Immigration Policy Center

Published on Sun, Jun 06, 2010

There are plenty of features of the law that critics find objectionable. Among them are the penalties. Under federal law, violations of immigration statutes by someone in the U.S. illegally may in some cases be punished with a jail sentence but are often penalized by deporting the individual instead, if the government proves its case to a judge through a comprehensive set of procedures. Arizona, lacking the authority to deport anyone, will enforce jail sentences laid out in its new law for, say, failing to carry one’s immigration authorization documents or soliciting day work by the side of the road, said Mary Giovagnoli, director of the Immigration Policy Center, a pro-immigrants’ rights group. While the federal system is far from perfect (thousands of people are locked up in federal detention centers indefinitely awaiting deportation decisions), the addition of new immigration crimes at the state level with jail time attached isn’t the answer, she added.

Published in the Tuscon Sentinel

Published on Mon, Jun 07, 2010

Walter Ewing, a senior researcher at the Immigration Policy Center in Washington, D.C., had read the headlines, listened to the television commentators, and witnessed the ongoing, thorny and evolving health care debate that polarized elected officials and much of America over the last years.

Published in the Hispanic Outlook Magazine

Published on Mon, Jun 07, 2010

Should they wait for the comprehensive package, gambling that some heretofore elusive breakthrough will land on their plates? Or should they slice off what they can, when they can?

"That's the question everyone is asking right now," said Wendy Sefsaf, a spokeswoman for the Washington, D.C.-based Immigration Policy Center, which advocates a comprehensive approach.

Published in the Arizona Daily Star

Published on Tue, Jun 08, 2010

Arizona, lacking the authority to deport anyone, will enforce jail sentences laid out in its new law for, say, failing to carry one's immigration authorization documents or soliciting day work by the side of the road, said Mary Giovagnoli, director of the Immigration Policy Center, a pro-immigrants' rights group. While the federal system is far from perfect (thousands of people are locked up in federal detention centers indefinitely awaiting deportation decisions), the addition of new immigration crimes at the state level with jail time attached isn't the answer, she added.

Published in the York Dispatch

Published on Fri, Jun 04, 2010

The Obama administration is asking the Supreme Court to overturn an appeals court decision that upheld Arizona's right to punish employers for hiring illegal immigrants.

The Arizona law gives the state the right to suspend or terminate business licenses.

Published in the Milwaukee Live

Published on Fri, Jun 04, 2010

Delaware lawmakers are researching legislation in other states that could be the basis of an immigration bill here, including Arizona's controversial new law and Oklahoma's 2007 measure, which once was considered the most restrictive in the country.

Published in the News Journal

Published on Thu, Jun 03, 2010

"The argument that the Justice Department is making here, is you know, the fundamental question, which is where does state authority begin and end when it comes to federal immigration law?" said Benjamin Johnson, executive director of the American Immigration Council.

Published in the Fox News

Published on Wed, Jun 02, 2010

The Immigration Policy Center has issued a 14-page guide to Arizona's new immigration enforcement law: What you need to know about the new law and how it can impact your state.

The Washington D.C.-based Center is a research and policy arm of the American Immigration Council that advocates for comprehensive immigration reform.

Published in the Arizona Daily Star