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The impact of I-9 audits
March 02, 2011Ever since the implementation of ICE's I-9 audits, which required employers to check their employees' work eligibility, there has been a strong resentment among employers and employees. The reason is because they argue that this enforcement does very little in combating illegal immigration and is causing more harm than good. Some of the known impacts are on the businesses that employ these workers, and the harm it's causing the economy. One other impact that should be more strongly looked at is the impact it has on workers affected by the I-9 audits; because of the I-9 audits by ICE, many who lost their job had gone into under the table jobs to be able to survive and feed their families. This has made the situation worse, as what the I-9 audit is doing is pushing these immigrant workers deeper into the shadows; finding any means to keep their houses and feed their families.
Quoted in this article published by the Immigration Policy Center, ILCM's Executive Director John Keller asked, “What are the priorities of this kind of I-9 auditing? A lot of people would like to ask the president what his goal is in bringing this much pain to families and extended families. It’s a strategy that has a high political value in trying to prove they’re doing enforcement…and going after the bad apples, the worst employers. But the reality is that ABM did not have a serious record of being a bad actor. Why was that a priority?”
To read the article "Deeper into the Shadows" in its entirety, click here.
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Arizona and their Immigration Laws
February 26, 2011Arizona has once again proposed new laws to combat illegal immigration. Two of those bill (SB 1308 and 1309) has passed the committee, which will then eventually go to the Senate for a vote. Some of the bills include the requirement for hospitals to check citizenship status of patients, and deny students who are not citizens to enroll in schools. To read the full article from the New York times, go here.
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Immigration agency wrongfully detained Army veteran for 7 months
February 24, 2011In 2005, Rennison Castillo who served seven years in the Army, was detained by immigration agents and deemed illegal and deportable. His insistence to officers that he is a U.S. citizen was largely ignored and brushed off as someone who just wanted out of detention. After being ordered for deportation by a Judge, Castillo challenged the ruling with the help of attorneys. Eventually, it was found that Castillo had always been a U.S. citizen. The U.S. immigration agency eventually released Castillo with a $400,000 settlement and an official apology. To read the full story on Rennison Castillo's wrongful detention, click here.
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President Obama's commitment to Immigration Reform
January 31, 2011During President Obama's State of the Union address he briefly stressed his continued commitment for immigration reform. The White House has released an overview of the President's vision for immigration reform in this pdf file.
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$5 billion dollars spent on deportation in 2010
January 27, 2011In 2010 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spent almost $5 billion dollars to deport 393,000 people from the United States. For each person deported, it cost the United States $12,500. ICE's deputy director Kumar Kibble reported this cost at a House subcommitte meeting this past Wednesday. The complete article from the latimes can be viewed here.
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Attack on birthright citizenship
January 18, 2011Lawmakers are proposing a bill to undo the 14th amendment of "birthright citizenship." The 14th amendment guarantees citizenship to "all persons born or naturalized in the United States." Some Republican state lawmakers are also looking into restricting "state citizenship" for children with atleast one parent who is a permanent resident. To read the full Startribune editorial article on this controversial issue, click here.
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The fight for the DREAM Act
December 13, 2010The DREAM Act passed in the house with a 216-198 vote. In the Senate, the bill has been put off for a later vote. The Congressional Budget Office says the DREAM Act will reduce the deficit by 2.2 billion over the next decade. This is why many businesses support the DREAM says ILCM's own John Keller as quoted in the Startribune editorial, "In Minnesota, we've been fortunate to have a broad coalition of business allies that support this from an economic point of view.''
Many young undocumented immigrants who will be affected by the DREAM Act are waiting anxiously for its passage. Sarah Kim is only one of many other examples of a young undocumented immigrant who needs the DREAM Act to complete college and get a career. Her story can be read here at the tcdailyplanet, which also features ILCM and our Executive Director John Keller. Another story published in the Startribune editorial section which features ILCM's John Keller on the DREAM Act, can be read here. The Winona Daily News also features an article on the DREAM Act and its importance for many young undocumented immigrants.
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Giving children of illegal immigrants a chance
December 01, 2010Some time this week, the DREAM Act will back up for a vote. This is an important legislation that will help many young undocumented immigrants who are children of parents that had entered the United States illegally. Most of these children came to the U.S. not by choice, but carried over by their parents. With the passage of the DREAM Act, it will provide these young undocumented immigrants a chance to become legal permanent residents. This opportunity though is not a free giveaway. Those wanting legal permanent status must be working in the United States and complete two years of college or serve in the United States Military. To read more on the DREAM Act and a few perspective from young undocumented immigrants who would benefit from this, go here.
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San Francisco College Student Faces Unexpected Deportation
November 04, 2010A 20-year old college student in San Francisco was unaware that he was not authorized to be in the country until ICE identified his family for deportation. His parents face deportation to China, but the student would be sent to Peru, his birthplace. This student is one of many who would benefit from passage of the DREAM Act. Read the full story here.
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NPR.org: Arizona Immigration Law drafted and passed by private prisons for economic reasons
October 28, 2010NPR.org investigated how the Arizona immigration law came about and found that the Arizona immigration bill was the result of a new business model introduced by private prison companies. NPR found that the bill was drafted by a secretive group consisting of "state legislators and powerful corporations and associations, such as the tobacco company Reynolds American Inc., ExxonMobil and The National Rifle Association... and the billion-dollar Corrections Corporation of America - the largest private prison company in the country." This bill, almost word for word, eventually became the Arizona immigration law SB 1070.
The full story by NPR can be found here.
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