As states, the federal government and the courts wrangle with a record number of new state immigration laws, Florida Governor Rick Scott says he believes the legislature will come to terms with a Florida law in 2012. Governor Scott said Friday he will continue to pursue a Florida measure to crack down on undocumented immigrants in Florida.
Experts say U.S. political asylum laws may be outdated
News articles in recent months tell stories of state immigration laws and challenges, proposals for immigration reform related to DREAM Act ideas or employment-based immigration issues and stories of deportation. Certainly, many Florida immigration stories center on the same issues. An interesting story ran in a Texas newspaper quoting a number of experts who say the current state of the law regarding asylum in the United States is out of date.
Immigration shifts policy in deportation cases
The Obama administration announced Thursday it will review roughly 300,000 pending deportation cases on a case-by-case basis and allow a number of immigrants to remain in the country. The change in policy will shift the focus of removal hearings heard in immigration courts to those cases that the Department of Homeland Security believes are of the highest priority.
Immigration detains woman on Greyhound bus in Florida
Agents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection reportedly are stepping up checks for undocumented immigrants on Greyhound buses and Amtrak trains. The ID checks reportedly have not received due attention in the public media, until now. The Miami Herald reports a 19-year-old woman, bound for South Florida, was detained after border patrol agents boarded her Greyhound bus in Pompano Beach.
ICE releases man facing deportation, has six months to seek green card
A father of three U.S. Citizens who came to the United States on a tourist visa 25-years ago has been given six months to fight for another opportunity to obtain his green card. The man was facing deportation to his home country of Poland when his family learned he would be released "on humanitarian grounds.
Feds cancel state Secure Communities agreements, with no change
The Obama administration announced Friday it is cancelling its agreements with roughly 40 states related to the Secure Communities program. A number of states, and local law enforcement agencies, raised concerns with the controversial program saying it can harm relationships and local law enforcement efforts to control crime.
Immigration announces employment visa policy changes
The federal government is taking some action to make it a little easier for immigrant entrepreneurs to qualify for permanent residency in the United States. The action is not through passage of new laws, but rather through clarifications in a number of employment-based visa programs.
Justice Department sues over state immigration law
During the last legislative session and after contentious debate, Florida lawmakers did not pass an immigration bill. So far, however, fiver other states have enacted legislation aimed at immigration issues. The Justice Department filed a lawsuit Monday challenging a state immigration law due to take effect September, 1, in our neighboring state of Alabama.
