NDN Blog

Senate Majority Leader Reid Announces Stand Alone Vote On DREAM Act

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, has announced that he will be bringing up the DREAM Act as a standalone bill tentatively scheduled sometime during the week of November the 29th.

Lisa Mascaro of the Los Angeles Times has the full scoop here:

The majority leader also said the immigration bill, known as the DREAM Act, would be brought up as a stand-alone measure. In the past, the measure had failed to advance as an amendment to broader legislation.

The immigration bill would allow young people who came to this country illegally as children to be offered a path to citizenship if they attend college or join the military. Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) is a chief sponsor.

"Last time we sought to bring up this bill, all Republicans blocked our effort, even though many have been supporters of the DREAM Act in the past," Reid said. "I hope that our Republican colleagues will join me, Sen. Durbin and Democrats in passing this important piece of legislation, now that we have a stand-alone version and that political season is over."

Timing on when the vote is still up in the air, the Senate is expected to leave for the Thanksgiving holiday next week, but should be back in session the following one. Having a vote after that could be problematic as it is unclear whether the senate will come back into session after the week following Thanksgiving. Having a vote in the next Congressional session becomes problematic as the Democratic majority in the senate shrinks, and Republican's have been lukewarm in their support of DREAM. The last go around exactly zero Republicans voted to move forward to even have debate on the legislation.

Congress is expected to be in recess next week for the Thanksgiving holiday. Lawmakers are scheduled to return the following week to continue a complicated lame-duck session that includes debate over several must-pass bills, including an extension of expiring tax cuts and legislation to fund the government.

Study Shows 23,000 Hispanics Have Left Arizona In Wake Of SB1070

While there have been zero actual arrests of undocumented immigrants as a result of Arizona's anti-immigrant legislation SB1070, a new study shows that it has succesfully driven thousands of legal, working, tax paying, Hispanics out of the state

Arizona Fox 11 has a the full story HERE:

What impact did SB 1070 have on Arizona's Hispanic population? One Mexican bank is out with a study claiming Hispanics have fled the state by the thousands.

Call it fear of SB 1070 or a plummeting Arizona economy, It's not clear exactly why Hispanics are leaving the state, But the reality is they are.

"They may be cheering, but this is not a good thing for Arizona," said Kat Rodriguez with Derechos Humanos.

It is important to note, that while the study is inconclusive as to whether or not Hispanic's are leaving the state because of SB1070, or because of the Economy, the loss of revenue from a sizable portion of the population will effect the bottom line of everyone as people in the state struggle to get back on fiscally sound footing.

According to the study facilitated by the Mexican Bank, BBVA Bancomer Research, the Mexican government has tallied 23,380 people have left Airzona and come back to Mexico. This could have dire effects on the economy in Arizona:

Fewer Hispanics in the state could actually hurt the economy.  A study released by the Arizona chamber of commerce says Latino buying power is expected to boom.

The Tucson Hispanic chamber of commerce says the impact of Latinos is clear. Despite an economic downturn across the state, Latino-owned businesses are expanding.

Incidently Sabrina Tavernise, of the New York Times  has written about a similar situation occuring in Virginia, please read that here.  The full Fox News 11 Arizona report is below:

2010 MidTerm Hispanic Voter Analysis From Two NDN Contributors

Two long time NDN contributors have written thoughtful analysis on the 2010 Midterm Elections.

Fernand Amandi, Executive Vice President of Bendixen and Amandi, has written a thoughtful analysis on how the Hispanic vote effected the elections in Florida:

The diversity, complexity and competitiveness of Florida politics makes this state a perfect laboratory to study voter attitudes and campaign strategies, making Florida's experience a microcosm of not only the national experience but also a leading indicator of the nation's political future. So what did we learn? True, conservative voters turned out in higher proportions than progressives, motivated by a variety of factors from the poor state of the economy to a perception of runaway spending and a general response to increased government intrusion into daily life.

I highly recommend checking out this on the ground reporting from what will be a contentious swing state in 2010. You can read this piece in full here.

