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Index of Monthly Archives of Immigration Headlines: March 2002
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USA
Lord
of the Right 03/31/02
Politics makes strange bedfellows when there is a common enemy like terrorists
or immigrants. Democratic Senator Robert Byrd is holding back on senate action
with the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act, making friends
with some right-wing conservatives who traditionally oppose immigration in most
forms. The bill helps improve border security and is backed by Democrats as
well as Republicans. Read this viewpoint from The Wall Street Journal.
Marriage Office Gets Tough on Immigrants 03/30/02
With new concerns about national security, the Philadelphia Marriage License
Bureau is now checking immigration papers and refusing to grant marriage
licenses for people who may be undocumented. Some immigration advocates say the
new practice violates basic human rights and many view it as anti-immigrant,
pointing out that these clerks are not even trained in INS procedure and are
thus flying blind on the matter. The Philadelphia Inquirer has details.
Don't Wobble on Immigration 03/30/02
America's
current war against terrorism is also a war to save our Western civilization.
Looking at U.N. projections, Europe, for
example, has begun de-populating, with a fertility rate below the level that is
needed to keep the population at a zero-growth level. The United States would find themselves
in a similar situation, if it weren't for immigrants who keep the growth-rate
up, according to The Washington
Post.
U.S. Immigrants Facing
Barriers to Homeownership, Study Finds 03/29/02
In California, as in other states, there's a home ownership gap between natives
and immigrants. And it's widening because immigrants often have fewer skills
and less education, which means less pay. In addition they have no home equity
from previous homes, and no or little credit history. Many immigrants are
moving out of cities, where homes are cheaper. Still, politicians have the
challenge of helping assimilate immigrants in cities as well. The LA Times reports. Should politicians help?
Coast Guard
Repatriates 244 Haitians From Two Boats 03/29/02
U.S. Coast Guard crews found two dangerously overcrowded boats filled with 244
illegal Haitian immigrants. The Haitians had been en route to the United States
and were returned to their homeland on Friday. From Reuters
via Yahoo.
INS Action Ruled a
Violation of Whistle-Blower Protections 03/29/02
After complaining about a lack of security along the
northern border, two border agents were demoted and penalized. Responsible for
the disciplinary actions, the INS is apparently in violation of the federal
whistle blower protection laws and it isn't the first time. Apparently the
agency believes no employees should speak out against it, but those who have
maintain that their oath is to protect the United
States, not the INS. Details from the Washington Post.
Ashcroft Sees New, Improved Immigration
Agency 03/28/02
In a swearing-in ceremony for new U.S. citizens in Miami Beach, Attorney
General John Ashcroft told reporters that the INS
will improve vastly, due to the splitting of the agency into an enforcement
department and a service department, resulting in "an INS that we won't
recognize from today's INS." (Guide's note: We hope this true, it's been talked about for a long time now). Reuters/Yahoo.
Immigrant Service Tightens Belt 03/28/02
The Foreign-born Information and Referral Network, a nonprofit organization
working to help immigrants start anew in the United States, is struggling with
a $50,000 deficit. It's the most difficult position the organization has been
in in all its 20 years, and means that a new budget
is in order if the agency is to remain in tact. Sunspot has details.
Court Denies Back Pay
to Fired Illegal Immigrants 03/28/02
A ruling by the Supreme Court yesterday determined that employers who hire
illegal immigrants and unlawfully fire them, were not committed to award backpay. "[A]llowing the
board to award backpay to illegal aliens would unduly
trench upon explicit statutory prohibitions critical to federal immigration
policy," Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist
stated in the opinion for the court. From The Washington Post.
See also: High Court Ruling Hurts Union Goals of Immigrants Los Angeles Times / Court rules for firm in
illegal worker's firing San
Francisco Chronicle / Immigrant workers may
suffer under ruling Denver Post
INS to Put Tanzanian
Scouts in Foster Care 03/28/02
Four Tanzanian teenagers who defected from a Boy Scouts camp last summer, then
detained by the INS, will be put into a foster home. The boys' attorney, Andrew
Morton, said that "their initial detention was wrong", and that
"this [placement] should have happened a long time ago." The INS had
been working hard on finding a foster family that could speak their language.
Details from The Washington Post.
