The Washington Independant -
To reduce the state debt in California, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-Calif.) wants to make a drastic cut in public assistance for legal immigrants. The cut would mostly affect new immigrants, who are not yet eligible for welfare, by eliminating access to essential medical care and basic food and cash assistance. Thirty-seven thousand people will lose aid from the California Food Assistance Program; 24,000 people will lose assistance provided by CalWORKs, which provides families with cash, childcare and job-training; and 48,570 legal immigrants will lose their access to heathcare (through Medi-Cal).
Undocumented immigrants are being left out of the healthcare debate, but a new study shows that even legal immigrants — those who are eligible for government healthcare programs — face challenges that prevent them from receiving adequate care. The study, sponsored by New Yorkers For Accessible Health Coverage and the New York Immigration Coalition, shows that many immigrants are misinformed about two major issues: by receiving public health insurance benefits, they may be considered a “public charge” (which would disqualify them from adjusting their status to lawful permanent resident); and that enrolling in public insurance would affect their ability to sponsor relatives for admission to the United States. Still, others aren’t enrolled because cultural and linguistic barriers prevent them from understanding or applying to be part of the insurance system.
The Department of Homeland Security’s E-Verify system, which serves to check a potential employee’s eligibility to work in the U.S., works less than half the time to accurately flag unauthorized workers, according to a research report by Westat, a research company based in Maryland under contract to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. E-Verify inaccurately reads unauthorized workers as authorized 54 percent of the time, according to the study. The system is voluntarily used by more than 180,000 employers currently at more than 675,000 work sites and applies only to new hires. “This is a wake-up call to anyone who thinks E-Verify is an effective remedy to stop the hiring of illegal immigrants,” said Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), who is writing an immigration bill.
Senate Republicans have raised concerns about the jobs bill because it does not require that an employee be a legal resident or citizen, nor does it require use of the E-Verify system. GOP members say the bill does not prevent businesses from trying to gain tax credits by hiring illegal immigrants. Read more about E-Verify, and why the GOP fears undocumented workers, here.
The Economic Policy Institute released a report showing that immigrants who are U.S. citizens are more likely to receive higher wages and experience lower levels of poverty than non-citizens. Surprisingly, the study also found that in 2007, adult U.S. citizen immigrants had a median family income of $57,823, higher than the median family income of native-born citizens ($56,000.) Non-citizen immigrants’ median family income was $38,600. The report suggested that this may be attributed to assimilation and the likelihood of naturalized citizens having attained higher levels of education than non-citizens.
The Dept. of Homeland Security reports that the illegal population fell significantly between 2008 and 2009, by almost 1 million people (experts agree the main causes are a weak economy and tougher immigration enforcement.) But opinion differs on what those numbers actually mean. Most immigration experts agree that the number of new illegal immigrants entering the country has declined, but some disagree over whether the number of immigrants leaving has increased.
A new report by the anti-immigration think-tank, Center for Immigration Studies, tells Republican leaders to give up on the Latino vote. The center suggests that only after reducing Hispanic immigration into the country can that voting block begin assimilating and becoming Republican. The Immigration Impact writes in an article, “In other words, the CIS report offers not only a grim view of Republican political prospects, but a stereotypical and insulting portrayal of Latino voters who are perceived as too poor and ignorant to vote Republican, and who should therefore be ignored by Republican political strategists until they grow out of their Democratic phase….Apparently, an immigrant has not really become fully part of American society until he or she fervently supports a Republican Party that officially looks down upon immigrants.”
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Canada - Stronger federal action urged on illegal immigration
ELGIN -- Elgin Police Chief Lisa Womack urged federal lawmakers Thursday to take action soon on addressing illegal immigration, citing a failure to do so for what has become the public's "misunderstanding" of local law enforcement's role.
Speaking during a teleconference as part of a four-person panel of former and current local law enforcement officials, Womack described Elgin's issues concerning illegal immigration as "very similar" to those found in border states. She said it stemmed from the federal government's inability thus far to come up with a comprehensive plan for immigration reform.
"There's a clear misunderstanding on the local level from my community as to what the local role is in enforcement of immigration laws," Womack said. "In my community, a portion of them believe 'illegal is illegal' and that police need to deal with it, and if the federal government won't, then the local police should."
"We all know that is absolutely not an accurate statement," she continued. "Immigration law and immigration enforcement is a federal law enforcement agency matter."
Also featured at the forum -- hosted by the California-based Law Enforcement Engagement Initiative -- were El Paso County, Texas, Sheriff Richard Wiles; Yakima, Wash., Police Chief Sam Granato; and former Sacramento, Calif., police chief and current LEEI Project Director Arturo Venegas.
Venegas said immigration law enforcement has burdened local police departments over the last several years at a time when many are struggling with limited resources.
"We do not ask the federal government to handle the calls for service in our local community," he said. "And we for sure as heck do not have the resources to handle, in essence, the federal responsibility in immigration."
Womack said only people arrested for criminal acts have had their residency status checked, and that anything more would only help to stoke an air of distrust between officers and some within the communities they are trying to police.
"We want to have a safe and secure community," she said. "Those that are here in our community violating the laws regardless of their residency status is what we focus on -- that is the line that we draw in order that we can maintain that trust with our community so that we can have criminal activity being appropriately reported."
Speaking during a teleconference as part of a four-person panel of former and current local law enforcement officials, Womack described Elgin's issues concerning illegal immigration as "very similar" to those found in border states. She said it stemmed from the federal government's inability thus far to come up with a comprehensive plan for immigration reform.
"There's a clear misunderstanding on the local level from my community as to what the local role is in enforcement of immigration laws," Womack said. "In my community, a portion of them believe 'illegal is illegal' and that police need to deal with it, and if the federal government won't, then the local police should."
