Immigration and Election Year Politics

As the students in my comparative immigration politics class have hopefully learned this semester, immigration politics can play an important role during presidential elections.  I have already posted about the positions taken by the Republican primary candidates, and now Devin Dwyer of ABC news has written about the Obama administration's actions taken to "soften" their immigration policy: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/02/obama-softens-immigration-policy-with-mixed-results/

As Dwyer notes, the Obama administration has said that it will refocus it's deportation efforts on criminal aliens.  However, a Syracuse University report shows that deportations have dropped, but it doesn't appear to be "better targeted toward serious criminals" (see http://trac.syr.edu/immigration/reports/274/) This type of report will make it hard for the administration to make a case that the policy change is having the impact it was expected to have.  It is also difficult to know if the decline in deportations will play well with Hispanic voters.  In swing states like Ohio and Colorado, the Hispanic vote may play an important role.  However, as noted by Charles Garcia in a CNN editorial (http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/10/opinion/garcia-hispanic-voters/index.html) Obama's inability to pass comprehensive immigration reform, and the DREAM act may ultimately hurt him in the 2012 presidential election and the decline in deportations may not make up for this. Time will tell.

Utah case a demonstration of immigration divides

From the Salt Lake Tribune, a story which illustrates Federal concerns about state actions on immigration:  http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/53540176-78/immigration-utah-state-mcentee.html.csp

More on the Utah case from the Huffington Post:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/17/utah-immigration-law-ruling_n_1285702.html

Meanwhile, some illegal immigrants are returning to Alabama:  http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-02-21/alabama-immigration-hispanic/53180746/1

Protests in Alabama and other state (and world) news

Hundreds protests immigration law at Alabama state capitol: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gkPY6dqhjFX-wVRDFhHLI2twpn7w?docId=027e1e33c19d48dcb4c5154e6125b8dc

A new study indicates that Alabama could lose billions due to the impact of the new law: http://www.businessweek.com/top-news/alabamas-immigration-law-could-cost-billions-annually-02142012.html

Meanwhile, in Kansas...http://cjonline.com/news/2012-02-14/kobach-blasts-immigrant-worker-bill

and in Europe -- A Dutch anti-immigration website gets the attention of the European Commission:
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=136597
Another version of the story from the Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/netherlands/9082289/Brussels-slams-intolerant-Dutch-website-on-migrants-taking-jobs.html

and finally -- a Huffington Post take on the importance of the Latino vote in Colorado:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maribel-hastings/in-colorados-close-races-_b_1266713.html

Immigration and Race at CPAC, State news

Speakers at the  Conservative Political Action Conference take a hard line on immigration:
From NPR:   http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2012/02/09/146650681/at-cpac-hard-lines-on-race-and-immigration-could-be-awkward

Anti-immigration speaker sparks controversy, from CBS news:  http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57374439-503544/immigration-speaker-sparks-controversy-at-cpac/?tag=cbsnewsMainColumnArea

In the meantime, a report commissioned by Maryland lawmakers finds that immigration has been positive for the state:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/immigrant-impact-commission-report-finds-positive-overall-impact-in-maryland/2012/02/09/gIQAs1aq1Q_story.html

Alabama legislature continues to work on changes to its immigration law:  http://www.gadsdentimes.com/article/20120211/APN/1202111044

An update in Indiana's immigration law from UT's Christopher Rangel: http://www.newstaco.com/2012/02/09/indianas-immigration-law-tests-constitution-foreign-agreements/