News Clips March 30, 2010

Teenager Testifies About Attacking Latinos for Sport

Nicholas Hausch, 18, testifying on Monday in State Supreme Court here, described what that meant. “It’s when you go out and you look for a Hispanic to beat up,” Mr. Hausch told the packed courtroom.

Mr. Hausch said that he and two friends drove to Patchogue that Friday night and used Mr. Hausch’s pistol-style BB gun to shoot at a Hispanic man on his porch. The next night — Saturday, Nov. 8 — Mr. Hausch was again in Patchogue with friends when they spotted a Hispanic man rolling his bicycle.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/30/nyregion/30patchogue.html

Gov’t pushing to get Hispanics counted in census

EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) – The census campaign has been on for weeks, even months now.

Communities all over the country are trying to get everyone to fill out the form and send it back.

Each form is like money in the bank.

Trouble is, some people are scared of revealing any information.

A lot of people don’t like the idea of sharing what they consider personal information, and that’s apparently very true among Hispanics in this county.

When local Hispanics opened their mail boxes and found the census form in 2000, local Hispanic leaders said they panicked.

http://www.wfie.com/Global/story.asp?S=12222786

Still Black or White: Why the Census Misreads Hispanics

Hispanic advocates often tell the story of a Census Bureau worker who visits a Puerto Rican household in New York City’s East Harlem neighborhood. Seeing the family’s caramel complexion, the Census taker asks which race he should put down for them — white or black. To which the family answers: “Puerto Rican.”

The story could substitute a Mexican-American family — or Colombian- or Nicaraguan-American ones for that matter — but the gist would be the same. Many, if not most, Hispanics in the U.S. think of their ethnicity (also known as Latino) not just in cultural terms but in a racial context as well. It’s why more than 40% of Hispanics, when asked on the Census form in 2000 to register white or black as their race, wrote in “Other” — and they represented 95% of all the 15.3 million people in the U.S. who did so.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1975883,00.html?xid=rss-topstories#ixzz0jfBmJwft

Some Hispanics stumped by U.S. Census form’s box on race

Some Hispanics are finding question No. 9 on the U.S. Census forms a bit troubling, The Arizona Republic reports.

It asks residents to mark their race. The choices: white, black, American Indian, Alaska native, various Asian descents, Hawaiian, Pacific Islanders or “some other race.”

“Obviously, I’m not white,” Jessica Valenzuela, 37, a schoolteacher from Avondale, Ariz., tells the newspaper.  “I would consider myself Hispanic or Mexican-American, but definitely not white. The form doesn’t really leave you with
another option, though.”

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2010/03/some-hispanics-stumped-by-us-census-forms-box-on-race/1

Will the Biometric ID card solve the problem of Illegal Immigration

Senators of South Carolina and New York presented a blue print of  immigration-bill to President Barack Obama which included the proposal to issue biometric Identity Card which will contain physical information such as finger prints to all the working Americans. It is being said that this is going to solve the problem of illegal immigration by helping the employers to know who is eligible to work “If you say [illegal immigrants] can’t get a job when they come here, you’ll stop it,” Schumer told the Wall Street Journal.

http://www.sevensidedcube.net/general/2010/will-the-biometric-id-card-solve-the-problem-of-illegal-immigration/

Hayworth Slams McCain on Immigration at Tea Party Rally

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — The man who hopes to wrest the Republican nomination away from four-term Arizona Sen. John McCain blasted the 2008 presidential candidate for his positions on immigration and border security at a Tea Party rally here on Sunday.

Former Congressman J.D. Hayworth, who has emerged as a formidable primary challenger to McCain, seized on amnesty for illegal immigrants and border control, which have become defining issues in the state’s GOP Senate primary race.

“It is unconscionable that nearly a decade after 9/11 the backdoor of the United States remains open,” Hayworth told hundreds of Tea Party members gathered at the Radisson Hotel in Flagstaff. “Our senior senator is looking at this entirely the wrong way.”

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/03/29/tea-partiers-arizona-focus-immigration-security/

Ten Facts About Diabetes and Kidney Disease in Hispanic Americans

Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S. and the single leading cause of kidney failure in adults. Hispanic Americans have a high rate of diabetes, which increases their chances of developing serious complications such as chronic kidney disease, heart disease and strokes. However, when individuals with diabetes follow their treatment plan carefully and keep their blood sugar and blood pressure under control, they can greatly reduce their risk of developing these complications.

1. About 11 percent or 5 million of the 47 million Hispanic Americans have diabetes. About one-third of the cases of diabetes in Hispanic Americans are undiagnosed.

2. On the average, Hispanic Americans are nearly twice as likely to have diabetes as non-Hispanic whites of similar age. The prevalence of diabetes in Cuban Americans is lower than in Mexican American and Puerto Rican adults, but still higher than that of non-Hispanic whites.

http://www.parentyourparents.com/blog/2010/diabetes/ten-facts-about-diabetes-and-kidney-disease-in-hispanic-americans/

News Clips March 19, 2010

Immigration advocates to gather in Orlando to prepare for D.C. march

“This march is not only for the immigrants, but is also for civil and human rights in our country,” said Yanidsi Velez, a junior organizer in Orlando with Democracia Ahora.

As of Friday afternoon, advocacy groups had booked 14 buses to transport about 800 protesters. Another 30 buses from the Florida Immigrant Coalition are expected to join the caravan, leaving after the Saturday rally and expected to arrive for an interfaith service and the national march Sunday at the National Mall.

Orlando’s immigration advocates are gearing up for a local rally and trip to Washington this weekend, where they expect to join hundreds of thousands calling on the Obama administration and Congress to enact reform that would allow millions of illegal immigrants to stay in the U.S.

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2010-03-18/news/os-immigration-march-for-america-20100318_1_immigration-advocates-illegal-immigrants-florida-immigrant-coalition

Immigration reform: Stuck on back burner?

Rigoberto Lopez will be one of an expected tens of thousands of people who will descend on Washington on Sunday to press Congress to pass a bill on comprehensive immigration reform.

Lopez, 41, of the Eastwick section of Philadelphia, said he came into this country illegally from Mexico when he was a child after his father was murdered and his mother crossed the border to support him and his siblings.

He is now a U.S. citizen, following a 1986 amnesty that granted legal status to 2.6 million illegal immigrants in the country.

