Immigration specialist is honored

We need many more people like this woman in our country. Congratulations Ms. Krouse. - - Donna Poisl

BY EARL HOLLAND • STAFF WRITER

SALISBURY -- It was 35 years ago when Leila Borrero Krouse came to the U.S. from her native Puerto Rico to study social work.

While getting her degree was one of her achievements, she had another goal in mind that she wanted to complete.

"I wanted to enhance my ability to communicate in English," she said. "Believe it or not, while English is taught in the schools in Puerto Rico, some people do not speak it and it is not practiced much."
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The GOP's census dilemma: Embrace immigration or gerrymander

States that have a large enough population increase to get more seats in Congress have to redraw their districts. These districts have many immigrants who are not happy with the GOP. This may affect the next election. - - Donna Poisl

By Edward Schumacher-Matos

Some Republicans are crowing over the 2010 Census, but any red-state gains they make will depend on two big ifs: whether the party undergoes a virtual religious conversion and supports immigrants, or it gerrymanders like mad.

Most news reports this week on the new population figures understated the size of the immigrant impact. If you add their American-born children, immigrants accounted for fully three-fourths of the nation's population growth over the past decade, and not the slightly less than half that was widely reported, based on counting the foreign-born only in the Census Bureau's parallel 2009 American Community Survey.
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Next Congress unlikely to pass DREAM Act, Republicans say

These next two years will be difficult for immigration reform, but there is always a chance. And another election. - - Donna Poisl

By Shankar Vedantam, Washington Post Staff Writer

Congressional Republicans are pronouncing President Obama's proposal that the next Congress overhaul the country's immigration laws as dead before arrival.

In his year-end news conference Wednesday, Obama said his biggest regret about the recent lame-duck session of Congress was the defeat of the DREAM Act, a measure that offered a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants brought to the country as children.
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States Hispanics Call Home See Large Population Growth

The Census results are starting to come out, and the immigrant population is having a big impact. - - Donna Poisl

By Elizabeth Llorente

States where Hispanics have settled in large numbers saw some of the highest percent changes in population growth and gained congressional seats, according to the first set of Census 2010 results, released Tuesday.

Many states in the South and West that have been magnets for Latinos saw double-digit percentage growths. The growth in those areas far outpaced the nation’s, which saw a population increase of 9.7 percent over the 2000 Census count of 281 million residents.

The new national population is 308.7 million.
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Immigration Legislation: Outlook for 2011-2012

With the change in the Congress, immigration reform will be even more difficult. But there are bright spots. - - Donna Poisl

by Carl Shusterman

Immigration legislation in Congress ended on a sour note in 2010. The DREAM Act, after narrowly passing in the House of Representatives, failed to get the necessary 60 votes in the Senate required to overcome a threatened GOP filibuster. Comprehensive immigration reform never even came to a vote in the last Congress.

What will the outlook be for immigration legislation in the 112th Congress which convenes beginning on January 3, 2011?
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Immigrants mix old and new for first Christmas in America

This very interesting article tells how immigrants from Thailand, Iraq and Haiti are celebrating Christmas in their new country. - - Donna Poisl

BY MATTHEW T. HALL AND MORGAN LEE

Christmas means many things to many people in many parts of the world. It is a glorious time, a gathering time, a gorging time. It is a spiritual and secular time.

In countries as far-flung as Thailand and Iraq and Haiti, friends and relatives will come together on Dec. 25 to celebrate the birth of Jesus — and each other.

And in the United States, people who have immigrated here from countries the world over will do the same, bringing tastes of their homelands to new homes while embracing American culture and customs.
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We won't forget - And we won't give up

from Marissa Graciosa

We won't forget
And we won't give up

On Saturday in the Senate, we saw small-minded, heartless politicians show their true colors.

In an appalling show of callousness, the Senate stopped the DREAM Act. A few Republican senators broke from their party to stand with us on the side of justice, but the rest of them voted no. Even a handful of Democrats joined them in stalling the dreams of millions.

To every single Senator who voted against deserving youth: we will not forget this.

Send a message to Senators who voted ‘no’: we’ll remember what you did. Click on the headline above.

The courageous DREAMers will continue to lead and will continue to fight. The work you’ve done to stand with them and get this far won’t be forgotten. We won’t forget who stood up for us, and we’ll definitely remember who killed the DREAM.

This battle isn’t over. Not by a long shot. Our movement will always stand together, and we’ll never stop fighting.

Inland area sees big drop in immigrants

The Census is showing that this part of California lost immigrants, probably because of the economy. - - Donna Poisl

By DAVID OLSON, The Press-Enterprise

The Inland area had among the nation's steepest declines in its immigrant population during the recession, a study released Wednesday found.

In Riverside and San Bernardino counties, the number of foreign-born residents fell by about 29,000 -- or 3.2 percent -- between 2007 and 2009, to about 883,000. The decline followed years of constant increases in the immigrant population, driven in part by the construction industry.

Other areas hit hard by the economic downturn, such as Stockton, Fresno and Providence, R.I., also saw drops, while cities with lower unemployment rates, like Seattle and Raleigh, N.C., had a continued influx of immigrants, according to the report by the Washington, D.C.-based Brookings Institution.
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The Afghans of Fremont

Afghan refugees are settling in this area, and are struggling to fit in. Mainly because they are refugees. - - Donna Poisl

by JUDITH MILLER

Anxious, uprooted—and under surveillance

The site of the Altamont Speedway, where four died and scores were injured in an infamous 1969 rock concert, isn’t far from Fremont, the largest city in Alameda County, California. But the area has changed dramatically in 40 years. The raceway itself is long gone; so are the hippies, most of the farms, and the sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll culture.

In their place, the first thing that a tourist might notice is that Fremont—along with other cities in this county just south of San Francisco Bay—now hosts enormous Indian, Pakistani, Vietnamese, and Chinese populations, as well as smaller clusters of a dozen other nationalities. In fact, this city of 217,000 is among the nation’s most ethnically and culturally diverse. Some 136 languages are spoken at home by children who attend Fremont schools, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, and white, native-born Americans constitute only 38 percent of the city’s residents.
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A melting pot stretches out to the suburbs

The Census report will probably show that many cities across the country are very similar to this city in MA, with large increases in their immigrant population. - - Donna Poisl

By Maria Sacchetti, Globe Staff

EVERETT — Ottavio’s barber shop, with its owner’s accent still tinged with traces of his native Sicily, bustles a few doors down from a Haitian grocery store and across the road from a kiosk where immigrants can wire money to Brazil.

Welcome to Main Street in Everett, where the percentage of immigrants has tripled since 1990 to 33 percent, one of the biggest increases in the state, according to US Census Bureau estimates released yesterday. It is a shift repeated across the state, with immigrant numbers rising in small cities and prosperous suburbs that once had far lower levels of foreign-born residents.
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Urgent: DREAM Act vote on Sat., Call these Senators

from Mohammad Abdollahi, co-founder of DreamActivist.org

Senator Reid has scheduled a vote for the DREAM Act on Saturday. The vote can come as early as 10:00 am EST.

Right now the vote is not looking good but there is still time to change that.

This means there is only 1 day to take action. 1 day to make as many calls as you can make. There is no going back so step up and take action!

Take Action:

1. Make at least 25 calls for the DREAM Act. Check out the UPDATED target list below. Or click on the headline.
2. Sponsor students in Washington D.C., a $25 donation will cover one student for a day.


Senate Democrats:

Conrad (ND) - 202-224-2043
Pryor (AR) 202-224-2353
Manchin (WV) 202-224-3954
Hagan (NC) 202-224-6342

Senate Republicans:

Brownback (KS) - 202-224-6521
Voinovich (OH) - 202-224-3353
Snowe (ME) - 202-224-5344
Collins (ME) - 202-224-2523

We Cannot Afford Not to Pass the DREAM Act: A Plea from America’s Scholars

For Immediate Release

American Scholars Stand for the DREAM Act
National Sign-on Letter by Academic Community Re-issued

December 13, 2010

Washington D.C. - Today, leading scholars re-issued a national sign-on letter in support of the DREAM Act, a bill to give certain undocumented immigrant youth an opportunity at legal status. The letter currently has 288 signatories representing scholars in 38 states. While scholars have for years worked to educate the public and speak out on immigration reform, this letter represents the most concerted effort among the academic community to advocate for the DREAM Act.

To launch the letter and discuss their support of the DREAM Act, several leading immigration scholars joined a national teleconference. Their collective view, after decades of research, is that punishing the children of undocumented immigrants does a disservice to the future of our country. By failing to offer these young people a place in America, we are cutting them off from the very mechanisms that would allow them to contribute to our economy and society.

Douglas S. Massey, Professor at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs said "Not only is passing the Dream Act in the best interests of the United States; it is the right thing to do. If Congress cannot pass a bill that lifts the burden of illegality from innocent children to unleash the productive potential of its own young people, then I fear for the future of the country in both moral and practical terms."

Ruben G. Rumbaut, Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Irvine said, "It would compound the tragedy for the United States Senate to miss what may be a last opportunity (as far as can be foreseen) to extend to the most successful of these youth nothing more than a fair chance at life -- and in so doing act in the best interests and values of this nation."

Roberto G. Gonzales, Ph.D., professor at the University of Washington's School of Social Work said "We must ask ourselves what we want for our country- a growing and vulnerable underclass of American-raised individuals or a significant number of young people ready and capable of strengthening our economy and society?"

