New York, September 2009
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IMMIGRATION REFORM POTENTIALLY DELAYED UNTIL 2010
 Chicago,
IL - Comprehensive immigration reform may be potentially delayed until next
year, due to pressing issues already on the agenda of the Obama administration.
Healthcare reform and the economy are taking higher precedence than immigration
reform for the current administration, which will potentially delay tackling
immigration reform until 2010. During President Obama’s presidential campaign he
promised voters that he would make comprehensive immigration reform a top
priority. However, US Senator Roland Burris, who serves on the Homeland Security
committee stated, "Unfortunately, the agenda is so packed, we have so many
issues on our plate that... We will probably postpone the immigration reform
until late this year or early next year." Senator Buris also recognized that
immigration needs to be addressed and, "We should not be splitting up families.
We need to work on the issue of reform and proper
immigration but we also have
to protect our borders," he added. |
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U.S. CITIZEN WRONGLY DEPORTED
 Raleigh,
NC - Reports from April 2009 revealed that a North Carolina native was
wrongly deported to Mexico, but recent data also reveal that federal agencies
ignored evidence that showed the man was a United States citizen. The deported
man’s Social Security number, names of his parents, and a sworn statement
stating that the deported individual was born in North Carolina, were among the
evidence supplied to federal immigration enforcement officials. There was also
evidence that the man had suffered from mental health issues and was diagnosed
with Bipolar disorder and a learning disability. The North Carolina resident was
deported to Mexico, a country where he didn’t know anyone, with no money and
without the ability to speak Spanish. The report reveals that federal
investigators deported him based on his conflicting statements. ICE officials
state that the man swore on two occasions that he was Mexican. “Individuals who
misrepresent their true identity and make false statements to ICE officers
create problems both for law enforcement and themselves,” stated ICE spokesman
Ivan Ortiz-Delgado. In addition, ICE states that the man’s Mexican citizenship
“was established based on interview results and numerous background system
checks.” |
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SHERIFFS CONTEMPLATE FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM
 El
Paso, TX - In an August meeting, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland
Security, Janet Napolitano, discussed involving state law enforcement officials
in federal immigration enforcement. Under Section 287 of the Immigration and
Nationality Act, 63 law-enforcement agencies throughout the U.S. are eligible to
partner with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to enforce federal
immigration laws. This means that agencies can assign officers to a task force
that focuses on enforcing immigration law or identifying undocumented immigrants
who are already incarcerated. Normally, local law enforcement expresses a strong
desire to not desire to work with the federal government to identify and detain
illegal immigrants. However, working with
illegal immigrants on the detention
side proves to be appealing to some law enforcement officials. A sheriff in
Texas states, “I am considering being a part of it — only on the detention side.
I would never do the enforcement. I won’t even help.”
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LAPTOP SEARCH AND SEIZURE RULES REVISED
 Washington,
D.C. - The Department of Homeland Security released new guidelines
pertaining to laptop searches at U.S. entry points by immigration and customs
officials. However, while these new guidelines provide more clarity and
guidelines that immigration enforcement officers must follow, the laptop
searches remain controversial. Under the new guidelines, U.S. Customs and Border
Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are still
able to search electronic devices during border crossings without suspicion of
any wrongdoing. Under the new guidelines, which are intended to provide
"transparency and accountability," U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are
required to complete a laptop search within five days and ICE to complete the
search within 30 days. The new guidelines also require agents to inform and
educate travelers about the searches, as well as for DHS to conduct assessments
of the policy's impact on civil rights. These new regulations governing laptop
searches were released a day after the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
filed a lawsuit in an effort to get more information about border laptop
searches. The ACLU and other groups have complained that the laptop search
policy violates the U.S. Constitution's Fourth Amendment against unreasonable
search and seizure. In response, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet
Napolitano stated, "Keeping Americans safe in an increasingly digital world
depends on our ability to lawfully screen materials entering the United States.
The new directives announced today strike the balance between respecting the
civil liberties and privacy of all travelers while ensuring DHS can take the
lawful actions necessary to secure our borders." Data reveal that a small
percentage of laptops are actually being searched. From Oct. 1, 2008 until Aug.
11, 2009, there were approximately 221 million travelers at U.S. ports of entry,
and only 1,000 laptop searches were performed in these instances, 46 instances
in which the search was considered “in depth.”
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U.S. RESUMES FLIGHTS BACK HOME FOR ILLEGAL MEXICAN IMMIGRANTS
 Tuscon,
AZ - Immigration authorities are resuming flights back home for illegal
immigrants from Mexico in order to protect them from dangerous heat. The flights
take place twice per day, from Southern Arizona to Mexico City, and the
immigrants are then bused back to their home towns. The purpose of the flights
is to keep undocumented immigrants away from border towns, where smugglers await
to try to sneak them back into the U.S., often for a hefty price. The assistant
secretary of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) stated, “This is
where the probability of losing their lives can really increase. We offer that
opportunity for them to get out of that cycle." These flights, which operate
only during the summer months (when the temperatures often reach the triple
digits) will cease on September 28. It is the 6th year of the flights, and over
82,000 Mexican nationals have been returned as part of the program. It is
estimated that several hundreds of people lose their lives each year from the
heat while attempting to cross the border into the United States. The flight
program is voluntary and only Mexican nationals who cross the border illegally
and don't have criminal records are eligible. Participants often include people
who are sensitive to the heat due to their age or physical health. About 150
people are on each flight. |
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UNITED STATES IMMIGRATION SUPPORT
511 Avenue of the Americas # 45
New York, NY 10011
Phone: (646) 233-3836
Fax: (646)792-3296
Web: www.usimmigrationsupport.org
Email: info@usimmigrationsupport.org
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