New York, U.S.A. — President Barack Obama announced a renewed commitment by the U.S. government to fight human trafficking through the Partnership for Freedom: Innovation Awards to Stop Human Trafficking, a public-private initiative led by Humanity United, the Department of Justice and other federal agencies, with support from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women initiative. The Partnership for freedom will fund innovative solutions to improve care for survivors of human trafficking and modern-day slavery.

“Trafficking survivors all too often face obstacles in accessing the comprehensive services they need to rebuild their lives,” Humanity United CEO Randy Newcomb said. “While federally-funded efforts to assist trafficking survivors have laid a strong foundation, there is still so much to be done. We can and must do better to find evidence-based models to effectively support survivors, and this initiative is a step in that direction.”

Humanity United, a foundation established by philanthropists Pierre and Pam Omidyar that is dedicated to building peace and advancing human freedom, is joining together with the federal government and with founding support from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women initiative to establish a $6 million challenge award.

The challenge will call upon local communities to develop collaborative and comprehensive solutions to human trafficking survivor care that can be evaluated and expanded nationally and internationally through federal policies and programs. ”We are honored to support the public-private Partnership for Freedom,” said Dina Habib Powell, president of the Goldman Sachs Foundation. “By bringing together the corporate, governmental and nonprofit sectors to fund and scale practical solutions, we believe this initiative can have a real impact in the lives of trafficking survivors.”

Purpose of the commitment

Over the next few months, Humanity United will convene leading researchers, stakeholders, community organizations and government officials to help design and administer the award. The initial round of the award, to launch in 2013, will support the most innovative approaches in three areas:

• sustainable housing and shelter solutions for all types of trafficking survivors
• comprehensive care and case management for survivors who are minors
• law enforcement engagement with survivors

The federal government, along with private donors such as the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women initiative, will commit financial resources and technical expertise to support the award, and will offer evaluation services to determine which approaches are proven to work. The goal will be to identify promising ideas and solutions at the local and community level that can later be nationally scaled and internationally replicated.

The Partnership for Freedom will consist of three levels of support aimed at innovation, evaluation and scale:

• Community Conversation Grants will be awarded to encourage dialogue and activate local coordination.
• Challenge Grants will be awarded to innovative community-level initiatives with the most promise of being scaled.
• Scale will be achieved by pairing challenge grant winners with evaluators to identify which innovations can be expanded nationally and internationally through federal policies, practices and funding.

Community Conversation Grants

Recognizing that not all communities have existing expertise to design these innovations, Community Conversation Grants will enable a series of local stakeholder convenings to explore and establish a coordinated response to meet the needs of trafficking victims in communities around the country.

Challenge Grants

Challenge Grants will support solutions that address major challenges to survivor assistance. Paired with third-party evaluations, Challenge Grant recipients will help to build the body of knowledge for what works for survivors.

In addition to the Community Conversation Grants and Challenge Grants, the Partnership for Freedom will pair grant winners with academic researchers and program evaluators to build an evidence base of the most effective approaches. These projects will be coordinated with existing federal government efforts in order to fill key gaps in knowledge and practice, and to maximize the potential for these approaches to inform future policies and programs.

To ensure widespread commitment to this effort, an advisory board composed of a variety of stakeholders including prominent leaders in the field, advocates, senior law enforcement officials and survivors will be established to help inform the award criteria and selection process, and determine the award parameters.

Background of the proposal

Human trafficking has been identified as the fastest-growing criminal industry in the world. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimates that human trafficking generates $32 billion annually. According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), at any given moment more than 20 million people are trapped in slave-like conditions around the world. While Humanity United and many others continue to work on the root causes of this global phenomenon, this initiative will address much-needed efforts to help those who are survivors of human trafficking.

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Virginia, U.S.A. — Negative Population Growth (NPG) has announced that it stands in full support of the ten U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents who filed a lawsuit in Texas last week, hoping to overturn the Obama Administration’s new deferred deportation policy. This policy permits an estimated 1.8 million illegal aliens to remain in the U.S. and gain lawful employment status.

A national organization that advocates enforcement of current U.S. immigration laws, NPG has condemned the new initiative as seriously undermining efforts to halt illegal immigration and a major setback to responsibly addressing America’s immigration and population problems.

The ICE agents’ lawsuit holds forth that the White House directive has abrogated Congress’ authority to set immigration policies. They also contend that President Obama’s policies force agents to violate existing federal laws. Current legislation requires agents to place those who enter the U.S. illegally into deportation proceedings. Should they fail to heed the new orders of their superiors at DHS, agents risk reprimand and even a lack of career advancement.

Mann stated that: “NPG is in agreement with the plaintiffs, who claim that the president’s directive is unconstitutional. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program has neither the precedent nor the authority of any law passed by Congress.”

“The result,” Mann continued, “is that long-serving, dedicated federal agents are being forced to forego their lawful responsibilities and simply rubber stamp applications under this program. With a lack of safeguards in place, the program could easily spin out of control – hundreds of thousands of individuals who are ineligible could fraudulently benefit.”

Mann concluded: “We are witnessing an almost total breakdown of enforcement of our nation’s immigration laws. It is crucial that we stand with these brave, loyal agents on the front lines of this fight. They understand the consequences and what is truly at stake, which is why they are holding fast to secure our borders and maintain the integrity of their intended duty.”

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New York, U.S.A. — The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) called on state and federal law enforcement authorities to investigate uncooked bacon scattered at the site of a planned prayer in Staten Island marking the end of the month-long fast of Ramadan as a possible hate crime.

CAIR-NY also asked political candidates seeking office in the November elections to stop promoting and exploiting anti-Muslim prejudice and urged all elected officials to repudiate growing anti-Muslim hate.

According to the organizers of the Sunday prayer service, the bacon was apparently used to desecrate the prayer site at Staten Island’s New Dorp Beach park. They discovered the bacon Sunday morning as they arrived at the site. (Muslims are prohibited from eating pork products and anti-Muslim bigots often use the animal as a means to taunt or offend Muslims, such as in a similar incident recently targeting a California mosque.)

The planned site for the prayer service was made public in local news media the night before.

Comments on a Staten Island Advance online article covering the Muslim holiday, by a person identified as “midland007,” stated: (Spelling and grammatical errors maintained.)

“I am going to walk my pet pig and i am gonna let him take a nice fat dump in the field ….just in time for morning prayers (:” And: “They should send in a assault team and rid Staten island of all the muslim terrorists”

The Muslim community in America celebrated the end of Ramadan with communal Eid ul-Fitr prayers around the country on Sunday 19th. Ramadan is the month on the Islamic lunar calendar during which Muslims abstain from food, drink and other pleasures from sunrise to sunset.

On Friday, CAIR said that in light of recent hate incidents targeting American Muslims, it was asking mosques and Islamic institutions nationwide to step up security for the end-of-Ramadan prayers. In its advisory, CAIR noted that in the past few days alone, hate incidents in Illinois included desecration of Muslim graves, a shooting at a mosque in Morton Grove and an acid bomb thrown at an Islamic school in Lombard.

In other states, a mosque was burned to the ground in Joplin, Mo., vandals sprayed an Oklahoma mosque with paintballs, pigs legs were thrown at a mosque-site in California, and a firebomb was thrown at a Muslim family’s home in Panama City, Fla.

“These incidents are not a coincidence. We believe the recent surge in acts of bigotry and hatred is directly linked to the words of elected officials and those running for office who have used anti-Muslim bigotry as a campaign strategy,” said CAIR-NY Executive Director Muneer Awad.

He said Rep. Bob Turner, New York State Senator David Storobin and Assembly candidate Ben Askelrod, among others, have expressed public opposition to Muslim houses of worship being built in New York.

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Seattle, U.S.A. — As the implementation date for the deferred action for childhood arrivals, announced by President Obama on June 15, 2012, goes into effect, Avvo, the web’s largest expert-only legal and health Q&A forum and directory released a set of legal guides that provide greater clarity on the program, application process, and eligibility and requirements. The new guides, available on the immigration topic page, and authored by immigration attorneys who answer consumer legal questions on Avvo.com, include:

• What is the DREAM Act and Deferred Action?
• Deferred Action Eligibility & Requirements
• Everything You Need to Know to Apply for Deferred Action
• FAQ:  Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

Since the policy was announced two months ago, Avvo has received hundreds of questions related to the DREAM Act regarding the application process, eligibility, and how the application process will impact family members who are not eligible for the deferment. Further, Avvo has seen an 86 percent increase in the number of immigration-related questions in the first half of 2012 over the same period last year. Texas leads the country with the greatest number of immigration related questions on Avvo.com, followed by California and New York, taking into account population density.

