span, Chad MacDonald, the moderator of the discussion and a worker with Numbers USA, walked callers though ways they could create the perception that there was a grassroots opposition to immigration reform, according to notes taken during the phone call. The actions, organized to pressure Congress to stall on immigration reform, are meant to coincide with the “March For America,” a pro-immigration reform march organized for Mar. 21.

During the discussion, listened to by Campus Progress, activists not only talked about how they should paint Mexican women in the United States as “the new welfare queens,” but they also recommended tactics like referring to immigrant children as “dependents,” rather than “babies,” because “babies” is an "emotional" word. All of this was discussed in the presence of MacDonald and Roy Beck, executive director for Numbers USA, who has his own turbulent past with reported connections to white nationalist groups.

According to notes taken on the phone call:

CALLER 1: I would like to speak out on something. I feel the new welfare queen in America today is women coming from Mexico with a bunch of babies. So I feel they're all coming over here and having all these babies, they are the new welfare queen in America....

New people in America today with a lot of babies, 'cause they coming from Mexico having a bunch of babies. And our tax dollars is taking care of them babies, 'cause the mothers are illegal. So to me, we need to speak out about letting them know they're the new welfare queens in America.

CALLER 2: That was well said brother!

MACDONALD: We will make a note of that. Thank you very much. I appreciate that.

CALLER 3: One piece of information would be, they aren't babies, they're dependents. Don't use babies. It's emotional to them. They have dependents. We have babies.

Along with circulating distortions that immigrants somehow use and drain welfare programs—an allegation that has no actual factual basis—Numbers USA and its affiliates are also planning to flood Congressional offices with phone calls and faxes during the pro-immigration march—all with talking points that have been meticulously prepared by Numbers USA—much like the group did in 2007. “I think jobs is the number one way to do it,” said Beck, who noted that growing unemployment during the recession can be fastened to the immigration debate.

“It's not about reality, it's all about perception,” Beck said on the call. “What happened in 2007 is that we as a movement created the perception of on Capitol Hill that most American's did not want amnesty, they did not want comprehensive immigration reform, and that there was an intensity to the people who didn't want it that could really cause political damage for the careers for the members of Congress. That's what moves Congress.”

MacDonald added during the discussion, “We are a single issue organization about reducing both legal and illegal immigration. We have an immense amount of resources. We have an incredible coalition and we can answer and frame a question for any ostensible person to reduce overall immigration.”

Archconservatives, Tea Partiers, Announce New Anti-Immigration Agenda

Erin Rosa — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:52:35 EST

In what is no doubt a response to immigrant rights groups’ plans to hold a march in Washington D.C. on March 21 to push for immigration reform and a pathway to citizenship for millions of people, the radical Americans for Legal Immigration PAC (ALIPAC)—which refers to the United States as a “dictatorship” because “America elected Representatives who have no influence over or knowledge of” their restrictionist “immigration policy”—has declared a three-pronged approach to stop progress on reform legislation, and they’re working with Tea Party protesters to help them.

As ALIPAC announced today, the approach includes “thousands of calls directed at the US Senate Republicans” to oppose any reform legislation that might be proposed in the Senate—which means they’re calling to oppose a bill that doesn’t even exist yet. The second step is to “elevate this issue in the Congressional campaigns, says the group. And last, but not least, ALIPAC “plans to announce countermeasures on Wednesday by unveiling the plans for Tea Party Against [sic] Amnesty events to be held across the nation on April 15 in response to the March 21 protests.”

In reality, the tactics aren’t really that different from 2007, when immigration reform was debated, and defeated. Many people, organized by archconservative media figures like Rush Limbaugh, flooded Congressional offices with faxes and phone calls to oppose the legislation, which was even supported by George W. Bush and business groups.

The only difference is, that this time there’s the involvement of the Tea Party groups, a good number of which have already been closely tied to white nationalism and racism, though the use of incendeiary signs, like the one pictured above.

The Plaza: From Texas, Oklahoma and Illinois, On To Washington DC!

Erin Rosa — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:34:29 EST

CampusProgress is proud to present The Plaza, a daily blog that brings news from Spanish-language media outlets to an English-speaking audience.

(Flickr/jcolman)

A great look at some of the local organizing that’s being done to prepare for the “March For America,” being held in Washington on March 21 to push for immigration reform.

