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April 2008
Fewer immigrants sending money to Latin America
Fewer immigrants from Latin America are regularly sending money to their home countries because of the slumping U.S. economy and a growing “anti-immigrant” climate, a survey released Wednesday found.
As a consequence, millions of poor families in Latin America will not get the vital help that the money provides, the survey by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) concluded.
The survey found that half of immigrants — both legal and illegal — were sending money regularly back to their home countries in Latin America this year, compared to 73 percent in 2006.
Despite the drop, the total amount of the remittances is projected to stay roughly level over the same time period, at around $45 billion, because the average amount of each remittance has increased and there are more Latin Americans in the United States, the survey found.
Sergio Bendixen, a veteran pollster whose Miami-based company carried out the survey, said that a growing “anti-immigrant” sentiment in the United States is a major cause for the drop in number of immigrants sending money back home.
He cited state laws and local ordinances that have cracked down on illegal immigration such as the one in Hazleton, Pa., that he said created a climate of fear in which immigrants have felt insecure about their futures and are therefore more hesitant to send money home.
“They feel that they are not welcome in America anymore,” Bendixen said. “They don’t know whether they will be able to work next month or whether they will to be able to rent an apartment … so many become conservative about how they spend their money.”
States like Pennsylvania, where such ordinances have been passed, saw significant declines in remittances, the survey found.
Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, a think tank that supports lower levels of immigration, said that Latin American governments should stop looking at exporting their labor force as a source of development income.
In addition, he said that the survey shows that the anti-illegal immigration ordinances are working.
“The goal of enforcement is to get illegal immigrants to change their behavior,” he said. “It’s to change the climate so that illegal immigrants get the message that the party is over and they need to go home.”
Read the survey here.
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Department of Justice adds prosecutors on the border
The Department of Justice announced Thursday it would invest $7 million to boost U.S. Attorney’s offices along the Southwest border region.
The department will hire 64 assistant U.S. attorneys and 35 support staff to expand the prosecution of criminal activity including human trafficking, drug and gun smuggling, violent crimes and money laundering.
“Border issues are a top priority for the Department of Justice,” said Deputy Attorney General Mark Filip, in a press release. “This infusion of resources will provide for new prosecutors and staff as part of the department’s comprehensive, but flexible, strategy to fight crime along the border.”
The new positions will boost offices in Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California.
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Senate Judiciary Committee: John McCain is a “natural born” American
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday passed a resolution expressing the “sense of the Senate” that Sen. John McCain is constitutionally eligible to run for president of the United States.
“The Senate should adopt this resolution and put to rest any question of Sen. McCain’s status as a ‘natural born citizen,’” said Sen. Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat and chairman of the committee. “There is no doubt in my mind that he is eligible to run for president.”
The resolution says: “Whereas John Sidney McCain III was born to American citizens on an American military base in the Panama Canal Zone in 1936: Now, therefore, be it resolved that John Sidney McCain III is a ‘natural-born citizen’ under Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution of the United States.”
The two Democratic candidates for president — Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton — support the resolution.
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Hispanic lawmakers lash out at Democratic leaders
Democratic Hispanic lawmakers lashed out at their own party Wednesday for planning hearings on immigration enforcement legislation and “piecemeal” visa reform measures while ignoring broader reforms.
Rep. Luis Gutierrez of Illinois, a leader on immigration issues, said that Democrats were “no better than the Republican majority” if they didn’t offer a solution for all immigrants, including those in the United States illegally.
He said that millions of immigrants and their supporters didn’t stage giant marches in 2006 “for a handful of visas.”
The lawmakers said that the House is planning to schedule hearings on an enforcement bill known as the SAVE Act, and on efforts to increase caps for specialized visas for seasonal workers and high-tech employees.
The SAVE Act would increase the Border Patrol by 8,000, train more state and local police to enforce immigration law, and require that all businesses, within four years, use a government program to verify the legal status of their employees.
Most of the House members pushing the SAVE Act are Republicans, however the author of the legislation is a Democrat, Rep. Heath Shuler of North Carolina.