"We all know that is absolutely not an accurate statement," she continued. "Immigration law and immigration enforcement is a federal law enforcement agency matter."
Also featured at the forum -- hosted by the California-based Law Enforcement Engagement Initiative -- were El Paso County, Texas, Sheriff Richard Wiles; Yakima, Wash., Police Chief Sam Granato; and former Sacramento, Calif., police chief and current LEEI Project Director Arturo Venegas.
Venegas said immigration law enforcement has burdened local police departments over the last several years at a time when many are struggling with limited resources.
"We do not ask the federal government to handle the calls for service in our local community," he said. "And we for sure as heck do not have the resources to handle, in essence, the federal responsibility in immigration."
Womack said only people arrested for criminal acts have had their residency status checked, and that anything more would only help to stoke an air of distrust between officers and some within the communities they are trying to police.
"We want to have a safe and secure community," she said. "Those that are here in our community violating the laws regardless of their residency status is what we focus on -- that is the line that we draw in order that we can maintain that trust with our community so that we can have criminal activity being appropriately reported."
Friday, February 26, 2010
Lines drawn over census results
(CNN) -- President Obama recently encouraged Americans to "take about 10 minutes to answer 10 questions" and fill out their 2010 census form.
This year's questionnaire is one of the shortest in history, but the results of the survey have long-term effects.
The census, taken every 10 years, is used to determine how to allocate more than $400 billion in federal funds and seats House of Representatives and determine the boundaries of representatives' districts.
"There is no representative democracy without it. It's the scientific, nonpartisan, apolitical starting point of what eventually becomes a quite partisan, political process," said Kenneth Prewitt, a professor at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs and the former director of the United States Census Bureau.
The House is made up of 435 congressional seats that represent relatively equal slices of the population. When data from the census show a shift in population, seats in the House get reassigned. Some states might pick up a seat or two, while others are forced to combine two districts into one.
The process of apportioning seats is straightforward, but redistricting is much more complicated. Districts are supposed to be redrawn to reflect population changes and to make sure there is equal representation in the House.
House of Representatives
State legislators and governors typically draw the districts, but some states rely on restricting committees. Districts can affect the balance of power in the House and representation in the state legislature.
"People try to do things that are to their political advantage if they happen to be in power because maybe the next time the census comes out, the other party will be in power," said William Frey, a demographer and senior fellow with the Brookings Institution.
Lawmakers have been accused of carving district lines around the constituents that will give their party an advantage and secure political gains.
The process is known as gerrymandering, a term coined after Massachusetts Gov. Elbridge Gerry. Elected in 1810, he signed an obscure redistricting bill that enabled greater and perhaps disproportionate Republican representation in the Massachusetts legislature.
Critics say gerrymandering gives those in power an unfair advantage and can dilute the power of minority groups.
The Supreme Court in 2006 took up a case looking at a redistricting plan promoted by then-U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas.
After the 2000 census, a state court redrew the Texas map with input from state lawmakers. But after Republicans gained control of the legislature in 2002, DeLay promoted a second redistricting proposal for congressional boundaries.
The Texas legislature adopted the plan in 2003 after three contentious special sessions called by Republican Gov. Rick Perry. The legislative plan led to the 2004 ouster of four Democratic incumbents from Congress and sparked a bitter partisan battle.
The court ruled that the redistricting plan unfairly weakened the voting strength of Latinos in two congressional districts and tossed out a portion of the congressional map, but found the overall redistricting plan engineered by state Republicans acceptable.
Prewitt said the redrawing of lines to the benefit of one party or the neglect of other is just a part of the political process.
"The production of the statistics has got to be nonpolitical ... but the use of the statistics can be as political as the country wants it to be," he said.
"I expect people to try to take advantage of situations to advance their political goals, interests, values -- so it's healthy. Now, do I think overtime creating districts so incumbents are always re-elected is the healthiest way to have a democracy? No," Prewitt said, adding that it's up to the voters to decide whether they want to throw someone out of office.
The more pressing issue for Prewitt is making sure everyone is counted because he said those who aren't counted will be treated unfairly in the political process and in the allocation of economic benefits.
With more than 300 million people in the United States, it can be difficult to make sure than everyone is counted. Frey said calculating the homeless population and the population of those who do not speak English can be particularly challenging.
Illegal immigrants, for example, sometimes opt not to turn in census forms for fear of legal ramifications. Those fears, however, are unwarranted because the information is confidential.
"The challenge that they have is a cost challenge," said Frey. The Census Bureau has to follow up with those who don't send in their forms with additional forms, telephone calls and even in-person visits -- and that adds up, he said.
This year's census is projected to cost more than $14 billion. Prewitt said it's comparatively easy to count the first 75 to 85 percent, but the last 2 to 3 percent is "really, really tough going."
As the census gets underway, Prewitt said trying to count everyone, as mandated by the Constitution, should be the top concern.
"I'm much more concerned about trying to have a fair census than I am about some drawing of odd lines after the census is over," he said.
This year's questionnaire is one of the shortest in history, but the results of the survey have long-term effects.
The census, taken every 10 years, is used to determine how to allocate more than $400 billion in federal funds and seats House of Representatives and determine the boundaries of representatives' districts.
"There is no representative democracy without it. It's the scientific, nonpartisan, apolitical starting point of what eventually becomes a quite partisan, political process," said Kenneth Prewitt, a professor at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs and the former director of the United States Census Bureau.
The House is made up of 435 congressional seats that represent relatively equal slices of the population. When data from the census show a shift in population, seats in the House get reassigned. Some states might pick up a seat or two, while others are forced to combine two districts into one.
The process of apportioning seats is straightforward, but redistricting is much more complicated. Districts are supposed to be redrawn to reflect population changes and to make sure there is equal representation in the House.