Carola Suarez-Orozco, Ph.D., Professor at New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development said "The Dream act is good for the kids by rewarding them for their efforts of working hard in school and de facto if not, so far, de jure acting as good citizens. It is good for society by not wasting our educational investment from K-12 and leaving these young people to languish on the streets with nowhere to go. It is simply the right thing to do."

To hear a recording of the discussion click:

http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/sites/default/files/docs/ipc/7SCHOLARS121310.mp3

To view the sign-on letter click on the headline above:
We Cannot Afford Not to Pass the DREAM Act: A Plea from America's Scholars
###

For more information contact Wendy Sefsaf at wsefsaf@immcouncil.org or 202-507-7524.

Call this DREAM Act Target List

from Mohammad Abdollahi, Co-Founder of DreamActivist.org

Today is day 35 of the Texas hunger strike for the DREAM Act. Youth and allies have been starving for the DREAM Act for a long time now but many are holding their Senators even more accountable and putting their own bodies and minds on the line for the DREAM Act.

We need to make sure that the sacrifices they are making are being recognized. The goal for today is 50,000 calls for the DREAM Act and we know you will help us make them. To support the strikers change your facebook profile to this image, ask your friends to do the same and make those calls!

The United We Dream Network and other networks are mobilizing youth to Washington D.C., if you are interested in attending sign up here: https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dEpGRlFVb19DMzg0SThhbklRYTZTOWc6MQ

For the first time in history we were able to pass DREAM in the House and we were able to generate more calls than the anti-immigrants. Let's not stop now.

Click on the headline for the list of Senate Democrats and Republicans who have not voted yet.

Bloomberg Talks Immigration With Business Titans

Mayor Bloomberg understands and explains to big business why we need more immigrants here and immigration reform. - - Donna Poisl

By SAM DOLNICK

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg told his business-world peers on Friday that if they cared about their city and, more pointedly, their companies, they needed to support his call for comprehensive immigration reform. The economy is suffering because of Washington’s failure to change restrictive policies, he said, and talented entrepreneurs were taking their ideas to other countries that are only too happy to host them.

“If we keep the best and the brightest out of this country, all the next big things will happen outside this country,” the mayor said during a speech at the New York Stock Exchange.
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IMMIGRATION: Soldiers become U.S. citizens

Twenty one soldiers were sworn in as U.S. citizens at a ceremony in an Army Training Center in California. Congratulations to them and thank you for serving. - - Donna Poisl

By DARRELL R. SANTSCHI, The Press-Enterprise

Army Spc. Guadalupe Forcado, of San Bernardino, is a Mexican immigrant who has lived in the United States 22 of her 23 years.

"I already felt like I was part of this country," she said, "but I wanted to call myself a citizen. To me, it is an honor."

She and 20 other soldiers from 14 countries were sworn in as U.S. citizens Thursday morning at the Army's National Training Center at Fort Irwin. All were legal immigrants with green cards.
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Former undocumented immigrant creates site to help Latino immigrants achieve success

This naturalized citizen is using his own experience with a new website that is intended to help other Latino immigrants. - - Donna Poisl

Posted by Marisa Treviño

LatinaLista.net -- One of the major concerns expressed about Latino immigrants is their "perceived" reluctance to assimilate into the mainstream. Just to be clear -- assimilation has nothing to do with giving up one's native language. But it does mean learning the new language of the adopted country and learning the rules, laws and how to navigate the system.

In these areas, immigrants clearly could benefit from someone else's experience who has been there and done that.

Someone like Alberto Galdámez.
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Chinese immigrants discover Christianity in the U.S.

The growing number of Chinese churches in the U.S. are attracting more Chinese immigrants to Christianity. - - Donna Poisl

written by The Underground Staff

Immigrants from China are hearing the gospel for the first time in the U.S., and they are embracing it.

World Magazine said Chinese immigrants find love, acceptance and community in Christian churches which become a refuge in a new country. Li Rong Liu, of Fujian, South China says the spirituality seems more real, too.

Liu told World Magazine, “When I was in China, I had heard of Christianity, but I didn’t think I needed it. Now in the U.S., when I’m alone and facing new hardships, here is where I find God.”

When travel restrictions eased in China in 1978, Chinese immigrants to the U.S. rose from 200,000 in 1980 to 1.4 million in 2006. Chinese churches in the U.S. increased from 366 in 1980 to more than 800 today, World Magazine said.
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Utica school program teaches English to young adults

This school program helps new immigrants who are between 17 and 21 years old. They don't know enough English to go to college or get a job. And not enough for high school either. - - Donna Poisl

By DANIEL P. BADER, Observer-Dispatch

UTICA — Dima Zhuk, 18, has it a little better than some of his other classmates.

The refugee from Belarus had 11 years of education before coming to the United States. He just needs to learn English.

Zhuk is one of 23 students in the beginner class of the Utica City School District’s Newcomer’s program, an intensive English as a Second Language course for 17- to 21-year-olds that is held during the day at the Underground Café, the after-school teen center on Washington Street.
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THIS WEEK IN IMMIGRATION

Click the headline to read stories from this week from the Immigration Policy Center.

`Business Death Penalty' for Hiring Illegal Aliens Unites Obama, Companies

This article gives a very good explanation of the case before the Supreme Court now. - - Donna Poisl

By Greg Stohr

In 2007, Arizona enacted a law containing what then-Governor Janet Napolitano called the “business death penalty,” a provision threatening companies that hired illegal aliens with revocation of their corporate charters.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s challenge to the law is now before the U.S. Supreme Court, which hears arguments today. With states and cities seeking to crack down on illegal border crossing, a ruling upholding the measure would spur enactment of similar laws elsewhere, advocates on both sides say.

“Once the principles are in place, the floodgates will open around the country,” said Michael Hethmon, a lawyer with the Washington-based Immigration Reform Law Institute, which supports the Arizona law.
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DREAM Act Passes House! Call these Senators!

from Mohammad Abdollahi, Co-Founder DreamActivist.org

The Dream Act Passes the House

We have just witnessed the passage of the Dream Act in the House of Representatives, on a vote of 216 to 198. CONGRATULATIONS!

However, our work is not over yet, the Senate needs to hear you. Call the following Senators NOW:

Your calls and donations have helped us get here, but the work is not over yet. The Senate vote has been delayed until tomorrow and your calls matter more now than ever.

Help us make the final push by making those calls!

Click on the headline and call the following Senators

Senate Democrats:
Conrad (ND)
Dorgan (ND)
McCaskill (MO)
Webb (VA)
Warner (VA)
Landrieu (LA)
Pryor (AR)
Tester (MT)
Hagan (NC)

Senate Republicans:
Murkowski (AK)
Hutchison (TX)
Brownback (KS)
Kirk (IL)
Bennett (UT)
Voinovich (OH)
Snowe (ME)
Collins (ME)
Lemieux (FL)
Lugar (IN)
Bunning (KY)

For our nation, the DREAM Act means success

Dr. Biden writes a wonderful piece telling why our country needs the DREAM Act. - - Donna Poisl

BY JILL BIDEN

I have been an educator for almost 30 years and I continue to teach English full time at a community college not too far from the White House. Education for me is not an abstract policy debate -- it's about the young people I work with every day who are overcoming countless obstacles to prepare themselves for success.

I'm proud that the president and vice president know the value of education to our nation. This administration recognizes that if America is to remain competitive in an increasingly dynamic global economy, we need to work hard to improve our schools, boost our graduation rates, and ensure that our nation is once again the world's leader in cultivating skilled talent.

In short, we must seek at every step to enable children to succeed.
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GOP rises, DREAM Act falters

GOP members who sponsored the DREAM Act are probably going to vote against it, to save their own seats in the next election. - - Donna Poisl

By SCOTT WONG

To see how dramatically the immigration debate has shifted, look no further than Orrin Hatch.

The Utah Republican was the chief sponsor of the DREAM Act when it was first introduced in the Senate in 2001 and, later, in 2003. But now, worried about a potential tea party challenge in 2012, Hatch is steering clear of the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act.

On Wednesday, immigrant advocates who have been engaged in this fight for nearly a decade will very likely see the DREAM Act sputter again with a feeble lame-duck vote.
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DREAM Act Target List -- Call today

from Mohammad Abdollahi, co-founder DreamActivist.org

We have one or two days left till a vote actually takes place and it is clear we need to continue to escalate. Students in Texas are on their 27th day of a hunger strike urging Senator Hutchison to support DREAM. For a week now, Pastor Lorenza Smith has been detained in jail, while still on her hunger strike. Just yesterday, she announced that she would now be entering into a full fast until passage of the DREAM Act.

Our struggle is real. People are ready to put their lives on the line, all to show that our communities are suffering for the DREAM Act.

As you make your calls think of Rev. Lorenza Smith's commitment and courage to continue the fight. The Members of Congress need to hear us loud and clear in the coming crucial days before the vote.

With the Reverend in mind can we make our 20,000 calls today? Check out the updated target list and make those calls! Click on the headline above!

Also, in the next two days we hope to have hundreds of students walking the halls of congress. In order to make this possible we need your continued support, please make a contribution of $25 to help with transportation and expenses.

Lets finish the day with filling up the rest of those voice mails!

Mohammad Abdollahi
co-founder DreamActivist.org

Urgent: Congress to Vote on Immigration Bill

from Angela Maria Kelley, Center for American Progress Action Fund

We need you to pick up the phone right now.

