Immigration

President Obama’s immigration reform speech in Las Vegas, Nevada

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The first thing you should know is that the immigration reforms outlined today by President Obama in a speech in Las Vegas, Nevada are remarkably similar to the immigration reforms he outlined in a speech in El Paso, Texas in May 2011, a Blueprint for Building a 21st Century Immigration System (pdf).

Here is the Fact Sheet from today's speech. FACT SHEET: Fixing our Broken Immigration System so Everyone Plays by the Rules.

Here is the transcript of prepared Remarks by the President on Comprehensive Immigration Reform. (excerpts):

Now, during my first term, we took steps to try and patch up some of the worst cracks in the system.

First, we strengthened security at the borders so that we could finally
stem the tide of illegal immigrants.  We put more boots on the ground
on the southern border than at any time in our history.  And today,
illegal crossings are down nearly 80 percent from their peak in 2000. 
(Applause.)

Second, we focused our enforcement efforts on criminals who are here
illegally and who endanger our communities.  And today, deportations of
criminals is at its highest level ever.  (Applause.) 

Jan 29: Barber hosts meeting on Border Patrol Operations

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by Pamela Powers Hannley U.S. Rep. Ron Barber (D) will host a meeting to discuss the Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on Border Patrol Operations– today. Please RSVP at AZ02.RSVP@mail.house.gov. The meeting is 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 29 at Pima Communitiy College East Campus, 8181 E. Irvington Rd. Here is a link to GAO … Read more

Immigration Reform Plan: The Devil Is In The Details

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

A bipartisan group of senators has agreed on a set of principles for a sweeping overhaul of the immigration system, including a pathway to American citizenship for 11 million illegal immigrants that would hinge on progress in securing the borders and ensuring that foreigners leave the country when their visas expire. They will announce their blueprint on Monday, a day before President Obama announces his plan in a speech to be delivered in Las Vegas, Nevada on Tuesday. Senators Agree on Blueprint for Immigration – NYTimes.com:

According to a five-page draft of the plan obtained by The New York Times Document: Bipartisan Framework for Immigration Reform, the eight senators — including Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake, Republicans of Arizona; Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York; and Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina — have agreed to address the failings of the immigration system in one comprehensive measure, rather than in smaller pieces, and to offer a “tough, fair and practical road map” that would eventually lead to a chance at citizenship for nearly all of the immigrants here illegally.

Rep. Steve ‘Secession’ Smith carries Russell Pearce’s anti-immigrant bills

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Rep. Steve "Secession" Smith (R-Maricopa) is determined to win the title of biggest asshole in the Arizona legislature. Dude, the title is yours! Now knock it off!

The latest bit of assholery from Little Stevie is carrying anti-immigrant bills for his buddy, disgraced former Sen. Russell Pearce, which seeks to turn hospital emergency rooms into ICE agents for deporting undocumented immigrants. (A separate Pearce bill seeks to turn schools into ICE agents for deporting undocumented immigrants). Pearce regularly pursued these bills in the Arizona legislature since 2004 without success, because it conflicts with federal laws and the Constitution.

Under federal law hospitals are required to provide emergency room care to everyone, regardless of ability to pay or immigration status. There is also physician-patient confidentiality, and federal medical records privacy laws. But Little Stevie "Secession" Smith doesn't care about federal laws and the Constitution any more than his buddy Russell Pearce did. They hates them immigrants. Ariz. lawmaker: Require hospitals to check immigration status of patients:

The proposal by Rep. Steve Smith, R-Maricopa, would require
hospitals to "reasonably confirm'' that those who show up at their doors
are in the country legally if they do not produce proof of valid health
insurance. HB 2293 lists methods that hospital officials and employees
can use to make that determination.

But the measure also says if legal status cannot be
verified, someone from the hospital "must immediately contact the local
federal immigration office or a local law enforcement agency to report
the incident.''

Gov. Brewer’s beneficence really motivated by immigrants?

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Arizona media has given Governor Jan Brewer props for her decision to support Arizona's participation in the expanded Medicaid provisions of the Affordable Care Act ("ObamaCare"). Governor Brewer was cast as a beneficent leader bestowing mercy on the unfortunate in need of medical care.

Now we learn that Brewer's beneficence may have really been motivated by immigrants (but of course). Sarah Kliff at Ezra Klein's Wonkblog writes, Arizona could make the Medicaid expansion an immigration fight:

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer’s decision to participate in the Medicaid
expansion was a puzzling one: Why would one of the nation’s most
conservative governors opt into an Obamacare program that most of her
Republican colleagues have rejected?

New budget memos
from the state provide some insight: Opting out of the Medicaid
expansion had the potential to give immigrants better access to health
care than American citizens.

This small quirk in the Affordable Care Act that Arizona stumbled on
could significantly reshape the politics for governors weighing whether
to sign up for the health law’s Medicaid expansion.

The dilemma raised by Brewer’s budget advisers is this: Turning down
the Medicaid expansion would mean giving low income, legal immigrants
access to private insurance subsidies unavailable to American citizens.