Alabama Passes Toughest Illegal-Immigration Law in the US; dvocacy groups threaten to sue

Alabama vaulted past Arizona on Thursday with what is being called the most restrictive law in the nation against illegal immigration, requiring schools to find out if students are in the country lawfully and making it a crime to knowingly give an illegal immigrant a ride.

Advocacy groups promised to challenge the sweeping measure, which like Arizona's law also allows police to arrest anyone suspected of being an illegal immigrant if the person is stopped for some other reason. In addition, it requires all businesses to check the legal status of workers using a federal system called E-Verify.

"It is clearly unconstitutional. It's mean-spirited, racist, and we think a court will enjoin it," said Mary Bauer, legal director for the Southern Poverty Law Center.

It takes effect Sept. 1.

Republican Gov. Robert Bentley, who signed it into law Thursday, expressed confidence it would withstand any legal challenges.

Read More: Alabama passes toughest illegal-immigration law in the US; advocacy groups threaten to sue

Disappointment for Visa Lottery Winners Worldwide

A computer glitch corrupted the State Department’s annual worldwide lottery for U.S. immigrant visas and the results will be scratched, the Obama administration said Friday, disappointing tens of thousands of would-be immigrants who were notified this year that they had won a chance to come and live legally in the United States.

Nearly 15 million people had entered the 2012 lottery hoping to win one of 50,000 U.S. immigrant visas available under a wild-card program for people who otherwise would have little hope of getting a coveted U.S. visa. Applicants for the random drawing do not have to have the usual family or employer sponsor. The lottery selects 90,000 winners, a total that is then winnowed down through attrition, interviews and strict educational and occupational criteria.

The software glitch caused what is supposed to be a random drawing to select 90 percent of winners from entries submitted on only the first two days of the 30-day registration period that ended Nov. 3, the department said on Friday.

For More information: Disappointment for visa lottery winners worldwide - Washington Times

Technology Companies Speak to Congress about H-1B/Green Card Reform

Last week, a number of high-tech companies were given the opportunity to speak to Congress about the H-1B visa program. In the meeting, representatives from various companies spoke about the importance of the H-1B program to technological companies in the U.S. and a few additionally made the case for easing the process to obtain green cards as opposed to changing H-1B regulations.

"These two groups don't agree on everything.... They see the IT benefit of permanent residents as key," said former Rep. Bruce Morrison (D-CT), who testified on behalf of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

The American Council on International Personnel also shared its perspective in a statement that said: “American employers need an immigration system that includes both temporary and permanent visas as well as a timely, consistent and predictable process.”

U.S. may fall behind global race for talents with current immigration policies.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas warned Wednesday that the United States is at the risk of falling behind in the global race for talent peoples because of Washington’s current immigration policies. The bank released its 2010 yearly report and says U.S. needs highly-skilled foreign-born workers who actually contribute more to the American economy than take away.

According to latest statistics, immigrants with more than a high school education contributed $105,000 more in taxes than they used in public services, while lower-skilled migrants actually cost $89,000 more than they contributed in taxes during their lifetime. Fed senior economists pointed out that too much focus by Washington on illegal immigration causes federal authorities to miss that the legal system of immigration needs reform as well. He added, “45 percent of medical scientists and 37 percent of computer programmers are immigrants”.

Since 1996 the number of permanent resident visas is unchanged and more than 1 million skilled-workers still waiting from an employment-based green card from the government. Because of this situation, some have given up waiting or applying, while relatives of U.S. citizens and other legal residents or even refugees find it easier to acquire green cards.

Illegal Immigrant Population in U.S. Static in 2010, Study Says

The illegal immigrant population in the U.S. in 2010 was little changed from the previous year, according to estimates from a nonpartisan research organization. Unauthorized immigrants last year numbered 11.2 million, or 3.7 percent of the nation’s population, compared with 11.1 million in 2009, the Pew Hispanic Center said today in Washington.

People from Mexico comprise 58 percent of the total illegal immigrant population, according to the report, which uses figures derived from March 2010 U.S. Census Bureau sample surveys that measure portions of foreign-born residents. There were 3.5 million illegal immigrants living in the U.S. in 1990, the report said.

The illegal immigrant population last year decreased in Florida, New York, Virginia, Colorado, Arizona, Utah and Nevada, while increasing in Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma, according to the study.

States Take First Step in Eliminating Birthright Citizenship

The state legislators from across the nation gathered for a press conference in Washington, DC to unveil legislation that they hope will restore proper application of the 14th Amendment by eliminating the automatic granting of citizenship to children born to illegal aliens. The State Legislators for Legal Immigration (SLLI) has written two bills for introduction in multiple legislatures that SLLI hopes will spur the federal government into ending the practice of granting birthright citizenship to children born to illegal aliens.

In the proposed legislation includes both a bill and a state compact. Mr Kris Kobach (Kansas’s Secretary of State) explained that the bill does not amend the United States Constitution or change the legal rights of any individual.  Rather, the bill serves to restore the concept of state citizenship and asserts states’ authority to establish requirements for state citizenship. Meanwhile, the compact would serve as an agreement among signatory states to distinguish the birth certificates of those born to illegal aliens in comparison to those born to legal permanent residents or citizens. Even after adopted by the states, however, the compact will not take effect until Congress gives its consent to the agreement.

At the press conference, state representatives from Oklahoma, South Carolina, Georgia and Arizona spoke in support of the legislation and each member will be introducing the legislation before his own representative assembly in the coming weeks. SLLI expects that legislators in at least 14 states will work to advance these measures on birthright citizenship.

Plans to Change U.S. Approach to Immigration Policy

The New York congressman Peter King plans to tighten border security and have more undocumented immigrants arrested if they cross the border, once he becomes the new chairman of the House’s Homeland Security Committee in next week. He believes strongly that Obama administration’s has not doing well in the border security and undocumented immigrant’s issues and he commanded Obama's immigration policies were failing.

"The Obama administration continues to display an obvious lack of urgency when it comes to gaining operational control of the border, which is absolutely critical" said Peter King.

His proposals will target private companies that hire undocumented immigrants and increasing federal support for local police to arrest. He wants more illegal’s arrested.