Immigration Reform Legislation 2004: All Talk, No Action
7/15/2004. PR Newswire
According to an article in yesterday's Wall Street Journal, the White House took an active role in opposing the passage of Senate legislation to reform the agricultural sector's immigration policies. Legislation known as the AgJOBS bill ("The Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits, and Security Act of 2003," S. 1645) was poised to move as an attachment to legal reform legislation on the Senate floor last week until it was derailed by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN).

Immigrant sweep was not OK'd
6/25/2004. Press Enterprise
The U.S. Border Patrol didn't have the proper authority to detain 150 undocumented immigrants on the streets of Corona and Ontario earlier this month, a senior Bush administration official told lawmakers Friday.

The Safe, Orderly, Legal Visas and Enforcement Act of 2004
5/14/2004. IWFR Coalition
The introduction of the SOLVE Act within months of the Freedom Ride is a welcome sign that elected officials are listening to the voices of labor, civil rights and immigrant rights groups, clergy, students and others who have called for comprehensive immigration reform for many years. The IWFR Coalition will work with our partners and with others to turn the SOLVE Act into the law of the land.

Statement by Eliseo Medina, Executive Vice President of SEIU, on Democratic Comprehensive Immigration Reform
5/4/2004. SEIU
"This bill is a comprehensive and balanced solution to begin to fix our broken system and strengthen our economy, because it allows hard-working, tax-paying immigrants to become both a legitimate part of our economy and full participants in our democracy."

NCLR APPLAUDS INTRODUCTION OF COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM BILL
5/4/2004. NCLR
Raul Yzaguirre, President and CEO of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest constituency-based national Hispanic civil rights organization in the U.S., made the following statement about the introduction of the �The Safe, Orderly, Legal Visas and Enforcement (SOLVE) Act of 2004� introduced by Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Representatives Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ):

NAPALC Supports Comprehensive Immigration Reform Legislation
5/4/2004. NAPALC
The National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium and its affiliates, the Asian Law Caucus and the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, thank Sen. Kennedy and Reps. Menendez and Gutierrez for introducing this important legislation. "The SOLVE Act is the most comprehensive of the various immigration reform proposals introduced to date," stated Karen K. Narasaki, President and Executive Director of NAPALC.

MALDEF Applauds Introduction Of Comprehensive Immigration Reform Legislation
5/4/2004. MALDEF
MALDEF joins hundreds of organizations across the country, in a broad-based coalition, to support the Safe, Orderly, Legal Visas and Enforcement Act of 2004 (�SOLVE Act�) and urge Congress to pass it.

AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney at Press Conference on Democratic Immigration Reform
5/4/2004.
The 13 million working women and men in the AFL-CIO are giving their support to the immigration reform legislation Senator Kennedy and the House Democratic Caucus are offering today. The legislation represents the best opportunity we have to restart efforts to secure meaningful immigration reform that protects the interests of all workers, immigrants and U.S. workers alike.

Sen. Kennedy's Statement on the SOLVE Act of 2004
5/4/2004.
Much of the nation's economy today depends on the hard work and the many contributions of immigrants. Many industries depend heavily on immigrant labor. These workers enrich our nation and improve the quality of our lives. Yet millions of today's workers are undocumented. These workers and their families often live in constant fear of deportation, as easy targets of abuse by unscrupulous employers and by criminals. Others risk great danger and even death, to cross our borders.

Soon to be Introduced Civil Liberties Restoration Act
5/4/2004. National Immigration Forum
Later this year, a bill known as the Civil Liberties Restoration Act (CLRA) will be introduced by Congress. The CLRA, if enacted, would protect against a repeat of these and other abuses. The CLRA would also repeal certain sections of the Patriot Act that violate the Bill of Rights.

GAMALIEL Leaders Voice Support for Immigration Reform Legislation
5/4/2004.
Gamaliel affiliates in California, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin announce their support for a comprehensive immigration reform bills by Senator Kennedy (D-MA) and Representatives Menendez (D-NJ) and Gutierrez (D-IL) to be introduced May 4th in the U. S. Congress. Gamaliel groups will sponsor a series of media events on May 4th in Chicago, Milwaukee, Hartford, St. Louis, and Newark.

Advocates Praise Comprehensive Immigration Reform Legislation
5/4/2004. National Immigration Forum
The National Immigration Forum joined advocates, labor leaders, and community groups across the country in praising new comprehensive immigration reform legislation unveiled today in Washington. The new bill, the Safe, Orderly, Legal Visas and Enforcement Act of 2004 or SOLVE Act, introduced at a Capitol Hill press conference by Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Representatives Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), would go a long way toward fixing our broken immigration system.

State Bill targets contractors who hire illegal workers
4/28/2004. Times-Picayune
Contractors who knowingly hire illegal immigrants for home construction and road projects should lose their state or local licenses and permits, the state Senate said Tuesday

Watsonville council votes to oppose federal bill making local cops act as immigration enforcers
4/28/2004. Santa Cruz Sentinel
The City Council voted 5-2 Tuesday to oppose federal legislation that would make enforcing immigration laws the responsibility of local police and take away some funding for agencies that refused to cooperate.

