14,237 Unaccompanied Minors Detained at the US-MX border, 2/13-2/20

Mexico's ICE

Nearly 15,000 unaccompanied minors detained at the Mexico-US border annually, Fox News Latino, 2.13.12
_____Mexico’s version of ICE, the National Institute of Migration (INM) released an astounding figure early last week. In 2011, 14,237 minors travelled by themselves and were detained at the Southern border. That translates to about 40 children a day who are caught trying to cross into the US. This number does not include the children who are not detained when crossing the border, suggesting that the number of minors traveling by themselves is much higher. The 14,237 includes 11,520 minors from Mexico and another 2,717 minors from other Latin American countries such as Colombia, Panama, Spain, and Argentina. The report is not clear on whether these are minors without parents, crossing on their own, or minors who are trying to reunite with family in the US. The INM report also mentions that, within their agency, 386 officials work in the “Children’s Protection” unit where they screen for maltreatment, abuse, and trafficking. These children have been lured to the opportunities that may be available when they arrive in the US, despite the dangerous border conditions and the widespread discrimination.
_____The push and pull factors of immigration do not occur by chance: 11 million undocumented people in the United States is not a random statistic. In a recent Nation article David Bacon successfully at describes how US foreign policy has been a major contributor to the push of Mexicans out of Mexico.  NAFTA has eliminated many agricultural jobs, it hasn’t created enough manufacturing jobs, and both of these contribute to a 50% poverty rate in Mexico. In such a poor economic environment, it should be no wonder that there are so many trying to come to the US, including nearly 15,000 children who were detained at the border. If young people searching for better opportunities are able to make it to the border, we should not expel them from our country to an uncertain fate. Given that these minors may be orphans of have family in the US of Latin America, US’s first priority should be to ensure their safety, NOT their deportation. After all, US foreign policies are part of the reason they were pushed away from their homes in the first place.

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In other news
March for Dignity a Success, Oakland Local, 2.18.12
Several hundred marchers stood in solidarity with workers who were laid-off from Pacific Steel Casting after an ICE audit. The resilient worker-organizers along with their allies marched through Berkeley on Friday, reminding the public that the immigrant persecution in this country is not limited to Arizona and Alabama.

Alabama’s Immigration Law Could Cost Billions Annually, Business Week, 2.14.12
An economic analysis of anti-immigrant laws in Utah, Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia, and Indiana find that these laws are having a tremendous economic impact. In Alabama, the study estimates that the economy will shrink by 2.3 billion dollars and 70,000 jobs every year. The majority of the decline is attributed to goods and services that would have been used by immigrants who have fled the state to avoid the laws.

Arizona business leaders drive a new approach to unauthorized immigration, WSJ, 2.13.12
A republican legislator in the state described the new approach: “In Arizona, we’re no longer willing to throw illegal-immigration bills against the wall to see what sticks.” The push is backed by the business groups such as the Greater Phoenix Economic Council and the Arizona Farm Bureau, which indicates that the state’s nativist streak may concede to a desire for a healthy economy. State legislators Alabama is also re-considering repealing elements of it’s anti-immigrant law.
Immigrants are slowly returning back to Alabama despite repressive HB56, USA Today, 2.19.12
After the dust of HB56 has settled, immigrants who initially left the state in large numbers are starting to return. Jobs are difficult to find elsewhere, rumors of mass deportations proved to be untrue and many families just want to return to a place they consider home. Still wary of the changes in Alabama law, many immigrants remain vigilant.

More than just a business, 1/23-1/30

A Divide on the Payoff of Legalizing Immigrants, The New York Times, 1.28.12

A recent article in the New York Times described one incentive for providing a pathway to citizenship to undocumented immigrants: economic profit. The article highlighted a report from the Greater Houston Partnership which found that Texas would get at least $1.4 billion a year in revenue and that “…the law needs to be business friendly” and that “the untapped revenue would be accessible if immigration reform…allowed illegal immigrants the chance to work legally and pay taxes.” The economic rhetoric is also seen in other states, where legislators are supporting businesses with low-cost labor, while passing laws that discriminate against this labor because of immigration status.

