Latino Migrant Civic and Political Participation Academic studies, press, commentary and analysis on immigration and Latino migrant civic participation in the United States.
The Mexico Institute is also currently engaged in a research project "Latin American Migrants: Civic and Political Participation in a Binational Context." This project, supported by the MacArthur Foundation, aims to explore the trends in Latin American immigrant integration into U.S. society through case studies of civic and political participation in Charlotte, NC; Omaha, NE; Fresno, CA; Las Vegas, NV; Chicago, IL; Los Angeles, CA and Washington, DC.
Advocates for a crackdown on illegal immigrants, apparently undaunted by their failures in the last Legislature, have filed a slew of bills for the upcoming session that are even stronger in tone and approach. The proposals go well beyond the usual proposals to require ID to vote or requiring citizenship to get a driver's license.
The Dallas County jail system on Wednesday became one of the first in the nation to use a new federal database to identify illegal immigrants during the book-in process. Normally, when prisoners are booked into jails, their fingerprints are run through a national database to check their criminal history. Under the new initiative, fingerprints also will be automatically run through a similar database to check the person's immigration status.
Nationwide, more than 1.3 million college-educated legal immigrants are unemployed or working in unskilled jobs such as dishwashers or taxi drivers, according to the report by the Washington-based Migration Policy Institute. Nearly one-fourth of them, or 317,000, live in California.
Latinos are hailed as a key voting bloc, even though they show their power at the polls only sporadically. When they turned out in record numbers to vote for Democrat Barack Obama, they not only erased recent gains by Republicans but shattered the myth of a black-Latino divide. Amid worries about home foreclosures and economic recession and driven by an unprecedented get-out-the-vote effort and the acidic debate over illegal immigration, Latinos helped Democrats flip the battleground states of Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Florida.
The Bush administration has launched a massive overhaul of the nation's long-troubled immigration services agency, tapping an IBM-led industry consortium to re-invent the way government workers help immigrants obtain visas, seek citizenship and get approval to work in the United States. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service announced that it has asked IBM to be its "solutions architect" to change the technology and processes used by its 16,000 government and 6,000 contract workers at 280 locations nationwide.
President Felipe Calderón referred to the electoral process happening in the United States and stated that Mexican migrants play an important role because they can define the direction of the election.
For years, Mexico's relatively weak economy has pushed thousands of low-wage workers toward the United States. Now, worries about Mexico's long-term direction are pushing highly educated workers on the same path.The brain drain threatens Mexico's prosperity, but it is creating more jobs in places like Dallas.
Latino political advocates, citing the importance of Latino votes in President-elect Barack Obama's victory, are pressing him to appoint at least two and as many as four Latinos to his administration's 20 Cabinet-level positions.
If the clout of the new Americans does prove decisive, it will be in states like Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada and Florida, battlegrounds with large immigrant populations. It was a disservice to voters for Mr. Obama and Mr. McCain to have left immigration off the table; we’ll know by Wednesday whether it was bad politics as well.
As the presidential election draws near, we increasingly read and hear about the importance of the Latino vote, as pollsters and pundits alike claim that Latino voters as a group may determine the fate of Barack Obama and John McCain, especially in the all-important battleground states. Indeed, in Florida, Nevada, New Mexico and Colorado, Latinos are critical swing voters that may hold the key to unlocking the door to the Oval Office.
Every president faces new claims to equality in our evolving nation. The next will be no exception. McCain does not share our view of the fundamental rights of women in this society; he has occasionally been right and brave on those of immigrants and perhaps, if elected, will be again. With respect to equality, Obama is more committed and more consistent.
On September 25, 2008, Senators Menendez (D-NJ) and Kennedy (D-MA) introduced legislation (S.3594) that, among other things, would enforce the protection of fundamental constitutional rights of persons wrongfully ensnared by the sweeping immigration raids Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) regularly conducts. The legislation would also ensure that persons detained through immigration raids and in deportation proceedings are afforded humane treatment and provided with necessary medical care.
American culture grows and adapts as new immigrants redefine it over the generations, and the same can be said of the English language. We should embrace that evolution, not hold it at bay with false and alarmist arguments about the threat to American values.
It is possible to fix the U.S. immigration system so that it corresponds to American values and economic realities. Yet, it’s important to recognize that a 2,000 mile fence and other restrictionist policies along the border are failing miserably.
Immigrant Rights Marches, Spring 2006
This database of press reports of turnout during the spring, 2006 immigrant rights mobilizations is based primarily on the estimates from the major local English language newspapers in each city and town. Where estimates vary, both the lower and higher estimates are cited. We realize that because of the unprecedented geographic breadth of these actions, this database may be incomplete, so we welcome any corrections or additions.
Current Legislation
The National Immigration Forum tracks Congressional immigration-related legislation and regularly communicates with Congress regarding the impact of these bills on U.S. immigration and immigrants. Latest Senate Voting News
U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 110th Congress - 1st Session (2007)
Washington, DC, 2007
Proposed Legislation
H.R. 1645, The Security Through Regularized Immigration and Vibrant Economy Act (STRIVE Act)
Mexico Institute
Woodrow Wilson Center
One Woodrow Wilson Plaza
1300 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20004-3027
Email: mexico@wilsoncenter.org
Tel: 202/691-4399
Woodrow
Wilson International Center for Scholars
Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
One Woodrow Wilson Plaza
1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20004-3027
T 202/691-4000
