Immigration
House group reaches deal on immigration
WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of House members announced a deal Thursday on sweeping immigration legislation, a breakthrough that could boost chances for one of President Barack Obama's top second-term priorities.It came after months of...
Date: 05/16/2013 | Nation & World
Immigration bill a boost to Social Security
WASHINGTON -- The bipartisan Senate immigration proposal would provide a boost to the Social Security fund, its chief actuary said Wednesday, as more immigrants come out of the underground economy and begin paying taxes.The assessment of the bill's impact on Old-Age,...
Date: 05/09/2013 | Nation & World
Study sets off immigration bill squabble
WASHINGTON -- A bipartisan Senate immigration bill would cost the government a net $6.3 trillion over the next 50 years to provide benefits for millions of people now living in the U.S. illegally, the Heritage Foundation said in a report Monday, setting off a fierce dispute with fellow...
Date: 05/06/2013 | Nation & World
Obama calls for reform to pull migrants from 'the shadows'
MEXICO CITY -- President Barack Obama on Friday delivered an impassioned appeal to change U.S. immigration rules so that "immigrants get on the right side of the law."
Date: 05/03/2013 | Nation & World
Advocates hope May Day march focuses on immigrants
SEATTLE-- A year after anarchists went on a rampage in downtown Seattle, organizers of Wednesday's May Day march hope the focus turns back to reforming the nation's immigration laws.
Date: 04/30/2013 | Northwest
Democrats to roll dice on Dream Act, abortion bill
Democrats in the state Senate say they are going to try to seize control of the chamber and pass controversial bills dealing with college aid for children of undocumented immigrants and abortion insurance.They didn't say when. And it's likely they...
Date: 04/15/2013 | The Petri Dish
Gun, immigration compromises worry GOP
LOS ANGELES -- With bipartisan deals emerging on President Barack Obama's top priorities, the GOP's most devout activists are deeply divided over potential compromises in Congress -- only the latest fissure for a party struggling to regain its footing. Some Republicans worry...
Date: 04/13/2013 | Nation & World
Immigration reform bill could exclude many
WASHINGTON — Bipartisan immigration legislation emerging in the Senate could prevent hundreds of thousands of immigrants in the U.S. illegally from ever becoming citizens, according to a Senate aide with knowledge of the proposals.The bill...
Date: 04/11/2013 | Nation & World
Obama, GOP senators discuss issues over dinner
WASHINGTON — Over a steak dinner, President Barack Obama dined with a dozen Republican senators at the White House on Wednesday evening in search of common ground on a range of issues, most notably the budget, entitlements and tax reform.
Date: 04/10/2013 | Nation & World
Senate leader: 'Dream Act' is dead this session
SEATTLE -- State Senate majority leader Rodney Tom, of Medina, says a measure that would have opened need-base college to immigrants living without permission in the country is dead.
Date: 04/08/2013 | Northwest
Immigration debate raises issue over 'illegal'
LOS ANGELES -- As lawmakers in Washington debate the possibility of legalization for 11 million immigrants, a more basic question has emerged in the nation's newsrooms and beyond: what to call those immigrants.
Date: 04/04/2013 | Nation & World
A chilling look
Book about killer Shawna Forde exposes racism's insidiousness
Date: 04/03/2013 | Local News
Bailey's words, actions imperil Dream Act
With her words and actions, the Republican leader of the Senate Higher Education Committee appears to be putting the kibosh on a bill allowing illegal immigrants bound for college to receive financial aid...
Date: 04/01/2013 | The Petri Dish
Most back legal status for immigrants
WASHINGTON -- Nearly three in four Americans say that illegal immigrants should be allowed to remain in the country legally, but fewer than half say they should be allowed to apply for citizenship.
Date: 03/29/2013 | Nation & World
State Senate panel weighs illegal immigrant college aid
OLYMPIA -- A Washington state Senate committee heard testimony Thursday on a bill to open up need-based student financial aid to illegal immigrants.The measure would expand on a state law enacted a decade ago making illegal immigrants eligible for in-state tuition provided...
Date: 03/28/2013 | Northwest
Study: Immigration jail holds cost King County $2M
SEATTLE -- King County could save nearly $2 million annually if it stops honoring federal immigration holds on suspected illegal immigrants, a University of Washington study released Wednesday said.
Date: 03/27/2013 | Northwest
Visas slow for Iraqis who helped U.S. war efforts
SEATTLE -- Somehow the bullets that sprayed the car that Ubaida Mufrej was riding in with a group of Iraqi contractors didn't hit any of them, even though the driver had pushed through three armed men blocking a desert road outside of Baghdad that day in 2006.