GOP vote will test immigration issue
4/28/2004. Arizona Republic
Arizona is about to become a national test market for the potency of immigration as a political issue, particularly in Republican primaries.

Immigration fees soar, as requests strain system
4/26/2004. Providence Journal
The biggest jump in fees since 1998 is being attributed in part to increased background checks and new anti-fraud technologies.

Religious leaders seek reform of immigration law
4/20/2004. Arizona Republic
Religious leaders representing about 1.5 million members of seven faiths in Arizona called Monday for immigration reform and opened their arms to migrants from Mexico and other Latin American countries.

Sponsor abandons bill to allow illegal aliens drivers' licenses in FL
4/18/2004. News Journal Online
A bill that would have allowed illegal aliens in Florida to obtain driver's licenses has been abandoned by its sponsor following security concerns raised by law enforcement officials around the state.

Should the White House do more to legalize America's undocumented aliens?
4/15/2004. Insight on the News
President George W. Bush did something on Jan. 7 that most politicians fear to do: speak honestly about the controversial and complex challenge of bringing immigration policy into line with reality. He no doubt expected the flurry of criticism from both flanks, and I suspect most of his political counselors advised him to avoid a topic that generates more heat than light, especially among voters counted on to secure his re-election later this year.

A Nation of Immigrants: Current Policy Debates Meet New Social Science Research
4/15/2004. US Newswire
There are about 33 million foreign-born persons living in the United States and nearly two-thirds of these immigrants are either naturalized citizens or legal permanent residents. Another estimated 9 million are undocumented residents. The American Sociological Association (ASA)-in collaboration with the California Institute for Federal Policy Research, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics, National Council of La Raza, Population Association of America, and the Population Resource Center-is sponsoring a briefing offering a valuable perspective on immigration in the United States.

New Rules Shorten Holding Time for Detained Immigrants
4/14/2004. The Washington Post
The Department of Homeland Security announced new rules yesterday designed to prevent a recurrence of the lengthy detention of hundreds of foreign nationals, many of whom were prevented from making telephone calls or contacting lawyers for months after they were jailed in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Immigrants fall prey to confusion over 'notarios'
4/13/2004. The Journal News
When Yonkers bodega clerk Elisandro Hernandez decided to apply for a green card two years ago, he searched for a good lawyer to steer him through the immigration process.

Turnout is low at forum on Hagel immigration bill
4/13/2004. Omaha World Herald
About 15 people - including four Spanish-speaking women and a half-dozen advocates who work with immigrant workers - attended the meeting at the Juan Diego Center, 31st and Q Streets.

Bill to allow illegal aliens drivers' licenses stalls in FL Senate
4/12/2004. Miami Herald
A bill that would allow illegal aliens to obtain driver's licenses stalled in a Senate committee Monday because of security concerns raised by law enforcement officials.

Battle lines drawn over bids to ease laws on immigration
4/12/2004. Lowell Sun
Federal lawmakers are taking sides on the emotional and politically charged debate over liberalized immigration laws ignited earlier this election year by President Bush.

Bush Silent on Immigration Plan
4/12/2004. Fox News
After proposing a bold new immigration strategy in January, President Bush has followed up his announcement with little action, causing immigration activists and politicians to wonder where the proposal stands.

Local Officers Join Search for Illegal Immigrants
4/12/2004. New York Times
Every workday morning, before the sun creeps above the trees, State Trooper Anthony Birmingham goes on patrol with his new law enforcement bible, the "Immigration Law Handbook," in his Ford Crown Victoria.

More Travelers Are Detained at Newark
4/11/2004. New York Times
Federal agents detained 42 people suspected of being illegal immigrants and arrested four others yesterday at Newark Liberty International Airport in the second crackdown in three days on people from Latin countries arriving in Newark from Los Angeles, the authorities said.

Plan to have police enforce immigration law is delayed
4/9/2004. Arizona Republic
Controversial legislation to encourage local police agencies to routinely enforce federal immigration laws and punish those that don't is stalled in congressional committees amid rising opposition and new $9 billion cost projections.

Getting Out Every Vote
4/8/2004. The Nation
How can progressives substantially increase the number of low-income voters in 2004--and why does it matter? Increasing voting by the traditionally disenfranchised, especially people of color, will revitalize our democracy.

Bill imperils immigrants' fragile trust in police
3/31/2004. The Chicago Tribune
Once fearful of Police Officer Kevin Crocker and his badge, the Mexican immigrants at the East Park apartment complex in Rolling Meadows now see a man they can trust.

