Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

December 2, 2008 7:33:17 AM CST



Coming to America track this thread

Started by Imperator; Last updated by Imperator | View history

Coming to America

"Immigration is the sincerest form of flattery." - Jack Parr

America's melting pot is on fire. Twelve million illegal immigrants currently live in the US, and nearly 900,000 more arrive each year. Yet the immigration reform that topped President Bush's second-term agenda has stalled as a skittish Congress attacks the proposal from left and right; meanwhile, a different kind of debate is heating up over skilled immigrants, and whether American firms need more to stay competitive.

Stories

Stories 81 - 100 of 138

  • October 2007
    • Rules Eased for Farm Workers

      Rules Eased for Farm Workers

      (Newser) - Faced with the prospect of crops rotting in the fields for want of hands to pick them, the Bush administration is quietly easing immigration regulations on farmworkers, the Los Angeles Times reports. Farmers have been caught between the recent crackdown on illegal aliens crossing the border from Mexico and the notoriously inefficient H-2A program, which lets farmers apply for temporary immigrant workers. More »

    • SoCal Illegals Sent Packing in Massive Sweep

      SoCal Illegals Sent Packing in Massive Sweep

      (Newser) - Feds have arrested more than 1,300 immigrants in Southern California over the last two weeks, in what Immigrations and Customs Enforcement is calling its biggest roundup ever. Ninety percent have criminal records or standing deportation orders, and 600 have already been deported, reports the LA Times . “Where these laws may not have been enforced in the past, that has changed,” said ICE. More »

  • September 2007
    • Citizenship Test Gets Overhaul

      Citizenship Test Gets Overhaul

      (Newser) - The government yesterday unveiled its new citizenship test, which puts less emphasis on memorization of facts and more on analysis. To become naturalized, it's no longer enough for applicants to know how many stars or stripes are on the flag, but they may need to ID a constitutional amendment that addresses voting rights, the LA Times reports. More »

    • Canada-US Border Insecure

      Canada-US Border Insecure

      (Newser) - It is easy to smuggle radioactive material across the border between Canada and the US, CNN reports. Investigators from the Government Accountability Office testified before Congress today that they were able to pass from one country to the other with a duffle bag containing what looked like radioactive components, and never saw a police or border-security officer. More »

    • Homeland Security Sues Illinois Over Worker Plan

      Homeland Security Sues Illinois Over Worker Plan

      (Newser) - Homeland Security is suing Illinois for effectively protecting illegals from a new federal crackdown, the Chicago Tribune reports. A DHS plan has companies submit data on workers, but Illinois' governor says the Feds are too slow and no good: "The Internet-based program has a less than 50 percent accuracy rate and takes 10 days to get results," a spokesperson said. More »

    • Schools Report Declining Enrollment

      Schools Report Declining Enrollment

      (Newser) - Student enrollment is down at schools across Arizona, California and Texas—especially at those with high Hispanic populations.  Why? Some cite the sudden dearth of construction jobs as the housing boom has petered out. But anecdotal evidence points to immigration crackdowns, and school districts are feeling the effects: Mesa, AZ, for instance, is looking at $5.6 million less funding this year because of dwindling attendance. More »

    • Congress Tiptoes Back to Immigrant Issues

      Congress Tiptoes Back to Immigrant Issues

      (Newser) - Congress is stealing back into the immigration debate. After failing to pass broad reforms three months ago, lawmakers are focusing on less ambitious initiatives. Democrat proposals would give legal status to young immigrants and visas to farmhands, while Republicans favor guest worker programs and blocking illegals from federal aid. But these quieter moves will likely still draw loud reactions, says the Los Angeles Times . More »

  • August 2007
    • US Visa Logjam Triggers Reverse Brain Drain

      US Visa Logjam Triggers Reverse Brain Drain

      (Newser) - Just as the US tightens immigration controls, a huge backlog in processing visas for legal migrants is causing a "reverse brain drain," forcing sought-after scientists, engineers, doctors and entrepreneurs to return to their home countries, according to a report released yesterday. One million would-be immigrants are competing for only 120,000 permanent visas issued each year, reports AFP. More »

    • Immigrant Activist Deported

      Immigrant Activist Deported

      (Newser) - An illegal immigrant  who held a vigil of sorts in a Chicago church for almost a year to publicize the plight of  of divided families has been deported back to Mexico. Elvira Arellano, who left the sanctuary of the church last week to push for immigration reform, had just spoken at a Los Angeles rally yesterday when authorities seized her. More »

    • Tribes Sell Memberships to Illegal Immigrants

      Tribes Sell Memberships to Illegal Immigrants

      (Newser) - Two unofficial Indian tribes have sold thousands of memberships to illegal immigrants with the promise that the paperwork will make them legal. Some buyers have reported paying as much as $1,200 for the memberships, which federal officials warn don't offer any protection from deportation. "You can't just decide to become a member and legalize your status," said an immigration spokeswoman. More »

    • Rudy and Romney Spar Over Illegal Immigration

      Rudy and Romney Spar Over Illegal Immigration

      (Newser) - GOP frontrunners Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney are trading heated barbs over immigration, each accusing the other of a weak stance on illegals. Through radio ads and campaign speeches, both candidates are looking to rally the conservative GOP base, the Washington Post reports—though neither man has solid conservative credentials on the issue. More »

    • Giuliani Guarantees He Can Halt Illegal Immigration

      Giuliani Guarantees He Can Halt Illegal Immigration

      (Newser) - Rudy Giuliani says he can stop illegal immigration by monitoring international travelers, implementing tamperproof ID cards with fingerprints, and tracking the status of foreign workers and students. Under fire from Mitt Romney for his record on illegal immigration while mayor of New York, Giuliani has recently cranked up his rhetoric, reports the AP. More »

    • Bush Vows to Hunt Down Illegals

      Bush Vows to Hunt Down Illegals

      (Newser) - Bush is vowing to enforce old immigration laws after all, now that comprehensive reform has croaked on the Senate floor. He promises to crack down on workers who don't have valid Social Security numbers in particular, but bosses parry that there can be good reasons for numerical snafus with the agency – and huge headaches trying to unwrap its red tape. More »

    • Church Massacre Stuns Missouri Immigrants

      Church Massacre Stuns Missouri Immigrants

      (Newser) - The Micronesian community in a small Missouri town is struggling to come to grips with a brutal crime by one of its own. Eiken Elam Saimon ran into a Micronesian church service and opened fire, killing three and wounding five. About 300 Pacific Islanders live in the town of Neosho, where they migrated beginning in the 1990s. More »

    • Boy Scouts Reach Out to Latinos

      Boy Scouts Reach Out to Latinos

      (Newser) - With enrollment down almost 10% in the last 10 years, the Boy Scouts are reaching out to Latinos to fill their ranks. Handbooks, advertisements and bumper stickers are now available in Spanish, and the “be prepared” group has even had permission from ministers to recruit in Hispanic churches, the Boston Globe reports. More »

    • Minorities Become Majority

      Minorities Become Majority

      (Newser) - Nonwhites account for more than half the population in 10% of all US counties and in nearly one-third of the most populous ones, new census results show. Figures through mid-2006 demonstrate the suburban flight of blacks and Hispanics and fallout from Hurricane Katrina, the Times reports. And in three dozen counties with populations over 500,000, whites are a minority. More »