Couple Sentenced For
Enslaving Illegal Immigrant 03/27/02
Federal judge Alexander Williams Jr. sentenced Louisa Satia,
36, and Kevin Nanji, 41, to nine years in prison for
enslaving a girl from Cameroon. The couple made the teenager
work around the clock and take care of their three young children,
without paying her. The judge also ruled that the couple has to pay their
victim $105,306, an estimate of what Satia and Nanji owed their servant. The Washington Post.
Congressmen Protest
INS Treatment of Retarded Boy 03/27/02
More trouble for the Immigration and Naturalization
Service: The heads of the House of Representatives human rights caucus
addressed their concern about a 17-year-old refugee from Guinea, who is
mentally retarded, in a letter to INS commissioner James Ziglar.
The refugee has been held in an adult jail for 15 months, a facility inadequate
to the boy's condition. More from Reuters/Yahoo.
More on this: U.S.
Weighs the Fate of Child Immigrants NY Times (registration req'd)
Four Accused of Duping
Immigrants 03/27/02
In an investigation dubbed "Operation
Charade," federal investigators arrested a team of four, accused of
charging immigrants money for staged naturalization ceremonies with fake
judges. In good old Hollywood manner, one of
the four, John Patrick Bradley, wore a judge's robe and lead the believing
immigrants in the Pledge of Alliance. Some of the victims, mostly Korean and Filipine nationals, paid as much as $25,000, according to
the Associated Press.
Judge Says N.J. Can't
Hide ID's of People in Custody 03/27/02
Superior Court Judge Arthur D'Italia ruled yesterday
that the state of New Jersey
cannot keep secret the identities of detainees suspected of terrorism. Arthur
Spitzer of the American Civil Liberties Union in Washington, D.C.,
said ''we are delighted that the judge recognized the public interest and the
deep historic tradition of disclosing the names of the people the government
has thrown in jail.'' The Boston Globe.
Do we have a right to know?
Papers Push for INS
Case Access 03/27/02
Ann Arbor Muslim activist Rabih Haddad's deportation
hearings have been held behind closed doors, in accordance with a memo by U.S. chief
immigration judge Michael Creppy. The memo, ordered
by Attorney General John Ashcroft and issued on
September 21st last year, bars the public, including family members and the
press, from attending immigration hearings that are part of the terrorism
probe. Several newspapers sued Ashcroft and his
representatives, reports the Detroit
Free Press.
US Offers to Take Vietnam Refugees 03/26/02
The Montagnards, hill-tribe people from the
Vietnamese highlands, have fled to Cambodia last year, after the
military invaded the area as a response to religious and political unrest. The United States, represented by Kent Wiedemann, U.S.
ambassador in Cambodia,
offered to take in these ethnic minority refugees. Vietnamese officials said
they were unaware of such an offer. Story courtesy of BBC
News.
INS Holds 25 at
Airports 03/26/02
25 service workers, employed at the San Francisco and San Jose International
Airports, have been arrested by federal authorities on grounds of immigration
violations. More than half of them have a criminal record, including child
molestation and weapons violations; eleven of them are illegal immigrants.
These arrests are part of the INS' "Operation Tarmac," a nationwide
sweep of airports. Details from the San Francisco
Chronicle.
Reich Is Right On This Issue 03/25/02
The State Department under the direction of Otto Reich has proposed to deny
visas to corrupt Latin-American officials. This new measure prevents officials,
who have been convicted of money laundering, corruption or other wrongdoing,
from entering the United States,
where they "shouldn't get golden retirements in Miami Beach or Palm Beach," according to
the Sun Sentinel.
Detainees Discover New
Lives at Waurika Immigration Center 03/25/02
Inside the walls of an INS detainee camp in Oklahoma: this article
describes the life of an international crowd of detainees who have learned to
respect each other and the community they live in. Shipped to this camp from
all over the United States,
it has become a popular place among detainees, due to the respect shown by the
staff and its selection of educational programs. The Oklahoman reports.
Justice Dept. to Probe
New INS Visa Error 03/25/02
More trouble for the INS: The Justice Department under
the direction of Attorney General John D. Ashcroft is
investigating the latest blunder of this now infamous agency. Four Pakistani
crewmen were granted a visa waiver which allowed them to come ashore- a
mistake, since they all have disappeared. More from The
Washington
Post.
NY Times Readers: Migrants to U.S. Are a
Major Resource for Mexico 03/25/02 - free registration/fee for archives: Every month, millions
of Mexicans working in the United States are sending money orders to their
families in Mexico. This steady flow of remittances amounts to over $9.3
billion a year and constitutes Mexico's
third-largest income source.
