Center for Immigration Studies
Mark Krikorian is Executive Director at the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington, DC-based think-tank that advocates stronger restrictions on immigration, and the author of How Obama Is Transforming America through Immigration
Terrorism by remote control: Is there any protection? Should President Trump's travel ban on refugees and visitors from seven mostly Muslim countries be re-instated? The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to hear arguments today. The President's massively disruptive travel ban is aimed at refugees and travelers from seven mostly Muslim countries, but nearly all terrorist acts in the US since 911 have been committed by US citizens. Furthermore, there's new evidence that ISIS recruiters and handlers operate remotely — without anybody having to cross any borders at all. Rather than focusing on keeping potential terrorists out of the country, should we focus on those who are already here?
Is Campaign Rhetoric Contributing to Increased Islamophobia? Terrorist incidents from Florida to California have increased fear, and Donald Trump has made that central to his campaign, while Hillary Clinton says diversity makes us safer, and mosques around the country are opening their doors to non-believers in the hope of increasing understanding. With immigration one of the major topics for tonight’s final presidential debate, we’ll look at Donald Trump’s call for banning people from Muslim countries in the interests of national security. But, with hate crimes on the rise, is he also stoking a strain of Islamophobia that can also lead to violence?
When is a policy not a policy? Donald Trump's waffling on immigration — which seemed at the root of his presidential campaign — has even his own campaign staff sounding confused. After months of pledging to round up and deport some 10 million people, last week he proposed what sounded like "amnesty" to some long-time supporters. Or did he? He still wants "the wall," and he might or might not make an immigration speech Wednesday — in the interests of "clarification." If he does, how much will it matter to his base or to the rapidly diminishing number of undecided voters?
The Security Threat from Syrian Refugees: Rhetoric or Reality? America — the nation of immigrants — is divided again on yet another case of "huddled masses yearning to be free" after one of Friday's attackers in Paris was found to be carrying a Syrian passport. It's still not clear if the document was official or fake, but it's raised the possibility that one or more of the brutal terrorists crossed the French border disguised as a Syrian refugee. This year, the US has admitted 1800 Syrians who were fleeing civil war, and President Obama plans to admit 10,000 more. But that's created a political firestorm. Is a ban on Muslim refugees from Syria needed to keep America safe? Would it help ISIS recruiters show that the US is making war on Islam?
Immigration Reform: A Push from the Right A so-called "conservative fly-in" of 600 corporate executives, police chiefs, farmers and evangelicals rallied at the Chamber of Commerce office on Capitol Hill today. They're smaller in number than the crowds of immigration advocates who've appeared on the Washington Mall, but this time some Republicans might be listening. About 80 GOP members may need the support of Latino voters badly enough to agree to some form of legalization and a "path to citizenship." Does this leadership-lobby have the clout to get immigration reform moving again? Does it have the backing of its own grassroots members?
The Road to Immigration Reform: Rough as Ever When Congress took off for the two-week Easter recess, the so-called "Gang of Eight" Senators had not finished their work on immigration reform. So the AFL-CIO and the Chamber of Commerce took up what some called the only remaining issue, a guest-worker program for unskilled immigrants, which scuttled George Bush's effort six years ago. Over the weekend, they announced a deal, leading to agreement from South Carolina Republican Lindsay Graham and New York Democrat Charles Schumer. But another Senate player, Florida Republican Marco Rubio, says the celebration is " premature ." Are elements of the new coalition unhappy? What about border security and the "path to citizenship" for guest workers and the 11 million illegals already here?
Immigration Reform: The Opening Moves President Obama whipped up a crowd of supporters yesterday in Las Vegas, commending both Houses of Congress for taking up immigration reform . He laid down what he called " key markers " to guide immigration reform, adding that if Congress fails to move in "a timely fashion" he'll send up his own bill and demand immediate action. But today's bipartisanship may or may not produce tomorrow's compromise, and everybody agrees that the devil is in the details. If 11 million illegal residents get a "path to citizenship," how many hurdles should they have to jump? How long should it take? Will they have to wait until the border's secure? When will that be? We hear the pros and cons from a former head of the Immigration Service and others.
Is the Immigration 'Crisis' Going Away? A new study by the Pew Hispanic Center shows that illegal immigration from Mexico has dropped to zero, reversing a trend that has shaped American law, culture and politics. We debate the possible causes and potential policy impacts. Meantime, as familiar disputes continue, should it change our thinking if a massive wave of immigration has come to an end?