We've just heard that Congress will vote this week on the DREAM Act—a key immigration bill that could make a huge difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of undocumented young people.

Call Congress now at 1-866-996-5161 and tell them to vote YES on the DREAM Act.

The DREAM Act is bipartisan legislation that would enable high-character undocumented young people to work towards their dream of American citizenship. The bill enjoys broad support from leaders in the military, education, immigration, and religious communities.

And this week, the House of Representatives and Senate are both planning to vote on the DREAM Act.

Call 1-866-996-5161 and tell Congress to vote YES on the DREAM Act.

Our partners at Campus Progress have a new TV ad and more information about why it's so crucial that Congress act now on this bill.

The DREAM Act creates a way for bright and talented young people who grew up in America to legalize their status and achieve their dreams. It would provide a path to citizenship for undocumented young people who work hard and pursue higher education or military service. And the bill makes economic sense, too—the Congressional Budget Office found that it would reduce the deficit by $1.4 billion over ten years.

Mobilization in support of this bill has reached a tipping point. Young activists are seeking what we all want—a bona fide shot at the American DREAM. Join us in telling Congress to give them that shot.

Thanks for your support as we work to make this DREAM a reality.


Best wishes,

Angela Maria Kelley
Vice President for Immigration Policy and Advocacy
Center for American Progress Action Fund

P.S. This is urgent. Please, pick up the phone. Then post the phone number, 1-866-996-5161, to your Facebook and Twitter accounts and forward this message to your friends, family members, and co-workers and ask them to call Congress too.

DREAM Act promises economic benefits and justice for immigrants

People who are against this should study the economic benefits that would come to the country if it passes. They might be very surprised. - - Donna Poisl

By Annie Fehrenbacher

Members of the Senate and House began deliberations Nov. 29 on the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act.

The DREAM Act is a bill that would provide a pathway to citizenship for undocumented youth who complete two years of college or military service. If the DREAM Act passes, more than 25,000 undocumented students in California – including more than 300 at UCLA – could be in line for the dream jobs that currently elude them.
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High court ruling on Arizona act could shape immigration law

We are all watching the Supreme Court and hoping they will strike against the AZ law. This will have a big impact on the whole country and immigration reform. - - Donna Poisl

The 2007 Legal Arizona Workers Act cracks down on employers who hire illegal workers, but the Obama administration says it conflicts with the federal government's authority to enforce immigration laws.

By David G. Savage, Tribune Washington Bureau

Reporting from Washington — President Obama once favored a "crackdown on employers" who hired illegal immigrants, and as a candidate called for "much tougher enforcement standards" for companies that employed illegal workers.

But this week, Obama's top courtroom lawyer will join the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in urging the Supreme Court to strike down an Arizona law that goes after employers who hire illegal workers. The administration also seeks to void a part of the state's law that tells employers they must check the federal government's E-Verify database to make sure their new hires are authorized to work in the United States.
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Kennewick Family Learning Center reaches out to refugees

Volunteers and a small grant have helped this center assist refugees from Asia and Africa learn to live in this country. - - Donna Poisl

BY JOHN TRUMBO, HERALD STAFF WRITER

The small unit at Central Park Apartments in Kennewick has no couch, no bed, no easy chairs or TV. And for good reason.

Four computers sit on a long table in what otherwise would be the only bedroom. And a makeshift classroom, including alphabet and color charts, occupies the front room at the Family Learning Center in unit B-1.

This is where refugees from Burma and other countries in Southeast Asia and Africa who live at Central Park meet each week with volunteer teachers to practice English. They also get help developing computer skills and homework tutoring for their children.
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Heritage Launches New Spanish Language Website

PRESS RELEASE

Heritage Launches New Spanish Language Website

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2, 2010 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- The Heritage Foundation, the nation's most broadly-supported think tank, today launched a new website to give Spanish-speaking Americans access to its cutting-edge analyses and policy recommendations to solve the nation's most pressing problems.

"The new website, Libertad.org, will give Spanish-speaking Americans access to the top-flight research and informed, conservative commentary that has helped Heritage build a center-right majority in the nation as a whole," said Heritage Vice President for Communications Mike Gonzalez.

"Surveys show that vast majorities of Hispanic Americans already embrace conservative attitudes, such as the desire for smaller government and less regulation," Gonzalez noted. "They also cherish personal freedom and free enterprise — the promise of which drew them and their forebears to this country in the first place," he added. "Heritage Libertad will provide the hard facts and conservative analysis too often ignored by the liberal-dominated media currently serving the Hispanic community."

According to Gonzalez, "the new site will include information, statistics and analysis of special interest to Hispanics, as well as blogs, audio and visual content in Spanish."

"Heritage Libertad will include a robust social media platform for sharing and discussion," he said, "with an intention to give conservative, free market-oriented Hispanics the opportunity to meet, exchange views and form online communities of their own."

About The Heritage Foundation

America's most broadly-supported public policy research institute, The Heritage Foundation has more than 700,000 individual, foundation and corporate donors. Founded in 1973, it works to develop effective policy solutions based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values and a strong national defense. http://www.heritage.org

SOURCE The Heritage Foundation

CONTACT: Israel Ortega of The Heritage Foundation, +1-202-608-6176 or Israel.Ortega@heritage.org

Arizona's immigration law costs state a bundle

A very informative piece about how SB1070 has affected Arizona. And the governor was just elected to give her more power! - - Donna Poisl

by Ruben Navarrette Jr.

San Diego -- Racism is bad for business.

That's the message Arizona should have gotten 20 years ago when civil rights groups organized a boycott to punish the state for its stubborn refusal to honor the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. with a state holiday. The NFL pulled the Super Bowl from the Phoenix area, costing the state an estimated $100 million. By the time Arizona voters finally capitulated and approved a ballot initiative creating a holiday in 1992, convention business in the Phoenix area alone had suffered a nearly $200 million setback.

Now Arizona seems intent on committing financial suicide once again - this time over the issue of illegal immigration.
Click on the headline above to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.

Groups Make Late Push to Salvage Bill Aiding Illegal Immigrant Students

I hope all readers here have called their representatives to get this vote on the floor this week. - - Donna Poisl

By JULIA PRESTON

Immigrant advocate groups have mobilized across the country in what they call a last-ditch effort to persuade Congress to pass a bill that would grant legal status to hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrant students, pressing for action in the remaining weeks when Democrats control both houses of Congress.

The groups held marches, hunger strikes, prayer vigils and protests at lawmakers’ offices on Monday and Tuesday in support of the bill, which they call the Dream Act. Opponents are also in high gear, swamping some senators who have not disclosed their positions with faxes and phone calls.
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Tackling the Big Questions of Immigration, Call in Dec 6

from Interfaith Immigration

For October, November and December the National Faith and Immigration Conference Calls have focused on the larger questions surrounding the immigration debate.

For December 6 at 4 pm EST, we will discuss the political state of play from the mid-term elections, and talk about the issue of border security. Some of the questions we will focus on include: what is a secure border? Is securing the border political rhetoric or a real part of reform? What has already been done and how much has been spent so far in securing the border? How can we as people of faith care for immigrants, stand for reform, and address this issue?

Click the headline above to read a resource put together by the Mennonite Central Committee, Washington DC office that you can use to educate yourself and others on this issue.

The call-in number is 800-920-7487 and the code is 76723736.

New Data Show Newer Immigrants Assimilating Well

This new study shows that newer immigrants are assimilating very well and gives the reasons why they are doing so. - - Donna Poisl

One piece of a successful legalization program must be to help legalized immigrants integrate as quickly as possible and meet specified criteria.

By Michele Waslin

We want legal permanent residents (LPRs) to become U.S. citizens and fully participate in civic life -- and research shows they are, in fact, doing just that. DHS recently presented new data on two programs for legal permanent residence (LPR) status -- one that required immigrants to learn English and U.S. history, and one that did not. They found that those who were required to learn English and history (which are also requirements for U.S. citizenship) are naturalizing at higher rates.

The DHS fact sheet shows that 2.7 million immigrants obtained LPR status between 1989 and 1991 under the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) -- 1.6 million who arrived prior to 1982 (pre-1982 immigrants), and 1.1 million who legalized under a special agricultural workers (SAW) program.
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Arizona employer law nets immigrants, not companies

The U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether the Arizona employer law is legal. Raids catch immigrants, but employers are let go. This will be an interesting case to follow. - - Donna Poisl

By Daniel C. Vock, Stateline Staff Writer

PHOENIX — The video footage on the Phoenix morning news one Monday in mid-November showed dozens of heavily armed sheriff’s deputies breaking in on a business to round up and haul off illegal immigrants. The target of the morning raid was a landscaping company, but this was the 40th time in the past two years that the Maricopa County sheriff had raided a workplace. Among those previously targeted were McDonald’s franchises, a military contractor, sellers of printer cartridges, a meat packing plant, specialty metalworkers and trash collectors.
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Local Immigrants Rally for DREAM Act

It is supposed to be put up for a vote this week, maybe it will pass. If not now, I fear it will be years before it happens. - - Donna Poisl

Two years of college or military could mean citizenship

By Diana Hubert, Epoch Times Staff

NEW YORK—Voices are getting louder for proponents of the DREAM Act, a bill that would grant undocumented immigrant children legal status if certain requirements are met. Dozens of youths rallied this Monday in Times Square trying to gain support for the bill, which is expected to be voted on within the coming weeks during the lame duck session in Congress.

