Immigration Policy Center

Published on Thu, Mar 25, 2010

Immigration prosecutions rose to record levels in 2009 as the Obama administration kept up aggressive enforcement that began under President George W. Bush.

Immigration cases increased by about a fifth over the previous year and made up a third of all new criminal filings in U.S. district courts in the government spending year that ended Sept. 30. The statistics were compiled by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.

Published in the Associated Press

Published on Wed, Mar 24, 2010

Today, Immigration Impact, the blog of the Immigration Policy Center, reported on a shift in tactics in the immigration debate: A growing number of Republican lawmakers say the party needs to adjust its positions on Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) in order to boost Latino support:

More Republicans have acknowledged that the GOP must change its tune on Latinos and immigration, especially in the lead-up to midterm elections. This week, RNC Chair Michael Steele not only agreed to a meeting with an immigration advocacy group (after the group staged a sit-in), but went a step further to say that he’s concerned with harsh GOP rhetoric on immigration…

Published in the The Washington Independent

Published on Fri, Mar 19, 2010

To the chagrin of some, that’s not one of the questions included in the 2010 Census forms that have been arriving at homes across the country over the past few weeks.

Census officials said it should not come as a surprise, because the U.S. Census’ 1790 mandate does not require that a person completing the Census reveal their legal status.

Published in the Naples News

Published on Fri, Mar 12, 2010

One study shows that comprehensive immigration reform could add $1.5 trillion to the country’s GDP over the next 10 years by increasing consumption and investment. Comprehensive immigration reform, here, is defined as a plan that “creates a pathway to legal status for unauthorized immigrants in the United States and establishes flexible limits on permanent and temporary immigration that respond to changes in U.S. labor demand in the future.” According to this Center for American Progress and Immigration Policy Center study, comprehensive reform would also boost wages for both native-born and newly legalized immigrant workers.

Published in the The Nashville Post

Published on Thu, Mar 11, 2010

A group of business owners from the Northwest suburbs has called on Sen. Dick Durbin to lead Congress in reforming the country's immigration system, which they said could be the "recipe" needed to stimulate the country's struggling economy.

About half dozen business people spoke during a news conference Thursday at the La Quebrada Banquet Hall in Elgin, sponsored by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights.

"We thank Sen. Durbin for being a supporter of immigration reform, but we want him to be a leader," said Jose Figueroa of Vista Insurance Agency in Rolling Meadows.

Published in the The Daily Herald

Published on Fri, Mar 12, 2010

Add to the immigration debate following yesterday’s White House meetings a few recently published studies that could prove to be useful in pushing for comprehensive immigration reform.

One study shows that comprehensive immigration reform could add $1.5 trillion to the country’s GDP over the next 10 years by increasing consumption and investment. Comprehensive immigration reform, here, is defined as a plan that “creates a pathway to legal status for unauthorized immigrants in the United States and establishes flexible limits on permanent and temporary immigration that respond to changes in U.S. labor demand in the future.” According to this Center for American Progress and Immigration Policy Center study, comprehensive reform would also boost wages for both native-born and newly legalized immigrant workers.

Published in the The Washington Independent

Published on Mon, Mar 08, 2010

Each time someone is booked at Stanislaus County jail facilities, the inmate's fingerprints are sent electronically to the FBI's criminal database to check the person's criminal history.

New technology will now simultaneously send those fingerprints to immigration officials trying to identify dangerous criminals who entered the country illegally.

The technology is part of a federal initiative called Secure Communities, which checks the immigration status of anyone booked at jails across the country.

Published in the The Modesto Bee

Published on Fri, Mar 05, 2010

On Thursday, March 4, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) expressed confidence that the so-called jobs bill will be passed as early as next week. A tweaked version of the Senate measure has already passed the House. This latest attempt to address the economy which has been hailed as a rare bipartisan effort, is a welcome development, especially in places like Los Angeles, where double-digit unemployment has contributed to the city's worsening budget problems.

Published in the The Huffington Post

Published on Tue, Mar 09, 2010

As President Barack Obama discusses immigration reform with congressional leaders, it is important to keep in mind that such reform would deliver a much-needed boost to the U.S. economy. Contrary to the views of some, immigration is an economic resource that can be maximized to the benefit of both immigrant and native-born workers. A comprehensive immigration reform package that includes a pathway to legal status for unauthorized immigrants already living in the United States would increase their wages, and therefore their purchasing power and tax contributions, which would support hundreds of thousands of U.S. jobs at a time of high unemployment, and generate billions of dollars in government revenue at a time of gaping budget deficits.

Published in the The Hill