Chicago resident Nevena Georgieva emigrated to the U.S. from Bulgaria nine years ago. She arrived on a green card, and was granted American citizenship five years later. Georgieva is among the millions of people who have received answers to immigration-related questions on Avvo.  “Avvo is an indispensable resource,” said Georgieva.

“I have turned to Avvo for help with my immigration questions, and I’ve used it to get advice regarding my business and for other legal concerns. Not only do I get answers within a couple of hours of asking a question, but I have also benefitted from the thousands of other legal answers and useful resources on the site.”

According to the Pew Hispanic Center up to 1.4 million children and young adults who are in the United States illegally could benefit from the new deportation policy. The 1.4 million estimate includes 700,000 unauthorized immigrants who are ages 18 to 30 but arrived in the U.S as children and are currently enrolled in school or have graduated from high school; and an additional 700,000 who are under the age of 18 and are enrolled in school.

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Illinois, U.S.A. — A new report from the Center for Immigration Studies provides a detailed picture of immigrants (legal and illegal) in the United States and in Illinois.  The statistics reveal Illinois’ immigrant population as being significantly poorer and less-educated than the state’s native-born population. Using the latest Census Bureau data from 2010 and 2011, the study shows a high rate of poverty with over one-third of immigrant headed households using at least one major welfare program.

The report is online at http://cis.org/2012-profile-of-americas-foreign-born-population.

• Illinois’ Immigrants:

Illinois’ immigrant population (legal and illegal) grew 15 percent (231,000) from 2000 to 2010.  Nationally the immigrant population grew percent over the same period. Immigrants (legal and illegal) accounted for 14 percent of the state residents in 2010 and 16 percent of workers in the states. Of Illinois immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18), 22 percent live in poverty compared to 12 percent of natives and their children.

Immigrants and their U.S.-born child (under 18) account for 18 percent of the state’s overall population and 28 percent of all persons in poverty in the state. Of Illinois immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18), 27 percent lack health insurance, compared to 12 percent of natives and their children (under 18).  Immigrants and their children account for 32 percent of the state’s uninsured.

Of households headed by immigrants in Illinois, 36 percent used at least one major welfare program, primarily food assistance and Medicaid, compared to 22 percent of native-headed households.

Illinois immigrants’ home ownership rate tends to be relatively high (61 percent) compared to immigrants in other states. The rate for natives in the state is 69 percent. The lower socio-economic status of Illinois’ immigrants is not because most are recent arrivals. Their average length of residence in the United States is 19 years.

One of the primary reasons immigrants in the state tend to be poor and access welfare programs at high rates is a large share arrive in the U.S. as adult with relatively low levels of education.

Of adult immigrants (25 to 65) in the state 24 percent have not completed high school, compared to 6 percent of natives. However, the share of immigrants in the state that have a bachelor’s degree (31 percent) is much closer to the 36 percent for natives.

In 2010, 23 percent of public school students in Illinois were from immigrant households.  Overall, one in four public students in the state speaks a language other than English at home.

• Illegal Immigrants in Illinois:

Our best estimate is that 31 percent of Illinois immigrants are in the country illegally. Illegal immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18) account for 6 percent of the state’s overall population, 13 percent those in poverty, 16 percent of the uninsured and 9 percent of the school age population.

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Washington, U.S.A. — A new report from the Center for Immigration Studies provides a detailed picture of immigrants (legal and illegal) in the United States and in Nevada. Using the Census Bureau data from 2010 and 2011, the study reveals Nevada’s immigrant population as one of the fastest growing of the top immigrant receiving states.

The report is online at http://cis.org/2012-profile-of-americas-foreign-born-population.

• Nevada Immigrants:

Nevada’s immigrant population (legal and illegal) grew 61 percent (192,000) from 2000 to 2010. Nationally the immigrant population grew 28 percent over the same period. Immigrants accounted for 19 percent of Nevada residents in 2010, the fifth largest share in the country. Immigrants are 23 percent of workers in the state.

Of Nevada immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18), 20 percent live in poverty compared to 13 percent of natives and their children. Immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18) account for 25 percent of the state’s overall population and 34 percent of all persons in poverty.

Of Nevada immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18), 31 percent lack health insurance, compared to 18 percent of natives and their children (under 18).  Immigrants and their children account for 37 percent of those without insurance in the state.

Nevada immigrants’ home ownership rate of 53 percent is similar to the 58 percent for natives. Of households headed by immigrants in Nevada, 25 percent used at least one major welfare program, primarily food assistance and Medicaid, compared to 18 percent of native-headed households.

The lower socio-economic status of Nevada’s immigrants relative to natives is not because most are recent arrivals. Their average length of residence in the United States is 20 years. One of the primary reasons immigrants in the state tend to be poor than natives is a large share arrive in the U.S. as adults with relatively low levels of education.

Of adult immigrants (25 to 65) in the state 30 percent have not completed high school, compared to 7 percent of natives. The share of immigrants in the state with at least a bachelor’s degree (21 percent) is lower than the 27 percent of natives.

In 2010, more than one third of public school students in Nevada were from immigrant households. Overall, 34 percent of public school students in the state speak a language other than English at home.

• Illegal Immigrants in Nevada:

Our best estimate is that slightly less than half of Nevada immigrants are in the country illegally. Illegal immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18) account for 12 percent of the state’s overall population, 20 percent those in poverty, 24 percent of the uninsured and 22 percent of the school age population.

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Washington, U.S.A. — A new report from the Center for Immigration Studies provides a detailed picture of immigrants (legal and illegal) in the United States and in Florida. Florida has the fourth largest immigrant population in the country. Using the latest Census Bureau data from 2010 and 2011, the study shows Florida’s immigrants tend to be poorer than the state’s native-born.

The report is online at http://cis.org/2012-profile-of-americas-foreign-born-population.

• Florida’s Immigrants:

Florida’s immigrant population (legal and illegal) grew 37 percent (1 million) from 2000 to 2010. Nationally the immigrant population grew 28 percent over the same period.

Immigrants accounted for 19 percent of Florida residents in 2010, the fourth largest share in the country. Immigrants are 22 percent of workers in the state.

Of Florida immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18), 21 percent live in poverty compared to 14 percent of natives and their children. Immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18) account for 23 percent of the state’s overall population and 31 percent of all persons in poverty.

Of households headed by immigrants in Florida, 31 percent used at least one major welfare program, primarily food assistance and Medicaid, compared to 20 percent of native-headed households.

Of Florida immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18), 34 percent lack health insurance, compared to 18 percent of natives and their children (under 18). Immigrants and their children account for 36 percent of those without insurance in the state. Florida immigrants’ home ownership rate is 61 percent, compared to 70 percent for natives.

The lower socio-economic status of Florida’s immigrants is not because most are recent arrivals. Their average length of residence in the United States is 20 years.

One of the primary reasons immigrants in the state tend to be poorer than natives is a large share arrive in the U.S. as adults with relatively low levels of education.

Of adult immigrants (25 to 65) in the state 16 percent have not completed high school, compared to 7 percent of natives. However, the share of immigrants in the state with at least a bachelor’s degree (30 percent) is similar to that of natives — 32 percent.

In 2010, more than one in four public school students in Florida were from immigrant households. Overall, 29 percent of public school students in the state speak a language other than English at home.

• Illegal Immigrants in Florida:

Our best estimate is that slightly more than one-sixth of Florida immigrants are in the country illegally. Illegal immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18) account for 4 percent of the state’s overall population, 9 percent those in poverty, 11 percent of the uninsured and 8 percent of the school age population.

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Washington, U.S.A. — A new report from the Center for Immigration Studies provides a detailed picture of immigrants (legal and illegal) in the United States and in Washington State. Washington has the nation’s 10th largest immigrant population. Using the latest Census Bureau data from 2010 and 2011, the study reveals that the state’s immigrants are significantly poorer and less-educated than the native-born population.

“There is considerable concern in this country about issues like poverty and the large uninsured population.  But what has generally not been acknowledged is the impact of immigration on these problems,” notes Steven Camarota, the Center’s Director of Research. “Absent a change in policy, 11 to 15 million new immigrants are likely to settle in this country in the next decade and may further exacerbate present problems.”

The report is online at http://cis.org/2012-profile-of-americas-foreign-born-population.

• Washington’s Immigrants:

Washington’s immigrant population (legal and illegal) grew 44 percent (272,000) from 2000 to 2010. Nationally the immigrant population grew 28 percent over the same period.

Immigrants (legal and illegal) accounted for 13 percent of the state residents in 2010 and 17 percent of workers in the states.

Of Washington immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18), 20 percent live in poverty compared to 10 percent of natives and their children.

Immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18) account for 18 percent of the state’s overall population and 30 percent of all persons in poverty.