House of Representatives
State legislators and governors typically draw the districts, but some states rely on restricting committees. Districts can affect the balance of power in the House and representation in the state legislature.
"People try to do things that are to their political advantage if they happen to be in power because maybe the next time the census comes out, the other party will be in power," said William Frey, a demographer and senior fellow with the Brookings Institution.
Lawmakers have been accused of carving district lines around the constituents that will give their party an advantage and secure political gains.
The process is known as gerrymandering, a term coined after Massachusetts Gov. Elbridge Gerry. Elected in 1810, he signed an obscure redistricting bill that enabled greater and perhaps disproportionate Republican representation in the Massachusetts legislature.
Critics say gerrymandering gives those in power an unfair advantage and can dilute the power of minority groups.
The Supreme Court in 2006 took up a case looking at a redistricting plan promoted by then-U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas.
After the 2000 census, a state court redrew the Texas map with input from state lawmakers. But after Republicans gained control of the legislature in 2002, DeLay promoted a second redistricting proposal for congressional boundaries.
The Texas legislature adopted the plan in 2003 after three contentious special sessions called by Republican Gov. Rick Perry. The legislative plan led to the 2004 ouster of four Democratic incumbents from Congress and sparked a bitter partisan battle.
The court ruled that the redistricting plan unfairly weakened the voting strength of Latinos in two congressional districts and tossed out a portion of the congressional map, but found the overall redistricting plan engineered by state Republicans acceptable.
Prewitt said the redrawing of lines to the benefit of one party or the neglect of other is just a part of the political process.
"The production of the statistics has got to be nonpolitical ... but the use of the statistics can be as political as the country wants it to be," he said.
"I expect people to try to take advantage of situations to advance their political goals, interests, values -- so it's healthy. Now, do I think overtime creating districts so incumbents are always re-elected is the healthiest way to have a democracy? No," Prewitt said, adding that it's up to the voters to decide whether they want to throw someone out of office.
The more pressing issue for Prewitt is making sure everyone is counted because he said those who aren't counted will be treated unfairly in the political process and in the allocation of economic benefits.
With more than 300 million people in the United States, it can be difficult to make sure than everyone is counted. Frey said calculating the homeless population and the population of those who do not speak English can be particularly challenging.
Illegal immigrants, for example, sometimes opt not to turn in census forms for fear of legal ramifications. Those fears, however, are unwarranted because the information is confidential.
"The challenge that they have is a cost challenge," said Frey. The Census Bureau has to follow up with those who don't send in their forms with additional forms, telephone calls and even in-person visits -- and that adds up, he said.
This year's census is projected to cost more than $14 billion. Prewitt said it's comparatively easy to count the first 75 to 85 percent, but the last 2 to 3 percent is "really, really tough going."
As the census gets underway, Prewitt said trying to count everyone, as mandated by the Constitution, should be the top concern.
"I'm much more concerned about trying to have a fair census than I am about some drawing of odd lines after the census is over," he said.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Canada - Elgin Police Chief: Illegal immigration is a federal issue
Daily Herald
Elgin Police Chief Lisa Womack Thursday during a conference call with other police chiefs reiterated her position that illegal immigration is a federal issue.
"If there was a local solution to this issue, and this goes back to my Texas roots, the border states would have already figured it out," said Womack, who was police chief in Sugarland, Texas, before coming to Elgin in 2005. "In my opinion, there is not a local solution."
Womack's remarks were made during a 45-minute conference call and discussion with the Sacramento-based Law Enforcement Engagement Initiative, which hopes to advance a dialogue on immigration reform.
Reporters from Chicago suburban news outlets and even The New York Times listened and asked questions.
Sheriff Richard Wiles of El Paso County, Texas, and Chief Sam Granato of the Yakima, Wash., police, also spoke.
Womack talked for five minutes in general terms about immigration's effect in Elgin and took several questions from reporters.
Wiles and Granato said the large majority of illegal immigrants are in the United States for economic reasons. They said illegal immigrants are often targeted for crimes because victims are afraid police will deport them.
Some Elgin groups, such as the Association for Legal Americans, have pressured the city to do more to fight illegal immigration.
Two years ago, the city enacted several steps, such as using e-Verify to double check Social Security numbers of new city employees and auditing companies that do business with the city to ensure their employees are in the United States legally.
Womack said Elgin police check the residency status of all who are arrested and report that information to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
ICE generally only deports people who commit violent crimes, are gang members, sex offenders or drug dealers.
Elgin police do not check residency status of people reporting crimes, Womack said.
Womack said there is a misconception in the community that Elgin police can deport illegal immigrants.
"There is a perception, a feeling and at times a demand, to enforce residency status," Womack said.
"Immigration law and enforcement is a federal law enforcement matter ... We have no one voice on this issue and it has been polarizing at times for this community."
The two other chiefs said they don't have the resources to enforce immigration laws and doing so would destroy trust and goodwill built up within the Hispanic and minority community.
They compared the immigration situation to the absurdity of asking police to collect taxes for the Internal Revenue Service.
Womack, like the other chiefs, called on federal lawmakers to enact clear, concise and consistent immigration reform.
"This is a problem that has gone on too long," Granato said. "It's time this Congress and this President step up to the plate and give us some reform."
Womack also stressed that she was not endorsing or backing any political agenda, but noted that "securing the borders is absolutely the first step."
Elgin Police Chief Lisa Womack Thursday during a conference call with other police chiefs reiterated her position that illegal immigration is a federal issue.
"If there was a local solution to this issue, and this goes back to my Texas roots, the border states would have already figured it out," said Womack, who was police chief in Sugarland, Texas, before coming to Elgin in 2005. "In my opinion, there is not a local solution."