NY Times Readers: The Rube Goldberg Agency 03/24/02 - free registration/fee
for archives: In the ongoing debate about how to restructure the Immigration
and Naturalization Service, many immigration experts demand a radical change,
which would include an electronic tracking system, capable of following an
individual's immigration process from A to Z.
See also: INS Hell The Daily Camera / Reinvent
the INS Miami
Herald / Reforming the INS Minneapolis Star Tribune
House Panel
Agrees On Plan to Split INS 03/22/02
Following the debate about reforming the Immigration and Naturalization Service
(INS), Lawmakers on the House Judiciary Committee agreed on a proposal to divide
the agency in two. The proposal would create a split between administrative and
enforcement functions, including two separate budgets. From
the Washington Post.
More on this: Bush plans super-agency to improve US-border control Christian
Science Monitor Border
security has knotty ramifications Philadelphia
Inquirer.
Bush Offers Border
Security Plan for U.S.-Mexico 03/21/02
On his four-day trip through South America, President Bush stopped at the
U.S.-Mexican border and announced his new security plan that will "weed
out those who we don't want in our country, the terrorists, the coyotes, the
smugglers, those who prey on innocent life." Reuters / Yahoo
More on this: Bush, Fox to Unveil Border Accord Chicago Tribune / Bush
Unveils U.S.-Mexico Border Plan Washington Post / Bush Touts 'Smart'
Border for the U.S. and Mexico Los Angeles Times / An Immigration
Bargain Boston Globe / Bush Details Border Plan With Mexico Chicago Tribune / Bush, Fox Taking
Positive Steps Atlanta
Journal-Constitution
Mexican Expatriates
Want Ability to Vote, Seek Office 03/21/02
A delegation of Mexican expatriates went to Mexico this week in order to lobby
for their right to vote and run in Mexican elections. The delegation's main
goal is to persuade the Mexican government to register the millions of Mexicans
abroad and to create polling stations, mainly in the U.S., but also in other countries. The Los Angeles Times reports.
President is Trying to
Hijack H-1B Fees Meant for Tech Training 03/20/02
A compromise reached in congress two years ago is threatened by President
Bush's budget for 2003. The compromise included the doubling of temporary work
visas for skilled high-tech workers, with a doubling of the visa fee. This
additional money was intended for training of U.S. high tech workers, but the
administration wants to use it for speeding up green-card processing. From San Jose
Mercury News.
NY Times Readers: From Ancient Days, a Tasty New Year 03/21/02 - free registration/fee
for archives: At 2:16 p.m. yesterday, the Persian New Year started with a
chilling rain instead of a warm spring sunshine. Newruz
is the ancient celebration of the beginning of spring.
U.S. Plans to Interview Even More Foreigners 03/21/02
No, the U.S.
government is not looking for new employees, but is extending their
investigation into terrorism by interviewing an additional 3000 visitors from
mainly Arab countries. James Zogby, head of the
Arab-American Institute in Washington,
D.C., calls this "a
stunt." From the Detroit
Free Press.
See also: Justice Dept. Wants to Query More Foreigners NY Times / 3,000
Newcomers to the U.S. to be Sought for Interviews Baltimore
Sun / U.S. Plans to Query More New Arrivals Washington Post
Fresh Grilling for Muslims in US Radio Netherlands
IRS Seminars, IDs Help
Illegal Immigrants Pay US Taxes 03/20/02
Thousands of illegal immigrants are flocking to IRS seminars, where they
learn how to become legal U.S. taxpayers. Many illegal immigrants have been
using an individual taxpayer identification number, in lack of a social
security number, an activity quietly supported by the IRS. Story published in
the Christian Science Monitor.
U.S. Immigration Policies: From the
Absurd to the Ridiculous 03/20/02
A comment on the recent debates around immigration and terrorism. From the Pioneer Press.
Wedge Out Immigrant-Bashing 03/20/02
Since September 11th, immigrant bashers have experienced a rise in acceptance
among the public. Closing our borders to new immigrants and closing our minds
to the issue of what to do with the estimated 8 million illegal immigrants
doesn't make sense says the LA Times.
INS May Limit Visitors
To 30 Days in the U.S. 03/20/02
INS head James Ziglar said yesterday his agency is
considering limiting foreign visitors visas to 30 day stays in the USA. The Washington
Post.
