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Reality at the U.S. Mexico Border

Experts Describe the Real Sources of Violence and How We Can Best Respond

Released on Tue, Jun 08, 2010

Washington D.C. - On Monday, the Immigration Policy Center (IPC) hosted a teleconference with border and national-security experts who dissected the myths linking immigration and border violence. These experts shared their analyses of the reality of crime and violence along the U.S.-Mexico border, what the real sources of violence are, and how the U.S. should respond.  They all made the point that nearly twenty years of immigration policy focusing on "securing the border first" has failed to address the underlying issues and criminal cartels that are the real cause of violence along the border.  The experts noted that immigration laws and policies of the past two decades have, ironically, made the border less safe and have actually benefitted the traffickers and smugglers who operate at the border.Read more...

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MIPEX- Interactive Snapshot of World Migration

MIPEX is a fully interactive tool and reference guide to assess, compare and improve integration policy.Using 148 policy indicators MIPEX creates a rich, multi-dimensional picture of migrants’ opportunities to participate in society by assessing governments’ commitment to integration. By measuring policies and their implementation it reveals whether all residents are guaranteed equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities.

What can you do with it?

• Analyse seven policy areas which shape a legally resident third-country national’s journey to full citizenship.
• Examine how policies compare against the standard of equal rights and responsibilities for migrants.
• Find out how your country’s policies rank compared with other countries.
• Track if policies are getting better or worse over time.
• Dig into real examples of how to improve policies.
• Use it to design and assess new laws and proposals on an on-going basis.

Year Released: 2012

High School

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Brown Vetoes Limits on Law Enforcement Cooperation with Immigration Authorities

Published on Mon, Oct 01, 2012

IPC's own Michele Waslin was quoted in yesterday's KQED article about the vetoed California bill that would have limited local law enforcement's ability to work with federal immigration authorities: 

“The problem with [Secure Communities] is that the research that’s been done so far has shown that a lot of the people that are being held under these detainers, the people that are being identified by ICE, are not serious criminals, violent criminals,” said Michele Waslin of the Immigration Policy Center, a research and analysis group based in Washington, D.C.

 

Published in the KQED News

Amid Arizona Furor, Reform Debate Simmers

Published on Mon, Jul 26, 2010

"I think that [Arizona's law] has created an imperative for the federal government," to push for the overhaul, said Wendy Sefsaf, communications director at the Immigration Policy Center.

With more than 20 states considering legislation similar to Arizona's law, it would not be in the federal government's interests to challenge each one individually, she said.

Published in the International Business Times

Covering the Election with Esteban Roman

November, 2012
Esteban Roman, IEC Echange Visitor of the Month, November 2012

Esteban Roman is a journalist from Mexico now training in Miami, Florida.

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Is immigration an Ohio problem? Numbers say no

Published on Mon, Aug 30, 2010

The Immigration Policy Center, which is on the opposite end of the immigration debate from the federation, argues that their inclusion as a cost of illegal immigration is misleading.

"They are U.S. citizens and denying them education, health care, financial assistance, etc.. would put them at a disadvantage compared to other U.S. citizens," spokeswoman Michele Waslin wrote in an e-mail. "In financial terms, it could probably cost the state much more in the long run to have a population of poorly educated, unhealthy citizens."

Published in the Lancaster Eagle Gazette

DREAM Act Introduction Shows Political Muscle for Immigration Reform

Released on Thu, Mar 26, 2009

With yesterday's bipartisan introduction of the DREAM Act, the House and Senate delivered yet another signal that the political tide for immigration reform is getting stronger. The bill seeks to remedy the predicament of a specific group of undocumented children who are blocked from realizing their full potential. By providing a path to U.S. citizenship, the DREAM Act would allow these children to pursue a higher education and contribute fully to our economy.

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IEC Photo Credits

Front Tab Image, "Baseball" by J-1 Exchange Visitor, Guru Prasad

Website images taken from the Flickr Creative Commons. All images used from the Creative Commons are attributed below:

Front Tab Image, NYC Skyline by wwarby
Front Tab Image, Golden Gate Bridge by kevincole
Front Tab Image, Books by prettyinprint

Employee verification program could renew immigration battle

Published on Sat, Aug 22, 2009

President Barack Obama pushed back his immigration reform agenda until 2010, but a little-known initiative requiring employers to verify the legal status of their workers may ignite a political powder keg.

Published in the Washington Examiner