Rep. Joe Baca of California, chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said that the immigration measures being considered by the House were “nothing more than a band-aid being used to cover up a gaping wound.”
Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona, said that Democrats were being “spineless” and that he felt disrespected.
“We have been good Democratic foot soldiers,” he said.
Read more here.
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Bush, Calderon defend NAFTA
President Bush on Tuesday said that the North American Free Trade Agreement was a “visionary move by previous leaders” and has tripled trade between the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The president made the remarks at a press conference in New Orleans with the leaders of Canada and Mexico.
Bush also urged Congress to pass a free trade agreement with Colombia. He accused opponents of “protectionism.”
“I’m concerned about protectionism in America. It’s not in our interest to become a protectionist nation,” he said.
In addition, Mexican President Felipe Calderon said that the economies of Canada, Mexico and the United States are bigger and stronger than they were 14 years ago, before NAFTA.
“We are doing everything we can in order to create job opportunities in Mexico for people so that Mexicans will not need to seek job opportunities outside their country. And the only way to do it is by creating jobs in Mexico. And the only way is precisely multiplying our possibilities of trade,” Calderon said.
Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have talked about the need to re-negotiate NAFTA, amid fears that it has hurt U.S. workers.
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Cornyn renews call to pardon jailed border agents
Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, this week renewed his call for President Bush to commute the sentences of two former Border Patrol agents convicted of shooting and wounding a drug dealer and trying to cover it up.
The former agents — Jose Alonso Compean and Ignacio Ramos — are serving 12 and 11 years in prison, respectively. Supporters say that the agents were wrongly convicted for protecting the United States against a criminal intruder.
Their case has become a cause celebre on talk radio shows and among groups and lawmakers that advocate tougher border controls.
The drug dealer — Osvaldo Aldrete Davila — pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiracy to import drugs and admitted that he tried to bring large amounts of marijuana into the country in 2005. Davila was in the United States illegally at the time of the shooting and was given immunity to testify against Ramos and Compean.
Cornyn said: “In my view, this guilty plea opens even more questions than it answers. For example, when did the U.S. Attorney’s office first learn that Davila violated the terms of his immunity agreement by engaging in drug smuggling in 2005? Was this purposefully withheld from the jury deliberating the fate of Ramos and Compean?”
In addition, Cornyn said it is “well past time for the president to do the right thing and commute their sentences.”
The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Johnny Sutton, has staunchly defended his case.
Read more here.
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Tancredo criticizes Pope on immigration
Rep. Tom Tancredo, a Colorado Republican famous for his fight against illegal immigrants, took offense at the words of Pope Benedict XVI.
The Pope reportedly said this week that the United States must do “everything possible to fight…all forms of violence so that immigrants may lead dignified lives.”
In response, Tancredo said: “I would like to know what part of our lax immigration policy is considered violent. I fail to see how accepting more refugees than any other nation -and providing free health care, education, housing and social service benefits to millions of illegal aliens is in any way ‘violent’ or ‘degrading.’”
Tancredo also suggested in a press release that the Pope was making the comments in part to recruit more immigrants into the Catholic church. I suspect the Pope’s immigration comments may have less to do with spreading the gospel than they do about recruiting new members of the church,” said Tancredo. “This isn’t preaching it is ‘faith-based’ marketing.”
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Key House committee to hold series of immigration hearings
The House Judiciary Committee announced Wednesday that it would hold several hearings on immigration in the coming weeks.
“Over the past year, it has become clear that we need an immigration system that is fair, legal, and tough,” said Rep. John Conyers, a Michigan Democrat who chairs the committee. “The Bush administration has lost control of our borders and failed to deliver an immigration system that is good for American families, workers, and businesses. It is time to address those failures.”
It is unclear, however, whether any of the hearings will address an enforcement bill which is gaining support in the House.