More on this: INS suggests 30-day foreign visits San Francisco Chronicle
Arrest of Foreign
Workers at Logan Hit 03/20/02
Twenty Logan International
Airport employees are
facing federal charges for lying on applications for their low-wage jobs. Union
officials and civil rights advocates say this is focusing on the wrong people,
on the nation's favorite whipping boys, the immigrants. Report from The Boston
Globe.
Congressional Critics
Blast U.S. Immigration Chief 03/19/02
"I consider your organization today to be worse than useless," said
Rep. Darrell Issa, a California Republican, to INS
commissioner James Ziglar. Ziglar
took a lot of heat at a hearing in front of a panel of the House of
Representatives Judiciary Committee. Reuters / Yahoo.
See also: Lawmakers put INS chief in hot seat San Francisco Chronicle / INS
Commissioner Defends Agency Associated Press / INS chief blames visa mess on
old technology CNN
Popularity of Mexico
Consulate ID Up 03/19/02
After September 11th, security has become an important issue for most people.
Mexican nationals living in the United States
are increasingly seeking identification cards issued by Mexican consulates.
More agencies are recognizing the cards as valid identification, allowing the
holders to open bank accounts or to identify themselves to police in several
states in the Southwest. Critics say this card rewards illegals,
since they are granted to both legal and illegal immigrants. From
the Associated Press.
More on this: Mexican ID is ticket to US mainstream Christian Science
Monitor Does this promote more illegal immigration?
UAE Rejects Al-Najjar's Request for Residency 03/19/02
The stateless Palestinian Mazen
Al-Najjar has been rejected by the United Arab Emirates
in his request for residency. Linked to terrorism but never charged with a
crime, he has been sitting in jail since a federal appeals court in Atlanta gave its o.k. to
a final deportation order against him last November. By St. Petersburg
Times.
Bush Advisers Propose
Merger of Border Agencies 03/19/02
The Bush administration recommends the merging of U.S. Customs Service, U.S.
Border Patrol and Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). Supporters
believe that streamlining the tasks of these three agencies would make it more
efficient by cutting out overlapping functions. According to White House
spokesman Ari Fleischer,
President Bush is reviewing the plan. From Reuters / Yahoo.
More on this: Bush Poised to Back New Border Agency Washington Post / Bush
Urged to Merge Border Agencies Associated Press / Bush Leans Toward New Agency
to Control Who and What Enters NY Times.
More Immigration Still
is a Bad Idea 03/18/02
One of the issues on President Bush's agenda this week will be immigration
concessions to Mexican immigrants, when he meets Mexican President Vicente Fox
this week. Apparently, some people believe that Bush's concessions are based on
recent successes against drug gangs by the Mexicans. Reported
by The San Diego Union-Tribune.
Melting Pot Goes
Suburban 03/18/02
Melting pots are increasingly created in the suburbs, moving away from the
city. Take Middlesex County for instance, a suburb of Boston. Thousands of Brazilian
immigrants flock to this suburb, bypassing Boston for several reasons: the city is
expensive, has not enough parking spaces, but plenty of cockroaches. The
Boston Globe has details.
Fitting in: Somalis in
Minnesota 03/17/02
Heykal Abdi is not the only
one who left his homeland Somalia and came over in a cargo ship, hidden in a
closet where some food and water was handed to him once a day. Fleeing the
civil war and seeking a better life in the United
States, thousands have sought refuge in Minnesota. From the Minneapolis
Star Tribune.
INS Student Visa
System in Disarray 03/17/02
Following the INS incident that made headlines in the past few days (see
article below, "Dead 9-11 Terror Suspects Get Visas"), other INS
failures and shortcomings are being discovered. A review by the Chicago
Tribune states that schools authorized by the U.S. Immigration and
Naturalization Service to issue I-20 forms-which confirm the student's
acceptance at a particular institution-are not being kept track of by the
agency. Several of the schools reviewed by the Tribune no longer exist
or, as in one case, have been turned into a parking lot, but nevertheless these
institutions still figure as active in the INS' files. Reported
by the Chicago
Tribune.
More on this: A Red Alert? INS Should be Mighty Embarrassed / Heads Must
Roll Over INS Snafu / Hijackers Visa Fiasco Points Up
INS Woes
INS on Long Slide
Before Visa Fiasco 03/17/02
To politicians, lawyers and other professionals it is not news that the
Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) is an agency plagued with an
inefficient, slow-moving and outdated bureaucracy. The INS' fame has lately
been based on its lack of control of illegal and criminal immigrants, a
population that has soared to 8 million. The Los Angeles
Times reports.
