Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc.

June was a busy month for immigration news with the Department of Justice announcing its intentions to sue the state of Arizona for the controversial immigration bill, SB 1070. Since then, United States vs. Arizona has been and will continue to be a contentious subject among Republicans and Democrats alike.  While June began with news stories of tension along the US/ Mexico border and students and married couples facing the threat of deportation, it ended with an announcement by President Obama on the need for comprehensive immigration reform.

The Costs of the 287(g) Program Outweigh the Benefits

The clarion call is getting louder.

In October 2008, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raided a poultry plant in Greenville, SC. More than 300 individuals were arrested and a humanitarian and legal crisis erupted.

It's been quite a week.

Last week, many of us were celebrating the bold and public affirmations by government and elected officials that immigration reform is on the way. We smiled cautiously and optimistically in hopes that the administration and Congress finally understood the urgency behind the need to fix our broken immigration system.

May 12, 2009

Today is the first anniversary of ICE’s enforcement action at the Agriprocessors Inc. meat processing plant in Postville, Iowa. On May 12, 2008, over 900 ICE agents arrested 389 undocumented workers in an enforcement action bigger than any other that had come before. Today, Agriprocessors managers face both state and federal charges and the company has declared bankruptcy. The town’s population has shrunk by nearly half. Those who remain in the town of Postville are being held together and supported as a community by the local faith groups, including St. Bridget’s Catholic Church.