1. Obama may not be able to help aunt
2. Analysis: GOP to struggle over votes
3. Philly immigrant population growing
4. UT committee continues state tour
5. NYC probe finds exploitative agencies
6. Ethiopian immigrants rejuvenated
7. Former militant fights deportation

1.
Obama's Ability to Help Illegal Immigrant Aunt May be Limited
President-elect Barack Obama will not have executive power to unilaterally grant his aunt legal immigration status.
The Fox News, November 12, 2008

President-elect Barack Obama has promised to use his executive power to help struggling Americans with a variety of issues, but his hands may be tied when it comes to helping an illegal immigrant -- his own aunt -- stay in the country.

Zeituni Onyango was ordered to leave the country in 2004 by an immigration judge who rejected her request for asylum from her native Kenya.

Her illegal-immigrant status was revealed to the public days before Obama's election on November 4, and now she is fighting the deportation order.

Onyango fled her public housing apartment in Boston, where she had lived for five years, and is now staying with relatives in Cleveland.

Contrary to popular opinion, Obama will not have executive power to unilaterally grant her, or anyone, legal immigration status when he becomes president. His only course of action would be to appeal to Congress to file a private bill providing citizenship.

"It is an avenue that exists for anyone," said Kelly Nantel, a spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

But for President Obama, it would be an avenue dotted with pitfalls.

"It looks untoward," immigration attorney Jay Marks said, although he said would probably succeed if he tried.

"For a guy like me, I might as well be trying to have a snowball not melt in hell," said Marks, who has unsuccessfully pursued this option for many of his clients. "But for him, it might be easier to do."

Marks said he would advise Obama to do nothing, in order to avoid any appearance of showing favoritism. He added that the publicity surrounding his aunt's case shouldn't affect the outcome, especially to her advantage.
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http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/11/12/obamas-ability-help-illegal-immi...

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2.
Can the GOP win back Latino voters?
By Ed Hornick
The CNN News, November 12, 2008

Washington, DC -- Si se puede.

Translation: Yes we can.

It was a common phrase used by Barack Obama and John McCain on the campaign trail this year as they tried to increase their outreach to Latino voters -- an influential voting bloc.

But clearly, based on exit polling, those voters overwhelmingly said 'si se puede' for the Illinois senator. Latinos supported Obama 67 percent to 30 percent for McCain.

Obama did well with Latinos because they appear to disapprove of President Bush's job performance more than the rest of the country, said Bill Schneider, CNN senior political analyst.

About 80 percent of Latinos gave Bush negative marks, while 72 percent of all Americans do, exit polling showed.

The question remains: Did Latinos flock to Obama's message of change or did they simply leave the beleaguered Republican Party?

Fernando Espuelas, a prominent Latino radio host and activist, said it was a little of both.

"Obama inspired a lot of excitement among Latinos -- his immigrant background, the rags-to-riches-to-power narrative, his promise of change -- that resulted in massive support from the Latino community," he said. "At the same time, the GOP's torpedoing of comprehensive immigration reform, which was accompanied by inflammatory anti-Latino rhetoric and harsh, selective enforcement of immigration laws meant to satisfy the right wing of the party, was also a powerful force in Latinos' mass repudiation of the GOP."

Leslie Sanchez, a Republican strategist and CNN contributor, said Latinos rallied behind Obama's message of hope rather than "a misguided anti-immigrant siren touted by some Republicans."

"Immigration reform was not the bellwether issue for Latinos in 2008, yet the Democrats made the election a referendum on the issue. By accusing McCain of flip-flopping on comprehensive immigration reform, Obama managed to put the most pro-immigrant GOP primary candidate on the defensive," she said. Read more on comprehensive immigration reform

Mark Hugo Lopez, associate director of the Pew Hispanic Center, said the center's polling this year showed a steady stream of Latinos toward Obama and Democrats.

"Hispanics see Democrats more concerned about issues to the Latino community.... They saw Obama as the better candidate all around," he said. "Latinos are more likely to say Democrats are more in tune with their concerns."
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http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/12/latino.vote/

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3.
Report: Philadelphia area sees immigration growth
By Joann Loviglio
The Associated Press, November 13, 2008

Philadepphia (AP) -- More than 500,000 immigrants call the Philadelphia metropolitan area home, with more than one-fifth of them arriving since 2000, according to a new report.

Between 2000 and 2006, the immigrant population in the region grew by 113,000 — nearly as many as had arrived during the entire 1990s — comprising 9 percent of the population, according to the report being released Thursday by the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank.