The bipartisan act, which was originally introduced by Sens. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) in 2001 has been the subject of much debate.
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Assimilation: Agency for New Americans provides shelter, cultural perspective to incoming refugee

This center is helping refugees with English, education, housing and other things they need to settle here. - - Donna Poisl

Posted by Arbiter Staff

Uprooting families from everything they have ever known is difficult, even though their country may be riddled with bomb fragments and partially-destroyed buildings.

Their daring journey to America as refugees often leads to an opportunity for a fresh start along with a big helping of confusion. Luckily, Agency for New Americans is here to help. The agency’s main objective is to connect refugees with the community. Yasmin Aguilar is the community resource and match grant coordinator for Agency for New Americans. She gained her motivation for the job from many years of living as a refugee.
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Brazilian Immigrant Center helps newcomers from all countries

An interesting interview with the director of a Brazilian Immigrant Center. - - Donna Poisl

By Linda Miskin

Linda Mishkin interviewed Natalicia Tracy, executive director of the Brazilian Immigrant Center, 14 Harvard Ave., Allston, on Nov. 11. This is the final part of the interview.

· Linda Mishkin: You mentioned that there is a strong entrepreneurial spirit among those who immigrate to the U.S. from Brazil. But, like you, people make other choices as well. Do you want to talk about that?

· Natalicia Tracy: Yes. Many people choose other paths, including higher education, politics and other areas of public policy and international relations. So, there is a mixture, especially among those who have been here a while or are in the second generation here.
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Immigrant student faces language, social hurdles

Older students, meaning new kids in middle and high school, have a harder time learning English than the little kids do. Learning to live here is a challenge, let's hope they stay in school and don't drop out. - - Donna Poisl

by Alexander Russo

Under No Child Left Behind, schools are under more pressure not just to teach kids English, but to raise achievement in core academic subjects. For older students, the challenge is greater.

On the surface, Jafet Melendez looks pretty much like any other 8th-grader at Pulaski Elementary in Bucktown. He wears an Old Navy hoodie and high-top sneakers nearly every day. He likes video games, McDonalds, and the Latin-flavored rap music called reggaetón. He has a cell phone—and a pierced tongue, thanks to his stepfather, Sergio, a factory worker and part-time tattoo artist. The desk near his bed at the family home is covered with items most teenage boys collect—action figures, tough-guy sunglasses and CDs.
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Latino vote in 2012 may hinge on whether Dems can pass immigration reform

I guess it is time the promises are kept. - - Donna Poisl

By Allison Sherry, The Denver Post

Two years ago, Latinos were promised work on immigration reform, passage of the DREAM Act and economic recovery if they ushered Barack Obama into the presidency.

Then, this fall, after none of that happened, they were asked to stay with the Democrats.

On Spanish-language radio, Obama beseeched listeners to stick by him. On television commercials and in stump speeches, Latinos were told that Tea Party candidates were scary and extreme and wouldn't represent their interests.

Again, Latinos were promised work toward comprehensive immigration reform and the DREAM Act, a better economy and more jobs.
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Higher fees for immigration documents in place

Fees for most immigration documents have been increased. - - Donna Poisl

Higher immigration fees have taken effect, raising by about 10 percent most benefit petitions, including green cards and work permits.

BY ALFONSO CHARDY

The federal agency that processes requests from immigrants for documents ranging from green cards to work permits has raised fees by about 10 percent for most benefits.
Fees for citizenship petitions remained unchanged, and fees for a few other benefits went down.

Tuesday's fee increase is the second in three years, a result of a decline in agency revenue brought about by fewer applications being filed possibly because of the recession.
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A vote is days away! Now is the time for DREAM.

from Marissa Graciosa, Reform Immigration FOR America

This week a vote will be scheduled on the DREAM Act.
This is our only chance to pass immigration reform this year before the new Congress is seated. Our enemies have been flooding Congress with phone calls, and we need to show them that we're still in this fight.

Click the headline above to call your Senator and support the DREAM Act

All you need to make a difference in this fight is a phone. We'll connect you directly to your senator, so that you can tell them in your own words why the DREAM Act matters.

Time is running out, and every voice counts.

Thank you,
Marissa Graciosa
Reform Immigration FOR America

Restrictionist Group Continues Cynical Legacy of Counting Costs While Ignoring Benefits of Immigration

For Immediate Release

Restrictionist Group Continues Cynical Legacy of Counting Costs
While Ignoring Benefits of Immigration

December 1, 2010

Washington D.C. - In a new report, the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) paints a misleading financial portrait of the DREAM Act. The report, entitled Estimating the Impact of the DREAM Act, claims that the bill would be a burden on U.S. taxpayers and would "crowd out" native-born students in the classroom. However, the available evidence does not support either of these dire predictions. In fact:

Institutions of higher education overwhelmingly support the DREAM Act, which would likely increase school revenues as students who would not normally attend college start to pay tuition.

The 10 states which, since 2001, have passed laws allowing undocumented students to qualify for in-state tuition have not experienced a large influx of new immigrant students that displaces native-born students.

Most DREAM Act students would likely enroll in community colleges, most of which have open enrollment, based on a philosophy that all qualified students should have the opportunity to learn. Historically, more than 80% of community college students hold full or part-time jobs, thus contributing to their own educations (and the tax base) even as they attend school. The American Association of Community Colleges estimates that state and local governments receive a 16% return on every dollar they invest in community colleges due to the increased earnings of college graduates.

Legalizing DREAM Act students would increase beneficiaries' earnings potential, as well as the U.S. tax base. A 2010 study by the UCLA North American Integration and Development Center estimates that the total earnings of DREAM Act beneficiaries over the course of their working lives would be between $1.4 trillion and $3.6 trillion.

CIS's cynical mischaracterization of the DREAM Act is not only inaccurate, but hypocritical as well. CIS frequently laments that so many immigrants to the United States have low levels of education, yet opposes a measure that would allow some of these immigrants to become more educated. What alternative to the DREAM Act does CIS propose? According to the Center for American Progress the cost to deport more than two million children and young adults who were raised in the United States would be $48.6 billion. How is that sound fiscal policy?

The U.S. economy doesn't need more deportations; it needs more college graduates. According to a recent report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, "not enough Americans are completing college... by 2018, we will need 22 million new college degrees-but will fall short of that number by at least 3 million postsecondary degrees, Associate's or better." The DREAM Act would help meet this need.
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For more information contact Wendy Sefsaf at wsefsaf@immcouncil.org or 202-507-7524.

Santa Rita teens start Vietnamese on citizenship path

These high school students are helping Vietnamese adults study for their citizenship tests and become more fluent in English. - - Donna Poisl

by Alexis Huicochea, Arizona Daily Star

For one hour a day once a week, four Santa Rita High School students become teachers. The 11th- and 12-graders volunteer their time to use what they've learned in U.S. Government to teach citizenship classes to Vietnamese adults.

The students, who are also Vietnamese, spend time working not only on facts like who signs bills to become laws and how many justices are on the Supreme Court, but also on helping the adults become more comfortable with the English language.
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Dispelling DREAM Act Myths

For Immediate Release

Dispelling DREAM Act Myths

Washington D.C. - The DREAM Act - a popular proposal to provide legal status to undocumented youth who entered the U.S. as children, graduated from U.S. high schools, and attend college or enter the military - is the target of a smear campaign from anti-immigration hardliners. This tired effort to pit immigrants and native-born, whether they are workers or students, against one another is not only destructive, but has no basis in fact. Moreover, it ignores the economic benefits that come from legalizing a group of talented, hard-working individuals who want nothing more than to contribute to America and repay the country for the opportunities they've been given.

Research has shown that providing a legal status for young people who have a proven record of success in the United States would be a boon to the economy and the U.S. workforce. The U.S. military also needs the DREAM Act. Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Military Personnel Policy, Bill Carr, stated that the law would be "good for readiness" and would help to recruit "cream of the crop" students. The DREAM Act is part of the Department of Defense's 2010-2012 Strategic Plan to assist the military in its recruiting efforts.

Yet, despite the popular support and extensive data that should make passage of the DREAM Act a no-brainer, there are those who continue to spread half-truths. The Immigration Policy Center has compiled a fact check that breaks down typical myths about the DREAM Act.

To view the fact check, in its entirety click on the headline above to see:
Dispelling DREAM Act Myths (IPC Fact Check, November 23, 2010)
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For more information contact Wendy Sefsaf at wsefsaf@immcouncil.org or 202-507-7524.

New country, new holiday, new foods for Minnesota immigrants

This story tells how different immigrant groups celebrate Thanksgiving Day here, combining their culture with turkey and family gatherings. - - Donna Poisl

BY NEKESSA OPOTI, TC DAILY PLANET

Surviving the cuisine of a new country is a challenge for immigrants; as it was for the pilgrims in the sixteenth century as it is now for new American immigrants. And so history goes that Native Americans saw to it that the Pilgrims, the new immigrants, would not starve. Somewhere along the way turkey, cranberry sauce and all the present day trimmings were added to what is now one of America's largest holidays. While the rest of that story on the Native Americans and the Pilgrims would turn ugly, today Thanksgiving has become a day of giving thanks and feasting. So, how do today's immigrants celebrate Thanksgiving?
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Dream Vote Next Week

from Kemi Bello, co-founder of DreamActivist.org

Yup, your hard work is paying off. So far this week you have stopped the deportation of three DREAMers, all from very important states (Ohio, Kentucky and Florida) and if all goes as planned you might get a vote on the DREAM Act this coming week!