Groups going to D.C. from this area include the Cambodian Association of Greater Philadelphia, Juntos and Democracia Ahora.

http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/88526342.html

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Calls for Passage of Health Care Reform

WASHINGTON, March 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) today called for passage of President Obama’s health care reform proposal, saying that it would greatly improve the quality of life for millions of Latinos. The measure is expected to expand coverage to 8.8 million Latinos, or 60% of the currently uninsured Hispanic community.

“With one in three Latinos lacking a steady source of health care, the current system has been devastating to our families and communities,” said Rep. Nydia M. Velazquez (D-NY), the Chair of the CHC.  “The legislation before Congress offers a historic opportunity to address these problems and make quality, affordable medical care accessible for millions of Latinos.”

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/congressional-hispanic-caucus-calls-for-passage-of-health-care-reform-88504127.html

Highlights of health care bill

Some of the key changes that House Democrats made to the Senate health care bill:

CONGRESS: Health care bill heads for showdown
FULL TEXT: Read the proposed bill
TIMELINE: Path to health care legislation
Issue   Context         Senate bill     House change
Accessibility   Both bills aim to increase Americans’ access to health care coverage by expanding Medicaid, providing subsidies to middle-income families and imposing a host of new taxes and fees to pay for it.      Would cost $871 billion in the first 10 years and would provide coverage to 31 million Americans who wouldn’t otherwise have it.        Would cost $940 billion in the first 10 years and would cover 32 million Americans.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2010-03-18-health-bill-table_N.htm

Factbox: Details of final healthcare bill

(Reuters) – Congressional Democrats have unveiled the final changes to a sweeping healthcare overhaul they hope will clear the House of Representatives on Sunday.

Democrats are using a two-step process that involves the House approving the Senate-passed version of the bill and passing the proposed final changes. The Senate must act on the changes before President Barack Obama can sign them into law. Here are key provisions of the legislation including the proposed changes.

INSURANCE MARKET REFORM

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62H5AK20100319

Arizona sheriff launches immigration sweep

PHOENIX — The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office in Arizona has launched a two-day, countywide crime and immigration sweep that authorities say will focus on drop houses, drug violators and human smuggling vehicles.

Four hundred deputies and volunteer posse members are taking part in the patrols. The sweep, which began Thursday, is Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s 14th since early 2008.
During the sweeps, deputies flood an area of a city – in some cases heavily Latino areas – to seek out traffic violators and arrest other alleged lawbreakers

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/18/AR2010031805083.html

Would Legalizing Illegal Immigrants Help the GOP?

Republicans, who have been under fire in the Latino community for junking immigration reform in the Bush administration
and promoting some policies that appear anti-immigrant, think they can win back Hispanics, in part because President Obama has largely ignored the issue. One way they see to do it is to legalize illegals.

“Conservative leaders see opportunity for the party,” says a Republican immigration reform advocate. “Due to Obama’s lack of action on his promise of immigration reform, we believe Latino voters are open to being wooed by Republicans,” the conservative activist
said.

The wooing began today at an immigration reform forum sponsored by the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles on Capitol Hill. Proponents say they want the plan to suggest that border security isn’t enough to form an immigration bill. They also want to figure out how to deal with current illegals, perhaps through legalization or a guest worker program. But, says one involved, they don’t support “amnesty, per se.”

http://www.usnews.com/blogs/washington-whispers/2010/03/18/would-legalizing-illegal-immigrants-help-the-gop.html

Weekly Diaspora: No sleep ’till march on Washington

This Sunday, tens of thousands of people plan to march on the National Mall in Washington, DC in an effort to persuade Congress and the Obama administration to tackle immigration reform in 2010. More than 700 buses are bringing an estimated 100,000 supporters to the nation’s capital for the March for America. Participants are hoping to show strength in numbers on the ground, and flex muscle on Capitol Hill as well.

Advocacy groups are organizing countless phone banks and Congressional office visits to encourage lawmakers to support a pathway to citizenship for the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants who live and work in the United States.

http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/media-consortium-blog/2010/03/weekly-diaspora-no-sleep-%E2%80%98till-march-washington

Census Says “Hispanic” Not A Race

Bronx, NY – With millions of US Census forms hitting mailboxes this month, Latin Americans are noticing a confusing quirk in the 10-part questionnaire.

The Census does not consider Hispanic to be a racial category.

Responders have the option to label themselves as White, Black, American Indian, or under one of several Asian / Pacific Islander classifications. The race question offers no check box for Latino or Hispanic.

“For me to see this I feel kind of offended,” said Richard Robles, a Puerto Rican security guard who works in the South Bronx.

The Census form does have a question about Hispanic origins where responders can classify themselves as Puerto Rican, Mexican, Cuban, or one of several other Latino ancestries. Those categories, though, are not considered “races.”

The Census form does consider “Chinese,” “Filipino,” and “Korean” to be racial categories.

Professor Juan Flores, a Latino Studies expert at New York University says designers of the 2010 questionnaire have confused race with nationality, leaving some Hispanic responders frustrated.

http://www.wpix.com/news/local/wpix-census-hispanics,0,4163472.story

News Clips March 15, 2010

Health care foes have 200 no votes in House

Washington (CNN) — Even as a top House Democrat expressed confidence in passing legislation to overhaul health care, a new CNN analysis shows that opposition in the House of Representatives to the Senate health care plan has reached 200 members.

That figure is 16 votes shy of the 216 needed to prevent President Obama from scoring a major victory on his top domestic priority.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/16/house.health.care/?hpt=Sbin

House may try to pass Senate health-care bill without voting on it

After laying the groundwork for a decisive vote this week on the Senate’s health-care bill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested Monday that she might attempt to pass the measure without having members vote on it.
The tactic — known as a “self-executing rule” or a “deem and pass” — has been commonly used, although never to pass legislation as momentous as the $875 billion health-care bill. It is one of three options that Pelosi said she is considering for a late-week House vote, but she added that she prefers it because it would politically protect lawmakers who are reluctant to publicly support the measure.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/15/AR2010031503742.html?hpid=topnews

Latino clergy urge undocumented to boycott census

PHOENIX (AP) — The National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders is urging undocumented immigrants not to fill out the U.S. Census forms that are starting to arrive in mailboxes.