Agency Makes Staff
Changes Over Hijacker Visas 03/15/02
The widespread criticism fired at the INS, after the agency sent visa approval
letters to the September 11th terrorist flight school, caused some personnel
changes. Although no INS employees were fired, four people were moved to other
jobs within the Justice Department. From Reuters/Yahoo.
NY Times Readers: Long Resistant, Police Now Start
Embracing Immigration Enforcement 03/15/02 - free registration/fee for archives: Most local
police departments have been concentrating on fighting crime and avoided
tracking down illegal immigrants in the past, in order to build trust in ethnic
neighborhoods. This attitude has changed since September 11th, and many police
departments say they want to enforce immigration law and improve national
security.
An Unusual Advocate Tries Pitch in Mexico 03/15/02
In order to lobby for immigrants rights, Orange County (CA) resident Carlos Olamendi will meet Mexican President Vicente fox this week.
Olamendi advocates for the right to vote in Mexican
elections and to be able to cross the border freely. His role models are Ronald
Reagan and George W. Bush, and he opposes government assistance. The Los Angeles
Times.
NY Times Readers: Agency Finds Itself Under Siege,
With Many Responsibilities and Many Critics 03/15/02 - free registration/fee for archives: The
INS blunder (see article below, "Dead 9-11 Terror Suspects Get
Visas") sparked angry reactions among both parties who vocalized their
demand that the INS be renewed or even eliminated. Being one of the fastest
growing agencies, the INS has an antiquated computer system, a tremendous backlog
in processing the paperwork, and conflicting competencies.
Immigration Policy,
Not Politics
03/14/02
"Questionable on at least three counts" is the bill passed this week
by the House of Representatives that allows illegal immigrants to apply for
permanent residency in the U.S.,
critics say. Granting illegal immigrants this kind of temporary amnesty means
"allowing US
immigration policy to be dictated by ethnic groups and their supporting
business interests," according to the Christian Science Monitor.
NY Times Readers: Bush Orders Inquiry Into Visas
Granted to Terrorists After Attack 03/14/02 - free registration/fee for archives: A
"wake-up call for those who run the I.N.S." were the President's
words at yesterdays news conference to describe the embarrassing incident that
made headlines yesterday (see article below, "Dead 9-11 Terror Suspects
Get Visas"). Although widely known as the September 11th terrorist
suspects from countless pictures on TV and in print, the visa approvals for
Mohamed Atta and Marwan Al-Shehhi were routinely processed by the INS.
Hundreds of Arabs
Still Detained in U.S. Jails 03/13/02
According to human rights advocates, hundreds of Arabs are still in U.S. jails, detained
on charges for immigration violations or "possible terrorist
connections," says the U.S. Department of Justice, who refuses to issue a
list with the names and the number of detainees. From Reuters/Yahoo.
Dead 9-11 Terror
Suspects Get Visas
03/13/02
Visa approval notices for Mohamed Atta and Marwan Al-Shehhi arrived on
Monday at Huffman Aviation school, the terror suspects' 'training ground.' Monday,
March 11th marked the 6 month anniversary of the terror attacks, where Atta and Al-Shehhi navigated the
two planes used to strike the World
Trade Center
towers. Reported by AP/Yahoo.
House Allows Illegal
Immigrants Leeway
03/13/02
A bill proposing that illegal immigrants be allowed to apply for permanent
residency in the U.S., for a nominal fee and with a sponsor, passed the House
yesterday. Despite hardened opposition among Republicans to more lax
immigration laws, President Bush's success with this issue paves the way for
compromises in his upcoming meeting with Mexican President Vicente Fox. More from the Washington
Post.
House Weighs Plan on
Partial Amnesty 03/12/02
In the aftermath of September 11th, immigration reform
hasn't been on top of the list of the congress' issues. The bill, which is
backed by the president and is expected to be approved by the House today,
would allow illegal immigrants to stay in the U.S. if they pay a $1,000 fee and
apply for residency by November 30th. The Los Angeles Times.
NY Times Readers: U.S. and Canada Unite to Secure
Open Portal
03/11/02 - free registration/fee for archives: After a robbery of a U.S. bank
near the Canadian border, the joint effort of law enforcement on both sides
lead to the arrest of the culprit. Although the sealing of the 4,000-mile
border from any terrorists or other criminals is considered impossible, the
newly increased exchange of secret information will help to narrow the
wide-open portal.
