State and Local Round-UP

• NC: 287(g) Up and Running in Hendersonville - Henderson County Sheriff’s Office Deputies arrest three undocumented immigrants on Tuesday, the first day their new 287(g) program began. Click here for article.  
• MO: New Legislation Targets Illegal Immigration Gov. Matt Blunt signed legislation Monday that creates new restrictions on immigrants and new requirements for businesses that employ them. Lawmakers passed the bill on the final day of their annual session under a threat from Blunt that he would call a special session if no bill were passed. Click here for article.
• VA: The Examiner: Montgomery declines police support to federal agents on immigration raids: Montgomery County is the only county in the Washington area that wouldn’t automatically provide local police protection for federal agents conducting a workplace immigration raid. In Anne Arundel County, local authorities sent 50 police officers for a recent raid that netted dozens of suspected illegal immigrants last week. Click here for article.
• CO: the Denver Post, Immigrant-Rights Groups Plan Massive Rally - A coalition of immigrant-rights advocates plans to hold a massive parade and rally during the Democratic National Convention. Click here for article.
• KS: The Wichita Eagle, High Court Rejects Tuition-Law Case - The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to review a case challenging a 2004 Kansas law allowing some illegal immigrants living in the state to receive in-state tuition to public universities and colleges. Click here for article.

State and Local Round-up

• IA: AP: Workers: Problems persist at Agriprocessors  - Following the largest workplace raid in U.S. history, little has been done to improve the horrible working conditions at Agriprocessors in Postville, Iowa. Click here for full article.

 

• MD: Authorities Detain 45 in Immigration Raid at Painting Company - The Washington Post article detailing this week’s raid at Annapolis Painting Services. Click here for full article.

 

• TX: Dallas News: Judge stalls border fence at UT Brownsville - The Border Fence proposal has been put on hold - for now. Click here for full article.

 

• VA: 287(g) goes into effect in Prince William County - The memorandum of agreement with the Department of Homeland Security officially began this week in Virginia. Click here for full article.

 

• MS: Hattiesburg: Employers set to use E-Verify - Mississippi employers prepare to begin use of the flawed E-Verify system. Click here for full article.

 

• AZ: Immigration Initiatives Don’t make the November Ballot - Two anti-migrant measures will not be included on November ballots! Click here for full article.

 

State and Local Round-up

AZ: 28 Arrested in Mesa Sweep: More than 230 law officers swarmed the streets of Mesa on Thursday, with Maricopa County sheriff’s deputies looking for criminals and undocumented immigrants while local police monitored the deputies. Click here for full story.

TX: Employer Arrests Could Follow Immigration Raid: Speculations that Action Rags USA (the company raided) could be subjected to a criminal investigation. The article also contains some criticisms of the raid. Click here for full story.

VA: Loudon County Enters into 287(g) Agreement: The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office announced last Tuesday that they have entered into a formal agreement with ICE under section 287(g). Click here for full story.

 

State and Local Round-up

Arizona - Court ruling clouds use of E-Verify – The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday ruled that discrepancies found in “no- match” letters the Social Security Administration sent to Aramark, the employer in the 2003 case, “does not automatically mean that an employee is undocumented or lacks proper work authorization.” Read full article here.

Kansas - ‘Failed’ federal policy costs $1M – Taxpayers spent upward of $1 million and thousands of eligible Kansans lost their health insurance because of federal anti-illegal immigration rules that ended up catching one illegal immigrant trying to apply for health coverage, officials said Wednesday. Read full article here.

North Carolina - Immigration bills stall despite push – Only two laws related to immigration are likely to pass the General Assembly this year despite increased pressure from activists on the topic, legislative leaders said Wednesday. Read full article here.

Virginia -  Hearing looks at those who immigrate – Article on the Hearing in Roanoke VA. Read full article here.

Texas - Harris County jailers will train at ICE center –  The Harris County Sheriff’s Office plans to send nine jailers to Glynco, Ga., in August for special immigration training that will allow them to question inmates about their immigration status and hold them for federal agents, officials said Tuesday. Read full article here.

Leading Mayors Decry Raids

From USA Today:

Three West Coast mayors are asking the leaders of other cities to take a stand against workplace immigration raids that they say hurt local economies and may force companies to relocate.

At the annual meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors this week in Miami, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums and Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels will ask their colleagues to challenge how the government raids businesses in search of illegal workers.

They want Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to focus on businesses that exploit workers, such as those that violate wage and safety laws, not “responsible employers” that contribute to economies, their resolution says.

Click here to read full article.

State and Local Round-up

• Idaho - Residency doesn’t hinge on immigration status – The Idaho Supreme Court has ruled that an undocumented immigrant who was injured while living in Ada County is entitled to medical indigency assistance. Click here

 

• North Carolina - Mecklenburg county begins use of E-verify  – Mecklenberg joins thousands of employers across the nation using the Web program to screen workers. Click here 

 

• New Jersey - AP: CNN’s Dobbs not running for NJ governor - Click here

ACTION: Overground Railroad in Syracuse

OVERGROUND RAILROAD

Immigrants’ Rights Action

Saturday, June 14 (Flag Day)

11:00 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

at the Regional Transportation Center (Greyhound Bus and Amtrak Train Stations) in Syracuse, NY

Bring a flag, help distribute “Know Your Rights” literature

Join this lively, yet peaceful solidarity action

Distribute flyers       *      Inform travelers of their rights    *     Show solidarity with those at risk of deportation     *   Hold Banners & Signs

Crossing A Border is NOT a Crime, but a Civil Offense
Yet Families are being Torn Apart because of Border Patrol’s activities at the Regional Transportation Center

All Those Who Show Up will Get an Attractive “United Nation’s Blue” Wrist Band that says “Justice for Immigrants“

We will supply you with a sign.    Children are welcome but must stay on sidewalks (not in street).

Might be wise to bring sunscreen and bottled water, or rain gear if the weather is crummy.

SPONSORED BY THE CENTRAL NEW YORK DETAINMENT TASK FORCE

If you can’t attend this one, mark your calendar for our July 5 (Independence Day Weekend) rally!

Forward to all your friends - after the rally, go the Regional Market and buy your veggies, remember that in many cases, immigrant workers picked those onions, tomatoes, grapes, broccoli stalks, etc.

State and Local Round-up

• In Iowa, labor contractor “Labor Ready” pulls workers from Agriprocessors amidst concerns of safety. This is the same plant that was Read full article here
• Ironically, immigrants are not the only ones suffering from backlog delays at the federal level. In Rhode Island, implementation of a 287 (g) agreement has stalled. Read full article here
• Real ID plan on hold in North Carolina. Read full article here
• In South Carolina, businesses face deadline for compliance with the new State law requiring employer use of the E-verify system. Read full article here

Arizona: Does Crackdown Cross the Line?

A recent article in the Chicago Tribune described the questionable tactics being used by local law enforcement in Arizona. The tactics include questioning everyone involved in a routine traffic stop about their immigration status. This has lead to allegations of racial profiling and questions about the legality of the tactics.

Read the full article here.

State and Local Round-up

• In South Carolina, the House passed a bill requiring employers to use the (flawed) E-verify system to verify the immigration status of all employees - Read full article here
• In North Carolina, sherriff questions $76,000 for a new 287(g) coordinated position - Read full article here
• Also in North Carolina, Elizabeth Dole’s senatorial race competitor, Kay Hagan, says that immigration should be a Federal issue - Read full article here
• The number of immigrant arrests is on the rise in Oklahoma, which has lead to questions about the enforcement tactics being used - Read full article here