The Washington Independent

Posts Tagged undocumented immigration

Vargas loses his driver’s license, increasing risk of his deportation

By | 07.22.11 | 12:55 pm

When journalist Jose Antonio Vargas confessed to being undocumented in a piece for New York Times Magazine, he stated that he had obtained an Oregon driver’s license by using a fake Social Security card and proof of residency. However, his lawyer advised him not to include the fact that he More…

Patrick promises immigrant-friendly reforms in Massachusetts

By | 11.17.10 | 9:23 am

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D), who won re-election earlier this month, announced yesterday that he hopes to use his next four years in office to pass a number of immigration reform measures, including driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants and in-state tuition for undocumented students who attended high school More…

What happens to children when their parents are detained or deported?

By | 11.16.10 | 3:54 pm

The Daily Beast has a good story today on Encarnación Romero, a Guatemalan woman who was jailed on immigration charges for two years and ended up losing parental rights to her infant son. Romero faked documents to secure a job at a Missouri poultry plant, which was raided More…

ACLU alleges racial profiling led to ICE raid

By | 11.16.10 | 10:33 am

The ACLU filed a formal complaint yesterday claiming U.S. citizens and legal residents were wrongly targeted for a raid in April by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents because they spoke Spanish. ICE agents raided a bus of 42 people, some of whom were citizens or legal residents, headed More…

High stakes for the DREAM Act in the lame duck

By | 11.15.10 | 5:41 pm

As Congress begins the lame-duck session, both houses are under increasing pressure to pass the DREAM Act, a bill that would allow some undocumented young people to gain legal status by attending college or serving in the military. Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), who is retiring at the end More…

California Supreme Court preserves in-state tuition for undocumented students

By | 11.15.10 | 2:21 pm

Some good news for the estimated 25,000 undocumented students who receive in-state tuition in California: The California Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of the state’s law allowing illegal immigrants to receive in-state tuition rates at public universities.

California is one of 10 states that allow More…

Utah conservative groups, leaders commit to moderate stance on immigration

By | 11.15.10 | 11:45 am

Conservatives in Utah signed a pact last week promising to push for a moderate approach to immigration reform as a state lawmaker works on an Arizona-style immigration enforcement bill for the next session. The “Utah Compact” commits politicians and reform supporters to five broad priorities for More…

Poll shows broad support for immigration reform among voters

By | 11.10.10 | 2:36 pm

A majority of voters support comprehensive immigration reform that includes legalization measures as well as border security, according to a poll released today. The poll was conducted by Lake Research Partners on behalf of the pro-reform group America’s Voice between Oct. 31 and Nov. 2 and surveyed 1,200 likely More…

The future of driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants

By | 11.08.10 | 4:47 pm

Illegal immigrants can only get driver’s licenses in three states: New Mexico, Utah and Washington. As other states crack down on illegal immigration, the three states are reportedly receiving higher numbers of illegal immigrant applicants for driver’s licenses — either because more undocumented people are moving to the More…

What does Kirk’s early Senate entry mean for the DREAM Act?

By | 11.04.10 | 5:13 pm

Mark Kirk, the Republican senator-elect from Illinois, could be sworn in as early as Nov. 29 due to special circumstances regarding his seat, which used to belong to President Obama but was handed over to Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) when Obama took office. Kirk will serve in the More…