For many people in the community, the issue of immigration enforcement is really all about the borders, particularly the southern border with Mexico. Phrases like “open border policy” or “seal the border” seem to frame the entire immigration discussion around it.
But beyond the border, there are many other factors to consider. There are already 11 to 12 million undocumented immigrants currently living in the U.S., and many live in “mixed status” homes with other members who are U.S. citizens. Should families be split up in these cases? Should schools and hospitals be checking the legal status of the people they serve?
Some states, like Arizona and Alabama, are now crafting their own immigration legislation because a growing number of lawmakers feel the federal government has failed in its responsibility to enforce immigration laws. This has led to much debate over the unintended consequences of such laws and whether these new enforcement measures are even constitutional.
Many questions remain regarding immigration enforcement, both at the border and across the entire United States.
Recent Enforcement Headlines:
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The Nation’s Cruelest Immigration Law
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Administration Says It Will Conduct Case-By-Case Review On Deportation
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Report: 40 U.S. States Passed Immigration Laws In 2011
Category: Enforcement
Kris Kobach in the News… Again
Working on the Homeland series, we became very familiar with Kris Kobah’s sentiments involving “rule of law” and immigration. Kobach is a Kansas City-based attorney and law professor who travels the country to help craft legislation that he believes will restrict the flow of illegal immigrants. His stance has always been that illegal immigration needlessly [...]
Rule Tweak Could Offer Relief For Some Mixed Status Families
Undocumented immigrants with American relatives may soon find their path to legal residency a little shorter thanks to a rule change that was proposed by the Obama administration last week.
States Enforcing Federal Law?
Local law enforcement agencies across the country are increasingly being asked to choose between two different ideologies when it comes to immigration enforcement: leave it strictly in federal hands with so-called ‘sanctuary’ policies, or assist U.S. Immigration and Customs agents in identifying and apprehending undocumented immigrants. Neither path is easy.
A Different Approach
What happens when police officers find that a ‘zero-tolerance’ policy is not working? Check out this clip from the Homeland documentary footage showing how KCPD officers took a different approach to their community policing efforts and what ended up being the result.
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