Wednesday, December 18, 2024

After Giffords Shooting, Intern Springs to Action

As U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, (D-AZ) fought to recover from a bullet wound to the head Sunday, federal officials in Arizona charged 22-year old Jared Lee Loughner with five counts related to Saturday’s tragic shooting outside a Tucson supermarket. In total, 19 people were shot in the shooting rampage, leaving 6 dead.  Among the six […]

South Carolina Law Enforcement Officials Not Sold on Anti-immigrant Legislation

A Senate judiciary subcommittee in the South Carolina state legislature voted 3-1 on Thursday to advance an Arizona-style bill one step closer to becoming law, but law enforcement officials say the bill raises many concerns and leaves numerous questions unanswered. The full judiciary committee is expected to take action on the bill, which has been […]

Law Banning Ethnic-Studies in Arizona Goes into Effect

New Year’s Day marked the beginning of yet another battle that puts the state of Arizona at the center of controversy against the Latino community. January 1 is the date that House Bill 2281 went into effect making ethnic studies illegal in the state.  According to the new law, classes in kindergarten through 12th grade […]

Census Data Reveals Southwestern States with Large Hispanic Populations Saw the Most Growth

The first set of data from the 2010 Census released yesterday showed that states in the Southwest, home to the majority of Hispanics in the country, experienced some of the highest population growth and gained congressional seats. The total population in the US as of April 1, 2010, is 308,745,538.  The rate of growth in […]

Large Disparities in Noncriminal Deportations under US Program to Deport Criminal Undocumented Immigrants in Some Parts of Country

Up to a quarter of undocumented immigrants deported under Secure Communities, a federal program that is meant to identify criminals who are in the country illegally, had a clean criminal record and in some areas more than half of deportees had never been convicted of a crime, according to government statistics. In Maryland’s Prince George’s […]

Arizona Leaders Join Bloomberg’s Immigration Reform Partnership

Yesterday, the Partnership for a New American Economy, a bipartisan group supporting immigration reform founded by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, announced high-profile business leaders from Arizona as the newest members of the group, including the heads of US Airways and PetSmart.  Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon is also a co-chairman of the group. “The […]

Federal Judge Rejects Challenge to SB 1070

On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton dismissed a lawsuit filed against Arizona’s anti-immigrant law by the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). The basis of LULAC’s lawsuit filed in July rested on training materials given to law enforcement officers throughout Arizona.  The civil rights group claimed the materials promoted racial profiling. Bolton also […]

Jeb Bush Disagrees with Arizona Immigration Law

The former Republican governor of Florida, Jeb Bush, has come out against Arizona’s anti-immigrant law saying his own children might look suspicious to police. Bush expressed his opposition in a Denver Post report last weekend. “It’s the wrong approach,” he said. “The net result is not much has been done.” The former Florida governor’s wife, […]

Supreme Court to Hear Case over Immigration Law in Arizona

A challenge to a punitive law in Arizona against employers that knowingly hire undocumented workers will be heard today by the U.S. Supreme Court. The law, called the Legal Arizona Worker’s Act, is being challenged by an array of business and advocacy groups including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Immigration Law Center and […]

Prisons in Tennessee Could Benefit from GOP’s Proposal for Arizona-style Immigration Law

Republicans in Tennessee want to copy Arizona’s controversial anti-immigrant law next year, which critics say would benefit one private prison company that has made significant contributions to conservative lawmakers backing the law. The tough immigration law will be a top item on the new Republican-dominated legislature’s agenda.  State Sen. Bill Ketron (R) says he will […]