Demonstrators Swarm Around Rove's Home
3/30/2004. The Washington Post
Several hundred people stormed the small yard of President Bush's chief political strategist, Karl Rove, yesterday afternoon, pounding on his windows, shoving signs at others and challenging Rove to talk to them about a bill that deals with educational opportunities for immigrants

DMV's crackdown: Soc Sec key to license
3/29/2004. New York Daily News
Drivers who cannot show a valid Social Security number will have their licenses revoked in a move that spells trouble for immigrants, a Jackson Heights lawmaker charged.

Building trust vs. checking for visas
3/29/2004. Press Herald
Police in and around Portland say they have worked hard in recent years to build bridges with local immigrant communities in the belief that cultivating trust offers the best chance of thwarting crime.

Study Says Minimum Wage Hike Would Benefit 165,000 Immigrants in New York City
3/29/2004. Miami Herald
Raising the state's $5.15 minimum hourly wage would directly benefit more than 165,000 immigrant workers in the city, according to a study released yesterday.

DREAM Act grants equal opportunity for college hopefuls
3/29/2004. Daily Nebraskan
The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (D.R.E.A.M.) Act would allow Nebraska to provide in-state college tuition to undocumented immigrant students who grew up in Nebraska.It also would grant legal permanent residency to students after completing either two years of college or two years of U.S. military service.

Driver's license policies target foreign nationals
3/29/2004. South Bend Tribune
In tandem with Indiana's drive to curb driver's license fraud, Elkhart County is intensifying efforts to prosecute people who present false identification at license branches.License branch employees in Elkhart, Goshen and Nappanee will call police if they have doubts about documents that cross their counters, and police and prosecutors will respond with arrests and felony charges, as warranted.

Asians fight for safety on the job
3/26/2004. Alameda Times-Star
Chinese immigrant Haiyan Wu has never made more than minimum wage in her 11 years working in the United States, and currently spends eight hours a day breathing toxic solvents.

Proposed legislation could hand federal duties to local police
3/22/2004. The Brownsville Herald
The power of arresting suspected undocumented immigrants is not something that Brownsville Police Chief Carlos Garcia cherishes.

Albany Social Security ID Checks Threaten Driver's Licenses
3/18/2004. The New York Times
New York State is threatening to suspend the driver's licenses of half a million drivers - 5 percent of the state's 10 million drivers, including thousands of immigrants working here illegally - because their Social Security information at the Department of Motor Vehicles does not match up with the data on file at the Social Security Administration.

Federal Patriot Act needs adjustment, say ME state Democrats
3/18/2004. Press Herald
An election-year fight was brewing Wednesday in the State House over a Democratic-backed resolution asking for changes in the federal Patriot Act.

Back in the Fight He Picked Decades Ago
3/17/2004. The New York Times
CESAR A. PERALES, the president of the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, is revved up. But he is not losing his cool. (He is too cool for that.) He is talking about the fund's wranglings in federal court over the attempt by Freehold Borough in Monmouth County, N.J., to prevent day laborers from gathering at a vacant lot to scout for work.

Patriot Act, CLEAR Act pose problems for immigrants
3/17/2004. Vide En El Valle
The CLEAR Act -- as proposed by Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Alabama, and Congressman Charlie Norwood, R-Georgia -- is bad news for established relationships between local law enforcement and the immigrant community.

In America: They want to DREAM
3/17/2004. Metro West Daily News
Eduardo is among 65,000 young adults who graduate from high school every year in the United States and can't qualify for college in-state tuition. Most were brought here at a young age because of their parents' choice to make a better life.

Md. Education Bill Would Let Illegals Pay In-State Tuition
3/16/2004. Fox News
A bill sponsored by Democratic Delegate Sheila Hixson would allow undocumented immigrants to pay in-state tuition for public colleges and universities provided they meet academic, tax and other requirements. Out-of-state tuition is up to $11,000 greater than in-state tuition and out of reach for many immigrant families.

Illegal immigration opponents resurrect penalty measure
3/15/2004. Phoenix Business Journal
An anti-illegal immigration measure opposed by Arizona business groups has been resurrected at the State Capitol.

CO Tuition bill amended to give some immigrants state rate
3/12/2004. Denver Post
The state Senate held emotional debate Thursday on a Republican-sponsored bill that would prohibit illegal immigrants from receiving in-state college tuition in Colorado.

MD GOP Forces Controversial Issues
3/10/2004. Washington Post
When a bill on commercial driver's licenses came up later, Del. Herbert H. McMillan (R-Anne Arundel) attempted an end run by offering an amendment that would prohibit undocumented immigrants from obtaining driver's licenses.

TDOT funds at risk over immigrant issue
3/5/2004. Nashville City Paper
A bill currently being considered in Congress would cut 25 percent of the transportation funds to Tennessee and other states that permit undocumented immigrants to obtain driver's licenses.

Immigrant drivers� license bill resurfaces in Illinois House
3/4/2004. QC Times
Latino legislators have revived efforts to provide illegal immigrants with Illinois driver�s licenses. After falling one vote short in the Senate last fall, the proposal will begin in the House this year. Proponents won an early victory Wednesday, as the House Executive Committee approved the measure on a 10-2 vote.

