Legalization

Experts Find Fault with U.S. Border Strategy

Published on Sat, Jun 12, 2010

Benjamin Johnson, a researcher with the American Immigration Institute, said the immigration debate in the United States has become entirely fixed on the issue of “securing the border.” He cited the recently signed Arizona state law that gave police greater power to enforce federal immigration laws. Fear and uncertainty about the border led to the passage of that law, Johnson insisted.

“This appetite for enforcement at the border seems almost insatiable,” he said. “The focus of legislative efforts and debate seem to always come back to this question of border enforcement.”

Published in the Valley Morning Star (TX)

Community Grants

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The Community Education Center awards educational bi-annual grants of $100 to $500 to fund educational projects about immigrants and immigration.

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Justice Department Sues Arizona Over Immigration Law

Published on Wed, Jul 07, 2010

Groups applauding the lawsuit Tuesday was the American Immigration Council, which said the government was taking an important step to reassert federal authority over U.S. immigration policy.

"America can only have one immigration system, and the federal government must make clear where states' authority begins and where it ends," the group said.

Published in the Washington Post

14th Annual Creative Writing Contest Launched

5th Graders Celebrate America Nationwide

Released on Thu, Sep 02, 2010

The American Immigration Council's Community Education Center has launced the 14th Annual "Celebrate America" creative writing contest. Every year thousands of 5th graders from across the country participate in local contests.

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Students Refuse to Give Up on Dream Act, Despite Latest Setback

Published on Sun, Oct 10, 2010

A 2010 report released by the American Immigration Council estimates that there are 1.5 million undocumented children in the United States; every year, 65,000 undocumented students who have lived in the United States for over five years graduate from high school.

Published in the Immigrant Magazine

New Americans in the Great Lakes State

Released on Sun, Jul 19, 2009

The Immigration Policy Center has compiled research which shows that immigrants, Latinos, and Asians not only wield tremendous political power in Michigan, but are also an integral part of Michigan's economy and tax base. As workers, taxpayers, consumers, and entrepreneurs, immigrants and their children are an economic powerhouse.

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Do any university presidents oppose the DREAM Act?

Published on Mon, Dec 13, 2010

Finally, I called up Wendy Sefsaf, communications director at Immigration Policy Center, a group that supports DREAM. She hadn't heard of any presidents issuing public statements against the legislation either, but she did have this to say about the lack of academic opposition: "It diminishes any argument that allowing undocumented students to go to college is bad for universities, in terms of economic impact, pushing other students out, or overcrowding. If it wasn't a good idea, universities and their presidents wouldn't be unanimously in support of it."

Published in the Boston Globe

Feds' screening for illegal workers begins next week

Published on Thu, Sep 03, 2009

Anyone who does business with the federal government will soon be required to use a federal system that is intended to weed out employees without authorization to work in the country.

Published in the TMC News

Utah's Immigration Solution Not a National Model

Legislation Fails To Live Up To State's Best Intentions

Released on Thu, Mar 10, 2011

Washington D.C. - Late Friday night, the Utah Legislature passed three immigration-related bills that await Governor Herbert's signature or veto. Utah's policy discussions were guided by the principles of a much-lauded Utah Compact, which brought together leaders from political parties, business, labor, and faith-based organizations for a thoughtful dialogue about immigration policy. The Compact was a welcome relief from the angry vitriol that has often dominated the debate and was well-regarded as a rational, solution-based conversation about the complexity of effective immigration reform. It recognizes that the current unauthorized immigrant population is made up of workers, taxpayers, and consumers, and that enforcement strategies must be coupled with reform of our legal system of immigration in order to meet legitimate labor force needs. Unfortunately, the Utah state legislature was not able to realize the Compact's aspirations.

The three bills represent one state's attempt to provide solutions that go beyond the enforcement-only approach of Arizona's SB1070 and similar copycats being considered in other states. It is noteworthy that Utah's legislature acknowledged that immigration is a complex issue, and that a realistic solution involves more than asking people for their papers and deporting those who lack legal status. However, what these well-intentioned Utah legislators have created is an aggressive Arizona-style enforcement program with no counter-balance. The provisions intended to create legal work status and visas are clearly at odds with the Constitution and cannot be implemented by state action alone.Read more...

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Multicultural Book Parade: Celebrating Immigration to America

Multicultural Book Parade: Celebrating Immigration to America involves the entire school community in a celebration, through reading, writing, artwork, and oral communication activities, of stories of courage, resilience, and strength told by and about immigrants coming to America.

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