Maria Cardona, principal at the Dewey Square Group has also written a great piece on the Hispanic vote and the 2010 Mid-Terms nationally:

Nov. 2 was a victory for Latinos. In several key contests, including those in California, Nevada and Colorado, the Latino vote was decisive for Democrats. And Republicans have themselves to blame for this. Many Republican candidates ran terrible ads against Latino immigrants. Those ads were effective, all right. Coupled with the new anti-immigrant law in Arizona and Republicans efforts to duplicate it in several states, the ads drove Latinos to the polls - but to vote for Democrats. Immigration is not the top issue for Latinos. The economy and jobs still top our concerns, especially with an unemployment rate at 12.6 percent for Latinos, as compared with 9.6 percent for the population overall.

You can read Maria Cardona's full editorial here

 


Today Menendez And Hispanic Members of Congress Meet At White House To Push For Immigration Reform In Lame Duck

Today, Sen. Robert Menendez, Rep. Nydia Velazquez and Rep. Luis Gutierrez will meet with President Barack Obama to discuss ways of passing comprehensive immigration reform or the DREAM Act in a lame duck session

Simmi Aujla of The Politico has the full story HERE:

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) will meet with President Barack Obama Tuesday afternoon to talk about the chances of getting comprehensive immigration reform or the DREAM Act passed in the lame duck session, a House Democratic source said.

Senator Menendez indicated on a conferecne call with immigration activists that the white House was interested in moving some form of immigration legislation:

Menendez said on a conference call with reporters Monday that the White House is “ready and willing” to talk about immigration.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have both indicated that the would be willing to bring the legislation up for a vote between now and when the Congress goes out of session at the end of the year.

California Supreme Court Upholds Law Granting Undocumented Students In StateTuition

A bit of good news coming out of California, as the state Supreme Court has upheld Assembly Bill 540, a law that gives in state tuition to immigrants in the country without documentation provided they have completed high school in the state.

Laurel Rosenhall, of the Sacramento Bee has more HERE

California's public colleges and universities can continue charging in-state tuition to students who have graduated from the state's high schools but are in the United States illegally, the state's Supreme Court ruled Monday.

In a unanimous decision written by Ming Chin, one of the court's more conservative justices, the Supreme Court upheld a state law, known as Assembly Bill 540, that allows students – regardless of their immigration status – to pay the lower in-state rate at public colleges as long as they attended California high schools for at least three years and graduated.

The prosecutor on the case has said that he intends to appeal the decision in the Supreme Court.

This case is significant for several reasons, as momentum builds to give The DREAM Act an up and down vote in lame duck session of Congress, AB 540 may present an alternative to the passage of the DREAM Act this year.

The unanimous decision by the state Supreme Court is important because it notes that the AB 540 works within already existing federal laws. According to  Thomas Saenz, President and
General Counsel of The Mexican American Legal Defense Fund:

....The California Supreme Court concluded that California's tuition waiver met the requirements established by federal law to allow the State to provide a post-secondary education tuition waiver to graduates of California high schools, including undocumented students, who have proven ties to the State. Such ties includes the payment of taxes to the State. In its decision, the Court explained that, even though the federal government has established some restrictions on state power, states retain the power to enable undocumented students to have meaningful access to college education.

While it is necessary to push as hard as possible to pass DREAM Act now in Congress, AB 540 presents the flip side of anti-immigrant state passed laws such as SB1070 and presents an opportunity for other states to attempt to do the same in the future.

Which is not to say, that this case does not also speak to the broader problem of not passing comprehensive immigration legislation soon. In the absence of a unifying federal solution states, for better or worse will continue to pass a patchwork of legislation that will continue to cause controversy and lawsuits. 

Retiring GOP Congressman Calls For DREAM Act Vote In House

Rep. Lincoln Diaz Balart, a retiring Republican Congressman from Florida, has sent a letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi urging her to bring the DREAM Act up for a vote in the upcoming lame duck session of Congress.

Catalina Carnia of The USA Today has the full story here:

The prospects for considering what is known as the DREAM Act are slim, however, as Congress begins its lame-duck session focused on what to do about tax cuts set to expire and how to fund the government.

"These deserving students are being punished for decisions not made by them, but by their parents," Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., says in a letter to Pelosi.

In a bit of a twist, GOP strategists are conceding that Hispanic's saved Democrats from sustaining heavier loses in the midterms. Under this rationale, GOP strategists are floating the idea that Democrats in turn should do everything in their power to pass immigration related issues.