The measure, dubbed the Secure America with Verification and Enforcement Act or SAVE Act, would increase the Border Patrol by 8,000, train more state and local police to enforce immigration law, and require that all businesses, within four years, use a government program to verify the legal status of their employees.
The program, known as E-Verify, is currently voluntary. Businesses and civil-rights groups have argued that the quality of some government databases poses a major problem for the system.
Most of the House members pushing the SAVE Act are Republicans, however the author of the legislation is a Democrat, Rep. Heath Shuler of North Carolina. Other conservative Democrats also support the legislation.
A press release from the House Judiciary Committee says that the hearings will “examine a variety of issues regarding immigration.”
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Study: 40 percent of L.A. students are “English language learners”
More than 40 percent of students in Los Angeles County are in programs for “English language learners,” the new term for English as a Second Language courses, a new study says.
“The integration of immigrants remains an afterthought in policy discussions and could be considered one of the most overlooked issues in American governance,” said Michael Fix, co-author of the report and vice president at the Migration Policy Institute.
The report recommends several steps to improve integration of immigrants, including increased access to English language and civics instruction, and greater workplace acceptance of immigrants’ foreign educational and professional credentials.
L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was on hand in Washington at the report’s release.
He said that immigrants — both legal and illegal — were vital to the economy of Los Angeles.
“You’ll find that these people are among the most patriotic, among the most hard-working, among the most grateful living in this country,” he said.
Villaraigosa also urged Homeland Secretary Michael Chertoff to stop immigration raids at worksites. He was meeting with Chertoff later in the day to discuss the raids and other matters.
Read the Migration Policy Institute report here.
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NCLR president: nation reaching a “turning point” on immigration
Janet Murguia, president of the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic civil rights organization, said Wednesday that the nation is “fast approaching a turning point” when it comes to immigration.
“What started out as a public policy debate last spring is on the verge of becoming one of the largest civil rights issues of our generation,” she said. “The demonizing rhetoric that surrounds this issue, the hate groups and vigilantes who promote it, the politicians and media who embrace it, and the passivity of those listening…shame our great country.”
Murguia made the comments during a speech at the National Press Club in Washington.
She also said that the debate affects all Latinos, not just illegal immigrants.
“When demonstrators in Arizona put on surgical masks whenever a Latino walks by because they think we carry tuberculosis, it’s personal,” she said. “When friends and neighbors get pulled over and asked for immigration papers — and are sometimes detained for hours — even though their families have been in this country for generations, it’s personal.”
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House passes extension of religious worker visas
The House on Tuesday voted to extend a temporary visa program for religious workers.
The visa — known as R-1 — allows churches, synagogues, mosques and other religious institutions to sponsor foreign workers to fill certain jobs.
Because of concerns about fraud in the program, the bill requires new guidelines to be implemented by Dec. 31.
“We want to welcome religious workers to our country but we don’t want to be scammed,” said Rep. Zoe Lofgren, the bill’s sponsor.
Lofgren, a California Democrat, chairs the Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security and International Law Subcommittee.
The measure was passed by voice vote.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said it was appropriate for the measure to pass when the Pope was about to visit the nation’s capital.
“As Americans welcome His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to the United States today, I am pleased that the House voted to reauthorize the religious worker visa for seven years,” she said. “This essential program provides for up to 5,000 immigrant visas per year that religious denominations or organizations in the United States may use to sponsor individuals to perform religious service.”
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Government conducts H-1B lottery
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on Monday conducted the “computer-generated random selection processes on H-1B petitions” also known as the visa lottery.
As a result, 65,000 petitions were picked as well as 20,000 more for workers with advanced degrees from American universities.
The agency received a record 163,000 applications for the temporary visas which allow foreigners to work in the United States up to six years.
High-tech companies said that the large number of applications proves that the yearly cap is inadequate.
Tens of thousands of applications which were not selected will be returned along with the application fee, federal officials said.
Critics say that the H-1B program depresses wages for U.S. workers and is being abused by outsourcing firms.
To see the USCIS release, click here.
Read more about the H-1B visas here.
