In Our Community: Immigration News

With lots to catch up on this week, I hope you enjoy reading the news on immigration from Monday, September 14 to Monday, September 21. Here we go!

The National Council of La Raza has released an analysis stating that the number of immigrants applying for U.S. citizenship fell by 62% this year. This past year, just over 500,000 immigrants applied, each paying an application fee of $595 plus $80 for computerized fingerprinting. (Before late 2007, the application fee was only $330.) Rising application fees, combined with the economic recession, placed citizenship applications out of reach for many.

The Immigration Policy Center just released a report about the economic power of immigrants in Arizona. As business owners, consumers, workers, and taxpayers, immigrants in this border state strengthen both state and local economies. Here's an interesting fact: If all undocumented immigrants were removed from Arizona, the state would lose $26.4 billion in expenditures, $11.7 billion in economic output, and approximately 140,324 jobs. Here, another article discusses how immigration reform would help the United States to remain on the forefront of technological innovation. Providing expanded opportunities for skilled foreign workers to create start-ups in the United States would improve the economy and create jobs.

Let's not lose sight of the big picture, however. This video with Matt Soerens, author of "Welcoming the Stranger," reminds us of the need for a broader immigration policy. Soerens talks eloquently about how Christian teachings apply to immigration reform.

Legislative time: The Respect for Marriage Act was introduced in the House of Representatives this week, with 91 original cosponsors. This Act would repeal the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which discriminates against legally married same-sex binational couples. The Respect for Marriage Act would restore to these couples their full federal rights and responsibilities. This Act is a step in the right direction toward ensuring that permanent same-sex partners are treated equally under U.S. immigration laws.

Calls for comprehensive immigration reform are coming from every angle! Speaking out on the need for immigration reform, astronaut José M. Hernández said last week that legalization would provide opportunities for undocumented immigrants to work openly and integrate into the U.S. economy.

Nonprofit Quarterly has written a special issue on nonprofits and immigration, available free to the public online. I recommend reading this article, which discusses the importance of grassroots organizing within and among immigrant communities in the United States. Too often, immigrants themselves are left out of the national debate on immigration reform. Recognizing the important role of immigrants' organizations in grassroots advocacy at the national level can only strengthen the movement toward immigration reform.

On the subject of being inclusive, I find it concerning that, once again, foreign language programs are being cut from primary and secondary schools. On the surface, this issue may not appear to apply directly to immigration issues. However, foreign language teachers encourage their students to respect the diversity of languages, cultures, and traditions around them. Teaching foreign languages is one pathway toward creating a shared spirit of openness and inclusion, in which immigrants may be accepted into local communities and valued for their contributions.

That's all for now. Enjoy the week and keep an eye out for updates on the blog! As always, I welcome your comments and contributions.

How much do you know about immigrants in our economy?

When talking to members of our network, some of the most frequent concerns I hear about immigration have to do with the economy: What about job competition? Do immigrants pay taxes or do they just take from our federal programs without contributing anything?

Many people assume they know the answers to these questions. But just to check, I made the following quiz.

See how much you know!
(Follow the link below the quiz to receive the answers)

1. Do immigrants pay taxes?
a. Yes
b. No
c. Only documented immigrants

2. Do immigrants receive or are they eligible for most federal public assistance programs, such as Social Security income or welfare/Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)?
a. Yes
b. No
c. Only documented immigrants

3. What percentage of the U.S. workforce is made up of immigrants?
a. 4 percent
b. 10 percent
c. 15 percent
d. 23 percent

4. Which of the following statements is true?
a. If all of the undocumented immigrants in the United States were to be removed—either through deportation or voluntary exodus—the United States as a whole would lose an estimated $1.75 trillion in annual consumer spending.
b. If all of the undocumented immigrants in the United States were to be removed—either through deportation or voluntary exodus—the United States as a whole would lose $651.5 billion in annual output.
c. If all of the undocumented immigrants in the United States were to be removed—either through deportation or voluntary exodus—the United States as a whole would lose 8.1 million jobs.
d. All of the above

WANT TO KNOW THE ANSWERS?
CLICK HERE

Last Week: In our community

Paying Taxes, and Fearing Deportation
For years, anti-immigrant activists have claimed that immigrants don't pay taxes and burden our welfare system. This article, however, examines how immigration enforcement has seized thousands of confidential taxpayers documents in Colorado and is combing through them to find and deport undocumented immigrants in a sting operation called "Operation Number Games."

SoCal Border Agents Complain of Quotas
The fever of immigration enforcement has grown so much that some Southern California border agents are complaining that they are told to fill a quota of undocumented immigrant arrests each month. If they don't meet the quota, their scheduled time off is threatened. The agents attest that this is infringing upon the quality of the arrests made, and the ability to uphold humane standards. One agent says he was dismissed for returning detainees to the station because they looked dehydrated rather than staying on the highway to make more arrest.

VIDEO: ICE Raid Targeting Latinos in Maryland
This video clip, taken from surveillance cameras at a 7/11 in Maryland, captures a raid on Latino day laborers waiting for work. As is apparent in the video, the ICE agents round up all persons that appear Latino within the vicinity and ignore any person of other racial and ethnic origins.

Iowa: What Happens When a Town Implodes
Almost eight months after the Agroprocessors raid in Postville, IA, this article tells the story of how the community is still suffering from what leaders call a "humanitarian and economic disaster." Nearly 400 families are now in need of resources like food stamps, shelters, legal aid, and unemployment benefits.

Another Detention Death, Mounting Questions
Another detainee dies in Piedmont Regional Jail due to denied medical treatment, the second immigrant detainee death at this facility due to substandard conditions since it began accepting immigrant detainees a few years back. This article reports both the details of Mr. Newbrough's death and the mounting questions developing around ICE's detention practices.