"Democrats push immigration bill" by Donna Cassata | Associated Press March 27, 2014
WASHINGTON — House Democrats deployed a little-used legislative move Wednesday to force a vote on a comprehensive immigration bill, an effort doomed to fail but designed to increase the election-year pressure on Republicans to act.
‘‘It is time for us to have a vote,’’ said Representative Xavier Becerra, Democrat of California, who joined with dozens of Democrats, advocates, and actress America Ferrera to mark 273 days since the Senate passed a bipartisan bill. They insisted that House Republican leaders act.
Proponents said they had the necessary votes in the House for a bill that would provide a path to citizenship for the estimated 11 million immigrants living in the country illegally and tighten border security.
‘‘We’re tired of the House of Representatives leaders and their refusal to act,’’ Ferrera said.
Democrats introduced a discharge petition that requires the signature of 218 for legislative action, an effort that stands little chance of success as Republicans, even those supportive of immigration legislation, are unwilling to defy their leadership.
After months of conciliatory talk, President Obama issued a statement praising the Democratic effort and chastising the Republicans.
‘‘Immigration reform is the right thing to do for our economy, our security and our future,’’ Obama said. ‘‘A vast majority of the American people agree.
--more--"
They are being paid taxpayer-funded salaries for political shenanigans and $hit fooleys?
"115 people found in Houston house" | Associated Press March 21, 2014
HOUSTON — US immigration authorities were interviewing more than 100 people Thursday who were presumed to be in the country illegally after they were discovered crammed into a small house in south Houston.
Five men also were in custody, two of whom were arrested after driving from the home on Wednesday. Authorities suspect it was a so-called stash house, a place where smugglers bring the people they’ve brought into the United States illegally and keep them until they or their family members pay a ransom.
Police who found handguns and documents in the car suggesting illegal activity then went inside and found the people captive. Three other men were apprehended trying to flee after police arrived.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agent Brian Moskowitz told a congressional hearing in Houston on Thursday the five were held on charges that included hostage taking, weapons violations, and conspiracy to harbor illegal immigrants.
‘‘It’s going to take some time,’’ agency spokesman Greg Palmore said. ‘‘We’re not [so] far along that we’re going to release names at this point. We’re still interviewing individuals and we’ll follow the information where it goes.
Men in underwear and without shoes, more than a dozen women and two children were found inside the filthy single-story house about 12 miles south of downtown Houston. They are primarily from El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico, Palmore said.
Houston police, responding to a tip, went to the house during a search for a 24-year-old woman and her two children.
Officers found 115 people jammed inside. Among them were the missing woman and her two children.
--more--"
I can't even go out of state:
"State prodded on ID security" by Kimberly Railey | Globe Correspondent February 07, 2014
WASHINGTON — For now, Massachusetts faces no punishment from the federal government for issuing driver’s licenses to its residents without verifying their citizenship. That is about to change.
Starting in April, Massachusetts residents will be prevented from using their licenses to gain access to some federal buildings — unless, of course, state officials give in and quickly adopt the Homeland Security “Real ID” verification program.
If not, residents will be later barred from sensitive locations such as nuclear power plants without showing additional documentation such as a US passport. That will even be the case for visitors seeking a tour of the White House.
Then, as soon as 2016, the punishment will get more serious: Massachusetts residents will be prevented from boarding commercial aircraft if they do not provide another identity document to security screeners.
It is all part of an effort by the Department of Homeland Security to prod Massachusetts and 11 other states to follow the requirements of the 2005 law that stiffened requirements on driver’s licenses. Under the law, states must require proof that driver’s license applicants are US citizens or, if they are foreign, that they are legally in the United States. The goal is to prevent terrorists with illegal immigration status from boarding airliners.
Officials in Massachusetts, Maine, and other states have resisted the rules. They call them expensive to adopt, burdensome, and an encroachment of state’s rights.
That's odd coming from a good, liberal state.