Of Washington immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18), 22 percent lack health insurance, compared to 12 percent of natives and their children (under 18).  Immigrants and their children account for 29 percent of the state’s uninsured.

Of households headed by immigrants in Washington, 40 percent used at least one major welfare program, primarily food assistance and Medicaid, compared to 21 percent of native-headed households. Although they tend to be significantly poorer than natives, homeownership is relatively high among Washington’s immigrants (55 percent), compared to 65 percent for natives. The lower socio-economic status of Washington’s immigrants is not because most are recent arrivals. Their average length of residence in the United States is 18 years.

One of the primary reasons immigrants in the state tend to be poor and access welfare programs at high rates is a large share arrive in the U.S. as adults with relatively low levels of education.

Of adult immigrants (25 to 65) in the state 22 percent have not completed high school, compared to 4 percent of natives. However, the share of immigrants in the state that have a bachelor’s degree matches that of natives —34 percent.

In 2010, 23 percent of public school students in Washington were from immigrant households. Overall, 23 percent of public students in the state speak a language other than English at home.

• Illegal Immigrants in Washington:

Our best estimate is that 40 percent of Washington immigrants are in the country illegally. Illegal immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18) account for 7 percent of the state’s overall population, 12 percent those in poverty, 18 percent of the uninsured and 9 percent of the school age population, 5 to 17 years of age.

• National Figures:

The number of immigrants (legal & illegal) in the country hit a new record of 40 million in 2010, a 28 percent increase over the total in 2000. Immigrants (legal and illegal) account for 16 percent of all workers in the country.

In 2010, 23 percent of immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18) lived in poverty, compared to 13.5 percent of natives and their children. Immigrants and their children accounted for one-fourth of all persons in poverty in the United States.

Immigrants make significant progress the longer they live in the country. However, even immigrants who have lived in the United States for 20 years have not come close to closing the gap with natives.

The poverty rate of adult immigrants who have lived in the United States for 20 years is 50 percent higher than that of adult natives. The share of households headed by an immigrant who has lived in the United States for 20 years using one or more welfare programs is nearly twice that of native-headed households.

The share of households headed by an immigrant who has lived in the United States for 20 years that are owner occupied is 22 percent lower than that of native households.

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Washington, U.S.A. — A new report from the Center for Immigration Studies provides a detailed picture of immigrants (legal and illegal) in the United States and in Georgia.  Of the top immigrant receiving states, Georgia’ immigrant population is one of the fastest growing in the country. Using the latest Census Bureau data from 2010 and 2011, the study reveals a high rate of poverty with a corresponding high use of welfare.

The report is online at http://cis.org/2012-profile-of-americas-foreign-born-population.

• Georgia’s Immigrants:

Georgia’s immigrant population (legal and illegal) grew 63 percent from 2000 to 2010. Nationally the immigrant population grew 28 percent over the same period.

Immigrants account for 10 percent of Georgia residents in 2010, the highest level ever recorded by the Census Bureau for the state. Immigrants are 13 percent of workers in the state. Of Georgia immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18), 25 percent live in poverty compared to 18 percent of natives and their children.

Of Georgia immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18), 37 percent lack health insurance, compared to 18 percent of natives and their children (under 18).  Immigrants and their children account for 22 percent of those without insurance in the state.

Georgia immigrants’ home ownership is 56 percent, compared to 67 percent for natives.

Of households headed by immigrants in Georgia, 30 percent used at least one major welfare program, primarily food assistance and Medicaid, compared to 24 percent of native-headed households. One of the primary reasons a larger share of immigrants than natives in the state are poor is a large share arrive in the U.S. as adults with relatively low levels of education.

Of adult immigrants (25 to 65) in the state 26 percent have not completed high school, compared to 8 percent of natives.

However, the share of immigrants in the state with at least a bachelor’s degree (30 percent) is similar to the 33 percent for natives.

In 2010, 17 percent of students in Georgia public schools were from immigrant households. Overall, one in seven public school students in the state speaks a language other than English at home.

• Illegal Immigrants in Georgia:

Our best estimate is that more than half of the immigrants in Georgia are in the country illegally. Illegal immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18) account for seven percent of the state’s overall population, 12 percent of those in poverty, 16 percent of the uninsured and 8 percent of the school age population, 5 to 17.

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Washington, U.S.A. — A new report from the Center for Immigration Studies provides a detailed picture of immigrants (legal and illegal) in the United States and in Texas. Using the latest Census Bureau data from 2010 and 2011, the study reveals Texas’ immigrant population as one of the largest, fastest growing and poorest of the top immigrant receiving states.

The report is online at http://cis.org/2012-profile-of-americas-foreign-born-population.

• Texas Immigrants:

Texas’s immigrant population (legal and illegal) grew 43 percent from 2000 to 2010. Nationally the immigrant population grew 28 percent over the same period.

The immigrant population in the state stood at 4.1 million, up 1.5 million in the last decade. Immigrants account for one out of six Texas residents in 2010, the highest level ever recorded by the Census Bureau. Immigrants account for 20 percent of workers in the state.

Of Texas immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18), 28 percent live in poverty compared to 15 percent of natives and their children. Immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18) account for 23 percent of the state’s overall population and 36 percent of all persons in poverty.

Of Texas immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18) 41 percent lack health insurance, compared to 21 percent of natives and their children. Immigrants and their children account for 37 percent of those without insurance in the state.

While a large share of Texas immigrants have low incomes, their rate of home ownership (58 percent) tends to be relatively high both compared to natives (65 percent) and relative to immigrants in other states.

Of households headed by immigrants in Texas, 45 percent used at least one major welfare program, primarily food assistance and Medicaid, compared to 24 percent of native-headed households.

The lower socio-economic status of Texas’ immigrants is not because most are recent arrivals. Their average length of residence in the United States is 18 years.

One of the primary reasons so many immigrants in Texas are poor, lack health insurance and access the welfare system is a large share arrive in the U.S. as adults with relatively low levels of education.

Of the top immigrant receiving states, Texas immigrants are among the least educated— 46 percent of adult immigrants in the state have not completed high school, compared to 10 percent of natives.

The share of immigrants (25 to 65) in the state that have a bachelor’s degree is 21 percent compared to 30 percent of natives. In 2010, 31 percent of students in Texas public school were from immigrant households.  Overall 37 percent of public school students speak a language other than English at home.

• Illegal Immigrants in Texas:

Our best estimate is that slightly less than half of the immigrants in Texas are in the country illegally. They comprised one in ten workers in the state. Illegal immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18) account for ten percent of the state’s overall population and one-fifth of those in poverty, one-fourth of the uninsured and one seventh of the school age population, 5 to 17.

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Washington, U.S.A. — A new report from the Center for Immigration Studies provides a detailed picture of immigrants (legal and illegal) in the United States and in New Jersey. Using the latest Census Bureau data from 2010 and 2011, the study reveals that New Jersey’s immigrants tend to be more prosperous and better-educated than the population in other top immigrant receiving states. However, they lag behind natives in the state in most measures of economic well-being. As a result they comprise a very large share of the state’s poor and uninsured.

The report is online at http://cis.org/2012-profile-of-americas-foreign-born-population.

• New Jersey’s Immigrants:

New Jersey’s immigrant population (legal and illegal) grew 25 percent (368,000) from 2000 to 2010. Nationally the immigrant population grew 28 percent over the same period. Immigrants accounted for 21 percent of New Jersey residents in 2010, the third highest of any state. Immigrants are 28 percent of workers in the state.

Of New Jersey immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18), 13 percent live in poverty compared to 9 percent of natives and their children. Immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18) account for 28 percent of the state’s overall population and 37 percent of all persons in poverty.

Of New Jersey immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18), 29 percent lack health insurance, compared to 11 percent of natives and their children (under 18). Immigrants and their children account for 51 percent of those without insurance in the state.

New Jersey immigrants’ home ownership rate is 54 percent, compared to 70 percent for natives.

Of households headed by immigrants in New Jersey, 26 percent used at least one major welfare program, primarily food assistance and Medicaid, compared to 17 percent of native-headed households. The lower socio-economic status of New Jersey’s immigrants is not because most are recent arrivals. Their average length of residence in the United States is 19 years.

One of the primary reasons so many immigrants in the state are poor and access the welfare system is a large share arrive in the U.S. as adults with relatively low levels of education.

Of adult immigrants (25 to 65) in the state 19 percent have not completed high school, compared to 4 percent of natives. The share of immigrants in the state with at least a bachelor’s degree is 34 percent compared to 41 percent for natives.

In 2010, 30 percent of students in New Jersey public schools were from immigrant households. Overall, 29 percent of public school students in the state speak a language other than English at home.