Call To Participate In The ‘March For America’ - Al Día

The next step to support immigration reform will be taken to the streets in Washington, where Dallas-Fort Worth activists plan to gather for a national march on March 21.
The “March for America,” has been called for by various student, religious and community organizations in order to urge lawmakers to debate a immigration reform proposal before they are occupied with their reelection campaigns.
Activists in Chicago, where Rep. Luis Gutierrez [D-Ill.], author of the reform proposal that was presented before the House of Representatives on Dec. 15, lives, say they counting on 200 buses to transport at least 10,000 people to the rally at the capital.
Five buses in Dallas are reserved for the same purpose, said José Luis Flores, a representative with the Texas Mexican-American Coalition for Immigration Reform, one of the organizers with the “March For America.”
One of those buses will transport students from Texas and Oklahoma who will demonstrate in favor of another legislative proposal that would legalize high school and university students, said Ramiro Luna, a coordinator for DreamAct.com, a site that promotes the proposal.
“It’s very important that students join the movement for comprehensive immigration reform. They are very involved with technology, they have a profound knowledge of politics in the United States and they have a good command of English. These are valuable tools for dealing with Congressional lawmakers,” said Luna, alum of Texas Tech.
He adds that Gutierrez’s office agrees with political analysts that March is the key month in order to keep the possibility for immigration reform in 2010 alive.
“The more time that passes, the harder it’s going to be this year. When Congressional lawmakers have already begun to focus on reelection, they don’t want to tackle controversial issues,” said Luna. The next Congressional elections are in November.
Flores, for his part, said that it was important to keep up the pressure, with many or few possibilities. “We don’t have any other way. This is being done for all of the people who work to get up each morning, not knowing if they will have work, if they will be able to return home, or if they will see their family again,” he said.

Luna said that many students will go to the rally and stay in Washington, with at least one more day to meet with members of Congress to lobby in favor of reform. If they can’t make it to the capital, Luna is asking the young people to mark the major number of the Capitol building to talk with their Senator or Representative about immigration reform.

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The Plaza: Trail of Dreams Continues, Despite Arrest Threats

Erin Rosa — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:35:06 EST

CampusProgress is proud to present The Plaza, a daily blog that brings news from Spanish-language media outlets to an English-speaking audience.

As an update to a story posted on The Plaza on Tuesday about four students on the now famous Trail of Dreams who risked being arrested as they walked through a certain Georgia county, here is a depiction of what happened.

Sheriff Conway wasn’t in the office, but he did have representatives meet with the walkers, without incident.

Immigrant Students Risk Being Arrested By Georgia Sheriff – Telmundo Noticias Atlanta

Walkers with the “Trail of Drams” made a firm declaration to risk being arrested during their attempt to meet with the Sherriff of Gwinnett County, Butch Conway, who is know for having incarcerated and deported hundreds of immigrants in the last few months.
The four immigrant students, who are walking 1,500 miles from Miami to Washington to share their opinions about the necessity to reform the immigration system, confronted the Sheriffs Office, where Conway has expressed support for the 287(g) program and other policies that that have resulted in the deportation of hundreds of immigrants.
We are trying to meet with the Sheriff so we can share with him our stories, the story of immigrants who work hard,” one of the young walkers, Gaby Pacheco, 25, expressed to one of Conway’s representatives.
The young immigrants hope to inspire thousands of people around the country.
For more information, please visit www.trail2010.org.

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The Plaza: Trail of Dreams To Confront 'Joe Arpio of the South'

Erin Rosa — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 11:26:38 EST

CampusProgress is proud to present The Plaza, a daily blog that brings news from Spanish-language media outlets to an English-speaking audience.

You can find more information about the Trail of Dreams at the students' official website.

The Trail of Dreams, an unprecedented effort by four young students to walk from Miami to Washington D.C. in support of immigration reform, has entered the belly of the beast—which is, perhaps not surprisingly, in the South. As if a Ku Klux Klan rally wasn’t enough, now the students have to face off with Sheriff Butch Conway—known as the "Joe Arpio of the South," a reference to the zealous anti-immigration Sheriff in Arizona—in Gwinnett County, a suburban area in Georgia.

The Trail of Dreams walkers. (reformimmigrationforamerica.org)

The walkers, three of whom are undocumented immigrants, will be in Gwinnett County on Wednesday, where they plan to go to police headquarters and talk about why they support the DREAM Act, a bill that would provide a path to citizenship for certain immigrants who entered the United States as children, before they were 16.

The DREAM Act And The Hikers In The Battle Field – Al Día

As hikers go through Atlanta they are approaching Gwinnett County, where the 287g law, [a federal initiative to give local police powers to act as immigration agents,] is enforced.