Date: 03/24/2013 | Northwest
Senators close on immigration deal
WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of senators is nearing agreement on a comprehensive immigration bill that would put illegal immigrants on a 13-year path to citizenship, officials with outside groups keeping up with the talks said Thursday.The legislation also would...
Date: 03/22/2013 | Nation & World
Key Republican backs Rand Paul immigration plan
WASHINGTON — Conservatives in the House could support an immigration reform plan in line with one proposed by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., a key House Republican said Wednesday.Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, a major player in efforts to develop...
Date: 03/20/2013 | Nation & World
House, Senate craft secret immigration bills
WASHINGTON -- Two groups of bipartisan lawmakers in the House and the Senate are racing to put the finishing touches on massive and complex legislative proposals for immigration reform that could be introduced shortly after Easter.A bipartisan group of eight senators has...
Date: 03/16/2013 | Nation & World
Senators consider cutting family visas
WASHINGTON -- Key senators are developing plans that would make it harder for U.S. citizens to get visas for their family members while easing the path for more high-skilled foreign workers, according to aides and advocates familiar with negotiations over an emerging immigration...
Date: 03/15/2013 | Nation & World
House OKs college aid for young illegal immigrants
SEATTLE -- The Washington House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a measure making young illegal immigrants eligible for state college financial aid.
Date: 03/13/2013 | Northwest
Immigrant groups sue federal border agencies
SEATTLE -- Immigrant advocacy groups have filed nearly a dozen complaints and lawsuits against U.S. Customs and Border Protection across the country, claiming federal agents and officers mistreated and discriminated against illegal immigrants and U.S. citizens alike.
Date: 03/13/2013 | Northwest
GOP splits over immigration, terrorism play out
WASHINGTON -- Republican Party divisions over immigration, anti-terrorism and other issues are bubbling to the surface just as President Barack Obama shows a new interest in capitalizing on GOP differences.The latest example played out Thursday on the Senate floor, where two...
Date: 03/09/2013 | Nation & World
Spending cuts may boost border smuggling
PHOENIX, Ariz. -- Illegal immigration, drug smuggling and border crime may rise as U.S. spending cuts reduce hours for Border Patrol agents, their union said Tuesday.The officers may have to take as many as 14 days of unpaid time off, or furloughs, and see their typical work...
Date: 03/07/2013 | Nation & World
Groups forge compact for immigration reform
YAKIMA -- Washington joined a handful of other states with a compact in support of immigration reform Tuesday, marking another effort by states to push Congress to overhaul U.S. immigration policies.
Date: 03/05/2013 | Northwest
Homeland Security released over 2,000 immigrants
WASHINGTON — The Homeland Security Department released from its jails more than 2,000 illegal immigrants facing deportation in recent weeks due to looming budget cuts and planned to release 3,000 more during March, The Associated Press has learned.
Date: 03/01/2013 | Nation & World
College aid for young immigrants bill advances
SEATTLE -- A Washington measure that would open college financial aid to young immigrants who have no legal status in the country has cleared a legislative hurdle.
Date: 03/01/2013 | Northwest
Illegal immigrants released to cut costs
WASHINGTON — A week before mandatory budget cuts go into effect across the government, the Department of Homeland Security has started releasing undocumented immigrants being held in immigration jails across the country, Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Tuesday.
Date: 02/26/2013 | Nation & World
Latino population up 47 percent from 2000 to 2011
PALM BEACH, Fla. -- A new national survey shows that the Latino population in the U.S. rose 47 percent from 2000 to 2011 and that the rate of growth in Florida was even higher -- 62 percent.
Date: 02/21/2013 | Nation & World
Evangelicals urge immigration reform
DENVER -- Citing a new focus on biblical passages that call for Christians to treat foreigners and strangers well, Colorado evangelicals are turning into a potent force in the push for immigration reform.
Date: 02/21/2013 | Nation & World
Students push hard for immigration reform
BOTHELL -- A future lawyer, educator, pediatric surgeon, computer scientist and mechanical engineer.
Date: 02/21/2013 | Local News
White House tries to keep immigration on track
WASHINGTON -- The White House on Tuesday sought to keep delicate immigration negotiations on track, as a key Republican senator distanced himself further from a draft bill President Barack Obama's aides are readying in case congressional talks crumble.
