rssPosts by Elise Foley
Resurgent GOP to get tough on immigration, but change unlikely
During his campaign for the presidency in 2008, Barack Obama made the now-broken promise to Latino supporters that he would pass comprehensive immigration reform in his first year as president. But in remarks to the press on Wednesday, after Republicans took control of the House and won back several seats in the Senate, talk of immigration reform was noticeably absent.
New Mexico wilderness bill raises border-security concerns
On July 21, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources unanimously approved a bill to designate part of the Organ Mountains in southern New Mexico as wilderness. It was a routine measure — the committee passes several federal land designation bills each year — that generated little debate at the time and seemed destined to pass the full Senate without fanfare when it eventually reached the chamber floor.
Report finds immigration detainee legal rights widely neglected
The rights of detainees held on immigration charges are neglected, including fundamental rights like the right to legal counsel. Although a network of organizations has formed to try to provide detainees with lawyers, the detention system often fails to provide…
Vital undocumented workers victims of wage theft, shifting laws
Jacinta Gonzalez, an organizer with the Congress of Day Laborers in New Orleans, tells a story about the abuse of workers rebuilding the city after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. She once met a man who went to his employer’s house to demand payment for his labor on a construction site after the employer stiffed him of his dues. The man’s boss came at him, swinging a hammer. The worker immediately called the police.
McCain may soften immigration stance if he wins next week’s primary
Sen. John McCain was once one of the major Republican supporters of immigration reform, arguing for comprehensive legislation as recently as 2008. Faced with accusations of supporting amnesty for illegal immigrants, McCain has moved to a much tougher immigration stance during his Republican primary. But after the primary vote next Tuesday, will the old McCain come back?
Tea partiers rally in Arizona for greater border security
This weekend, hundreds of tea party activists gathered at the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona to protest illegal immigration. The crowd yelled “Hey, don’t come over here anymore” across the border. Although President Obama signed into law…
Arizona immigration law will only partially go into effect Thursday
Arizona’s new immigration law, SB 1070, will go into effect tomorrow but without some of its most controversial provisions. Judge Susan Bolton placed a hold on sections, for example, that require officers to check resident status while enforcing other laws…
VIDEO: Obama pushes for GOP support on immigration reform
Obama tried to carve out middle ground on immigration reform in a speech at American University’s School of International Service Thursday. Light on specific policy recommendations, the President rejected appeals for blanket amnesty for undocumented immigrants in the country while…