Instead of avoiding the Sherriff’s Department of Butch Conway, best know as the “Joe Arpio of the Southern United States,” the hikers will head directly for the police headquarters on Wednesday to tell their stories, despite the fear of being detained by the Sheriff.

“We can expect anything when we go in to Gwinnett on Wednesday,” said Carlos, one of the young people who is a part of the Trail of Dreams. “No matter what happens, we will continue forward with our heads held high.”

These four young students will travel a total of 1,500 miles on foot in favor of immigration reform. They left on Jan. 1 from Miami as part of the Trail of Dreams on their way to Washington D.C., where they plan to arrive in May.

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The Plaza: Rumblings Of An Immigration March

Erin Rosa — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:09:33 EST

CampusProgress is proud to present The Plaza, a daily blog that brings news from Spanish-language media outlets to an English-speaking audience.

(Flickr/DesignScout)

For a story that's being pretty much ignored by English-only press, Latinos and other immigrants, frustrated with the lack of action on immigration reform by Congress and the Obama administration, are preparing to march in Washington D.C. on March 15.

Immigrant March On The 21st – Univision

First there were activists from national organizations who wanted to convene a march for March 21, following the State of the Union address that President Barack Obama read before Congress. Then attorneys and religious leaders did too. And now so does Congressman Luis Gutiérrez (D-Ill.), leader of a proposal in the House of Representatives that would, if approved, give residency to millions of undocumented immigrants who don’t have criminal records.
Unofficial Silence
Gutiérrez and 70 other lawmakers—all of whom are Democrats—sent a immigration reform proposal to Congress on Dec. 15 last year, and so far the proposal has not been supported by Republicans, nor has a possible date for debate been set.
…
Why A March
…
"The purpose is to come out on March 21, and we are going to be tens of thousands of people,” noted [Gutiérrez.] “We have a month to act, and people are tired,” Gutiérrez said, referring to the Obama administration.
This past week, the Campaign to Reform Immigration FOR America (RI4A) reinforced the call through phone messages to reach the largest number of Hispanics and invite them to Washington DC on March 21, the same day that the northern hemisphere begins spring, and the southern hemisphere begins autumn.
In a public statements on their Internet page, RI4A announced that “the anti-immigrant movement has discriminated against us, insulted us, and generated hate against us.” It adds, “in approaching a new battle in Congress for immigration reform, this time, we have to fight. Yes, everyone. You and your family as well.”

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Arizona Lawmakers Want Teachers To Spy On Immigrant Children

Erin Rosa — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 11:01:44 EST

Menace to society? Some Arizona lawmakers think so. (Flickr/Brian9000)

In what is truly an unprecedented attempt to terrify undocumented immigrants in Arizona, state legislators are trying to get public schools—obligated, like all public schools, to educate every child in the United States—to compile data on whether school children are undocumented or not:

PHOENIX--Conservative Arizona legislators want to make school districts collect data on the immigration status of students, according to a report in La Voz. The bill being discussed in the State Legislature would require the Department of Education to compile information about students enrolled in public schools who could not provide evidence of being legally in the United States.

Luis Avila, a community organizer from the group Stand for Children, told La Voz that this law will waste school resources by turning teachers and educators into immigration agents. This year legislators have proposed a number of anti-immigrant measures that don’t address the serious problems related to immigration, like human smuggling and trafficking, said Kyrsten Sinema, a Democratic state legislator.

The exact gumption behind this measure is unclear, and so is the proposal’s legality when privacy rights and recent Supreme Court decisions are brought into the equation.

Supposedly the bill would provide a “good-faith estimate” of how much it costs to educate undocumented students. But such a sinister effort—to target children who have little say in the politics of the US immigration system—reeks of yet another irrational attempt to try and blame immigrants for society’s problems.

If lawmakers were really concerned about education money, maybe they wouldn’t be spending what will no doubt be a lot of time and financial resources on a Hooveresque fixation targeting kids.

The Plaza: GOP Hearts Latinos Now, Arizona Loses Out

Erin Rosa — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:37:30 EST

CampusProgress is proud to present The Plaza, a daily blog that brings news from Spanish-language media outlets to an English-speaking audience.

Sign reads, "We're not the problem, we're the solution."

Republicans Go After The Hispanic Vote – Univision

The Spanish-language media is buzzing over a recent article showing that some Republicans—correctly understanding that Latinos have a significant impact on elections in the United States—are trying to tone down the incendiary rhetoric from the Right that usually tarnishes the immigration reform debate. Now there only problem will be those pesky Tea Partiers, some of whom who have direct ties to anti-immigration groups and white nationalist groups.

