Friday, August 27, 2010

Friday, Septemeber 3

Please find an article this week that deals with citizenship, immigration or naturalization. Post your write-up to the weblog and remember to link your article to the post.  Happy hunting! :)

65 comments:

  1. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/26/nyregion/26names.html?pagewanted=2&ref=immigration-and-emigration

    During the 19th and 20th centuries, many immigrants adopted a more Anglicized name. Some people claimed that changing their names would help them avoid discrimination. Others thought that it would make work life easier; English names were thought of to be more superior, and pronunciation would be less difficult. Today, immigrants rarely Anglicize their names unless they do so due to marriage or childbirth. Gradually, the United States has become more multicultural, which allows immigrants to continue to value their unique names.
    As a first generation Chinese-American in my family, I can understand where these immigrants are coming from. It can be a hassle when people are constantly mispronouncing and misspelling your name. Even though I can sympathize with the immigrants, I do not agree with changing your name just for convenience. You should be proud of your special background. The fact that modern day immigrants do not change their surnames as frequently as they did in the past really shows that the United States is becoming more interracial and multicultural. This is relevant because it portrays the equality developing among people -- a person does not think of himself/herself as being higher than another individual. This event correlates to our studies in class because it depicts the gradual reduction of racism in our society.




    Nicole Chang

    ReplyDelete
  2. http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/08/30/national-guard-deploys-arizona-border

    Logan current event 1
    Connor Randolph
    8/31/10


    30 member of the National Guard have been deployed to help border patrol form for letting guns drugs and illegal immigrants to come in from Mexico. The Obama amestraion wants to make the border sacuerety tighter and to make the illleage immigrant number to go down. More than 560 troops will gradually be shipped to Arizona’s border by October 1 to make one of the biggest border patrols ever. The 560 troops are one part of a 1200 solders that will be deployed to the different four Border States. The guard members will be trained in many military procures such as computer programming and surveillance. Rep Trent Franks of Arizona said” The reality is that sen John McCain, John Kyle and I had asked for 6,000 troops for the southern border and the choose 1,200- of witch 500 are coming to the Arizona area. the task forces have started screening 100 present of trains coming threw usa to Mexico and found more drugs more guns and immigrants than they ever had.
    I think that the idea to send down more troops is an idea that this country might need to start making more of. I Agee that we should have only 1,200 troops sent down and that is a good idea to stop drugs witch are bad for peoples weal being and health and immigrants. What I don’t agree with is Sen. Trent Franks; he thinks that we should send out 6, 00 troops to the border which means at least 1500 troops would go to Arizona that is more deployed in the countries. He is demanding something that is too much and should not be done for America. We really don’t need that many people watching the border

    ReplyDelete
  3. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/27/us/27immig.html?scp=2&sq=immigration&st=cse

    This article was about how many illegal immigrants were the main priority to be caught whom has been convined to do crimes. A man named John Morton has administered an memorandum, the memorandum is essential to the government by allowing the them to know what tyoes of people are bing allowed to enter this state. They were and still are illegal immigrants but are being granted permission from President Obama to be accepted as if they are a part of us. The memorandum has statements and proof that these immigrants have no legal status to maintain a life here in the United States.John Morton if fighting for the rights of our country, he is fighting to let the people of the press know that they shuld dismiss any of the files and or request that are given from the illegal immigrants and take charge as expected. At the least there has been 17,000 cases that can be eliminated from their docket if ICE dismissed the deportation of these immigrants.

    I persoanlly dont agree with this illegal thing. If anything Obama should take a knee at times to look at the fairness for everyone and not just the one he think are being mistreated or excluded from us. In the United States we should have unity not war,eventhough we are at war we are and can slowly come to an end. Now since he is allowing illegal immigrants to be deported here we are going to have more problems now than we had in the past.

    ReplyDelete
  4. http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/08/27/immigration.arrests/

    This article is about illegal immigrants who have been arrested this past week. There were 370 illegal immigrants who were arrested in 10 states in a 3-day period. Gail Montenegro, a spokeswoman for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Chicago, Illinois said this event occurred because "We are doing more than ever to prevent people from coming here illegally and we're doing more than ever to focus on those criminal aliens who are threatening our public safety.” More than half of the criminals arrested had already been convicted of a separate, violent crime such as armed robbery or drug trafficking.

