"Unauthorized border crossings by Mexican authorities such as soldiers and police spiked more than threefold in 2008, according to an annual report the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency sought to keep secret.
Now that the report is public, the result of a lawsuit by a public-interest group, the agency is attempting to downplay its significance."
"Some border county sheriffs want Arizona schools to start asking students whether they're in this country legally.
Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik originated the idea and said millions of dollars in Arizona taxes go to teach English to children who have no legal right to be here. He also said there's a link involving illegal immigration, social problems and gangs.
The arrest of an undocumented immigrant returning last week from his LDS mission has sparked discussion at the highest levels of the church about how to limit such exposure in the future.
"With the known realization that those risks exist, then we want to do better, or at least learn more," LDS apostle Jeffrey R. Holland, said Friday during an interview with The Salt Lake Tribune . "We want to be more precise, if we can, about how to help, how to make [a mission] the calmest, most spiritually rewarding experience for everybody...."
"Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano echoed the warning and called it "very likely that we will see more serious presentations of illness and some deaths as we go through this flu cycle."
"In a normal seasonal influenza cycle, we would anticipate, across the United States, 35,000 deaths," Ms. Napolitano said. "Of course, this is not a seasonal flu, but I think it would not be unexpected that there will be some more severe illness and some deaths as we proceed forward...."
"A former FBI agent and William and Mary student has been sentenced to 12 months in prison after admitting she entered a sham marriage to gain U.S. citizenship more than seven years ago.
Yue Cheng, 26, of Williamsburg was sentenced to a year in prison by Judge Henry Coke Morgan, said Dana J. Boente, acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Cheng pleaded guilty on Dec. 4 to five federal offenses, including marriage fraud and unlawfully claiming U.S. citizenship."
"As The New York Times reported in a front-page story today, President Obama is slowly coming around to saying he’s thinking that he’s probably going to do something about immigration reform at some point in the future, hopefully this year.
He might even talk publicly about it in May.
"Immigrant rights groups hailed a report in The New York Times today that President Obama plans to take up immigration reform this year. Opponents said the move could jeopardize healthcare reform and other elements of the president’s agenda in tough economic times.
"As the White House gears up to push an immigration overhaul, advocates are finding they have an unexpected ally in White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.
Mr. Emanuel has long been a voice of caution on easing rules for immigrants, fearing such a position could hurt Democrats at the polls. That stance has antagonized Hispanic lawmakers and activists, who favor a clearer, easier path to citizenship for certain illegal immigrants.
"Multiple Obama administration officials tell CNN that the White House is not pushing to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill this year. While it's a top priority for the President's first term, White House spokesperson Nick Shapiro says "the president has consistently said that he wants to start the discussion later this year because our immigration system is broken…but the economy comes first."
"Imagine being brought into Sonoma County as an undocumented child. Imagine going from kindergarten through your senior year of high school being a star student and graduating at the very top of your class. And finally imagine contributing hundreds of hours as a community volunteer and being chosen as the Youth Volunteer of Sonoma County— only to discover that as you apply to colleges and universities, that no state or federal student aid funds are available to you.