GOP political strategist Ana Navarro told USA TODAY's Alan Gomez and other reporters recently that some Democrats were saved by the Hispanic vote in the midterm elections -- and need to respond accordingly.

"Harry Reid owes his political life to the Latinos in Nevada and, in my view, he owes a debt," Navarro told Alan.

A post-election analysis by the Pew Research Center found Latino voters preferred Democrats over Republicans, 64% to 34%. In Nevada, Reid -- the Senate majority leader -- was preferred over GOP nominee Sharron Angle by more than a two-to-one ratio.

This new GOP tactic seems somewhat disingenious as it has consistently been the GOP that has killed any forward movement on the DREAM Act or any other immigration related measure, when there was a procedural vote to even move to a vote on the DREAM Act in the Senate, not a single GOP member voted in favor of moving forward.

Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva, is skeptical that Republican members of Congress are serious about passing the DREAM Act, or any other immigration legislation that may address the 11 million undocumented immigrants currently here:

Asked whether legislation that addresses security as well as citizenship issues will make its way through a new Congress, Grijalva told Univision this weekend, "I doubt it."

"Most of the extremists who will be part of this majority in the House, their campaigns' whole focus was that they don't want immigration reform and they just want to deal with the security issue," said Grijalva, who narrowly won re-election this month.

Seems to be a bit of talking out of both sides of the mouth, on an issue that is incredibly important to not just the Hispanic, community but also the military and the country as a whole.

Neo Nazis Hold Rally In Arizona In Support of SB1070 Nearly Incite Riot

A Neo Nazi organization nearly incited a riot on Saturday in Arizona. The Members of the White-supremacist National Socialist Movement held a rally to show support for Arizona's anti immigration law SB1070.

Connie Cone Sexton of the Arizona Republic has more HERE:

Two people were arrested Saturday afternoon for throwing rocks as a neo-Nazi group marched to the federal courthouse in Phoenix, police said.

Several people received minor injuries, including some police officers and members of the National Socialist Movement, said Phoenix Sgt. Tommy Thompson. The group, which was marching down Jefferson Street toward the court house, was blocked several times by protesters who were marching the opposite direction. At one point, a canister of tear gas was thrown to break up the protesters but it did little to deter them.

Many people who support SB1070, contend that it does not lead to racial profiling. Yet the fact remains that some of the most vocal supporters of the legislations have been affiliated with White Supremacist groups. While it is not a direct correlation, it is necessary to understand that there is a perception among those who dislike minorities, that this legislation will somehow affect Hispanic's in the state disproportionately.

The organization has a history of including members who have colorful criminal histories. According to the Anti Defamation League:

In December 2008, Paul Paletti, the NSM's Wisconsin Membership Director, pleaded guilty to battery, resisting arrest, and obstructing police in state court in Waukesha, Wisconsin. The December 20, 2008, plea agreement requires Paletti to pay $1,713 in fines and to serve two years probation, during which time he is forbidden from engaging in any white supremacist activities.

Video from the near riot is below:

DREAM Act May Get One Final Push In Lame Duck Senate Session

As the Senate heads back into session on Monday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, has indicated that there may be movement to bring The DREAM Act up for a standalone vote.

Erin Kelly of the Arizona Republic has more here:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who was re-elected last week with strong support from Latino voters, will make one last push in the final days of the 111th Congress to pass legislation allowing illegal immigrants brought to the United States as children to earn legal status if they attend college or serve in the U.S. military.

Advocates of the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act - better known as the Dream Act - say Reid has a better chance of passing the bill in the lame-duck session than he will when the new, divided Congress is sworn in this January.

Some contend that passing the DREAM Act would go a long way to letting Hispanic's know that their voting in the Mid-Term elections produced legislative results:

Reid and other Democrats owe a political debt to Latino voters, whose support allowed embattled Democrats in California, Colorado and Washington to retain their Senate seats and the party to keep control of the Senate. Reid, for example, won 68 percent of Latino votes in Nevada; 30 percent supported Republican Sharron Angle, according to CNN exit polls. Angle won among White voters by 53 to 41 percent, the same polls indicate. Latinos also helped re-elect some Democratic House members, including Arizona Rep. Raúl Grijalva, who narrowly won a fifth term.

