Politics, Police Increase Pressure on Illegal Aliens — Advice from our Immigration Lawyer
If our readers will forgive us for stating the obvious, the immigrant community — in particular unauthorized immigrants — are feeling increased pressure from multiple sources. One source is political, with Republicans and other conservatives calling for increased border security as a precondition to any immigration reform. In hopes of appeasing this political element, President [...]
Nevada Illegal Alien Students Spared from Deportation
As the nation grapples with the difficult issue of revising its immigration laws, the Obama Administration has made some gestures toward a kinder, gentler immigration policy to help protect those aliens most vulnerable to the current system’s idiosyncrasies. Military families have quietly been given preferential treatment, and there is growing evidence that young people — [...]
Las Vegas 287(g) Program Draws Criticism as Undocumented Immigrants Detained for Minor Crimes Face Deportation
Strictly speaking, any individual who is in the United States without the benefit of a visa, permanent residence, or citizenship can be removed from the country. It is widely known that the United States has an estimated twelve million individuals who lack immigration authorization, but it is also generally understood that their presence (and work) [...]
Washoe County Nevada Joins Fingerprint Database to ID Criminal Illegal Aliens
The Washoe County Sheriff’s Department recently subscribed to a federal database that utilizes the fingerprints of convicted criminals to establish both criminal history and immigration status. Washoe County — which includes the cities of Reno and Sparks and also part of the Lake Tahoe area — became the first Nevada county to begin using the [...]
ICE Begins “Silent Raids,” Threatens the Jobs of Illegal Aliens
On our Nevada immigration news blog we have covered extensively the politics of comprehensive immigration reform. Much of the political dialogue — even if it is not always grounded in reality — focuses on the impact of illegal immigrants on the economy, job markets, etc. The conventional wisdom is that “illegal aliens take American jobs,” [...]
Obama’s Lawyers: Constitution Trumps Arizona Immigration Law
With anti-immigrant sentiment running high in Nevada, undocumented immigrants in the Las Vegas area are breathing easier after a move by the federal government this week. The Obama Administration presented a strong stance this past Tuesday when it challenged the controversial Arizona law, passed in April, that allows police to question the immigration status of [...]
Zealous ICE Enforcement = Deportation of Aliens for Minor Crimes
As a New York Times editorial concisely argues, the current regime of ICE enforcement is misusing sensible laws for senseless purposes. The result is that thousands of non-citizen aliens with minor criminal offenses on their records — especially minor drug violations — are placed into removal proceedings and are then denied any legal recourse to [...]
Healthcare Fight Continues to Haunt Immigration Reform – But Legalization is in Sight
Congress has yet to make progress on passing immigration reform, and immigrants are getting fed up. As discussed in other blogs on comprehensive immigration reform, the Latino voters who handed Democrats the presidency and strong majorities through states like Nevada and California are among a growing crowd who want America’s broken immigration system to be [...]
Rep. Gutierrez Introduces Bill for Comprehensive Immigration Reform, Help for Illegal Aliens
With a light—albeit a dim one—at the end of the healthcare reform tunnel, the Obama Administration and its allies in Congress have begun setting the stage for comprehensive immigration reform in 2010. Mounting support in Congress, a groundswell of immigrant advocates, and a new bill introduced Wednesday all bode well for major reform next year. [...]