Immigration: Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics

The Obama Administration has claimed that the southern border is secure because apprehension rates for illegal border crossings are down. The Pew Hispanic Center, using data supplied by the Obama Administration, bolstered this claim by issuing a report that found that illegal border crossings are down and large numbers of illegal immigrants are returning to Mexico. At least that is what they say the data says. According to those men and women whose job it is to secure the border, however, the Obama Administration’s statistics are misleading. Border patrol and … More

Obama Illegal Immigration Silent Work Raid Policy Not Working

Last week in The Wall Street Journal, Miriam Jordan writes that “Fresh Raids Target Illegal Hiring.” While a quick glance would leave readers with the impression that President Obama’s illegal immigration work raid policy is working, the problems with the policy sneak into the article in two places. First, Jordan notes: “While the audits don’t lead to the deportation of a firm’s illegal workers, they all lose their jobs.” As we’ve previously written (here, here, and here), failing to deport illegal immigrants apprehended during a work raid undermines any effort … More

Arizona v. United States: Showdown in the Supreme Court

For the second year in a row, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear an immigration case out of the State of Arizona.  And for the second time is as many years, the Obama administration has sued the State of Arizona in the hopes of stopping its state law aimed at curbing the problem of illegal immigration. The Heritage Foundation will host a distinguished panel next Monday, April 23rd, to preview the arguments next week before the Supreme Court.  To RSVP, click here. Recall that on May 26, 2011, the Court … More

Morning Bell: Hispanics and the 2012 Election

After last week’s Republican primary elections in Wisconsin, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., the 2012 presidential primary season is reaching an inflection point, and eyes are turning toward America’s final decision on Election Day in November. While pundits and pollsters speculate on the horse race and who will capture the hearts and minds of the American people, one segment of the electorate is garnering increased attention — Hispanic Americans. It is, to be sure, a population that continues to grow in size, voice, and importance. In the 2008 election, Hispanics turned … More

GOP the Loser in Primary Fight over Immigration

By Daniel Griswold

Over at National Review Online this morning, I ask how the Ronald Reagan of 1980 would have fared in today’s Iowa caucuses given his views on how to tackle illegal immigration (“GOP Candidates Betray the Spirit of Reagan on Immigration”). My conclusion, based on the current mood of many Republicans, is that Reagan would have [...]

GOP the Loser in Primary Fight over Immigration is a post from Cato @ Liberty – Cato Institute Blog

Arizona’s Immigration Law Gets to the Supremes

In a decision that should cheer those who believe in the rule of law and want to see our federal immigration laws enforced (despite all of the efforts of the Obama Administration to prevent that from happening), the Supreme Court today accepted Arizona’s petition for certiorari in the lawsuit filed against the state’s immigration law by the Justice Department. That means that the Supreme Court will make the final decision on whether Arizona’s law (SB 1070) is constitutional. SB 1070, which has served as a model for other states such … More

Morning Bell: Illegal Aliens, In-State Tuition and the Law

Consider it an illegal fringe benefit for illegal immigrants. Today, 12 states allow individuals who are in the United States illegally to pay the same in-state tuition rates as legal residents of the state without providing the same rates to others in the country who are here legally. And those states are doing it in direct contravention of federal law. In a new paper, Heritage’s Hans von Spakovsky and Charles Stimson explain that in 1996, Congress passed–and President Bill Clinton signed into law–the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act. Under Section … More

Morning Bell: Illegal Aliens, In-State Tuition and the Law

Consider it an illegal fringe benefit for illegal immigrants. Today, 12 states allow individuals who are in the United States illegally to pay the same in-state tuition rates as legal residents of the state without providing the same rates to others in the country who are here legally. And those states are doing it in direct contravention of federal law. In a new paper, Heritage’s Hans von Spakovsky and Charles Stimson explain that in 1996, Congress passed–and President Bill Clinton signed into law–the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act. Under Section … More

The Right Way to Reform Immigration

In an op-ed for FOX News Heritage’s Jim Carafano lays out policy ideas that can lead to true immigration reform. The main argument was that immigration reform cannot begin with Amnesty. There are many other ways to confront the problem of illegal immigration, but Amnesty is a “non-starter” The first thing we must do, Carafano argues, is secure our borders. This will require a partnership with Mexico. Carafano states: …we can and must do more stateside to secure the border. But we need sensible security measures, with D.C., the states … More