Coming to America

Al-Qaeda Yank Renounces US Citizenship on Video

CNN  |  Jan 7, 08 8:29 AM CST

(Newser) - American-born al-Qaeda spokesman Adam Gadahn has renounced his US citizenship on camera to protest the incarceration of jihadists in America. Gadahn, also known as "Azzam the American," left California in the 90s to join al-Qaeda. The first US citizen charged with treason since World War II, Gadahn has appeared in at least 8 videos developed by the terrorist organization, according to CNN. More »

Indians Pray to the 'Visa God'

Wall Street Journal  |  Dec 31, 07 4:40 PM CST

(Newser) - Every week, 100,000 worshipers converge on a temple in Hyderabad, India, that honors a local incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. But the faithful aren’t praying for good health or fortune: They seek visas to the US and other Western countries, and the deity they’re praying to is known as the Visa God, the Wall Street Journal reports.  More »

Citing US Troubles, Illegal Immigrants 'Self-Deport'

Reuters  |  Dec 25, 07 10:04 PM CST

(Newser) - More illegal immigrants in the US are "self-deporting" back to their home countries in the face of stricter immigration enforcement and a worsening economy, Reuters reports. "The situation has got so tough that there don't seem to be many options left for us," said a Mexican immigrant. No exact numbers are known, but Reuters cites a spike in immigrants requesting Mexican citizenship for their US-born children and anecdotal reports from elsewhere. More »

Fla. Woman Gets Opposite of Cold Feet

Miami Herald  |  Dec 17, 07 12:01 PM CST

(Newser) - A south Florida woman who married at least 10 men between 2002 and 2006 has been charged with bigamy, the Miami Herald reports. Eunice Lopez, a Cuban immigrant and legal US resident, likely tied the knot(s) for money, officials say—none of her "husbands" had legal status. She's also suspected of pressing the men for cash after the ceremonies were over. More »

Immigration Fervor Could Burn GOP

New Yorker  |  Dec 13, 07 1:19 PM CST

(Newser) - The GOP contenders embracing anti-immigrant fervor may be sorely miscalculating, Ryan Lizza writes in the New Yorker, in a piece looking at the party's dramatic turn from the Bush strategy of cultivating immigrants in 2000 and 2004. The nativist passions Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani have been fanning appeal to a vocal niche, he notes, but they’ve erased Republican gains among Hispanics and might be damaging the party.  More »

US Citizenship Denied, Illegal Brazilians Head Home

New York Times  |  Dec 4, 07 7:58 PM CST

(Newser) - Anti-immigrant crackdowns have partly succeeded, the New York Times reports, citing a wave of returning middle-class Brazilian illegals. Faced with no way to renew driver's licenses and no hope of legalization, many are going home, where economic conditions aren’t half bad. “Why should you stay if you have a place like Brazil, where there’s hope?” asked one Brazilian businessman. More »

At 500, 1st 'America' Map Baffles

Reuters  |  Dec 4, 07 5:25 PM CST

(Newser) - The Library of Congress this week unveils the first map to use the name "America"—and the 500-year-old mysteries that go with it. The 1507 map by a German monk includes a surprisingly precise rendering of South America, Reuters reports, and seemingly predicts the contours of the continent's Pacific coast 6 years before European explorers ever saw it. More »

Hey, GOP: US Is Outraged Over Illegals

Time  |  Dec 3, 07 4:40 PM CST

(Newser) - GOP hopefuls risk defeat if they underestimate US rage over illegals, Time 's Joe Klein writes. Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani have successfully stoked public anger; Romney, who reportedly hired undocumented workers to tend his lawn, blasts illegals in his latest campaign ads. But Mike Huckabee takes a middle ground and may be hurt “for refusing to demagogue” the topic, Klein writes. More »

Sherpas Navigate Big Apple Canyons

ABC News  |  Dec 3, 07 10:49 AM CST

(Newser) - When a 10-year civil war drove tourists and climbers out of Nepal, the Sherpas who catered to them also left in droves, and many wound up in New York driving cabs. The taxis offer not only a livelihood but also fewer risks. "I stopped extreme climbing for my own safety," says Tsering Norbu Sherpa, a descendant of Tensing Norgay. ABC News goes along for the ride. More »

Immigrant Kids Talk the Talk: 90% Master English

Los Angeles Times  |  Nov 30, 07 5:40 AM CST

(Newser) - Although many Spanish-speaking immigrants who moved to America know little English, that's not true of their children and grandchildren, according to a new Pew survey. Only 23% of first-generation immigrants said they were competent in English, but 88% of second-generation and 94% of third-generation residents said they can carry on a conversation in English very well. More »

Immigration Hits All-Time High

New York Times  |  Nov 29, 07 12:18 PM CST

(Newser) - One out of every 8 US residents is an immigrant following seven years in which a record 10.3 million newcomers crossed US borders. But more than half of those were illegals, according to an anti-immigration group's census analysis. Critics were skeptical of the study’s conclusions—which focused on the burden immigrants pose to society—but not its data. More »

GOP Debate Turns Testy

Associated Press  |  Nov 28, 07 7:37 PM CST

(Newser) - Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney wasted little time getting into attack mode tonight as the eight Republican candidates squared off in a feisty debate. Romney said Giuliani encouraged illegal aliens to settle in NYC when he was mayor, and Giuliani accused Romney of employing illegal aliens at his home, which he labeled a "sanctuary mansion." At one point, the audience booed Giuliani when he persisted in his attack, the AP reports. More »

Texas Cracks Down on Illegals

Houston Chronicle  |  Nov 25, 07 7:05 PM CST

(Newser) - In Laredo, Texas, the border patrol is getting serious about illegal immigration. The longstanding “catch-and-release” policy was scrapped this month, in favor of a zero tolerance program that has clogged jails and strained courts. The Houston Chronicle looked in on a federal courthouse recently, as judges tried and sentenced immigrants 20 at a time to harsh jail stints. More »

SF to Issue ID Cards to Illegal Immigrants

San Jose Mercury News  |  Nov 21, 07 1:38 PM CST

(Newser) - San Francisco will issue its own identification cards, the city's Board of Supervisors decided yesterday. San Francisco is host to about 40,000 illegal immigrants, who will be able to use the cards to access city services and open bank accounts, though the details are not entirely worked out. City employees and police may not ask about immigration status. More »

Spitzer Dumps License Plan for Illegals

New York Times  |  Nov 14, 07 9:29 AM CST

(Newser) - New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer is giving up on the plan to offer driver's licenses to illegal immigrants that drew a firestorm of criticism. “I am not willing to fight to the bitter end on something that will not ultimately be implemented,” he told the New York Times . The proposal became a hot-button issue in presidential candidate forums and caused Spitzer's popularity to plunge. More »

Mexican Fence & More Guards