The report suggests that the Philadelphia area is poised to re-emerge as a destination for immigrants, a longtime characteristic of the region that stalled in the mid-20th century.

National immigration numbers leveled off after 2000. But the Philadelphia region's immigrant population growth between 2000 and 2006 outpaced what the report classifies as comparable metropolitan areas: Baltimore; Buffalo, N.Y.; Cleveland; Detroit; Milwaukee; Pittsburgh; and St. Louis.

All were once immigrant gateways that were replaced after World War II by cities including Miami, Los Angeles and Houston.

"Philadelphia's pulling away from the pack of its peer metropolitan areas," said lead researcher Audrey Singer of the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program. The rise in its immigration rates since 2000 more closely resembles those of Denver; Minneapolis-St.Paul; Sacramento, Calif.; and Seattle, she said.

"Part of it may be the location, possibly because of the proximity to New York," Singer said, "and the fact that Philly is pretty stable in terms of the housing market and in terms of the job market."

The report is based on census data from the 10-year increments from 1970 through 2000, as well as the Census Bureau's 2006 American Community Survey.
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http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gYYBxq3AKkv20Ez1vLV7UttTjWTwD94DVT480

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4.
Southern Utah residents have say on immigration
By David Demille
The St. George Spectrum (UT), November 13, 2008

St. George -- A slumping economy may have dominated the headlines of late, but immigration took center stage Wednesday, during a meeting of the Utah Legislature's interim Immigration Committee at Dixie State College.

The committee, assigned by legislative leadership to study immigration issues and make recommendations for future state action, has met throughout the state this year, gathering input from residents and hearing testimony from various community leaders.

In Wednesday's meeting, members of local anti-immigration groups such as the Utah Minutemen and Citizens Council Against Illegal Immigration weren't shy about their takes on the issue, saying undocumented immigrants cost U.S. citizens in a myriad of ways. Some clapped when Rep. Neil A. Hansen, D-Ogden, arguing that undocumented immigrants deserve humane treatment, barbed "Why don't we just shoot people as they come across the border?"

Committee members said they simply wanted to gather information as they consider possible legislation on immigration, and asked for new ideas and thoughts on how the state government could best handle the issue.

Larry Meyers, a local attorney and member of the Citizens Council Against Illegal Immigration, said the issue shouldn't be about race, but about whether someone is legal or illegal. He encouraged the committee to consider ways to improve immigration enforcement through both funding and legislation.

"We care about this issue," he said. "We don't want our community invaded by people who aren't in this country legally."

Aaron Corsi, a St. George resident who has lived in California, said he hopes the gangs and crime he saw there don't engulf Southern Utah. He said it has been difficult finding work in St. George lately, and he sees mostly Latinos doing the construction.

"It's frustrating when I go to some of these places and can't get a job, and the ones working are illegals," he said.

Such concerns have already spurred some local government action. Last week the St. George City Council voted unanimously to include a new clause in business license applications that makes business owners certify that all of their workers are legal.

Retired Sen. Bill Hickman, R-St. George, has sponsored legislation that would make it tougher for undocumented immigrants to get jobs and find places to live in Utah. SB81, set to take effect in July 2009, was toned down from earlier versions as it passed through the Legislature, but still includes provisions that mandate some employers verify their workers are legal and allows police officers to enforce immigration law.

Opponents of such legislation contend these attempts do little in actually addressing the fundamental problems behind the issue, and often lead to profiling and incite racism.
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http://www.thespectrum.com/article/20081113/NEWS01/811130320

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5.
Inquiry Finds Wrongdoing at Employment Agencies
By Anne Barnard
The New York Times, November 12, 2008

About half of the employment agencies licensed in New York City have used illegal or deceptive practices, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said in an announcement on Wednesday. In the most egregious cases, agencies have systematically swindled the city’s most vulnerable job seekers, the mayor said.

After an 18-month investigation, which included a review of the more than 330 licensed agencies in the city and undercover inspections by agents with video cameras, the Department of Consumer Affairs shut down three companies, collected $160,000 in fines and delivered $80,000 in restitution to clients. Many of the clients were immigrants looking for restaurant, domestic and manual-labor jobs as a “first foothold in the work force,” the mayor said.

The most common violations included requiring non-English speakers to sign contracts in English, demanding illegal upfront payments and withholding refunds from clients who did not receive jobs.

The agencies have long acted with impunity, Mr. Bloomberg said, because many of the victims were unaware of their rights or were illegal immigrants afraid to report violations, even though city policy guarantees that people who step forward will not be asked about their status or reported to immigration authorities.

