Expectations have been raised among the undocumented throughout Mississippi with the introduction of the “Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act.”  Besides the various reports in the media, unscrupulous businesses who prey on the immigrant communities are advertising that they will offer help to prepare for “legalization,” now-for a fee.  All we can say is beware!
The reality is that the Senate proposal has only been introduced.  There will be Senate committee hearings where amendments may be offered that could change the proposal significantly before it reached the whole Senate …

On June 15, 2012, Janet Napolitano, the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security announced that certain people who came to the United States as children who meet several key guidelines may request consideration of deferred action for a period of two years, subject to renewal, and would then be eligible for work authorization if he or she can demonstrate economic necessity for employment.
Individuals who can demonstrate through verifiable documentation that they meet these guidelines will be considered for deferred action, even if they are in immigration court proceedings and/or have a final …

HB 1221 Committee Substitute, now pending, is unconstitutional on its face, as is the underlying 2008 statute, 
MS Code 71-11-3, because they are pre-empted by the US Constitution express delegation of power to 
Congress to regulate naturalization and immigration. According to the US Constitution the federal law is the 
”supreme law of the land” and therefore state statutes are subordinate to the power of the federal 
government. [For the deniers: we fought a Civil War over this issue!]
The US Supreme Court decision in the Arizona immigration case, decided in June …

by Bill Chandler, Executive Director
January 28, 2013
Jackson, Mississippi – Today the Dignity Campaign, a national network of immigrant rights organizations, churches, unions and community groups, is calling on President Obama to adopt principles for immigration reform that prioritize human and labor rights.
 
President Obama will announce tomorrow in Nevada his principles for immigration reform.  The Dignity Campaign urges the administration and Congress to end the injustices in current immigration law.  But based on the experiences of past proposals in Congress, Dignity Campaign organizations call for a much more progressive vision of …

Courtesy of In These Times
by Nyki Salinas-Duda
December 6, 2012
After November 6, Obama is beholden to the voters who kept him in the Oval Office, and to one group especially: Latinos.
Latinos make up 10 percent of the electorate, and a whopping 71 percent voted for Obama. Voters of color—and Latinos especially—were the wind beneath Obama’s wings.
It’s essentialist to call immigration the Latino issue—healthcare and education were hot election topics for them, too, and plenty of immigrants are of other ethnicities. But in a community of more than 50 million with a strong …

When voters head to the polls on November the 6th, not only must they know who to vote for, but they also must know their voting rights.
Do you?

Any Mississippi resident who is a qualified elector (registered voter) is entitled to vote   regardless of race, national origin, or physical ability with no literacy tests required.
No one may refuse a person the right to vote if that person is legally entitled to vote.
No voter shall be threatened, intimidated, or bribed for voting by any person.
 The Mississippi Voter ID Law is not in …

As it passed through Jackson, Mississippi, on August 28th, the Caravan for Peace headed by Mexican Poet and organizer, Javier Sicilla received the solidarity of the African American community affected by the criminalization of drugs.
The Caravan, consisting of some 150 people including relatives of the victims of the War on Drugs and activists, arrived at the Central United Methodist Church on Farish Street, in Jackson from Houston, Texas, after being forced to suspend their visit to New Orleans because of the threat of …

by Bill Chandler
September 6, 2012

The U.S. Supreme Court has affirmed that the Federal Government is responsible for immigration laws, policies and priorities. Congress needs to live up to this responsibility now. Our country needs common sense immigration policies that unify us and laws that protect all workers equally, regardless of birthplace.

 
We encourage the Mississippi Legislature to reject these kinds of proposals as it has many times in the past, rising above the follies of Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina who, by enacting these …

by Emily Wagster Pettus
September 6, 2012

Love or hate his conservative politics, but give Republican state Rep. Andy Gipson credit for this: He lets people express their opinions.
As chairman of the Mississippi House Judiciary B Committee, the lawmaker from Braxton recently presided over a four-hour hearing to let a wide range of people discuss whether the state should regulate illegal immigration. Attorneys, immigrants, business people, tea party members, immigrant-rights advocates and others packed a Capitol committee room, and Gipson remained attentive as more …

Jackson, Mississippi – On Tuesday, August 28th , the “Caravan for Peace with Justice and Dignity” will stop in Jackson on its voyage across the United States as it works to create a bi-national movement against the failed drug war that has left more than 70,000 dead in Mexico in the last five years.
Led by Mexican poet Javier Sicilia, families of victims from Mexico will tell the story of the human toll of the war on drugs, while building powerful ties with local communities in the United States that are also …