Weekly Immigration News Roundup

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This week's news sees little decided on AZ's SB1070 and more antics in Arizona. New data on crime and immigration calls into question the border-first mentality that has been touted over the past few weeks. As the primary season takes off immigration is clearly important to voters. The GOP must now calculate how to proceed on immigration, while trying to court a powerful immigrant vote and their Conservative Christian base that is now openly pushing for immigration reform. Civil disobedience by advocates continues in order to push elected leaders to take up bipartisan immigration reform this year.

No Decisions Come out of Meeting between Obama and Brewer

Arizona Governor and President Obama met on Thursday but little came out of the meeting. President Obama asked Governor Brewer to work with him on comprehensive immigration reform. Brewer reports that they had a cordial meeting and they will meet in Arizona in a few weeks. Governor Brewer continued to stick to her guns that the border needs to be secured and the fence needs to be completed first. She has also removed Democratic State Attorney Terry Goddard, who also happens to be Gov. Brewer’s most likely Democratic challenger in this falls’ election, from any potential legal challenges.

Senator McCain Wants to Make Sure National Guard is Armed at Border

Senator McCain at a recent town hall in Tucson criticized President Obama’s decision to send 1200 National Guard, suggesting that they would only be used for desk jobs and that we need to make sure these members will be armed.

More Anti-immigrant Antics in AZ

Continued anti-immigrant antics in Arizona seem to pop up daily. The latest include two Prescott, AZ artists asked to lighten a Hispanic child’s face on a mural and Arizona Legislator Pearce, who sponsored SB 1070, announcing that he plans on working with FAIR to create state legislation to deny birth certificates to children of undocumented immigrants.

Death at the Border Followed by Protest

In the midst of the border debate, dozens protest on both sides of the U.S.-California border after the U.S. border patrol shot and killed a migrant with a stun gun. The death was ruled a homicide by the coroner.

Hispanic Caucus asks President Obama to End 287 (g) in Arizona

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus wrote a letter to Secretary Napolitano thanking her for her comments on Arizona and calling for an end to 287(g) programs in Arizona. Rep. Roybal-Allard (D-CA) stated, “The federal government should not be an accessory to the unconstitutional actions . . . continuing to work with Arizona police departments operating under SB 1070. . .is condoning the new law.”

High Price to Anti-Immigrant Laws

Rep. Raul Grijalva suggests that economic woes are hitting Arizona. Several conferences and music events have been cancelled. No surprise. It’s well known that local anti-immigrant laws have a high price—research and a documentary from Prince William County tell the story about the high price of these laws.

Immigration Will Be A Major Issue in Primaries-Republicans Split

Immigration becomes “the only issue” in Republican gubernatorial primaries in California. Candidate Meg Whitman was strongly in the lead and was focusing her campaign on jobs, economy, and education until Poizner began attacking her for not being tough on immigration. Whitman has reclaimed her lost points by coming out as “tough as nails.” Republican analysts fear that immigration “hijacking” the Whitman-Poizner race will result in problems down the road attracting Hispanic voters in the November election.

The GOP primary for VA’s 11 congressional district has also caused one candidate who had previously made some positive statements against immigration to backtrack.  Florida GOP candidates are also toughening their stance after previously criticizing the AZ law.

Rep. Mack (R-FL) stands firm on AZ’s “anti-American” law and stated, “My concern is ‘What does it do to American citizens that don’t quite look like me?’”

Evangelicals have been advocating for comprehensive immigration reform.  These outspoken advocates include the head of the Southern Baptist Convention, the National Association of Evangelicals, the dean of Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University, and Rev. Samuel Rodriguez known as “the Hispanic Karl Rove.” The GOP is counting on Evangelicals to turn out at the polls and could take heavy hits if they lose support from conservative Christians.

In WA, Republican Senate Candidate Dino Rossi will not say in an interview if he supports the AZ law, but says it is a result of frustration with the colossal failure by the federal government. He advocates for a “tall fence with a high gate” and uses tired flood language that we’ve heard before—“if a boat is sinking you got to stop the leak first.” He does say that there needs to be an “orderly way people to come and be screened.” Watch the interview (15:27-17:30) here.

Check out the results from registered voters in WA on immigration questions here.

Immigrant rights is a women's issue, a mother's issue, a family issue.

Check out Mom's Rising's "blog carnival" for their own round up of how immigration affects women and children.

DREAM ACT Students Meet with Arpaio

Dream Walkers met with Sheriff Joe Arpaio who agreed that families should not be separated but said until Congress and the White House act he must continue to enforce the law. Dream Act walkers are now on their way up the West Coast to collect signatures for a meeting with the White House in June. 

More Resolutions Against SB 1070 Roll In—from LA to the Midwest

LA County boycott approved by Board of Supervisors

Cook County (Chicago) resolution approved

Bloomington, IN resolution approved

Civil Disobedience Continues Across the Country

Check out OneAmerica’s recent blog post on civil disobedience campaigns.

Research Shatters Myths on Immigration and Questions Current Policy

Sociologist Tim Wadsworth finds that the cities that experience the greatest growth in immigration also are experiencing the greatest declines in violent crime.

The top four big cities in America with the lowest rates of violent crime are all in border states: San Diego, Phoenix, El Paso and Austin, according to a new FBI report.

Economist Giovanni Peri in a new report from Migration Policy Institute finds that immigration in the long run (7-10 years) has a positive impact on native worker’s wages in both a thriving and down turned economy and in the short-term in a thriving economy. He makes recommendations for a redesigned future flow system that would ensure that the positive impacts of immigration are also in effect in the short-term by tying visas to the economy; increasing visas during times of economic expansion and keeping them constant during downturns; and creating more visas for low-skilled workers.