    This event is important because it shows that law enforcement isn’t taking it easy on illegal immigrants, especially those who have committed violent crimes in the US. I know that if these criminals were patient enough to wait 5 years for their green card or smart enough to pass an English and history test they wouldn’t be assaulting people, selling drugs and breaking and entering. If anything, I think that this means we should crack down even harder on making sure everybody takes the tests and applies for their green card. I think that it’s important that law enforcement catches illegal immigrants to the best of their ability. Even though I think that the test itself is unnecessarily hard, I still believe that as long as it is a law in the United States, it is important that it is enforced. This relates to what we are studying in civics and economics in general because it shows how the government enforces its laws. It relates to what we’re studying in class because it shows an effect of illegal immigration.


    Andrew Cohen
    7th period
    8-31-10

    ReplyDelete
  5. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20014853-503544.html


    This article is about the debate going on between deciding weather or not the USA government should change the 14th amendment. The 14th amendment provides a guarantee that if a person is born in the USA then that person will automatically become a USA citizen. The reason why some people would like the amendment to be changed is because of the ongoing issue of illegal immigration, since the children of illegal immigrants become citizens of the US if they’re born here due to the 14th amendment. In the poll 49% of the people who voted think that the amendment should be kept as it is, 47% think it should be changed, and 4% are undecided. Also 59% of the democrats think it should stay as it is while 54% of the republicans think it should be changed.
    I personally believe that the 14th amendment should be changed because I think that EVERYONE born here should take the citizenship. The reason why I think everyone should take the test is to make sure that everyone stays loyal to the US. For example, in 1995 a building was a bombed in Oklahoma City, it was bombed by a group of American citizens born in the US. This shows that you can’t automatically trust somebody just because they were born in the US. So if everyone takes the test at about age twenty or so then this will most likely cause a much safer America.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Last week a group of activists arranged a rally to disencourage the continued illegal activity across the border. The people involved were unaimamous in stating that the border is there for a reason and that they have their side and we have ours. One local official went even further to say “If I had all the national TV here, I’d probably climb the fence to show you how easy it is”. This sense of false security is often times heartbreaking. To think that your safe on this side of the river just to wake up at night and see illegals stealing from you in your earned home is something most of us have the luxury of not worring about.
    Personaly, I believe that this country couldnt sustain itself if we werent paying illegals to do low grade jobs that we dont want to do. Now yes I know that the opposing argument would be that they are stealing jobs from deserving and hardworking Americans, but alot of the unemployed are over educated for a job moving boxes, and much less gratful too. The fact that these people at this particular rally are taking time out of their weekend to stand and chant back to the country side of Mexico about how much they want to be separate is threatening in itself not to mention the effect it could have on the illegals that will undoubably be crossing over tonight and in nights to come. However this issue of immigration is almost a nusense to corporate America. Instead of spending time making a law that could help our economy or decrease the ammount of unemployed, we must now spend time paying for plane tickets, and jobs increasing the security of border control. I just hope that America reaches a long term solution soon and peacfuly, if not to increase the safty of Americans then to increase the safty of legal mexican aliens in the states (especialy Arizona).

    Ian Hill
    Logan 7th
    8-31-10

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sorry Mrs. Logan! I forgot to post the link. So here it is.
    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/16/us/politics/16rallly.html?scp=8&sq=immigration&st=cse

    ReplyDelete
  8. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/27/us/27immig.html?_r=2&scp=2&sq=immigration&st=cse

    This article explains the change in government policy by which the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials have started to cancel the deportations of the illegal immigrants they have detained. This, they say, will reduce the amount of pending court cases, prioritizing the deportation of illegal immigrants who have been involved in criminal activity. Mr. Morton's memorandum refers to a group of illegal immigrants who have been detained by the ICE but have applied to become legal residents. This memorandum urges ICE lawyers to dismiss their cases and cancel deportation if they can prove that the immigrants have not been in trouble with the law and have a good chance of becoming a legal resident.
    I believe that in a situation like this, prioritizing criminally active, illegal immigrants is a sensible way to keep moving forward. Deporting people who may be a threat to our society is much more productive than sending away any innocent person who may just be trying to make a better life for their family. Since the US has been letting this issue go on for so long without doing anything significant to bring it to a halt, illegal immigration has become a much bigger issue than it should be. Using this approach will, in my opinion, slowly make this problem less of an issue.