“We simply aren’t going to stand for this kind of conduct,” Mr. Bloomberg said at a news conference at York College in Jamaica, Queens.

“Protecting workers with low incomes is a key part of our fight against poverty,” he said, adding that it was essential to ensure that “New York is a city of opportunity,” especially as the economic downturn made it harder to find work.
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http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/13/nyregion/13agencies.html?ref=nyregion

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6.
A Change They Can Rejoice In
Ethiopian Immigrants Say Obama Has Restored Faith in the American Dream
By Pamela Constable
The Washington Post, November 13, 2008; VA19

Ethiopian immigrants, who make up the largest contingent of African emigres in the Washington area, often gather after work at cafes such as Dukem's in the District or Dama's in Arlington to watch televised soccer, listen to lilting songs in their native Amharic language and rehash arguments about the ongoing political turmoil in their native Horn of Africa.

But ever since the night of Nov. 4, when Barack Obama clinched the presidency, the laid-back establishments have been buzzing with excitement, pride and purpose. Cabbies finishing their shifts greet each other with hugs and high-fives. Barflies are glued to televised replays of Obama's victory speech. In the buzz of Amharic chatter, every other words seems to be "Obama."

"He's a descendant of Africa, like we are, so this means a great deal to all of us. But it's not only because he's black. It's because of his message and his example," said Donato Spinaci, an Ethiopian restaurant owner in the District who hosted several fundraisers for Obama's campaign. "This election will open the door for all Americans, from every country, to become whatever they want."

At Hailu Dama's cafe and bakery on Columbia Pike, a social hub for Arlington County's Ethiopian American community, last week's election-night partying lasted until dawn, and the ebullient mood has continued.

"This has electrified our community like nothing I have ever seen," said Dama, who came to the United States from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 30 years ago and is one of Arlington's best-known immigrant entrepreneurs. "For the past eight years, America's beacon of hope has grown dimmer and dimmer, but suddenly it seems brighter. We can't stop celebrating."

As sons and daughters of Africa, Ethiopian immigrants said, they had a special reason to savor the victory of Obama, whose father was Kenyan. More than 20,000 Ethiopian emigres live in the Washington area, along with thousands of their U.S.-born children. Many are longtime refugees who have become U.S. citizens. Immigrants from neighboring Eritrea and Somalia are also numerous and increasingly engaged in local politics.

In the summer, Spinaci and other African-born restaurant owners hosted fundraising events for Obama, contributing thousands to his campaign. A local group was formed, Ethiopians for Obama, which led campaign caravans to neighboring states and posted a promotional video on YouTube in Amharic.

"Many of us came to this country seeking freedom from dictatorship. We love democracy, but we never dreamed we would see an African American win the presidency," said Binyam Yinesu, 49, a regular at Dama's cafe who co-manages a gourmet shop in Alexandria. "Now, maybe America will have a foreign policy that does not help dictatorships in countries like mine."

Ethiopia has been embroiled in decades of violent conflict, often involving Somalia and Eritrea, that has resulted in several million deaths and prompted hundreds of thousands to leave their country. In the past, U.S. administrations related to the region largely through the prism of anti-communism, propping up ruthless allied regimes, critics say.
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/11/AR200811...

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7.
Former IRA militant to testify in deportation case
By Christopher Sherman
The Associated Press, November 13, 2008

Raymondville, TX (AP) -- A former IRA militant trying to avoid deportation and the loss of the life he built over the past 25 years in the United States is set to testify in his federal immigration hearing.

Pol Brennan, 55, was a convicted member of the Irish Republican Army sentenced to 16 years in a prison near Belfast, Northern Ireland, for carrying a bomb in his car. He and 37 other prisoners escaped from the notorious Maze Prison in 1983 and, using an alias, he made his way to the Bay Area of Northern California in 1984 where he has lived ever since.

Brennan will try to convince U.S. Immigration Judge William Peterson on Thursday that he should be granted political asylum or permanent immigration status allowing him to remain in the country.

Brennan has said that deportation would expose him to retaliation in his homeland where Catholics and Protestants now share power, but deep-seeded tensions persist. It would also leave his wife Joanna Volz, who is also expected to testify Thursday, in a difficult spot.

"The guys who have been brought back have suffered pretty severe beatings," Volz told The Associated Press this summer.

Asked what she would do if Brennan were deported, Volz did not have an immediate answer. She noted that her 87-year-old mother lives here and she has grandchildren on the West coast. She quit her job in California to stay in Texas where Brennan has been detained since his arrest in January.
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http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/6109723.html