SAN JUAN, Texas – Sin progreso alguno en la reforma inmigratoria en el Congreso, el Presidente Barack Obama sigue adelante solo. Esta noche a las 7, hora del Centro (8, hora del Este), delineará por televisión las acciones ejecutivas que planea tomar, las cuales podrían proteger de ser deportados a millones de trabajadores indocumentados en Texas y en todos los Estados Unidos. Se estima que la transmisión sea vista por audiencias de todo el país.

John-Michael Torres, coordinador de comunicación en La Unión del Pueblo Entero, dice que se espera que las acciones ejecutivas del Presidente incluyan permitir a los padres indocumentados de ciudadanos americanos permanecer en los Estados Unidos con sus familias.

"Creo que, en general, los inmigrantes son vistos como un tipo de figuras sombrías que se cuelan por la frontera, pero en realidad la mayoría tiene fuertes lazos con los Estados Unidos. Y queremos que la gente pueda conseguir permiso para trabajar y un indulto temporal de la deportación."

Torres también afirma que tiene esperanza de que el Presidente amplíe la protección a los trabajadores de bajo salario y a los trabajadores del campo.

"Gente que hace el trabajo necesario que muchos nativos de este país no quieren hacer, que se niegan a hacer, esa gente lo está haciendo. Trabajan duro. Están poniendo alimentos en nuestras mesas y deberían recibir algún tipo de protecciones."

Las acciones ejecutivas en cuestión han sido duramente criticadas por la mayoría Republicana, la cual afirma que con esta acción unilateral se podría estar haciendo a un lado la acción potencial del Congreso. Pero Torres opina que las luchas sobre la reforma migratoria han durado muchos años y que ya llegó la hora.

"Hemos estado tratando de lograr que se apruebe algo, pero han sido obstáculo tras obstáculo y cada día que pasa, más y más familias nuestras son separadas por la deportación, y ese sufrimiento realmente debe terminar."

Luego del anuncio de esta noche desde la Casa Blanca, el Presidente Obama viajará a Las Vegas el viernes para visitar la “high school” en la que hace dos años expuso sus principios para una reforma migratoria integral.

Más información (en inglés) en www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152967942944238.


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The future of Senate Bill 4 is still tangled in court challenges. It's the Texas law that would allow police to arrest people for illegally crossing the border. But groups are speaking out about the impact of "Operation Lone Star" on the youngest migrants. Governor Greg Abbott continues to bus migrant families to other states, many with young children - more than 100,000 families so far.

Robert Sanborn, CEO of Children at Risk, works to improve the quality of life for boys and girls in Texas, and contends the policy has put trauma on top of trauma.

"We never want children to be political pawns. We don't want maximum chaos on the backs of children. We want children to grow up and be assets for our community," he contended.

Sanborn points out that 2.2 million children in Texas are immigrants, and said it would be less stressful for kids if families were not bused in the middle of the night, and if they were allowed to pick their destination.

When immigrants arrive at the border, they are evaluated to determine if they're eligible for asylum.

Beatriz Zavala, clinical coordinator at El Paso-based Humanitarian Outreach for Migrant Emotional Health, or "HOME," said the children in this situation are at higher risk for mental health disorders.

"What is particularly troubling is the profound disregard for the stability and protection these families need. The impact on their mental health is undeniable. These are not just statistics. These are children, real children," she said.

As part of Operation Lone Star, families have been bused to Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. The governor has said the practice is needed to keep the Texas-Mexico border safe.


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Legislation in Albany would create the first right to counsel for people in immigration court.

The Access to Representation Act would provide immigrants the right to an attorney in their New York immigration cases, ending the tendency to represent themselves if they cannot afford one.

Estimates show a backlog of more than 330,000 immigration court cases, and fewer than half have attorneys. Studies show without legal counsel, migrants are less likely to remain in the U.S.

Marlene Galaz, director of immigrant rights policy for the New York Immigration Coalition, described what the bill would do.

"It has a six-year ramp-up to start implementing and building infrastructure," Galaz outlined. "Having a pipeline between law schools for law students to go into immigration practice, and getting to nonprofits and so on."

Galaz noted most opposition centers around the $150 million to fund the program but pointed out the total expenditure is less than 1% of the state's $229 billion budget. She added anti-immigrant rhetoric has also damaged support for the bill. Currently, it is in the state Senate Finance Committee.

The New York City Comptroller's office said enacting the bill would benefit the state financially. It could keep about 53,000 people from being deported, which would result in almost $8.5 billion in local, state and federal taxes over the next 30 years.

Galaz emphasized the influx of migrants has saturated the court system, leading to what could have been an avoidable backlog.

"I firmly believe that if these investments had been made when we first asked for them, I believe, like, three years ago, then we wouldn't be struggling," Galaz contended. "We would have had the infrastructure built to address an increase in welcoming our newest neighbors."

A Vera Institute survey showed 93% of New Yorkers across party lines and regions support access to attorneys for all people, including those in immigration court, and government-funded attorneys for them.


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Story has been updated to reflect late-night 5th Circuit Court of Appeals decision.(8:01 a.m. MST, Mar. 20, 2024)


The U.S. Supreme Court handed Texas Gov. Greg Abbott a big but temporary win Tuesday in his battle to stop the flow of migrants crossing the Texas-Mexico border.

Late Tuesday night, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals put the law known as Senate Bill 4 on hold again. It would give state and local law enforcement the authority to arrest migrants as they cross into the U-S.

The Biden administration argued that the law would interfere with federal immigration law and is unconstitutional.

David Coale, an appellate attorney in Dallas, said if the state gets the authority to make arrests, he thinks it will move with caution.

"I think that Texas will want to make some very high-profile moves under this statute," Coale predicted. "But they also don't want to potentially expose themselves to massive civil rights liability if it turns out they're wrong."

Under SB-4, crossing the border illegally is a Class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail. The appeals court hears oral arguments in the case today. Meanwhile, a Mexican government official said his country won't accept migrants deported under SB-4.

The Supreme Court justices did not issue a reason for allowing the law to go into effect and there's been no clear timetable for how or when Texas will start enforcing it. In 2012, the Supreme Court struck down parts of a similar law in Arizona, saying an impasse in Congress over immigration reform did not justify state intrusion.

Coale noted if the law is ultimately upheld, it would give each state the right to make its own immigration laws.

"If you give Texas a pass, you know, New York will have a different policy and California will have a policy and Montana will have a policy," Coale pointed out. "And they will not be consistent."

All six of the court's conservative justices agreed with the decision to allow the law to take effect - a ruling that, at least for now, was in effect for only a few hours.


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