If Senate Democrats attempt to pass the DREAM Act they would be doing so with the support of President  Obama:

President Barack Obama supports the Dream Act, which would allow illegal immigrants brought to this country as children by their parents to become legal residents and eventually U.S. citizens if they attend college or serve in the U.S. military for at least two years. The bill is aimed at helping people who came to the United States before age 16; have been here continuously for at least five years; are of good moral character; and are under age 35 on the date of enactment.

It would seem that the only one who does not like the DREAM Act, is the GOP, who voted against moving forward to even have a vote on the legislation, earlier this year:

But advocates of the Dream Act warn Republicans that their tough stance could backfire in 2012. Although they acknowledge that the odds of passing comprehensive immigration reform in the new, more conservative Congress are dim, advocates say it's important for their allies in Congress and the White House to go on the offensive, even if it's only to force all lawmakers to take a public stand.

 

Gallup: Four Million U.S. Hispanics Would Migrate Permanently Away From The U.S. and Are Less Integrated, Worse Off Financially

Jesus Rios and Julie Ray of Gallup have just released a poll of 4 million Hispanics in the United States. The polling question was, if they would permanently migrate away from the United States. A high number of respondents indicated that they would. The poll can be seen here:

A newly released Gallup study of U.S. Hispanics reveals that more than one in seven -- or an estimated 4 million adults -- would leave the U.S. permanently if they had the opportunity. A slim majority (52%) say they would like to move to a Latin American country, including nearly a third (32%) who would like to relocate to Mexico. A sizable minority -- or nearly 2 million adults -- would like to move to places such as Canada (8%), Spain (8%), the United Kingdom (5%), and other non-Latin American countries.

A potential downside to all of this is that the poll also indicates that migrants in America are less integrated and worse off economically:

U.S. Hispanics who would like to migrate are caught between two worlds. Gallup's data show they are less integrated than those who don't want to migrate -- they're more likely to feel good only among other Hispanics, feel more discriminated against, and are less likely to speak English well. They not only experience more cultural tension, but also seem to be doing worse off economically, particularly with regard to their ability to afford healthcare for themselves and their families. Further, U.S. Hispanics who would like to migrate are more likely to say they have sent remittances back home in the past 12 months and are less optimistic about the future possibility of increasing or maintaining the amount of these remittances.

Below is the breakout of these polling numbers:

 

 

More States Try Not To Use Secure Communities Immigration Program

The Department of Homeland Security program Secure Communities is back in the news, as more states attempt to opt out of the controversial program.

Kirk Semple of the New York Times has more here:

Under Secure Communities, the fingerprints of everyone booked into a local or county jail will automatically be sent to the Department of Homeland Security and compared with prints in the agency’s databases. If officials discover that a suspect is in the country illegally, or is a noncitizen immigrant with a criminal record, they might seek to deport him or her.

However the program has many problems, and not all states are comfortable using it:

Several counties around the nation have voted to opt out of the program, called Secure Communities, because of concerns that it could ensnare immigrants who have committed low-level offenses or chill crime-fighting cooperation between immigrants and the police.

As recently as last week, the spokesman for New York State’s criminal justice agency maintained that the program was optional for local governments. But federal officials now say that participation was never voluntary. The program, they say, will be up and running nationwide by 2013.

Many are pointing the finger at DHS for badly explaining what the program does, and whether or not it is voluntary or mandatory:

The confusion appears to be largely the fault of federal immigration officials, who in recent months have issued vaguely worded or seemingly contradictory statements about the program.

“The Department of Homeland Security has done a horrible job of, one, explaining the policy; two, explaining the implementation process; and three, explaining the local jurisdictional role,” said Chung-Wha Hong, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition, who has urged the state not to join the program. “It doesn’t inspire confidence.”

The problem with the program is that only criminal immigrants are meant to be deported under Secure Communities, however many immigrants are being deported for low level offenses:

More than 750 jurisdictions in 34 states have already joined the program, which has contributed to a surge in deportations over the last year. But resistance has arisen among some elected officials and immigrant advocates who contend that the program has caught up a disproportionate number of immigrants charged with low-level offenses, rather than the dangerous criminals it was primarily intended to snag.

Secure Communities also creates tensions between states and the federal government where local law enforcements have worked hard to stay out of enforcing federal immigration laws. More on this as it develops.

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