• Illegal Immigrants in New Jersey:

Our best estimate is that about one-fifth of New Jersey’s immigrants are in the country illegally. Illegal immigrants and their U.S.-born children (under 18) account for 6 percent of the state’s overall population, 14 percent those in poverty, 21 percent of the uninsured and 9 percent of the school age population, ages 5 to 17.

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Fort Erie, Canada  – The Honourable Rob Nicholson, P.C., Q.C., Member of Parliament for Niagara Falls, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, on behalf of the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, announced the installation of new technology at the Peace and Queenston-Lewiston Bridges to help people cross the border faster.

“Canada and the United States are taking action to promote the safe, secure and efficient movement of people and goods across the border,” said Minister Nicholson. “This technology will make cross-border travel easier and facilitate trade by providing reliable, up-to-date information to help drivers plan and choose the fastest crossing.”

New and advanced sensor technology near customs plazas and approach roads will measure and report delays, and relay this information to travellers. People will be able to plan their routes better, time their crossing, and select the bridge with the best wait-times.

“While driving to the border, we naturally wonder whether it will be faster to cross at Fort Erie orQueenston,” said Minister Nicholson. “With this new technology, accurate, up-to-the-minute crossing times will be posted well before you reach the border.”

This new system is expected to reduce border wait times for the travelling public and commercial carriers by up to one million hours per year. Up-to-date information on the Peace Bridge and Queenston-Lewiston Bridge websites will help drivers to plan and save money on fuel by avoiding congestion.

“This technology demonstrates significant progress on behalf of the Beyond the Border Action Plan by updating critical infrastructure at our ports and enhancement of the border-crossing experience for travelers,” said Acting Customs and Border Protection Commissioner David Aguilar. “This latest example of US-Canadian collaboration demonstrates our nations’ partnership to ensure continued economic competitiveness.”

“Freight movement is essential to commerce and a healthy economy,” said Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez. “This technology will help U.S. businesses move their goods and products more efficiently across the border to help grow our national economy and create jobs.”

This project supports commitments under the Beyond the Border Action Plan announced by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and U.S. President Barack Obama on December 7, 2011. Under this Plan,Canada and the U.S. committed to reduce, eliminate and prevent barriers to cross-border trade and travel and install border wait time measurement technology at the top 20 land crossings.

The border wait time technology will also:

• Help border agencies better manage traffic volume by providing reliable information for planning purposes.
• Ensure more efficient border operations by allowing border agencies to focus resources on security.
• Reduce environmental impacts by decreasing vehicle emissions from border congestion and delays.

“Border wait time measurement technology will improve accessibility across the border, increase efficiency at ports and enhance service levels,” said the Honourable Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety. “By implementing border wait time technology at these ports of entry, travellers and commercial drivers will receive information to help them decide when and where to cross the border”.

This project was completed in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Canada Border Services Agency and Transport Canada.

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Sacramento, U.S.A. — A new poll conducted by Pulse Opinion Research on behalf of Californians for Population Stabilization (CAPS) finds that 61% of Californians say they will be less likely to vote for Governor Jerry Brown if he signs into law a bill giving illegal aliens authorization to legally obtain California driver’s licenses. The poll also found that half of all Californians believe Governor Brown is doing a poor job of getting the California economy moving again and putting unemployed Californians back to work.

“Giving illegal aliens the right to legally obtain California driver’s licenses is like giving them a license to take unemployed Californians’ jobs,” commented Marilyn DeYoung, Chairman of the Board of Californians for Population Stabilization. “It’s time Governor Brown focused on opening jobs for unemployed Californians instead of making it easier for illegal aliens to take our jobs.”

The Driver’s license bill will be introduced later this year for the eighth time by Los Angeles Assemblyman Gil Cedillo. The bill is expected to be approved and presented to Governor Brown for his signature before the end of the year. Similar bills were passed by the California legislature in previous years but were vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger. Only two other states in America, New Mexico and Washington State, allow illegal aliens to obtain drivers licenses.

63% of poll participants oppose driver’s licenses for illegal aliens. Top reasons include:

• Illegal aliens have broken the law and should not be rewarded.
• The license will become an official ID card illegal aliens can use to obtain other taxpayer benefits.
• It will encourage more illegal immigration.

Mrs. DeYoung also voiced security concerns. “The 911 hijackers used driver’s licenses to gain access to our airplanes and kill 3,000 Americans. I don’t have a lot confidence that the California DMV has the ability to run background checks that could identify potential terrorists.”

The poll was recently conducted among one thousand likely voters in California. Other findings include:

• 70% favor mandating that all California employers electronically verify their workers are in the country legally and have a work visa.
• 76% think new California jobs should go to unemployed Californians instead of bringing in new legal immigrant workers

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On June 25 the United States Supreme Court issued a ruling rejecting most of the Arizona immigration law, known as SB1010. The only part of the law now remaining is the section that allows state and local officials to check the status of people who they have stopped or detained as long as they have “reasonable suspicion” that these individuals are in the country illegally.

One of the parts rejected by the Supreme Court includes making it illegal for illegal immigrants to not have a federal registration card which is already a misdemeanor nationally. SCOTUS also rejected the part of the law that made it illegal for illegals to work, apply for work, or to try to solicit work. SCOTUS also announced that allowing state and local officials to arrest illegals without warrant because they have committed “any public offense that makes the person removable from the United States” is no longer allowed as a part of the law.

Now the law states that officers must check with immigration officials before holding immigrants for reasons other than committing a crime. Arizona law enforcement can notify the federal officials about the suspected illegal status but cannot detain them in jail or charge them for their illegal status. However, while law enforcement cannot hold someone because they are illegal, while the officials are trying to determine the status of an individuals the amount of time they are detained cannot be determined. Kennedy, in the majority opinion, states, “it is not clear at this stage and on this record that the verification process would result in prolonged detention.”

Justice Kennedy delivered the majority opinion. Kennedy stated, “this authority rests, in part, on the National Government’s constitutional power to ‘establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization’ and its inherent power as sovereign to control and conduct relations with foreign nations…the federal power to determine immigration policy is well settled.” Further in the opinion Kennedy elaborates on this aspect of the problematic law: “[this law] would allow the State to achieve its own immigration policy. The result could be unnecessary harassment of some aliens…whom federal officials determine should not be removed. This is not the system Congress created.”

Yet Kennedy acknowledged the problems that Arizona is having stating, “Statistics alone do not capture the full extent of Arizona’s concerns.”

Arizona’s state government claims that it made the law because the federal government has failed to control immigration into the state. Arizona has had to deal with high costs of education and care of immigrants in recent years. The state government believes that this law would empower law enforcement to be able to deal with the immigration problems. Additionally, the law forced the federal government to face the problem of immigration.

However, opponents of the law stated that it criminalized law-abiding people because of their statuses. There was also the worry that the law would lead to racial profiling of legal Hispanics. In his majority decision Kennedy echoed a similar sentiment stating, “discretion in the enforcement of immigration law embraces immediate human concerns. Unauthorized workers trying to support their families, for example, likely pose less danger than alien smugglers or aliens who commit a serious crime. The equities of an individual case may turn on many factors, including whether the alien has children born in the United States, long ties to the community, or a record of distinguished military service.”

Justices Scalia, Alito, and Thomas delivered their own concurring and dissenting opinions. Scalia stated in his opinion, “as a sovereign, Arizona has the inherent power to exclude persons from its territory, subject only to those limitations expressed in the Constitution or constitutionally imposed by Congress.” Thomas supported Scalia and writes, “I agree with Justice Scalia that federal immigration law does not pre-empt any of the challenged provisions of S.B. 1070. I reach that conclusion, however, for the simple reason that there is no conflict between the “ordinary meaning” of the relevant federal laws and that of the four provisions of Arizona law at issue here.”

This decision will highly impact the creation of similar laws in Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, South Carolina, and Utah.

After the Arizona law was passed Obama stated that the law, “threatened to undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans” and sued the state of Arizona for overstepping its sovereign rights of the federal government. Oral arguments were heard in front of the Supreme Court on April 25, 2012.

Mitt Romney claimed to support the law and would have dropped the lawsuit against Arizona. According to USA Today Romney would then adopt the idea from Arizona of making life so difficult for immigrants that they self-deport.

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Washington, U.S.A. – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) on June 19 called on Apple to change its policy following reports of Farsi-speaking customers being denied service.

CAIR is consulting with the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) on this and other discrimination cases. Some members of the Iranian-American community prefer the use of “Persian” to describe the language of Iran.

