El Semanario - Periodico para Hispanos en Denver y Colorado - Bilingual Latino newspaper:Immigration

Aspiring immigrant students share their stories

As the Senate debates bipartisan immigration reform legislation, the President and the Vice President hosted a meeting this week in the Oval Office with young immigrants, also known as DREAMers, as well as with the siblings and spouses of undocumented immigrants. The meeting was an important

A Godsend to reproductive health clinics

Two posters hang on my office wall. One says, �Jesus never shamed women.� The other says, �Pray to end sidewalk bullying.� I got the posters from Faith Aloud, (FaithAloud.org or 1-888-717-5010) a counseling and advocacy group that connects faith with reproductive justice. It�s an important

The path to citizenship remains intact

Having worked through a majority of its amendments, the Senate Judiciary Committee is in the final stages of marking up the bipartisan immigration reform bill. According to Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT), who led the process thoughtfully and fairly, the markup is likely to finish

Attacking all who support immigration reform

Mark Krikorian, Executive Director of the anti-immigrant Center for Immigration Studies and the intellectual author of the GOP�s �self-deportation� policy, again made it clear last week that he�s out to kill immigration reform�and he�s attacking everyone who supports it. Krikorian recently made

Democracy at stake: When facts no longer matter

In what might be called something of a policy-political family squabble, the Heritage Foundation crossed signals with fellow conservatives by releasing a controversial, cost-benefit study this week related to comprehensive immigration reform. I wish this was a joking matter, but it�s a gravely

11 million reasons to reform our broken

During an interview with a Florida radio station about the dangerous working conditions for undocumented Latino workers, the story of one of the listeners who called in got us all on the edge of our seats. He told us his job consisted of being lowered into a huge hospital waste collector to unclog

Immigration reform: Who's in and who's out

In December of 2001, an unknown law professor named Barack Obama lectured on the Civil War Amendments (the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments) to his law school students at the University of Chicago. As he explained how the Civil War Amendments redefined the social contract by

10 Ways immigration reform will fix broken system

For the past several months, four Senate Democrats�Chuck Schumer (NY), Dick Durbin (IL), Bob Menéndez (NJ), and Michael Bennet (CO)�have worked with four Senate Republicans�John McCain (AZ), Lindsay Graham (SC), Marco Rubio (FL), and Jeff Flake (AZ)�to develop a proposal to repair our nation�s

Economic effects of granting citizenship

The movement toward comprehensive immigration reform has accelerated significantly in recent months. A bipartisan �Gang of 8� in the Senate�a group of four Democratic senators and four Republican senators�released a framework for immigration reform on January 28, and the next day President Barack

Embracing difference: Future of DREAM movement

Editor�s Note: With the U.S. Supreme Court locked in arguments this week over the constitutionality of Proposition 8, California�s ban on gay marriage, young activists at the forefront of the DREAMer movement reflect on the historic intersection of the gay and immigrant rights movements, an alliance

Jeb Bush's NO to citizenship: What happened?

In an interview on NBC�s Today Show on March 5th, former Florida governor Jeb Bush said it�s premature to declare whether he�ll aspire to the Republican presidential nomination in 2016 or not. But it seems it isn't premature for Bush to begin making mistakes in his handling of immigration -- a

Black immigration views too often ignore fact, history

Whenever the subject of reforming the nation�s broken immigration system comes up in casual talks among my friends, all too often the conversation veers off track and heads into the trite and ugly direction of �us-versus-them.� No doubt you, too, have been captured in a dialogue about immigration

Reflections on President Obama�s immigration plan

In a packed high school gym in Las Vegas, Nevada, President Barack Obama calmly spoke on the real possibility of comprehensive immigration reform. As I sat in my chair just 15 feet away from the president, I was trying to understand what was going on in front of me. As an individual that was

Advocates condemn new attack on birthright citizenship

The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health (NLIRH) condemns new federal legislation introduced by Representative Steve King (R-IA) that seeks to deny 14th amendment rights to citizenship and targets immigrant families. The bill (HR-140) would deny birthright citizenship to children of

Unity: The solution we are searching for

�Our journey is not complete until we find a better way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as a land of opportunity; until bright young students and engineers are enlisted in our workforce rather than expelled from our country,� said President Obama. Standing in front

Collective message to White House: Do it now

The White House and Congress must move quickly to enact just and humane comprehensive immigration reform. In the wake of the 2012 elections, both Democratic and Republican lawmakers have expressed the need to act on the issue. The window for bipartisan legislation is now open. Ethnic media have a