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Los Angeles City Council members learning Spanish
Members of the Los Angeles City Council are aggressively learning Spanish, the L.A. Times reported this week.
Here are some excerpts from the story:
“Nearly 40% of Los Angeles County residents older than age 5 speak Spanish at home — about 3.7 million people, according to 2006 estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau. Until recently, however, only a handful of City Council members were bilingual.”
“Now, council President Eric Garcetti gives almost all of his news conferences bilingually. City Controller Laura Chick and City Atty. Rocky Delgadillo, who is Latino, have participated in Spanish-language immersion programs in Mexico. (Councilwoman Jan) Perry started holding her news conferences in Spanish and English a few years ago. Her office issues most of its public documents in both languages.”
The story also quotes K.C. McAlpin, executive director of the national language organization ProEnglish.
“It’s not healthy for a society to be divided in which a big segment does not speak the language of the majority,” McAlpin said. “What has worked for this country, and what has made it the most successful multi-ethnic country in the world, has been the melting-pot idea: That you can be a full participant in American citizenship by learning our national language and assimilating.”
Read the full story here.
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Broun introduces “official English” bill
Rep. Paul Broun, R-Ga., this week introduced a measure to make English the nation’s official language.
He said that the measure “codifies the principle that no one is entitled to receive federal documents or federal services in languages other than English.”
The bill would declare English the official language of the United States and state that no person has a right or entitlement to have the U.S. government communicate, perform or provide services, or materials in a language other than English unless specifically provided by statute.
“America’s genius as a melting-pot nation has always been promoted by assimilation to a common language,” said Broun. “Large scale legal immigration threatens social cohesion and America’s shared values when new arrivals are unwilling to learn English.”
Opponents to such measures say that they are unnecessary and would hurt people without English proficiency, making it difficult for them to receive government services, including those related to public health and safety.
An identical bill was introduced in the Senate by Sen. James Inhofe, an Oklahoma Republican.
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Senate votes to study National Museum of the American Latino
The Senate on Thursday voted to create a commission to study the feasibility of creating a National Museum of the American Latino.
The museum would be dedicated to the art, culture and history of U.S. Hispanics.
The bill would set up a 23-member panel of experts in art, museum administration, and the development of cultural institutions. The bill includes $3.1 million for the commission, which would submit a final report to Congress within two years of its first meeting.
“I am proud that Senate Democrats led the way to approve legislation today that honors the countless contributions of Hispanic Americans to our country,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said.
To read more about the effort to create the museum, click here.
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Feds receive 163,000 H-1B applications
Requests for H-1B visas reached all all-time high this year, with nearly 163,000 applications received in five days, federal officials said Thursday.
Because of the volume, Citizenship and Immigration Services will conduct a random lottery to award the 65,000 visas allowed by law for well educated foreign workers. In addition, another 20,000 will be given to foreign citizens with advanced degrees from American universities, under a special exemption.
“This is the best way to be fair to everybody,” said Chris Rhatigan, a spokeswoman for USCIS, about the random selection process.
The applications not selected will be rejected and returned along with the application fee, she said.
High-tech companies said that the large number of applications proves that the yearly cap is inadequate.
“U.S. employers deserve better than a random lottery to determine if they can hire the highly educated candidates they need,” said Robert Hoffman, co-chair of Compete America, a coalition of high tech companies that includes Oracle, Google, Inc. and Microsoft Corp. “Congress has failed to address the problem as U.S. universities graduate highly educated individuals who leave to work in competitor nations. This madness must end this year.”
Critics, however, say that the H-1B program depresses wages for U.S. workers and is being abused by outsourcing firms.
Ron Hira, a professor of public policy at the Rochester Institute of Technology, said the program lets companies displace American workers and pay below-market wages.
“The run on H-1Bs is caused by a thirst for lower wage workers and the rise of the offshore outsourcing industry,” he said.
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McCain’s opposition to licenses for illegal immigrants could deliver California
Sen. John McCain’s opposition to driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants could help him win California, according to Roger Simon of Politico.
