Immigration Policy Center

Published on Tue, Apr 27, 2010

Now that Arizona has enacted the most xenophobic anti-immigration law in this country, get ready for the big Hispanic exodus.

But it won’t be an exodus back to Mexico or to Central America. It will be a stampede toward Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago and other cities with huge Hispanic populations, where Latinos will be able to live without fear of being stopped by police because of the color of their skin or for speaking Spanish.

According to a bill passed by the Arizona legislature and signed into law Friday, police officers would have to arrest anyone when they have “reasonable suspicion” that the person does not have valid immigration papers. And it would allow anyone to sue local or state officials who they believe aren’t carrying out the law.

Published in the Youngstown News

Published on Fri, Apr 23, 2010

No surprise to see John McCain supporting this unAmerican attempt to mandate that police demand citizens show their papers.

What a phony McCain is. Where does he think is: The Occupied Territories?

Published in the Veterans Today

Published on Sun, Apr 25, 2010

Ours is a nation of immigrants. That’s what we’re told from our earliest years in grade school. The vast majority of Americans are descended from those who came (voluntarily or not) from other continents.

But the topic remains controversial. And immigration both legal and not is changing the American landscape. Demographers tell us that by 2050, the proportion of Hispanics in the U.S. will more than double to 29 percent, making them the largest segment after whites at 47 percent.

Published in the The Southern Pine Pilot

Published on Sun, Apr 25, 2010

On March 21, we joined a busload of Central New Yorkers on a trip to Washington, D.C., where tens of thousands of people rallied for comprehensive immigration reform. We returned home ready to face the usual barrage of falsehoods that poison our national discourse on immigration — myths meant to demonize immigrants and prevent reform.

Published in the The Post Standard

Published on Fri, Apr 23, 2010

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer just signed into law the controversial immigration bill that has drawn national scrutiny and triggered furious protests. "I firmly believe it represents what's best for Arizona," she said. The bill "strengthens the laws of our state. It protects all of us." And, she added, "it does so while ensuring the constitutional rights of all in Arizona remain solid, stable, and steadfast."

Published in the Newsweek

Published on Sun, Apr 25, 2010

According to a DC-based think-tank, when Arizona’s new immigration law goes into effect in three months, residents of a state still struggling with a three-billion dollar deficit will discover that SB1070 comes with an unexpected consequence: a price tag that could run into the tens of billions.

Red State Blues

“At a purely administrative level, Gov. Brewer should take into consideration the potential costs of implementation and defending the state against lawsuits,” concludes the Immigration Policy Center (IPC).

Published in the True Slant

Published on Thu, Apr 22, 2010

Arizona legislators are fed up with being terrorized by illegal immigrants, and they have passed a law to get tough. Under the measure, passed this week and sent to the governor, police would have to stop and question anyone they suspect of being in this country without legal authorization.

Published in the Chicago Tribune

Published on Wed, Apr 28, 2010

We have always been told that baseball is America's pastime. In fact(after hypocrisy)immigrant-bashing is our new national sport. The draconian anti-immigrant bill recently passed by Arizona's legislature proves just how true this is.

Advocates of this law claim it is necessary to fight crime brought into Arizoma by the "flood" of illegal aliens. In addition, the usual claims of higher unemployment, lower wages and increased welfare spending are cited as reasons for this law.

These claims are largely bogus. A study by Walter Ewing of the Immigration Policy Center shows that if illegals were to suddenly disappear, crime in America would actually increase. Syndicated columnist, Stephen Chapman, notes that El Paso, the ultimate border city, is one of the safest in America.

Published in the Joplin Independent

Published on Mon, Apr 26, 2010

Americans angry about the current immigration morass utter a common complaint: “Illegal aliens don’t pay taxes.”

But many undocumented workers have taxes taken out of their checks and an increasing number are filing tax returns, according to IRS statistics, local undocumented workers and immigrant advocates.

President Obama’s promise of an immigration overhaul is a major reason for the increase in returns. That change could open a path to legal status for about 12 million people currently illegal.

Published in the The Palm Beach Post

Published on Mon, Apr 26, 2010

Mary Giovagnoli, Director of the Immigration Policy Center, says that ICE could substantially improve its performance by appointing an ombudsman "to serve as an internal conscience, taking in reports on individual cases, making sure that policy is followed and serving as an internal watchdog."

Published in the The Ombuds Blog