RE-THINK IMMIGRATION
A Monday-through-Friday, non-partisan blog covering the most
contentious policy issue of our time: immigration.
Today's opinion selection comes to us from the editorial board of the NYTimes—

As with anything in the immigration debate, there are complicated truths at work here. Many companies have operated with impunity in hiring and abusing undocumented low-wage workers, people who are all the more compliant because they are illegal. Like immigrants, good employers need a path to get right and stay right with the law. Current immigration law — with far too few visas and no path to legalization for the undocumented — does not provide one, and misguided state and local enforcement efforts simply layer on the confusion. They impose undue hardships on by-the-books businesses and reward the exploiters.

If the country is ever going to emerge from the immigration chaos that Congress bequeathed it last year, it will be because business interests — largely seen as AWOL in the bitter debate — finally joined the fight.


Escrito Por Daniela a las 01:06 PM| 2 Comentarios


Of interest to people following the immigration debate here in the United States is the fact that the idea of a "pay-to-stay" amnesty for all undocumented immigrants in Britain is being considered. From Politics.co.uk—

CentreForum says a £5,000 fee, to be paid in five annual instalments, should be considered to help solve the problem of Britain's illegal immigrants.

It believes already scarce resources need to be targeted at those who pose a "genuine security threat" and that earned amnesty is a viable solution for those who deserve to stay.

Report co-author Will Somerville said security, social cohesion and prosperity would all improve if the move was pushed through.

"Deporting all Britain's illegal immigrants is impossible. Any rational approach to the problem must involve some form of regularisation," he said.

"The best way to do this is through an earned amnesty."

Escrito Por Daniela a las 01:05 PM| 2 Comentarios



Escrito Por Daniela a las 01:02 PM| 3 Comentarios


Ten immigrants have filed suit against the O'Hare International Airport in Chicago for wages they say they were never paid. Some of the plaintiffs were arrested in an immigration sweep for using fake ID's to obtain their jobs at the country's busiest airport.

Some have already been charged criminally; others are still going through the legal proceedings, reports the Chicago Tribune.

From the article—
Chris Williams, executive director of the Working Hands Legal Clinic, which filed the suit, said the employment agency and the companies that worked with it are jointly responsible for unpaid wages. At a time of heightened immigration enforcement, he said, companies are using temporary employment agencies to secure cheap labor while shielding themselves from liability.

"This demonstrates why we need comprehensive immigration reform, so there is not a whole shadow industry where workers are being exploited," Williams said, adding that the lawsuit is separate from the criminal charges.

Ideal Staffing Solutions could not be reached for comment.

One former worker who attended a news conference at the Mexican consulate said he was owed about two weeks' pay and overtime wages. He said he loaded cargo for Alitalia Airlines and did not know the badges provided by the employment agency were invalid. Since being arrested in the raid, he has worked odd jobs and struggled to make ends meet.

Escrito Por Daniela a las 09:48 AM| 2 Comentarios


viernes, julio 18, 2008

Cartoon of the day



By Mike Lukovich, Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Escrito Por Daniela a las 09:45 AM| 2 Comentarios


A McDonald's franchise that owns 11 stores is set to pay the federal government $1 million for supplying undocumented employees with false Social Security numbers, the VOA reports.

The restaurants were in the Reno, Nev. area and 58 undocumented immigrants were arrested during an ICE sweep last year.

The case is one of the first that heavily fines employers.

Escrito Por Daniela a las 09:39 AM| 2 Comentarios



Escrito Por Daniela a las 09:35 AM| 0 Comentarios


The United States may lift immigration bans on people who have been diagnosed HIV-positive, the AP reports.

The ban is about two decades old, and the U.S. is on a short-list of countries that currently has a ban in place. Also on the dozen-long list are: Saudi Arabia, Libya, and Russia.

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass) is spear-heading the bill that would repeal the ban: “There’s no excuse for a law that stigmatises a particular disease,” Kerry said on Tuesday in a speech to the Centre for Strategic & International Studies HIV/AIDS Task Force. Even people with avian flu or the Ebola virus are judged on a better standard than those with HIV when it comes to applying for visas, he said.

Escrito Por Daniela a las 05:23 PM| 2 Comentarios


miércoles, julio 16, 2008

McCain straddles tense line on immigration

The latest in a series of stories by all kinds of outlets on the tightrope that GOP candidate John McCain has to walk when it comes to immigration, NPR published a story on McCain's appearance at La Raza's conference.

From the story—

"I never ask for any special privileges from anyone just for having done the right thing," he said. "But I do ask for your trust that when I say I remain committed to fair, practical and comprehensive immigration reform, I mean it."

Cecilia Munoz, the vice president of La Raza, appreciated the plea for trust. Still, she said McCain's emphasis on border security turned her off.

"He talked about comprehensive immigration reform, but always following [that] we have to secure the borders first. And that really suggests that there is a two-part agenda, and I think there is real concern about that in the community," she said.

The appearance was McCain's third in front of a group of Latino voters.

Escrito Por Daniela a las 05:20 PM| 2 Comentarios



Escrito Por Daniela a las 05:16 PM| 1 Comentarios



MATT LOGO Acerca de Nosotros | Contáctanos | Política de Privacidad |Acuerdo del Usuario | Mapa del Sitio | Información Corporativa

©MATT Copyright 2007
 QUEPASA.COM LOGO