Simon says that giving driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants is unpopular in California.
“Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger successfully exploited opposition to such driver’s licenses in both of his elections, and McCain would have a shot at winning California by exploiting it also,” Simon says.
This would only work however, if Sen. Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee. Obama supports giving driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants. Sen. Hillary Clinton opposes it.
To read more, click here.
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Bill would punish countries who refuse to take back illegal immigrants
GOP Reps. Michael Castle of Delaware and Charles Dent of Pennsylvania said Wednesday they would introduce a bill to punish countries who refuse to take back illegal immigrants.
It would impose sanctions on countries that refuse to take back illegal immigrants who have been convicted of crimes in the United States or have received a final deportation order.
The sanctions include denial of certain foreign aid and a suspension of visas.
The bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to report to Congress every 90 days on the countries that refuse or inhibit repatriation.
The measure is dubbed the “Accountability in Immigrant Repatriation Act of 2008.”
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Absolut apologizes for U.S.-Mexico map
The Absolut vodka company apologized Saturday for an ad campaign depicting the southwestern United States as part of Mexico, the Associated Press reported.
The ad showed the Southern border where it used to be before the Mexican-American war of 1848 and featured the slogan “In an Absolut World.”
According to AP, the ad sparked heated comment on a half-dozen Internet sites and blogs and led to angry calls for a boycott by U.S. consumers.
“In no way was it meant to offend or disparage, nor does it advocate an altering of borders, nor does it lend support to any anti-American sentiment, nor does it reflect immigration issues,” Absolut said in a statement left on its consumer inquiry phone line.
Absolut also said the ad was designed for a Mexican audience and intended to recall “a time which the population of Mexico might feel was more ideal,” the AP said.
In addition, the vodka company said: “As a global company, we recognize that people in different parts of the world may lend different perspectives or interpret our ads in a different way than was intended in that market, and for that we apologize.”
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Absolut vodka redraws the Southern border
L.A. Times blog “La Plaza” reports that an ad campaign in Mexico for Absolut vodka redraws the U.S.-Mexico border.
The campaign features a map where a much larger Mexico includes California and other parts of the American Southwest. A slogan reads: “In an Absolut World.”
The map shows the border where it used to be before the Mexican-American war of 1848.
The advertising agency that created the campaign said it taps into Mexican pride, according to the L.A. Times.
See the ad here.
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Obama airs Spanish-language ad in Philly
Sen. Barack Obama started running a Spanish-language television ad in Philadelphia this week focused on his role as a family man.
It says that Obama will help families get health care and student aid for college. It also says he will support new laws to help people keep their homes.
The title of the ad is “Como Padre” or “Like a Father.”
Watch it here:
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House moves to speed up visas for foreign entertainers
While efforts to increase visas for engineers and farm hands are stalled in Congress, one category of foreign workers got a boost this week — entertainers.
The House voted to fast-track the visa approval process for foreign artists such as actors, rock stars, classical musicians and ballerinas. The issue gained attention earlier this year when troubled singer Amy Winehouse was initially denied a U.S. visa to perform at the Grammys.
To read a New York Times story about the special visas, click here.
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Drew Carey: “We should welcome all peaceful people to our country”
Comedian and game show host Drew Carey says in a quirky video that America should welcome all immigrants to the United States in the same way the country welcomed British soccer star David Beckham.
The video is featured on the website Reason.tv, a libertarian outlet connected to Reason magazine.
Carey also says: “I think we should welcome all peaceful people to our country.”
To see the video, click here.
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Primary voters unaware of candidate’s immigration stance
A poll released this week by the Center for Immigration Studies, a think tank that advocates lower levels of immigration, shows that many primary and caucus voters have little knowledge of the immigration stance of the three leading presidential candidates.
About 34 percent of voters for Sen. John McCain, 42 percent of voters for Sen. Hillary Clinton, and 52 percent of voters for Sen. Barack Obama correctly identified their candidate as favoring eventual citizenship for illegal immigrants who meet certain requirements.