The coalition’s chairman, the Reverend Miguel Rivera, says undocumented immigrants should boycott the census unless comprehensive immigration reform offers them a path to citizenship.

http://www.wtsp.com/news/national/story.aspx?storyid=127600&catid=81

False word of fed immigration bust has Trenton Latinos in hiding

TRENTON — It might have been bogus, but a rumor that federal agents raided a city shopping center in search of Latino illegal aliens forced many immigrants into hiding over the weekend.

Latino leaders said the hoax interrupted lives as false word spread that U.S. immigration agents raided Trenton’s Roebling Market shopping center in Chambersburg.

http://www.trentonian.com/articles/2010/03/16/news/doc4b9f1d57e989c701590829.txt

Latinos lobby on payday loans, other issues

What started as a car-repair emergency quickly escalated into a financial crisis that Mercy Salazar would rather have kept secret.

But instead of hiding her story about how she got tangled up in a cycle of payday lending, the University of Colorado Denver graduate student now tells her story to help move legislation that Latino activists say is intended to protect them.

The recession has hit the Latino community in different ways, in the cost of getting a small payday loan, budget cuts in already poor schools and less access to health care.

More than 100 activists, community leaders and youths met Sunday and Monday for the fourth annual Colorado Latina and Latino Advocacy Day, focusing on those issues and discussing policies to change the way those issues affect Latinos.

Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_14682142#ixzz0iLIQyi0U

Hispanics decry House bill

The proposal would require schools to verify and report all students’ immigration status.

A bill that would require Oklahoma public schools to verify the immigration status of all students and report it to the state Department of Education drew fire from Tulsa Hispanic leaders Monday as well as criticism from Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent Keith Ballard.

“I don’t think it’s wise to make schools responsible for gathering that kind of information,” Ballard said. “It would be a huge undertaking and detract from our mission, which is to teach kids.”

Earlier in the day, representatives of the Tulsa Hispanic Chamber of Commerce said the measure, House Bill 3384, by Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, would create an unfunded mandate for already-strapped schools and is a step toward shutting illegal immigrants out of public education.

Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=16&articleid=20100316_16_A9_TulsaH677493

News Clips March 12, 2010

Stakes Getting Higher for Obama, Latino Voters, and Immigration

Maybe there’s a game on. The President had three meetings on immigration reform at the White House today.  He is increasingly under pressure to act on promises he made as a candidate to enact immigration reform in his first year in office and, now in his second year, the patience of pro-reform advocates – and Latino and immigrant voters – is wearing thin.
The power of the Latino vote is a big reason the Democrats won the White House and control of both houses of Congress in 2008.  If the Democrats fail to address the immigration issue – an issue to which Latino voters are particularly sensitive and which helped drive their increased turnout in 2008 – the Democrats face even longer odds with voters in 2010.

http://newsjunkiepost.com/2010/03/12/stakes-getting-higher-for-obama-latino-voters-and-immigration/

Gut Check Time for GOP on Immigration

There is a quiet battle underway within the Republican Party that may soon break out into the open – and it will heavily impact whether the GOP can continue as a national political party in the decades ahead.

The conflict is over how the Party will position itself with respect to the question of immigration reform – and just as importantly – the fastest-growing demographic group in country: Hispanic Americans.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-creamer/gut-check-time-for-gop-on_b_496341.html

Lindsey Graham: Immigration reform in peril

A pair of White House meetings Thursday designed to chart a path forward for immigration reform instead spotlighted the daunting obstacles ahead — and showed why many Capitol Hill insiders believe it’s quite unlikely an immigration bill will happen this year.

After meeting with President Barack Obama, the leading Republican backing a comprehensive approach warned that a Democratic health care push could scuttle any chance of action on immigration in this Congress.

“I expressed, in no uncertain terms, my belief that immigration reform could come to a halt for the year if health care reconciliation goes forward,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said in a statement issued just after he and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) met with Obama.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/34299.html

Senators give Obama a bipartisan plan on immigration

Reporting from Washington – A pair of influential senators presented President Obama with a three-page blueprint for a bipartisan agreement to overhaul the nation’s immigration system, but the proposal’s viability is threatened by politics surrounding the healthcare debate.

Sens. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), in a 45-minute meeting Thursday in the Oval Office, also asked for Obama’s help in rounding up enough Republican votes to pass an immigration bill this year.

Although details of their blueprint were not released, Graham said the elements included tougher border security, a program to admit temporary immigrant workers and a biometric Social Security card that would prevent people here illegally from getting jobs.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-immigration12-2010mar12,0,5784564.story

Why the 2010 Census will target Valley Hispanics

PHOENIX, AZ — A Census public service announcement will be out in a couple of days calling on the Hispanic community to come forward and be counted.

The PSA emphasizes the importance of participating in the 2010 Census which will in turn bring money into the community for transit, infrastructure and political representation.

http://www.abc15.com/content/financialsurvival/azstories/story/Why-the-2010-Census-will-target-Valley-Hispanics/eJBWMQ9p60yyRyzbKS0xMA.cspx

Census workers aiming to coax undocumented immigrants out of shadows

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. —  Sure, he has seen the ads on television and heard the public service announcements on Spanish radio, but Alejandro Martinez said he had no intention of filling out the U.S. Census questionnaire.

“It’s not worth the effort; it doesn’t really relate to the immigrant community,” said Martinez, of Port Richmond, in Spanish, as he stood yesterday with other day laborers on the service road, at the Forest Avenue exit off the Martin Luther King Jr. Expressway. “I’m not scared. I just don’t see the importance.”

But when a friend of his, Juan Perez, explained he would respond when the letter arrives in the mail in the next week or two because doing so could bring more funds to their neighborhood — it prompted Martinez to warm to the idea, musing: “Maybe, if it comes right to my house, I’ll fill it out. Why not?”

http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/03/census_workers_aiming_to_coax.html

Rights Groups to ICE: Stop Raids for Census

OAKLAND, Calif. – Immigrant rights advocates have sent a letter to President Barack Obama and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano asking them to immediately suspend all immigration enforcement activities through the end of the year in order to decrease fear within immigrant communities and encourage their participation in the 2010 Census.

Questionnaires for the 2010 Census are due to arrive in the mailbox of every U.S. household between now and April 1.

“We are genuinely concerned that the climate of fear will seriously impact the census form return rate of immigrant households — and if people do not return the form, they will be reluctant to open the door to a follow-up visit from a census worker,” said Catherine Tactaquin, director of National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (NNIRR). “We really need the leadership of the administration right now to make a difference in the success of the census among our diverse immigrant populations.”

http://news.ncmonline.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=5b7a2f63b847f0ce9b9a6505a810604e

Health Reform Myths

Health reform is back from the dead. Many Democrats have realized that their electoral prospects will be better if they can point to a real accomplishment. Polling on reform — which was never as negative as portrayed — shows signs of improving. And I’ve been really impressed by the passion and energy of this guy Barack Obama. Where was he last year?

