Articles of Interest

Statement by the President on Today's Meetings on Immigration Reform

Office of the White House Press Secretary

March 11, 2010

"Today [the president] met with Senators Schumer and Graham and was pleased to learn of their progress in forging a proposal to fix our broken immigration system." Read the Press Release.

Undocumented immigrants offer U.S. a shot of optimism

By Rudy Ruiz, CNN

March 10, 2010

"Let's resume immigration reform and embrace undocumented immigrants as a source of competitive labor, productivity, increased tax revenue and, yes, optimism. Because it might just be that America's most optimistic people are those waiting for a chance to come out of hiding." Read More.

Obama Put on Notice: Our Patience has Run Out

CSPAN, Washington

March 8, 2010

"Civil rights and immigrant organizations blast President Obama's immigration policies, increased deportations and detentions, lack of progress on comprehensive immigration reform." Watch the press conference here.

Obama Looking To Give New Life to Immigration Reform

By Peter Nicholas, LA Times

March 4, 2010

"In an effort to advance a bill through Congress before midterm elections, the president meets with two senators who have spent months trying to craft legislation." Read More.

Program That IDs Jailed Illegal Immigrants Sought For Deportation Gets High Marks

By N.C. Aizenman, Washington Post

February 22, 2010

"For nearly a year, Fairfax County's Adult Detention Center has quietly helped pilot a far-reaching program designed to identify criminal illegal immigrants and assist the federal government in removing them from the United States." Read More.

Hurricane Ida floods El Salvador

Photos by The Washington Post

November 8, 2009

"Hurricane Ida swept through El Salvador, triggering floods and mudslides that killed more than 120 people in the Central American nation." View Gallery...

The U.S. House of Representatives Approves Resolution H.R. 761 to Commemorate the Work and Lives of the Six Jesuit Priests and Two Women Murdered in El Salvador during its Civil War Nearly Twenty Years Ago.

October 21, 2009

"CARECEN applauds the efforts of Rep. Jim McGovern and the 33 co-sponsors who introduced H.R 761, which was approved today in the U.S. House of Representatives. The civil war in El Salvador resulted in over 70,000 deaths, many of whom were civilians killed by the Salvadoran armed forces and paramilitary death squads, as well as hundreds of thousands wounded or displaced by the fighting. On Nov. 16, 1989, armed men burst into the Jesuit residence at the University of Central America (UCA) in San Salvador, and killed six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her daughter. The massacre of the Jesuits outraged the international human rights community who condemned the Salvadoran Government and pressured them to negotiate an end to their country's civil war. It also played a key role in shifting opinions in the US Congress regarding the war in El Salvador, and led to humanitarian relief for thousands of Salvadorans fleeing the violence." Read the resolution.

Immigration Rally Draws Thousands

By Ian Urbina, The New York Times
Published: April 23, 2009

"WASHINGTON - Thousands of immigrants came to Capitol Hill on Tuesday for a day of lobbying and an afternoon rally calling for comprehensive immigration reform." Read more.

Avanza agenda de líderes salvadoreños

Por: Andrea Acosta
El Pregonero
24 de Septiembre, 2009

"Líderes de la comunidad salvadoreña en Estados Unidos se unieron esta semana en Washington para abogar por una reforma migratoria, apoyar un conteo justo en el censo, consolidar su liderazgo y luchar por el voto en el exterior." Read more.

Sotomayor Wins Confirmation: Senate Votes 68 to 31 for Judge Who Will Be First Hispanic to Serve on High Court

By: Amy Goldstein and Paul Kane
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, August 7, 2009

"The Senate, in a vote laden with history and partisanship, confirmed Sonia Sotomayor on Thursday as the 111th justice and the first Hispanic to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. The confirmation of President Obama's first high court nominee was a milestone for his presidency." Read more.

New Immigration Enforcement Programs Take Shape

By: David Sherfinski
Examiner Staff Writer
Friday, July 31, 2009

"The federal program used by Prince William and Loudoun counties to curb illegal immigration is coming under increasing scrutiny as two new enforcement programs take shape on Capitol Hill." Read more.