Virginia Bill Would Cut Illegal Residents From State College Enrollments
2/20/2004. The Winchester Star
Illegal immigrants soon may have a harder time getting an education in Virginia. A bill to restrict them from going to public colleges was approved by the Virginia House of Delegates earlier this month.

Panel rejects bills on illegal immigrants
2/20/2004. The Baltimore Sun
In Maryland, the House Judiciary Committee wasted little time yesterday killing legislation intended to crack down on illegal immigrants last night - defeating four bills by wide margins a day after they received a hearing.

Immigrant students get time to learn English under new law
2/20/2004. 3
Texas officials are reviewing a change in federal education policy that gives immigrant students more time to learn English before their test scores are considered in determining whether a school is meeting the federal government's annual targets for academic progress.

Plan Aims at Illegal Immigrant Finances
2/20/2004. Los Angeles Times
Illegal immigrants would be barred from transferring money to foreign countries under a proposal being floated by Howard Kaloogian, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate.

Bills worry migrants, employers
2/18/2004. AZCentral
A flurry of bills designed to crack down on illegal immigration in Arizona could penalize many Valley employers and recruit armed volunteers to patrol the state's border with Mexico.

Skilled Worker Visas Limit Reached
2/17/2004. The Washington Post
The federal government won't accept any more applications for a popular visa program that provides skilled foreign labor to U.S. companies, the office of Citizenship and Immigration Services said Tuesday.

Hispanic influence growing
2/16/2004. Las Vegas Review-Journal
Ray Sandoval, executive director of the Reynaldo Martinez Institute of Hispanic Leadership and Research, said exit polls in states that have held caucuses indicate Hispanics are engaging in the political process in greater numbers than ever before.

Bill would require fingerprinting of undocumented by ER staff
2/15/2004. Imperial Valley Press
Emergency room staff would have to fingerprint or photograph any undocumented immigrant they treat and report the patient to the Department of Homeland Security to begin deportation procedures if a bill introduced here Wednesday is enacted.

Local immigrants and advocates criticize Bush's "guest worker" proposal
2/14/2004. Takoma Voice
Three years after moving into the White House and recognizing the contributions of immigrants to the United States in his inauguration speech, President Bush broke his silence on immigration reform and proposed a plan to allow undocumented workers to adjust their status in the US.

Idaho farmers want legal foreign labor, less red tape
2/14/2004. The Idaho Statesman
If Idaho farmers want to follow the law and hire legal immigrant workers, they need time, patience and luck. They must apply for the foreign workers no later than 45 days before the workers will be needed, which is sometimes tricky to gauge. They must advertise across the country, offering the jobs to U.S. workers first.

Officials Discuss Details of Bush's Immigrant Worker Plan
2/13/2004. The New York Times
Government officials outlined details of the Bush administration's sweeping plan to overhaul the nation's immigration laws on Thursday, saying that the proposed guest worker program would grant legal status to illegal immigrants who were living in the United States on Jan. 7.

Plenty of immigration bills, but action unlikely
2/13/2004. The Modesto Bee
The Senate on Thursday kicked off an immigration reform debate that features as many obstacles as possibilities. Politically, influential lawmakers concede, that may translate to stagnation in this presidential election year.

US Congress Moves Toward Immigration Reform
2/13/2004. Voice of America
In the midst of an election year, U.S. Congress is taking steps to move forward on reforming the country's immigration laws. But although both Republicans and Democrats alike can agree the system must be fixed, they have different ideas on how to do it. Some say more people will die in the meantime trying to illegally cross U.S. borders, while politics gets in the way.

Debate begins on competing bills
2/11/2004. AZCentral
A key Senate committee will begin a long-awaited debate Thursday on letting millions of undocumented immigrants become temporary legal residents, an idea backed by President Bush but rejected by many Republicans and Democrats.

Immigration Issue Splits GOP Senate Candidates
2/10/2004. The Los Angeles Times
A controversial guest-worker plan proposed by President Bush has driven the biggest wedge yet into the united front offered on most issues by the major Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate.

Police seen as immigration asset
2/10/2004. The Wasington Times
Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge told lawmakers yesterday that he was open to the controversial idea of using state and local police officers to help enforce the nation's immigration laws.

Hispanic role grows in Virginia primary
2/10/2004. The Washington Times
The Virginia primary today will include more voters like Hugo Carballo than ever before. Mr. Carballo, a 35-year-old El Salvadoran immigrant, is a union organizer for Local 11 of the Laborers International Union. He will be voting in a presidential election for the first time since gaining citizenship three years ago.

Tennessee might create driving 'certificate'
2/8/2004. The Courier-Journal
Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen wants to create a driver's "certificate" to issue instead of a standard driver's license to immigrants who cannot prove they entered the country legally.

Bush immigration plan stirs debate
2/4/2004. The Washington Times
President Bush's immigration plan is designed as a "blueprint" for congressional activity on reform and is a "moderate, common sense" approach to the issue, Raul Damas, director of Hispanic grass-roots development at the Republican National Committee, said yesterday.