A published report on Monday by The Wall Street Journal noted that some conservative Republicans are toning down their language on the immigration issue. The objective will be to recruit Hispanic candidates, increase the number of votes from Hispanics, and seize control of Congress from Democrats in the mid-term election on the first Tuesday in November.

…

However, for the Republicans, these efforts carry risks. Activists insist on boosting ideologically pure Republican candidates, an approach that could leave out the nominations of many of those who have begun to lean towards capturing the Hispanic vote….

…

Both [Ed Gillespie, former Republican National Committee Chairman] and other Republican strategists know that in order to win a presidential election the Hispanic vote is key, and that because of this candidates will need to enter the immigration debate.

..

The Wall Street Journal added though that it’s not only the Republicans who are worried about the November elections. Democrats, to hold on to their power in Congress, will also need the independent vote, which tends to support more restrictive immigration policies, especially in times of high unemployment, like the country finds itself in now.

Fewer undocumented immigrants in Arizona – Univision

When people are made to feel unwelcome via punitive immigration policies, they say adios, and the state loses out.

Phoenix – The undocumented immigrant population in Arizona fell by more than 100,000 in the 2008 fiscal year, the AP reported on Monday. It marks the largest decline ever registered by any state, although the reasons are unclear.

…

Experts have said that the reason for the decline of undocumented immigrants in Arizona is the poor economy and tougher laws against immigrants without legal residence.

“It’s the downturn in the economy more than any other thing, but I think that the law also plays a role,” said Erik Lee, associate director of the Center for Transboundary Studies, an institution at Arizona State University.

Mexico Should Lobby Anti-Drug Policy - El Informador

Mexico’s disastrous and militarized drug war—funded by US tax dollars—isn’t working to curtail the flow of drugs, and instead is leaving thousands of residents dead. Even the former president of Colombia can see that, and says decriminalization is the answer.

Mexico City – Mexico should go beyond the military struggle against narcotraffickers and lobby with the United States for a change in drug policy with a focus on the decriminalization of illicit substances, noted César Gaviria, the former president of Colombia.

The ex-official, who participated in the international summit “Winds of Change: Drug Policy throughout the World,” joined ex-Mexican chancellor Jorge Castañed in questioning the scarce results gained from a prohibitionist policy promoted by the Untied States.

…

During his speech, Gaviria supported the decision by Felipe Calderón to use the Mexican Army to fight drug trafficking.

However, he clearly said that indefinite militarization, like with all emergency measures, generates problems and human rights violations, and delegitimizes the fight against organized crime.

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The Plaza: DC Rally Being Planned To Reboot Immigration Reform

Erin Rosa — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:40:10 EST

CampusProgress is proud to present The Plaza, a daily blog that brings news from Spanish-language media outlets to an English-speaking audience.

Push For Reform - Al Día

Fed up with a lack of movement on immigration reform, organizers in Texas and beyond are planning marches.

Aware that the window of opportunity is closing to debate an immigration reform proposal in Congress this year, activists in North Texas are planning to join mobilizations in Austin and
Washington D.C. in the next few days.

The first massive event is being organized by Reform Immigration for Texas Alliance (RITA) at 1 p.m. on Saturday at the Travis County Expo Center, 7311 Decker Lane in Austin.
A group of pastors from Catholic, Protestant and Jewish denominations will speak about immigrant rights, representatives from groups that defend civil rights will speak about a path towards citizenship, and other professionals will discuss the problems that will confront the Untied States in the future if the undocumented in society aren’t integrated.
The other event is the “March for America,” programmed for March 21 in Washington.

…
"A month ago we had a rally at City Hall in Dallas, but since that date many things have happened that have been very sad for the immigrant community,” said [Jose Luis Flores, a spokesman for Young Latinos Unidos]. "One of them is that in his first State of the Union address, president Barack Obama did not even mention anything about immigration reform. The people were waiting for at least a 'boost' (of support) and there was nothing like that."

Now Is The Time To End ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ – El Diario

The first soldier injured in the Iraq War is now speaking out against exclusion of gays and lesbians in the military.