Date: 02/19/2013 | Nation & World
Immigration bill a backup, White House says
WASHINGTON — Republicans and Democrats alike on Sunday predicted President Barack Obama would fail if he pushed forward with his own effort to overhaul the nation's immigration system and urged the administration to hold off while lawmakers work on a bipartisan measure.Republican...
Date: 02/16/2013 | Nation & World
Immigration proposals spark battle in GOP
WASHINGTON -- A new battle has flared inside the Republican Party in recent days as supporters of more-liberal immigration laws wage a behind-the-scenes campaign to discredit the influential advocacy groups that have long powered the GOP's hard-line stance on the issue.
Date: 02/15/2013 | Nation & World
GOP hopes for better ties with Hispanics, blacks
WASHINGTON -- The Republican Party's problems with minority voters have preoccupied strategists since November, and it's possible those difficulties will persist or worsen.But an opening for marked improvements in GOP-minority relations may be at hand, or at least close by.
Date: 02/10/2013 | Nation & World
Will illegal aliens wait 10 years for green card?
WASHINGTON -- Illegal immigrants might face around a 10-year wait to become legal permanent U.S. residents under sweeping immigration overhaul legislation taking shape in the Senate, negotiators said Thursday. That's shorter than some current wait times though longer than some advocates...
Date: 02/08/2013 | Nation & World
Immigrant kids more likely Democrats than parents
WASHINGTON -- U.S.-born children of Hispanic immigrants are more likely than their parents to identify themselves as Democrats as they integrate into American life, maintaining strong ties to their cultural heritage while casting themselves as liberal on social issues.
Date: 02/08/2013 | Nation & World
Bill gives immigrants with deferrals college aid
SEATTLE — A bill introduced in the state Legislature on Tuesday would allow young immigrants who have no legal status in the country to apply for state financial aid for college.The measure aims to dovetail with the Obama administration’s...
Date: 02/05/2013 | Northwest
State farm labor group recruits workers in Mexico
KENNEWICK -- A Washington state farm labor group plans to travel to Mexico to recruit seasonal farm workers to help farmers here harvest their crops this year.
Date: 02/05/2013 | Northwest
Citizenship could derail Immigration reform
WASHINGTON -- Rising tensions over whether to give illegal immigrants a chance to pursue full citizenship could ruin what President Obama and congressional leaders agree is a pivotal moment in resolving long-simmering problems in the country's immigration system.
Date: 02/01/2013 | Nation & World
Hispanics to dominate California population
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Hispanics will soon become the dominant ethnic group in the nation's most populous state, marking a milestone in the country's shifting racial and ethnic composition, according to projections released Thursday by the California Department of Finance.
Date: 01/31/2013 | Nation & World
Federal raids lead to arrests of 21 in Yakima
YAKIMA -- At least 21 people have been arrested in a series of immigration raids in Yakima following a federal investigation into alleged document fraud, including counterfeit work authorization cards.
Date: 01/31/2013 | Northwest
Senators reach agreement on immigration reform
WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of leading senators has reached agreement on the principles of sweeping legislation to rewrite the nation's immigration laws.The deal, which was to be announced at a news conference Monday afternoon, covers...
Date: 01/28/2013 | Nation & World
Senators near agreement on immigration reform
WASHINGTON -- A working group of senators from both parties is nearing agreement on broad principles for overhauling the nation's immigration laws, representing the most substantive bipartisan effort toward comprehensive legislation in years.
Date: 01/26/2013 | Nation & World
Living the DREAM Act
Young and undocumented have hope but face opposition
Date: 01/20/2013 | Local News
Republicans call for immigration overhaul
A growing number of Republicans and conservative groups have begun pushing for comprehensive immigration changes on the eve of President Obama's inauguration, joining liberal Democrats in hopes of propelling the politically fraught issue forward early in his second term.
Date: 01/19/2013 | Nation & World
House Republicans consider ways to improve image
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. -- House Republicans are cloistered at a tony golf resort here for three days hoping to resurrect their battered political brand, as they prepare for what could be another damaging confrontation with President Barack Obama over federal spending.
Date: 01/18/2013 | Nation & World
Delayed-deportation immigrants can drive in Oregon
SALEM, Ore. -- Oregon will issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants accepted into a new federal program that delays deportation for some young people brought illegally to the United States as children, officials said Wednesday.
Date: 01/16/2013 | Northwest
7 billionth person was born in 2012
The world's seemingly relentless march toward overpopulation achieved a notable milestone in 2012: Somewhere on the planet, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the 7 billionth living person came into existence.
