Apr 27, 2008 (Chicago Tribune - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- -- It's been slow going for Armando Pena as he hits up Waukegan's Latino-owned businesses to drum up donations for next week's Immigration march in Chicago. He leaves a Mexican restaurant with $20. He gets another $10 from a beauty parlor. The Azteca bakery ponies up $620, but rejections are more common.
"I'm getting a lot of no, no, no's," he said.
The massive Immigration marches of 2006, including the May 1 rally that brought 400,000 people to Grant Park, helped drive Immigration reform to the top of the national agenda and gave new focus to the immigrant community in the Chicago area.
Two years later, Spanish-language morning talk shows are buzzing about a new march. But some community leaders in the suburbs, a vital source of support in past demonstrations, are expressing doubts about whether massive rallies are the right tactic this year.
Continued...
Monday, April 28, 2008
Saturday, April 19, 2008
H-2B or not H-2B?
Democrats, Republicans, and restaurant owners all agree: The country needs more of the H-2B visas that allow immigrants to come here as seasonal workers. Among other things, these workers help provide food and shelter for the summer crowds on Cape Cod.
more stories like this
* Mortgage insurers put Mass. real estate markets on watch lists
* Insurers put Mass. real estate markets on watch lists
* State warns boaters to be careful with right whales off Cape Cod
* Cape employers left scrambling
* Judge rejects new trial for man convicted in Cape Cod killing
*
It's a local example of how badly the country needs immigration reform.
Earlier this week, Cape businessman Bill Zammer testified in Congress before the House judiciary subcommittee on immigration. "I am here today," he said in written testimony, "to urge you, better yet beg you" to free up more visas. Zammer runs four restaurants on the Cape and hires 100 H-2B workers. He and other Cape business owners have been searching for workers, appealing to local retirees and city residents, but they still can't fill all their openings.
This cry for more seasonal workers echoes around the country, from ski resorts in Colorado to Maryland companies seeking crab pickers to landscapers in Texas. The problem is an annual cap that dates to 1991 and limits the number of H-2B visas to 66,000. A 2005 law provided temporary relief by declaring that returning seasonal workers would not count against the cap. This meant thousands of returning workers in additon to 66,000 others.
Continued...
more stories like this
* Mortgage insurers put Mass. real estate markets on watch lists
* Insurers put Mass. real estate markets on watch lists
* State warns boaters to be careful with right whales off Cape Cod
* Cape employers left scrambling
* Judge rejects new trial for man convicted in Cape Cod killing
*
It's a local example of how badly the country needs immigration reform.
Earlier this week, Cape businessman Bill Zammer testified in Congress before the House judiciary subcommittee on immigration. "I am here today," he said in written testimony, "to urge you, better yet beg you" to free up more visas. Zammer runs four restaurants on the Cape and hires 100 H-2B workers. He and other Cape business owners have been searching for workers, appealing to local retirees and city residents, but they still can't fill all their openings.
This cry for more seasonal workers echoes around the country, from ski resorts in Colorado to Maryland companies seeking crab pickers to landscapers in Texas. The problem is an annual cap that dates to 1991 and limits the number of H-2B visas to 66,000. A 2005 law provided temporary relief by declaring that returning seasonal workers would not count against the cap. This meant thousands of returning workers in additon to 66,000 others.
Continued...
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Lawmakers plead for more foreign workers
4/16/2008, 6:45 p.m. EDT
By SUZANNE GAMBOA
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Three House members pleaded Wednesday for more visas for seasonal workers they said are needed immediately by seafood processors, resorts and other businesses in their districts.
Some of those operations could close or lose a lot of money this spring and summer because there are not enough visas, known as H-2B visas, for the temporary nonagricultural workers they need, the lawmakers told the House Judiciary immigration subcommittee.
"Not having H-2B workers will significantly affect the businesses within my district and their ability to keep a professional, trained and dependable work force," said Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich. He was joined by Rep. Tim Bishop, D-N.Y. and Rep. Wayne Gilchrest, R-Md.
Continued...
By SUZANNE GAMBOA
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Three House members pleaded Wednesday for more visas for seasonal workers they said are needed immediately by seafood processors, resorts and other businesses in their districts.
Some of those operations could close or lose a lot of money this spring and summer because there are not enough visas, known as H-2B visas, for the temporary nonagricultural workers they need, the lawmakers told the House Judiciary immigration subcommittee.
"Not having H-2B workers will significantly affect the businesses within my district and their ability to keep a professional, trained and dependable work force," said Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich. He was joined by Rep. Tim Bishop, D-N.Y. and Rep. Wayne Gilchrest, R-Md.
Continued...
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Illegal immigrants pay billions in taxes
NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) -- The tax system collects its due, even from a class of workers with little likelihood of claiming a refund and no hope of drawing a Social Security check.
Illegal immigrants are paying taxes to Uncle Sam, experts agree. Just how much they pay is hard to determine because the federal government doesn't fully tally it.
