Anyone who thinks America's illegal immigration problem is writ in black and white has probably never been to San Ysidro. As Washington tries to forget its most recent immigration reform battle, border agents are enlisted as intelligence gatherers, rescuers and enforcement officials.
If the federal government won't do it, then many states will. PT rounds up the states making news with immigration policy decisions.
The debate may take place in DC, but the real impact of immigration policy is still felt at the local level.
On the surface, Laredo, Texas and Derby Line, Vermont have quite a bit in common. Both U.S. towns share a border with foreign neighbors; both are satisfied, if not proud of, the friendly ties they've maintained with their sister cities over the years. So much so, that they even believe their counterparts on the other side of the border add character to their communities.
Congress has recessed for the summer, but the country’s immigration crisis will still be around when legislators come back to work. How should they address it? A good start would be to break the issue into its component parts: national security, the social principles underlying our objective, and how to handle the 12 million illegal immigrants who are already here.
PT talks to Susan Davis, U.S. Congress-woman from San Diego, California, about the topic on everyone's mind these days: immigration policy reform
PT: What can you tell us about the overall tenor of the discussion in Congress right now when it comes to immigration policy?
Davis: First off, we're concerned with securing our borders. Every country has the sovereign right to do that, and I think it's critical. I think the public has really lost any sense of confidence that we're able to do that. The problem exists at many levels and we have to address each one of them appropriately. If we knew exactly what to do, we probably would have done it by now. The key is that it has to be realistic, but it also has to be humane.
In the shadow of a failed U.S. immigration policy, police officers face dangerous new challenges.
Serving on a federal crime grand jury is like living the Steely Dan song, Do It Again, where the criminal escapes the hangman to go back and do the crime again, says Kurt Howard of El Dorado, California.
The immigration debate is reaching fever pitch, but is the political discussion touching the most important issues?
When it comes to immigration policy, everyone has an opinion. Consensus—especially among lawmakers—is a much taller order. At any given time, the discussion may shift to increasing border patrols, guest worker programs, homeland security concerns, the drain on taxpayer-funded social services and dwindling American jobs. But the basic facts are incontrovertible: Mexico, India, and ChinaUnited States has jobs that its people don't want or are increasingly ill-prepared to handle. Today, those jobs range from harvesting grapes, to sweeping the shop floor, to developing high-end software. have populations that their economies cannot support and the