Civil Liberties Restoration Act
2/4/2004. National Immigration Forum
In the over two years since September 11, 2001 there has been time to assess the impact and effectiveness of the government�s response to the attacks. The Civil Liberties Restoration Act moves the nation forward with security and freedom as coequal and attainable goals. The Act redresses some of the excesses of the government�s response and restores critical protection and fundamental freedom without compromising our nation�s safety.

Migrants scramble to beat deadline
2/3/2004. Bladen Journal
Immigrant workers packed driver's license offices across the state Friday as people tried to beat the deadline for new regulations on identification cards and licenses.

Most Democrats in Senate race want more options for illegal immigrants
2/3/2004. The Beacon News
The millions of immigrants living and working illegally in the United States deserve a chance at legal status and eventually even citizenship, the Democrats contending for the U.S. Senate nomination generally agree. "The undocumented workers currently in this country and woven into the fabric of our lives are not simply strangers to be deported," state Sen. Barack Obama said.

Migrant law overhaul long overdue, many say
2/2/2004. The News-Press
If U.S. farmers want to play by the rules and hire legal immigrant workers, they need time, patience and luck. They must work with three federal agencies: the Departments of Labor, Homeland Security and State. They must apply for the foreign workers no later than 45 days before the workers will be needed. And they must advertise across the country, offering the jobs to U.S. workers first.

Immigration, Bush proposal divides Republican Senate candidates
2/1/2004. The Mercury News
It's not often that a Republican Senate candidate runs ads criticizing a popular Republican president, but that's what Jim Oberweis is doing when it comes to immigration.

Wal-Mart vs. America's Middle Class
1/26/2004. Common Dreams
One way to look at President Bush's amnesty plan for illegal immigrants is through the lens of Southern California's grocery shutdown. Employers such as Wal-Mart, already under investigation for hiring illegal immigrants and other malpractices, will use amnestied workers to drive wages and benefits down still further.

Senators introduce new immigration-reform bill
1/22/2004. The Business Journal Phoenix
Arizona defense and security contractors could get a boost if a new bill introduced by two U.S. senators gains traction on Capitol Hill.

Immigrant-Labor Economics
1/22/2004. The New York Times
President Bush's recent proposal to grant temporary legal status to illegal immigrants is not yet fleshed out enough to judge how effective it will be. Six million to eight million illegal workers would qualify, as would future immigrants hired by companies that could show that Americans were not willing to take the jobs.

Democrats on the issues: Immigration
1/22/2004. The Desert Sun
The presidential candidates weigh in on how they would govern. IMMIGRATION: Should it become easier for undocumented foreign workers in the United States to gain legal immigration status?

2 Senators Counter Bush on Immigrants
1/22/2004. The Washington Post
Two prominent senators proposed yesterday a bipartisan alternative to President Bush's immigration initiative, including the prospect of permanent legal status for undocumented workers who fulfill residency, employment and other requirements.

NM Gov. Richardson Delivers Spanish-Language Response to President's Speech
1/21/2004. Albuquerque Journal
Gov. Bill Richardson, in a nationally televised Spanish-language speech, said Tuesday that President Bush's policies have failed to help Hispanics and he urged minority voters to back Democrats. In a Democratic National Committee-sponsored response to the president's State of the Union speech, Richardson said nearly 300,000 Hispanics have lost jobs since Bush took office.

Immigration policy a proven recipe for exploitation
1/21/2004. News-Press
On Jan. 7, President Bush invited Latino immigration activists to the White House for a press event unveiling an important new policy initiative. The president told those assembled that U.S. immigration policy �was not working� and proposed an ambitious new policy he said would better �reflect the American Dream.�

New immigration reform bill faces tough battle
1/21/2004. Contra Costa Times
Legislation to be unveiled today takes President Bush's immigration reform plan a step further by granting permanent residency to some undocumented workers, an immigrant advocate said Tuesday. Senators Tom Daschle, D-South Dakota, and Chuck Hagel, R-Nebraska, are scheduled to announce the bill at a news conference today.

Guest worker initiative could help tourism industry fill low-pay jobs
1/16/2004. The Business Journal Phoenix
Immigrant and guest worker initiatives being pushed by President Bush and three Arizona lawmakers would benefit service and tourism sectors in Arizona, which have had a tough time filling lower paying and seasonal jobs.

Twin Cities immigrants respond to Bush guest-workers proposal
1/14/2004. The Star Tribune
Activists from the Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride gathered in Bloomington on Tuesday to express concern over some elements of President Bush's proposed immigration policy revisions.

Grassroots Groups Launch TV Ad Against Flawed Bush Immigration Policy
1/14/2004. People for the American Way
In an effort to spread the word on the fatal flaws of President Bush's guest worker policy a coalition of progressive and civil rights organizations including the National Council of La Raza and the Center for Community Change are launching a Spanish-language TV ad campaign urging viewers to contact the White House and ask for a policy that provides real labor protections and a path toward earned legalization.