To donate $25 to sponsor a student to D.C., click on the headline above.

To make this happen though you have to keep taking action and be more active than ever before. As we did the previous two months, we will be sending another contingent of youth to D.C. to make our voices heard. We are hoping you will sponsor another round to make the trip, it will be $25 per student per day.

While your donations are really important there is still more you can do. We need to flood congress with our calls this week and until we get DREAM passed in both the Senate and the House.

Set this as your profile picture on facebook and make those calls!

Thanks for all of your hard work, we are almost there!

P.S. Make sure you have the right dream gear for the week of action!
Go to https://action.dreamactivist.org:443/shop/

One week to go

from Fatima Lopez, Development Director, National Immigration Forum

The Hildreth Stewart Charitable Foundation has given the Keepers of the American Dream a challenge: If we can raise $5,000 this month, they’ll match it $ for $ and give us another $5,000.

With one week left to go, there's still time to participate! Will you join us and donate $10 or more TODAY? Click on the headline above.

Your support is invaluable and every dollar counts. Throughout generations, the American Dream has fueled the advancement and growth of our nation. Let’s make sure it remains attainable for future generations.

Support the Keepers of the American Dream project and make a $10 donation TODAY.

P.S. Going to be in DC on December 2? Join us at the Newseum for the Keepers of the American Dream Awards event!
Go to https://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5681/t/8094/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=1993

Thanksgiving: A Lesson in Illegal Immigration

This story tells about our first illegal immigrants, the pilgrims. - - Donna Poisl

Posted by Suzanne Murray

You know the story. In 1620, the Pilgrims hopped the Mayflower and sailed across the stormy seas for the New World. They landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts, hung with the Native Americans, and scarfed down some deer and maybe some cornmeal mush (sorry to burst your turkey and marshmallow yam bubble). And every year, in celebration, we (new) Americans watch football, eat way too much, and plan out our Black Friday shopping strategy.

The events that culminated in the original Thanksgiving feast (and those that followed) weren't exactly America's proudest moments. And for some (shout-out to Angelina Jolie) that history is reason enough to opt out of Thanksgiving. I don't see why it should be -- and not just because I love me some cranberry sauce.
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Senate set to take up immigration reform bill

There will be one last push for immigration reform this year, but it does not look very likely to pass in such a short time. - - Donna Poisl

By: Susan Ferrechio, Chief Congressional Correspondent

While lawmakers will be pressing the House to address expiring tax cuts and an arms treaty with Russia when Congress returns this week from its Thanksgiving break, Democratic leaders in the Senate plan to make one last effort to pass an immigration reform bill before their majority diminishes significantly in January.

With just a few weeks left in the 112th Congress, it will be difficult for lawmakers to clear the DREAM Act in time for the president's signature this year, but it will nonetheless consume part of the shrinking lame-duck calendar.
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As Hispanic Population Grows, Political Parties Vie for Latino Hearts, Minds

I hope Latinos study the issues and parties (better than many of the rest of us) and vote for reasons other than flashy ads. Their votes are very important. - - Donna Poisl

by Dan Zeiger

In recent years, the Del Yaqui Restaurant in Guadalupe has been a barometer of the battle over the political hearts and minds of Latino voters.

Lunchtime tension was so high during the Maricopa County Sheriff Office's crime sweeps of the town in 2008, when a picture of Sheriff Joe Arpaio was put up in the restaurant as a joke, an enraged patron tore it down. And this year, the staff saw clientele disappear after Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed SB 1070.
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Chafee wants to be voice for immigration reform at national level

The governor-elect of R.I. wants to organize all 50 governors to work together on immigration reform. - - Donna Poisl

By Philip Marcelo, Journal State house Bureau

PROVIDENCE — Governor-elect Lincoln D. Chafee, who has pledged to rescind Governor Carcieri’s executive order cracking down on illegal immigration, says he expects to be a vocal advocate for national immigration reform through the National Governors Association when he takes office in January.

“I want to be active in pushing this as a priority for us 50 governors,” he said, prior to speaking at the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting at the Convention Center on Monday night. “We have to push through comprehensive immigration law.”
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New center in Alexandria to provide 'great service' for immigrants

This new center has just opened to help immigrants from all countries with their immigration paperwork and other issues. - - Donna Poisl

BY KARINA VAILES

Immigrants in Central Louisiana now have a place to go to in Alexandria to get help on immigration issues.

Three religious organizations, a faith-based agency and members of the community gathered Tuesday to officially open the Central Louisiana Interfaith Immigration Center.

"It's a reality. I am overjoyed about the prospect and excited that we can make this work and that is going to be a great service for all of these immigrants, who won't have to go so far" to process documents or get information, said José Colls, executive director of the center.
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THIS WEEK IN IMMIGRATION

Click the headline to read stories from this week from the Immigration Policy Center.

Commentary: Illegal immigration makes your holiday meal possible

This opinion piece shows how all of us are involved in the immigration system, and why it needs fixing. - - Donna Poisl

Bill McEwen - The Fresno Bee

When you eat today, thank a farmer -- and an illegal immigrant.
Here in the Central Valley, they are joined at the hip: the farmer who needs his crops picked and the men and women who cross the border with only dreams and the clothes on their backs.

Farmers are revered for being the backbone of our Valley economy. Illegal immigrants are reviled for breaking the law and having children who need schooling and medical attention.
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First Person: Making Chanukah Personal

This is an interesting article, showing how people keep their own cultural traditions and combine them with American traditions. - - Donna Poisl

Gail M Feldman

Chanukah is a minor holiday on the Jewish calendar. But it's a favorite, nonetheless, among Jews of the 20th and 21st century in particular because, with the assimilation of Jews into American community life, the pleasant practice of exchanging gifts was incorporated into its festivities.

Jewish families now give each other tokens such as gold- and silver-foil-wrapped chocolate coins (Chanukah gelt) or more substantial gifts, one or two for the holiday or one every night, according to personal and family tradition. My very secular family had no set custom; we got what we got. My sister and I generally gave each other, and each parent, one present, while our folks might or might not give us a little something extra. We couldn't afford eight nights' worth of unique goodies, and were not in the habit of creating inexpensive but personally meaningful objects for each other.
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Cynthia Tucker: We really need immigration now

This writer makes a good case for legalizing the immigrants here illegally. They are needed and will help the economy improve. - - Donna Poisl

By Cynthia Tucker

If you've spent any time pondering those dense reports on cutting the deficit, you know that there aren't any pain-free answers around. Any remedy will hurt, since it will have to include raising taxes and reducing benefits.

But there is a palliative that would ease the pain: Put 11 million illegal immigrants on a path to legalization. And don't touch birthright citizenship.

Yes, you heard that right: Granting legal residency to illegal immigrants will eventually help sop up some of the federal budget's red ink. I know that's counterintuitive, since so many citizens have come to believe that Mexican landscapers and Guatemalan maids are a drain on the treasury. But the fact is that their relative youth is just what the U.S. economy needs.
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Firefighters reach out to immigrants

All areas of this country are treating immigrants differently, this area is trying to help them if they have an emergency. It is good to hear this, everyone is better off if emergencies are reported and understood. - - Donna Poisl

Jackson Township department learns Spanish phrases to communicate in emergencies

By Kathy Antoniotti, Beacon Journal staff writer

Americans grapple with issues involving Spanish-speaking immigrants in vastly different ways from one region of the country to the next.

In the Southwest, a multibillion-dollar fence project started by the Bush administration is aimed at reducing the number of illegal immigrants crossing the border from Mexico.

Earlier this year, Arizona passed the nation's toughest bill on illegal immigration by giving police broad powers to detain anyone suspected of being in the country illegally.

In Ohio, Cuyahoga County printed bilingual ballots in some voting precincts for elections Nov. 2, and will expand the initiative to all precincts next year, in an agreement with the U.S. Justice Department.
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The Economic Impact of Long Island’s Immigrant Workers

This study shows that immigrants have helped the economy of Long Island and the study is probably true of most areas of the country. - - Donna Poisl

By Aaron Rutkoff

There are some 293,000 immigrant workers on Long Island, and according to a new study there is little evidence to suggest that their presence harms U.S.-born workers.

A study released Wednesday by the Fiscal Policy Institute found that more than half of immigrant workers on Long Island hold white-collar jobs. Far from harming their U.S.-born counterparts, data in the study strongly suggests that immigrant workers have played a part in economic growth for the region between 1990 and 2007 — the period analyzed in the study.
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The DREAM Act to be Revived in Congress

For Immediate Release

The DREAM Act to be Revived in Congress

November 18, 2010

Washington, D.C. - Yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced that he would introduce the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act as a stand alone bill during the lame duck session of Congress.

First introduced in 2001, the DREAM Act would address the plight of young immigrants who have been raised in the U.S. and managed to succeed despite the challenges of being brought here without proper documentation. The proposal would offer a path to legal status to those who have graduated from high school, stayed out of trouble, and plan to attend college or serve in the U.S. military for at least two years.

Each year, approximately 65,000 undocumented students graduate from high school, many at the top of their classes, but cannot go on to college, join the military, work, or otherwise pursue their dreams. They belong to the 1.5 generation: immigrants brought to the United States at a young age who were largely raised in this country and therefore share much in common with second-generation Americans. These students are culturally American, growing up here and often having little attachment to their country of birth. The vast majority are bicultural and fluent in English.

