Top 10 U.S. Immigration Stories in 2014
It is the end of the year and a “top 10” list of major immigration events seems in order. Here is the ImmigrationProf list:
1. President Obama’s Executive Actions on Immigration. It seems fair to say that this much-anticipated set of initiatives generated nothing less than a firestorm of controversy.
2. A “Surge” of Migrants from Central America: For a short while, the nation was preoccupied with a much-publicized “surge” of migrants from Central America, including many unaccompanied minors and women. The Obama administration responded with detention and expedited proceedings. Many lawyers provided assistance to the migrants. Ultimately, the numbers fell and the new migrants receded from the headlines.
3. Southern California Town Protests Detention of Central American Migrants in “Own Backyard“: The city of Murrieta, California made the national news when its leaders and citizens publicly protested the arrival of buses with Central American immigrants, including many women and children, to be datained in town. It seems far to say that the term “tolerance” was not often associated with the vocal protesters.
4. California Supreme Court admits Sergio Garcia, an undocumented immigrant, to the California Bar. The ruling came in January and Florida later admitted a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recpient to the bar.
6. Ebola Hysteria: A few cases of Ebola hit the United States and there is serious talk about imposing restrictions on travel from certain regions of Africa.
7. New Racial Profiling Guidelines Permit Profiling in Immigration Enforcement and National Security Matters: The new Department of Justice racial profiling guidelines restrict racial profiling in ordinary law enforcement but allow it to continue unimpeded in immigration enforcement and national security matters.
8. Mexican Immigrant Appointed to California Supreme Court: Law professor Tino Cuellar, who was born in Mexico, was nominated and confirmed as a Justice on the California Supreme Court.
9. Justin Bieber Deportation Movement: Bad boy singer (and Canadian immigrant) Justin Bieber had a number of run-ins with the law, which led to a “Deport Justin Bieber movement” that culminated in a petition to President Obama.
10. Senate Releases Torture Report: The Senate released a lengthy report documented the use of “enhanced interrogation techniques” in the war on terror after September 11, 2001. It led to a great deal of controversy and debate. The victims were Arab and Muslims suspected of terrorist affiliations.
Honorable Mention
1. California’s Propostion 187, Immigration Icon, Celebrates 20 years:In 1994, California voters passed Proposition 187 by a large margin. A precursor to many of the more recent state and local immigration enforcement laws, Prop 187 would have prohibited undocumented students from the public schools, required greater local police involvemenmt in immigration enforcement, etc.
2. Immigration Judge Sues DOJ: Immigration Court Judge A. Ashley Tabaddor, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and current adjunct professor at UCLA School of Law., sued the U.S. Department of Justice for ordering her to recuse recusing herself, an immigrant from Iran, indefinitely from all cases involving Iranian nationals. The dispute apparently all started after Trabaddor sought a day of of leave to attend a meeting of Iranian American leaders at the White House.
KJ