On March 11, 2003, Sergeant Eric Alva, a proud Latino and US Marine who led a brigade of 11 soldiers in Iraq, stepped on a landmine, which caused him to loose his leg. He was the first US citizen injured in Iraq and was awarded a Purple Heart for his service to our country. Sergeant Alva is also gay.
The prohibition, known in English as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” which inhibits men and women who are gay from serving in the military, forced Sergeant Alva to hide a part of his identity throughout all of his military service. After his service, he began to speak about how DADT had made it so talented and dedicated men and women couldn’t serve their country with integrity.

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The Plaza: Immigration Spies, 'Anti-Immigration Reform' In Calif.

Erin Rosa — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 13:04:36 EST

CampusProgress is proud to present The Plaza, a daily blog that brings news from Spanish-language media outlets to an English-speaking audience.

ICE Informant Program In Doubt – La Raza

A deal has gone sour between federal immigration police and two Argentinean siblings who say they were acting as informants. Now the alleged erstwhile spies—who claim they were promised a path to citizenship for dropping dimes on other immigrants—have come out of hiding after ICE allegedly broke its deal and began deportation proceedings against the duo. So far, the agency has refused to divulge real information about what went down, but officials are no doubt in “crisis mode” after the siblings gave an exclusive interview with El Diario yesterday.

The disclosure of two Argentineans that were working as informants for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency has caused an uproar in Washington D.C., and now the informants are alleging a lack of compliance by the agency. At the same time, ICE is defending itself from those referring to the conditions of the agreement.
Argentinean siblings, Emilio and Analía Maya, reached a compromise with ICE in 2005, in order to work as undercover informants to identify undocumented immigrants tied to drugs, gangs, human trafficking, prostitution and other crimes.
…
Some US media outlets have reported that together ICE and the DEA pay close to $20 million annually for informants to carry out investigations. In particular, it has been reported that ICE paid $9.5 million last year for some 2,800 informants, although this information hasn’t been confirmed by the agency.

The Anti-Immigration Reform – Univision

One California lawmaker presents….

The anti-immigrant plan from Republican legislator Gary Miller in California would not only deny citizenship to the children of undocumented immigrants who were born in the Untied States—a proposal that contradicts the 14 amendment of the Constitution—but it would also criminalize those without papers, impose sanctions on those who help undocumented immigrants, and call for mass deportations.
Now, many wonder if the spouses of undocumented foreigners with U.S. children will be in violation of the law each time they help, for example, with household chores.

Rise In The Number Of Mexicans Looking For Asylum In The United States - El Informador

The surge in violence from Mexico’s militarized drug war is affecting immigration.

The number of Mexicans that requested asylum in the United States reached a record high in 2009, adding a total of 338 cases, according to data from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
The official records show that in the last 7 years the numbers of asylum requests from Mexico have grown 578 percent, passing 50 cases in 2002 to the 338 in fiscal year 2009, which ended last September.
Immigration activists and lawyers attributed the increase to violence and insecurity generated by narco-trafficking “cartels” in Mexico.

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The Plaza: More Shenanigans From Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Mexico Slams US Human Rights Groups

Erin Rosa — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 11:32:12 EST

CampusProgress is proud to present The Plaza, a daily blog that brings news from Spanish-language media outlets to an English-speaking audience.

After a brief vacation, The Plaza is back....

Hispanics Corner Sheriff Arpaio – BBC Mundo

More funny business in Arizona, as Sheriff Joe Arpaio—the immigrant rights movement’s Bull Connor—has admitted that the Sheriff’s office destroyed numerous documents relating to a racial discrimination lawsuit against his department.

The chief law enforcement officer in Arizona’s Maricopa County, Joe Arpaio, could be sanctioned by a federal judge, after the controversial sheriff’s office verified that it destroyed documents relating to a lawsuit that accuses the department of racial discrimination.
…
There is a judge presiding over the preliminary sessions of the racial discrimination lawsuit, which was submitted two years ago by five people with the organization Somos América contra Arpaio (We Are America Against Arpaio in English).
The case is related to numerous raids that were carried out in Latino neighborhoods in Maricopa Country, which includes the city of Phoenix….
…
“We know that they destroyed all of the records of arrests during the raids,” noted David Bodney, chief lawyer for the plaintiffs.

Mexican Official: 'Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International want to see us embroiled in Blood' - La Jornada

Top government officials in Mexico are apparently flipping out over the fact that human rights groups in the Untied States are criticizing abuses that have been used by the Mexican police forces in the name of fighting drug traficiking. Despite a growing militarization of the drug war in Mexico—thanks in part to millions in assistance from the U.S. government—violence has only increased against civilians and most notably, social movements opposing the government.

