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:

• The Nation’s Cruelest Immigration Law

• Administration Says It Will Conduct Case-By-Case Review On Deportation

• Report: 40 U.S. States Passed Immigration Laws In 2011

Category: Enforcement

A Federal Issue? – Your Voice

Sonya Stevenson | July 29, 2010 | Comments (0)

Should immigration be a federal issue, or should states have the right to create their own immigration laws? “Your Voice” presents the thoughts of the community on this question.

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Should They Stay or Should They Go? — Your Voice

Dale Berenc | July 28, 2010 | Comments (0)

Should they stay or should they go? “Your Voice” asks community members about illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. at a young age who have lived here nearly their entire lives and are now facing deportation as adults.

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Kris Kobach

Anne Davis | July 23, 2010 | Comments (0)

It’s somewhat surprising that the man who molded the controversial Arizona immigration bill is based in here in the Midwest. Kris Kobach is an attorney who teaches law at UM-KC. He will be part of the Homeland series in the episode “Enforcement.”

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