NY Times Readers: More Insulted and Attacked After
September 11
03/11/02 - free registration/fee for archives: Racial slurs, threatening phone
calls and even homicides against Asian-Americans increased in the three months
following September 11th, according to a report by an advocacy group. In these
incidents, immigrants from South Asia were
often incorrectly perceived as Arabs or Muslims. Verbal and
physical assaults occurred at the workplace and among students, says the
report.
New Hope on Immigrant Amnesty 03/10/02
The 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act disqualified thousands from
applying for amnesty. Their brief absences from the U.S., often to support ill family
members or to celebrate Christmas in their home countries, were taken without
INS permission and therefore unlawful. Advocates say it is unfair to punish
those who contributed to our economy for decades, while critics maintain that
there should be no reward for breaking the law. The Los Angeles
Times.
U.S., Canada Forge
Closer Customs Cooperation 03/08/02
An agreement between the U.S.
and Canada
has been reached whereby joint customs posts at five major ports will be
created in an effort to boost security and anti-terrorism measures. Reported by Reuters/Yahoo.
Defense May Limit
Foreign IT Labor
03/07/02
The U.S. Department of Defense is working on plans which, if approved, would
greatly limit foreign workers from participating in any computer-related
projects. The proposal has sparked continued debate over foreign high-tech
workers and the companies that hire them. From CNET.com.
Lawsuit Filed on Behalf of Detainees 03/06/02
326 people remain in custody in the post 9/11
anti-terrorism sweep that targeted illegal immigrants from Muslim countries.
Civil rights groups are fighting to prevent hearings and detainee information
from remaining secret. AP/Yahoo.
Plan to Have Police In Florida Help INS Stirs Rights Debate 03/06/02
The pilot project that will be bestowing some local Floridian police officers
with the power to arrest illegal immigrants represents a cross-over between
federal and local law enforcement agencies. Many fear
that a new fear of the police will emerge that could lead to a dangerous
subculture of crime. The Washington Post has details. Is this a good
solution?
Under One Roof 03/06/02
In one plan to consolidate border security, the Coast Guard, U.S. Border
Patrol, the Customs Service and the Immigration and Naturalization Service
would unite as one entity. But not before facing a great deal of resistance
from these individual agencies. Nevertheless, it should be done says this op/ed
from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
A New Dragnet for Illegal Workers 03/06/02
Illegal immigrants who once did many low-level jobs without much consequence
are being arrested by the dozen, especially when they are working in secure
areas of airports. Some point out that they have still done something illegal,
while others think the penalties are too severe. The new sweeps are a result of
the national security clamp down after September's terrorist attacks. From the Christian Science Monitor. What
better solutions are there?
U.S., Mexico Work to Improve Border Security 03/06/02
Agents in southern California
have discovered a 1,200-foot tunnel under the U.S./Mexico border. It's purpose: trafficking of cocaine and other illegal drugs
into the U.S.
New cooperation between the governments is in the works to help get a hold of
the situation. More from the Chicago Tribune. Creative solutions?
U.S. Works to Secure Southern Border 03/06/02
A plan to increase border security by having both the U.S. and Mexico use
"technology and data sharing to boost security and trade" at the same
time, has but one flaw: Mexico may not be able to foot its end of the bill. The Los Angeles
Times. What low tech options are there?
Ridge Calls Security At Border 'Outdated' 03/06/02
Tom Ridge,
the U.S. director of
homeland security says that security along the shared U.S./Mexico border
"is just not good enough anymore," reports the Washington Post. What next?
NY Times Readers: Border Agents on Lookout for
Terrorists Are Finding Drugs 03/06/02 - free registration / fee to read archives:
"Mothers, fathers, grandmothers, even kids" are coming across the
border with illegal drugs, and with heightened security at the borders, more
and more of them are getting caught.
State to Help With Immigrant Arrests
03/05/02
While only federal agents could deal with unlawful immigrants in the past, an
unprecedented plan is about to be unleashed in which Florida law enforcement will have the
authority to detain illegals on civil charges (as
opposed to just criminal charges). Presumably, if the plan goes smoothly, the
same will be extended to all states eventually. From
AP/Yahoo. Do you think it will work?