Faith in Values: The President and the poet

At Monday�s Inauguration ceremony a poet echoed a president, transforming themes of connection and equality into vivid images of color, texture, and sound. Richard Blanco was the perfect choice for inaugural poet, embodying the rich kaleidoscope of our nation�s people. Blanco was conceived in Cuba,

Setting record straight on border enforcement

One of the most common refrains voiced by opponents of immigration reform is that it must wait until the federal government has secured our border with México and enforced the nation�s current immigration laws. Ten years ago those claims carried some force. At the time, there had been large-scale

Record breaking deportations in 2012

The Department of Homeland Security has deported more than 400,000 undocumented immigrants in the 2012 fiscal year, the most in the nation�s history, according to new data published by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The report, published on December 21st, indicated that a record

Private prison companies profits in the billions

How a nation uses its power to deny a person�s freedom has always been a critical measure of authoritarian rule. Massive incarceration based on race, ethnic origin or nationality, political beliefs, class, sexual orientation, age or other inherent characteristics is a form of tyranny. Yet few

ICE settles case on controversial home raids

This week, attorneys announced the settlement of a home raids case against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Seven men and women and one child brought the case in 2008 against more than thirty individual ICE officers for a series of predawn raids of their homes undertaken without consent

Organizations launch �Keeping Families Together�

Nearly 100 families joined leaders of the largest grassroots immigrant rights organizations in launching the �Keeping Families Together� campaign recently to call for comprehensive immigration reform. The campaign was kicked off by the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM), a coalition of the

Immigrant emancipation: The time is now

The bi-national dialogue between Mexico�s Vicente Fox and U.S. President George Bush immediately halted following 9-11. It has me wondering that if this catastrophic event had not occurred if America�s immigration policy would be different. America has reached a tipping point regarding immigration.

Why real immigration reform means citizenship

The ramp-up to the upcoming immigration reform legislative battle has started and will continue to play out in public over the coming months. As America�s Voice Education Fund�s Executive Director Frank Sharry said the legislative �measures that pass are those are litigated in public, in a loud

Facts are in: SB90 affects economy, civil rights

SB 90, Colorado�s anti-immigrant �show me your papers� law has drained local budgets and strained relations between immigrant communities and local law enforcement, according to reports from fiscal analysts and advocates released on December 5th. The advocates, who are members of the Campaign to

Economic impact of immigration platforms

At their respective nominating conventions this summer, the Republican and Democratic parties could not have adopted more different platforms on the question of how to deal with the 11.5 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States. The platform adopted by Republicans doubles down on

Unite Colorado promotes documentation hotline

Leaders from communities across Denver converged on Denver Civic Center Park on September 16th to continue the launch of the statewide 1-855-UNITE-4-1 immigration enforcement abuse documentation hotline. The hotline is part of the new Campaign to Unite Colorado. The campaign�s goal is to ensure that

Migrant Child

Aquí estoy, here I am. I am the shadow of your conscience, the migrant child. I am present, but never seen. I am seen, but never present. Here I am. In narrow hallways of rejection, seeking some design for existence. I observe in silence and try to define my being then I awake,

Beneath the Same Sky: �Reality has little to do with policy.�

We read plenty about the US-México border. We read plenty about immigration, national security and the �war on drugs�. But it rarely comes from someone who spent three decades working the borderland beat; a region where, according to author and former US border agent David Ramírez, �the reality has

Deferred Action: Scammers promising quick processing

Some immigrants who were brought to the country as children can now apply for deferred action, a program that allows you to remain in the country and apply for work permits. The program has strict requirements and includes filing several forms, as well as a background check and evidence of

Deferred Action: Who can be considered?

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is accepting requests for consideration of deferred action for childhood arrivals. Deferred action is a discretionary determination to defer removal action of an individual as an act of prosecutorial discretion. If you meet the guidelines, and want to

Frequently asked questions about Deferred Action

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released important details about the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) process, which will temporarily allow some eligible youth to go to school and work without fear of deportation. Does this process apply to me if I am currently in

Americans should be concerned about this law

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer called a news conference in Phoenix after the Supreme Court released its ruling on her state's "papers, please" immigration law. She announced that the key components of her law "unanimously have been vindicated by the highest court in the land." She beamed as she called

Bittersweet relief for DREAMer

I can still remember vividly the morning of June 15th, when I was awakened by a text that I never thought I would receive. It was approximately 7:25am on that Friday when I read a text that said, �BREAKING: White House grants relief from deportation to DREAMers...� I read it quickly and put my phone