Privacy hawks also argue that increased collection of data could be a ripe target for hackers.
Good point.
As a result of the controversy, Homeland Security has delayed enforcement four times.
“States issue driver’s licenses, not the federal government,” Matthew Dunlap, Maine’s secretary of state, said in an interview. “They really can’t make us do it. That’s why it’s been such a disaster implementing it.”
Officials from Governor Deval Patrick’s administration did not respond to repeated requests for comment, and the Registry of Motor Vehicles declined an interview. Registrar Celia J. Blue said in a statement the Registry is reviewing the issue but did not commit to following the federal law.
“We are working with [the Department of Homeland Security] to address their outstanding concerns and we appreciate the guidance and various best practices they have shared with us from other states,” Blue said.
In March 2013, state Senators Bruce E. Tarr, Robert Hedlund, Michael Knapik, and Richard Ross – all Republicans – wrote a letter to Patrick urging Massachusetts to comply with the law. Tarr said he has not yet received an “effective response” from the administration.
“I do think what will happen is that Massachusetts driver’s licenses won’t have the same stature and validity across this country as they do now,” said Tarr, the state Senate minority leader.
Homeland Security said in December, when it unveiled its latest efforts to enforce compliance, that the rules for verifying citizenship and immigration status are “measured, fair and, responsible.” They will apply to places where identification is now required to enter, for the most part, but not to such places as the Smithsonian Institution’s museums on the National Mall.
Homeland Security “will continue to support states’ efforts to enhance the security in an achievable way that will make all of our communities safer,” spokeswoman Marsha Catron said in a statement.
In states following Real ID requirements, driver’s licenses feature a star.
Congress passed Real ID after the 9/11 Commission’s final report advised states to bolster their driver’s license security as a way to stop terrorism. In the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, four of the 19 hijackers used state-issued licenses to board the airplanes.
All this fuss-a-muss over that colossal lie.
When Real ID passed, Congress set a 2008 deadline for states to comply. The repeated delays have led some critics to wonder whether the Obama administration is serious this time.
“Honestly it feels very status quo,” said Chris Calabrese, legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union. Homeland Security “is not going to keep citizens off of airplanes,” he said.
I'm not planning on going on one because it could just disappear.
The issue highlights how a patchwork of security measures remains in place across all states, despite the efforts by Congress to tighten up procedures. After Real ID became law, several states passed laws limiting or barring its implementation, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. But two of them – Georgia and Utah – now follow Real ID, and seven are receiving extensions to meet the law.
Meanwhile, some states, including Vermont and Delaware, are — on their own — surpassing the baseline standards the Real ID law sets by using third parties and facial recognition software to verify applicants’ identities.
States one-upping the feds in tyne tyranny department. Great.
“For those states lagging behind, they create a very real vulnerability from a national security standpoint,” said Andrew Meehan, policy director of Coalition for a Secure Driver’s License, an advocacy group that supports Real ID.
But a key criticism of the legislation is that states are not receiving enough money to reform their licensing procedures.
Well, they never do.
In 2008, Homeland Security projected that the costs for states to implement Real ID would not exceed $3.9 billion. So far, states have received $263 million in grants to help them comply.
“If we had to manually verify with issuing jurisdictions every birth certificate for every citizen of Washington, you can imagine that would be a lot of work and resources,” said Brad Benfield, spokesman for the Washington State Department of Licensing, a state that is not meeting the Real ID requirements.
At the same time as the Real ID controversy is brewing, the Massachusetts Legislature is considering a bill that would allow foreign-born residents living in the country illegally to obtain Massachusetts driver’s licenses. In 2010, Patrick signaled his support for giving licenses to undocumented immigrants.
I'm not for that, either.
Related:
Driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants backed
Licenses for illegal immigrants would make all drivers safer
9/11 taught you nothing, or you know it was a false flag?
In states with Real ID, the required verification creates complications for undocumented workers, whose work authorization and green-card status can vary significantly, said Eva A. Millona, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, the largest immigrant advocacy group in New England.