In an interview [Public Safety Committee of the Senate, Felipe González] accused: “Organizations like Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and others want to see us embroiled in blood. They want to see the violent situation get worse in the country.”

For a little context, Amnesty International Recently reported the following last week:

The Mexican government is providing the UN with an incomplete assessment of the human rights situation in the country, according to an Amnesty International's alternative report submitted to the UN Human Rights Council as it reviews the human rights performance of the Latin-American country on 10 February.
…
- The military justice system continues to try cases of human rights violations despite international human rights standards insisting these should be tried in civilian courts.
- The number of reports of abuses such as arbitrary detention, torture and other ill-treatment, sexual violence and unlawful killings by security officials has increased during security operations to combat violent criminal gangs.

Napolitano coming to the country to coordinate air security – La Jornada

Secretary of Homeland Security United States, Janet Napolitano, will travel to Mexico on Tuesday as part of a series of international meetings at the highest level.
The objective of the visit, according to a press release issued by the Department of Homeland Security United States is to build consensus, develop a robust policy dealing with global security, and identify specific steps that each nation must take individually and collectively to protect all aircraft passengers….

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The Plaza: Demanding Immigration Reform, A New Budget

Erin Rosa — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:23:35 EST

CampusProgress is proud to present The Plaza, a daily blog that brings news from Spanish-language media outlets to an English-speaking audience.

Budget Doesn’t Benefit Latinos - La Opinión

As for immigration, the budget orders more than $1.6 billion for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, with an order to identify and remove undocumented immigrants who commit crimes, including support for key programs like Secure Communities.
On top of that, the budget mentions a requirement of $137 million for the US Citizenship and Immigration Services agency to finance programs like E-Verify and the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program. Department of Homeland Security officials specify that $103 million would be destined for E-Verify, while the remaining $34 million would be destined for SAVE.
Finally, $10 to $18 million was allocated to a program to identify and promote citizenship through educational and preparatory programs.
According to Grisella Martínez director of legislative affairs for the National Immigration Forum, she can see that “the focus is on the functions of DHS relating to national security,” although they are still analyizing the budget.

Month Of March “Crucial” For Immigration Reform – BBC Mundo

Illinois Democratic Rep. Luis Gutierrez, indicated that after Congress’ spring recess, the first objective for lawmakers will be the mid-term elections scheduled for November.
“We have to insist” for a change to the US immigration system, said the Congressman, who attended a series of activities in Los Angeles this week to make immigration reform part of the national debate this year.
The political leader called for a “large demonstration” for March 21 in the US capital, in order to appeal the government for immigration reform.

Census Boss Tries To Convince Immigrants In Texas – Univision

The census bureau puts Webb County, where Laredo is located, among the most difficult to count in the country, along with rural areas in Alaska and South Dakota.
…
Speaking to several residents of the colony, many of whom speak only Spanish, Groves tried to put an end to their fears. He stressed that census information is confidential and will not be released to other government agencies.

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The Plaza: ¡Anímate! Immigration Reform Still Not Dead

Erin Rosa — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 09:07:55 EST

CampusProgress is proud to present The Plaza, a daily blog that brings news from Spanish-language media outlets to an English-speaking audience.

Rep. Luis Gutierrez

Inviting A Forum To Discuss Reform - La Opinión

Grassroots groups in Los Angeles are anticipating a forum with Rep. Luis Gutierrez to discuss immigration reform in 2010. Gutierrez is, so far, the only federal lawmaker to propose a bill that would provide a path to citizenship for the nearly 12 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States. There have also been reports that New York Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer is also in the middle of crafting a bill.

“We, along with a large group of organizations, are going to be there with the community to take up the issue of immigration reform and talk about the reasons why we believe that it is possible, and that it is desirable, and that it will be in 2010 when Gutierrez's bill that we support is approved,” said Jorge Mario Cabrera, spokesman for the Los Angeles Coalition for Immigrant Human rights.
…
And although it's Monday, and many are working, many will make an effort to be present. “We are going to leave Van Nuys with a station wagon for those who would like to come,” commented Antonio Bernabé, an organizer for a group of laborers in the San Fernando Valley. “It's an effort for everyone, but if we don't do this for ourselves nobody else is going to.”

While some alleged news outlets have been quick to claim that reform is dead in the water after a certain election in Massachusetts, other journalists in the Spanish-language media are listening to voices on the ground rather than to those up above.

Obama Speaks With Republicans – La Raza

Reactions to Obama's televised bipartisan meeting (some on the left have called it a smack down) with House Republicans in Maryland last week.

