U.S. Agrees to New Rules for Immigration Raids
By KIRK SEMPLE Published: April 4, 2013 New York Times
Federal authorities have agreed to establish new policies governing the conduct of immigration officers during raids, including restrictions on how and when agents can enter private homes, the source of widespread ire and anxiety among immigrants.
The rules are included in a settlement that was approved by a Federal District Court judge on Thursday, concluding a six-year-old class-action lawsuit. The suit contended that in eight raids in 2006 and 2007,Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, without court warrants or other legal justification, forced their way into the homes of Latino families on Long Island and in Westchester County.
“No longer will ICE agents have free rein to invade the homes of immigrants, especially Latino immigrants, and be as abusive as they want Read more
3 Shocking Examples of Guest-Worker Abuses
By TED HESSON (@tedhesson) Univision March 20, 2013
Republicans and business interests want to make sure that any immigration reform bill includes a way for lesser-skilled workers to enter the country legally.
Crafting such a system, however, is tricky. Guest-worker programs have a history of labor abuses, and any new program will need to offer guarantees to combat those worries among organized labor and Democratic lawmakers.
So far, business and labor interests, represented by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the AFL-CIO, have come to a basic agreement on a new visa for lesser-skilled workers. Both sides have stressed that the proposed visa wouldn’t amount to another guest-worker program, since it would offer an eventual route to permanent legal status.
To see why guest worker programs have a bad reputation among labor groups, here are three examples of standout abuses:
1. The Bracero Program Read more
Immigration detainees released in budget crunch
By E. J. TAMARA | Associated Press – Feb. 25, 2013
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Associated Press has learned that federal immigration authorities have released a number of detainees around the country to save money.
Gillian Christensen, spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Washington D.C., said Monday that field offices have been directed to review their numbers of detained immigrants to ensure the jail populations stay within budgeted resources.
Christensen says an unspecified number of immigrants have been released and placed on more cost effective forms of supervision.
She says she did not have further details about those forms of supervision or how many people have been released.
Christensen says the agency will continue to pursue the cases in court and deport people when necessary.
Immigration activists say the agency most likely released detainees in California, Texas, Florida, and New Jersey.