But reform still has to run a gantlet of misinformation and outright lies. So let me address three big myths about the proposed reform, myths that are believed by many people who consider themselves well-informed, but who have actually fallen for deceptive spin.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/12/opinion/12krugman.html?src=twt&twt=NytimesKrugman

News Clips March 11, 2010

Aldermen Blast Obama for Lack of Immigration Reform

Some Chicago aldermen are criticizing President Barack Obama and national Democratic leaders over immigration reform.

They say Democrats have so far failed to live up to campaign promises. Twenty-sixth ward Alderman Roberto Maldonado says enough is enough.

MALDONADO: And what we have seen by both President Barack Obama and Senator Durbin is a betrayal, a betrayal to the Latino community.

The aldermen and other Latino community leaders are calling for a moratorium on raids, deportations and the separation of families until immigration reform is passed. They will march in Washington later this month.

http://www.wbez.org/Content.aspx?audioID=40583

Immigration provision has Hispanic Caucus threatening ‘no’ health vote

A group of Hispanic lawmakers on Thursday will tell President Barack Obama that they may not vote for healthcare reform unless changes are made to the bill’s immigration provisions.
The scheduled meeting comes as Democratic leaders and the White House are struggling to craft a final bill that will attract 216 votes in the lower chamber.
Unlike abortion, immigration has flown beneath the radar, and almost seemed to vanish altogether as House Democrats have wrestled with how to accept a Senate healthcare bill far different from the one they passed in November.

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/86125-hispanic-caucus-threat-to-vote-no-on-healthcare

Immigrants prep for march on D.C.

Talk is cheap. That’s what immigrants and their supporters – fed up with empty promises about reform – are ready to tell to President Obama on March 21.

Carrying signs reading “Friends make good on their promises,” thousands will rally in the nation’s capital to demand immigration reform.

“One year and three months into the Obama administration, who would’ve ever imagined that tens of thousands of immigrants would march on Washington to protest its destructive immigration policies?” asked Chung-Wha Hong, the New York Immigration Coalition executive director.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/03/11/2010-03-11_immigrants_prep_for_march_on_dc.html#ixzz0hsJM1jRi

A Little Momentum on Immigration Reform

It’s always amusing to watch political leaders trying to catch up with the people. The White House is now sprinting to catch up with those demanding practical solutions to our broken immigration system. After more than 14 months and no progress, the grassroots finally lost their patience.

One would like to think that this belated effort from the administration is being stoked by a renewed understanding of the moral dimensions of the crisis and comprehension of the desperate need our economy has for the infusion that immigration reform would bring.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/deepak-bhargava/a-little-momentum-on-immi_b_493447.html

Karl Rove says George Bush missed chance for immigration reform

Karl Rove now says he is sorry that immigration reform was not President Bush’s top priority at the beginning of his second term rather than social security reform.

Speaking to The New York Times Rove said
” As I said in the book, (Courage and Consequences) I wish we had led the second term with immigration reform.

If we had led with immigration reform at the beginning of the second term we could have had bipartisan cooperation with a Republican majority in the House and the Senate and done something important for the country that was tilted more toward what the Republicans wanted but couldn’t have passed without Democratic votes instead of Social Security which Democrats wouldn’t participate in until they had a taste of victory.

http://www.irishcentral.com/story/news/people_and_politics/karl-rove-says-george-bush-missed-chance-for-immigration-reform-87261957.html

Immigration measures draw demonstrators

Bills involve trespassing, law-enforcement assistance

Dozens of demonstrators rallied Monday at the state Capitol against bills that would make it trespassing to be in the country illegally and require local law enforcement to assist in enforcing federal immigration laws.

Members of several organizations carried signs and chanted outside the Executive Tower where Gov. Jan Brewer’s office is located.

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2010/03/11/20100311politics-immigration0311.html

Wal-Mart Raid Rumors Concern Houston Hispanics

“This is an issue of human rights. It’s an issue of community panic. I think we all know how panic in the community can lead to very dangerous things,” said Hector Chavana Jr., who’s with the La Raza Justice Movement in Houston.

This dangerous rumor, apparently sent through text messages, began about immigration and customs enforcement activity taking place at Houston-area Wal-Marts. Chavana Jr. is trying to seek witness accounts of immigration raids in the area.

“As far as we can tell, a lot of it is just rumors. The last thing that I’m trying to verify is whether or not there was some I-9 verification going on, which is known as desk raids.” Lauda, a long time server at Rosita’s Mexican restaurant, says Hispanics are concerned about those desk raids.

http://www.39online.com/news/local/kiah-walmart-raid-story,0,2402060.story

Could Immigration Split the Tea Party?

With the Tea Party movement gaining political clout, the question arises: what issue can divide them? Guest-hosting the Rachel Maddow Show, Chris Hayes reports that immigration may be the key to splitting the Tea Party, and potentially, the Republican base. Earlier on Charlie Rose, Dick Armey, former Republican House Majority Leader and current head of Freedom Works, critiqued former Congressman and anti-immigrant activist Tom Tancredo for advocating a voter literacy test.

“I was, for example, not really happy to see Tom Tancredo on the stage calling himself a tea party guy because of his harsh and uncharitable and mean-spirited attitude on the immigration issue,” said Armey.

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20100322/hayes_video3

Multimedia campaign urges Latino youth to participate in the U.S. Census

Community leaders and celebrities announced a new multimedia campaign in Los Angeles on Wednesday aimed at getting young Latinos to participate in the U.S. Census.

During the news conference at Miguel Contreras Learning Complex, speakers invited students to download an interactive mobile application, to participate in a texting campaign (text “LA” to 738674) and to spread the word to family and friends about the importance of the census.

“Your voice literally does matter,” actress Rosario Dawson told students in the campus library. “You have the right to live with dignity in your communities. This is the opportunity to fight for that.”