Two Apple customers in Georgia, U.S.A. said that local stores refused to sell them merchandise after they were overheard speaking Farsi, the language of Iran. One woman, a U.S. citizen and University of Georgia student, said an Apple employee refused to sell her an iPad Thursday, June 14 after hearing her and a relative talking.

An Apple Store manager reportedly cited a policy prohibiting sales to Iran. Later the manager showed the policy that stated the exportation, sale, or supply from U.S. to Iran of any Apple goods is not allowed unless the U.S. government authorizes it. An Apple customer service representative later apologized and told the woman she could buy the iPad online.

The woman, Sahar Sabet, reported that the employee who refused to sell her the iPad stated, “I just can’t sell this to you. Our countries have bad relations.”

Another customer of Iranian heritage reportedly had a similar experience at another Apple Store.

“Apple must revise its policies to ensure that customers do not face discriminatory treatment based on their religion, ethnicity or national origin,” said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. “If the actions of these Apple employees reflected company policy, that policy must be changed and all employees retrained.”

Awad agreed with those who noted that not selling embargoed merchandise to Farsi speakers would be like not selling the same items to Spanish speakers because they might be from Cuba or Korean speakers because they might be from North Korea.

CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

Image Courtesy of  TonyV3112 / Shutterstock.com

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Washington, U.S.A. – American Jewish Committee (AJC) applauds President Obama’s announcement of June 15 of a new Administration policy to stop deporting undocumented youth from the U.S. who would qualify for the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act.

“President Obama’s decision will enhance educational opportunities for deserving students, level the playing field for all children, and bolster America’s role as a leader in the competitive global economy,” said Richard Foltin, AJC’s Director of National and Legislative Affairs.

There are an estimated 50,000-65,000 undocumented students who graduate from American high schools each year. “Many came to the U.S. at a young age, have grown up in American schools, developed American values, and are American in every sense except their citizenship,” said Foltin.

Following President Obama’s announcement on June 15, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will begin a process for granting “deferred action” to undocumented youth who are in the U.S. and would otherwise qualify for relief under the version of the DREAM Act passed by the House of Representatives in December 2010.

Eligible individuals – including but not limited to those who are currently in deportation proceedings – will be allowed to remain and work in the U.S. for a renewable two-year period.

“While granting deferred action to these students is an important step towards desperately needed reform of our immigration system, we will continue to advocate for legislation that establishes a permanent path to citizenship for these DREAM Act students,” said Foltin.

Citing a UCLA study that concluded that DREAM Act participants could contribute $1.4-$3.6 trillion to the U.S. economy during their working lives, Foltin continued, “These students are vital to our nation’s future. Allowing them to stay in the United States not only benefits them, but also enhances America’s rich, vibrant, and diverse culture.”

Since its founding in 1906, AJC has been a strong voice in support of fair and generous immigration policies that are consistent with humanitarian values and with the need to treat all individuals with respect, while allowing the United States to implement its immigration laws and protect our national security.

The National League of Cities

The following statement is from Don Borut, executive director of the National League of Cities, responding to President Obama’s decision to stop deporting young immigrants who came to the United States as children.

“The President has made a sensible decision to allow young immigrants who came to the United States as children and have little connection to their countries of origin to stay and continue to contribute to our country. This change reflects the many positive contributions that these individuals are making to local communities.

“The Administration deserves praise for recognizing the poor performance of the nation’s existing immigration policy. Today’s action only represents a small piece of the reform that needs to occur.  This change does not replace the urgent need for Congressional action to enact comprehensive immigration reform.”

The National League of Cities is dedicated to helping city leaders build better communities. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans.

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Washington, U.S.A. - On 15 June the Obama administration announced a brazen usurpation of Congressional authority by using executive power to implement the DREAM Act. Effective immediately, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will grant deferred action and possible work authorization to certain illegal aliens under the age of 30 who arrived in the U.S. before 16 years of age. DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano expects that nearly 1 million illegal aliens will be granted amnesty through this effort.

“Over the past ten years, Congress has repeatedly rejected the DREAM Act. Now, five months before the presidential election, the Obama administration is unilaterally rewriting our immigration laws, defying Congressional authority and threatening our constitutional framework,” said Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).

“This is a blatant abuse of executive power that ignores the will of Congress and the American people,” charged Stein.”The Obama administration is engaging in a shameless display of political pandering to satisfy a narrow slice of its party.

“Since taking office the President has slowly stripped away the federal government’s immigration enforcement authority and barred the states from effectively protecting Americans from the burden of illegal immigration,” continued Stein. “The consequence of these actions, and the Administration’s latest expansion of its backdoor amnesty strategy, is the shredding of the Constitution, a wholesale rejection of the rule of law, and an open invitation for more illegal immigration.”

Founded in 1979, FAIR is the country’s largest immigration reform group. With over 250,000 members nationwide, FAIR claims to fight for immigration policies to serve national interests, not special interests. FAIR believes that immigration reform must enhance national security, improve the economy, protect jobs, preserve our environment, and establish a rule of law that is recognized and enforced.

Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA), a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, issued this statement in support of President Obama’s directive on new immigration policy for undocumented students and others:

“President Obama has surmounted Washington gridlock and done the right thing to strengthen the American economy and protect American students marginalized through no fault of their own. Important provisions of the Dream Act, stalled for so long on Capitol Hill, are no longer simply a dream. No one benefits by keeping young adults who play by the rules, many of whom have no memory of their country of birth and consider themselves Americans, in the shadows of society. We need comprehensive immigration reform and with this policy now in force the President has taken a significant step toward that goal.”

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Washington, U.S.A. – The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency announced that it will no longer initiate enforcement actions against deportable aliens identified by the Secure Communities program who have committed “minor” criminal offenses.

This represents the Obama administration’s latest assault on immigration enforcement, charges the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). The new policy is the next step in the Administration’s effort to ensure that only aliens who have been convicted of violent crimes will be subject to deportation.

Secure Communities cross-checks the fingerprints of every person arrested by state and local police against a variety of federal databases, including a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) database of immigration law violators. Deportable aliens who are identified through the Secure Communities program are turned over to ICE, rather than released on bail. The new policy will dramatically limit the number of deportable aliens in state and local jails who ICE takes action against.

“Today’s action is clear evidence that this administration will not quit until most immigration enforcement apparatus in the U.S. is shut down and should be a clear signal that this administration believes the violation of immigration laws is entirely inconsequential. The removal of violent criminal aliens only has been the lone factor in the Administration’s ability to maintain the pretense that it is enforcing our immigration laws,” noted Dan Stein, president of FAIR.

“Programs which rely on local law enforcement, like Secure Communities and 287(g) – a congressionally established program that trains local police to identify and detain illegal aliens – have provided ICE with a pipeline to identify deportable aliens,” continued Stein. “The Administration is phasing out 287(g) entirely, and now they are limiting the use of Secure Communities so that non-criminal aliens are ultimately released back onto the street.”

The latest ICE announcement is part of the Administration’s effort to prevent state and local authorities from playing a role in immigration enforcement. The Administration has made it abundantly clear through lawsuits and other actions that it does not want to enforce most U.S. immigration laws and it will not tolerate state and local policies that get in the way of their political objectives.

“We are rapidly approaching the point where violent criminal aliens will be the only people who will be subject to immigration enforcement,” Stein concluded.

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On April 4, the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) and four of its local member organizations announced the results of an undercover investigation into the ways the nation’s financial institutions are failing to maintain and market Real Estate Owned (REO) properties in African-American and Latino neighborhoods.

The investigation of REO properties in nine major U.S. cities found striking incidents of discrimination in the care and maintenance of properties, with foreclosed properties in White areas being much better maintained and marketed than those in neighborhoods of color. 

A report of the investigation, “The Banks Are Back, Our Neighborhoods Are Not: Discrimination in the Maintenance and Marketing of REO Properties,” was released on Wednesday, April 4.  It details the results of the evaluation of more than 1,000 REO properties located in and around Atlanta, GA; Baltimore, MD; Dallas, TX; Dayton, OH; Miami/Fort Lauderdale, FL; Oakland/Richmond/Concord, CA; Philadelphia, PA; Phoenix, AZ; and Washington, DC.

“This report offers evidence that banks responsible for peddling unsustainable loans to communities of color and triggering our current foreclosure crisis are continuing to damage those communities by failing to properly maintain and market the properties they own,” said Shanna L. Smith, President and CEO of the National Fair Housing Alliance.

“This is an investigation – not a study –- that will culminate in the filing of administrative complaints with HUD and/or lawsuits in federal district court,” continued Smith.  “The first complaint will be filed shortly.”

