IPC Blog

The IPC Blog is the featured posts from immigrationimpact.com.

Will Florida�s New Republican Senator Focus on Immigration Reform?

Immigration advocates around the country let out a heartfelt sigh when Florida Republican Senator, Mel Martinez, announced his resignation earlier this month. Senator Martinez, whose term was set to expire January 3, 2011, is Cuban-born and a long-time immigration supporter. Florida Republican Governor Charlie Crist, who plans to run for the Senate seat himself, appointed George LeMieux, his closest political advisor to fill the seat—a choice met with heavy criticism from Democrats. While no one is quite sure how George LeMieux will fare on issues critical to Florida voters (since LeMieux has never held public office before), one thing is sure: GOPers would do well to keep immigration reform at the top of the priority list considering that Latinos comprised roughly one-in-seven of the swing-state’s voters in the 2008 presidential election. Read more at ImmigrationImpact.com. (September 1, 2009)

Local Company Gives 'Sin City' a Bad Name

Las Vegas prides itself on its strong union-staffed hotels and casinos. However, according to a class-action lawsuit recently filed, Bravo Pro Inc. was allegedly paying workers $3.50 to $4.00 per hour for 13-hour shifts with no overtime pay. Their employees were providing janitorial and maintenance services to Bravo’s clients around the city. Read more at ImmigrationImpact.com. (August 31, 2009)

Non-English Speaking Mother Separated from Child: The Tragedy of Mixed-Status Families

A recent article on TIME.com follows the story of a young undocumented mother from Oaxaca, Mexico, whose baby, born in the United States, was taken away by the state of Mississippi because she “doesn’t speak English.” According to the article, the mother was allegedly deemed unfit “in part because her lack of English placed her baby in danger.” Putting aside your stance on immigration and ignoring obvious human rights violations, this story smacks of irony—the removal of a child by a country that seemingly prizes “American values”—and is indicative of our woefully broken immigration system. Read more at ImmigrationImpact.com. (August 28, 2009)

And the Beat Goes On: Immigration Reform and the Road Ahead

As Washington and the rest of the country continue to reflect on the monumental legacy of the late Senator from Massachusetts, many are contemplating the enormous leadership gap left in his passing. A tireless champion of health care, civil rights, foreign policy, education, immigration and many other worthy causes, Senator Kennedy’s first major legislative victory—eliminating the national quotas for immigration— “helped change the face of the country and shaped his own political career.” But the question remains, how do we continue Sen. Kennedy’s drumbeat on immigration reform? Read more at ImmigrationImpact.com. (August 27, 2009)

Leader, Visionary and Friend: Today We Remember Senator Edward M. Kennedy

The Capitol is quiet, its halls silent, its chambers shuttered. The Senate is in recess, and in the midst of that quiet, one of its greatest members has passed away. It’s fitting that Sen. Edward M. Kennedy died while his beloved Senate was in recess. There were no committee hearings to chair, no deals to negotiate, no fiery speeches to give. His voice is silenced, but his words and actions will live on. Read more at ImmigrationImpact.com. (August 26, 2009)

Plugging into the Millennial Generation

Today, the Center for American Progress released a new publication, The Coming End of the Culture Wars, which explains that the conservative white working-class population is waning while the younger “millennial” generation, who is much more liberal on social issues including immigration reform, is expanding. The report states: "Millennials—the generation with birth years 1978 to 2000—support gay marriage, take race and gender equality as givens, are tolerant of religious and family diversity, have an open and positive attitude toward immigration, and generally display little interest in fighting over the divisive social issues of the past." Read more at ImmigrationImpact.com. (August 25, 2009)

Faith and Leadership Required: A Closer Look at Last Week�s White House Meeting

Last week’s White House meeting on immigration marked another chapter in the years-long effort to enact comprehensive immigration reform. Janet Napolitano’s invitation to more than one hundred representatives from business, labor, faith, law enforcement, and immigration groups was a genuine attempt to listen to concerns and solicit ideas. The format—large group meeting addressed by the Secretary, small group discussion led by various DHS and White House officials, summary and surprise remarks from the President—gave people a chance to say just a little, but the cumulative effect was more important than we may realize. Read more at ImmigrationImpact.com. (August 24, 2009)