Greg Siskind on Immigration Law and Policy

REID CONSIDERING DREAM ACT VOTE BEFORE ELECTION

Others have suggested this, but we're now hearing that Majority Leader Reid is looking at trying to get a DREAM Act vote before the November election. According to Roll Call (subscription required):

In an interview with La Opinion, the Nevada Democrat said he is largely leaving it up to reform advocates to tell him when a comprehensive bill is no longer viable and that the Senate should instead move to the narrower DREAM Act.

After backers of a comprehensive bill say “that they feel we cannot get [comprehensive immigration reform] done this year — and the reason why we cannot do it, it’s because we don’t have a single Republican — then I would like to figure out when can we do the DREAM Act. I would like to do it before the elections,” Reid told La Opinion.

I'm ready to tell Reid today that CIR is not viable at this point and that we should look at smaller measures - DREAM, legal immigration reform, AgJobs, etc. - in the near term. CIR will eventually be necessary, but we're farther away from the necessary votes than we've been in some time.

ACLU SUES FREMONT, NEBRASKA OVER ANTI-IMMIGRANT ORDINANCE

While there are some politicians genuinely concerned about the subject of immigration who are backing anti-immigration laws because they believe in the cause, there are many more who have jumped on the anti-immigration bandwagon to score political points (John McCain - I'm talking to you). I wonder if politicians in small towns that don't have a lot of fat in their budgets are going to re-evaluate the costs and benefits when they have to explain to constituents why they have to pay hefty fees to plaintiffs in lawsuits like this one in a small town in Nebraska. Sure Sheriff Joe will laugh off his $500,000 verdict. But I don't think others will necessarily have the same reaction.

2010 USCIS OMBUDSMAN REPORT TO CONGRESS

Here's the report from the official watchdog agency monitoring the performance of USCIS.

USCIS Ombudsman 2010 report to Congress -

BREAKING: UTAH BLACKLIST AUTHORS IDENTIFIED

No details yet, but big news. [UPDATE] Two state workers apparently illegally accessed state databases. Hope they like the way they look in an orange jumpsuit.

SENATORS PROPOSE LEGISLATION TO BAR ARIZONA LAWSUIT

The main logic seems to be that since public opinion polls show majority support for the measure, that outweighs the constitutional problems. Jim DeMint (R-SC) and David VItter (R-LA) usually are the ones harping most loudly against "activist" judges and for 2nd Amendment gun rights. So much for consistency.

SHERIFF JOE'S JURISDICTION ONLY AREA WHERE CRIME IS UP IN ARIZONA

Thanks to reader Adi for the link. Huffington Post reports on a data compiled by America's Voice showing crime in Arizona dropping dramatically across the state for most of the last decade EXCEPT for the area controlled by Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Which goes to show you that facts matter very little to Arizonans buying into the antis arguments.

"CONCERNED CITIZENS" START TURNING IN THEIR NEIGHBORS IN UTAH

For those who think that the anti-immigration groups are benign and simply want better enforcement of our immigration laws, consider what has just happened in Utah, a state that is as active as Arizona when it comes to passing anti-immigration measures, but has not been getting the same press.

State agencies are investigating whether any of their employees leaked Social Security numbers and other personal information after a list of 1,300 people who an anonymous group claims are illegal immigrants was circulated around Utah.

The anonymous group mailed the list to several media outlets, law enforcement agencies and others this week, frightening the state's Latino community. A letter accompanying the list demanded that those on it be deported immediately.

The list also contains highly detailed personal information such as Social Security numbers, birth dates, workplaces, addresses and phone numbers. Names of children are included, along with due dates of pregnant women on the list.

*****

In the April letter, the writers say their group "observes these individuals in our neighborhoods, driving on our streets, working in our stores, attending our schools and entering our public welfare buildings."

"We then spend the time and effort needed to gather information along with legal Mexican nationals who infiltrate their social networks and help us obtain the necessary information we need to add them to our list," the letter says.