It�s more complicated than �legal vs. illegal�

Editor's Note: Is the term "illegal immigrant" a slur? Last year New America Media asked the media serving U.S. immigrant communities what term they use to describe undocumented immigrants: How Do Ethnic Media Say 'Illegal Immigrant'? Now the question is sparking a debate in mainstream media. Last

American Immigration Council Challenges BIA Decision Denying Miranda-like Warnings to Immigrants

Washington, D.C.�On Friday, the American Immigration Council challenged a decision by the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) ruling that immigrants who are arrested without a warrant do not need to receive certain Miranda-like warnings before being interrogated. Under federal regulations,

Is Mississippi About to Make a Costly Mistake on Immigration?

Either Mississippi lawmakers aren�t aware of the hefty fiscal and legal burdens of extreme immigration legislation on other states, or they just don�t care. This week, the Mississippi House passed HB 488, an immigration enforcement bill that allows local law enforcement to determine the immigration

REID MEETS WITH CARDINAL ROGER MAHONY ABOUT IMMIGRATION REFORM

Nevada Senator Harry Reid met Thursday with Cardinal Roger Mahony, the retired Archbishop of Los Angeles. Cardinal Mahony is a strong supporter of comprehensive immigration reform and the DREAM Act. Cardinal Mahony has publicly criticized the Arizona and Alabama laws as �mean-spirited� and

Being Anti-Immigrant Doesn�t Work in Politics, Even in the South

While anti-immigrant sentiment may win candidates a few headlines, it certainly doesn�t resonate with every day voters. Following Alabama�s GOP primary this week, a CNN exit poll found that �illegal immigration� was not a top-of-mind issue for many Alabamians. According to the survey, only 3% of the

Silicon Valley Leaders Fund Effort to Help DREAM Students

Although the DREAM Act remains stalled in Congress, students and youth activists across the U.S. continue to mobilize, march and fight for legislation that would provide a pathway to legal status for thousands of deserving undocumented students. But they aren�t the only ones fighting for a fair way

Civil Rights Leaders Speak Out Against Alabama�s �Vile� Immigration Law

Late last week, thousands gathered on the steps of Alabama�s capitol building to hear civil rights leaders�Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rev. Al Sharpton, Martin Luther King III and Wade Henderson of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, among others�speak out against the state�s extreme

Immigrant Entrepreneurs: Creating Jobs and Strengthening the U.S. Economy

WASHINGTON, D.C� Immigrant entrepreneurs create jobs and strengthen the economy, and the U.S. should tailor immigration laws and policies to encourage the best and the brightest to create businesses on U.S. soil, according to a new joint report issued today by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the

Federal Verification System Won�t Help Alabama Determine Legal Status Under New Law

While the devastating impacts of Alabama�s over-the-top immigration law, HB 56, continues to be felt by Alabamans, there have been a recent string of victories. In addition to a federal judge�s ruling this week temporarily blocking state agencies from denying mobile home registrations to immigrants

Immigration: Thousands of families shattered

A new report from the Applied Research Center (ARC) conservatively estimates that there are more than 5,000 children currently living in foster care whose parents have been either detained or deported. To date, there has been no national data available on the numbers of children impacted by the

Arizona Recall

Mesa voters got their say in a historical election that resulted in the recall of Republican Senator Russell Pearce, also known as the architect of SB 1070. Pearce conceded defeat in a brief press conference in the City of Mesa surrounded by politicians, friends and controversial Maricopa County

Arizona Recall

HB 56: Indignation

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama � We�ve been reporting on the unwelcome national and global attention Alabama is receiving for its immigration law, HB 56. Now it�s time to get indignant about the maltreatment Alabama�s immigrant community is suffering under the law, and the insensitivity they�re being shown by

Bridging the Ethnic Generation Gap: Why an Aging Population Will Depend on a New Generation of

There is a generation gap in the United States and it is not only a difference in age. It is a difference in color as well. The predominantly white Baby Boomers are just this year beginning to reach retirement age. As they leave the labor force and the tax base over the next two decades, a new

ACLU Files Lawsuit Charging Alabama�s Racial Profiling Law is Unconstitutional

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and a coalition of civil rights groups filed a class action lawsuit on July 8th charging that Alabama�s anti-immigration law is unconstitutional and endangers public safety, invites racial profiling and interferes with federal law. The lawsuit charges that

