State Immigration Bill Defeated In Committee
Via The Morning News
LITTLE ROCK — A House committee Tuesday turned back legislation to bar state agencies from contracting with businesses that employ illegal immigrants.
House Bill 1024 by Rep. Rick Green, R-Van Buren, would prohibit state agencies from entering into or renewing a public contract with a contractor “who knows or should know” that it or a subcontractor employs an illegal immigrant.
Green offered an amendment to the bill that would give a contractor 60 days to correct the situation after the firm is found to be employing an illegal immigrant.
The vote was 8-7, with 11 votes needed for the 20-member committee’s endorsement.
Green said the bill would be a way for Arkansas to “take a stand” on the issue of illegal immigration.
Several members, among them Rep. Daryl Pace, R-Siloam Springs, questioned why the measure would be necessary when employing illegal immigrants is already a violation of federal law.
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Immigrants Mistreated, Report Says
Wednesday, January 17, 2007; Page A08
U.S. authorities mistreated suspected illegal immigrants at five prisons and jails nationwide, violating federal standards meant to ensure safe and humane custody, according to a government report released yesterday.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials and contractors denied timely medical treatment to some of the immigrants, failed to disclose and justify disciplinary actions against them, and improperly limited access to relatives, lawyers and immigration authorities, according to the Department of Homeland Security inspector general.
Detention officers failed to establish a system to report abuse and violated health and safety rules by neglecting to monitor prisoners on hunger strikes or suicide watches and by serving undercooked food, the report said.
The report comes amid a sharp increase in illegal immigrants in U.S. detention as Congress and the Bush administration debate an overhaul of immigration laws and promise tougher enforcement of existing laws. Civil liberties and immigrant advocacy groups are stepping up scrutiny of conditions. Jorge Bustamante, the U.N. special rapporteur on human rights of immigrants, has asked to visit U.S. detention centers next month.
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Posada Makes 1st Court Appearance
Tuesday, January 16, 2007; 9:46 PM
EL PASO, Texas — An anti-Castro militant indicted on charges of lying to federal immigration agents in a bid to become a naturalized citizen made his first court appearance Tuesday.
Shackled at the wrists and ankles, Luis Posada Carriles was read the charges in a seven-count indictment made public last week but did not enter a plea. He was ordered held without bail pending a bond hearing Friday.
Posada, 78, a former CIA operative and U.S. Army soldier, has been held at an El Paso immigration detention center since May 2005 on a charge that he entered the country illegally through Mexico.
The indictment says Posada entered the country on a boat, instead of with the help of a human smuggler as he claims. It also alleges he lied about having a Guatemalan passport and using an alias, among other things.
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U.S. Farmers Facing Labor Shortages
Wednesday, January 17, 2007; 4:21 AM
ALBANY, N.Y. — Farmer Jim Bittner wanted to add thousands of peach trees to his 500-acre fruit farm last year, but canceled his order, concerned about whether he’ll have enough hands to harvest the crop.
A grower of apples, peaches and cherries northeast of Buffalo, Bittner said he needs to see what type of immigration package comes out of Washington this year _ and how it will affect farm laborers _ before making any major changes.
“Peaches have to be hand-pruned and hand-harvested,” he said. “This past harvest time I didn’t stop worrying that I wouldn’t have help every morning. We’re just holding tight to see what happens.”
Although labor shortages have had the widest impact in places nearer to the U.S.-Mexican border, like California and Texas, Northeastern farmers have also been forced to adjust. Growers went to Washington last week to campaign for a new Senate bill that would create a guest worker program to grant as many as 1.5 million farm laborers legal status to keep working in the United States.
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USCIS Introduces Change of Address Online Function to Web
USCIS PRESS RELEASE WASHINGTON – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today launched a new web-based service allowing USCIS customers to submit change of address information online. All non-citizens in the United States are legally required to keep USCIS informed of any change of address within 10 days of their move by completing an Alien Change of Address Card (Form AR-11). Individuals with a pending immigration case should also notify USCIS of any change of address. This will ensure that customers receive notices or decisions related to their case in a timely manner. “Not only is this a terrific service for our customers, in the long run it is a great cost and time saver,” said USCIS Director Emilio Gonzalez. “USCIS is continuing to retool the agency to get as much efficiency from automation as possible.” USCIS processes more than one million change of address requests each year. The new online service will reduce processing time and improve customer service by providing immediate confirmation that USCIS has received the updated address information. Overall, test users found the new online form convenient and simple to use. This is the first phase of this online system. Phase two, which is projected to launch sometime in May, will include additional customer service features, including allowing applicants with a pending naturalization application to report their change of address online. Until then, those individuals should continue to contact USCIS by telephone at 1-800-375-5283 to report their change of address. Before using the online change of address tool, users should have the following information available: – USCIS receipt number (If you have a pending case with USCIS), – New and old addresses, – Names and biographical information for family members for whom you have filed a petition, and – Date and location (port of entry) of your last entry into the United States. USCIS will continue to accept change of address cards through the mail. Change of Address online is available on the UCSIS web site at: http://www.uscis.gov/AR-11.
