Justice for Immigrants
Mother's Day: Hope for All
Sun, 05/08/2011 - 1:03pm — Anonymous
By: James Porter
For Mother’s Day this year, I sent my mother flowers because I could not be with her to celebrate. All over the country, moms received cards and gifts, sat down for Sunday brunch, and felt the love and joy that comes with being a mother. However, there are many other mothers who like mine, could not be with their children, but for very different reasons.
Honoring Cardinal Roger Mahony: A Champion for Immigrants
Fri, 03/04/2011 - 4:43pm — AnonymousBy: James Porter*
Earlier this week, Archbishop José H. Gomez (a member of CLINIC’s Board of Directors) became the fifth archbishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, following the retirement of Cardinal Roger M. Mahony on his 75th birthday. Cardinal Mahony led what has become the nation’s largest Roman Catholic diocese with almost 4.2 million Catholics, 70% of whom are Hispanic. He was appointed Archbishop of Los Angeles by Pope John Paul II in 1985 and was made a cardinal in 1991.
DREAMing of Giving Thanks
Tue, 11/23/2010 - 11:08am — AnonymousBy: James Porter*
When you sit down to the dinner table this Thanksgiving, what will you say you are thankful for? Friends? Family? Health? Something that may slip your mind though is being thankful for your U.S. citizenship. For almost 2 million young people in this country, this is not something they have ever been given the chance to be thankful for. They were brought to the U.S. as children and many do not know a life outside the U.S.
A DREAM Deferred
Thu, 09/16/2010 - 3:51pm — AnonymousUpdate: On Tuesday, September 21, the U.S. Senate voted against proceeding to debate on the Defense Authorization bill, to which the DREAM Act was amended. The vote was 56-43 with all 40 Republicans voting "no" along with Senators Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) and Mark Pryor (D-AR). Though he is a supporter of the bill, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), switched his vote to "no" at the last minute to provide him the opportunity to call for a re-vote through a procedural maneuver. The DREAM Act may also be voted on as a stand alone bill.
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By: Allison Posner*
This week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced his intention to add the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act to the Department of Defense Authorization bill that will soon be coming up for a vote in the Senate – maybe as early as next week.
This is a welcome development, since the DREAM Act was first introduced in 2001. It was most recently introduced in 2009 in the Senate by Richard Durbin (D-IL) and in the House by Howard Berman (D-CA). The legislation would provide a chance for young undocumented high school graduates who entered the United States before they turned 16 to gain lawful immigration status. Passage of the bill would mean eligibility for student loans, federal work-study programs, and other services. It would provide incentive for the approximately 65,000 undocumented graduates each year to continue their schooling and improve their job prospects.