Is the Immigration 'Crisis' Going Away? The states, the US Supreme Court and presidential candidates are debating the consequences of illegal immigration — at a time when it's on the decline. Agricultural interests in Arizona, Georgia and Alabama are claiming a shortage of workers from Mexico. The Pew Hispanic Center has recently reported that, "The net migration flow from Mexico to the United States has stopped — and may have reversed." Hard liners claim that will change when the recession is over, and the dispute continues about the undocumented workers who are already here. But, large waves of immigrants have shaped American since the beginning. We debate the possible causes and potential policy impacts. Meantime, should it change our thinking if a massive wave of immigration has come to an end?
Alabama, Illegal Immigration and the Presidential Campaign With no federal action on immigration reform, more states are passing crackdowns of their own. Arizona is old news. The New York Times calls Alabama's tough new immigration law " the cruelest and most unforgiving in the nation ." Groups opposed to illegal immigration say it's the right way to go. But it won't go into effect tomorrow as scheduled. A federal judge has delayed implementation while she considers a number of constitutional issues. Where do the President and his GOP challengers stand? Will the growing Hispanic vote help make illegal immigration an issue in next year's campaign?
Alabama, Illegal Immigration and the Presidential Campaign Alabama has outdone Arizona with a punitive crackdown on illegal immigrants that was scheduled to become law tomorrow. It's being held up temporarily by a federal judge, while Georgia, South Carolina, Utah, Indiana and other states wait to see if it reaches the US Supreme Court. With 12 million undocumented workers in the US and no federal reform, the big question is whether the Constitution allows states to act on their own. Meantime, immigration could be important in next year's campaign . We look at the President's record, his GOP challengers and the growing Hispanic vote.
Immigration Reform and Presidential Politics "Comprehensive immigration reform" was a promise of Barack Obama 's first presidential campaign. Now he's returned to it as he tries for a second term. With Americans in a state of high anxiety over unemployment, that means finding economic arguments for welcoming newcomers into the country. Has President Obama been tough enough on border control, or too tough? Does reform have a chance with Congress so polarized before next year's elections? Will the courts allow states like Arizona to make immigration policy the federal government can't or won't?
One Last Push for the DREAM Act After the results of this month's elections, supporters think comprehensive immigration reform is a lost cause in the next Congress. But President Obama says a "down payment" would be passage of what's called the DREAM Act during the lame-duck session. The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act would apply to some 2.1 million people brought to the US illegally by their parents when they were under the age of 16. They'd get "conditional green cards" allowing them to work and putting them on a path to citizenship. We hear several perspectives, including that of Pedro Ramirez, Student Body President at Cal State Fresno, who was recently exposed as being in the US illegally.
Arizona, the Federal Courts and Illegal Immigration Crucial aspects of Arizona's new immigration law have been ruled unconstitutional , and they won't go into effect today as scheduled. But that decision will be appealed and both sides are eager to show that they aren't backing down. Protesters against the law are being arrested today in Phoenix by Sheriff Joe Arpaio, a major supporter of cracking down on illegal immigrants.
Federal Judge Puts Much of Arizona’s Immigration Law on Hold Crucial provisions of Arizona's new immigration law will not go into effect today as scheduled, but court actions will continue for years. Some demonstrators are being arrested in Phoenix, and Sheriff Jo Arpaio plans an afternoon "sweep" of Hispanic neighborhoods. We hear about yesterday's ruling that core parts of the law are unconstitutional, a decision that's likely to wend its way to the US Supreme Court. In the meantime, what about boycotts, declines in convention business and continued anxiety in a state with a 30% Hispanic population?
The Trump agenda: where's the beef? President Trump says big things are happening. After celebrating a House bill on health care, he doesn’t yet have Senate agreement. With James Comey’s public testimony scheduled tomorrow, the President today tweeted his selection of a new FBI Director. Is the Chief Executive all style and no substance? Later, terror attacks in Iran and conflicting claims about who’s behind them.
Who's to blame for the opioid crisis? Some of the lawyers who took on Big Tobacco are now going after Big Pharma. It’s all about the deadly epidemic of opioid use. Are the drug companies to blame? What about the users? Later, on today’s Talking Point: making sense of Britain’s upset election.
How was the trip? President Trump's travels got less fun as he went from the Middle East to Europe.
Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe? There's much being made about the Trump administration's possible ties with Russia. But the bottom line is Russia's effort to influence American democracy. Do the President and his aides care enough to take action before voters go back to the polls?