Dawson and actor Wilmer Valderrama joined leaders of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Voto Latino and the California Community Foundation to show public service announcements and hand out census-themed I-tunes cards to students.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/03/multimedia-campaign-urges-latino-youth-to-participate-in-the-us-census.html

News Clips March 10, 2009

For Latino Community, Health Reform Can’t Wait

Following President Obama’s call on Congress to pass health insurance reform, Governor Kaine outlines importance of reform for the Latino community, asking Hispanics to take part in the final march to health reform

WASHINGTON, March 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Following President Obama’s call on Congress last week to act now to pass health insurance reform, DNC Chairman Tim Kaine issued this Spanish-language video calling on Latinos to take part in the final push for health reform – reform that would benefit the Latino community.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/for-latino-community-health-reform-cant-wait-87163722.html

The Nation: The Democrat’s Immigration Priority

The great thing about racists is they’ll always take the bait. You won’t get far into an immigration-reform debate, for instance, before the GOP’s more zealous legislators start doing things like criminalizing priests and calling Miami a “third world country.” Which is why Democrats ought to be more eager to spend 2010 debating immigration.

Back in summer 2009, that looked like the plan. President Obama made a big show of brainstorming reforms, by holding a White House summit and meeting with legislators in both parties. New York Sen. Charles Schumer teamed up with South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham to work on a bipartisan bill and immigration seemed destined to get space at the top of the 2010 agenda.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124519474

Latino voters can’t wait till mañana

Barack Obama won Latino support by promising to reform immigration laws – but so far, he has failed to deliver

mmigration reform advocates have been abuzz with the news that President Obama is to meet with Republican senator Lindsey Graham and Democratic senator Charles Schumer at the White House later this week. But insiders say the closed door meeting, which the president requested, is largely for show. Officially, Graham and Schumer say they need two more GOP co-sponsors for their bill, which includes a sweeping legalisation programme for undocumented immigrants, and stepped up border and workplace enforcement. But with mid-term elections just eight months away, and the campaign season likely to start in early May, there’s not much time left to make legislative headway.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/mar/09/latino-vote-obama-immigration

NY Group Tells U.S. Afro-Latinos to ‘Check Both!’ in 2010 Census

In an effort to achieve an accurate count of Afro-Latinos in the United States Census, the nonprofit afrolatin@ forum has produced a series of public service announcements that call on Latinos of African descent to identify as both Hispanic and Black on the 2010 form.

By proclaiming “Check Both!/¡Chequea las dos!” the bilingual spots highlight the importance for Latin@s of African descent to self-identify as such on the Census.

The count has far-reaching implications, determining how $400 billion in federal funds are distributed to local governments each year. Over 10 years, a community could lose a projected $1.2 million of federal funding for housing, health and education programs for every 100 persons that are not counted, according to the NAACP. Studies have established that despite a higher educational level, Black Latin@s are more likely to live below the poverty level than other Latin@s and have the highest unemployment rate.

The videos – “Yo Soy,” “Y tu abuela?” and “Afro-Latin@ facts” – depict the true range of diversity within the U.S. Latino community. And they are designed to appeal to an array of viewers who might think of themselves as Afro-Latin@s for different reasons. Some may choose to “Check Both” to honor their heritage. Others may “Check Both” because of how they look, or because of how others see them. Still others may want to identify with the culture they have grown up with.

To view the PSA’s, click here:

·       Yo Soy:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iC95u513l0I

·       Y tu abuela:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2DPL9IFEcw

·       Afro-Latino Facts:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDWynucWGaM

http://www.reddingnewsreview.com/newspages/2010newspages/ny_group_tells_us_afro_10_1000020.htm

ID Card for Workers Is at Center of Immigration Plan

Lawmakers working to craft a new comprehensive immigration bill have settled on a way to prevent employers from hiring illegal immigrants: a national biometric identification card all American workers would eventually be required to obtain.

Under the potentially controversial plan still taking shape in the Senate, all legal U.S. workers, including citizens and immigrants, would be issued an ID card with embedded information, such as fingerprints, to tie the card to the worker.

The ID card plan is one of several steps advocates of an immigration overhaul are taking to address concerns that have defeated similar bills in the past.

The uphill effort to pass a bill is being led by Sens. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) and Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.), who plan to meet with President Barack Obama as soon as this week to update him on their work. An administration official said the White House had no position on the biometric card.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703954904575110124037066854.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_PoliticsNCampaign_3

News Clips March 9, 2010

Immigrant rights group slam Obama, Democrats for slow action with legalization bill

Leaders of nearly a dozen grass-roots immigrant rights groups excoriated President Obama and congressional Democrats on Monday, accusing them of moving too slowly to legalize the status of undocumented immigrants and citing a record number of deportations in 2009.

“Our community is angry. Our members feel betrayed,” said Brent Wilkes, executive director of the League of United Latin American Citizens. “We never believed in our wildest dreams that President Obama would have a record like this.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/08/AR2010030804898.html

Latino Leaders Impatient With Obama After Promises on Immigration

In July 2008, Sen. Barack Obama took time out of his packed presidential campaign schedule to address a crucial block of voters whom he would need in his fight against Sen. John McCain in the November elections.

During his speech to the League of Latin American Citizens, a leading Latino organization, Obama lamented the lack of presidential leadership on immigration reform in 2006, and promised to do better.

“We need a president who isn’t going to walk away from something as important as comprehensive immigration reform when it becomes politically unpopular. That’s the commitment I’m making to you,” he told the group. “I fought with you in the Senate for comprehensive immigration reform. And I will make it a top priority in my first year as president.”

But after Obama’s victorious presidential campaign, in which he won with 67 percent of the Latino vote, immigration advocates say they are still waiting for the results that Obama promised them 18 months ago. And their patience is wearing thin.

http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/03/09/latino-leaders-say-obama-has-yet-to-live-up-to-promises-on-immig/

Census Workers Needed In Berks County

READING, Pa. — With only days to go before the Census is set to get underway the government is still scrambling to find workers. So if you need a job this could be your chance.The current pay rate is about $14 an hour, and you get to pick your own schedule. If you can meet a few basic requirements, the job could be yours.For the past few weeks, Gabrielina Polanco has taken to the phones, desperate to find people willing to become numerators – they go door to door helping residents complete the census form. One of the major requirements is that you must live in Berks County.

http://www.wfmz.com/news/22759750/detail.html

‘Dream Act’ y reforma migratoria temas en la mira

TAMPA BAY.- “Este es el momento”. “Hay que actuar”, son algunos de los lemas bajo los cuales planean con fervor las organizaciones que apoyan el proyecto de ‘Dream Act’ y la reforma integral migratoria, enfatizando que llegó el tiempo clave. Sin precedentes. Es perentorio impulsar ambas decisiones de manera que se materialicen unidas y simultáneamente”.

