While campaigning in Iowa last week, Mitt Romney was asked about his stance on the DREAM act, a bill that would allow a path to citizenship for minors in the country illegally. "The question is, if I were elected and Congress were to pass the Dream Act, would I veto it? And the answer is yes," said the candidate, speaking in Le Mars, Iowa.
2011 is coming to an end and many state lawmakers have their eyes on curbing illegal immigration in 2012. With several states -- Arizona, Utah, South Carolina and Alabama -- already paving the way, lawmakers in other states are looking for similar legislation to remove "magnets" drawing illegal aliens to their states.
On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court announced that it will be reviewing Arizona's S.B 1070 sometime next spring. A new telephone survey conducted by Rasmussen Reports, asked likely U.S. voters if they would support immigration-enforcement legislation similar to Arizona's in their state. Over 52% of voters said they would support the legislation. Thirty-four percent of those surveyed said they would oppose the legislation, and 15% more are undecided.
The Supreme Court announced today that it will be reviewing Arizona's widely known immigration-enforcement law, SB 1070. Arizona is asking the nation's top court to allow the state to enforce parts of the bill that have been blocked by lower courts at the request of the Obama administration.
When Arizona passed SB 1070 in April of 2010, it was only a matter of time before other states would also begin their own crackdowns on illegal immigration. States such as Alabama and South Carolina have since passed laws that prevent illegal aliens from jobs and public benefits. With Republicans now in control of the state legislature in North Carolina, efforts have begun to pass similar, statewide legislation to crack down on illegal immigration.
With a U.S. unemployment rate at 8.6%, one would expect that many of the high paying job openings available domestically are a positive sign for jobless Americans. However, that has not been the case. According to data from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services department, U.S. companies have hired foreign workers at an expeditious pace.
An Oklahoma State Senator has proposed legislation to create a state guest worker program for illegal aliens. Senator Harry Coates of Seminole, Oklahoma submitted Senate Bill 995 last Monday. The bill is a response to House Bill 1804, which cracked down on illegal aliens across the state. The intention of the bill is allow illegal aliens to legally work in the state of Oklahoma, which Coates believes will provide a boost to sales and tax revenues.
The California DREAM Act, signed by Governor Jerry Brown in October, is going to cost taxpayers a lot more than originally anticipated. A new report by California's Legislative Analyst Office states that the DREAM Act will cost $65 million annually, much higher than the $40 million originally estimated by California's Senate Appropriations Committee. The cost is expected to rise annually until 2015-2016.
Rep. Jason Altmire (D-Pa.) has cosponsored House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith's Legal Workforce Act (H.R.2885), making him the first Democrat to do so. The bill, which is now officially bipartisan, would require 100% of businesses to begin using E-Verify for all new hires within 2 years and require all federal, state, and local governments to check new hires and existing employees within 6 months.
Last Tuesday Utah joined Arizona, South Carolina and Alabama as states being sued by the U.S Justice Department for their respective immigration enforcement laws. The U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit against the state of Utah in regards to House Bill 497. The Justice Department is arguing that Utah's immigration law is unconstitutional because it overlaps federal authority, and could potentially lead to the harassment and detention of American citizens and authorized visitors.