Immigration (News)

By Richard Trumka

If there was ever a time for boldness, it is now, as we face record unemployment, foreclosures and a broken path to citizenship.

Across the United States, Labor Day marks the end of summer, and a day off from the job for the lucky ones. We often forget that this holiday originated from strife, not leisure. Labor Day became a national holiday to celebrate America's workers only because when workers demanded it.

A federal judge in Phoenix blocked key provisions of Arizona’s notorious anti-immigrant law on Wednesday, hours before it was scheduled to take effect. US District Judge Susan Bolton ruled a partial injunction would apply to the portion of the law that requires police officers to stop and interrogate anyone they suspect is an undocumented immigrant. The law sparked mass protests across the country and a boycott of Arizona. We speak with Isabel Garcia, co-chair of the Tucson-based Coalition for Human Rights.

JUAN GONZALEZ: A federal judge in Phoenix blocked key provisions of Arizona’s notorious anti-immigrant law on Wednesday, hours before it was scheduled to take effect. US District Judge Susan Bolton ruled a partial injunction would apply to the portion of the law that requires police officers to stop and interrogate anyone they suspect is an undocumented immigrant. The ruling came in response to an injunction requested by the Obama administration, which had argued in a lawsuit that the law was unconstitutional and warned the provisions would result in racial profiling.

By Randy Shaw

Last week, immigrant rights groups became the first major progressive constituency to issue a release publicly denouncing the Obama Administration. Blasting the White House for “escalating deportations and detentions” while taking no action toward enacting comprehensive immigration reform, national immigrant rights leaders are escalating a pressure campaign that will feature the largest march of the Obama presidency in Washington DC on March 21. The march comes amidst growing frustration over the President’s failure to advance an issue that galvanized enough Latinos to the polls in 2006 to give Democrats control of the House, and which helped elect Obama president in November 2008.

Within days of the public criticism, the President met with activists to frankly discuss the political realities of moving forward. Having used massive marches in cities across the nation to put immigration reform in the national spotlight in 2006, activists are now returning to this tactic as part of new campaign to escalate pressure on Obama and Democratic Congressional leaders. The goal is to finally pass comprehensive reform this year.

By Paul Kim

On March 15, 2009, Alonso Chehade, an undocumented immigrant from Peru, was arrested at the US/Canada border for unlawful presence in the United States. After remaining in the detention center for two weeks, Chehade was later released with the assistance of his family, who posted a $7,500 bond to free him from prison.

By Sara Campos

Pedro C.* is not the kind of teen adults would call a trouble maker. The soft-spoken sixteen year-old, a junior at a San Francisco public high school, enjoys soccer and basketball, plays video games, and loves cars. He’s also a talented artist and often draws mythical Aztec figures. He has never been involved with crime or gangs, and before February, had never been arrested. But now, under a new police policy, the city may punish him for a minor offense by forcing him out of the country.

The policy that could lead to Pedro's deportation may soon be amended by local lawmakers, in response to public outcry. But for now, Pedro is in limbo, still trying to make sense of what happened.

By Laura Dean
Young domestic workers fight for their rights in the informal economy.

For most of the morning, Antoñia Peña sat quietly at the end of the table on a panel of speakers. Throughout the event, called "Voices from the Front Lines of the Economic Crisis," another panelist translated the proceedings into Spanish for her. When Peña finally spoke, in a halting but urgent English, I wasn't the only one to sit up and take notice.

"Most of us have been exploited or abused by our employers," she began. Peña came to the United States from Colombia in her youth, hoping to find a better life for herself and for her family back home. What she found instead was a life of isolation and abuse. Like many immigrants who come to the United States as young women, it took her years to become aware of her rights.

Michael Taylor, Chronicle Staff Writer

Luke Cole, a San Francisco attorney who was one of the pioneers in the field of environmental justice - filing lawsuits for poor plaintiffs or people of color whose communities were being ravaged by corporate polluters - died in a head-on car crash Saturday in Uganda. He was 46.

Mr. Cole and his wife, Nancy Shelby, were on vacation and traveling on a rural road in western Uganda about 7:30 a.m. when "a truck veered to Luke's side of the road," said Mr. Cole's father, Herbert "Skip" Cole.

Mr. Cole died, and his wife was injured. She was flown to Amsterdam, where she underwent an eye operation Monday, Herbert Cole said.

By Paul Kleyman

Editor’s Note: Six million older immigrants live in the United States, a figure projected to triple by 2030. Advocates for these elders have set out to bring their voices –- and new respect for them as community contributors –- to the public and agency decision makers, who often dismiss them as mere clients seeking benefits.

If treated as partners, rather than mere users of public services, immigrant elders can help cash-strapped agencies solve problems in their communities, according to a new report.

By Matt O'Brien

PITTSBURG — Week after week before Tax Day, they arrived at H&R Block with bundles of paperwork bound by elastic bands.

They lived nearby. They worked nearby. They just happened to be illegal immigrants.

"You have some really hardworking folks who are just trying to buy into that American dream," said Rene Steele, who works at the Buchanan Road branch of the national tax preparing company. "I try to take a neutral stance and say, you know, they're paying taxes. Everybody's trying to contribute."

Among the Californians who filed their tax returns before Wednesday's deadline were an untold number of undocumented immigrants. No one knows for sure how many of the state's estimated 2.7 million illegal immigrants participate in the civic duty.

By Joshua Holland
The one argument in the immigration debate with absolutely no merit is that the system is fine.

Immigration is an issue that always spurs heated debates. There are some decent arguments floating around, some kooky ones and one that reveals that the person making it is utterly clueless about the issue. That argument, in a nutshell, is that the system's fine.