Democracia USA, una organización nacional hispana, y Reform Immigration For America, están invitando a toda la comunidad hispana y anglosajona, que simpatiza con ambas propuestas legislativas, para que asistan al foro informativo sobre las iniciativas de ley de reforma del sistema migratorio.

http://7dias.us/news.php?nid=61277

Census count of Latinos is vital to Tennessee

Tennessee has a bigger financial stake than most of the nation in getting every resident counted, but a growing Latino population could make that tougher in this year’s Census.

The state’s Latino community leaders say they hope Spanish-language radio ads and other outreach efforts will impress upon their audience how much Tennessee depends on Census-related federal funding.A report out today shows the state ranked seventh among states in 2008 in per capita federal funding that is tied to Census figures — $1,976 per person. Tennessee also ranked sixth in the portion of its overall federal funding that is guided by the Census.

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100309/NEWS01/3090362/2066/NEWS03

Five things to know about the U.S. Census

1. The Questions
The 2010 Census form is one of the shortest in census history, consisting of 10 main questions.

* How many people were living or staying in this house, apartment, or mobile home on April 1, 2010?

* Were there any additional people staying here April 1, 2010, that you did not include in Question 1? (Possibilities include children, such as newborn babies or foster children, relatives, non-relatives, such as roommates or live-in babysitters, people staying temporarily).

http://www.sj-r.com/news/x2102347413/Five-things-to-know-about-the-U-S-Census

CENTRAL JERSEY: Census stresses importance of being counted

If you are not counted in the 2010 Census next month, you won’t count — and that could lead to less federal money flowing into New Jersey as well as the loss of political representation at the federal or state level.

That’s the message delivered to about two dozen people who turned recently to listen speakers from the U.S. Census Bureau and the state Labor Department and the Latino Merchants Association of Mercer County.

”Our quest is to get people to fully participate and to count everyone one time where they live,” said Jennifer Jones of the U.S. Census Bureau.

She was one of the speakers at the session, which was sponsored by the Lawrence chapter of the League of Women Voters.

Everyone will be counted where they spend the majority of their time, Ms. Jones said. College students who live on campus will be counted in that community, for example. Prisoners are counted in the community where the prison is located, and the homeless are counted in the transitional housing facility where they live.
Ms. Jones emphasized that whether someone is here legally or illegally, that person will be counted. The information that is gathered is confidential and may not be turned over to the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, the police or any other governmental entity, she said. The Census Bureau “is not interested” in deporting people, she added.

http://centraljersey.com/articles/2010/03/08/topstory/doc4b958221ca017688481647.txt

2010 Census: Think Twice, Check Once

The federal government is taking a road trip, dubbed the 2010 Census Portrait of America Road Tour, to try to convince “hard-to-count audiences” to participate in this year’s dicennial Census. One of those particularly hard-to-count groups are those who identify as racially mixed. Many will choose to take advantage of the “mark one or more races” (MOOM) option made first available on the 2000 Census. Race scholars have been hotly debating the significance of this paradigm shift, asking: just what are the Civil Rights consequences of the Census option of “mark one or more races”?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michele-elam/2010-census-think-twice-c_b_490164.html

War story: Ireland’s Chieftains unite Latino, U.S. musicians to retell tale of Irish fighting for Mexico

LOS ANGELES – HISTORY, it’s often been observed, is written by victors, which might explain why an especially compelling chapter of the Mexican-American War remains so infrequently told, at least in the United States.

The chapter in question is about the San Patricios, a company of Irish immigrants pressed into service by the U.S. Army. Ideologically opposed to the fight, they switched sides, choosing to stand alongside the Mexican military rather than the forces of their newly adopted homeland.

When the conflict ended, the members of the battalion were executed for their desertion. Their deeds were largely forgotten, except among the people of the Churubusco region outside Mexico City who maintain a memorial to the San Patricios.

http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/20100309_War_story__Ireland_s_Chieftains_unite_Latino__U_S__musicians_to_retell_tale_of_Irish_fighting_for_Mexico.html

Kidnapped, smuggled and worse

A Mexican mother wanted only a better life for her daughter, 4, but the trip north took a terrible turn.

The smuggler threatened to kill 4-year-old Nayli if he didn’t receive $11,500 from her parents — immediately.

He had sneaked the girl across the Mexican border nearly a month earlier and now was holding her for ransom somewhere near Los Angeles.

“Mommy, I don’t want to be here anymore,” Nayli said through tears when the smuggler put her on the phone.

Her mother, Yaneth, could hear terror in her daughter’s voice. “OK, mija, I am coming,” she answered in Spanish before the smuggler hung up. Yaneth was desperate. She had hired the coyote but now he was demanding more than she’d agreed to pay. She didn’t have enough money. And she was still in Mexico, after border agents caught her as she was trying to cross into the U.S.

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/08/local/la-me-smuggle9-2010mar09

News Clips March 2, 2010

Census question confuses

EL PASO – Many Hispanics do not know they are white. But, in the U.S. Census Bureau’s eyes, they probably are.

For people such as former baseball star Sammy Sosa, who is a black Dominican, it may be easy to fill out a 2010 Census form.

But Hispanics may be confused over the questions of race and ethnicity found in the form being mailed out this month.

“The race question is the question I get the most queries about,” U.S. Census Bureau Director Robert Groves said Monday in a national conference call. “This is a question that changes every decade.”

In question No. 8, the bureau asks if a person is of Hispanic origin. Then, in the following question, the person must mark his or her race.

The Census Bureau gives respondents many options, but classifies data into five races – white, black, Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native and other Pacific Islanders.

“This is one of the stickier issues,” said Arturo Vargas, executive director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund. “About half of Latinos who respond to the census consider being Latino their racial category.”

http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-news/ci_14495736

Research Reveals Hispanic-Americans Mark Education as a Top Priority in 2010

Many Hispanics believe they are less likely to achieve a college education due to a lack of funding

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., March 2 /PRNewswire/ — Due to the economic uncertainty many Hispanic-Americans are placing a new emphasis on what is important to them and their families. A new survey* by Sears Holdings finds that although a majority (84 percent) of Hispanic-Americans report that education will be a priority in 2010, most (92 percent) believe that there are barriers standing in the way of receiving an education beyond high school, with close to three-quarters (71 percent) citing lack of money to cover school expenses as the biggest roadblock.