But the latest figures available indicate it will amount to billions of dollars in federal income, Social Security and Medicare taxes this year. One rough estimate puts the amount of Social Security taxes alone at around $9 billion per year.
Paycheck withholding collects much of the federal tax from illegal workers, just as it does for legal workers.
The Internal Revenue Service doesn't track a worker's immigration status, yet many illegal immigrants fearful of deportation won't risk the government attention that will come from filing a return even if they might qualify for a refund. Economist William Ford of Middle Tennessee State University says there are no firm figures on how many taxpayers are in that situation.
"The real question is how many of them pay more than they owe. There are undoubtedly hundreds of thousands of people in that situation," Ford said.
But some illegal immigrants choose to file taxes and write a check come April 15, using an alternative to the Social Security number offered by the IRS so it can collect income tax from foreign workers.
Continued...
Illegal immigrants are paying taxes to Uncle Sam, experts agree. Just how much they pay is hard to determine because the federal government doesn't fully tally it.
But the latest figures available indicate it will amount to billions of dollars in federal income, Social Security and Medicare taxes this year. One rough estimate puts the amount of Social Security taxes alone at around $9 billion per year.
Paycheck withholding collects much of the federal tax from illegal workers, just as it does for legal workers.
The Internal Revenue Service doesn't track a worker's immigration status, yet many illegal immigrants fearful of deportation won't risk the government attention that will come from filing a return even if they might qualify for a refund. Economist William Ford of Middle Tennessee State University says there are no firm figures on how many taxpayers are in that situation.
"The real question is how many of them pay more than they owe. There are undoubtedly hundreds of thousands of people in that situation," Ford said.
But some illegal immigrants choose to file taxes and write a check come April 15, using an alternative to the Social Security number offered by the IRS so it can collect income tax from foreign workers.
Continued...
Monday, April 14, 2008
Immigration Inertia
By James Jay Carafano
From the Heritage Foundation
Saturday, April 12, 2008; 12:00 AM
"I'm in favor of immigration," Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.) once said. "But we also need rules." Most Americans probably agree. So why are sensible rules so hard to come by?
Last year, lawmakers on Capitol Hill tried and failed to pass comprehensive immigration and border security reform. The bill died largely because it tried to do too many things. For example, it would have granted amnesty to the millions here illegally and put all of them -- whether they came here to work hard or to commit crimes -- on a path to citizenship.
Fortunately, that approach collapsed. But the problems persist. America needs to regain control of its broken southern border and restore the integrity of U.S. immigration laws. Employers, meanwhile, need legal workers to grow the American economy. Doing nothing won't make these troubles go away.
There is, in fact, a lot that can be done. Yes, without disgorging a massive comprehensive bill hundreds of pages long and stuffed with special-interest demands -- one that members are expected to vote on first and read later. The problem is, congressional leaders appear unwillingly to let anything come to the floor. Certain lawmakers are insisting that nothing be done unless Congress follows last year's flawed formula. Right now, the leadership is listening.
Continued...
From the Heritage Foundation
Saturday, April 12, 2008; 12:00 AM
"I'm in favor of immigration," Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.) once said. "But we also need rules." Most Americans probably agree. So why are sensible rules so hard to come by?
Last year, lawmakers on Capitol Hill tried and failed to pass comprehensive immigration and border security reform. The bill died largely because it tried to do too many things. For example, it would have granted amnesty to the millions here illegally and put all of them -- whether they came here to work hard or to commit crimes -- on a path to citizenship.
Fortunately, that approach collapsed. But the problems persist. America needs to regain control of its broken southern border and restore the integrity of U.S. immigration laws. Employers, meanwhile, need legal workers to grow the American economy. Doing nothing won't make these troubles go away.
There is, in fact, a lot that can be done. Yes, without disgorging a massive comprehensive bill hundreds of pages long and stuffed with special-interest demands -- one that members are expected to vote on first and read later. The problem is, congressional leaders appear unwillingly to let anything come to the floor. Certain lawmakers are insisting that nothing be done unless Congress follows last year's flawed formula. Right now, the leadership is listening.
Continued...
Thursday, April 10, 2008
US Pays the Price for Absence of National Immigration Law
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 11:32:00 04/10/2008
SAN FRANCISCO - As conservative groups in mainstream and grassroots America press for tighter legislation on immigration, some business and economic experts question the wisdom of purging illegal immigrants and restricting immigration into the country altogether.
According to them, increasing the caps and relaxing the rules on legal immigration instead are viable alternatives to heavy enforcement of laws which only tend to drive illegal aliens deeper underground.
“The real question is not whether we have enough resources to host immigrants, but if the U.S. economy can afford at all not to take in more of them,” said Angelo Amador, director of immigration policy for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, in a teleconference on employer-sanctioning immigration legislation organized by the New America Media recently.
Continued...