Date: 01/11/2013 | Nation & World
Immigration rule change may affect hundreds in state
SEATTLE -- Several hundred Washington families are expected to benefit from a U.S. immigration rule change announced this week that makes it easier to keep American citizens together with their illegal immigrant spouses and children.
Date: 01/03/2013 | Northwest
Rule eases residency for illegal immigrants
WASHINGTON -- Illegal immigrants who are immediate relatives of American citizens will have an easier path to permanent residency under a new Obama administration rule that could affect as many as 1 million of the estimated 11 million people unlawfully in the United States.
Date: 01/03/2013 | Nation & World
The world in one place
Muticultural Senior Center offers community for immigrants
Date: 12/27/2012 | Local News
Feds won't deport aliens for minor offenses
LOS ANGELES -- Illegal immigrants who are arrested for minor crimes will no longer be targeted for deportation, the Obama administration announced Friday in an apparent concession to the increasing number of jurisdictions pushing back against its Secure Communities program.
Date: 12/22/2012 | Nation & World
Growth in the U.S. population slows
WASHINGTON -- After two centuries of boom and bust, America's population growth may finally be leveling off.In all, the U.S. population is now increasing a bit faster, thanks to an improving economy, but not enough to lift growth above its lowest level since the Great Depression.
Date: 12/21/2012 | Nation & World
Border Patrol to stop interpreting
SEATTLE -- U.S. Border Patrol agents will no longer serve as interpreters when local law enforcement agencies request language help, according to a new decree issued by the Department of Homeland Security.
Date: 12/13/2012 | Northwest
Obama plans to push for immigration reform
WASHINGTON -- As soon as the confrontation over fiscal policy winds down, the Obama administration will begin an all-out drive for comprehensive immigration reform, including seeking a path to citizenship for 11 million illegal immigrants, according to officials briefed on the plans.
Date: 12/09/2012 | Nation & World
Illegal immigration falls after decade-long rise
WASHINGTON — New census data released Thursday affirm a clear and sustained drop in illegal immigration, ending more than a decade of increases.
Date: 12/06/2012 | Nation & World
House OKs visas for advanced-degree students
WASHINGTON -- Testing the waters of what is expected to be a turbulent battle over immigration policy next year, the House voted Friday to make green cards accessible to foreign students graduating with advanced science and math degrees from U.S. universities.
Date: 12/01/2012 | Nation & World
Republicans expand their immigration bill
WASHINGTON — House Republicans still smarting from their poor showing among Hispanics in the presidential election are planning a vote next week on immigration legislation that would both expand visas for foreign science and technology students and make it easier for those with green cards to...
Date: 11/24/2012 | Nation & World
State campaigns bring attention to Utah license model
SEATTLE -- The races for governor and attorney general have brought renewed attention to a proposal that would create a two-tiered driver's license system in Washington to address the issue of driving by immigrants who can't provide proof of legal U.S. residency.
Date: 10/28/2012 | Northwest
U.S. immigration program causes extra school work
YAKIMA -- The new federal immigration program that delays action against young people living in this country illegally has created a pile of work for the Yakima School District and other districts with a large number of immigrant children.
Date: 10/07/2012 | Northwest
Arkansas candidates' statements 'offensive,' Republicans say
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Arkansas Republicans tried to distance themselves Saturday from a Republican state representative's assertion that slavery was a "blessing in disguise" and a Republican state House candidate who advocates deporting all Muslims.
Date: 10/07/2012 | Nation & World
Friendly fire likely in border agent killing
PHOENIX — A preliminary investigation has found friendly fire likely was to blame in a shooting that killed one federal agent and wounded another along the Arizona-Mexico border, the FBI said Friday, shaking up the probe into an incident that reignited the political debate over border...
Date: 10/05/2012 | Nation & World
Immigrant requests strain consulates, schools
SAN DIEGO -- Schools in Yakima are taking nearly a month to deliver transcripts to former students. The Mexican consulate in Denver introduced Saturday hours last month after passport applications spiked by one-third. San Diego public schools added five employees in a new office to handle records...
Date: 09/26/2012 | Northwest
Romney out of touch with America, Obama says
MIAMI — President Barack Obama cast Mitt Romney on Thursday as an out-of-touch challenger for the White House and an advocate of education cuts that could cause teacher strikes to spread from Chicago to other cities. The Republican countered that the U.S. economy "is bumping along the bottom"...