The National Fair Housing Alliance in Washington, D.C., and four of its member organizations – the Miami Valley Fair Housing Center in Dayton, OH; Housing Opportunities Project for Excellence in Miami, FL; Metro Fair Housing Services in Atlanta, GA; and North Texas Fair Housing Center in Dallas, TX – evaluated the maintenance and marketing of REO properties on a 100-point scale, subtracting points for broken windows and doors, water damage, overgrown lawns, no “for sale” sign, trash on the property, and other deficits.

The evaluations took into account 39 different aspects of the maintenance and marketing of each property.  Overall, REO properties in communities of color were 42 percent more likely to have more than 15 maintenance problems than properties in White neighborhoods.

Some trends the investigation revealed include:

• REO properties in communities of color were 82 percent more likely than REO properties in White communities to have broken or boarded windows;
• REO properties in White neighborhoods were 32 percent more likely to be marketed with the proper signage than African-American neighborhoods and 38 percent more likely than in Latino neighborhoods; and
• Newer homes generally scored higher than older homes, but racial and ethnic disparities persisted with non-structural factors such as curb appeal and signage.

“We hope that banks will heed the information in this report and take immediate action to correct the disparate treatment we have found,” continued Smith.  “The proper maintenance and marketing of REO properties is a key factor in the sale of homes to families rather than to investors.”  The report contains details specific to each city and gives extensive recommendations on how to fix these problems.

The Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to discriminate based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability or familial status, as well as the race or national origin of residents of a neighborhood.  This law applies to housing and housing-related activities, which include the maintenance, appraisal, listing, marketing and selling of homes.

To read the full report, please go to www.nationalfairhousing.org.

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The government recently unveiled a new set of rules outlining better care for immigrants and asylum seekers detained while waiting for their deportation hearings.

The guidelines, issued by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement service (ICE), have been assailed by congressional Republicans, who say they amount to coddling illegal immigrants.

The controversy heated up last week in a hearing called “Holiday on ICE,” held by Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, who has referred to the new rules as “a hospitality guideline for illegal immigrants.” He pointed in particular to a new federal facility in Texas that the administration has held up as an example of a less penal approach to non-criminal immigration detainees.

The guards there don’t wear uniforms, and the facility has, as Smith pointed out, a soccer field, volleyball court and cable TV. The $32 million center was built by a private contractor, and ICE claims it will cost less per day to house detainees there than in other facilities.

Smith, as well as the head of the union representing ICE agents, says the new guidelines are too loose on security, and that the government’s focus should be on deporting undocumented immigrants faster. Meanwhile, immigrant rights advocates say detainees who aren’t criminal offenders shouldn’t be treated as such.

So, what are the new guidelines, and what prompted the changes to ICE’s policy?

The government detains about 400,000 illegal immigrants each year. On a given day, roughly 32,000 people are held, about half of them in jails rather than immigrant detention facilities. (PBS’ “Frontline” provides a useful history of changes to U.S. detention policy and an interactive map of ICE detention centers.)

The rules, which are gradually taking effect, are meant to address areas of detention that have long been problematic.

Access to medical care: More than 100 immigrants in detention have died since 2003, many from lack of access to medical care or proper medication. The New York Times reported in 2010 that immigration officials covered up many deaths and that few safeguards for transparency were in place. The new guidelines promise better regular medical care, including mental health and separate standards for women’s health.

Protection against sexual abuse: The American Civil Liberties Union found 185 reported incidents of sexual abuse between 2007 and 2010. Immigration detention centers are not covered by legislation aimed at reducing prison rape, and the new guidelines are supposed to improve supervision of detainees as well as the process for reporting sexual abuse.

Access to family and legal help: Because detainees are spread across hundreds of facilities, often in isolated areas, and frequently transferred, it was difficult for family members or lawyers to remain in close contact with them. A Human Rights Watch report found that 46 percent of detainees were moved at least twice, and 3,600 detainees were transferred 10 times or more.

The new guidelines improve access to bilingual interpreters, and call for better communication with families and legal counsels about transfers. (ICE also issued a directive this year to minimize transfers.) Facilities are “encouraged to provide opportunities for both contact and non-contact visitation.”

Advocates have pointed out that many aspects of new guidelines and the new Texas facility, such as increased freedom of movement and contact visitation, bring the ICE guidelines in line with the standards at many federal correctional facilities, especially low-security ones.

The government plans to build more facilities like the one in Texas, though most detainees will still find themselves housed in less plush environs. Only about 14 percent are expected to be held in new facilities like the one in Texas.

The administration has continued a policy begun under President George W. Bush in which asylum seekers and undocumented immigrants are detained until their court dates. Arrests and deportations have risen steadily since Obama took office.

The administration is billing the rules and new construction as part of a shift in focus away from non-criminal immigrants to catching and deporting criminal immigrants.

by Cora Currier, ProPublica, April 3, 2012, 1:35 p.m.

Image  Courtesy of   CREATISTA / Shutterstock.com

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A potential deportation of a family of illegal immigrants has brought about an outburst of community support and proved a significant case for supporters of the Maryland DREAM Act (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) in the Montgomery County Council.

Nineteen-year-old Jorge Steven Acuña (who goes by his middle name) and his family, father Jorge Sr. and mother Blanca, were arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and detained on grounds of residing illegally in the US. The family originates from Colombia and arrived in the States seeking political asylum when Jorge Steven Acuña was 8 years old.

Steven, who is now a student at Montgomery College, is an excellent student and athlete. “He’s exactly the kind of person we should want in this country,” one of his supporters, Melissa Harris, told WUSA9.com.

Acuña’s friends and the Hispanic rights advocacy groups CASA de Maryland and the Maryland Dream Youth Committee have established a wide-ranging social media campaign to keep the family in the country. “What we want is to bring attention to their situation in the sense of illustrating what people go through,” said attorney Enid Gonzalez to cnsmaryland.org. He is working on behalf of CASA de Maryland to secure the Acuñas’ future.

Acuña demonstrates that the children of illegal immigrants often show great potential, a potential that the DREAM Act seeks to tap into. Supporters of the act believe DREAM would be a much-needed reform of the immigration laws. Sen. Victor Ramirez (D-Prince George’s County), who is one of its biggest supporters, has said: “He wants to become a full citizen and the opportunity is not there for him.”

“We should be trying to help kids like this rather than deport him,” he continued.

But the DREAM Act has its opponents. In an interview with cnsmaryland.org, Delegate Pat McDonough (R-Baltimore County) said that “[Illegal aliens are] not allowed to be hired. It’s a federal felony.”

“The DREAM Act is based on emotion and illusion. People think it’s a good thing to be doing for young people. But it’s unfair to people who are American citizens,” McDonough said.

On Tuesday, congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), announced that the Acuñas had won a temporary reprieve. “I’m pleased that [Immigration and Customs Enforcement]  reviewed the facts of the case and decided to release Jorge and the Acuña family and stayed their removal for a year. In light of the circumstances in this situation, it was the fair and humane decision,” he said.

The halting of deportation of an otherwise law-abiding family of illegal immigrants is a significant step for DREAM Act supporters, and Nicole Navas of Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced that the immigration officials in Baltimore had exercised ‘special discretion’ towards the Acuñas, allowing them to stay until their son finishes his final year in college.

Whether or not the case will continue in its path in the Montgomery County Council, its opponents argue against it on behalf of its implications towards the legal system. One local student, Dawn Johnson, voiced her concerns, “If they don’t want to be deported, they shouldn’t come here illegally.”

“If you don’t have laws to govern people, there is anarchy, and things fall apart.”

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Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) announced  a national Shariah education campaign to promote religious freedom and combat Islamophobia. ICNA’s campaign, Defending Religious Freedom, Understanding Shariah, will include a 25 city education tour to introduce the Islamic faith to the American public.

ICNA is also promoting awareness through a public service announcement campaign, billboards across the country, college campus seminars, radio ads and a national hotline dedicated to addressing questions about Shariah and the Islamic faith.

Outreach has already started, including a seminar in Pittsburgh, billboards and radio ads in Kansas Cityand public service announcements in San Francisco. The next scheduled event will be in Miami on March 10th, followed by Washington, D.C. on March 27th and Los Angeles on April 17th. More dates will be announced shortly.

