Immigration

The Revitalization of Mexico

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By Karl Reiner

Through September 2012, Arizona's exports to Mexico were running $415 million ahead of last year's level.  Almost unnoticed by Arizona's politicians, Mexico is changing in ways that will benefit the state's economy.  It may be time for political leaders to rethink their view of the country across the border.

The U.S.-Mexican border is the world's busiest.  Border crossings have slowed because of security considerations and port of entry Mex 5 12bottlenecks.  Some of Arizona's politicians seem to like it that way.  The undervaluing of trade and the fear of migrants has led the  legislature to pass such controversial legislation as SB 1070.

President Obama to pursue comprehensive immigration reform after the ‘fiscal cliff’ is resolved

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Both the The Arizona Republic(an) and the Arizona Daily Star editorialized today for immigration reform in the next Congress. These editors seem to think that Tea-Publicans in Congress are ready to be reasonable on immigration reform. They express unjustified confidence in Tea-Publicans not grounded in fact or to  be believed from past conduct.

President Obama will “begin an all-out drive for comprehensive
immigration reform, including seeking a path to citizenship” for 11
million undocumented immigrants, after Congress addresses the fiscal
cliff, the Los Angeles Times reports. Obama plans push for immigration reform:

As soon as the confrontation over fiscal policy winds down, the Obama
administration will begin an all-out drive for comprehensive
immigration reform, including seeking a path to citizenship for 11
million illegal immigrants, according to officials briefed on the plans.

While key tactical decisions are still being made, President Obama
wants a catch-all bill that would also bolster border security measures,
ratchet up penalties for employers who hire illegal immigrants, and
make it easier to bring in foreign workers under special visas, among
other elements.

UA students & activists ask DeConcini: ‘Why did you sell your soul to CCA?’ (video)

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No ccaby Pamela Powers Hannley

Today, the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) is meeting on the University of Arizona campus. One of ABOR's most infamous members is former Senator Dennis DeConcini.

Why is DeConcini being villified through social media and the blogs? Because he's also a stockholder and member of the Board of Directors of the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), which builds, owns, and manages private prisons across the country.

Arizona has multiple CCA prisons— thanks to close ties between CCA and Governor Jan Brewer, former State Senate President Russell Pearce, American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) boosters in the Arizona Legislature, and DeConcini. More background and a video shot on the UA campus, after the jump.

‘CCA, go away’: Florida residents say ‘no’ to nation’s largest deportation center (video)

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No ccaby Pamela Powers Hannley

Private prisons are a "infecting our nation like a virus," according to Florida activists who are fighting against the construction of one of the nation's largest immigrant deportation centers. 

From their website…

We do not agree with the federal government privatizing our immigration detention centers throughout the nation when there is clear evidence that privatizing our prisons creates a clear public safety threat. For ICE to continue to privatize these institutions and bring this safety threat through their "secure communities Initiative" to our community is unacceptable. Depriving someone of their liberty is a non-delegable governmental function and privatizing of such a function is infecting our nation like a virus.

What about Arizona? Governor Jan Brewer and many in the Arizona Legislature are loyal private prison boosters— to the detriment of our residents. Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) runs six private prisons in Arizona. In addition to the well-know immigrant detention centers, CCA also runs DUI prisons. CCA likes to have all of their beds full. Is it any wonder, then, that Arizona has some of the toughest immigration laws and toughest drunk driving laws? Watch anti-CCA protesters in Florida after the jump.

The ‘irrelevancy’ of Jon Kyl

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Arizona Republic(an) columnist E.J. Montini nailed it in this post about Senator Obstruction, Jon Kyl, and his bogus ACHIEVE Act. Kyl's irrelevant final act:

What good is introducing a piece of legislation that you KNOW isn’t going to pass while you’re in office?

Because it’s for show.

It makes you look conciliatory. It makes you look statesmanlike.

All the things you should have been doing all those years when you were in office and NOT about to retire.

But that’s how politics works. Not exactly a profile in courage.

Arizona’s
retiring Sen. Jon Kyl and Texas’s retiring Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison
introduced a meaningless piece of legislation that is an alternative to
the Dream Act. Their proposal would offer kids brought illegally into
the country by their parents a chance to remain here, but without a path
to citizenship.

"We
need to have a discussion that is sensible, that is calm," Sen. Kyl is
quoted as saying. "This particular piece of immigration reform seemed a
logical place to begin."

That’s true. We should have a calm, sensible conversation about the Dream Act kids.

We should have had it years ago.