By Susan Eaton
August 10, 2011
One year after Arizona’s dread SB 1070 took effect, progressives have transferred their fear and loathing to the 2011 winner in the mainstream media’s toughest-immigration-law-in-the-nation contest: Alabama’s HB 56. Its unconstitutionality and inhumanity go further than Arizona’s law by requiring children to prove legal residence before enrolling in public school and making it a crime to give an undocumented person a ride in your car.
The good news is that Alabama and Arizona are still immigration policy outliers. While legislators in at least twenty-four states filed Arizona-like …

While 2010 proved fruitless for states seeking to imitate Arizona SB 1070, the 2011 legislative sessions has been more challenging for defeating or delaying these misguided measures.  The 2010 elections changed the composition of many statewide chambers, with a number of states electing candidates who campaigned on the promise that they would introduce copycat legislation.  Despite the fact that some copycats have gained traction in a handful of states, many more of these bills have been failing across the country.  Below is a summary of the states that pose the …

2011 Mississippi Legislative Session
Status of Bills that Adversely Affect Immigrant Workers (3-29-11)
33 bad bills were introduced.  Aas of today, ALL ARE DEAD!!!
HB 54 by Rep. Gary Chism (R) Columbus—(Arizona style): “Support our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act” of 2011. Referred to House Judiciary Committee B–DEAD
HB 245 by Rep. Ted Mayhall (R) Southaven—Public benefits, deny to any person not lawfully present in the United States.  Referred to House Judiciary Committee B–DEAD
HB 273 by Rep. John Moore (R) Brandon—Civil Rights Education Commission, repeal provisions creating.  Referred to House Education Committee–DEAD
HB 281 …

SB 2179 (the Arizona style anti-immigrant bill) is DEAD! Thanks to everyone who helped fight against the bill.
SB 2170 (copia de Ley anti-inmigrante estilo Arizona) ha muerto hoy! Muchas gracias a todos aquellos que lucharon para matar este horrible Proyecto de Ley.

Se encuentra este mensaje en español abajo.
We provide ‘Know Your Rights’ Presentations, Updates on Anti-immigrant Laws, and Membership Drives.
MIRA has been traveling state wide to provide combined ‘Know Your Rights’ Presentations, updates on Arizona style anti-immigrant laws in the legislature, and membership drives.  In this way, we can provide valuable information to the communities, provide valuable benefits through our membership, and strengthen MIRA through increased support and funding.  If you are interested in MIRA presenting in your area, please call (601) 968-5182 or (601) 951-2086.  We ask that you help …

(From Mississippi Public Broadcasting)
Listen to the story here.
Immigration and racial profiling is a hot button issue for communities across Mississippi. But as MPB’s Lawayne Childrey reports the capital city may soon be adopting an ordinance to discourage the practice.
State and local Law enforcement must often answer to accusations of racial profiling.
“They’ve done things like setting up road blocks in Latino neighborhoods or on roads where they know that Latinos travel from the neighborhood to work. ”
Lily Axelrod, an organizer with the Mississippi …

SIDE BY SIDE COMPARISON OF IMMIGRATION REFORM PROPOSALS (In English and Spanish/En Ingles y Espanol)
as of August 30, 2010/de 30 agosto 2010
The Obama Administration has said that immigration reform will start in the Senate and that the point person will be Senator Schumer (D-NY).  Below is a comparison of the proposal by Schumer and several Democratic Senators (which has not yet been introduced in bill form) with the bill introduced by Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-Il) in December of 2009, and the bill that the Alternative Immigration Legislation Group (AILG) proposes.   The …

Senate Democrats proposal

About 200 workers, 4/5 of whom rode 3 hours from Gulfport/Biloxi, Laurel/Hattiesburg, and Pascagoula/D’Iberville, converged on the Mississippi State Capitol in one of the most powerful demonstrations of unity seen in MIRA policy advocacy events.   Babies, nursing mothers, high school students, workers and elderly immigrant leaders, mainly Latino, mounted busses in their communities early Wednesday morning, meeting up with immigrants from neighboring communities on the journey to Jackson.  Their mission?
“To show that the Latino community is no longer …