Gallegly introduces anti-immigration package to Democratic-lead Congress
Via The Simi Valley Acorn
01/13/2007
U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly (R Thousand Oaks) recently introduced six bills in Congress to fight illegal immigration in the United States.
“A top priority for this new Congress- and any Congress, for that matter- should be to reduce the high levels of illegal immigrants entering this nation,” Gallegly said. “This is a problem that goes directly to our responsibilities as a sovereign nation to secure our borders and enforce our laws.”
The bills are designed to remove incentives for immigrants to enter the U.S. illegally, bring fairness to federal immigration laws and close loopholes that enable illegal immigrants to circumvent U.S. laws.
The Identity Theft Notification Act of 2007 would require the Social Security Administration to investigate if it receives W-2 forms with the same Social Security number but different addresses.
If the Social Security Administration finds evidence of fraudulent activity, it is required to notify both the Department of Homeland Security and the legal possessor of the Social Security number.
This will enable innocent people to take steps to protect their credit and identity.
The Employment Eligibility Verification and Anti-Identity Theft Act would require workers to resolve discrepancies if their names and Social Security numbers do not match. Employers would have to terminate workers who do not resolve discrepancies.
The Social Security Administration also would be required to notify the Department of Homeland Security so it can investigate whether a crime has been committed.
The Citizenship Reform Act of 2007 would bring U.S. laws into line with virtually every other nation by requiring that at least one parent be a citizen or permanent resident for a child to automatically become a citizen.
Additionally, Gallegly introduced a bill that will make current U.S. immigration law more fair.
Under current law, an illegal immigrant who leaves the country faces a bar of up to three years if he has been in the country illegally for more than six months and a 10-year bar if he has been here illegally for more than a year.
However, if an illegal immigrant never leaves the country but applies to adjust his status, he faces no reentry prohibitions. The proposed legislation provides that all illegal immigrants face the same penalty, even if they are eligible for a change in status.
The final two bills would criminalize actions common among illegal immigrants.
Many illegal immigrants who are apprehended and agree to voluntarily depart either fail to leave or leave only to return. The new bill would make it a felony, with a mandatory one-year jail sentence, for illegal immigrants to agree to leave and then either fail to leave or return illegally.
The sixth bill would make it a felony, with a mandatory one-year jail sentence, when illegal immigrants ignore the law and refuse to appear in court when ordered.
Supporters of Immigration Overhaul Rally
By SUZANNE GAMBOA
The Associated Press
Wednesday, January 10, 2007; 5:09 PM
WASHINGTON — Backers of overhauling immigration rules began a congressional push Wednesday to give temporary legal status to up to 1.5 million illegal immigrant workers to provide a labor pool for U.S. agriculture.
The proposal is a recycled version of parts of a bill that stalled after passing the Senate last year. House Republicans blocked negotiations on the measure, sticking with a get-tough stand against illegal immigrants before the November elections.
Those wanting to liberalize immigration laws hope the combination of a Democratic majority in Congress, support from President Bush and a perceived backlash against anti-immigration rhetoric in the elections will help power the comprehensive immigration proposals.
“The reality is Americans have come to rely on an undocumented migrant work force to harvest our crops,” Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said in a news conference.
Under the bill, illegal immigrants who can show they have labored in agriculture for at least 150 work days for the past two years would become eligible for a “blue card” bestowing temporary legal status. Their spouses and minor children also could get a blue card if they already live in the U.S.
People with these cards who work an additional three years, at least 150 days a year, or five years, at least 100 days a year, would be eligible for legal residency. But they first would have to pay a $500 fine, be up to date on taxes, have no record of committing crimes involving bodily injury or threat of serious bodily injury or have caused property damage of more than $500.
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Travellers report no problems at US Immigration (Bermuda)
| By Tim Smith |
The first day of new US passport regulations appeared to go smoothly at Bermuda Airport yesterday.
Under new rules drawn up in the wake of the 9/11 terror strikes, US-bound Bermudian travellers now have to present a passport to enter America.
From midnight yesterday, in order to benefit from the visa waiver allowed under US law for Bermudians, passports must have a Bermuda Status Stamp.
The move has led to such a crush of Bermudians rushing into the Office of Immigration over the past few months that Ministry officials are considering a permanent change to the way the official Register of Bermudians is kept.
However, commuters and their families and staff at the airport said there had been no teething problems in the first day of the new system.
More than 30,000 Bermudians have filed through the Ministry offices for the new stamp since the United States Department of Homeland Security announced the new travel regulations last November.