Womack's remarks were made during a 45-minute conference call and discussion with the Sacramento-based Law Enforcement Engagement Initiative, which hopes to advance a dialogue on immigration reform.
Reporters from Chicago suburban news outlets and even The New York Times listened and asked questions.
Sheriff Richard Wiles of El Paso County, Texas, and Chief Sam Granato of the Yakima, Wash., police, also spoke.
Womack talked for five minutes in general terms about immigration's effect in Elgin and took several questions from reporters.
Wiles and Granato said the large majority of illegal immigrants are in the United States for economic reasons. They said illegal immigrants are often targeted for crimes because victims are afraid police will deport them.
Some Elgin groups, such as the Association for Legal Americans, have pressured the city to do more to fight illegal immigration.
Two years ago, the city enacted several steps, such as using e-Verify to double check Social Security numbers of new city employees and auditing companies that do business with the city to ensure their employees are in the United States legally.
Womack said Elgin police check the residency status of all who are arrested and report that information to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
ICE generally only deports people who commit violent crimes, are gang members, sex offenders or drug dealers.
Elgin police do not check residency status of people reporting crimes, Womack said.
Womack said there is a misconception in the community that Elgin police can deport illegal immigrants.
"There is a perception, a feeling and at times a demand, to enforce residency status," Womack said.
"Immigration law and enforcement is a federal law enforcement matter ... We have no one voice on this issue and it has been polarizing at times for this community."
The two other chiefs said they don't have the resources to enforce immigration laws and doing so would destroy trust and goodwill built up within the Hispanic and minority community.
They compared the immigration situation to the absurdity of asking police to collect taxes for the Internal Revenue Service.
Womack, like the other chiefs, called on federal lawmakers to enact clear, concise and consistent immigration reform.
"This is a problem that has gone on too long," Granato said. "It's time this Congress and this President step up to the plate and give us some reform."
Womack also stressed that she was not endorsing or backing any political agenda, but noted that "securing the borders is absolutely the first step."
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Illegal Workers Spark Immigration Probe
The Department of Immigration is investigating who hired 14 illegal Indonesian workers arrested near Stanthorpe in southern Queensland yesterday.
They were caught on the state's southern border as part of a joint police and Immigration Department operation, and it is believed they were working in the horticulture industry.
Department spokeswoman Cian Manton says it is following a number of inquiries and that big fines apply for hiring illegal workers.
"Sometimes people do directly employ workers but oftentimes we do find that people may go through a third party, a labour hire contractor or intermediary, to source their workers," Ms Manton said.
"People who are convicted relating to these matters face fines of up to $13,000 and two years imprisonment.
"Individuals and companies can face fines of up to $66,000 per illegal worker, so we are talking about serious penalties here for serious matters."
The Immigration Department is reminding employers to check the status of their workforce.
Twelve workers have been transferred to Brisbane and will be deported as soon as possible.
The other two have been given bridging visas and are making their own arrangements to leave.
They were caught on the state's southern border as part of a joint police and Immigration Department operation, and it is believed they were working in the horticulture industry.
Department spokeswoman Cian Manton says it is following a number of inquiries and that big fines apply for hiring illegal workers.
"Sometimes people do directly employ workers but oftentimes we do find that people may go through a third party, a labour hire contractor or intermediary, to source their workers," Ms Manton said.
"People who are convicted relating to these matters face fines of up to $13,000 and two years imprisonment.
"Individuals and companies can face fines of up to $66,000 per illegal worker, so we are talking about serious penalties here for serious matters."
The Immigration Department is reminding employers to check the status of their workforce.
Twelve workers have been transferred to Brisbane and will be deported as soon as possible.
The other two have been given bridging visas and are making their own arrangements to leave.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Va. program IDs more than 600 illegal immigrants
Associated Press -
FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) - Fairfax County has identified more than 600 illegal immigrants over the past year using a jail fingerprinting program.
The county checks the fingerprints of anyone processed at the jail against an immigration database to see if officials have noted they should be deported. The Secure Communities program found 619 inmates with matches in 2009. Another 474 illegal immigrant inmates were identified in other ways. About a third have been deported; the remainder are in immigration proceedings or serving sentences.
Fairfax County was among the first of about 100 jurisdictions nationwide to participate in the program which the Obama administration plans to expand to the nation's some 3,100 local jails by 2013.
FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) - Fairfax County has identified more than 600 illegal immigrants over the past year using a jail fingerprinting program.
The county checks the fingerprints of anyone processed at the jail against an immigration database to see if officials have noted they should be deported. The Secure Communities program found 619 inmates with matches in 2009. Another 474 illegal immigrant inmates were identified in other ways. About a third have been deported; the remainder are in immigration proceedings or serving sentences.
Fairfax County was among the first of about 100 jurisdictions nationwide to participate in the program which the Obama administration plans to expand to the nation's some 3,100 local jails by 2013.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Company Fined Over Immigration Violations At Fairfield Plant
February 12, 2010
A company accused of hiring illegal immigrants has paid a steep fine for employment violations.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency announced Friday that Koch Foods of Cincinnati LLC paid a $536,046 fine for administrative violations of U.S. immigration laws.
The ICE Office of Investigations in Cincinnati conducted a worksite investigation of Koch Foods after receiving information from a concerned citizen alleging that the company was employing more than 100 illegal immigrants at their poultry processing facility in Butler County
In August 2007, ICE subsequently executed a search warrant at Koch's Fairfield processing facility and arrested 161 illegal immigrants and seized relevant documents. ICE also executed a search warrant at Koch's corporate offices in Chicago seizing relevant documents.
Employers are required to complete and retain a Form I-9 for each individual they hire for employment in the United States. This form requires employers to review and record the individual's identity document(s) and determine whether the document(s) reasonably appear to be genuine and related to the individual.