Research has shown that providing a legal status for young people who have a proven record of success in the United States would be a boon to the economy and the U.S. workforce. University presidents and educational associations, as well as military recruiters, business and religious leaders have added their voice to those calling for passage of the bill. The DREAM Act is even part of the Department of Defense's 2010-2012 Strategic Plan to assist the military in its recruiting efforts.

Unfortunately, immigration status and the associated barriers to higher education contribute to a higher-than-average high-school dropout rate. The DREAM Act would eliminate these barriers for many students, and its high-school graduation requirement would provide a powerful incentive for students who might otherwise drop out to stay in school and go on to college.

For research and resources on the DREAM Act visit IPC's resource page: http://immigrationpolicy.org/just-facts/dream-act-2010
IPC DREAM Act Resource Page
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For more information contact Wendy Sefsaf at wsefsaf@immcouncil.org or 202-507-7524.

Proposed Schools Policy Says Two Languages Better Than One

Schools and parents are debating bilingual education to help students learn two languages at once, instead of losing the Spanish they speak at home. We need people to be fluent in more than one language and these people will have much better career choices too. - - Donna Poisl

By EMILY ALPERT

Minerva Espejo remembered her own rocky start in English after moving from Mexico to San Diego as a teenager. English classes were bewildering; a bilingual class taught by a teacher who barely understood Spanish was even worse. She improved her English at home by pulling out a dictionary night after night to pick up the vocabulary that helped get her to college.

She didn't want the same troubles for her children. Soured by her own experience, she rejected the idea of a bilingual class and enrolled her kids in a different program until she found out about Sherman Elementary, where kids spend half the day in English and half in Spanish. Her son, who just finished up first grade at Sherman, can explain his homework in English and read to his grandfather in Spanish.
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Millions of immigrants want visas: only a lucky few get them

This farmer has to use illegal immigrants because legal workers cannot get the visas they need to come here and work. Many of them apply for the visas but can't get them, so they come in illegally. - - Donna Poisl

by Chris Collins

FRESNO — A decade ago, Vernon ran his Tulare County farm without the help of illegal immigrants. He had plenty of legal workers to keep the packing shed humming, irrigate and harvest the 200 acres of peaches, plums and apricots, and tend to the stuffy, smelly chicken houses.

Today, two-thirds of Vernon's 100-plus seasonal workers are illegal immigrants. He's spent the past several years brushing up on his Spanish, learning one new word a day so he can communicate with his workers.
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Give immigrant kids a path to college

This columnist writes about the DREAM Act and how various states are treating college students now. - - Donna Poisl

By Ruben Navarrette Jr., CNN Contributor

San Diego, California (CNN) -- The new battleground in the immigration debate is college and university campuses. And watching this fight unfold is, well, an education:

-- In California, the state Supreme Court ruled unanimously Monday that illegal immigrants could continue to pay in-state tuition rates at public colleges and universities -- as they do in at least 10 states -- even though out-of-state students are charged higher rates.
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Alzheimer's Disease is a Growing Problem in the Latino Community

Identifying this disease early is crucial, but Hispanics are not getting the diagnoses that are necessary. - - Donna Poisl

from HispanicBusiness.com

Suddenly, the older man broke into the conversation. "We cannot do it; we are illegal," his daughter Angelica remembers him saying. "If we leave, we may never get back again."

The room fell silent with shock. Reyes and his family, who crossed the border from Mexico to Arizona three decades earlier, have been U.S. citizens for more than 20 years.

"It was then I realized my father is sick," Angelica said. "He's not himself anymore."
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This year's Keeper of the American Dream Award recipient!

from Ali Noorani, Executive Director, National Immigration Forum

The 10th annual Keepers of the American Dream Awards is just around the corner! It is my pleasure to announce that Lydia G. Tamez, Associate General Counsel of Microsoft Corporation, will be the recipient of this year’s Keepers of the American Dream Award.

Lydia directs all of Microsoft’s U.S. and global immigration programs. A major provider of jobs in this country, Microsoft has a total domestic workforce of over 50,000 people. Most are U.S. workers, but Microsoft also benefits tremendously from the contributions of talented foreign nationals who have come to the United States from over 130 countries. Lydia guides senior management in formulating immigration policies and practices relating to this critical part of the company’s U.S. workforce.

Lydia has played a key role in Microsoft’s efforts to help reform our country’s immigration policies for highly skilled professionals and in Microsoft’s efforts to promote comprehensive immigration reform. She is frequently invited to speak on immigration issues to distinguished organizations in Washington and across the nation.

Lydia also directs the company’s participation in Volunteer Advocates for Immigrant Justice and was instrumental in the establishment of KIND, Inc., a Microsoft and Jolie-Pitt Foundation joint venture to provide pro bono counsel to unaccompanied children in immigration proceedings.

We are delighted to recognize Lydia at this year's Keeper of the American Dream Awards for her tremendous positive impact in the field of immigration.

Join us on December 2 at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. as we honor four individuals and organizations, including Lydia Tamez, who embody the spirit of immigrant achievement and the American Dream, who contribute significantly to the well-being of immigrants in America, and who enhance our appreciation of immigrants and the immigrant tradition.

Thanks,

Ali Noorani
Executive Director, National Immigration Forum

P.S. The challenge is still on! If we raise $5,000 this month, the Hildreth Stewart Charitable Foundation has promised to match that with an additional $5,000. Make a $10 donation to the Keepers of the American Dream TODAY and have it matched $ for $ by the Hildreth Stewart Charitable Foundation.

Ariz. immigration law strains U.S.-Latin America relations

I doubt anyone is surprised that this has happened. How could it be otherwise? - - Donna Poisl

by Alan Gomez, USA TODAY

When Arizona passed a law in April allowing police to conduct roadside immigration checks, Mexican officials blasted the law as a prejudiced attack against its citizens in the state. That condemnation has spread throughout Latin America.

Ambassador Luis Gallegos of Ecuador presented the law Nov. 5 to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, which sends recommendations to nations to improve rights. Gallegos said they were extremely concerned that the Arizona law would lead to widespread stereotyping of both legal and illegal immigrants. The council included it in the recommendations it sent to the U.S. State Department. Ecuador is one of 10 Latin American countries that signed on to a brief opposing the law in a federal lawsuit challenging Arizona's rule.
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California court backs in-state tuition for illegal immigrants

It will be interesting to see if other states do this same thing. - - Donna Poisl

Monday's California Supreme Court ruling upholding in-state tuition for illegal immigrants may lead to similar legal challenges elsewhere.

By Daniel B. Wood, Staff writer

Los Angeles - In a decision that added a new twist to the debate surrounding federal versus state control of immigration, the California Supreme Court on Monday ruled that undocumented immigrants can be eligible for reduced in-state tuition at California's public colleges and universities.

The case, Martinez vs. Regents, challenged a 2001 state law – the California Immigrant Higher Education Act – that gives in-state tuition rates at California’s public colleges to students who complete three years at a California high school and earn a high school diploma or equivalent, regardless of their immigration status.
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Patrick to focus on change for immigrants

Maybe this governor will be able to do this and others will follow. - - Donna Poisl

Says he wants to integrate foreign-born into state

By Maria Sacchetti, Globe Staff

Governor Deval Patrick, fresh from a bruising campaign in which he was sharply criticized for his positions on immigration, vowed yesterday to spend the next four years pushing for changes for legal and illegal immigrants alike, reigniting a debate that consumed the state only a few months ago.

Speaking to thunderous applause at a Thanksgiving luncheon for immigrant advocates, Patrick promised to advance an ambitious agenda he launched during his first term to integrate immigrants into Massachusetts. He said he wants to implement all 131 recommendations contained in an administration report last year, which includes controversial measures such as in-state tuition at public colleges and driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants.
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Immigrants learn the language in Stoughton adult literary class

Every city in the country needs programs like this, but sadly, many cannot afford it and/or don't have enough volunteers. There are certainly enough students waiting. - - Donna Poisl

By Peter Cox, Stoughton Journal

Stoughton — When Willer Rossow moved to the United States nine years ago, his English was not very good. The Brazilian native desperately wanted to speak the language of his new country, but he was working long hours to support a family, and was stuck with learning only the most basic ways to communicate.

But thanks to an adult literacy class at Stoughton Public Library, Rossow is getting the help he needs to connect with his community.

“With working all the time, there’s no time to go to school,” he said. “This time it’s different.”
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Advocates press for immigration bills as Hispanic vote is debated

The DREAM Act might be able to be voted in this year, if people will show some courage and responsibility. - - Donna Poisl

Posted by Catalina Camia

A Latino Republican who is leaving Congress is urging House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to schedule a vote on a bill that would open a path to citizenship for thousands of students who are illegal immigrants.

The prospects for considering what is known as the DREAM Act are slim, however, as Congress begins its lame-duck session focused on what to do about tax cuts set to expire and how to fund the government.
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Pass the DREAM Act Now, fax to Congress

from Marissa Graciosa, Reform Immigration FOR America

Pass the DREAM Act
We've waited long enough

We always knew that our fight didn't begin - or end - on Election Day.
Two weeks ago, we stood up all over the country for what we believed in. We showed Congress where we stood, and how powerful we are. Now it's time to remind them of what we want.

Before the election, Harry Reid promised that he would put the DREAM Act up for a vote before the end of the year. Nancy Pelosi wants that vote to happen. It's up to us to show Reid and the rest of the Senate that our movement isn't going to wait.

