Poultry Plant Assessed Heavy Fine for Immigration Violations

Announcements, Employer Sanctions, Immigration Enforcement

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (USICE) reported this past weekend that Koch Foods of Cincinnati LLC, a poultry processing plant was assessed and paid over $536,000 in fines for violations of the U.S. immigration laws concerning the hiring of undocumented immigrants. The USICE investigated the company based on an anonymous tip received alleging that company was employing over 100 undocumented workers at their poultry [...]

Immigration Reform Needs a Bigger Push

Green Cards, Immigration Reform, Legislative Watch

The Los Angeles Times reported today that Congressman Luis Gutierrez criticized President Obama and his administration for not doing more to seek legislation that would legalize the approximately 12 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S.  Despite his criticism, he also mentioned that he lacks the necessary votes in the U.S. House of Representatives to actually pass the bill that he sponsored. [...]

Workplace Immigration Raids Trumping Labor Dept. Investigations

Employer Sanctions

The Orlando Sentinel reported today that workplace immigration raids by the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement  (USICE) to identify undocumented alien workers that took place during the Bush administration has interfered with U.S. Department of Labor  (USDOL) investigations to determine violations of labor laws. A Memorandum of Understanding  between the USDOL and the legacy Immigration & Naturalization Service (INS) was signed in [...]

Immigration Reform This Year? President & Congress Pushing for It

Immigration Reform, Legislative Watch

The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) issued a press release yesterday stating that as President Obama renewed his Administration’s pledge to pursue comprehensive immigration reform, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced its intention to refocus its worksite enforcement on criminal prosecutions of employers who knowingly hire unauthorized workers.   The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and Citizenship led [...]

Two Major Labor Unions Join Forces in Support of Immigration Reform

Immigration Reform

The New York Times reported yesterday that the nation’s two major labor federations, the  A.F.L.-C.I.O., and the Change to Win Federation have agreed to join forces to support an overhaul of the immigration laws. John Sweeney, President of the A.F.L.-C.I.O, and Joe T. Hansen, a leader of the Change to Win Federation, presented their now common position in Washington. In 2007, when Congress [...]

Hispanics Rally in Orlando, Florida, Call for Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Immigration Reform

The Orlando Sentinel reported yesterday that hundreds of immigration activists rallied on Saturday at a Family Unity forum calling for comprehensive immigration reform (CIR): They were pastors from dozens of churches of various denominations, activists and local politicians, and a largely Hispanic crowd that easily overshadowed the sole anti-amnesty protester reported to have been escorted off the property. [...]

House Democrats Seek Immigration Reform

Immigration Reform, Legislative Watch

The Hill reports that Democrats in the House of Representatives want to renew the debate about illegal immigration this year. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) supports comprehensive immigration reform and has said would like to see a bill passed before the end of the year. “[Reid] believes it is important that we move quickly to [...]

Good News for Illegal Aliens: Obama Favors Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Announcements, Immigration Reform

The Chicago Tribune reports today that, Inside an Albany Park church on Saturday, Cardinal Francis George is expected to publicly urge the Obama administration to end immigration raids across the country, part of a renewed push for federal immigration reforms that has been gaining steam. This week, President Barack Obama told the Congressional Hispanic Caucus [...]