Immigration

An advocacy group for undocumented youth issued a sharply worded open letter to President Barack Obama on Wednesday demanding action to halt deportations of about 1,100 people per day and urging a "real legacy of leadership" on immigration.

The president says he’ll go back to pressuring House Republican leadership into considering the Senate’s comprehensive immigration reform bill. He might be facing an uphill battle.

The New Jersey governor has in the past said he’d veto a bill granting in-state tuition rates at public colleges and universities to undocumented immigrants. But in a speech at a Latino Leadership Alliance dinner over the weekend, he expressed support for the idea.

If the United States defaults on the $12 trillion it owes in interest payments and social security bills, it would likely send shockwaves rippling through world markets. But even if Congress avoids an impasse, the effects of the political struggle will likely have consequences on immigration reform legislation.

Fernanda Romero is a Mexico born actress that is building her career by following her instincts and defying all odds.

The lawmakers were part of a group of 200 demonstrators who marched to the main street in front of the Capitol and sat down or stood in the road, refusing to move for traffic.

The governor’s veto comes after he signed a flood of bills expanding rights for undocumented immigrants this weekend, saying he wanted California to lead the way on immigration reform even if Congress was dragging its feet.

The Park Service told the Washington Examiner that the rally will take place on the National Mall in the nation’s capital even though it’s closed because of the government shutdown.

“While Washington waffles on immigration, California’s forging ahead," Brown said in a statement on Saturday. “I’m not waiting.”

Organizers of the march for immigration reform estimated that about 50,000 people took part nationwide.

Ralliers will call for comprehensive reform of the nation’s immigration system with a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants on Saturday. In Washington, D.C., that rally will continue on through the weekend and feature concerts with popular Latino performers.

A dozen Democrats joined the House minority leader in presenting a plan for an overhaul of the nation's immigration system even as much of the country's immigration services were operating at half speed or not at all.

The Mexican border is an increasingly popular point of entry Cubans seeking to emigrate to the United States. In fiscal year 2013, 13,664 Cubans entered there, in contrast to 8,273 in 2012.

The 34 young undocumented migrants, most of whom who grew up in the United States but found themselves stuck in Mexico, had earlier presented themselves at the Laredo, Texas port of entry in the second such protest of immigration and deportation policy.

The State Department said it will continue processing visas during this shutdown, unlike the shutdown 18 years ago. Those hoping to enter the U.S., however, should expect major delays.

The government will be halting immigration services which don’t require the paying of fees, unless those services are considered vital to national security.

Migrants passing through Mexico on their way to the United States are often targets for organized crime. About 6 out of every 10 women are raped on their journey.

After battles between Democrats and Republicans over funding the Affordable Care Act wind down, it’s possible that immigration reform could be next on the list for House Republicans.

Pelosi’s plan would drop the “border surge” amendment, which set aside $46 billion toward Border Patrol agents, fencing and surveillance technologies along the US-Mexico border. In its place, it would pick up a piece of House legislation which offers a simpler set of criteria for Homeland Security to establish along the border.

Maria and Mauro Bilbao told Univision they felt despair upon hearing the news that the House Gang of Seven on immigration had disbanded, but that they took it as proof that Republicans weren't serious about resolving the status of undocumented immigrants in the United States.

“It doesn’t appear that we’re going to move forward with the group of seven,” Democrat Rep. Luis Gutierrez told the Washington Post on Friday. Shortly afterward, two Republican members said they were leaving the group.

Days after President Barack Obama called a piecemeal approach on immigration “acceptable”, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee said his committee was busy crafting four immigration bills in addition to the four it has already approved. But what might they propose for one of Obama’s priorities – a path to citizenship for the nation’s undocumented immigrants?

Republicans in the House have rejected the Senate’s comprehensive bill on immigration reform and pursued small, single-action bills instead. The president is saying he’s not concerned about methodology as long as his priorities make it in.

The 29-year-old CEO and founder of immigration reform lobby group FWD.us is in Washington this week to press for reform.

House Republicans’ new and ambitious campaign says they want to cut into Democrats’ advantage over them among Hispanics. But they may not be willing to give up the Tea Party vote to do it.

In an interview with Telemundo on Tuesday, the president ruled out the idea that his suspension of deportations for young undocumented immigrants could be extended to a broader portion of the nation’s estimated 11 million people without legal status.

The six-time Grammy winning Tigres and singer Olga Tañón will cap off four days of rallies and events beginning on October 5, which organizers are calling the “National Day for Dignity and Respect”.

About half of the American public thinks it’s “essential” for the president and lawmakers to pass an immigration overhaul this year.

The president appeared on “This Week” on Friday, telling George Stephanopoulos that the intransigence of House Republicans was responsible for lack of movement on the issue of immigration reform.

A host of states have passed resolutions asking the federal government to move on immigration policy. But in the meantime, they’re also passing reforms of their own.