Texas Immigration Lawyer Blog

Immigrating Legally? Good Luck

Reason Foundation diagram of the route to legal immigration (such as it is).

 Developed by Reason Foundation in collaboration with the National Foundation for American Policy

Sierra Club Borderlands Campaign

Sierra Club 

More than 600 miles of border walls and barriers have been constructed in all four southern border states, with dozens of miles still being constructed or planned. This reckless project has meant dire consequences for vast expanses of pristine wild lands, including wildlife refuges, wilderness areas, and national forests.

Texas: Beyond Election Day

New York Times by Evan Smith and Ross Ramsey (of the Texas Tribune) in their new collaboration.

Excellent summary of the political situation in Texas. See "Immigration" section (page 2) on the prospects for a voter ID bill, an Arizona-type immigration law, and birthright citizenship laws.

 

Skilled immigration: Greencard blues

The Economist

A backlash against foreign workers dims business hopes for immigration reform

 

Evolution of Border Security in Texas

Border Lines 

"Gov. Perry opened the first Texas Homeland Security Strategy Plan (January 2004) noting that “Texas has used the national strategy as a model for developing a statewide plan,” explaining that President Bush . . . had called on states and local governments to “implement compatible security strategies.”

"The 2004 homeland security strategy of Texas had a clear focus on working with the federal government to prevent foreign terrorism and to respond to homeland disasters.

"There is no mention of immigrants or criminal aliens, no talk of the threat of narcoterrorism, drug cartels, or transnational gangs, and no discussion of border crime, spillover violence, or narcotics flows.

* * *

"Starting in 2005 homeland security and border security for the state of Texas were no longer issues considered mostly in the implementation of Department of Homeland Security grants.

Newly identified homeland security threats as illegal immigrants, illegal drugs, and border crime became central to political campaign strategies.

"Led by the governor’s office, these issues also drove an array of multimillion dollar intelligence, data-sharing, and border security projects, mostly outsourced to private firms such as Northrop Grumman, APPRISS, and Abrams Learning and Information Systems. "

Via America's Voice: Sheriff Joe Arpaio seeks vigilantes to intimidate voters

This is truly sick. Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio just sent this shocking message to his followers:

(Warning: contains offensive content)

"STOP ILLEGALS FROM STEALING THE ELECTION! Our grassroots army of VOTER FRAUD PREVENTION VOLUNTEERS will stand vigilant across the nation. We will be the first and strongest line of defense to ensure that only legal citizens vote on November 2nd."

Bogus accusations of "illegal voters" crop up every election, and every election they are proven false.  What's truly frightening is that, this year, Arpaio is recruiting an "army" to block people from voting in the name of "fraud prevention."

Send a message to the Justice Department demanding that they send election monitors to Arizona immediately.  These are the people who are supposed to protecting our right to vote, not suppressing it.

http://AmericasVoiceOnline.org/ProtectOurVote

When you take action, you'll also get to download a new voter protection card with a nationwide hotline to report problems on election day. We hope you'll bring it with you to the polls and do your part to protect one of our most cherished rights - unfortunately, we're hearing reports of Arpaio-like tactics in other parts of the country too.

How will Arpaio's "army" and others like them single out who to intimidate? Hair? Shoes? Accents?  We know all about their twisted standards of what a U.S. citizen does and doesn't look like. And we know this is un-American.

Demand that the Justice Department "Protect Our Vote" and get your tool to combat voter suppression at your polling place:

http://AmericasVoiceOnline.org/ProtectOurVote

Together, we can protect the cornerstone of our nation's democracy from those who want to trample it.

Thanks for everything you're doing,

Adam Luna
America's Voice

Routine Wilderness Bill Sparks Anti-Immigration Outcry

 
Border Patrol agents survey land near the U.S.-Mexico border. (Mark Allen Johnson/ZUMA Press)

Washington Independent by Elise Foley

Enforcement Advocates Worry Bill Will Hamper Border Security

A bill to designate part of the Organ Mountains in southern New Mexico as wilderness has sparked a surprising amount of controversy, as immigration enforcement advocates have expressed concern that it could hamper border security and send a flood of illegal immigrants into New Mexico.

Proud to Support the Rule of Law and Immigration, Too

Huffington Post -- Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) on fixing the immigration system.

Intelligence and Muscle in Texas Border Security

Border Lines continues its examination of Texas border security.

Pew Hispanic Center: Growing disagreement among Latinos on immigration

 
Pew Hispanic Center survey shows Hispanics are increasingly split on how to handle the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S.