Bush's Immigration Proposal a Gift to Corporations
1/14/2004. People for the American Way
President Bush unveiled a new immigration policy on Wednesday, January 7, 2004. His plan, though sold as immigration reform, is yet another benefit for his corporate cronies.

Hagel joins Daschle on bill
1/14/2004. The Hill
Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) � a frequent critic of the Bush administration�s tactics in foreign policy � has been working closely with Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) for months to fashion a major immigration bill.

Minnesota immigrants say Bush plan raises false hopes
1/14/2004. Workday Minnesota
President Bush�s plan to �reform� immigration policy through a new guest worker program does little to address the real problems in the current system, immigrants to Minnesota say.

Critics bash work-visa proposal
1/13/2004. Chicago Tribune
Insisting that a temporary guest-worker program is not the answer to America's immigration problem, labor leaders and some immigrant rights supporters say they will urge lawmakers to reject any proposal that places control of worker visas in the hands of employers and that ties legalization to employment.

Organization of Chinese Americans Statement on the President's Proposal for Immigration Reform
1/13/2004. Organization of Chinese Americans
The Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA), a national Asian Pacific American (APA) civil rights advocacy and education organization with over 80 chapters and affiliates nationwide, is pleased that the President recognizes that our country�s immigration system is in great need of reform. The President�s proposal, however, does not address the severe backlog of the family-based immigration system, where family members may be waiting for up to ten years to be reunified with their families.

NAPALC Disappointed in the Administration's Immigration Reform Proposal
1/13/2004. National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium
Today President George W. Bush announced his proposal to reform the immigration system. The National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium and its affiliates, the Asian Law Caucus and the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, are pleased that the President is showing renewed interest in immigration reform. However, the measures outlined in his proposal are inadequate and will not fix the restrictive patchwork of laws that make up our broken immigration system.

Bush guest-worker plan troubles critics
1/12/2004. The Oregonian
Labor organizations and immigrant advocates criticize the proposal for its potential to cheat U.S. citizens out of work and exploit newcomers.

Dubious immigration plan
1/12/2004. The Star-Ledger
President Bush's plan to reform immigration law offers undocumented workers a range of new benefits that are certain to lure a new wave of immigrants across our borders.

Oregon farmworker group skeptical of immigration reform plan
1/12/2004. The Business Journal Portland
Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN), Oregon's farmworker union, and Causa, Oregon's immigrant rights coalition, have criticized President George Bush's immigration reform plan announced last week, saying the strategy would benefit businesses at the expense of workers' stability.

New Act Could Send Children Of Illegal Immigrants To College
1/12/2004. WRAL
President George W. Bush's plans to allow undocumented workers to become citizens could impact other legislation affecting undocumented immigrants. The Senate is considering a measure that would help send children of illegal immigrants to college.

White House Immigration Proposal Questioned By Religious Group
1/12/2004. The Gamaliel Foundation
Rev. Rudolph T. Ju�rez, President of the Gamaliel Clergy Caucus, a one million member religious coalition, offered this reaction today to President Bush�s announcement on Immigration Policy: The Gamaliel Foundation and its 1,200 faith congregations are saddened by the President's proposed immigration policy. Since the tragic event of September 11, 2001, we have been delayed and sidetracked in passing the kind of immigration policies that would be more reflective of a nation built on democratic ideals. The Bush policy seems to be designed to offer the business community full access to the immigrant workers while providing very little in the way of protections or rights for the workers themselves.

President�s New Approach To Immigration Policy Filled With Sweeping Generalities And Little Details
1/12/2004. American Friends Service Committee
When President Bush outlined the administration�s new approach to U.S. immigration policy on Wednesday, January 7, he spoke mostly in sweeping generalities, and offered few details about any specific new legislation, which must be passed by Congress before any meaningful changes are enacted.

Anti-Immigration Ads Spreading Across the Country
1/12/2004.
anti-immigrant ads by the "United to Secure America Coalition" are scheduled to run in Arizona during the next few weeks. Several media stations across the country have refused to take such divisive ads and we should alert our local media about where they are coming from and their negative impact on our communities.

Hill Cool to Bush Immigration Plan
1/11/2004. The Washington Post
President Bush's proposal to give temporary legal status to millions of undocumented immigrants is running into stiff resistance from both left and right on Capitol Hill and stands little chance of enactment this year, according to supporters and opponents.

Latinos have no access to higher education without new laws
1/11/2004. Beaufort Gazette
Many Latino students who attend Beaufort County schools won't have access to higher education unless federal laws are changed, local immigrant advocates say.

DREAM Act is enlightened public policy
1/11/2004. The Salt Lake Tribune
Michael Suarez argued in a Utah Voices column last Sunday for temporary legalization for and eventual deportation of illegal immigrants. His comments on Sen. Orrin Hatch's proposed Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act particularly caught my attention. Unfortunately, Mr. Suarez left out significant details of the act, which passed out of the Judiciary Committee last fall with strong, bipartisan support.

