Immigration in the National News
The Washington Post and N.Y. Times both ran immigration stories today with some interesting tidbits. Nothing earth-shattering but still of interest to the immigration junkie. The Times article is accompanied by many tables of interesting immigration information.
Washington Post: Area Immigrants Top 1 Million Education Levels Are Higher Than Elsewhere, Census Finds By Lyndsey Layton and Dan Keating Washington Post Staff Writers Tuesday, August 15, 2006; A01 The Washington metropolitan region is home to more than 1 million immigrants, solidifying its position as a gateway to America, according to census figures released today. Last year, one in five people in metropolitan Washington were immigrants, compared with one in six in 2000. And the immigrants who have flocked here are better educated than elsewhere. Washington is now among eight metropolitan areas with immigrant populations of 1 million or more: New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, San Francisco, Houston, Washington and Dallas, according to William H. Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution. Click here for the full story.
N.Y. Times: New Data Shows Immigrants’ Growth and Reach By RICK LYMAN The number of immigrants living in American households rose 16 percent over the last five years, fueled largely by recent arrivals from Mexico, according to fresh data released by the Census Bureau. And increasingly, immigrants are bypassing the traditional gateway states like California and New York and settling directly in parts of the country that until recently saw little immigrant activity — regions like the Upper Midwest, New England and the Rocky Mountain States. Coming in the heart of an election season in which illegal immigration has emerged as an issue, the new data from the bureau’s 2005 American Community Survey is certain to generate more debate. But more than that, demographers said, it highlights one reason immigration has become such a heated topic. Click here for the full story.
In addition, NPR has a story on Hazleton, Pennsylvania. Hazleton has seen an influx of Latino immigrants in recent years. Hazleton’s mayor is leading a campaign to drive out undocumented residents. He says their presence is straining city services and has increased crime. Click here to listen to the story.
The Nation has storis on Lou Dobbs, the Minutemen and Nativism. As Dan Kowalski put it, “the Nation magazine hits a triple. Great pieces on Lou Dobbs, by DAPHNE EVIATAR; on the Minutemen, by SUSY BUCHANAN & DAVID HOLTHOUSE; and on “nativism” (that’s the polite word for it) in Tennessee.” Click here to check the stories out.
Not to be outdone, the LA Times reports that four Iranian brothers who were detained for more than THREE YEARSs after the 2001 terrorist attacks filed a lawsuit Monday in federal court, claiming they were held on false pretenses during an FBI investigation. The brothers’ attorney said they “were detained longer than virtually all of the post-Sept. 11 detainees caught up in the sweeps of non-citizens.” The four were released from custody in March 2005. Click here for the story.
And the locals keep getting in the mix. City officials may empower Asheville, North Carolina police to enforce federal immigration laws, which could mean the deportation of illegal immigrants arrested for certain crimes. The proposal before the City Council doesn’t include a component presented last month by Councilman Carl Mumpower that called for going after employers of undocumented workers. Click here for the story.
KJ