by Hedy Weiss
February 27, 2012

Politicians of every stripe in this country seem to lack the will, creativity and sheer guts to deal in some practical and humane way with the complicated issue of immigration. But where they have failed, the Albany Park Theatre Project — the prodigiously gifted, exquisitely directed youth theater ensemble rooted in a classic “gateway for the world” Chicago neighborhood — has triumphed.
In its latest production, “Home/Land,” now playing to consistently sold-out houses and extended through April 28, the company has transformed an often virulent and intensely partisan …

by Bill Chandler
February 20, 2012
A recent study from the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Alabama found that because of HB56 (Alabama’s new immigration law), Alabama’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) could shrink by up to $10.8 billion.1 Prof. Addy estimates that a loss of 40,000 to 80,000 unauthorized immigrants who earn between $15,000 and $35,000 annually could result in:

70,000 to 140,000 lost jobs;
$2.3 to $10.8 billion reduction in Alabama GDP, or 1.3 to 6.2 percent of the state’s $172.6 billion GDP in 2010;
$57 to $264 million loss in …

by Patricia Ice
February 16, 2012

Join us for a day with legislators to discuss legislation concerning immigrants and other vulnerable populations in Mississippi. We must let our state legislators know that we are against any anti-immigrant legislation proposed during the 2012 MS legislative session (whether affecting undocumented or documented immigrants).
The United States government is charged with creating and implementing immigration laws, not state governments!!! Several anti-immigrant bills have ALREADY been introduced in the MS legislature including, but not limited to:
Senate Bill (SB) 2090 that requires everyone in Mississippi to prove …

by Patricia Ice
February 14, 2012
URGENT!
The complete 2011 Alabama anti-immigrant House Bill 56 was introduced today, Monday, February 13, 2012, in the Mississippi House of Representatives.  Mississippi HB 488, is authored by Rep. Becky Currie of Brookhaven, a professed Tea Bagger and very active xenophobe.  It is double referred.  It is  referred to House Judiciary Committee B, chaired by Rep. Andy Gibson, and to the House Education Committee, Chaired by Rep. John Moore of Brandon.  It contains ALL of the Alabama features—from the schoolhouse to the jailhouse. See attached bill: http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2012/pdf/history/HB/HB0488.xml.
 

by Andrew Stankevich
February 6, 2012
Updated with new information.

There are a few bills that are circulating through the House.  Please be aware and take note on them.

2012 Anti-Immigrant Bills Summaries, Introduced into the Mississippi Legislature, as of 1/31/12
Senate Bill 2022 (Fillingane).  All higher learning institutions must verify immigration status of all students who receive financial aid, grants, or scholarships.  No unauthorized student may receive any such benefit.
Senate Bill 2089 (Fillingane) & Senate Bill 2089 (Watson).  Changes to 71-11-3. Mississippi Employment Protection Act.  Employers shall not knowingly hire an employee unauthorized to …

by Corey Dade
February 9, 2012

A note to the Republican presidential candidates heading to Washington for the Conservative Political Action Conference: Some of the events could make you uncomfortable if you’re planning to tack to the center in your general election campaign.
Three of the GOP candidates — Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum — will address the largest annual gathering of conservatives on Friday. But Thursday brought a provocative panel discussion: “The Failure of Multiculturalism: How the Pursuit of Diversity Is Weakening the American Identity.”
One of the panel’s speakers was conservative …

Courtesy Richmond Times-Dispatch
By Wesley P. Hester
February 10, 2012

Without the Democrat-controlled Senate that has stopped it in years past, legislation aimed at cracking down on illegal immigrants in Virginia has begun its path through the General Assembly.
Two bills that would require law enforcement officers to make citizenship inquiries of everyone arrested were reported out of subcommittee and are expected to clear the House Courts of Justice Committee today on their way to the full House.
The more contentious of the two, House Bill 1060, would require police officers throughout the state to make …

Courtesy Reuters

By Felix Salmon
February 9, 2012

In general, immigration is incredibly healthy for any economy. Immigrants tend to work hard, boost GDP, fill jobs which would otherwise be hard to fill, and also create jobs of their own. But whatever’s true of immigrants in general is much more true of legal immigrants. And whatever’s true of legal immigrants in general is much more true of smart, high-qualified …