NILC Reflections on President Bush�s Immigration Reform Proposal: A compelling vision but a seriously flawed proposal
1/11/2004. National Immigration Law Center
The National Immigration Law Center is encouraged by the fact that the President has decided to address the need for comprehensive immigration reform, and we welcome the sweep of his rhetoric. Sadly, the proposal he has outlined is fatally flawed because it fails to live up to the vision he expressed so eloquently. The question, now, is whether his administration will work with Congress to pass legislation that comports with that broad vision.

It's no way to treat a guest
1/10/2004. New York Daily News
It's an election year, and the odor of campaign politics is in the air. And after President Bush's immigration reform proposal last Wednesday, the odor is one of empty promises, catchy phrases and little substance.

NAKASEC Statement On The White House Announcement On Comprehensive Immigration Reform
1/9/2004. National Korean American Service & Education Consortium
The National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC), and its affiliates the Korean Resource Center (Los Angeles), the Young Korean American Service & Education Center (New York) and the Korean American Resource & Cultural Center (Chicago) welcome President Bush�s interest in addressing immigration reform. Unfortunately, his much anticipated announcement on Wednesday, January 7, 2004 fails to address the legitimate concerns and views of immigrant communities.

NAFFAA Welcomes Bush Immigration Reform Proposal, But with Reservations
1/9/2004. National Federation of Filipino American Associations
We are heartened by President George W. Bush's proposal to reform our country's immigration policy," says NaFFAA National Chair Loida Nicolas Lewis.... Lewis is concerned, however, that the measures outlined in the president's proposal do not adequately address the fundamental problems of the nation's immigration system.

Catch-22 Seen in Immigration Plan
1/9/2004. The Los Angeles Times
Illegal migrants who want green cards leading to U.S. citizenship might face hurdles under President Bush's immigration plan that discourage them from coming forward, say immigrant advocates and congressional aides.

Unionists pan Bush immigrant workers plan
1/9/2004. Workday Minnesota
op unionists involved in immigration issues panned the latest Bush administration plan dealing with both undocumented immigrant workers already in the United States and with people who want to come here to work. AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, Laborers President Terence O'Sullivan and others said Bush helped businesses that exploit undocumented workers, but not the workers themselves.

Bush Seeks Changes to Immigration Policy
1/9/2004. Here and Now
If President Gorge Bush has his way, up to 12 million undocumented foreign workers could be allowed to work legally in the United States. His proposal, expected to be unveiled later today, could have important political ramifications for the president with supporters and detractors on the right and left. Wall Street Journal reporter Greg Hitt is covering the story, and he joins Here and Now

Bush's immigration plan under fire
1/9/2004. The Baltimore Sun
Local labor and immigrant advocacy groups in Baltimore yesterday sharply criticized President Bush's proposed changes in U.S. immigration law, saying the reform benefits only employers and could create more problems for immigrant workers.

President Bush�s Plan For Immigrants:
1/8/2004. New York Immigration Coalition
Yesterday, President Bush proposed a new temporary worker program as the centerpiece of his Administration�s efforts to reform the nation�s immigration system. Immigrant, labor and religious leaders from around New York State held a press conference today to blast the President�s proposed program, demanding a reform package from the White House that provides a path to citizenship for immigrant workers and addresses the enormous backlogs and service delays in other parts of the immigration system.

Asian Pacific American Workers Disappointed with President Bush's Immigration Plans
1/8/2004. Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance
The proposed changes to immigration laws announced by President Bush are a "huge disappointment for immigrant workers and all Americans", said Luisa Blue, President of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, a national Coalition of Asian American and Pacific Islander union members and their supporters.

Bush Immigration Principles Fail to Provide Real Relief for Immigrant Families
1/8/2004. National Grassroots Legalization Collaborative
President Bush announced that his Administration would look to offer of a temporary foreign worker program that would provide status to undocumented immigrants and foreign workers who are employed (or would be) in the U.S. Many immigrant rights advocates and immigrant communities are skeptical and feel the announcement falls short of a genuine legalization proposal for the millions of undocumented immigrants currently in the U.S. Instead, the principles continue to scapegoat immigrants by prioritizing �National Security� policies that have lead to the criminalization, detention, and deportation of thousands having nothing to do with terrorism.

PCUN, CAUSA, Oppose Bush Immigration Reform
1/8/2004. PCUN & CAUSA
PCUN, Oregon�s farmworker union, and CAUSA, Oregon�s immigrant rights coalition, join hundreds of immigrant rights organizations across the country in expressing our disappointment in and opposition to President Bush�s immigration reform plan announced January 7th.

The President�s Temporary Foreign Worker Proposal Is Ill-Conceived
1/8/2004. Farmworker Justice Fund
The President�s proposal in his immigration policy speech on Wednesday was vague but is specific enough for us to know that he is essentially proposing a new era of indentured servants. This nation has experimented with indentured servitude and �guestworker� programs; they failed miserably and caused great misery. His proposal should be rejected as inconsistent with our nation�s democratic traditions and our history as a nation of immigrants.