    Cerys Humphreys
    8/31/10
    7th Period

    ReplyDelete
  9. I came across an article discussing that, due to the fact we have such a large number of deportation cases that immigration enforcement officers are canceling the deportation of thousands of illegal immigrants. The realization of the massive pileup of cases in immigration courts has lead to an adjustment through prioritization. Officials have determined that the best way to handle this issue is by canceling the cases of immigrants who are in the process of filing for permanent residency. This happens to apply to a substantial number of illegal immigrants in the U.S. and of course there are those who are unhappy with that fact. They see it as another way for illegals to stay for longer periods of time than they should. In addition, all cases involving immigrants with a criminal record are being giving a top priority. Cases that are unnecessary and wouldn't bee deemed as such until getting to court are also being stricken from the case list. This is all to improve efficiency within the ICE department. This will ease the load on immigration courts while also decreasing the already lengthy waiting period for immigrants.

    Honestly I'm glad to see that certain agencies are taking measures to improve on their efficiency. Strategic adjustments such as this one can really enhance productivity nationwide. I realize this will increase the time of residency for people who potentially should not be here but I feel that sooner or later the right people will be deported. Focusing on the cases of immigrants who have already broken our country's laws is not only smart, it's completely fair, and makes sense on top of that. I applaud the ICE for coming up with such a practical solution to the large case load. The article also mentions an increase in the number of deported immigrants who have been convicted which is a sure sign of progress in our attempt to crack down on illegal immigration.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/27/us/27immig.html?_r=1

    Kendall Simms 6th pd. 8/31/10

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thomas Nguyen
    8/31/10 Period 7

    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/01/health/policy/01grady.html?adxnnl=1&ref=immigration-and-emigration&adxnnlx=1283306413-vbSLRGdCQPMMcAyPlZ971g

    This article talks about 38 illegal immigrants in Atlanta who have end-stage renal disease. These illegal immigrants would receive dialysis, an artificial method that replaces kidney function. Renal disease decreases the kidney's ability to filter waste. The dialysis would come at no charge to them. Under federal law, illegal immigrants and legal immigrants that are new to the country are no eligible for Medicare, a health insurance company funded by the government. Grady Memorial, a hospital stationed in Atlanta has volunteered to transport the illegal immigrants to their native land or state and provide service there for three months. However, 5 patients who accepted Grady Memorial's service left to go to their native land died while receiving treatment.
    I think this article is significant because it shows us as country that we have hostility but yet sympathy towards illegal immigrants. The government denies them services that they need to have a good life like health insurance. There are a few people in the US who feel illegal immigrant's pain and give them services for free. I feel sad that some of the immigrants lost their lives while receiving treatment and I understand they come to the US for a better life. However, I am kind of glad that the governments that passed a law that prevents immigrants from receiving government health care because our taxpayer money funds the government health care. As US citizens, we want to see that money used towards health care for US citizens, not immigrants. This relates to what we are studying in Civics & Economics because it shows the effect of laws/or amendments have on the people.

    ReplyDelete
  11. http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/08/17/rodriguez.14th.amendment/index.html?iref=allsearch

    Current Event for September 3, 2010
    Eric Plevy



    Recently, our country has been debating about whether the 14th Amendment should be changed or left alone. Some people, mostly from the Republican Party, want to change the 14th Amendment, meaning that birthright citizenship could be denied. This in not the first time this topic has been debated in our country. The reason behind trying to change the 14th Amendment is partially because there have been reported cases of illegal immigrants coming into our country just so that their child could have a US citizenship. However, illegal immigration is linked more to job opportunities than to US citizenship by birth. What can be concluded is that illegal immigration for birthright citizenship may happen, however, it is highly unusual. This is what people in favor of changing the 14th Amendment have been trying to prove as false. However, there have been very few cases of illegal immigration just so they can have their child be a US citizen. Other people argue the statement that children should not be punished for their parents’ wrong doings, meaning that the child should not be denied citizenship even if their parents came into the US illegally.
    I believe that the 14th should stay the same. Even if we do change the Amendment, people are still going to come into this country illegally and illegal immigrants will still give birth in this country. Sure, if the Amendment is changed, it will prevent that child from becoming president. However, I do not believe that this one change will keep illegal immigrants out of this country. I am also in the favor of the statement that children should not be punished for their parents’ actions. It’s the parents’ faults for coming into this country illegally, but that would be way beyond the child’s control. It’s pretty obvious that an unborn child can stop his or her parents from illegally coming into the US. I believe that it is important that we do not change this because this denies possible citizens from having certain privileges that a normal US citizen would have. That would not be fair since it was not the child’s fault that his or her parents are not citizens of the US. Plus, if a child grows up in America, that is his or her country. The US is the country the child would be used to, pay his or her loyalty to, and know most about. This meaning that the child is no different from any other US citizen even though his or her parents may not be. Since we are learning about what it takes to become a US citizen and the certain ways you can become a citizen, I found this appropriate. One of the ways we learned about becoming a US citizen in class was birth in the US. If the Amendment changes, this law will not apply anymore and we will have to relearn the ways of becoming a US citizen since citizenship by birth will no longer apply.