For Andrew Rudalevige, a political scientist from Dickinson College in Pennsylvania, “the next step is to see if this happens to be a photo op or a discovery of something in common.”
Although in reality, he added, it's a triumph for Obama “if this approach occasionally allows some of the other Republicans to feel like they can support his proposals...it's all Obama needs to support his agenda.”
…
David Johnson, another Republican consultant, said that it will be difficult for Obama to achieve much cooperation. “The lawmakers are frightened with base movements (like the Tea Partiers) and are afraid that if they show some cooperation with Obama someone else who is still more conservative will take their place,” said Johnson.

Hispanic Arrives At The Department Of Housing And Urban Development – Al Día

The White House picks another Coloradan for federal office, the most well-known being current Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar.

Today Rick Garcia was named regional director of the U.S. Department Of Housing And Urban Development (HUD) with responsibilities over Colorado and five other states.
“I feel honored to have been selected and named by President Obama to be the regional director of the HUD during this important historical moment in our nation of both economic challenges and opportunity,” said Garcia, who is a city council representative in Denver.

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The Plaza: Lou Dobbs, Citizenship Through Marriage, Honduras

Erin Rosa — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:14:33 EST

CampusProgress is proud to present The Plaza, a daily blog that brings news from Spanish-language media outlets to an English-speaking audience.

(Flickr/christyfrink)

Democrats look for help from Lou Dobbs In Order To Achieve Immigration Reform - EFE

Dobbs, erstwhile immigration enemy numero dos next to Arizona Sherriff Joe Arpaio, may now become part of the coalition supporting an immigration reform bill.

Democratic leaders in the U.S. Senate are looking for help from conservative commenter Lou Dobbs to achieve bipartisan support for immigration reform, The Hill reported today.
Dobbs, 64, resigned as the presenter of a controversial program on CNN last November, following a strong media campaign against him by pro-immigrant groups for his stances on tougher border controls and halting undocumented immigration.
…
According to the daily, Democrats believe that support from Dobbs, whose populist rhetoric against undocumented immigration gained traction among conservatives, would help build broad bipartisan support for reform.

Deportation Phantom Grows - Univision

Not even marriage to a U.S. citizen is a sure path to citizenship in our broken immigration system.

HOMESTEAD, Florida – For more than an hour Juanita de Mendoza responded to an avalanche of questions that would demonstrate her marriage to a U.S. citizen was legitimate, but when asked a surprise question to identify which key her spouse used to home the door to their house, the Peruvian hesitated.
And that reaction was enough for immigration authorities to put the Peruvian through a deportation process….
…

“What took two years for me, an immigration agent seeks to destroy in an hour because they think, without any evidence, that the marriage is false,” said [Mendoza’s spouse], outraged.

Honduras Is Bankrupt – La Raza

Apparently a coup-supported dictatorship isn’t only horrible for human rights. The money it takes to oppress the masses is also not good for the national budget.

The new Honduran president, Porfirio Lobo, began his term with empty coffers due to a “bankruptcy” that hit the country due to the crisis following the coup of [democratically-elected] President Manuel Zelaya, who left Honduras Wednesday after four months of being confined to the Brazilian embassy in the country.

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The Plaza: Spanish-language Media Reacts To State Of The Union

Erin Rosa — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:55:53 EST

CampusProgress is proud to present The Plaza, a daily blog that brings news from Spanish-language media outlets to an English-speaking audience.

Obama asks for fix to immigration system, but avoids detail – Notimex

The Spanish-language media mostly reported disappointment over the fact that Obama only mentioned immigration reform briefly in his speech last night, but there’s still hope .

Latino organizations were expecting Obama to use his speech before both chambers of Congress—where Presidents set their priorities for the legislative year—to give impetus to an immigration reform bill.
But while Obama did request action by Congress on health care reform and the economy, the immigration issue was expressed in vague terms.

Obama plays down reform: Legalization of undocumented uncertain – Univision

Another take on the immigration angle in the speech.

The brief mention made by President Obama on immigration reform during his first State of the Union report left much to be desired among Hispanic activists. They had hoped for a better commitment rather than a scant mention for Congress to continue the debate, which is still dateless on the body’s 2010 calendar.
…
“I think it was definitely a very weak proclamation on immigration,” said Vanessa Cárdenas, director of Project 2042 at the Center For American Progress in Washington, D.C. “We hoped for more from the President tonight.”

Immigration reform on the ropes - Mundo Hispánico

Even with Obama’s lackluster mention of immigration reform, many still see hope for bipartisan support of a bill.

