Immigration Blog

Keeping the Homeland SAFE and Secure

By W.D. Reasoner, July 24, 2013

In prior blogs, I've been discussing the strengths of the "Strengthen and Fortify Enforcement (SAFE) Act", an immigration bill pending in the House of Representatives as H.R. 2278, including its commitment to legitimate interior enforcement as well as border initiatives, and the framework it establishes for improved federal-state-local cooperation where immigration law and policy are concerned. Read more...

A Clash Between Two DHS Officials Is Likely to Cast Some Light on EB-5

By David North, July 23, 2013

The Associated Press headline and lede are ominous:

Homeland Security Official Probed

President Obama's choice to be the No. 2 official at the Homeland Security Department [Alejandro Mayorkas] is under investigation for his role in helping a company secure an international investor visa for a Chinese executive, The Associated Press has learned.

Let's Pay Some Attention to Mexico's Southern Border and the OTMs

By David North, July 23, 2013

Here's an idea. Instead of adding 20,000 Border Patrol agents at our southern border, let's make that 18,000, and use the money saved for 2,000 of them to fund, say, 4,000 Mexican Border Patrolmen (or better, Mexican Marines) at their southern border. Read more...

The GOP and Immigration: Having the Courage of Your Convictions

By Stanley Renshon, July 23, 2013

Elected political leaders often confuse support with popularity. They think that espousing views that correspond to the least common denominator of public understanding and opinion is the key to political success. And, regrettably it often is, at least in the short term. Read more...

A SAFE Bet
Establishing a Cooperative Model for Federal-State-Local Relations on Immigration

By W.D. Reasoner, July 22, 2013

Establishing a Cooperative Model for Federal-State-Local Relations on Immigration

The "Strengthen and Fortify Enforcement (SAFE) Act", an immigration bill pending in the House of Representatives as H.R. 2278, is a modern marvel of legislative honesty and symmetry: it means what it says, and says what it means. Read more...

Immigration Reform Takes an Anti-American Approach When It Comes to Employment

By Ronald W. Mortensen, July 22, 2013

Based on their public comments and actions, it is clear that the business interests that support comprehensive immigration reform hold American workers in extremely low esteem and that they all too frequently take an anti-American approach when it comes to hiring and retaining workers. Read more...

A "What if..." Scenario about Congress and Immigration

By David North, July 22, 2013

What if Congress decided to give a potential free immigration pass to a group of about 250,000 aliens with limited educations?

And then Congress guessed that most of the resulting migrants would settle in four specific American jurisdictions?

And then agreed to pay for some of the financial impacts of the new migrants, but only in those four jurisdictions?

How would the four jurisdictions handle and measure the impact of the newcomers, and what else would happen? Read more...

The Australia-Papua New Guinea Refugee Resettlement Agreement
The Land of Oz Just Says "No" to Maritime Human Smuggling

By W.D. Reasoner, July 21, 2013

The Land of Oz Just Says "No" to Maritime Human Smuggling

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has just announced a unique agreement with the government of Papua New Guinea (PNG) in which boat people interdicted on the high seas headed for Australia to seek asylum will instead be shunted to processing camps in PNG. If determined to be legitimate refugees, they will be resettled there, instead of Australia. Read more...

Government Defines Video Gamers as Athletes for Immigration Purposes

By David North, July 21, 2013

USCIS has defined alien video gamers as athletes for immigration purposes in response to the pressure from lobbyists.

As humorist Dave Barry would say, "I am not making this up."

The July 16 Time headline is: "Pro Gamers Get U.S. Work Visas, Thanks to Industry Lobbyists". Read more...

The GOP and Immigration: Death by Pandering

By Stanley Renshon, July 20, 2013

Those who advise the GOP to "get right" with Hispanics by supporting the Senate's massive immigration bill never consider the downside of traducing principles in the hope of gaining votes. Perhaps it can be said of "death by pandering", as the Washington Post' Kathleen Parker suggests is the case with "principled martyrs," that, "[P]rincipled or not, you're still dead in the end."

But death by pandering strips you of both your integrity and your honor. Worse, it doesn't give you the opportunity to make your case and try to gain supporters for your perspective.

In essence, it is just giving up. Read more...