Click on the headline to send a fax to leaders in Congress or go to http://act.reformimmigrationforamerica.org/sign/dreamact/

We have waited long enough to reform our broken immigration system. Pass the DREAM Act during the lame duck session this year.

Passing the DREAM Act would be a clear sign from Congress that they're willing to work with us moving forward. It's time to stand together and show the policymakers in DC what we're made of.

It's time to bring Asians and ethnic blocs into the immigration debate

All immigrant groups should be involved in the discussions, not just Hispanics. This columnist is correct. - - Donna Poisl

The nation's Latino-centric immigration narrative excludes many who also have a stake in this debate, writes Esther Cepeda. Prominent among the excluded are the nation's Asian immigrants.

By Esther Cepeda, Syndicated columnist

CHICAGO — If I were a member of the third-largest minority group in the United States, I'd be really frustrated that the immigration issue continues to be discussed almost exclusively with Latin Americans in mind.

As immigrants' rights advocacy groups across the country wonder whether there's even a slim chance Congress will take up debate about comprehensive reform anytime soon, recent national conversations have been set exclusively in the context of the Latino vote and Republican Hispanics.
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Pushing for immigrant Dream Act to come true

This may have a chance of getting enough people to vote on it. Many on both political sides agree this is a good bill, and the military agrees too. - - Donna Poisl

By: Susan Phillips

Advocates for immigrants are making one last push for the Dream Act before Republicans take control of the House of Representatives next year. The bill would put immigrant students on track for citizenship if they attend college or serve in the military.

House and Senate Democratic leaders say they will use the lame-duck session of Congress to put the bill up for a vote.
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Brown: Immigration reform should focus on economy

As the economy improves we will definitely need more immigrants, the economy should be the focus for new negotiations. - - Donna Poisl

By Russell Contreras, Associated Press

BOSTON—Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown said Friday he wants to work with Democrats on possible federal immigration reform, as long as it's not "fluff."

Brown, who replaced the late Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy, a champion of immigrants' rights, told The Associated Press he plans to meet with Senate leaders of both parties about options for reforms. But he said any effort should be focused on improving the economy.
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Let's honor immigrant veterans

Immigrants are an important part of our military and should always be honored for their service. - - Donna Poisl

BY KELLY MCCARTHY

I'm a veteran, and I want to honor all vets Thursday, including those who are immigrants but not yet citizens.

They've been willing to risk their lives to defend our country even before they could call it their own. We owe them our thanks, just as we owe all vets our thanks.

The first U.S. casualty of the war in Iraq was Marine Lance Corp. Jose Gutierrez. A Guatemalan orphan who made his way to the United States to find a better life, he joined the Marines to earn money for college and to support his sister still living in Guatemala. He was not a U.S. citizen at the time of his death, yet he was willing to sacrifice his life in the pursuit of a liberty he only briefly tasted.
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Angst growing over immigration policies

There seems to be a possibility the DREAM Act can be passed this year. - - Donna Poisl

Undocumented arrivals fear a Republican crackdown on immigration, but some activists remain hopeful immigration reform will happen.

BY ALFONSO CHARDY

Fear is spreading among many day laborers in South Florida after Republicans won control of the House of Representatives, a move immigration activists say will make it more difficult -- if not impossible -- to legalize millions of undocumented immigrants.

But some activists who support legalization said Wednesday that separate immigration reform components could pass in the lame-duck Congress such as the DREAM Act, a bill that would give green cards to undocumented young students brought to the United States as babies or toddlers by their parents.

Even a Miami Republican political strategist, Ana Navarro, said the DREAM Act is still possible -- but only if Democrats are willing to reach out to Republicans.
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Election May Have Long-Range Impact On Immigration Reform

I think everyone realizes the election last week put the brakes on any hope of immigration reform in the next two years. Let's hope it reverses the next two. - - Donna Poisl

Posted on HIAS.org

(New York, NY) – As the result of Tuesday’s elections, it is not anticipated that Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) will be a priority for the next Congress, according to a panel of experts at HIAS, the international migration agency of the American Jewish community, who convened yesterday for an Insider Briefing for its constituents. Though immigration was not the decisive issue in Tuesday’s national election, where the economy was foremost on voters’ minds, it played a major role especially in certain races. The results will have long-ranging impact for immigration advocacy and change the way advocates press for new legislation.

According to Gideon Aronoff, President & CEO of HIAS, “We have reason to believe that it is possible to pass certain aspects of immigration reform, like the DREAM Act. For the next Congress, we and our immigration partners within the faith community will look for incremental, building-block solutions as we build toward CIR.
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A Washington Post live Q&A featuring immigrants

The Washington Post is launching a new live video Q&A series on Thursday (Nov. 11), that will feature immigrants living in the Washington, D.C. metro region telling their immigration stories, what they’re passionate about, what their experience has been and more. This will be on a weekly basis.

Tomorrow it is featuring Esraa Bani, who moved to the U.S. in 1998, after being born in Sudan and growing up in Saudi Arabia.

Check it out and submit a question: http://wapo.st/american-mosaic

THIS WEEK IN IMMIGRATION

Click the headline to read stories from this week from the Immigration Policy Center. Especially about the recent mid term election results.

DODD TO DISCUSS FUTURE OF U.S. - LATIN AMERICAN RELATIONS AT CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 9, 2010

DODD TO DISCUSS FUTURE OF U.S. - LATIN AMERICAN RELATIONS AT CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY

HARTFORD, CT — Today, Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) will discuss the future of U.S. policy towards Latin America and answer questions from students, faculty, and staff from Central Connecticut State University, including representatives of the Latin American Association and the Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean Center. Dodd is the Chairman of the Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps and Global Narcotics Affairs Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Dodd’s interest in Latin America was fostered during his time as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Dominican Republic from 1966 to 1968. For 25 years, he served as either Chairman or Vice Chairman of the U.S. – Mexico Interparliamentary Group, which brings together Mexican and American legislators on an annual basis to address matters critical to the U.S. – Mexico relationship.

Dodd led the Senate Central America Negotiations Group during the 1980s, which monitored the progress of the Guatemala City accord. He also has been a longstanding critic of the United States embargo against Cuba and recently was an original co-sponsor of the Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act, which would lift travel restrictions on all Americans wishing to travel to Cuba.

Following his remarks, Dodd will be available to the press for questions.

WHO: Senator Chris Dodd

WHERE: Central Connecticut State University
Constitution Room- Memorial Hall
1615 Stanley Street
New Britain, CT

WHEN: TUESDAY, November 9, 2010
1:00 P.M.

###
Contact: Caren Auchman
202-747-4973
or
Rebecca Kaplan
860-383-6362

Copy of Ellis Island art will tell of immigrants

This artist has painted a reproduction of a mural that was done by an artist in the 1930s to commemorate Ellis Island. This copy is 5 feet tall and 90 feet long (half the size of the original) and is on display in Augusta, Georgia. - - Donna Poisl

By Carole Hawkins, Staff Writer

Augusta artist Andrew Sabori went to Ellis Island in 2003 to find his ancestors and discovered a lost piece of American heritage instead.

During the Great Depression, artist Edward Laning painted a mural at Ellis Island, in the New York area, celebrating America immigrants. It was never seen by the general public, and 20 years later it became damaged when the roof of the building that held it collapsed in a storm.
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DREAM Act’s final event brings community together to rally for immigration rights

During Immigrant Advocacy Week students are pushing for the DREAM Act to be enacted. They know how much this is needed by their friends who were in high school with them and cannot go to college. - - Donna Poisl

By CHUHENG DING | The Daily Tar Heel

UNC students braved the chilly, wet weather Friday night to rally for the DREAM Act.

The event, called Give Up Your Dreams for the DREAM, was geared toward gathering support for the bill, which would allow undocumented minors who have been in the country for more than five years to become citizens if they complete two years of college or military service.

The event Friday marked the culmination of Immigrant Advocacy Week, during which Students United for Immigrant Equality hosted a series of events that sought to raise awareness for issues surrounding immigrants’ rights.
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We Celebrate Sports Star Immigrants and Vilify the Rest

We should assume that many people who want all immigrants to "go home" are happy they are playing on their sports teams. - - Donna Poisl

By Nellie Nelson

Sports coverage all too often ignores when successful athletes are part of groups targeted by right-wing fear-mongering.

During the National League Championship Series a couple weeks back, a roar would go up from bars and living rooms at the close of every winning game. You could hear it in all parts of the city. During the World Series the roar went up at every home run, accelerating in the last couple games for every Giants hit and then for the Texas Rangers' rapid accumulation of outs. At the close of that final inning, the roar reached a crescendo, carrying well across the bay as San Franciscans of all ages poured into the streets.

In the midst of all the vocal opposition to the right, there was one thing that almost no one was talking about: how much people categorized as immigrants had contributed to the unprecedented success. The players and coaches we showered with cheers and ticker tape hail from Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Curaçao, France, Panama. Their families came from the Philippines, Mexico and Japan.
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Making the DREAM Act a Reality

This student writes that going to college and getting a job is expected by everyone, except immigrant kids who have gone to school here and are not citizens. The DREAM Act will change that. - - Donna Poisl

By Will Dudding, a junior literature major at CMC

For many of us at CMC, the American Dream has become less of a dream and more of an expected reality. We go to college, we get a job, and we reap the benefits. For some, however, the dream is far more difficult to attain.