Unfortunate Fallout of
Terrorist Actions
03/05/02
Bona fide immigrants from the Middle East, Far East and Asia may never reach
the shores of North America with the new
security measures involved in refugee and asylum cases. From Gulf
News.
In Nation of
Immigrants, Denying Licenses Unfair 03/05/02
William Flory, the assistant director of legislative
affairs for ACLU Michigan conveys his thoughts in the Detroit Free Press.
Insisting that the proposal to deny illegals the
right to drive will be costly and ineffective, he points to the backlogged,
changeable and transitional factors involved in immigration status. DMV workers
will have to become immigration experts, he argues, stressing that this country
is a nation of immigrants and owes some allegiance.
U.S., Mexicans
Consider Express Route 03/05/02
Government officials from the U.S. and Mexico are considering a "fast
lane" at the border, so that low-risk, pre-approved crossers from both
countries can avoid the tediously long post 9/11 lines. AP/Yahoo.
NY Times Readers: African Boys Languishing in Custody of the I.N.S.
03/04/02 - free registration / fee to read archives: Last July, four Tanzanian
teenagers left the Boy Scout jamboree they were attending in Virginia. The parents of the boys want them
in foster care so they can remain in the States. The INS is fighting to deport
them. In the meantime, they remain in a detention facility.
Stiffer Border
Security Has Put the Livelihoods of Many Mexicans at Risk 03/04/02
A few months ago things were looking good for Mexicans as their president
pushed for many U.S. immigration, tourism and border laws that would help his
people. But after 9/11, interests shifted and security concerns changed
everything. Who is to blame? The "damn Arabs," according to one recently deported Mexican in an interview with Time.
NY Times Readers: Bangladeshis Hold Suburban Dream Together, Without
Buttons 03/03/02
- free registration / fee to read archives: Regional story. One neighborhood
teaming with immigrants from Bangladesh
has lost the button factory that supported nearly all of them, but their will
and determination to find new means persists.
USDA Cancels J Waiver
Program for IMGs 03/01/02
"On March 1, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it had
suddenly terminated it’s program permitting
International Medical Graduates (IMGs) who have
completed medical residencies and/or fellowships in the U.S. to
practice in medically-underserved rural areas in exchange for a waiver of the
home residency requirement." From the Law Offices of
Carl Shusterman.com.
Also see Senator Brownback's letter in protest.
Concerned?
NY Times Readers: Migrants From Afar See Mexico as
Steppingstone to U.S.
03/01/02 - free registration / fee to read archives: Illegal immigration of
Mexicans is old news, but a new trend is surfacing: immigrants from all around
the world are going to Mexico as an easy stepping stone into the USA, as
evidenced by the recent interception of smuggling boat from Mexico that turned
up a huge number of illegal immigrants from the middle east.
Bill Would Aid Kids Immigrating Without Adult 03/01/02
Testifying before a Senate panel that might help underage illegal immigrants
receive treatment more suitable for their ages (see story below), 15 year old
Edwin Munoz recounted his abandonment by his parents when he was 7, the abuse
he suffered at the hands of a cousin and his escape to the U.S. at age 13. But
the most harrowing part of his tale was yet to come. In the USA he was
thrown into a juvenile facility with many violent offenders and his suffering
worsened. From the Los
Angeles Time. Should minors
get special protection?
Agents, Not Troops 03/01/02
An editorial in the Buffalo News asks why the
government doesn't simply hire more border patrol agents if it is going to go
to the expense and trouble of deploying military troops to the border anyway.
International ~ Recent
Canada
Immigrant
Population Tops births as Growth Rate Slows
03/17/02
For the first time since World War II, Canada's
immigration population's birth rate outpaces the one of the natural population.
According to the latest census, the population has grown almost 1.2 million
from five years earlier. From The St. Petersburg Times.
Overseas
MPs See
Tunnel Security Breached - 03/28/02
150 asylum seekers invaded a freight train in Calais,
destined for Great Britain
via the Eurotunnel. The incident halted the tunnel
traffic for more than three hours, an embarrassment for SNCF, the French state rail operator. The same day, a coach load
of politicians and transport executives visited the area and witnessed the
refugees jumping over the fence. The Guardian reports.
Open-Door Policies Are
Slamming Shut 03/20/02
A harsher wind for immigrants is not only blowing in
the USA, but also among
countries in Europe. Although Denmark has been regarded as one of the most
tolerant countries for immigration, the newly elected conservative government
is about to adopt one of Europe's most
restrictive policies. From USA Today.
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