McCain sponsored a bill that would give illegal immigrants a path to citizenship, but now says the bill’s demise made him realize that border security must come first, before any legalization programs.
The poll also showed that 35 percent of McCain voters mistakenly thought he favored enforcement that would cause illegal immigrants to return home and another 10 percent thought he wanted mass deportations.
To read more, click here.
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Jailed border agents do not make presidential pardon list
The White House recently released a list of presidential pardons and once again, former Border Patrol agents Jose Alonso Compean and Ignacio Ramos didn’t make the cut.
Supporters of the agents are crying foul.
“Mr. Bush commuted the sentence of yet another drug dealer, but not the agents who were on our front lines of defense against terrorists and coyotes,” said Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo.
Many conservative lawmakers have taken up the cause of Compean and Ramos — who are serving 12 and 11 years in prison, respectively, for shooting and wounding a Mexican drug dealer and trying to cover it up. Supporters say that the agents were wrongly convicted for protecting the United States against a criminal intruder.
Their case has become a cause celebre on talk radio shows and among groups that advocate tougher border controls.
Tancredo also said: “It is downright shameful that Mr. Bush is allowing two border patrol heroes, who have kept millions of dollars worth of drugs off the street, to rot in prison with the dealers and smugglers they have spent their careers fighting.”
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American Legion honors Lou Dobbs with award
The nation’s largest veterans organization honored CNN anchor Lou Dobbs Wednesday for “his coverage of illegal immigration and his support for the U.S. military.”
“Lou Dobbs is a true American patriot,” said Marty Conatser who heads the American Legion. “His compassion for America’s veterans and support for the U.S. military is clear to the viewers of Lou Dobbs Tonight. Lou has been a tireless and true leader in the fight against illegal immigration. America would be better off if lawmakers would heed his common sense solutions to serious problems that this nation faces.”
Dobbs has upset Latino groups with his coverage of illegal immigration which some have labeled “hate speech.”
Last month, Fox News host Geraldo Rivera said “Lou Dobbs of CNN has been shameful in his hate-mongering.”
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Kennedy, other Democrats blast Chertoff
Democratic senators blasted the nation’s top homeland security official Wednesday for a backlog in citizenship applications that could keep hundreds of thousands from voting in the 2008 election.
“What can you tell individuals who play by the rules, when you have an enormous amount of individuals who want to be part of the American dream, but who are going to be left outside of the system,” he said, at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.
Kennedy said that 580,000 immigrants who applied for citizenship in time to vote will be denied that chance because of the delays.
Chertoff staunchly defended his agency.
He said the backlog was caused by an unprecedented 100 percent increase in applications last year and that he wants to process as many as possible.
In addition he said that that USCIS will process more than 1 million naturalization applications by the end of the current fiscal year, 30 percent more than in 2007.
“We are going to be able to naturalize in record numbers, which I think is a powerful demonstration of good faith,” he said.
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Lawmakers push for more seasonal “H-2B” immigrant visas
GOP lawmakers said Tuesday they would try to force a bill to the House floor to increase seasonal visas for foreign workers.
An array of businesses — including crab farmers, beach resorts, and construction firms — could suffer greatly if Congress fails to increase the temporary visas for low-skilled employees known as H-2B’s, the lawmakers said.
Rep. Adam Putnam, R-Fla., said that the hospitality and tourism business as well as the seafood industry could be hurt badly in his state, especially over the busy summer season.
Some businesses in a number of states could be forced to lay off permanent U.S. workers or even close down, lawmakers said.
“They all depend on this labor force to meet peak demand,” said Rep. Charles Boustany, R-La., at a Capitol Hill press conference.
Boustany said that the Congressional Hispanic Caucus is pressuring Democratic leaders to stall the legislation because it is seeking a broader immigration reform.
The caucus supports an increase in H-2B visas as part of a larger package that would include a path to citizenship for current illegal immigrants and create a large temporary worker program for foreigners.
To read more, click here.