This week’s Immigration Blog Roundup will cover key players in immigration reform, policy news, and more…
In his inauguration speech last Friday, Mayor Bloomberg pledged to promote immigration reform in 2010: "With leaders from across the country, we will assemble a bipartisan coalition to support President Obama’s call for comprehensive immigration reform that honors our history, upholds our values, and promotes our economy…"
Steve Levy, Suffolk County Executive is the first polititican to announce a possible primary challenge to Gov. Paterson. Levy, a conservative Democrat is well-known for his opposition to illegal immigration. In response to the announcement, Hispanic lawmakers led by Bronx Assemblyman Peter Rivera, held a press conference declaring their opposition to this potential run-off.
Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) are expected to introduce an immigration bill in their chamber early next year. Advocates want the Judiciary Committee to take up the issue by February.
Immigrant advocates are disappointed with the lack of specifics from both Democratic and Republican Illinois Senate candidates with regard to immigration.
In anticipation of the 2010 census many Latino leaders are urging Latinos to be counted in order to avoid the potential undercount of nearly eight million undocumented Latinos. In an analysis done by NDN and America’s Voice, a full count of Latinos living the U.S. could lead to 6 states picking up an additional Congressional seat (Florida, Georgia, Nevada, Oregon, South Carolina and Utah) while Arizona would add two and Texas as many as four.
A study by UCLA said that legalization, along with a program that allows for future immigration based on the labor market, would create jobs, increase wages and generate more tax revenue and that comprehensive immigration reform would add an estimated $1.5 trillion to the U.S. gross domestic product over 10 years.
Lastly, The CDC has removed HIV from the list of illnesses that make a foreign national inadmissible (effective January 4th, 2010).