This is the kind of thing you expect to hear about in a totalitarian state. Those claiming that immigrants are turning America in to a place they don't recognize might be right. But it's not because of the immigrants themselves. It's how anti-immigrant actions like this one in Utah are no longer shocking to the sensibilities of many in this country.

AUGUST VISA BULLETIN SHOWS BIG ADVANCES

Lots of positive news in the August 2010 DOS Visa Bulletin. Not sure why we're seeing big jumps but I expect we'll get an explanation soon.

Generally good news for family numbers except for Mexicans in categories other than 2A.

Family 1st - Advancement of worldwide, Dominican Republic, China and India numbers by four months to 01 AUG 2005. Mexico advances two weeks to 15 NOV 1992. The Philippines moves up four months to 01 JAN 1996.

Family 2A - Worldwide, India, China and the Philippines numbers advance eight months to 01 MAR 2009. Mexico and the Dominican Republic jump nine months to 01 MAR 2009.

Family 2B - Worldwide, Dominican Republic, India and China numbers advances eight months to 01 JAN 2004. Mexico is stalled at 15 June 1992. The Philippines advances 17 months to 01 AUG 2001.

Family 3rd - Worldwide, Dominican Republic, India and China remains jumps four months to 01 JAN 2002. Mexico is stalled at 01 MAR 1992. The Philippines jumps about one year to 01 MAY 1994.

Family 4th - Worldwide numbers, Dominican Republic, Chinese and Indian F-4 cutoff dates advance five months to 01 JUN 2001. Mexico RETROGRESSES from 01 MAR 1995 to 01 JAN 1994 stalled at 08 December 1995. The Philippines moves forward a year to 01 April 1990.

Generally good news as well in the employment categories.

Employment 1st - All categories remain current.

Employment 2nd - Worldwide, Dominican Republic, Mexico and the Philippines remain current. China and India both advance several months and are now at 01 MAR 2006.

Employment 3rd skilled/professional workers -  Worldwide, Dominican Republic, China and Filipino numbers advance ten  months to 01 JUN 2004. India advances two months to 01 JAN 2002. Mexico is still unavailable.

Employment 3rd unskilled - All numbers jump to 15 MAY 2002, an improvement of nearly a year. Mexico remains unavailable. India is at 01 JAN 2002.

Employment 4th - categories remain current.

EB-5 remains current.

REPUBLICAN HOUSE MEMBERS: WE'RE READY TO PASS IMMIGRATION REFORM

Conservatives for Comprehensive Immigration Reform (yes, there is such a group and, yes, it makes perfect sense for true, small government conservatives), had a strategy call this week. Here's a key comment from the call:

Congressman Lincoln Diaz Balart stated, “We’re ready in the House…There is a variety of thinking in both parties on this issue. Republicans have backed off in the Senate. They have not backed off in the House.”

His brother, Congressman Mario Diaz Balart continued, “This issue is, how do we get it done? Where we are today. Obama said that in his first 12 months he would pass immigration reform. We have 30 working days in the 111th Congress. That’s when Obama decides [to give a speech]. What have we seen following the speech? We need to pressure the White House and the Speaker to allow us to vote on a bill… There are Republican votes [in the House]. What we need is for the President to tell the Speaker to get this on the agenda. We could get it passed in the House… I’m pretty certain.”

COURT ORDERS SHERIFF JOE TO PAY HALF MILLION DOLLARS TO PROTESTORS

Sweet! From the Arizona Republic:

Seven political activists claiming their civil rights were violated after they were arrested and cited for protesting against Sheriff Joe Arpaio's immigration policies recently were awarded nearly $475,000 by Maricopa County.

The settlement, reached this week, was nine times more than what the county's self-insured trust had originally authorized in February, and significantly higher than what the county planned to offer just days before the settlement, according to memos obtained by The Arizona Republic.