The focus solely on profit and business is troublesome because it treats undocumented immigrants like a business. Given our weak economy, it’s convenient to emphasize the economic argument. From a business perspective, this may pass. But from a public health and social justice perspective, it doesn’t. Undocumented immigrants are not a business transaction. Their well-being is part of the health and well-being of our society at large. The rationale for providing a pathway for citizenship should have a deeper foundation – one that is based on human rights and social justice. Yes, undocumented immigrants should have the chance – the right – to work legally, and they should also have the right to enjoy the benefits of their hard work, like health insurance, and have the freedom to live without fear. In the US, a business or economic argument can be made about anything, but we must also equally emphasize the human rights and public health foundations for a healthy society.

In the News

Why Conservatives Want to Tax Poor American Children of Immigrants, Center for American Progress, 1.20.12
Republicans in Congress have voted for a bill that would fund the extension of the payroll tax break by eliminating the ability for parents who file income taxes with a Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, meaning they do not have a Social Security Number, to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit. A New York Times editorial also speaks out against this bill.The Politics of Immigrant Scapegoating: Not Just an American Past-time, Colorlines, 1.23.12
U.S. is not alone in its anti-immigrant attitudes and polices. Britain and Western Europe also have political figures who “waste no opportunity” to scapegoat immigrants.

Romney on immigration: I’m for “self-deportation”, CBS, 1.24.12
Despite being vocal about his stance against immigration in previous states, like South Carolina, Romney argues for “self-deportation” instead in Florida, given the state’s large Latino voters.

Military-only version of the DREAM Act, Miami Herald, 1.27.12
Remember how GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich suggested that he’d support a version of the DREAM Act that didn’t have a college component? Taking a cue from Gingrich, a Florida Republican Congressman has now introduced just that, a House bill that proposes conditional legal status for undocumented young people who enlist in the military. Going to college, however, would not be an option.

Undocumented workers pay billions in Social Security taxes, 12.25.11-1.2.12

Featured article: [Undocumented] immigrants pay Social Security tax, won’t benefit, The Seattle Times, 12.28.11

A common myth is that undocumented immigrants don’t pay taxes. But, a recent article in The Seattle Times shows that each year billions of dollars are deducted from undocumented workers’ pay checks, and this money goes to the Social Security Administration (SSA) and Medicare. The funds go into what is called an Earning Suspense File, established to collect money from filers whose names do not match social security numbers. In 2009, the last year for which figures were available, there were $72.8 billion in wages from 7.7 million workers whose names did not match the social security numbers. Of this, approximately $9 billion went to the SSA system and an additional $2.1 billion went to Medicare. In addition, they also pay sales tax, income taxes and rent, which landlords use to pay property taxes. Instead of seeing the benefits from these billions, undocumented workers face accusations that they do not pay taxes.

This inaccurate – and discriminatory- accusation is just another example of how U.S. policies and society exploit and scapegoat our undocumented workers. Less obvious are the health repercussions of these false assumptions. For instance, many undocumented workers will not be able to claim the benefits to which they contribute, such as Medicare or Social Security pensions. The “immigrants-do-not-pay-taxes” myth also stigmatizes workers and encourages flawed policies, such as E-verify, that further marginalize undocumented workers. Anti-immigrant systems and policies exploit immigrant workers, when what our society needs to do is recognize the contributions of our workers and treat them fairly. One way to start is by exposing these discriminatory myths.

In Other News
Calif. bans car tow practice that hit illegal immigrants, USA Today, 12.27.11
On Sunday, a new law took effect that prohibits police from impounding cars at checkpoints if the only offense is not having a license. Immigrant advocates have long critiqued checkpoints as unjustly targeting undocumented immigrants while towing companies gain huge profits from impounding fees.

As Deportations Rise to Record Levels, Most Latinos Oppose Obama’s Policy, Pew Hispanic Research Center, 12.28.11
The report finds that “By a ratio of more than two-to-one (59% versus 27%), Latinos disapprove of the way the Obama administration is handling deportations of unauthorized immigrants.”

Immigration laws pose a test of states’ rights in Supreme Court, LA Times, 12.28.11
While federal judges have blocked anti-immigrant laws introduce by conservatives in half a dozen states like South Carolina and Arizona,  the Supreme Court’s conservative majority may shift against immigrant rights advocates.

E-verify sections of Alabama and Georgia’s anti-immigration law now in effect, 1.2.12
Employers in Alabama and Georgia are now required to use the E-verify system, which mandates employers to sign a document confirming that “they’ve e-verified their employees….[and] are complying with federal law.”