    ReplyDelete
  12. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  13. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/us/02immig.html?ref=us

    Norman Archer
    Current Event Blog 9/3/10
    Topic: Immigration.

    Many people believe that the number of illegal immigrants is increasing. According to the Pew Hispanic Center (a nonprofit out of Washington), the number of illegal immigrants has actually decreased. Peaking in 2007 when the number of illegal immigrants was 12 million, the number now (from 2009) sits at 11.1 million. It is speculated that this is due to a decline in non-Mexican immigrants. Illegal Mexican immigrants, making up 60 % of all illegal immigrants in the United States of America, have stayed about the same. It is the number of illegal immigrants from other countries that have gone down. The article makes another interesting point stating, “While the hottest immigration debate has taken place in Arizona over the last two years that was not the state with the largest decrease in illegal immigrants… Florida, Virginia and Nevada showed the steepest declines”. Another interesting point was the return rate of illegal immigrants back to their original countries. Instead of coming to the United States for work, illegal immigrants are looking to build a life.

    What would cause the rate of illegal immigrants to decrease? Is it the increased border patrol, the economic turbulence, or perhaps is it just too hard to become an American citizen? If we look back to history, we would find that each and every one of our ancestors where once immigrants coming into this country, and they would have done whatever it takes to get in. Why should we as Americans restrict the wonderful privileges we once received?

    ReplyDelete
  14. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/01/nyregion/01immig.html?ref=immigration-and-emigration

    The seemingly perpetual debate over immigration laws and reform has unmistakably heated in recent months. It seems that both political figures and average American citizens have a solid opinion on illegal immigration, particularly the current controversy regarding illegal Hispanic immigrants. However, in late August, the New York State Education Department asserted that school districts do not ask their students to provide immigration papers prior to enrollment, as well as other pieces of information that might allude to their immigration status. The Department backs the 1982 Supreme Court decision that all children in the U.S. are allowed rights to attend public schools so long as they fit age and residency requirements. Though they have not officially forbid schools from their current practices, the State Education Department's message is clear: leave the global pursuit of education out of America's disputes.

    I agree wholeheartedly that each child has the right to a proper education, and I am glad to see increasing momentum in the support and implementation of these rights. Our issue with illegal immigration is temporary, but the education of the people that will lead the next decades should transcend short-term setbacks and political borders. In this interconnected world, I do not believe that educators are raising children of a less fortunate country; I believe they are training a citizen of the world. This pertains to our lesson on global citizenship: each American citizen should respect the needs of other citizens across the world. If our government wants to track and expose illegal immigrants inside the United States, it certainly should not be by means of rummaging through student records.

    Jessica Gao
    6th Period

    ReplyDelete
  15. Zach Jansen
    Period 7
    9/1/10
    This article was about a clause in the 14th amendment and whether or not it should be changed. Part of the 14th amendment grants citizenship to anyone who has been born in the United States. Enacted starting in 1868, it was meant to guarantee citizenship to the offspring of former slaves. However, Congress is thinking about changing it on account of all the “anchor babies” being born in the United States today. These anchor babies are born when mothers take advantage of the 14th amendment by crossing into America and having their baby on US soil. This guarantees their baby citizenship, and prevents the mothers from being deported.

