Republicans
Representantes Republicanos Presentan Principios para la Reforma Migratoria
En el día de ayer, miembros republicanos de la Cámara de Representantes dieron a conocer los principios generales sobre los que basarán su propuesta de reforma migratoria en dicha Cámara. El documento de una página, divulgado durante el retiro anual de los representantes republicanos en Cambridge (Maryland), aborda temas que van desde la seguridad fronteriza y la verificación de empleo, hasta los cambios en el sistema de inmigración legal y la regularización de inmigrantes indocumentados. Read More
Are GOP Immigration Standards Enough to Shake Up the Conversation?
Reactions to the release of the House GOP leadership’s principles for immigration reform ranged from ecstatic to furious yesterday—and that was just within the Republican Party. Outside the tortured world of House politics, reactions tended more toward cautious praise for releasing something as a starting point, but with serious doubts about the shortcomings of the actual policy proposals. Because these principles are guidelines—without specific detail—“cautious optimism” is probably the healthiest approach to take in understanding what the document means for reform. Summarizing what the document says doesn’t take long; understanding its nuances, particularly its omissions and departures from the past, requires a bit more digging. Read More
Draft of GOP Principles on Immigration Reform Released
A draft of the House Republican principles on immigration reform has been released as House GOP members gather for their retreat to discuss their position on a range of issues, including immigration. Standards for Immigration Reform PREAMBLE Our nation’s immigration system is broken and our laws are… Read More
SOTU Shows Parties Moving Closer on Immigration Reform
During Tuesday night’s State of the Union address, President Obama made it clear that improved immigration policies go hand-in-hand with the economic recovery, and nudged the House of Representatives to make the next move on immigration reform. Read More
Without Citizenship, Immigration Reformers Could be Leaving Dollars on the Table
While President Obama’s State of the Union Address will reportedly focus on income inequality in the United States, it is also a likely bet that he will address the economic benefit of immigration reform even as Republicans are finalizing their immigration principles. As conversations around immigration reform proposals forge ahead, the economic benefits of citizenship versus simply providing legal status should not be overlooked. According to a new Center for American Progress (CAP) report, The Economic Case for a Clear, Quick Pathway to Citizenship, there is an important citizenship premium that should be factored in to economic calculations of reform. According to the report, the premium is “the bump to a country’s economy that arises after immigrants become citizens. This bump comes in the form of higher wages and more tax revenue collected from naturalized citizens, all of which spurs more overall economic activity.” Read More
Senator Jeff Sessions Has Erroneously Blamed Immigrants for U.S. Income Inequality
Despite the formal end of the recession in 2009, unemployment in the United States remains high, wages are still stagnant, and economic indices of all kinds are looking grim. A crisis of this magnitude requires bold action by U.S. lawmakers to realign U.S. economic policies in ways that promote the growth of both jobs and wages. Economists across the political spectrum agree that immigration reform—including a pathway to legal status for unauthorized immigrants already living here—should be a central part of any such effort to boost the economy. Nevertheless, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) thinks he knows better. In his opinion, what we need to do to alleviate the nation’s economic woes is to derail immigration reform. Apparently, if we can hang on to our broken immigration system a little longer, there will be brighter days ahead for the U.S. economy. Read More
16 Representatives Stuck in Reverse on Immigration
Despite the failure of the House to act on immigration reform last year, there was no doubt that the majority of Americans—and even the majority of Members of Congress—understood that immigration reform was an important component in creating economic opportunity for all. Last Friday, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor reiterated that support during an exchange on the House floor when he said Republicans were working on an “appropriate path forward” on immigration policies. “Immigration reform could be an economic boon to this country. We’ve got to do it right,” Cantor said. Read More
How the 2014 Midterm Elections Could be Impacted by Immigration
By Tom K. Wong, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of California, San Diego. Despite hopes that 2013 would be the year of comprehensive immigration reform, legislation stalled in the House and the year ended without a bill. Since the House reconvened Tuesday, 427 days have passed since the November 2012 elections and 194 days since S.744, the Senate comprehensive immigration reform bill that includes a path to citizenship, passed by a vote of 68 to 32. Whether they realize it or not, the political fortunes of some may rise or fall this year based on the position they take on immigration reform. Read More
Immigrant Victims Left Waiting After U.S. Reaches U Visa Cap
The federal government has already reached its limit on the number of U visas—a special category for crime victims—available for the 2014 fiscal year. After only two months, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officials have already filled the 10,000 visas available this year. Every year since the visa program began in 2008, USCIS has hit the maximum number of visas available, but this year is the fastest the limit has been reached. Reaching the visa cap so soon after the year started is a sign that lawmakers need to increase the number of visas available to help the victims. Read More
House Bi-Partisan Budget Deal Gives Hope to Immigration Activists
One day before Congress left town for the holiday recess, the House of Representatives approved a two-year budget deal by a wide margin. Despite some GOP opposition to the plan, House Speaker John Boehner allowed a vote on the plan, which passed with a majority of Democratic and Republican votes. The budget outline now heads to the Senate for a vote. Before the vote on Thursday, Boehner attacked extremely conservative factions within his party who he said were standing in the way of progress. He told reporters these groups were “misleading” and added, “I think they’re pushing our members in places where they don’t want to be. And frankly, I just think that they’ve lost all credibility.” Read More
All gifts are matched dollar for dollar
No one should face the immigration system alone