First Posted 11:32:00 04/10/2008
SAN FRANCISCO - As conservative groups in mainstream and grassroots America press for tighter legislation on immigration, some business and economic experts question the wisdom of purging illegal immigrants and restricting immigration into the country altogether.
According to them, increasing the caps and relaxing the rules on legal immigration instead are viable alternatives to heavy enforcement of laws which only tend to drive illegal aliens deeper underground.
“The real question is not whether we have enough resources to host immigrants, but if the U.S. economy can afford at all not to take in more of them,” said Angelo Amador, director of immigration policy for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, in a teleconference on employer-sanctioning immigration legislation organized by the New America Media recently.
Continued...
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
California Seeks Immigration Reform to Spur Economic Growth
Leaders in business and government say that caps on visas are chasing away workers who are essential to the economic development of California—and the nation.
By Brian Donahue
California is facing a significant shortage of skilled professionals, a problem that many believe will limit the state’s economic growth in the coming decades. Researchers and leaders in the public and private sectors say the demand for knowledge-based employees already exceeds the supply, and that this gap will only widen over time.
The state’s workforce has long had an increasingly high percentage of skilled employees in the areas of math, science, and engineering. California ranks 12th in the nation in the percentage of adults who are college graduates, according to the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), a private, nonprofit research organization. Its businesses have also relied heavily on foreign-born professionals. With these workers, Silicon Valley companies have become global leaders, and California has built a thriving knowledge-based economy that helps to fuel the nation’s overall economic growth.
But a shortage of highly skilled workers poses a problem for the state, as it does for other parts of the nation. According to PPIC’s report, “California 2025: Taking on the Future,” 33% of California’s working-age adults will have a college degree in 2020, but 39% of jobs in the state will need college graduates.
Continued...
By Brian Donahue
California is facing a significant shortage of skilled professionals, a problem that many believe will limit the state’s economic growth in the coming decades. Researchers and leaders in the public and private sectors say the demand for knowledge-based employees already exceeds the supply, and that this gap will only widen over time.
The state’s workforce has long had an increasingly high percentage of skilled employees in the areas of math, science, and engineering. California ranks 12th in the nation in the percentage of adults who are college graduates, according to the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), a private, nonprofit research organization. Its businesses have also relied heavily on foreign-born professionals. With these workers, Silicon Valley companies have become global leaders, and California has built a thriving knowledge-based economy that helps to fuel the nation’s overall economic growth.
But a shortage of highly skilled workers poses a problem for the state, as it does for other parts of the nation. According to PPIC’s report, “California 2025: Taking on the Future,” 33% of California’s working-age adults will have a college degree in 2020, but 39% of jobs in the state will need college graduates.
Continued...
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Immigration reform landscape: In a 'dark period' for now
By Paula Doyle
Recently proposed federal and state immigration legislation perpetuates a failed enforcement-only approach and side-steps desperately needed policy solutions to fix a broken immigration system in the U.S., say immigration reform proponents throughout the country.
"Since we lost the [immigration reform] bill last year, we have to go through this dark period where legislators consider enforcement-only measures. In the end, they will realize this is not the right approach," said Kevin Appleby, director of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' office of migration and refugee policy during a phone interview with The Tidings from his Washington, D.C., office.
Cont'd...
Recently proposed federal and state immigration legislation perpetuates a failed enforcement-only approach and side-steps desperately needed policy solutions to fix a broken immigration system in the U.S., say immigration reform proponents throughout the country.
"Since we lost the [immigration reform] bill last year, we have to go through this dark period where legislators consider enforcement-only measures. In the end, they will realize this is not the right approach," said Kevin Appleby, director of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' office of migration and refugee policy during a phone interview with The Tidings from his Washington, D.C., office.
Cont'd...
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Border fence will skirt laws
Environmental rules waived to finish barrier
By Richard Marosi and Nicole Gaouette | Tribune Newspapers
1:34 AM CDT, April 2, 2008
WASHINGTON — In an aggressive move to finish 370 miles of barriers on the U.S. border with Mexico by the end of the year, the Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday that it will waive federal and state environmental laws to meet that goal.
The two waivers are the most expansive the department has issued on the southwest border. They will allow Homeland Security to slash through a thicket of more than 30 environmental and cultural laws to speed construction.
Environmentalists and border communities have strenuously opposed some of the planned infrastructure projects, saying they will damage the land and disrupt wildlife.
Continued...
By Richard Marosi and Nicole Gaouette | Tribune Newspapers
1:34 AM CDT, April 2, 2008
WASHINGTON — In an aggressive move to finish 370 miles of barriers on the U.S. border with Mexico by the end of the year, the Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday that it will waive federal and state environmental laws to meet that goal.
The two waivers are the most expansive the department has issued on the southwest border. They will allow Homeland Security to slash through a thicket of more than 30 environmental and cultural laws to speed construction.
Environmentalists and border communities have strenuously opposed some of the planned infrastructure projects, saying they will damage the land and disrupt wildlife.
Continued...
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