Immigration
U.S. House Judiciary’s debut hearing on the border centers on blame for fentanyl crisis
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans on the Judiciary Committee blamed the Biden administration for fentanyl drug smuggling at the U.S.-Mexico border during a Wednesday hearing. Chair Jim Jordan of Ohio also blamed U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for the number of migrants at the border, and said there are already hundreds of […]
Democrats in Congress condemn Biden administration expansion of Title 42
WASHINGTON — Nearly 80 Democratic members of Congress sent a letter to the White House expressing their “great concern” that the Biden administration is walking back on its promise to restore migrants’ access to asylum. In the letter, they also condemned the administration’s expansion of a controversial policy that immediately turns away migrants at the […]
Lengthy timeline for DACA legal fight puts lives on hold for years
WASHINGTON — Karen Judith Briseno Ortiz mailed in her application for a program meant to protect undocumented children from deportation, one day after her twin sister’s application. Her sister was accepted into the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, but Briseno Ortiz, who grew up in Dallas, was not. Now her application is in limbo […]
Border event with lawmakers to feature speakers connected to QAnon, hate group
An event dubbed “Border 911” that will take place Saturday and feature at least one Arizona lawmaker will also feature QAnon connected speakers as well as some connected to hate groups. The event is being put on by The America Project, a 501(c)(4) created by former Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne and disgraced former General Michael […]
Dreamer scholarship would benefit thousands of undocumented students
More than 3,000 undocumented students in Arizona could see their dreams of a college degree come true under a new scholarship proposed by Gov. Katie Hobbs. Dubbed the Promise for Dreamers Scholarship Program, the $40 million dollar investment is aimed at supporting undocumented students who’ve attended a high school in the state for at least […]
Biden administration to rapidly expel more migrants at the border, add legal pathways
WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden on Thursday announced dual immigration strategies that would increase expulsions of migrants who attempt to cross the Southern border, while also expanding opportunities for migrants from several countries to legally enter the United States. But the sweeping new immigration plan brought condemnation from advocates who said he should not broaden […]
Advocates urge Sinema, Tillis to move Dream Act forward
Delia Rodriguez hopes to someday become a social worker, but her undocumented status puts her at risk of deportation, potentially shattering that dream. Now, a bipartisan proposal at the federal level could change that. “My future is in the hands of Sen. Kyrsten Sinema and Thom Tillis. With their help, we can find a national […]
Talks over protecting Dreamers pick up in Congress, but agreement still elusive
WASHINGTON — In a last-minute push, U.S. senators are working on a bipartisan agreement to create a pathway to citizenship for undocumented people who were brought to the United States as children. But the success of any major immigration deal appears unlikely, as a lame-duck session of Congress dwindles into its last days. Democrats are […]
U.S. Supreme Court wrestles over Biden’s immigration enforcement policy
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday on whether the Biden administration has the right to decide which undocumented immigrants federal agents should prioritize for deportation. During the two hours of arguments, the court’s conservative justices sounded skeptical of the Biden administration’s efforts to prioritize undocumented immigrants convicted of felonies rather than ordering agents to […]
U.S. Senate Democrats make a last-ditch push for a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers
WASHINGTON — Democratic U.S. senators have set a December deadline for passing bipartisan legislation that would create a pathway to citizenship for more than 600,000 undocumented people who were brought into the country as children — but they don’t yet have enough Senate Republican votes to make it a reality. During a Wednesday press conference […]
Doug Ducey, federal government battle over shipping containers at the border
YUMA – Using old shipping containers isn’t a permanent or effective solution to secure the southern border, as state and Yuma officials know. Now, the political stunt is embroiled in a legal battle with the federal government. In August, Gov. Doug Ducey issued an executive order to place empty shipping containers in several gaps in […]
Voters narrowly are favoring a proposal to give undocumented immigrant students in-state tuition, for now
The fate of a ballot measure that would help undocumented students who graduate from Arizona high schools afford college remained unclear after ballots counted Wednesday left it with 51% in support and 49% opposed. With more than 600,000 ballots across the state yet to be counted, including roughly 360,000 in Maricopa County and another 150,000 […]