IMMIGRATION LAWYER - ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

Looking the Other Way on Immigrants - washingtonpost.com

Link: Looking the Other Way on Immigrants - washingtonpost.com.

In the aftermath of a series of raids in 2004, the town council in this historic borough of 5,300 -- transformed in recent years by an influx of at least 1,300 Latin Americans -- unanimously approved a sort of immigrant bill of rights. Joining a growing list of cities enacting a no-questions-asked policy on immigration status, Hightstown now allows its undocumented residents to officially interact with local police and access city services without fear of being reported to federal authorities.

Bush Ties Drop in Illegal Immigration to His Policies - New York Times

Link: Bush Ties Drop in Illegal Immigration to His Policies - New York Times.

President Bush said Monday that tougher enforcement and a new fence at the Mexican border had sharply reduced the influx of illegal immigrants, and he pressed Congress to pass a sweeping revision of the nation’s immigration laws.

“It’s amazing progress that’s been made,” Mr. Bush said on a return visit to a section of the border that he inspected 11 months ago.

In the last six months, the White House said, Border Patrol reports showed that apprehensions of illegal immigrants along the Mexican border fell by 30 percent, to 418,184, from 594,142 in the comparable period a year earlier. In the Yuma sector, which spans parts of Arizona and California, apprehensions fell by 68 percent, to 25,217, from 79,131 in the comparable period a year earlier.

Pleading to Stay a Family - washingtonpost.com

Link: Pleading to Stay a Family - washingtonpost.com.

As the government's crackdown on illegal immigrant workers has intensified in recent months, so have the consequences for a large subgroup of U.S. citizens: American-born children of illegal immigrants.

Numbering at least 3.1 million, according to an analysis by the Urban Institute and the Pew Hispanic Center, such children range from teenagers steeped in iTunes and MySpace to toddlers just learning their ABCs.

Lawmakers push pro-immigrant bill - MiamiHerald.com

Link: Lawmakers push pro-immigrant bill - 03/12/2007 - MiamiHerald.com.

Two Miami lawmakers will join several pro-immigrant groups today to urge passage of a bill in Congress that could help thousands of undocumented immigrant students attend college and become legal residents.

Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., and his brother, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., will team up with the Florida Immigrant Coalition and other groups to promote ``The American Dream Act.''

The bill, if passed, would grant in-state tuition to undocumented immigrant students and permit those students, along with those serving in the military, to obtain a green card and legally remain in the United States.

Immigration Raids Can Divide Families - (AP)

Link: Immigration Raids Can Divide Families - washingtonpost.com.

They are the hidden side of the government's stepped-up efforts to track down and deport illegal immigrants: Toddlers stranded at day care centers or handed over to ill-equipped relatives. Siblings suddenly left in charge of younger brothers and sisters.

When illegal-immigrant parents are swept up in raids on homes and workplaces, the children are sometimes left behind _ a complication that underscores the difficulty in enforcing immigration laws against people who have put down roots and begun raising families in the U.S.

Three million American-born children have at least one parent who is an illegal immigrant; one in 10 American families has mixed immigration status, meaning at least one member is an immigrant here illegally, according to the Pew Center for Hispanic Research and the office of U.S. Rep. Jose Serrano. Children born in the U.S. are automatically American citizens and are not subject to deportation.

Trial tests law on illegal immigration - (Reuters)

Link: Trial tests law on illegal immigration - washingtonpost.com.

A Pennsylvania town's anti-illegal-immigration law created a climate of fear in which businesses failed and people moved out, a lawyer argued on Monday as a trial seen as a test of U.S. immigration policy began.

The result of the case, the first federal trial over whether local jurisdictions can make their own laws on illegal immigration, is expected to affect cities and towns across the United States as the country debates what to do with the 12 million illegal aliens estimated to be inside its borders.

American Civil Liberties Union attorney Vic Walczak said the city of Hazleton and its mayor, Lou Barletta, violated the U.S. Constitution in passing the ordinance because only the federal government has the right to make immigration law.

Immigration raids split families - AP

Link: Immigration raids split families - Yahoo! News.

They are the hidden side of the government's stepped-up efforts to track down and deport illegal immigrants: Toddlers stranded at day care centers or handed over to ill-equipped relatives. Siblings suddenly left in charge of younger brothers and sisters.

When illegal-immigrant parents are swept up in raids on homes and workplaces, the children are sometimes left behind — a complication that underscores the difficulty in enforcing immigration laws against people who have put down roots and begun raising families in the U.S.

Mohave Daily News: Safford Republican lawmaker tells colleagues of threats over immigration

Link: Mohave Daily News: Safford Republican lawmaker tells colleagues of threats over immigration.

A state representative who has urged his colleagues to show restraint in what mandates they impose on businesses to help curb illegal immigration said Tuesday that he and his family have received threats in connection with the issue.

‘‘I never thought that I would fear for my safety or the safety of my family when I took a seat in the Arizona House of Representatives,'' said Rep. Bill Konopnicki, a Safford Republican who owns several restaurants and other businesses.

‘‘None of us should fear for our safety or of those we love,'' Konopnicki said during a floor speech. He paused several times during the speech to maintain his composure.

Konopnicki is the second Arizona legislator this year to publicly report receiving threats in connection with immigration and border issues.

NPR : Colorado Report Finds Anti-Immigration Law Costly

Link: NPR : Colorado Report Finds Anti-Immigration Law Costly.

Colorado passed one of the toughest set of anti-immigration laws in the country six months ago. Now, a state panel reports that illegal immigrants really didn't use state services, and that the new laws are costing more to implement than they're saving for the state.

NPR : Bank Defends Credit Cards for Illegal Immigrants

Link: NPR : Bank Defends Credit Cards for Illegal Immigrants.

In Los Angeles, immigrants who don't have credentials to work in the United States can still get a credit card, thanks to a pilot program run by Bank of America. The bank is hoping to tap a fast-growing market by offering credit cards to illegal immigrants without Social Security numbers.

Bank of America is testing the new credit-card program at about 50 Los Angeles branches. Applicants don't need a Social Security number or a traditional credit check to qualify. But they do need to have a Bank of America checking account with no recent history of bounced checks.

Critics are condemning the program, saying the bank is knowingly marketing credit cards to illegal immigrants.

Under the pilot program, cardholders typically put up a deposit to guarantee payment of their credit card bills. They also pay a relatively high interest rate — in some cases, more than 21 percent.