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Legislative & Administrative Update
SB 1070 COPYCATS. Federal Judge Waddoups has temporarily barred a Utah law - similar to Arizona's anti-immigrant law, SB 1070 - from taking effect. In a lawsuit, the ACLU and other groups claimed the law would interfere with federal immigration law and lead to racial profiling. Class action lawsuits were also filed in Indiana and Georgia. [MORE]
E-VERIFY. By a 5-3 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Arizona's law penalizing businesses that hire undocumented workers. The 2007 law requires that employers use E-Verify - a federal employment verification program that has a disproportionate negative impact on APIs - or risk losing their business licenses. [MORE]
IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT. The California Assembly has passed the TRUST Act, which seeks to repair the damaging impacts of the federal Secure Communities program. [MORE]
CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT. Rep. Chu (D-CA) and other members of Congress have introduced resolutions calling on Congress to formally acknowledge and express regret for the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Laws. [MORE]
JAPANESE INTERNMENT. The U.S. Department of Justice released an unprecedented admission, admitting its mistakes in cases challenging the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. [MORE]
IMMIGRATION REFORM. In a recent speech in El Paso, TX, President Obama renewed his call for comprehensive immigration reform. [MORE]
IMMIGRANT STUDENTS. Policies benefiting DREAM Act-eligible youth have recently moved forward in seveal states. In California, the California DREAM Act has advanced, which would allow undocumented university students to apply for financial aid. The federal DREAM Act was also reintroduced. [MORE]
INDEFINITE DETENTION. The House Immigration Subcommittee recently held a hearing on a bill that would provide authority to indefinitely detain immigrants, stripping away the rights afforded by Zadvydas v. Davis, which states that immigrants who have been ordered removed cannot by imprisoned by the government for more than 6 months, if there is no reasonable likelihood that the individual will be removed. [MORE]
RIGHT TO EDUCATION. In a joint letter, the U.S. Departments of Justice and Education issued a stern warning to school districts, stating that all students, regardless of their immigration status, can enroll in public schools. [MORE]
U-VISAS. The U.S. Department of Labor has issued new protocols for certifying U-visas. [MORE]
WATCH OUT FOR:
Dream Act (House: 12 co-sponsors, Senate: 34 co-sponsors).
Reuniting Families Act (House: 77 co-sponsors).
Birthright Citizenship Act of 2011 (House: 76 co-sponsors, Senate: 4 co-sponsors).
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