If they are undocumented how can they have authorization and a card?
And why do I have to present ID damn near everywhere? I'm a citizen.
Millona said that immigrant advocacy efforts have helped thwart the law in Massachusetts but that Real ID’s cost is ultimately the driving factor.
Isn't that criminal?
“It’s poorly designed and inappropriately implemented,” she said.
In Vermont, where Real ID enforcement began Jan. 1, the state is simply issuing separate licenses to immigrants who cannot prove their legal status. Although wait times in some offices are increasing with the closer scrutiny, Michael Smith, director of operations for the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles, said the launch has been “relatively smooth.”
Because Vermont requires residents to renew their driver’s licenses every four years anyway, the state is telling residents there is no rush to get a new one.
As Homeland Security promotes its new timetable, state officials say the issue remains unresolved.
“I’m not confident this is a drop-dead deadline,” said Maine’s Dunlap. “I can’t help but believe there will be further work on Real ID.”
"Legislative committee backs deportation limit" by Maria Sacchetti | Globe Staff March 20, 2014
Seeking to curb deportations in Massachusetts, a legislative committee on Wednesday approved a bill that would bar state and local law enforcement from holding all but the most serious criminals so that federal immigration agents can take them into custody.
The Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security voted to advance the legislation known as the Trust Act by Wednesday’s legislative deadline, handing a small but important victory to advocates for immigrants. The bill would impose the first restrictions on federal immigration officials since they dramatically expanded the controversial Secure Communities program in Massachusetts two years ago over the objections of Governor Deval Patrick.
Boston was one of the first cities to sign up and extoll it.
Boston was one of the first cities to sign up and extoll it.
“It is truly a great victory,” said the bill’s sponsor, state Senator James Eldridge, Democrat of Acton. “It’s a recognition that if our federal government is not going to take action on immigration reform, then at the state level we need to take action.”
Unless it is in Arizona.
Unless it is in Arizona.
Though still evolving, the bill sets the stage for a new clash over illegal immigration in a state that has remained divided in recent years over hot-button issues such as in-state tuition or driver’s licenses for unauthorized immigrants. (A committee mulling driver’s licenses extended its voting deadline Wednesday to May 15.)
Thus distracting from the issues of war and wealth during the upcoming campaign.
Thus distracting from the issues of war and wealth during the upcoming campaign.
Under federal law, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, can ask state and local police to hold immigrants for an additional 48 hours after they have made bail, or been ordered released, so that deportation officers can pick them up.
The whole $y$tem, as I wrote during the push for the bill last year, is nothing but a money-maker. The immigration-industrial complex. The only "reform" we will get is more work visas for cheap foreign labor to come in.
The whole $y$tem, as I wrote during the push for the bill last year, is nothing but a money-maker. The immigration-industrial complex. The only "reform" we will get is more work visas for cheap foreign labor to come in.
The proposed Trust Act would authorize police to honor the holds only for adult immigrants with criminal convictions who have served at least five years in prison. Others would be released.
The proposed bill follows similar laws passed last year in California and Connecticut under the same name. Advocates say cities such as Newark refuse to hold immigrants at all.
Critics say the legislation violates the spirit of cooperation among law enforcement agencies and could lead to the release of serious criminals who have not served the required five years in prison.
“The only people that this benefits are the criminals who are going to be able to return to the streets,” said Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies for the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington-based organization that favors tougher controls on immigration. “That’s a very high standard for someone to have served five years.”
She said an immigrant released for a lesser offense in Providence went on to rape a woman in 2008. And in Brockton, an Ecuadoran immigrant released after multiple arrests killed a woman and her son in 2011.
Globe won an award for a whole series they did on stuff like that. Surprised they didn't mention it.
Globe won an award for a whole series they did on stuff like that. Surprised they didn't mention it.