Among those respondents who believe there are barriers in receiving a higher education, more than half (53 percent) attribute a lack of information about the opportunities and options available to get an education as an obstacle. Also weighing in as a hurdle for many Hispanic-Americans (60 percent) is the need to work and support the family right after high school.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/research-reveals-hispanic-americans-mark-education-as-a-top-priority-in-2010-85944862.html

Tea Party Holds Risks for GOP

American politics reached a milestone when Ronald Reagan, then the Republican presidential nominee, traveled to a convention of evangelical Christians in Dallas in August 1980 and said something mainstream politicians hadn’t been willing to say previously: “I want you to know I endorse you and what you are doing,” Mr. Reagan told the 15,000 or so conservative church leaders there assembled.

From that point on, the “religious right,” earlier seen by many as almost a fringe movement, became an important force within an ascendant Republican coalition.

Republicans today are trying something similar with the Tea Party movement. Yet even as Republicans relish this thought, it’s worth remembering that, just as their embrace of the religious right created occasional heartburn alongside electoral success, so too does their slow embrace of the Tea Party movement carry downside risks as well as upside potential.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748703429304575095441763635842.html

Washington Hispanic website now offers Daily News & Multimedia Online

Washington DC, [CapitalWirePR]  –March 1, 2010— With a redesigned web site featuring sleek visuals, The Washington Hispanic today launched a fresh new look on line. The Capital’s largest Spanish language newspaper is now repositioning with a robust web presence to better serve its readers and the community at http://www.washingtonhispanic.com.

“The redesigned site has been in development for some time. Our community is seeking faster access and greater coverage to keep growing and prospering. Our readers want to stay informed. The Washington Hispanic intends to meet their news needs. Our news will now be even more timely and ever more relevant to our reader’s interests,“ said founder Johnny A. Yataco.

http://www.capitalwirepr.com/pr_description.php?id=c416fd81-b938-af87-bd2c-4b8c3d3d6195

The Dream that Keeps on Marching for America

The man handed us several crumpled $20 bills. “I would like to donate $200 to help a household worker or a day laborer go to Washington and speak for us,” he said, turning to walk away. He was referring to the rally planned for March 21 in Washington, DC, for the purpose of raising awareness about the need to fix our nation’s broken immigration system. We asked to get his name and nationality but he chose to remain anonymous: “Like many of us, without a name or country of origin, but ever present,” was his response.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jorgemario-cabrera/the-dream-that-keeps-on-m_b_476724.html

News Clips March 1, 2010

Take the power to draw new political districts away from the Florida Legislature

As two Floridians who have been working on both sides of the partisan aisle to improve Florida government, we are thrilled that voters will have the opportunity to vote this Nov. 2 on two constitutional amendments to stop what amounts to a legalized conflict of interest in our state. One newspaper called it “Florida’s dirty little secret.” It comes up every 10 years when legislators are charged with the awesome responsibility of redrawing their own district boundaries as well as those of the congressional districts….

…..It is not surprising that the two amendments have the support of groups like the League of Women Voters, the Florida League of Cities, Florida League of Mayors, Legislative Black Caucus, Florida NAACP, Florida Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials and Democracia Ahora. Newspaper editorial boards across the state unanimously support these important changes. That is because, as this newspaper elegantly said, “The amendments make sense.”

Thousands of Floridians – Republicans, Democrats and independents – are working for passage of these “FairDistricts” Amendments 5 and 6.

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2010-02-28/news/sfl-mezzpostredistricting22810_1_district-boundaries-amendments-parties

Pelosi Says She’ll Get Votes Needed for Health Bill

WASHINGTON — Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she is confident she will be able to get the votes needed to pass sweeping health care legislation in the House, even if it threatens the political careers of some members of her party.

In an interview carried Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” Ms. Pelosi said she was working on changes to a Senate-passed bill that would make it acceptable to the House.

Ms. Pelosi was asked what she would say to House Democrats who were “in real fear of losing their seats in November if they support you now.”

“Our members, every one of them, wants health care,” Ms. Pelosi said. “They know that this will take courage. It took courage to pass Social Security. It took courage to pass Medicare. And many of the same forces that were at work decades ago are at work again against this bill.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/01/us/politics/01talkshows.html

GOP governor’s campaign is more texting than talking

Rick Perry’s campaign has a radical approach that eschews traditional voter turnout efforts in favor of extensive use of social media networks to win Tuesday’s GOP primary.

Haven’t seen a Perry yard sign? There aren’t any, and Perry has no local office to house them. Dreading yet another phone call from a political candidate? Don’t worry; Perry has no phone banks. And you probably won’t see supporters with T-shirts knocking at the door.

But you may get a Facebook message from a friend in your social circle. You’re more likely to find Perry campaign appeals on Twitter, even craigslist, than to see his mug on a highway billboard.

Combine that with a broad and sometimes problematic program that pays supporters to sign up followers, and Perry’s campaign for re-election is bringing an entirely new approach – a largely untested one – to the ever-evolving area of getting out the vote.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/local/stories/DN-localgotv_01tex.ART0.State.Edition2.4bb0c41.html

To be counted, here’s what counts with the 2010 census

Census Bureau hopes shorter form, which should take 10 minutes to complete, will increase response rate
The Census Bureau hopes the shorter form, which should take 10 minutes to complete, will increase the response rate of Americans. In 2000, 67 percent of Americans returned their census questionnaires by April 1. In Florida, the response rate was slightly lower — 63 percent. The Census Bureau contends that it saves $85 million in follow-up costs to non-responding households for every one percent increase in the response rates.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/os-census-2010-kickoff-20100301,0,2544346.story

Democrats try cozying up to Latino community

Workshops focus on getting Hispanics involved in campaigning

In an effort to court Latino voters, The Massachusetts Democratic Party held several Spanish-language workshops on Saturday for community leaders interested in becoming part of the electoral process.

The workshops are part of an outreach effort aimed at Latino communities throughout the state that were largely neglected by Attorney General Martha Coakley’s U.S. Senate campaign.

