JULY 31, 2013 Illegal entry from Mexico into the US may be down overall, but the South Texas Rio Grande Valley is its own story. That stretch of border is closest to Central America, where extreme levels of violence and poverty are pushing people out. An unprecedented number of migrants are now being intercepted by Rio Grande Valley Border Patrol. …
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY NOT OBLIGATED TO HONOR DETAINER REQUESTS FROM ICE
For years, Miami-Dade taxpayers have been subsidizing the jailing of undocumented immigrants by Secure Communities, a federal program of U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE). Among those jailed immigrants are victims of domestic violence and people whose charges had been dismissed. We applaud the M-D County Attorney, who rightly concluded that compliance with ICE requests to hold such immigrants are “voluntary …
IMMIGRATION REFORM ON THE HORIZON
Americans for Immigrant Justice (AI Justice) applauds the “Gang of Eight” Senators who achieved what for years has seemed impossible: a comprehensive immigration reform bill. We are encouraged by many provisions in the S.744 bill. In particular, we salute: A path to citizenship for an estimated 11 million immigrants; An accelerated path to citizenship for Dreamers; Provisions allowing families to …
A PRAISEWORTHY EFFORT BY BIPARTISAN SENATORS OFFERS PROMISING START FOR IMMIGRATION REFORM
April 17, 2013 – Americans for Immigrant Justice is thrilled to see a promising bipartisan bill aimed at reforming our nation’s sorely dysfunctional immigration system. We applaud the eight Senators who worked to reach bipartisan compromise and, thus, craft the bill now introduced. We are particularly pleased that Florida Senator Marco Rubio was one of the “Gang of Eight.” While AI …
ICE’S “SECURE COMMUNITIES” PROGRAM MAKES MIAMI-DADE LESS SAFE AND CASTS RACIAL OVERTONES
What: News Conference Why: ICE program puts public safety and families at risk When: Monday, April 15, 2013, 11 a.m. Where: 3000 Biscayne Blvd, Miami FL 33137 (free parking in the rear of the building) Who: Alex Stepick, Director, Research Institute on Social & Economic Policy (RISEP) at Florida International University (FIU); Cheryl Little, Executive Director of Americans for Immigrant Justice (AI Justice); Carlos Martinez, …
CBS MIAMI: PROTESTERS TARGET IMMIGRANT DEPORTATION PROGRAM
April 15, 2013 5:24 PM Reporting: Gary Nelson MIAMI (CBS4) – Star power and hard facts were wielded in South Florida Monday to slam a controversial immigrant deportation program. Operation “Secure Communities” is supposed to rid cities and towns of violent criminals. Opponents, though, say the government is spending a fortune to round up and deport nickel and dime offenders. …
REUTERS: SOUTH FLORIDA DEPORTATIONS FLOUT POLICY, FOCUS ON MINOR OFFENDERS: REPORT
MIAMI | Mon Apr 15, 2013 7:15pm EDT By David Adams (Reuters) – Federal immigration officials in south Florida are failing to abide by an Obama administration directive to focus deportation efforts on dangerous criminals, according to a report Monday by a Miami-based immigration advocacy group and researchers from a Florida university. A majority of undocumented immigrants detained for deportation …
AIJ WRC JOINT STATEMENT “BUILDING AN IMMIGRATION SYSTEM WORTHY OF AMERICAN VALUES”
AIJ WRC Joint Statement: “Building an Immigration System Worthy of American Values” press releases
WASHINGTON POST: OPINIONS – DETAINED IMMIGRANTS DESERVE HUMANE TREATMENT
By Edwidge Danticat, Published: March 14, 2013 Edwidge Danticat is a writer in Miami. Her most recent work is “Create Dangerously: The Immigrant Artist at Work.” The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency released “several hundred” immigrants from detention facilities across the United States late last month in an effort to stay within its budget amid “fiscal uncertainty” related to …
MY SA: MAYOR JULIÁN CASTRO TALKS IMMIGRATION IN MIAMI
MIAMI — Though fast becoming a national spokesman for immigration reform, when Julián Castro addressed activists, their benefactors and so-called DREAMers here Thursday night, he made a plea to fix a broken system as the mayor of a city where undocumented immigrants exist in the shadows. “Unlike some folks in D.C., I don’t have the luxury of sitting 2,000 miles …