The fine relates to I-9 violations at Koch's Fairfield facility. The company has cooperated with ICE in the investigation employing the use of E-Verify and ensuring that its policies and procedures are in compliance with legal requirements
"Employers have a responsibility to hire men and women who are authorized to work in the United States and fines are an important component of ensuring their compliance," said Brian Moskowitz, Special Agent in Charge of ICE investigations in Michigan and Ohio, in a news release. "The significant civil fines leveled here represent ICE's firm commitment to holding employers accountable."
ICE issued a Notice of Intent to Fine in the specified amount on Feb. 8. The Final Order was issued and fine paid on February 9 in Cleveland. The company has implemented measures revising its hiring and immigration compliance program, and has established new procedures to prevent future violations of federal immigration laws, which includes the removal of the individual employed as the human resource manager during the time period surrounding the violations.
A company accused of hiring illegal immigrants has paid a steep fine for employment violations.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency announced Friday that Koch Foods of Cincinnati LLC paid a $536,046 fine for administrative violations of U.S. immigration laws.
The ICE Office of Investigations in Cincinnati conducted a worksite investigation of Koch Foods after receiving information from a concerned citizen alleging that the company was employing more than 100 illegal immigrants at their poultry processing facility in Butler County
In August 2007, ICE subsequently executed a search warrant at Koch's Fairfield processing facility and arrested 161 illegal immigrants and seized relevant documents. ICE also executed a search warrant at Koch's corporate offices in Chicago seizing relevant documents.
Employers are required to complete and retain a Form I-9 for each individual they hire for employment in the United States. This form requires employers to review and record the individual's identity document(s) and determine whether the document(s) reasonably appear to be genuine and related to the individual.
The fine relates to I-9 violations at Koch's Fairfield facility. The company has cooperated with ICE in the investigation employing the use of E-Verify and ensuring that its policies and procedures are in compliance with legal requirements
"Employers have a responsibility to hire men and women who are authorized to work in the United States and fines are an important component of ensuring their compliance," said Brian Moskowitz, Special Agent in Charge of ICE investigations in Michigan and Ohio, in a news release. "The significant civil fines leveled here represent ICE's firm commitment to holding employers accountable."
ICE issued a Notice of Intent to Fine in the specified amount on Feb. 8. The Final Order was issued and fine paid on February 9 in Cleveland. The company has implemented measures revising its hiring and immigration compliance program, and has established new procedures to prevent future violations of federal immigration laws, which includes the removal of the individual employed as the human resource manager during the time period surrounding the violations.
Activists Inflamed Over Immigration Numbers
Feb. 12 -- The population of illegal immigrants in the U.S. has fallen by 1 million in the past two years due to a combination of the recession and increased law enforcement, according to the latest estimate by the Department of Homeland Security. While activists largely agree that the influx of illegal immigrants is at a welcome ebb, some vehemently contest the accuracy of the agency's figures and remain bitterly divided on what impact they should have on the country's immigration policy going forward.
"I strongly disagree with the number of immigrants they say are living here," said Jim Gilchrist, president and founder of the Minuteman Project, a volunteer group of about 1,000 civilians who monitor the northern and southern borders of the continental U.S. for illegal crossings, which they then report to Border Patrol. "There's no credible way to way to tag and count them, and very few will admit to their illegal status, so it's all just a guesstimate at best."
To counter the Homeland Security estimate of 10.8 million illegal immigrants residing in the U.S. as of 2009, Gilchrist offered AOL News his own "guesstimate" of 30 million, which he said was based on older projections put forth by Time magazine and now-defunct banking firm Bear Stearns.
An activist on the opposite side of the immigration debate also questions official government counts.
"There are lots of scholars who do work on immigration, and nobody can give accurate figures," Kat Rodriguez, spokeswoman for immigrants advocacy group Coalicion de Derechos Humanos, told the Christian Science Monitor.
News media frequently confuse the number of illegal immigrants with the number of "apprehensions," a mistaken assumption since one person can be apprehended over and over again on different occasions, said Rodriguez, whose organization seeks to reduce what it sees as suffering among immigrants caused by the militarization of the border region.
Still others, including Shuya Ohno, a spokesperson for the National Immigration Forum -- the self-described "leading immigrant advocacy organization in the country" -- accepted the Homeland Security estimate at face value.
"The DHS figures are the most accurate," Ohno said in an interview with AOL News. "Most rational and apolitical academics put the number between 10 (million)and 12 million."
The full statistical methodology used to reach the estimates is described in the the latest Homeland Security report, which can be downloaded as a PDF from the agency's Web site.
No matter their opinion on the precise figures, activists largely agreed with Homeland Security that the rate of new illegal immigrants entering the country had slowed considerably following the economic meltdown in 2008.
"The reason for the decline is simple: fewer jobs," said Daily Finance's Jonathan Berr.
More contentious is the assertion by Homeland Security and other groups that the decline has as much to do with a corresponding increase in immigration law-enforcement resources made during the tail-end of the Bush administration.
As the Washington Times wrote: "After the last effort to pass an immigration bill failed in mid-2007, the Bush administration announced it would step up enforcement, including high-profile raids and granting powers to enforce immigration laws to some state and local police departments."
Since the election of President Barack Obama, an additional $30 million has been designated toward increasing security on the U.S. southwestern border, and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has emphatically asserted that the new administration has taken a different tack than its predecessor, narrowing the focus of joint law enforcement efforts on apprehending "dangerous criminal aliens" as opposed to pursuing those who have committed minor offenses.
The new approach has disappointed both border-control and amnesty-minded groups.
"At a time when enforcement was beginning to pay dividends, the Obama administration has curtailed many aspects of enforcement -- particularly in the workplace," Ira Mehlman of the Federation for American Immigration Reform told the Christian Science Monitor. FAIR is a nonprofit citizens' organization that seeks to "improve border security, to stop illegal immigration, and to promote immigration levels consistent with the national interest."
