Immigration

Feb. 4, 2008 -- Crewmembers from the Coast Guard Cutter Valiant interdicted 131 Haitian migrants aboard a grossly overloaded sail-freighter Saturday, 35 miles west of Great Inagua, Bahamas. (USCG photo)

MIAMI - The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Valiant repatriated 131 Haitian migrants to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday.

Valiant's crew located a Haitian sail-freighter with an unknown number of people aboard while conducting a law-enforcement patrol about 35 miles west of Great Inagua, Bahamas, Saturday morning.    » read more »

February 6, 2008 -- Employers in the United States have often faced a shortage of available domestic workers who are able, willing and qualified to fill seasonal agricultural jobs. The H-2A program was instituted to meet this need for seasonal and temporary labor, without adding permanent residents to the population.

The H-2A program is authorized by the Immigration and Nationality Act, (INA) sec. 101(a)(15)(H)(ii)(a), 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(H)(ii)(a), which permits U.S. employers to bring temporary foreign workers into the United States to perform seasonal agricultural work.    » read more »

January 30, 2008 -- Now that his win in Florida has thrust him back into frontrunner status, the voters are getting another look at John McCain's do-anything-to-win campaign strategy. On issue after issue, including his own signature immigration reform bill, the John McCain who once had a reputation for sticking to his principles no matter the cost has been replaced with the opportunistic John McCain who has set aside his principles.    » read more »

Minnesota teams with ICE to increase enforcement; better verification for new state employees

January 7, 2008 -- Saint Paul – Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty today announced executive actions and legislative proposals to counter illegal immigration.

“Legal immigration is an important part of our American heritage, but we need to do more to combat illegal immigration,” Governor Pawlenty said.

Governor Pawlenty announced four measures to be implemented through executive action:    » read more »

January 4, 2008 -- Lincoln, NE -- Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman today announced a targeted legislative proposal that would prohibit illegal immigrants from receiving state benefits. The legislation would require state agencies and local subdivisions to verify that any resident applying for state benefits is here legally. The bill is a cooperative effort with Attorney General Jon Bruning and Sen. Mike Friend of Omaha, sponsor of the bill.    » read more »

December 13, 2007 -- Rudolph Giuliani today is trying to distract voters from his shady past by launching a television ad in New Hampshire called "Will" which outright distorts his record on immigration. As Giuliani continues to hide his business dealings, defend Bernard Kerik, and cover-up his blatant misuse of taxpayer-paid security, he is now running an ad promising to be tough on immigration while his record as Mayor paints a different picture.    » read more »

Dec 11, 2007 -- "That's The Federal Government's Problem. ... If You're Not Hurting Anybody In My City, I Don't Care." – Mayor Rudy Giuliani On Immigration (Bill Sammon, "Book Excerpt: In New York, Illegal Immigration Took A Back Seat To Making The City Safe," Washington Examiner, 12/11/07)

In A Recent Interview, Mayor Giuliani Says He Wanted To Turn In New York City's Illegal Aliens:    » read more »

Police Should Not Question the Immigration Status of Witnesses

November 26, 2007 -- Trenton, NJ – New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram said today that a Newark police officer improperly questioned witnesses to a crime scene about their immigration status in violation of a state law enforcement directive that specifically prohibits police from inquiring about the immigration status of any victim, witness or person requesting police assistance.    » read more »

November 8, 2007 -- The American people once again rejected the Republican Party's divisive fear mongering on immigration yesterday at the polls, just as they did a year ago. In Virginia and New York Republicans lost ground despite using fear over immigration to try to distract from their Party's failures on border security and immigration reform, and after failing to offer voters real leadership.    » read more »

08 November 2007 -- Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff says measures, such as hiring more agents and installing hi-tech detectors, have resulted in 22 percent decrease in arrests of illegal immigrants along the southern U.S border with Mexico. He says this is a sign U.S. authorities are beginning to get control of the border. But a separate U.S. government audit released this week found that thousands of illegal migrants made their way undetected through screening procedures at legal ports of entry, such as airports and land border crossings.    » read more »

November 6, 2007 -- Securing the Border

* DHS has completed more than 76 miles of pedestrian fence for a total of more than 150 miles of pedestrian fence and 115 miles of vehicle fence on the Southwest border.
* DHS plans to build an additional 225 miles of pedestrian fence and 200 miles of vehicle fence. We expect to have about 670 miles of total pedestrian fence and vehicle fence by the end of 2008.    » read more »

05 November 2007 -- The state of Oklahoma has begun implementing a new law that is described as the toughest in the nation against illegal immigrants. Supporters of the law say it will reduce crime and curb use of taxpayer funded services by people who have no right to be in the United States. But Latino groups, joined by civil rights groups and churches say the new law is fostering discrimination.    » read more »

October 31, 2007 -- McLean, VA - Thompson campaign manager Bill Lacy today released the following statement regarding Mitt Romney's bogus immigration claims:    » read more »

October 30, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, DC – Immigrants’ rights groups have reported that immigrants evacuated in the wake of the California wildfires have suffered discrimination when seeking emergency shelter, supplies and services. Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, released the following statement:    » read more »

30 October 2007 -- The United States is now accepting entries for its annual visa lottery, which has brought more than 500,000 immigrants into the country since 1995. But the lottery faces an uncertain future. Both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate have approved a bill to eliminate funding for the program.

Foreign nationals in pursuit of life in the United States can now apply online for the 2009 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program. The deadline for filing applications is December 2.    » read more »