Drug Cartel activity inside the U.S. makes headlines

An in-depth investigation into drug cartel activity in the U.S. by the AP indicates new activity: http://www.statesman.com/ap/ap/crime/ap-impact-cartels-dispatch-agents-deep-inside-us/nW8NC/

The trial of a group involved in laundering drug cartel money through quarter horse racing has made headlines in Austin: http://www.statesman.com/news/news/crime-law/trial-offering-glimpse-into-zetas-world/nXZhq/


A case last year highlighted the role of brothers who owned several downtown bars in Austin were linked to drugs and money laundering: http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local/investigators-link-nightclub-owner-associates-to-1/nRmXg/

Human trafficking has also been a concern as Austin hosts large events like F1: http://www.statesman.com/news/news/crime-law/increased-enforcement-against-human-trafficking-pl/nS6d8/ 

Will the Boston Bombing have an impact on Immigration Reform?

Even before the perpetrators were know., Rep. Steve King was calling for a slow-down in the push for immigration reform: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/16/steve-king-boston-bombings_n_3092929.html


Since then, the fact that the perpetrators were of Chechen origin has led more to call for a close look at the immigration bill: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/04/19/boston-bombing-immigration-bill/2096697/

Some have called amnesty "dead on arrival" http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/04/19/the-morning-plum-foes-of-immigration-reform-pounce-on-boston-bombing/

Others argued that the fact that Tsarnaez was a naturalized citizen makes it harder to link the bombing to proposed reforms: http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/04/its-hard-to-legislate-immigration-law-from-the-boston-bombing/275148/

On Thursday the "Gang of Eight" presented an overview of the bill, while Senator Jeff Sessions held his own gathering to oppose a path to citizenship:
http://abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/Politics/immigration-reform-room-bed-bugs/story?id=18992641#.UXMUecpwQ3E

The Senate Judiciary Committee held its first hearing on the immigration bill, with Boston a prominent topic:
http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/19/politics/terror-immigration-hearing/ 

Senate Immigration bill introduced and reactions

The text of the bill is available here:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/136415306/Border-Security-Economic-Opportunity-and-Immigration-Modernization-Act-of-2013#download

The Washington Post lays out key provisions of the bill:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/high-hurdles-on-path-to-citizenship-in-senates-immigration-proposal/2013/04/17/a2c8e5a0-a773-11e2-a8e2-5b98cb59187f_story.html

Marco Rubio continues to take a lead in promoting the bill, particularly to conservatives:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/18/us-usa-immigration-congress-idUSBRE93H1EN20130418

Senate majority leader Harry Reid has also endorsed the bill:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/17/us-usa-immigration-congress-idUSBRE93G0ZW20130417

An editorial in the Los Angeles Times calls the bill a "breakthrough": http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-immigration-reform-senate-bill-20130418,0,7752571.story

NBC news has compiled reactions to the bill:
http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/17/17796995-reactions-abound-following-the-filing-of-senate-immigration-bill?lite

Elise Foley of the Huffington Post says the bill has much that advocates like:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/17/gang-of-8-bill-immigration_n_3104200.html

Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post comments on Rubios roll out of the bill:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2013/04/18/how-did-rubios-immigration-rollout-go/

Senate Immigration Plan unveiled - Tuesday, April 16, 2013

[with a big h/t to Dan Kowalski https://twitter.com/dkbib]



Despite the bombing attack in Boston, the Senate "Gang of Eight" forged ahead with the unveiling of their immigration proposal, but as noted in an article from the Hill "a press event set up with activists, business leaders and other stakeholders will be postponed."

Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/294059-senate-gang-of-eight-will-delay-rollout-of-immigration-reform-bill-in-wake-of-boston-explosion#ixzz2QebeknTu
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Details were already being criticized by a variety of groups.  The following articles provide overviews of the plan:

From The Hill:  Senate Gang of Eight Reveals Details of Immigration Plan
http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/294085-senates-gang-of-eight-reveals-details-of-immigration-plan

From Reuters: Senators Unveil Immigration Reform Bill
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/16/us-usa-immigration-congress-idUSBRE93F05520130416

Key Provisions from the Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/senators-immigration-legislation-provisions/

Not sure of the source, but this document provides an outline of the bill:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/27924754/136230105-Outline-of-the-Border-Security-Economic-Opportunity-and-Immigration-Modernization-Act-of-2013.pdf

Faith based and civil liberties groups are already calling the path to citizenship too stringent:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/immigration-path-to-citizenship-too-stringent-advocacy-groups-say/2013/04/16/5545c2e8-a698-11e2-b029-8fb7e977ef71_story.html

While civil libertarians were focusing on E-Verify expansion in the Washington Post: Inside the Immigration Bill:  E-Verify Expansion Draws Fire from Civil Libertarians
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/04/16/inside-the-immigration-bill-e-verify-expansion-draws-fire-from-civil-libertarians/

While the National Journal notes: Deportees Can Come Back under Draft Immigration Bill
http://www.nationaljournal.com/deportees-can-come-back-under-draft-immigration-bill-20130416

The bill also calls for a special path for DREAMers: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/04/16/inside-the-immigration-bill-special-path-for-dreamers/

Representative Steve King (R-Iowa)  called for immigration reform to be put on hold in light of the Boston bombing: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/04/16/steve-king-boston-attack-should-delay-immigration-reform/

More to come!

Immigration bill expected to be unveiled on Tuesday

Marco Rubio made the rounds of the Sunday morning talk shows providing his full support to the proposal:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/with-endorsement-of-immigration-plan-rubio-makes-first-major-policy-gambit-of-his-career/2013/04/14/20997e84-a519-11e2-a8e2-5b98cb59187f_story.html

By going "all in" on supporting the bill, Rubio is taking a calculated risks for his prospects for 2016 as discussed in this article by Politico:
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/04/marco-rubio-immigration-bill-89979.html

An announcement is expected on Tuesday by the Senate "Gang of Eight" and Senator Schumer also was out discussing the bill on Sunday:
http://newyork.newsday.com/news/nation/charles-schumer-says-immigration-reform-bill-expected-tuesday-1.5070938

Meanwhile, businesses have generally been supportive of comprehensive immigration reform, but some details are controversial:
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/04/business-groups-peel-off-as-immigration-details-leak-90045.html?hp=t1

A story in the Los Angeles Times focuses on the impact on legal immigration flows:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-legal-immigration-20130414,0,5787920.story

Another new group has formed to push for reform:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/12/cambio-immigration_n_3071334.html?utm_hp_ref=politics

An analysis from the National Journal explains why a "messed up" bill may still pass:
http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/why-a-messed-up-immigration-bill-could-still-pass-20130414

Details of Senate plan begin to leak out, bill expected to be unveiled by Thursday

After much speculation that a plan would be coming out this week, or possibly delayed for a few weeks, the word inside the beltway is that a plan may be unveiled in the Senate on Thursday.  Meanwhile the House continues to work on a plan, and there is no timeline yet for a proposal.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that a Senate immigration plan would set a high bar for border security:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323820304578413063272797112.html?mod=djemalertNEWS


A Senate plan may be put forward by the "Gang of Eight" by Thursday:
http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/292679-senators-aiming-to-unveil-immigration-reform-bill-by-Thursday

Opponents of reform are arguing that the costs may be prohibitive:
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/04/immigration-reform-budget-price-tag-cbo-89785.html

There are reports of conservative infighting between the Heritage Foundation and pro-immigration reform organizations like the CATO Institute and Grover Norquist's Americans for Tax Reform:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/johnstanton/conservative-infighting-erupts-over-immigration-reform

The top 5 hurdles to immigration reform

Thousands of activists were heading to DC for a rally on immigration reform on Wednesday:
http://abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/News/thousands-travel-dc-pro-immigration-reform-rally/story?id=18918060#.UWTdP1eOV_M


Latest word on the House bill is that it is stuck:
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/04/house-immigration-bill-stuck-on-workers-89835.html