Worker Investigated For Fake Licenses Issued to Immigrants

By: Ashley Halsey
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, July 31, 2009

"An employee of the Maryland Department of Motor Vehicles is under investigation in connection with a scheme to issue fraudulent driver's licenses to immigrants, a state official confirmed Thursday." Read more.

Honduran Coup Shows Business Elite Still in Charge

By: The Associated Press
Associated Press Staff Writer
Thursday, Augsut 6, 2009

"Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was ousted in a military coup after betraying his own kind: a small clique of families that dominates the economy. Now those same families stand as the greatest obstacle to the U.S.-backed drive to return him to power." Read more.

Most Mexicans in U.S. Stay Put Despite Recession

By: Tara Bahrampour
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, July 22, 2009

"Despite the recession, the flow of Mexican immigrants out of the United States and back into Mexico has stayed level, according to a report released Wednesday by the Pew Hispanic Center." Read more.

House Approves $200 Million for New Immigration Enforcement Program

By: David Sherfinski
Examiner Staff Writer
July 10, 2009

"The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to appropriate $200 million for a new immigration enforcement program used in Fairfax County and about 50 other jurisdictions nationwide." Read more.

Remarks by the President after Meeting with Members of Congress to Discuss Immigration

Office of the Press Secretary
Thursday, June 25, 2009

"THE PRESIDENT: Hello, everybody. We have just finished what I consider to be a very productive meeting on one of the most critical issues that I think this nation faces, and that is an immigration system that is broken and needs fixing." Read more.

Senate Democrats Address Immigration

By Spencer S. Hsu, Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, June 25, 2009

"Senate Democrats outlined plans yesterday to overhaul the nation's immigration laws, including a requirement that all U.S. workers verify their identity through fingerprints or an eye scan. " Read more.

Obama 'committed' to immigration reform

Agence France Presse
Saturday, June 20, 2009

"WASHINGTON (AFP) - President Barack Obama Friday said he was committed to comprehensive immigration reform, amid rising calls by Hispanic supporters for a path to citizenship for 12 million illegal immigrants." Read more.

Expansion of immigration enforcement could affect Prince William crackdown

By David Sherfinski, Examiner Staff Writer
Tuesday, June 16, 2009

"A new immigration enforcement program from the federal government effectively could eliminate Prince William County's crackdown on illegal immigrants, experts say. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is planning to make the program, known as Secure Communities, available to all 1,200 of the country's state and federal prisons and 3,100 local jails by the end of 2012." Read more.

Immigration Reform will Not Happen this Year - Not until 2011

By Mark Willen, Hispanic News
Friday, June 12, 2009

"WASHINGTON - The stage is set for a high profile White House meeting on immigration next week. On June 17, key proponents of major reform will gather at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. for an event designed to showcase President Obama living up to his pledge to do something on immigration this year. And he will get started. The problem is he won't get far." Read more.

Hope and Worry on Immigration

The New York Times - Editorial
Friday, June 5, 2009

"This week, in Washington and cities across the nation, immigrant advocates, clergy members and labor and business leaders have been meeting to press their case for comprehensive immigration reform. Hopes have been raised before and repeatedly dashed. But this year there is a chance — if the White House provides real leadership and Congressional leaders show the courage and sense they have previously lacked." Read more.

Latino Clergy Say Census May Hurt Illegal Workers

By Ed O'Keefe, Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, April 23, 2009

"A national coalition of Latino pastors this week urged illegal immigrants to boycott the 2010 census until Congress passes comprehensive immigration reform, a move other groups criticized as detrimental to ensuring a full count of the nation's fastest-growing minority group. The Rev. Miguel A. Rivera, chairman of the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders, which claims more than 20,000 members in 34 states, said that he and other church leaders are concerned about the potential for authorities to use Census Bureau population data against undocumented workers and their families." Read more.

Crisis Among Latino Teens Demands Action, Leaders Say

By Donna St. George, Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, April 23, 2009

"Community leaders are warning of a crisis among Latino teens in Montgomery County and calling for a broad effort to improve the odds for those at risk of joining gangs, dropping out of high school and other troubles. Leaders of a newly formed Latino Youth Task Force have met in recent weeks with county and school district officials to present the findings of a recent teen survey and to draw attention to the county and state's "very troubling" statistics on Latino youth." Read more.