But Laura Rotolo, staff counsel with the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, said nothing in the bill prevents ICE agents from picking up immigrants on their own. And now that Secure Communities is activated statewide, she said, federal immigration agents already know where they are.
She also said that no immigrant would be released without first getting permission from a judge or magistrate, who would grant the detainee bail based on their dangerousness and flight risks.
“This is just an extra hold for ICE’s purpose,” she said. “It’s a hold so that ICE can come and get them.”
ICE spokesman Daniel Modricker said the agency does not comment on pending legislation, and the governor’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
The Massachusetts Republican Party also declined to comment, but some members worry that the measure may undermine the Secure Communities program supported by leading GOP contender for governor, Charlie Baker.
Related: Baker Makes Fish(er) Cakes
Related: Baker Makes Fish(er) Cakes
“Charlie supports the Obama administration’s Secure Communities program and believes law enforcement officials should have the tools and information necessary to keep our communities safe,” spokesman Tim Buckley said in an e-mail.
Though immigration holds have existed for years, the issue gathered new urgency in May 2012 when ICE announced it would expand the Secure Communities program from Boston to the rest of the state, dramatically increasing its reach in the Commonwealth.
The computer-based program allows ICE to automatically screen the fingerprints of everyone arrested by state and local police to find immigrants, particularly criminals who have violated civil immigration laws.
Everyone?
Everyone?
Critics say more than half of those deported had never been convicted of a crime, and many were stopped for traffic violations or other minor offenses.
Since the expansion, the ratio has remained steady. As of November, federal records show, 51 percent of the 1,244 people deported from Massachusetts through the program since 2008 have not had a criminal record.
State Senator James Timilty, cochairman of the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, said no one opposed the bill at a public hearing this year. But many families spoke in favor of it, saying police had turned over their loved ones to ICE for deportation for minor violations such as speeding.
Others said the cooperation between police and federal immigration agents made immigrants afraid to call the police.
We are all afraid to call them. Afraid just to see them.
We are all afraid to call them. Afraid just to see them.
“I just thought that was a tragic occurrence in many respects, and maybe a very expensive response to a minor infraction,” Timilty said in a phone interview. “They made some very compelling testimony at the hearing.”
Timilty, a Democrat from Walpole, said the bill passed 8-0; eight additional committee members either abstained or did not vote. The panel has one vacancy.
--more--"
"The changing face of citizenship" by Maria Sacchetti | Globe staff March 25, 2014
On the hard road to US citizenship, black immigrants are increasingly gaining ground in Massachusetts and the United States, expanding the possibilities for political power and changing what it means to be black in America. Though still small, the rising black immigration is rapidly reshaping Massachusetts....
Though becoming a citizen gives them the right to vote, many immigrants said the surge toward citizenship is more personal than political. US citizens can bring relatives to America faster, qualify for more scholarships and financial aid, and are protected from deportation. For many, US citizenship is a point of pride.
It used to be for me; however, due to the lies and actions by my government that resulted in mass-murder and torture I'm now rather ashamed that you would know that.
“We love to become citizens of this great country,” said Grace Anderson, an immigrant from Ghana who lives in Roslindale and plans to apply for citizenship when she becomes eligible. “It’s prestigious to us to be a citizen. It’s one thing that’s on every African’s mind.”
At the citizenship ceremony in Faneuil Hall, some immigrants said they had put off becoming a citizen, while others said they had applied as soon as they legally could. Legal immigrants do not have to apply for citizenship, but in general, immigrants cannot apply until they have been legal permanent residents for five years....
Haitians are the single largest group of black immigrants, with long roots in the Bay State, and other Caribbean immigrants include Jamaicans and Trinidadians.
Maybe that will get them more coverage, although I doubt it.
Another large group are Cape Verdeans, who come from an island off West Africa with long ties to Massachusetts. Newer African immigrants are from Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria....
Don't call them that.