Senate Democrats offer practical reforms

Senate Democrats, led by Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), on June 22nd reaffirmed their commitment to a common sense, comprehensive solution to illegal immigration by introducing the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2011. The legislation, introduced by Senator Menendez along with fellow

Ugly politics behind Alabama's anti-immigrant law

Despite soaring deficits, cuts in social services, worker layoffs and tornado-devastated communities, Alabama's first Republican-controlled government in 136 years has turned its focus on undocumented immigrants, raising questions about policymakers' priorities. Governor Robert Bentley recently

The Great Immigration Stalemate

Five years ago, hundreds of thousands and perhaps millions of people marched in big cities and small towns across the U.S. demanding justice for the nation�s estimated 12 million undocumented residents. Hitting a high point with work stoppages on May Day 2006, the pro-immigrant protest was the

Arpaio Launches �Air Posse� to Hunt Immigrants at Border

Arizona might be giving the anti-immigrant attacks a rest in its legislature, but out on the streets not much has changed. On Tuesday Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio announced the launch of �Operation Desert Sky,� an airborne version of his controversial crime sweeps. This time he wants to send

Yet Another State Leaves Immigration Enforcement Bill on Cutting Room Floor By Seth Hoy

The legislative graveyard got a little bit bigger this week as lawmakers in Mississippi pronounced a series of restrictive immigration measures dead. More than 30 immigration-related bills�including an Arizona-style enforcement bill�failed to meet a legislative deadline due to disagreements over the

Undercover Informants

It is the winning formula of many of Hollywoods motion pictures, the undercover agent, who risks it all to bring criminals to justice. These protagonists operate in secrecy, associating with dangerous elements in an effort to dismantle major criminal networks. Informantes (Informants), an

Tijuana is no Juarez, residents insist

Toiling with a pile of wood planks in his garage turned woodshop, 46-year-old Roberto Carrillo exclaims without hesitation: "Tijuana is not Ciudad Juarez. We dont have the level of violence that you read every day in the papers happens there, or many other states of the country, yet for the foreign

Actions of the sheriffs office are unprecedented

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit recently against the Maricopa County Sheriffs Office (MCSO), Maricopa County, and Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio for refusing full cooperation with the departments investigation of alleged national origin discrimination in violation of Title VI of the Civil

Cities can opt out of Secure Communities

When San Francisco Sheriff Mike Hennessy wanted to opt out of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)�s Secure Communities program earlier this year, he was told he didn�t really have that option. �I wrote to the state attorney general, I wrote to ICE officials, and I was told there was

Mirth and No Matter: Arizona Governor Jan Brewer Showcases Empty Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric in

In a memorable performance this week, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer refused to defend previously made anti-immigrant statements regarding undocumented immigrants and beheadings during a gubernatorial debate with Attorney General and Democratic candidate, Terry Goddard. While Governor Brewer�s opening

Pundits should listen to voters on immigration

News coverage of the recent ruling on the Arizona anti-immigrant law is re-igniting the debate over comprehensive immigration reform and the need for a federal solution. But as Washington pundits analyze the political implications of the judge�s decision, they are turning to outdated thinking

Birthright citizenship a new low for GOP

The latest flap over �birthright citizenship� has exposed a new low for Republican politicians hell-bent on politicizing the immigration debate and obstructing action on comprehensive immigration reform. Apparently, GOP politicians would rather change the Constitution than just do their job and fix

UFW joins LA union leaders traveling to Arizona

UFW joins LA union leaders traveled to Arizona to keep up the pressure against the SB 1070 anti-immigrant law. On July 28, a federal judge blocked major portions of the law, which went into effect on July 29. Leaving all identification documents �papers� behind, members of the United Farm Workers

Behind Mexico�s July 4th Election Crisis

While the United States prepares its annual July 4 celebration, Mexico will hold its own date with history on the same day. In a dozen states, voters will go to the polls to elect local and state officials. Coming one year after mid-term Congressional elections that delivered a stinging defeat

Clueless in Arizona

As news reports indicate the Obama Administration plans to mount a legal challenge to Arizona�s anti-immigrant law, recent comments by the bill�s signer, Gov. Jan Brewer (R-AZ), underscore the need for the federal government to intervene in just such a manner. Repeating comments she made earlier

IWJ condemns targeting of immigrant workers in BP disaster

Interfaith Worker Justice, the nation’s largest religious advocacy network for the rights of low-wage workers, expressed utter incomprehension over the checkpoints and harassment to which workers cleaning up BP’s Gulf Coast oil disaster are being subjected. “As we scramble to contain the