When the Patient Gets Lost in Translation

By Pauline W. Chen, MD, The New York Times
Published: April 23, 2009

"Every morning after his liver transplant, and often in the afternoons as well, I visited Armando (not his real name) as part of my daily rounds. In his 50s, with still dark hair and even darker eyes, Armando had developed liver failure from hepatitis C, contracted from a blood transfusion when he was a young man in Mexico. I was the surgeon on call the night a liver became available for him." Read more.

Struggling to Rise in Suburbs Where Failing Means Fitting In

By Jason DeParle, The New York Times
Published: April 18, 2009

"LANGLEY PARK, Md. - Class at the youth center had just let out, and a gaggle of teenagers moved toward the door, turning saggy pants and ring tones thrumming with reggaetón hits into adolescent statements of Latino cool.Some had rap sheets, and some had babies. Some had gang tattoos. Most had immigrant parents with menial jobs who survived on sweat and worry. They were children of the Washington suburbs, but the poverty and violence around them rivaled that of urban cores. Jesselyn Bercian paused to rub the belly of a pregnant staff member." Read more.

Without Papers, No Full License

By Lisa Rein and Nick Miroff, Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, April 15, 2009

"The Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration will cancel scheduled appointments for 8,000 immigrants applying for driver's licenses and has stopped booking them in advance of a new law that will curtail driving privileges for illegal immigrants starting June 1.Every driver in the state will be affected by the change by having to present a Social Security card or other proof that they are in the country legally to get a license." Read more.

Obama to Push Immigration Bill as One Priority

By Julia Preston, The New York Times
Published: April 8, 2009

"While acknowledging that the recession makes the political battle more difficult, President Obama plans to begin addressing the country's immigration system this year, including looking for a path for illegal immigrants to become legal, a senior administration official said on Wednesday." Read more.

License to survive

The Baltimore Sun
Tuesday, March 31, 2009

"One way or another, Maryland is going to have to meet federal standards for driver's licenses under the Real ID program. The only question is whether the state legislature does so while extending some understanding to the state's immigrant community." Read more.

Locke urges census volunteers to boost outreach

By Hope Yen, The Associated Press
Monday, March 30, 2009

"WASHINGTON -- New Commerce Secretary Gary Locke on Monday exhorted census volunteers to boost outreach in hard-to-count communities as a top lawmaker urged the government to halt immigration raids to ensure an accurate count." Read more.

Delay in Immigration Raids May Signal Policy Change

By Spencer S. Hsu, Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, March 29, 2009

"Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has delayed a series of proposed immigration raids and other enforcement actions at U.S. workplaces in recent weeks, asking agents in her department to apply more scrutiny to the selection and investigation of targets as well as the timing of raids, federal officials said." Read more.

Financial Safety Net of Nonprofit Organizations Is Fraying, Survey Finds

By Stephanie Strom, The New York Times
Published: March 25, 2009

The financial health of the nation's nonprofit groups is rapidly deteriorating, according to a survey of some 900 nonprofit leaders around the country. Only 12 percent of those organizations expect to end the year with an operating surplus, compared with 40 percent who ended their most recent fiscal years with money on hand, according to the survey by the Nonprofit Finance Fund, a charity that provides loans and other financial services to nonprofit groups. Read more.

Who's Running Immigration?

The New York Times - Editorial
March 4, 2009

Immigration enforcement ran off the rails in the Bush era, when federal agents stormed factories to shackle workers and local authorities staged their own crackdowns with little or no oversight from Washington. It was a war without a plan, and it solved nothing. Read more.

Target of Immigrant Raids Shifted

By Nina Bernstein, The New York Times
Published: February 3, 2009

The raids on homes around the country were billed as carefully planned hunts for dangerous immigrant fugitives, and given catchy names like Operation Return to Sender. And they garnered bigger increases in money and staff from Congress than any other program run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, even as complaints grew that teams of armed agents were entering homes indiscriminately. Read more.