The shift marks the first large influx of black people from Africa since the forced migration of slavery, according to the Migration Policy Institute, a Washington-based think tank. But that could change if Congress dismantles the visa lottery, as lawmakers are considering in various forms of immigration legislation....
Some say the growing black immigrant population could be a voting bloc on its own or could join with African Americans.
Why would they -- or any group -- be monolithic?
In Boston, black people overall are the second-largest population, more numerous than Latinos and more than double the size of the Asian population. Last year, some black leaders were disappointed that black candidates for mayor came up short behind Mayor Martin J. Walsh, the son of Irish immigrants....
Is it just me, or are you tired of the diversity-promoting paper breaking us all up into ethnic groups?
Although black people are a diverse mix of professionals, laborers, wealthy and poor, no economic classes are immune to racism....
It is more about eliti$m than anything else.
The African Council, was created in 2010 to assemble the various African immigrant groups to support Governor Deval Patrick’s bid for reelection. More than 600 people showed up to a town-hall meeting to meet the governor. The organization continues to grow....
One of the founders, Georgina Wanja Kariuki, a young immigrant from Kenya, said getting immigrants involved in politics is challenging, because many are still deeply connected to their homelands. Some build schools back home, send money to relatives, or are working multiple jobs to save enough money to bring relatives to America. Many rely on their national networks to navigate their way in the United States.
That's money taken out of the local economy!
On a recent Saturday night, hundreds of members of the Ghana Association of Greater Boston poured into the Sons of Italy Lodge in Watertown, to celebrate Ghana’s 57th independence day. They sang their national anthem — and the Star-Spangled Banner — dined on homemade goat stew, and smiled proudly as children sang Ghanaian songs, though some had to be pried away from video games to do it.
American kids, all right!
As for their customs, I'm all for whatever celebrations people want to have. I'm not about stopping cultural celebrations or happiness.
Organizers estimated that many, if not most, of the group are highly educated US citizens, thrilled to be in the United States. But many also want their children to know what it means to be from Ghana.
“It’s important that they know about it and maintain that culture,” said Kobena Bonney, association president. “There’s something special about having that connection with your folks, ways of living, and the tradition of respect.”
For some reason, the only one that gets under people's nerves is when it is White Christian or Muslim.
In Roxbury Crossing, Abdillahi Abdirahman, is trying to do just that from Butterfly Coffee, the hub of the Somali community and now other Africans in Boston. He is also constantly prodding immigrants to get involved in state and local politics. Many turn out to vote, but some resist.
Many need his help with more urgent tasks. Some need help with tax returns. A Somali woman in Maine cannot figure out the immigration system. For his work, some jokingly call Abdirahman “the mayor.”
But he knows the difference a real mayor can make. Mayor Thomas M. Menino helped clear the way for his cafe and for the soaring mosque across the street. Abdirahman wants the city to hire more Somalis.
What?
He compares Somalis to the Irish who battled severe discrimination in Boston in the 1800s. They seized power through politics and eventually seemed to dominate the police and fire departments, and elected offices. He likes to quote the Speaker Tip O’Neill.
“Remember,” Abdirahman said, leaning forward in his chair. “He said, everything is local.”
They don't like me 'round h're.
--more--"
"The changing face of citizenship" by Maria Sacchetti | Globe staff March 25, 2014
On the hard road to US citizenship, black immigrants are increasingly gaining ground in Massachusetts and the United States, expanding the possibilities for political power and changing what it means to be black in America. Though still small, the rising black immigration is rapidly reshaping Massachusetts....
Though becoming a citizen gives them the right to vote, many immigrants said the surge toward citizenship is more personal than political. US citizens can bring relatives to America faster, qualify for more scholarships and financial aid, and are protected from deportation. For many, US citizenship is a point of pride.
It used to be for me; however, due to the lies and actions by my government that resulted in mass-murder and torture I'm now rather ashamed that you would know that.
“We love to become citizens of this great country,” said Grace Anderson, an immigrant from Ghana who lives in Roslindale and plans to apply for citizenship when she becomes eligible. “It’s prestigious to us to be a citizen. It’s one thing that’s on every African’s mind.”