On the contrary, assert some advocates, Obama has taken a stricter and less humane stance on immigration than his predecessor.
"As a Latina, I am fed up with President Obama's lack of leadership on immigration reform," Ana Perez wrote in The Progressive magazine. "More immigrants have been deported in Obama's first year than in the last year of the Bush administration. Obama and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano have found a behind-the-scenes strategy to get rid of immigrants. They have the immigration agency comb through local jails and place deportation holds on anyone suspected of being undocumented."
Still, one thing all activists maintain is that the decrease in the population of unauthorized residents affords the country the best opportunity to correct massive problems with U.S. immigration policy. It might be the last chance to do so before a resurgent economy again raises the incentive for people to immigrate illegally en masse.
"What this affords us is a great opportunity to fix the immigration system now," Ohno told AOL News. "Illegal crossing of the border is at its lowest point in 40 years. Just like we wouldn't want to fix a bridge during rush hour, we should take the same consideration with the country's immigration system."
He and his organization, the National Immigration Forum, support a "common sense" approach to allow immigrants who are currently classified as illegal to come forward, pay a fine and get to the back of the line for citizenship requests without fear of being deported.
"I'm saying let's force the debate on this issue and solve the problem," said Minuteman President Gilchrist. "Let's bring left, right and the political center together to make sure immigration is a process that occurs lawfully, according to our Founding Fathers. My main concern is that we might have another million illegal aliens who will come here shortly and stay, and not respect our rule of laws."
Gilchrist wants immigration laws currently on the books to be enforced emphatically, which he believes would require the repatriation of millions of illegal immigrants currently in the U.S.
"I strongly disagree with the number of immigrants they say are living here," said Jim Gilchrist, president and founder of the Minuteman Project, a volunteer group of about 1,000 civilians who monitor the northern and southern borders of the continental U.S. for illegal crossings, which they then report to Border Patrol. "There's no credible way to way to tag and count them, and very few will admit to their illegal status, so it's all just a guesstimate at best."
To counter the Homeland Security estimate of 10.8 million illegal immigrants residing in the U.S. as of 2009, Gilchrist offered AOL News his own "guesstimate" of 30 million, which he said was based on older projections put forth by Time magazine and now-defunct banking firm Bear Stearns.
An activist on the opposite side of the immigration debate also questions official government counts.
"There are lots of scholars who do work on immigration, and nobody can give accurate figures," Kat Rodriguez, spokeswoman for immigrants advocacy group Coalicion de Derechos Humanos, told the Christian Science Monitor.
News media frequently confuse the number of illegal immigrants with the number of "apprehensions," a mistaken assumption since one person can be apprehended over and over again on different occasions, said Rodriguez, whose organization seeks to reduce what it sees as suffering among immigrants caused by the militarization of the border region.
Still others, including Shuya Ohno, a spokesperson for the National Immigration Forum -- the self-described "leading immigrant advocacy organization in the country" -- accepted the Homeland Security estimate at face value.
"The DHS figures are the most accurate," Ohno said in an interview with AOL News. "Most rational and apolitical academics put the number between 10 (million)and 12 million."
The full statistical methodology used to reach the estimates is described in the the latest Homeland Security report, which can be downloaded as a PDF from the agency's Web site.
No matter their opinion on the precise figures, activists largely agreed with Homeland Security that the rate of new illegal immigrants entering the country had slowed considerably following the economic meltdown in 2008.
"The reason for the decline is simple: fewer jobs," said Daily Finance's Jonathan Berr.
More contentious is the assertion by Homeland Security and other groups that the decline has as much to do with a corresponding increase in immigration law-enforcement resources made during the tail-end of the Bush administration.
As the Washington Times wrote: "After the last effort to pass an immigration bill failed in mid-2007, the Bush administration announced it would step up enforcement, including high-profile raids and granting powers to enforce immigration laws to some state and local police departments."
Since the election of President Barack Obama, an additional $30 million has been designated toward increasing security on the U.S. southwestern border, and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has emphatically asserted that the new administration has taken a different tack than its predecessor, narrowing the focus of joint law enforcement efforts on apprehending "dangerous criminal aliens" as opposed to pursuing those who have committed minor offenses.
The new approach has disappointed both border-control and amnesty-minded groups.
"At a time when enforcement was beginning to pay dividends, the Obama administration has curtailed many aspects of enforcement -- particularly in the workplace," Ira Mehlman of the Federation for American Immigration Reform told the Christian Science Monitor. FAIR is a nonprofit citizens' organization that seeks to "improve border security, to stop illegal immigration, and to promote immigration levels consistent with the national interest."
On the contrary, assert some advocates, Obama has taken a stricter and less humane stance on immigration than his predecessor.
"As a Latina, I am fed up with President Obama's lack of leadership on immigration reform," Ana Perez wrote in The Progressive magazine. "More immigrants have been deported in Obama's first year than in the last year of the Bush administration. Obama and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano have found a behind-the-scenes strategy to get rid of immigrants. They have the immigration agency comb through local jails and place deportation holds on anyone suspected of being undocumented."
Still, one thing all activists maintain is that the decrease in the population of unauthorized residents affords the country the best opportunity to correct massive problems with U.S. immigration policy. It might be the last chance to do so before a resurgent economy again raises the incentive for people to immigrate illegally en masse.
"What this affords us is a great opportunity to fix the immigration system now," Ohno told AOL News. "Illegal crossing of the border is at its lowest point in 40 years. Just like we wouldn't want to fix a bridge during rush hour, we should take the same consideration with the country's immigration system."