Date: 09/20/2012 | Nation & World
Congress looks to increase number of skilled immigrants
WASHINGTON -- The United States can no longer afford to train foreign scientists and engineers and then send them back home to work for the nation's competitors, say lawmakers who are expected to vote Thursday on whether to grant thousands of visas to highly skilled foreign-born graduates.
Date: 09/20/2012 | Nation & World
Mexican gangs prey on U.S. deportees
MATAMOROS, Mexico -- They stuck together, walking slowly on busted sidewalks, approaching corners warily. They hurried past smoky taco stands and fleabag hotels. Nobody strayed.
Date: 09/16/2012 | Nation & World
State can't access fed immigration program for voting
SEATTLE -- Washington state won't be able to access a federal database of legal immigrants to examine voting eligibility, The Secretary of State's Office announced Tuesday.
Date: 09/12/2012 | Northwest
Effort tries to get illegal immigrants college aid
SEATTLE -- With the federal government giving young illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. as children a chance to stay in the country, advocates in Washington state are relaunching efforts to open state financial aid to college students who don't have documents.
Date: 09/03/2012 | Northwest
Republicans risk becoming 'minority party,' ex-chairman says
TAMPA, Fla. -- The GOP risks being "relegated to being a minority party" for years if it fails to "find a way to make that connection" with Hispanic voters, former Republican national chairman Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida warned Wednesday.
Date: 08/30/2012 | Nation & World
U.S. opens civil rights unit in Alabama
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Justice Department said Tuesday it was establishing its first civil rights unit in Alabama, a move that comes after the state's crackdown on illegal immigration raised broader concerns about compliance with federal laws.
Date: 08/21/2012 | Nation & World
Fee set for young immigrants
SAN DIEGO -- The Obama administration said Friday that it will begin charging $465 this month for temporary work permits for many young illegal immigrants as it laid out details of one its signature new policies on immigration.
Date: 08/03/2012 | Nation & World
Asian voters could be game changers in U.S. elections
Add Asian-Americans to the list of voting blocs that candidates and political parties ignore at their own peril.
Date: 07/15/2012 | Nation & World
Annual swearing-in ceremony Wednesday at Seattle Center
SEATTLE -- At the annual swearing-in ceremony on the Fourth of July at the Seattle Center, 520 people from 79 nations will become U.S. citizens.
Date: 07/03/2012 | Northwest
Fraud a danger for immigrants offered work permits
SEATTLE -- Immigrant activists scored a major victory when President Barack Obama halted deportations of many illegal immigrants brought to the United States as children, but they now worry that young people hopeful about their futures could be deceived by others looking to make a quick buck.
Date: 07/02/2012 | Northwest
Obama rallies Latinos with attack on Romney over immigration
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — One day after his Republican rival reached out to an influential Latino political organization, President Barack Obama fired back by reminding the same audience that Mitt Romney had promised to veto a path to citizenship for young illegal immigrants.
Date: 06/22/2012 | Nation & World
Romney pledges change in green card system (video)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Backing off the harsh rhetoric of the Republican primaries, Mitt Romney pledged Thursday to address illegal immigration "in a civil but resolute manner." He outlined plans to overhaul the green card system for immigrants with families, and end immigration caps for their...
Date: 06/22/2012 | Nation & World
Asians now No. 1 in immigration to U.S.
WASHINGTON -- For the first time, the influx of Asians moving to the U.S. has surpassed that of Hispanics, reflecting a slowdown in illegal immigration while American employers increase their demand for high-skilled workers.
Date: 06/19/2012 | Nation & World
Immigration announcement: What it means
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration announced Friday it would halt the deportation of some young illegal immigrants who came to the United States as children. Here is a nuts-and-bolts guide to the policy shift.Question: Who is eligible?
Date: 06/15/2012 | Nation & World
Obama policy to spare many youths from deportation (video)
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama eased enforcement of immigration laws Friday, offering a chance for hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants to stay in the country and work. Immediately embraced by Hispanics, the extraordinary step touched off an election-year confrontation with...
Date: 06/15/2012 | Nation & World
Tension, sympathy mark Obama's relations with liberals
WASHINGTON -- Barack Obama entered the stately Roosevelt Room and assumed his customary spot. Many of the nation's leading immigration advocates had been waiting for him inside the windowless meeting space in the West Wing, eager to make their case. The president's reserved chair was situated at...
Date: 06/09/2012 | Nation & World
Illegal immigrants arrested in phony UPS van
NILAND, Calif. -- It was a special delivery indeed -- 13 suspected illegal immigrants from Mexico stuffed in a phony UPS van.
Date: 05/23/2012 | Nation & World
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