Another week, another death

First there was Anastasio, now there is Sergio Adrián -- both with the last name Hernández, both Mexican. One was 42 years old, the other barely 15. Both of them died in encounters with U.S. Border Patrol agents. One died in a San Diego hospital, days after he was beaten and Tased at the hands of

ACLU, Civil rights groups file legal challenge

The American Civil Liberties Union and a coalition of civil rights groups filed a class action lawsuit on May 17 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona challenging Arizona's new law requiring police to demand "papers" from people they stop who they suspect are not authorized to be in

Arizona is Not the First State to Take Immigration Matters into their Own Hands

Washington D.C. - Arizona's controversial new immigration law (SB 1070) is the latest in a long line of efforts to regulate immigration at the state level. Yet while the Grand Canyon State's foray into immigration law is one of the most extreme and punitive, other states have also attempted to

Arizona law spurs conservatives to push for immigration reform

Conservative leaders called on Pres. Barack Obama to make the first move on immigration reform and for Republicans to reclaim the issue from the fringe.

“The only way we can make this happen is with presidential leadership, and President Obama has failed to act,” said Alfonso Aguilar, former

Immigration reform could mean national ID card for all workers

A national identification card of any sort has long been thought politically unfeasible in Washington, D.C.

But the idea is again receiving attention as part of an immigration reform plan gaining ground on Capitol Hill.

In 1981, a Reagan-era Cabinet meeting famously took up the idea of a

Immigration Reaches the Boiling Point, How will Washington Respond?

Washington D.C. - As the constitutional and civil rights consequences of Arizona's punitive new immigration law become ever more apparent, proponents and opponents of the law seem to share only one area of agreement: America's immigration laws are broken and must be repaired. The proposed solutions

Repairing Immigration

Yesterday’s release of the framework for an immigration bill—Real Enforcement and Practical Answers for Immigration Reform (REPAIR) has been praised as a positive step forward in the immigration debate by the President and dismissed as a cynical play for votes by Senators Graham and Kyl. They

Arizona’s Punishing New Immigration Law Doesn’t Fight Crime

Supporters of Arizona’s harsh new immigration law claim that it is, among other things, a potent tool in the crime-fighting arsenal. For instance, the bill’s author, Republican State Senator Russell Pearce of Mesa, confidently predicts that the law—which requires police to investigate the

Thousands of SEIU members will rally in cities across the country May 1 to call for Comprehensive

Washington, DC – On Saturday, May 1, thousands of SEIU members will join faith, business and civil rights leaders across the country to rally against Arizona’s draconian anti-immigrant law and call for comprehensive reform. The message they will deliver is simple: our system is broken; the need

New Arizona Enforcement Law Sparks Calls for Economic Boycott

Arizona’s new controversial enforcement law, signed into law last week by Gov. Jan Brewer, has the potential to shake down more than just undocumented immigrants and suntanned citizens. Arizona’s businesses and tourism industry are also likely to take a hit as more and more people call for an

Human rights should drive immigration reform

Reforming our obsolete immigration system is a human rights issue that can no longer wait. Our nation needs a clear and workable path toward legal residency for the millions of undocumented workers and families living in this country.

Some proposals, such as the immigration-reform blueprint

NEXT UP: IMMIGRATION REFORM

Washington, DC—Yesterday, Senators Charles Schumer (D–NY) and Lindsey Graham (R–SC) unveiled a bipartisan framework for immigration reform legislation in The Washington Post. It was followed by a statement from the White House with the president’s commitment to “forge a bipartisan

Senators issue promising, but vague immigration reform plans

Washington D.C. - Today, in the Washington Post, Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Lindsay Graham (R-SC) laid out their blueprint for immigration reform legislation, noting that the American people want Congress to reform the badly broken immigration system. Their framework, welcomed by the

Immigrant Students Call Georgia Sheriff’s Bluff

On March 3rd, four immigrant students who are walking 1,500 miles from Miami, FL to Washington, D.C. heroically faced Gwinnett County Sheriff R.L. “Butch” Conway, a vocal proponent of “287(G)” and other enforcement policies that have resulted in the deportation of hundreds of immigrants, to

Statement by the President on Today’s Meetings on Immigration Reform

Today I met with Senators Schumer and Graham and was pleased to learn of their progress in forging a proposal to fix our broken immigration system. I look forward to reviewing their promising framework, and every American should applaud their efforts to reach across party lines and find commonsense