“We are saying, hey we know you’re here. You live in areas we represent and we want to give you the tools and skills to organize and become part of the process,” said Gloribell Mota, Education and Training Director for the Massachusetts Democratic Party.
Held at the Waltham Westin Hotel, the workshops focused on grassroots organizing and campaign strategies.
Jorge Poueriet, a Dominican resident of Worchester and a participant in Saturday’s workshops, had never been involved in politics before.

http://www.metro.us/us/article/2010/03/01/00/1607-72/index.xml

Democratic primary will put to test power of Hispanic surnames

SAN ANGELO, Texas — Political prognosticators and demographers alike figure that Hispanics are the growth industry in Texas politics.

The rapidly expanding Hispanic population tends to vote for Democrats. And there’s also substantial evidence that Hispanics often vote for Hispanics.

Judith Zaffirini, the longtime Democratic state senator from Laredo, has said that if voters know something about the candidates, they vote based on qualifications and issues.

If they don’t, they often vote on ethnicity based on the candidates’ names.

In Tuesday’s Democratic primary, that idea will be put to the test in a few races — though there are other factors than surnames.

http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2010/feb/28/democratic-primary-will-put-to-test-power-of/

Protests, grand jury challenge Sheriff Joe Arpaio

PHOENIX — With a sheriff’s helicopter beating overhead, the man known as “Sheriff Joe” stood behind a line of officers as 10,000 people marched past — but this was not the usual show of affection and support for Joe Arpaio.

“Joe must go! Joe must go,” whole families chanted, as they rounded the corner in front of the county jail complex run by the five-term Maricopa County sheriff famed for his confrontational tactics, his harsh jail policies and a gift for publicity. The parade of mostly brown-skinned people wanted to show they hated his trademark immigration patrols.

For years, Arpaio has been the rare politician whose popularity remained rock solid no matter the criticism. He was the self-proclaimed “America’s toughest sheriff,” unbeatable at the polls.

Today, however, some indicators have changed for the 77-year-old lawman — and it’s not just the marching in the streets.

His soaring approval ratings dropped to 39 percent in one recent poll. Critics are emboldened by a federal grand jury that’s examining abuse-of-power allegations against him and a second federal investigation that he says focuses on his immigration enforcement.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hsUmDTKoXscEMSe9FGxF1sYbSGDQD9E4VGRG2

Pro-immigration forces gird for battle

WASHINGTON — A coalition of pro-immigration groups is preparing for a renewed congressional battle over reform legislation — and this time they have money to spend.

A reform bill was blocked in 2007 by Senate Republicans opposed to legalizing the status of the nation’s roughly 11 million unauthorized immigrants. But those who want immigrants to be able to earn legal status or citizenship say they are better funded and more organized this time.

A reform bill has been filed in the House, and one is expected to be introduced in the Senate soon.

Deepak Bhargava with the Center for Community Change said conservative activists were able to use talk radio to “create a groundswell of anger and hate in the country that brought the bill down.”

“Our effort this time has been targeted to make sure that we out-match them at every level and in every facet of the game,” he said.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/politics/85788702.html

News Clips Feb. 11, 2010

Same day registration for early voting moving forward

Legislation that would allow a person to register to vote then immediately cast a ballot at early voting sites is scheduled in final committees in both the House and Senate this week. Proponents say it would increase access to elections at the same time it improves the accuracy, transparency, and efficiency of how voter registration files are maintained. Detractors voice concern that without an official government issued photo ID, the possibility of voter fraud will increase.

http://newmexicoindependent.com/46915/same-day-registration-for-early-voting-moving-forward

Illegal immigrant numbers plunge

California’s number drops by 250,000, the nation’s nearly 1 million. The sharpest drop in three decades renews the debate over what to do about those still here.
A new report that the nation’s illegal immigrant population has declined by nearly 1 million has sharpened the debate over whether to legalize those remaining or allow their numbers to shrink through attrition.

The number of illegal immigrants living in the United States dropped to 10.8 million in 2009 from 11.6 million in 2008, marking the second consecutive year of decline and the sharpest decrease in at least three decades, according to a report this week by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-immig11-2010feb11,0,4502287.story

Arizona Sheriff, U.S. in Standoff Over Immigration Enforcement

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.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703455804575057650062572536.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5

A Progressive Game Changer: Immigration Reform In 2010

Success in politics requires moving people to act. Unless people are motivated, mobilized, and given something to fight for, they stay home, they don’t vote, they don’t participate. In that scenario, the status quo goes merrily along unchanged and unchallenged or those few who are motivated and mobilized win – even if they carry misspelled signs and have an incoherent and backwards policy prescription for the country.

http://newsjunkiepost.com/2010/02/11/a-progressive-game-changer-immigration-reform-in-2010/

Governor Perry speaks out against illegal immigration

Gov. Rick Perry today visited San Antonio on Wednesday and called on the federal government to reimburse the state of Texas for costs associated with detaining criminals in Texas jails who are undocumented immigrants.

Gov. Perry announced he will send a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano asking the federal government to begin reimbursing the state for such costs. The state will begin submitting monthly invoices to the federal government for these costs in hopes that it will start meeting its obligations to uphold immigration policy.

http://www.kens5.com/news/Governor-Perry-speaks-out-against-illegal-immigration-84067997.html

Texas governor Rick Perry says Predator drones should patrol U.S. border

IRVING, Texas – Texas Gov. Rick Perry tried to shore up his border security credentials Monday as he campaigned for re-election by calling for a Predator drone at the Texas-Mexico border and highlighting a transnational gang initiative.

Perry, a Republican seeking his third full term as governor, said he has asked the Defense Department to deploy an unarmed drone to the Texas border to assist in border security and provide “real-time” data. “Why not fly them from Brownsville to El Paso?” Perry said in remarks at the Irving Police Association Hall.

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Texas+governor+Rick+Perry+says+Predator+drones+should+patrol+border/2542449/story.html

Getting the Facts Straight About Immigration

Despite Pessimism, Support for Immigration Reform Has Always Been High, We Just Don’t Realize It

Scott Brown’s election to the Senate, stalled healthcare reform legislation, and Obama’s 30 words about immigration reform in this state of the union address have once again raised the volume of naysayers that claim immigration reform is dead or has permanently stalled. A significant number of comments in response to my article last week, also express the same pessimism accompanied by hateful and derogatory remarks about undocumented immigrants. As a social scientist, I am dismayed by such categorical claims that completely ignore the facts and creates a self-fulfilling prophecy that paralyzes politicians and denies undocumented immigrants a better way of life .

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/will-perez-phd/getting-the-facts-straigh_b_457319.html