The campaign will include these elements:

• Shariah education and interfaith events, town hall forums and activities in 25 cities including New York City, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Miami, Kansas City, Detroit and Hartford
• Billboards in 15-20 cities nationwide including Kansas City, New Jersey, New York (near the Lincoln Tunnel, seen by 120,000 people each day), Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Detroit, Miami
• 40 national ICNA chapters mobilized, including thousands of volunteers
• National hotline dedicated to answering questions about Shariah and the Islamic faith. The toll-free number is: 1-855-SHARIAH
• A public service announcement campaign distributed and aired in 20 cities nationally
• Seminars on 20 college campuses including George Washington University, Bradley University,George Mason, and University of Delaware in March and April
• Radio ads aired in approximately 20 cities nationally
• Local media outreach by trained spokespeople and leaders from 30-35 ICNA chapters across the country
• ICNA annual convention in Hartford, CT, during Memorial Day weekend, attracting over fifteen thousand people as it did last year

“The First Amendment guarantees religious freedom for every citizen. Muslim Americans are asking for the same fundamental rights to observe Shariah, a component of the Islamic faith, in our personal, familial and religious affairs within the boundaries of the United States Constitution and all local, state and federal laws.” says Dr. Zahid H Bukhari, President, Islamic Circle of North America.

In each city visited on the “Defending Religious Freedom, Understanding Shariah” education tour, ICNA plans to hold town hall events that foster positive discourse about religious freedom and the state of Islamophobia in our country. The plan is to clear up common misconceptions about Shariah and the Islamic faith and present the facts through open dialogue with Americans of all faiths.

“ICNA is making an honest attempt to reach out and connect to our fellow Americans and introduce them to our Islamic faith,” says Naeem Baig, Vice President of ICNA Public Affairs. ”We see it as our responsibility to clarify misconceptions about American Muslims.”

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The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) called on the New York Post to apologize for publishing a political cartoon that the Muslim civil rights group says “evokes anti-Semitic themes” through its depiction of hook-nosed terrorists objecting to the New York City Police Department’s (NYPD) widespread campaign of spying on Muslims without warrants or evidence of wrongdoing.

View the cartoon:
http://tinyurl.com/7s6llpm

CAIR is also asking American Muslims and other people of conscience to contact the newspaper and to politely ask that they apologize for the offensive cartoon. E-Mail: letters@nypost.com, Copy to:info@cair.com

The cartoon by Sean Delonas was published Friday in the Post and shows the turban-wearing, hook-nosed terrorists preparing bombs and weapons in an apartment, with an NYPD vehicle in the street. One of the terrorists is depicted on the phone with The Associated Press news agency, and says: “Hello, AP Press?. . .I’d like to register a complaint against the N.Y.P.D. for spying on us.”

The cartoonist’s reference is to a series of Associated Press investigative articles exposing the NYPD’s spying on Muslim individuals, students, businesses, and religious institutions –- a campaign that has been condemned as unconstitutional by American Muslim and civil liberties groups.

Video: NJ Muslims Condemn NYPD Spying (CAIR)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2ioUX1-h5Y

CAIR-NJ: Muslims Denounce ‘Complete Betrayal’ of NYPD Surveillance
http://tinyurl.com/6msj2z3

NYPD Spying Program Aimed at Muslims
http://tinyurl.com/6sf8myz

“This offensive and inaccurate political cartoon evokes anti-Semitic themes that would be recognized by any historian of pre-war Nazi Germany,” said Zead Ramadan, board president of CAIR’s New York chapter. “The cartoon is not only offensive in its portrayal of a religious minority; it is also inaccurate in its depiction of those targeted by the NYPD spy campaign in that there is no evidence that those monitored were suspected of wrongdoing of any kind.”

CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

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On Thursday, January 19th, Meridian International Center and the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China co-hosted the 2nd annual Chinese Lunar New Year reception, celebrating the beginning of the Year of the Dragon at Meridian House. Chinese lanterns and other traditional New Year decorations transformed the historic French-style home.

Over 400 guests attended, including high-ranking diplomats from the Chinese Embassy, officials from the U.S. Department of State, D.C. cultural leaders, local and international media, scholars, and corporate representatives.

In honor of this occasion, Meridian’s Art for Cultural Diplomacy program organized a special art exhibition: A Zhuxianzhen Tradition: New Year Woodblock Prints from Kaifeng.The exhibit included 20 traditional nianhua prints from Henan Province, illustrating auspicious symbols from Chinese folklore – the seventh in a series of exhibits created over the last decade by Meridian with Chinese partners.

While enjoying the festivities, guests watched Embassy chefs prepare dumplings and sampled other authentic dishes at stations set up throughout the rooms, each featuring a different region in China.

His Excellency Zhang Yesui, Ambassador from the People’s Republic of China to the United States; Meridian President and CEO, Ambassador Stuart Holliday ; Meridian’s Chairman of the Board,Governor James Blanchard ; and Meridian’s Senior Vice President for the Arts, Dr. Curtis Sandbergoffered remarks at the reception.

Ambassador Holliday, speaking to the assembled crowd, lauded the event as “one of the new highlights of our calendar, and an exemplification of Meridian’s strong partnerships.”

Following the remarks, 6ixwire Project, a western four-string violin and two-string Chinese violin (erhu) duo, performed pieces from the East and West. In addition, Meridian staff gave guided tours of its acclaimed exhibition CHINA Town: Contemporary Ceramic Painting from Jingdezhen, currently displayed in the White-Meyer House.

The exhibit features an unprecedented collection of porcelain art, which was curated by Meridian International Center and the Ren Jian Ci Hua Company (Jingdezhen, China), with support from the Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China.

It is also the first exhibition developed through the much-celebrated Memorandum of Understanding between Meridian International Center and the China International Culture Association. This Memorandum has created a new framework for the expansion of bilateral U.S.-China cultural exchanges, further strengthening and improving relations between the two nations.

Image Courtesy of    http://www.flickr.com/photos/cc_chapman/

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America’s Wire released a story about undocumented immigrant parents, usually Latinos, who are losing custody of their children.  It cites data from an alarming study by the Applied Research Center and details the case of Encarnacion Bail, an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala, who is in a prolonged fight to regain custody of her son, Carlos.

Award-winning reporter, Marjorie Valbrun, reports that more than 5,000 children of immigrants are languishing in state foster care nationwide because their parents were living in the United States illegally and were detained or deported by federal immigration authorities.

“These children can spend years in foster homes, and some are put up for adoption after termination of their parents’ custody rights,” she writes. “With neither state nor federal officials addressing the problem, thousands more are poised to enter the child welfare system every year.”

This story, as well as others, are available free of charge from America’s Wire.  The story is also available in Spanish.  Go to www.Americaswire.org  and click the “Download” button in the right column.

“Our story exemplifies what is wrong with America’s immigration policy,” said Michael K. Frisby, president of America’s Wire. “Ms. Valbrun details the impact on immigrant children and how parents who came to America in search of a better life are losing custody of their children. I urge media outlets and websites to publish this story to help the public better understand the consequences of our nation’s failed immigration policy.”

America’s Wire is an independent journalism outlet that provides newspapers, community papers, websites, ethnic publications and wire services with stories that report on structural inequalities, and the communities impacted by it. This week, we also highlight a story on the abysmal academic performance of Latino and African-American high school students.

They are performing at the same level as 30 years ago; on average, black and Latino high school seniors read and do math at the same level as 13-year old white students.  This story is also available free at www.americaswire.org.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.flickr.com/photos/longislandwins/

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The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) issued the following statement regarding the State of the Union address by President Barack Obama:

“We applaud the President for expressing his strong commitment to building a 21st century immigration system and providing young people with the chance to earn their citizenship in his address to the American public last night.  While these words ring true to our community and the mission of our organization, we know they must be followed by concrete and swift action.

We call on the President and Congress to work together in the coming year to pass bipartisan legislation that will provide millions of Americans with the opportunity to become full members of this great nation.

“During his address, the President also emphasized the importance of job creation and policies that will help the nation fulfill ‘the basic American promise that if you work hard, you can do well enough to raise a family, own a home, and put a little away for retirement.’  Like all Americans, Latinos want the opportunity to pursue the American dream.

In recent years, our community has been one of those hit hardest by the economic crisis, experiencing job loss and foreclosure rates higher than most Americans.  With Latinos now numbering more than 50 million or 1 out of every 6 Americans today, our community’s economic progress will play a critical role in determining the future of this country.  We urge the President and Congress to implement policies that will foster economic opportunity for Latinos and all Americans.

“In addition, we were encouraged by the President’s call for a return to American values built around ‘fairness for all.’  As the nation’s second largest population group, this theme is fundamental to many of the pressing issues facing our community today, including the Latino electorate’s ability to participate in the political process and elect the representatives of their choice this year.

We ask the nation’s leadership to carefully monitor all efforts to weaken the electoral voice of Latino and minority voters, including implementation of unfair voting requirements and illegal redistricting plans across the country.  We also call on the President and the Department of Justice to vigorously enforce the Voting Rights Act (VRA) so that all U.S. citizens, regardless of race or linguistic ability, can fully and fairly participate in the American electoral process.