The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, first introduced to Congress in 2001, aims to remove the barriers blocking the way to success for many within our nation’s borders. If passed, the DREAM Act would provide a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants under the age of 35 who were brought to the US as minors and graduated from an American high school. Those eligible would be granted a “conditional” citizenship status for a six-year period during which they would complete two years of study for a college degree or enlist in the military for the same amount of time
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Latino voters' impact varied by region

Latino votes were very important, depending on what part of the country they were in. - - Donna Poisl

Few Republican candidates in the midterm election paid a price for adopting a hard-line immigration stance — except in the West

By Nicholas Riccardi, Los Angeles Times

Reporting from Denver — With images of menacing, tattooed Latinos and beleaguered whites, the TV ad contended that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was too soft on illegal immigrants. "It's clear whose side he's on," the announcer said, "and it's not yours."

Sharron Angle, a "tea party" favorite and Reid's Republican challenger, had attempted to pummel Reid for his support for legalizing illegal immigrants. But Angle paid a price for her tough stance when Nevada's Latino voters came out in record numbers last week and helped Reid win a fifth term.
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NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORY GRAND OPENING WEEKEND

National Museum of American Jewish History (NMAJH):

WHAT:
Celebration surrounding the opening of the new National Museum of American Jewish History (NMAJH), the nation’s only museum dedicated solely to telling the story of Jews in America, and press conference with leaders, architect and designer.

WHO:
Special guests Jerry Seinfeld and Bette Midler to perform at Opening Gala, Nov. 13; Vice President Joe Biden to lead Grand Opening ceremony, Nov. 14

WHERE:
101 South Independence Mall East (5th and Market streets), Philadelphia

Click on the headline above to read the information about the Grand Opening! This is only a small part of it.

Legal Action Center Argues H-1B Employees Should Not Face Arrest While Extension Requests Remain Pending

For Immediate Release

Legal Action Center Argues H-1B Employees Should Not Face Arrest
While Extension Requests Remain Pending


November 8, 2010

Washington D.C. - Late last week, the Legal Action Center of the American Immigration Council (LAC), together with the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), filed an amicus brief arguing that an H-1B employee should not face arrest, detention or deportation after his initial period of admission expires if a pending extension request remains under review. The brief, filed in federal district court in Connecticut, maintains that H-1B employers who follow the law should not lose valuable employees because of widespread delays at immigration processing centers."Both existing law and common sense dictate that the government cannot sit on an employer's H-1B extension request and then arrest the employee due to its own processing delays," said Melissa Crow, director of the Legal Action Center.

The LAC filed the brief on behalf of a Lebanese national represented by the Worker and Immigrant Rights Advocacy Clinic at Yale Law School and the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund. The plaintiff was gainfully employed when his employer requested an H-1B extension in early 2004, more than a month before the deadline.Though his employer paid a $1,000 "premium processing" fee to obtain a decision within fifteen business days, the government neither approved nor denied the application and refused to respond to requests for information.Nearly seven months after the extension request was filed, but before DHS had decided it, immigration agents arrested the plaintiff for allegedly "overstaying" his visa.

While federal law permits H-1B employees to remain in the United States for up to six years, the government grants visas for only three years at a time. Typically, the government may seek to remove noncitizens who overstay a temporary visa. But a federal regulation specifically permits an H-1B employee to continue working for up to 240 days after his initial period of admission expires so long as his employer filed an extension request before that period ended.

In the amicus brief, LAC and AILA argue that the automatic extension of work authorization should prevent the government from arresting H-1B employees while their employers' extension requests remain pending. With supportive declarations from three prominent companies that rely on H-1B workers, the brief further argues that subjecting noncitizens in the plaintiff's position to arrest would threaten to disrupt key sectors of the U.S. economy and undermine the goals of the H-1B program.

###

For more information contact Wendy Sefsaf at 202-507-7524 or wsefsaf@immcouncil.org

Bloomberg's Chinese Lessons: Low Taxes, Hardworking Immigrants

Mayor Bloomberg is touring China factories and is talking about how we need more hardworking immigrants here. - - Donna Poisl

BY ADAM LISBERG

Mayor Bloomberg called into the John Gambling show on WOR-AM this morning from Shenzhen, China, where he's on a whirlwind trip to chair the C40 group of global cities responding to climate change, as well as to see all the cool things that China is doing and America isn't.

He toured factories for prescription drugs and solar panels in Shenzhen, which is just across the border from Hong Kong, where the climate summit is being held.
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Latinos Reached Milestones in Midterm Races

Latinos voted for candidates in both parties and are showing that their concerns should be listened to. - - Donna Poisl

By MARC LACEY and JULIA PRESTON

PHOENIX — There was plenty of grim news for Latinos in Tuesday’s election results: three Latino congressmen were voted out, the odds of an immigration overhaul appeared to diminish and — here in the state that gave rise to the strictest immigration measure of all — hardliners were re-elected amid vows to continue cracking down on illegal immigrants.

But 2010 also signifies a milestone of sorts for Latinos, the country’s largest minority: their overwhelming support for Democrats in the midterm elections is credited with helping to keep the Senate Democratic. And Latinos won an unprecedented voice in the Republican Party with the election of more Latino Republicans than ever before — sometimes without the support of Latino voters, who tend to put issues before ethnicity.
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Sponsor a DREAMer in D.C. for $25

from Mohammad Abdollahi, co-founder of DreamActivist.org

In September your donations helped us to sponsor 10 undocumented youth who traveled from all over the country to Washington D.C. to advocate for the DREAM Act. Students met with legislators, delivered thousands of petitions and even sat and watched the critical vote that delayed the DREAM Act. The vote may have not gone in our favor, but these brave DREAMers were just yards away from Senators who were forced to see the faces of those affected.

This November 15th Senators will again return to Capital Hill and we want them to be welcomed back by an army of DREAMers. We are again reaching out to you, our allies and supporters, to ask that you help us get undocumented youth to Washington D.C

With a donation of just $25 you can sponsor one of these students for a day.

All of your donations will go towards expenses such as food, housing and other needed materials and other things needed during the week of action.

p.s. Check out the shirts and other cool DREAM Act gear we have for sale! Go to https://action.dreamactivist.org:443/shop/

Vote Cuts Both Ways on Immigrant Issues in NY

New York voters seem to want immigration reform and were not happy with the negative ads depicting immigrants. - - Donna Poisl

from Mike Clifford, Public News Service - NY

NEW YORK CITY - This week's election saw some candidates portraying immigrants in a negative light, but when the results came in, local immigrant advocates claim victory in saying New York voters rejected those stereotypes.

Pat Young is an attorney active in immigrant issues and a blogger for Long Island Wins. He says New York voters had four chances to elect candidates to Congress who campaigned on anti-immigrant platforms, and Young says New Yorkers rejected them all.
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Latino Vote Decisive in Key Battle Ground States

PRESS RELEASE

Latino Republican Candidates Make Historic Gains

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3, 2010 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- Strong Latino voter turnout in key battle ground states has demonstrated once again that the growing Hispanic population is having an increasingly profound impact on US elections. Latino Republicans in particular combined strong support from conservatives and Latino voters to win 2 new governorships, 4 new house seats, and a new senate seat more than doubling the number of Republican Hispanics in Congress and giving our nation 3 Republican Hispanic Governors for the first time.

Overall Latino voter turnout was strong and continued to lean Democratic even as Republicans made big gains with other voters. According to MSNBC exit polling in key battleground house races, Latino voters made up 8% of those races and favored Democrats over Republicans by 65% to 33%.

"The elections of 2010 are further proof of the power of the Latino vote," stated Margaret Moran, LULAC National President. "No longer can politicians afford to ignore the needs of their fastest growing constituency. Latino voters have demonstrated that they are paying close attention to the issues that matter most to their families and their communities and they are prepared to support the candidates who respond to their concerns."

In Nevada, Senator Harry Reid was reelected with overwhelming support from Latinos who turned out in large numbers to beat back challenger Sharon Angle whose anti-immigrant attack ads angered Latino voters across the state. Exit polling by MSNBC indicates that Latinos made up 15% of the Nevada vote with 68% of Latino voters supporting Harry Reid.

In Florida, Republican Marco Rubio handily won election to the Senate with 55% of the Latino vote in a state where Hispanics made up 12% of the vote according to the exit poll. In addition, Republican David Rivera defeated Democrat Joe Garcia in the states closely watched 25th district.

Republican Susana Martinez made history in New Mexico by becoming the nation's first Latina Governor, defeating Diane Denish with 54% of the vote. She is joined by Governor-elect Brian Sandoval of Nevada who picked up 33% of the Latino vote which proved enough for him to become Nevada's first Latino Governor.

However, Latino voters in Arizona were not able to overcome some of the most racially polarized voting in the nation as Governor Janet Brewer of SB1070 fame was reelected despite the fact that 71% of Latinos supported her opponent Terry Goddard. Still Brewer's lack of support with Latino voters coupled with Harry Reid's win in Nevada is a clear sign that harsh anti-immigrant rhetoric will cause politicians to lose support from the nation's fastest growing voting population.

The League of United Latin American Citizens, the largest and oldest Hispanic membership organization in the country, advances the economic conditions, educational attainment, political influence, housing, health and civil rights of Hispanic Americans through community-based programs operating through 880 LULAC councils nationwide.

SOURCE League of United Latin American Citizens

CONTACT: Lizette Jenness Olmos of LULAC, mobile: +1-202-365-4553