America’s New Immigrant Entrepreneurs
Via AILA
01/10/2007
A new study from Duke University indicates that immigrant entrepreneurs founded 25.3 percent of the U.S. engineering and technology companies established in the past decade. Furthermore, foreign nationals contributed to an estimated 24.2 percent of international patent applications in 2006.
The goal of this research was to document the economic and intellectual contributions of immigrant technologists and engineers at the national level. To understand the economic impact, the study looked at a large sample of all engineering and technology companies founded in the last ten years to determine whether a key founder was an immigrant. To understand the intellectual contribution, they analyzed the World Intellectual Property Organization Patent Cooperation Treaty database for international patent applications filed in the United States.
See the full report at: http://memp.pratt.duke.edu/downloads/americas_new_immigrant_entrepreneurs.pdf
Congressional leaders predict immigration law
Jan 7, 2007 — WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democratic and Republican leaders predicted on Sunday the U.S. Congress would pass an immigration law this session after scuttling President George W. Bush’s plan last year.
Democratic leaders also said they were looking at ways to provide middle class tax relief, with one hinting of possibly ending some tax breaks for the wealthy.
House of Representatives Democratic Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland said on “Fox News Sunday” that immigration was one of the topics discussed when congressional leaders were invited to the White House last week to meet with Bush.
“He (Bush) smiled and he said, ‘You know, I think I’m going to have a lot easier time dealing with you on immigration than I had dealing with the House Republican leadership on immigration,”‘ said Hoyer.
“I think that’s the case,” said Hoyer, who did not detail the plan.
Bush proposed a major overhaul of the immigration system that included a limited guest worker program and an easier path to citizenship for many already in the country. He coupled that with money for increased border security.
In the end, House Republicans killed the immigration overhaul and Congress limited its action to approving money for 700 miles of fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky agreed that an immigration bill was possible.
Democrats last week took control of both houses of Congress for the first time in 12 years and have been outlining their legislative agenda since then.
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Church Concerned About Possible Immigration Raid
12/29/2006
Via Fox28.com
Members of a Chicago storefront church say they
fear U.S. authorities are planning to raid their building and arrest an
illegal immigrant who has taken refuge there.
Adalberto United Methodist Church has sheltered Elvira Arellano and her 8-year-old son since August.
That’s when Arellano was supposed to be deported. But instead she
sought sanctuary at the church, claiming she didn’t want to be
separated from her son who is a U.S. citizen.
The Reverend Walter Coleman says neighborhood residents reported seeing
U.S. marshals taking pictures of the church Tuesday night.
In response, church members say they plan to stand guard in doorways, windows and the building’s rooftop in a 24-hour vigil.
A spokesman for the U.S. marshal’s office says the agency would not be involved in the matter.
Collins grills agencies on foreign labor
Wednesday, December 6, 2006<!– © Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. :ap –>
Department of Labor and the Citizenship and Immigration Service, asking
what their agencies have done to address problems in foreign-labor
programs that were detailed in a recent Portland Press Herald/Maine
Sunday Telegram investigation.
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. It’s the first
official call for answers from federal authorities since the
newspaper’s series ran in late September.
and the permanent green-card system. H1B visas let skilled foreign
workers such as engineers, programmers and accountants work in the
United States for three years, with a three-year extension. Green cards
let foreigners live and work here indefinitely.
company and the location listed on the visa applications, we have no
assurance that the true purpose of the visa applicant is not to enter
the U.S. to commit terrorist acts or to otherwise harm our citizens,”
Collins wrote in both letters.
Emilio T. Gonzalez, director of the U.S. Citizen and Immigration
Service in the Department of Homeland Security, and included copies of
the newspaper series.
back a decade that raised concerns about the Department of Labor’s role
in the foreign-labor certification process for the H1B visa program.
The investigation showed that the department performed very little
oversight of the program, and was seen as merely a “rubber stamp” by
its own inspector general.
opened tiny offices or leased cubicles in Maine and other rural states
in 2004 and early 2005 and filed immigration papers for thousands of
foreigners who were supposed to work here. In many cases, the
companies’ connection to Maine was tenuous. In several instances,
landlords had never heard of the companies that called their buildings
home on federal applications.
The U.S. Immigration Law Blog by Ashwin Sharma 
Ancient ice shelf breaks free from Canadian Arctic
12/29/2006
At first glance, this CNN article which describes a giant ice shelf the size of 11,000 football fields breaking free from Canada’s Arctic may not appear related to immigration. However, pollution, global warming, and related environmental pressures will contribute to a massive worldwide reduction in habitable land due to factors such as increased ocean levels. This will result in overpopulation and and an exponential increase in immigration to countries like the US, Canada and Australia in the next two to five decades. I forsee the creation of new categories for environmentally displaced refugees in US Immigration Law unless something is done to combat pollution and global warming immediately.
Therefore, even anti-immigrationists in the US and Australia should seriously consider driving hybrids and the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol.