Immigration report: no rush across border to give birth

USA Today reports that a new report by the Pew Hispanic Center found that the majority of illegally present immigrants who had children in the United States in 2010 had entered the country several years earlier.  350,000 babies were born between March 2009 and March 2010 to at least one illegally present immigrant, 91% of whom had arrived in the U.S. before 2008.  A spokeswoman from the Center for American Progress argued that this data dispels the notion that birthright citizenship is a major motive for illegally present immigrants. 

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-02-03-anchor03_ST_N.htm

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Alabama senator says ‘empty the clip’ remark did not advocate violence

The Associated Press reports that Alabama State Senator Scott Beason said it’s time to ‘empty the clip’ when speaking about immigration to the Cullman County Republican Club.  Critics called the comment insensitive in light of the recent shooting in Tucson, Arizona in which six people were killed and thirteen wounded by a gunman using a pistol with a 33-round clip.  Beason claims the remark was not meant to advocate violence, but rather demonstrate that a wide array of government action is necessary to solve the nation’s immigration problem.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/02/08/ap/national/main7330263.shtml

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USCIS: Attention Former Tri-Valley University Students

USCIS announced that the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) terminated the records of all F-1 students enrolled at Tri-Valley University (TVU) as of January 18, 2011.  For questions, call the SEVP Response Center at 703-603-3400.  You should be prepared to provide the following information when you call:

·         First and last name

·         SEVIS ID#

·         Mailing address

·         Telephone number and e-mail address

·         Dates of attendance at TVU

·         Level and Major of study at TVU

http://www.ice.gov/sevis/tri-valley-110118.htm

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USCIS to issue new card for adjustment of status applicants

USCIS announced that it is now issuing employment and travel authorization on a single card for certain applicants filing an Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, Form I-485.  The card looks similar to the current Employment Authorization Document (EAD) but will include text that reads, “Serves as I-512 Advance Parole.”  A card with this text will serve as both employment authorization and Advance Parole document.  More information about the card can be found in the following Q&A: EAD and Advance Parole card Questions and Answers

USCIS

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Sandstrom revises immigration bill

The Salt Lake Tribune reports that Rep. Stephen Sandstrom proposed changes to Utah House Bill 70, an immigration enforcement bill.  The change would give local police discretion whether to run immigration status checks on people detained for minor offenses.  By offering police this choice, Sandstrom hopes to lower the cost of enforcement that was estimated to between $5.3 million and $11.3 million.  The bill allows law enforcement to run status checks on those pulled over for Class B or C misdemeanors.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/51230850-76/xgrimmigration.html.csp

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New Mexico House panel shelves immigrant license revocation

The Associated Press reports that the New Mexico House Labor and Human Resources Committee rejected a proposal to revoke the driver’s license of illegally present immigrants.  The measure was seen as an alternative to repealing a 2003 law that allows illegally present immigrants to get driver’s licenses.  Committee chairman Rep. Miguel Garcia says that law has helped reduce the rate of uninsured drivers in the state.

http://www.necn.com/02/10/11/House-panel-shelves-immigrant-license-re/landing_politics.html?&blockID=3&apID=58c1f5e3c07645b9a4c5756c9a264420

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Immigration enforcement bill dies in Colorado

Fox News Latino reports Colorado State Rep. Randy Baumgardner will back off House Bill 1107, an Arizona-style immigration bill that he sponsored that would have allowed police to arrest illegally present immigrants if they had probable cause to suspect they were in the country illegally.  Baumgardner cited potential costs to taxpayers resulting from ensuing litigation if the bill were passed.  Although Baumgardner effectively killed this legislation, a similar bill is still alive in the Colorado Senate.

http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2011/02/10/arizona-style-immigration-die-colorado

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Arizona bill brings hospitals into immigration fray

Politico reports that Republican state legislators in Arizona are proposing a bill that would require hospitals to check a patient’s immigration status.  Doctors and others in the medical industry fear the bill will deter some immigrants from seeking care and will prevent them from doing their jobs by forcing them to effectively act as immigration agents.  Supports counter that the requirement would only be for non-emergency situations and that the bill would save hospitals millions of dollars they currently spend on care for illegally present immigrants.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0211/49546.html

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Oklahoma Senate panel pushes forward bill eliminating ‘birthright citizenship’

The Associated Press reports that the Oklahoma Senate Judiciary Committee approved two bills aimed at illegally present immigrants.  The first bill would deny Oklahoma citizenship to babies born to illegally present immigrants.  The second bill, dubbed ‘Arizona-plus’ by its author Republican Sen. Ralph Shortey, would not only allow police to question people about their immigration status, but would also allow police to confiscate property of illegally present immigrants.  Shortey said he added the ‘asset forfeiture’ provision to incentive police officers to enforce the law.  He also hopes the money from the sale of such property would help pay to incarcerate and prosecute illegally present immigrants.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/02/16/oklahoma-senate-panel-pushes-forward-eliminating-birthright-citizenship/

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Bill to bar illegally present immigrants in public colleges clears panel

The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that the Georgia House Higher Education Committee passed a bill that would prevent illegally present immigrants from enrolling in the state’s public colleges.  House Bill 59 would require students’ immigration status to be checked by running their names through the federal database Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlement (SAVE). 

Republican Rep. Tom Rice says he was inspired to write the bill to ensure that the children of taxpaying Georgians are not displaced by illegally present immigrants.  Erroll Davis, Chancellor of the University System of Georgia, said he has already taken the necessary steps to protect Georgia citizens, including requiring illegally present immigrants to pay out-of-state tuition.  He said the state’s education capacity is not stressed by undocumented students, with only 501 of the state’s 310,361 students classified as such.

http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/bill-to-bar-illegal-839985.html

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