"Reform has always worked under a bipartisan concept. There is no way of adopting only Republican or Democratic support. It takes the votes of both parties," said Rafael Prieto, a Spanish media consultant to America's Voice , an organization fighting for immigration reform.

"We must not lower our guard. The worst thing we can do is say that this is not going to be accomplished," he said.

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The Plaza: Guantanamo Prepares For Haitian Refugees

Erin Rosa — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 13:48:30 EST

CampusProgress is proud to present The Plaza, a daily blog that brings news from Spanish-language media outlets to an English-speaking audience.

U.S. Could Send Haitians To Guantanamo – Univision

Military officials are hoping to halt what could be an influx of Haitian immigrants trying to get to the Untied States by keeping them in tents in Cuba.

Cuba - The United States has begun erecting tents at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in order to house Haitian immigrant workers in the event of mass migration triggered by the earthquake in the country, said a base official.
…
About 100 tents have been built, each with a capacity to accommodate 10 people, and authorities have more than 1,000 additional tents in case of waves of Haitians leave their homeland and are intercepted at sea, said Navy Rear Admiral Thomas Copeman.

Poor Using Indigent Services – La Raza

Latino residents in Los Angeles are getting desperate since they’ve seen drastic cuts to their state health insurance (Medi-Cal).

Low-income individuals who have no money to pay the thousands required for dental treatment because of Medi-Cal cuts or losses are taking advantage of free services offered to homeless people on Skid Row.
Patients like Guadalupe, a resident of East Los Angeles who wouldn’t reveal her last name, explained that she goes to the Royal County Health Center, which is part of a system of public clincs that control diabetes, to be refered to the University of Southern California Dental School....

Police Accused Of Assulat In Legal Trial – El Diario

The State Supreme Court in Brooklyn begins to hear allegations of abuse at the hands of police officer:

With opening arguments and two witnesses—one of whom is a 13-year-old boy—the trial of policeman Richard Kern, 26, began yesterday. Kern is accused of sodomizing 25-year-old Michael Mineo with a baton. Officers Andrew Morales and Alex Cruz are also being accused of concealing the crime.
Attorney Charles Guria said he could prove that on Oct. 15 in 2008, when the police officers tried to arrest Mineo for smoking marijuana, they chased him to a subway station in Prospect Park, where he was detained. “Kern sexually assaulted him and made sure that he wouldn’t go to a hospital or to a precinct, because if he had, he would have been asked how the injuries were made.”

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The Plaza: Being Counted, Arizona Goes After Immigrants Again

Erin Rosa — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 11:38:26 EST

CampusProgress is proud to present The Plaza, a daily blog that brings news from Spanish-language media outlets to an English-speaking audience.

Survey: One Out Of Five Won't Participate In The Census - AP

The Pew Research Center finds that about 1/5 of the U.S. population may not participate in the 2010 census. At the same time, this year marks an unprecedented outreach campaign to the Latino community, which is one of the demographics that's usually under counted.

As the decennial census campaign approaches in only a few weeks, a survey finds that 1 out of 5 people interviewed said they would not participate in the count, owing largely to a lack of interest, along with a great distrust in the U.S. Government.

…

The findings come at a time when some groups question if the effort to reach all places, at a cost of $300 million, is doing enough to reach communities that are difficult to access.

Undocumented People Targeted Again In Arizona – Univision

More bad news from Arizona if you're an immigrant:

An Arizona Senate committee today approved a bill that proposes to criminalize the mere presence of undocumented immigrants in the state, and prohibit "sanctuary" cities, along with other measures.

"This main purpose of the initiative is to remove barriers that prevent our local authorities from applying immigration laws at their discretion," said State Senator Russell Pearce, who is sponsoring that bill on the Committee of Public Safety and Human Resources in the Arizona senate.

It still remains unclear whether that proposal would actually accomplish anything new, since Arizona is known to have some of the most punitive policies towards immigrants.

Brown Will Be Nightmare For Democrats - La Gaceta

Even Argentina newspapers are wary of Tuesday's election results:

The electoral result in Massachusetts on Tuesday couldn't have been more embarrassing or damaging for President Barack Obama. Just as he was planning to celebrate his first year in office, Scott Brown, a Republican senator more known for his prorayal as a model in magazines than for his political activity, won a special election to occupy a seat that was vacated by Edward “Ted” Kennedy, a giant for the Democracts, who was a member of the Senate for 46 years.

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