Bush plan gets mixed reviews locally
1/8/2004. The Desert Sun
The change would be sweeping: temporary legal status for millions of undocumented immigrants working in the United States. But Coachella Valley residents on both sides of the immigration issue were still grappling with the proposal�s implications-- and their thoughts -- on the president�s plan.

Immigrant proposal nets a host of criticisms
1/8/2004. The Vindicator
President Bush's immigration proposal got a mostly cool response from those who grapple with the issue, with conservatives saying it goes too far, immigrant rights groups saying it doesn't go far enough and some Hispanic groups calling it a hollow electioneering ploy.

Plan for Illegal Immigrant Workers Draws Fire From Two Sides
1/8/2004. The New York Times
President Bush urged Congress on Wednesday to pass his plan to give illegal immigrant workers temporary legal status. The proposal drew criticism from some groups involved in the issue for not going far enough to help immigrants and from others for rewarding people who had entered the country illegally.

The Bush Administrations Immigration Plan: Right Issue - But Is It the Right Solution?
1/8/2004. American Immigration Lawyers Association
...It is unclear if the proposal would create meaningful access to permanent legal status for newcomers or if the proposal adequately addresses other major concerns such as the long backlogs in legal immigration. AILA has long maintained that comprehensive immigration reform is needed to address the current situation. Such a comprehensive solution has three main components: permanent legal status for undocumented immigrants already here, a new worker visa program for future migrants, and family backlog reduction so that close family members are not separated for decades from close family members.

Immigrant Workers Deserve Fair and Meaningful Immigration Reform: Bush Plan Falls Short
1/7/2004. National Employment Law Project
The President�s proposal on immigration is centered on the needs of business, in the form of an extended �guestworker� program. Current guest worker programs are descendants of the �Bracero� program from the middle of the last century. Guest workers do not acquire any rights to live or work in the U.S. beyond their temporary employment with a particular employer. The proposal does nothing to recognize immigrant workers� participation in civil society and right to become part of the political process our country treasures.

NCLR Strongly Critical of White House Immigration Proposal
1/7/2004. National Council of La Raza
Hispanic Americans are extremely disappointed with the President�s announcement today on immigration policy, which appears to offer the business community full access to the immigrant workers it needs while providing very little to the workers themselves. This represents a major departure from the Administration�s posture when they initiated this debate in 2001. This is a bitter disappointment to Latinos who were excited by the President�s apparent willingness two years ago to consider creating a path to permanent legal status for undocumented immigrants living and working in the United States.

Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride Coalition Statement on President Bush's New Temporary Worker Program
1/7/2004.
The President's proposal, in his own words, is simply �a new temporary worker program� which falls far short of the requirements of comprehensive immigration reform.

Bush Administration�s Immigration Reform Pitches False Hopes
1/7/2004. National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
The proposal for immigration reform outlined today by President George Bush promises little hope for fair wages or decent working conditions, much less opportunity for legal status, for the millions of undocumented immigrant workers in the U.S. Instead, the proposed �new� policy amounts to little more than another �guestworker� program, with even fewer protections and opportunities than programs currently under consideration in Congress.

AFL-CIO President John Sweeney on President Bush's Principles for Immigration Reform
1/7/2004.
Immigration reform is a long ignored crisis that demands urgent action. But President Bush's announcement today of his principles for immigration reform is a hollow promise for hardworking, undocumented workers, people seeking to immigrate to the U.S. and U.S. workers alike. It creates a permanent underclass of workers who are unable to fully participate in democracy. The plan deepens the potential for abuse and exploitation of these workers, while undermining wages and labor protections for all workers.

Bush outlines immigration overhaul
1/7/2004. Associated Press
Proposal to grant legal status to millions of foreign workers offered as way to assist employers; Election-year plan also an effort to win Latino vote

Bush plan for workers stirs immigrants' hopes
1/7/2004. Star Telegram
When President Bush lays out his immigration overhaul plans today, undocumented workers and their advocates will listen with measured skepticism and a dose of hope.

Bush Would Give Illegal Workers Broad New Rights
1/7/2004. The New York Times
President Bush will propose a sweeping overhaul of the nation's immigration laws on Wednesday that could give legal status to millions of undocumented workers in the United States, senior administration officials said Tuesday night.

Experts warn of potential for immigration visa scams
2/14/2003. The Houston Chronicle
As Congress begins considering President Bush's proposal to help illegal immigrants, local experts worry that swindlers already may be gearing up to take advantage of the often desperate workers.

Rangel fights to free immigrant
1/8/203. The Journal News
Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., has joined a Hudson Valley citizens group in calling for the release of a Pakistani pizza deliveryman detained in a federal prison near Buffalo for two years. He was being held in the crackdown on immigrants following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.