Posts by Luis Rumbaut

<p>The next round of the hard-fought Democratic presidential nomination race between Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is Mar. 4. In two big states, Texas and Ohio, the candidates will each seek support from immigrant and Latino voters.<br />
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Clinton and Obama hold similar positions on immigration, but in earlier [...]

<p>Here is&nbsp; <a id="mge6" href="http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2008/02/local_governments_should_enact.html" target="_blank" title="breaking story">some news coming out of Alabama,</a> from the Birmingham News: A former Justice Department official has said local governments should enact their own laws to address illegal immigration. Kris Kobach, who served as chief adviser on immigration and border secutiry to former U.S. attorney general John Ashcroft , [...]

<p>In earlier posts I’ve argued that, as immigration reform continues to stall in Congress, state and local jurisdictions will fill the vacuum by passing their own anti-immigrant laws and ordinances.<br />
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Yesterday’s Los Angeles Times addressed the subject in an editorial, <a title="Too Tough on Illegal Immigration" target="_blank" href="http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-oklahoma21feb21,0,6658324.story" id="i973">Too Tough on Illegal Immigration</a>.
The Times [...]

<p>Some white people are feeling put upon these days. These are folks who resent being told that theirs is not, in fact, a superior race, especially when they have scientific facts to prove that it is.<br />
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They are <a id="pul5" href="http://www.amren.com/conference/2008/index.html" target="_blank" title="meeting this weekend">meeting this weekend</a> in Herndon, Virginia, an exurb of Washington, [...]

<p>As late as last year, Bush administration officials were saying that the U.S. had no idea what was going on in Cuba, asserting that it was an &quot;<a title="opaque" target="_blank" href="http://montevideo.usembassy.gov/usaweb/paginas/2006/06-308EN.shtml" id="a2t5">opaque</a>&quot; society. <br /><br />
Still, the U.S. has the equivalent of an embassy in Havana, and contacts with all of the dissidents publicized abroad, [...]

<p>Fidel Castro has left the command posts of the Cuban government, but he will continue to be an influential voice for as long as his health permits. Fidel’s brother Raul Castro, head of the armed forces, takes center stage. What is the U.S. government’s likely response at this pivotal moment? <br /><br />
Aside from [...]

<p>With Fidel Castro saying he will resign from the highest positions of government, an era of almost 50 years comes to an end in Cuba.&nbsp; Castro was elected last year to the National Assembly of People’s Power (Cuba’s legislative body) and will surely retain that position.&nbsp; He will not, however, be nominated as or serve [...]

<p>Fidel Castro has <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&amp;sid=aIwWIv28EMcg&amp;refer=home">resigned</a> as president and commander-in-chief of Cuba. I’ve posted an English translation of his resignation letter <a href="http://www.washingtonindependent.com/view/fidel-castros">here</a>. More to come shortly.</p>

<div class="mini gray">Illustration by: Matt Mahurin</div>
<p><img class="left" width="165" height="165" alt="Immigration.jpg" src="/files/washingtonindependent/testing-icon-with/Immigration.jpg" /></p>
<p>While Congress postpones action on immigration reform, state and local jurisdictions are taking matters into their own hands.&nbsp;&nbsp; One result is that immigrants are leaving those jurisdictions; even legal immigrants, who find the atmosphere unwelcoming irrespective of status.</p>
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A curious example is that of [...]

<div class="mini gray">Illustration by: Matt Mahurin</div>
<p><img width="165" height="165" class="left" src="/files/washingtonindependent/testing-icon-with/Immigration.jpg" alt="Immigration.jpg" /></p>
<p>The ongoing efforts of state and local governments to drive out undocumented immigrants may end up favoring the Armed Forces. The Selective Service, which is not so selective these days, given the dearh of volunteers, is willing to recruit a few good aliens, [...]