At the citizenship ceremony in Faneuil Hall, some immigrants said they had put off becoming a citizen, while others said they had applied as soon as they legally could. Legal immigrants do not have to apply for citizenship, but in general, immigrants cannot apply until they have been legal permanent residents for five years....
Haitians are the single largest group of black immigrants, with long roots in the Bay State, and other Caribbean immigrants include Jamaicans and Trinidadians.
Maybe that will get them more coverage, although I doubt it.
Another large group are Cape Verdeans, who come from an island off West Africa with long ties to Massachusetts. Newer African immigrants are from Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria....
Don't call them that.
The shift marks the first large influx of black people from Africa since the forced migration of slavery, according to the Migration Policy Institute, a Washington-based think tank. But that could change if Congress dismantles the visa lottery, as lawmakers are considering in various forms of immigration legislation....
Some say the growing black immigrant population could be a voting bloc on its own or could join with African Americans.
Why would they -- or any group -- be monolithic?
In Boston, black people overall are the second-largest population, more numerous than Latinos and more than double the size of the Asian population. Last year, some black leaders were disappointed that black candidates for mayor came up short behind Mayor Martin J. Walsh, the son of Irish immigrants....
Is it just me, or are you tired of the diversity-promoting paper breaking us all up into ethnic groups?
Although black people are a diverse mix of professionals, laborers, wealthy and poor, no economic classes are immune to racism....
It is more about eliti$m than anything else.
The African Council, was created in 2010 to assemble the various African immigrant groups to support Governor Deval Patrick’s bid for reelection. More than 600 people showed up to a town-hall meeting to meet the governor. The organization continues to grow....
One of the founders, Georgina Wanja Kariuki, a young immigrant from Kenya, said getting immigrants involved in politics is challenging, because many are still deeply connected to their homelands. Some build schools back home, send money to relatives, or are working multiple jobs to save enough money to bring relatives to America. Many rely on their national networks to navigate their way in the United States.
That's money taken out of the local economy!
On a recent Saturday night, hundreds of members of the Ghana Association of Greater Boston poured into the Sons of Italy Lodge in Watertown, to celebrate Ghana’s 57th independence day. They sang their national anthem — and the Star-Spangled Banner — dined on homemade goat stew, and smiled proudly as children sang Ghanaian songs, though some had to be pried away from video games to do it.
American kids, all right!
As for their customs, I'm all for whatever celebrations people want to have. I'm not about stopping cultural celebrations or happiness.
Organizers estimated that many, if not most, of the group are highly educated US citizens, thrilled to be in the United States. But many also want their children to know what it means to be from Ghana.
“It’s important that they know about it and maintain that culture,” said Kobena Bonney, association president. “There’s something special about having that connection with your folks, ways of living, and the tradition of respect.”
For some reason, the only one that gets under people's nerves is when it is White Christian or Muslim.
In Roxbury Crossing, Abdillahi Abdirahman, is trying to do just that from Butterfly Coffee, the hub of the Somali community and now other Africans in Boston. He is also constantly prodding immigrants to get involved in state and local politics. Many turn out to vote, but some resist.
Many need his help with more urgent tasks. Some need help with tax returns. A Somali woman in Maine cannot figure out the immigration system. For his work, some jokingly call Abdirahman “the mayor.”
But he knows the difference a real mayor can make. Mayor Thomas M. Menino helped clear the way for his cafe and for the soaring mosque across the street. Abdirahman wants the city to hire more Somalis.
What?
He compares Somalis to the Irish who battled severe discrimination in Boston in the 1800s. They seized power through politics and eventually seemed to dominate the police and fire departments, and elected offices. He likes to quote the Speaker Tip O’Neill.
“Remember,” Abdirahman said, leaning forward in his chair. “He said, everything is local.”
They don't like me 'round h're.
--more--"