He and his organization, the National Immigration Forum, support a "common sense" approach to allow immigrants who are currently classified as illegal to come forward, pay a fine and get to the back of the line for citizenship requests without fear of being deported.
"I'm saying let's force the debate on this issue and solve the problem," said Minuteman President Gilchrist. "Let's bring left, right and the political center together to make sure immigration is a process that occurs lawfully, according to our Founding Fathers. My main concern is that we might have another million illegal aliens who will come here shortly and stay, and not respect our rule of laws."
Gilchrist wants immigration laws currently on the books to be enforced emphatically, which he believes would require the repatriation of millions of illegal immigrants currently in the U.S.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Arizona Sheriff, U.S. in Standoff Over Immigration Enforcement
4:38 P.M. ET
An Arizona sheriff said he planned to defy Washington's attempts to roll back his staunch enforcement of federal immigration law, a move that could put him on a collision course with the U.S. government.
Late last year, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the largest arm of the Department of Homeland Security, stripped Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio of the authority to use 100 of his deputies to enforce federal immigration in his jurisdiction, which includes Phoenix. The customs agency took the action because Mr. Arpaio's aggressive immigration crackdowns had drawn criticism from human-rights groups and had run afoul of the U.S. Justice Department, which is investigating whether he has used racial profiling and abused his authority.
In an interview this week, Mr. Arpaio said he would ignore Washington's effort to clip his powers and would train all of his 881 deputies to enforce federal immigration law on the streets.
"We have the inherent right to enforce federal immigration law," Mr. Arpaio said. "If Washington doesn't like it, I recommend they change the laws."
Asked about Mr. Arpaio's plans for reinstating street-level immigration enforcement, an ICE spokesman in Arizona said: "Sheriff Arpaio's efforts to conduct immigration-enforcement actions do not derive from any ICE-delegated federal authority."
The dispute stems from a provision called 287g, a federal program that enlists and trains local police to identify suspected illegal-immigrant criminals in jails and on the streets. The program was intended to target serious criminals. However, it was criticized for promoting racial profiling and serving as an excuse for local law-enforcement officers to hunt down illegal immigrants. Mr. Arpaio gained notoriety for his tactics.
The Obama administration sought to rein in the 287g program as part of a broader effort to retool the ICE, which became known in recent years for raiding companies and rounding up illegal workers. The administration has been taking steps to tone down the agency's image as a hard-edged enforcer.
When it attempted to curtail Mr. Arpaio's authority, Washington limited his deputies' ability to verify the immigration status of people in the streets during the course of duty. The deputies still retain the authority to check the status of people booked into Maricopa County jails.
"Since the Department of Homeland Security took away 100 of our federally trained deputies…we are going to train every sworn deputy to teach them how to enforce state and federal immigration laws," the sheriff said in a telephone interview.
The course, which will mainly be taught via computer, will equip deputy sheriffs to "recognize…immigration violations" in the course of duty, Mr. Arpaio said.
Mr. Arpaio has partnered with Kris Kobach, a law professor who has gained prominence as a national advocate for stricter measures against illegal immigrants.
Mr. Arpaio said "we don't engage in racial profiling." He noted that the training for his deputies would include a lesson on how to avoid the practice.
An Arizona sheriff said he planned to defy Washington's attempts to roll back his staunch enforcement of federal immigration law, a move that could put him on a collision course with the U.S. government.
Late last year, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the largest arm of the Department of Homeland Security, stripped Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio of the authority to use 100 of his deputies to enforce federal immigration in his jurisdiction, which includes Phoenix. The customs agency took the action because Mr. Arpaio's aggressive immigration crackdowns had drawn criticism from human-rights groups and had run afoul of the U.S. Justice Department, which is investigating whether he has used racial profiling and abused his authority.
In an interview this week, Mr. Arpaio said he would ignore Washington's effort to clip his powers and would train all of his 881 deputies to enforce federal immigration law on the streets.
"We have the inherent right to enforce federal immigration law," Mr. Arpaio said. "If Washington doesn't like it, I recommend they change the laws."
Asked about Mr. Arpaio's plans for reinstating street-level immigration enforcement, an ICE spokesman in Arizona said: "Sheriff Arpaio's efforts to conduct immigration-enforcement actions do not derive from any ICE-delegated federal authority."
The dispute stems from a provision called 287g, a federal program that enlists and trains local police to identify suspected illegal-immigrant criminals in jails and on the streets. The program was intended to target serious criminals. However, it was criticized for promoting racial profiling and serving as an excuse for local law-enforcement officers to hunt down illegal immigrants. Mr. Arpaio gained notoriety for his tactics.
The Obama administration sought to rein in the 287g program as part of a broader effort to retool the ICE, which became known in recent years for raiding companies and rounding up illegal workers. The administration has been taking steps to tone down the agency's image as a hard-edged enforcer.
When it attempted to curtail Mr. Arpaio's authority, Washington limited his deputies' ability to verify the immigration status of people in the streets during the course of duty. The deputies still retain the authority to check the status of people booked into Maricopa County jails.
"Since the Department of Homeland Security took away 100 of our federally trained deputies…we are going to train every sworn deputy to teach them how to enforce state and federal immigration laws," the sheriff said in a telephone interview.
The course, which will mainly be taught via computer, will equip deputy sheriffs to "recognize…immigration violations" in the course of duty, Mr. Arpaio said.
Mr. Arpaio has partnered with Kris Kobach, a law professor who has gained prominence as a national advocate for stricter measures against illegal immigrants.
Mr. Arpaio said "we don't engage in racial profiling." He noted that the training for his deputies would include a lesson on how to avoid the practice.
Former Advisor to U.S. Attorney General Rides with Deputies in Maricopa County
Maricopa County, AZ -
Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 42 more illegal aliens in recent days under the direct observation of Kris Kobach, a nationally recognized expert on immigration law and border security.