“In the coming year, we urge the President and Congress to honor the American people by working together to ensure that our country’s journey ‘moves forward’ and that ‘our future is hopeful.’  Our nation’s more than 6,000 Latino elected officials are ready to do their part, working with the President, Administration and Congress to promote policies that will foster the economic and political progress of the Latino community and all Americans.”

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In a transparent attempt to win favor with the powerful tourism industry, President Obama announced that his administration will waive consular interview requirements for people renewing U.S. Visas. He also directed his administration to expand the number of countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program.

Citizens of VWP nations can enter the U.S. without obtaining a Visa in advance.  The net result of both changes – counterintuitive in a post-9/11 world – is that millions of additional people will enter the U.S. with less scrutiny.

“The changes the President is making to the Visa issuance process, without Congressional approval, weaken important safeguards against terrorism and increase the potential for more Visa over-stayers,” stated Dan Stein, president of Federation for American Immigration Reform. “The longstanding requirement for an in-person interview allows trained consular officers to identify people who might pose a threat to national security or who are likely to remain in the United States illegally.”

The proposal to significantly expand the VWP program ignores explicit warnings made by the 9/11 Commission which cited the VWP as a weakness that can be easily manipulated by terrorists. “It is exceedingly reckless to operate a Visa waiver system, much less expand it, in an age where terrorists carry many different passports.

Moreover, the U.S. still has no comprehensive system that matches the entry and exit of foreign travelers to ensure we are alerted when Visa holders stay in the country illegally,” Stein cautioned. This move by the Obama administration is the latest in a two-year campaign of unilateral policy changes designed to minimize immigration enforcement.

It is also a clear effort to appeal to business interests in an election year. The timing and location of the announcement is designed to boost the President’s sagging popularity in Florida, a state he believes he must win in November.

“President Obama claims his new initiatives will create jobs. If the President really wants to change immigration policy to expand jobs, he’d restore credibility to our immigration system by securing our border, stepping up interior enforcement, supporting mandatory E-Verify, and substantially reducing legal immigration.

That would reduce foreign competition for scarce jobs that Americans need.  And in the process, not one of those things would jeopardize national security,” Stein concluded.

9438733474 / Shutterstock.com

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The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), focusing on constitutional law, is urging a federal appeals court to uphold Alabama’s immigration law saying the measure “mirrors federal immigration provisions” and warns that if the Obama Administration challenge to the Alabama law succeeds, states will be effectively rendered “powerless over unchecked illegal immigration and the associated social and economic costs that their citizens must bear.”

“This is fast becoming one of the most important issues for the American people,” said Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the ACLJ. “This latest case underscores the growing clash between the federal government and the rights of states.

The fact is many states are doing what Alabama and Arizona already have done – enacting laws that promote Congressional immigration policy by enforcing the very laws that the Obama Administration fails to enforce. We contend the Alabama measure impedes no federal law and is actually consistent with federal immigration policy that promotes increasingly greater roles for states in enforcing immigration law.”

The ACLJ filed an amicus brief yesterday with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, backingAlabama’s HB 56.

The brief, posted here, argues:

“The Administration’s attack on HB 56 undermines federalist and separation of powers principles by permitting the Administration’s policy preferences to trump Congress’s statutory acknowledgement that states have inherent authority to enforce laws that profoundly affect their citizens’ welfare. A decision sustaining the Administration’s claims will effectively leave the states powerless over unchecked illegal immigration and the associated social and economic costs that their citizens must bear.”

The Alabama appeal comes as the Supreme Court has decided to hear a challenge to Arizona’s immigration measure, SB 1070. The ACLJ, representing 59 members of Congress and nearly 60,000 Americans, filed an amicus brief urging the high court to take the case arguing the Arizona measure, like the one in Alabama, is constitutional because it mirrors federal immigration law and incorporates federal standards.

The ACLJ is now preparing an amicus brief in support of the Arizona measure to be filed with the Supreme Court, which is expected to hear oral arguments in the case this spring.

Led by Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow, the American Center for Law and Justice focuses on constitutional law and is based in Washington, D.C.  The ACLJ is online at www.aclj.org.

Ryan Rodrick Beiler / Shutterstock.com

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The Year of the Dragon is a significant year in Asian tradition: the dragon is sacred and symbolizes strength, luck and new beginnings. Throughout Asia and also in the U.S., cities are preparing for this important time of year with much fanfare and celebration—this is especially true in Los Angeles’ most unique historic district, LA Chinatown. LA Chinatown hosts one of the largest New Year celebrations in the country with more than 125,000 attendees convening in the district for the weekend-long celebration.

LA Chinatown kicks off the Year of the Dragon the weekend of January 28 – 29, 2012, beginning with the 113th Annual Golden Dragon Parade. Attendees can enjoy hundreds of spectacular floats, decked-out cars, dancers and bands as they parade down the heart of Chinatown. This year’s Grand Marshals include Disney’s Mulan and Mushu and international bestselling author Lisa See whose book ‘Snow Flower and the Secret Fan’ was adapted into a movie in 2011.

The Chinese New-Year Festival gets underway following the parade with cultural performances by some of the nation’s best Chinese acts, children’s activities and hands-on cultural workshops. LA Craft Experience (LACE), LA’s premier artist’s market will feature over 40 local vendors, offering shoppers a truly unique shopping experience.

Attendees can expect to nosh on traditional Chinese cuisine offered at many Chinatown restaurants as well as non-traditional dishes offered by food vendors and some of LA’s hottest gourmet food trucks. Additionally, the wildly popular show ‘Cupcake Wars’ will be on hand with 1,000 Chinese New Year-themed cupcakes for people to enjoy.

There are two festival sites with entertainment stages at each: 727 N. Hill Street on Sat., Jan. 28 ^, 2012 from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Central Plaza at 943-951 N. Broadway on Sat., Jan. 28 from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Sun., Jan. 29 from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. The 113th Annual Golden Dragon Parade is on Sat., Jan. 28 beginning at 1 p.m.

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Obama announced this past week that the Department of Homeland Security will review roughly 300,000 immigration cases to see if these individuals are qualified for citizenship.

Controversy over these changes brings up the topic of what the leading GOP presidential candidates of 2012, Bachmann, Romney, and Perry think about this matter. Immigration reform and border control are vital issues for these candidates. They face losing valuable support from Hispanic voters in fundamental swing states such as New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, and Florida if they do not have a plan that can accommodate them.

Rick Perry, governor of Texas, is no stranger to immigration, living right along the Mexican border. He has already provided in-state tuition to illegal immigrants to offer them the opportunity to gain citizenship through education.

He also supports citizenship through military participation. His primary focus, although dealing with many illegal immigrants already, is to secure the border first and secondly work on immigration reform.

Perry demonstrated his views on Immigration earlier this week in South Carolina, as he discussed the problems the federal government has in handling immigration. His explanation for this was that in Texas alone, he has spent 400 million dollars on border patrol, which is the responsibility of the government and not the state.

His campaign has also focused the issue of border patrol around protecting American citizens against violence spreading north of Mexico, and how securing the borders are the most important way to secure America’s defence. Perry has focused on the importance of border patrol to not only discontinue illegal immigrants but also to prevent gun and drug trafficking as well.

Romney, a candidate who also ran in the 2008 election advocated a different approach to illegal immigration. He took the stance of adopting biometrically-enabled identification cards, so illegal immigrants could be identified and prohibited to work. He also frowned upon McCain’s policy to grant amnesty to illegal immigrants in 2008, stating, “illegal immigration has got to end and any form of citizenship amnesty is troublesome.”

In his campaign in 2012, Romney will focus more on the responsibility of employers who were hiring illegal immigrants. He thinks that punishment directed at the employers of illegal immigrants, would improve job creation being taken away from citizens. When it comes down to the issue of how to handle immigrants who are in America illegally, Romney believes that they are not qualified for citizenship.

Bachmann, another leading GOP presidential candidate, advocates the full and speedy citizenship of immigrants that have entered the United States legally, but is intolerant on those who have come to America illegally.

She refers back to the bill passed in 1986, in which congress granted amnesty to over three million immigrants that entered the country illegally. The government has not made major changes since then and Bachmann proposes that congress should enforce the laws put in place, as well as stricter border patrol.

Bachmann, in 2008, dealt with the death of four children that were killed by an illegal immigrant in Minnesota, her hometown, and it will be fascinating to see how this impacts her position on illegal immigrants with criminal records.

The main focus surrounding Bachmann’s campaign ultimately welcomes legal immigrants, but she follows the laws of the land in making sure that immigrants that have come to the United States illegally are not rewarded or given a free pass.

This difficult and complex issue effecting millions throughout America will play a critical part in gaining support. It will be interesting to see how this taxing issue plays out within the next year throughout each candidates campaign and if policies will be modified to achieve the Hispanic vote in swing states.

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