The 42 arrests were the result of four separate vehicles discovered and stopped by the Sheriff’s Human Smuggling Unit that were being used to transport illegal aliens in recent days. The Sheriff’s smuggling unit has arrested 1,839 illegal aliens on felony human smuggling charges to date.
Kobach has stated to the Sheriff that he is overly impressed with the professionalism and expertise that deputies have displayed while carrying out the enforcement of all immigration laws during his visit.
Kobach was brought in by the Sheriff’s Office in order to utilize his expertise on a new program launched by Sheriff Arpaio Monday that will require all of the Sheriff’s sworn deputies to attend training in the enforcement of state and federal immigration laws.
The Sheriff’s new program will act as a tool for sworn deputies especially given the fact that over 100 federally trained deputies were stripped of their authority to act as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents recently because of the U.S Department of Homeland Security Department’s disapproval of the Sheriff’s controversial crime suppression operations.
“I don’t need the federal government’s approval to enforce immigration laws that already exist, and I intend to continue the fight on illegal immigration,” stated Sheriff Arpaio.
Critics of the Sheriff’s enforcement of immigration laws have long contended that deputies have no business arresting illegal aliens and that the duty should fall solely on the federal government.
Kobach disagrees and carries the opinion that local law enforcement officials not only have the inherent authority to arrest illegal aliens during the course of their regular operations, but that it is also their duty to do so.
Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Press Release
Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 42 more illegal aliens in recent days under the direct observation of Kris Kobach, a nationally recognized expert on immigration law and border security.
The 42 arrests were the result of four separate vehicles discovered and stopped by the Sheriff’s Human Smuggling Unit that were being used to transport illegal aliens in recent days. The Sheriff’s smuggling unit has arrested 1,839 illegal aliens on felony human smuggling charges to date.
Kobach has stated to the Sheriff that he is overly impressed with the professionalism and expertise that deputies have displayed while carrying out the enforcement of all immigration laws during his visit.
Kobach was brought in by the Sheriff’s Office in order to utilize his expertise on a new program launched by Sheriff Arpaio Monday that will require all of the Sheriff’s sworn deputies to attend training in the enforcement of state and federal immigration laws.
The Sheriff’s new program will act as a tool for sworn deputies especially given the fact that over 100 federally trained deputies were stripped of their authority to act as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents recently because of the U.S Department of Homeland Security Department’s disapproval of the Sheriff’s controversial crime suppression operations.
“I don’t need the federal government’s approval to enforce immigration laws that already exist, and I intend to continue the fight on illegal immigration,” stated Sheriff Arpaio.
Critics of the Sheriff’s enforcement of immigration laws have long contended that deputies have no business arresting illegal aliens and that the duty should fall solely on the federal government.
Kobach disagrees and carries the opinion that local law enforcement officials not only have the inherent authority to arrest illegal aliens during the course of their regular operations, but that it is also their duty to do so.
Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Press Release
Department of Homeland Security Issues "Unauthorized" Immigrant Report
| The Department of Homeland security provided a keyhole of hopeful light for the reform crowd on Tuesday. They published "Estimates of the Unauthorized Immigrant Population Residing in the United States: January 2009" which was written by Michael Hoefer, Nancy Rytina, and Bryan C. Baker. The report provides estimates of the number of illegal -- they use the term "unauthorized" -- immigrants residing in the United States as of January 2009 by period of entry, region and country of origin, state of residence, age, and gender. It also provides a favorable environment for the comprehensive immigration reform movement in that it shows that there are now less illegal immigrants residing in the US than there once were. This lessening will surely be attributed to better practices in DHS' enforcement of existing laws, though they do also credit the Great Recession. The bottom line is that true reform was not going to be a palatable concept to the illegal-immigration-is-killing-this-country crowd while illegal immigration was booming. The rallying cry on that side back in 2005 when the Sensenbrenner bill was introduced was -- and continued to be - that you cannot talk about human reform and dealing equitably with those already here when the borders were still bleeding illegal immigrants daily. I always thought that was a good point that never got the attention it deserved. At any rate, as you'll see from DHS' report -- whether for enforcement climate reasons or economic reasons -- illegal immigration has slowly abated and this might provide an opportunity for productive reform talks between both sides of the aisle. Between 2000 and 2009, the unauthorized population grew by 27 percent. Of all unauthorized immigrants living in the United States in 2009, 63 percent entered before 2000, and 62 percent were from Mexico. Between January 2008 and January 2009, the number of unauthorized immigrants living in the United States decreased seven percent from 11.6 million to 10.8 million. Between 2000 and 2007, the unauthorized population grew by 3.3 million from 8.5 million to 11.8 million. The number of unauthorized residents declined by 1.0 million between 2007 and 2009, coincident with the U.S. economic downturn. The overall annual average increase in the unauthorized population during the 2000-2009 period was 250,000. The unauthorized resident population is the remainder or "residual" after estimates of the legally resident foreign-born population - legal permanent residents (LPRs), asylees, refugees, and nonimmigrants - are subtracted from estimates of the total foreign-born population The unauthorized resident immigrant population is defined as all foreign-born non-citizens who are not legal residents. Most unauthorized residents either entered the United States without inspection or were admitted temporarily and stayed past the date they were required to leave. Unauthorized immigrants applying for adjustment to lawful permanent resident status under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) Section 245(i) are unauthorized until they have been granted LPR status, even though they may have been authorized to work. Persons who are beneficiaries of Temporary Protected Status (TPS)--an estimated several hundred thousand--are not technically unauthorized but were excluded from the legally resident immigrant population because data are unavailable in sufficient detail to estimate this population. DHS has said that from now moving forward, this report will be updated and made available on a annually based. | ||
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