    Honestly I don’t think it should be changed. In the article it states that we shouldn’t punish the baby for the parents’ crimes. I agree with this. The baby had no say in this situation and it’s not his/her fault he was born that way. If we change the amendment and disallow this type of incident these people might be left without a home country. They were born on US land, but illegally so they could be left stateless. I think that in many ways the illegal immigrant policy needs to get tougher. Just not in this case.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/14/opinion/14schuck.html?ref=citizenship

    ReplyDelete
  16. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129581016

    The organization Pew Hispanic Center has recently published information regarding the amount of immigrants living illegally in America. A majority of them are Mexican or from Latin and Central America, and they make up approximately four percent of America's population. There isn't one specific reason for the decrease. It is either because of the lack of jobs from the poor economy or the recent spike in border enforcement giving the immigrants less incentive to cross into the United States.
    I think it's a good thing that the amount of illegal immigrants is going down. I don't agree that they need to be checked for their papers every time they're seen, (like the Arizona law states) but I don't think it's good to have too many illegal immigrants taking the jobs from the people who are actually allowed to work. There was one section of the article that was ridiculous to me. It seemed racist and unnecessary. "Boosted by immigration and high fertility among Latinos, minorities now make up roughly half the children born in the U.S., part of a historic trend in which they are projected to become the new U.S. majority by mid-century. Roughly one in four counties currently have more minority children than white children or are nearing that point." That is making it sound like Latinos have more babies than white people. It sounds like it's a bad thing to have more of a minority than whites (which would make the whites the minority.) I think we should all respect the laws from a country and the people in the country. The Latinos shouldn't come to America if they're not legal, and Americans shouldn't treat the immigrants like dirt.

    Valerie Stocking, 7th period

    ReplyDelete
  17. Sarah Jane Kerwin

    From the high number of news stories about the subject, it would seem that there is an almost constant flow of illegal aliens crossing the Mexican-American border every day. However, according to the Pew Hispanic Center, the number of illegal immigrants currently residing in the United States has dropped from 12 million in 2007 to 11.1 million in 2009. This is not necessarily due to a decrease in Mexican immigrants, who make up about 60% of illegal aliens, but those from other Latin American countries. Still, the number of Mexicans in the United States illegally isn't growing quite as rapidly as before due to increased risks of crossing the border. Rather numbers are staying the same as before because families that have already moved here are disinclined to go home now. According to Pia M. Orrenius, “They are settled here. It is going to take more than a business cycle for them to move back to Mexico.”

    I believe that this decrease is merely a natural dip in immigration. All throughout the country's history, movement to the United States has had periods with massive populations coming in and periods with next to no one; it all depends on the circumstances. Right now there is a push for border control, so it only makes sense that Latin American's would be less likely to try to get into the United States. Coupled with serious drug gang issues, crossing the border is extremely dangerous at the moment. I don't think this downward trend will last all that long, though, and I believe the number of immigrants will begin to rise again. This isn't exactly a good thing, but in my opinion it isn't quite as bad as some people might believe. This country makes it highly difficult to get a green card, let alone citizenship, so I can't really blame people for trying to get around the law. The United States is, and hopefully always will be, the land of opportunity, so we should allow others to seize that opportunity.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/us/02immig.html?ref=us

    ReplyDelete
  18. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/09/01/ohio-refusing-older-puerto-rican-birth-certificates-national-latino-group/


    A young 19-year old Puerto Rican was denied a state-issued Ohio identification card because his birth certificate from Puerto Rico was seen as invalid. His mother says that they have all the papers to show that they are not illegal and are actually citizens of this country but she states, “…we are not treated as such.” Ohio is the number 10 state with the most Puerto Ricans in it. Some states including Ohio are not allowing some birth certificates from Puerto Rico to be accepted when applying for different things, and this has raised some thoughts about racial discrimination from the Hispanics. An Ohio BMV spokeswoman believes that this is a valid concern because she thinks if this is one of the ways to identify someone they have to be very cautious about it. It is said that Ohio has already caught some Puerto Ricans that have fake birth certificates that they obtained from Virginia. Immigrants chose to move to Ohio when they had fake birth certificates because it was told that Ohio had easier ways to receive identification from a licensing bureau.

    This story is about immigration and this is one of the topics we have been discussing during class. I think that immigration is a pretty touchy topic to talk about for some people, but not all. What has happened to this 19 year-old in Ohio is very important because I think it shows that there is racial discrimination and people judge by what your skin color is. Also people are making a generalization that since there were some Puerto Ricans with fake birth certificates that all Puerto Ricans may be like this. This family has all the papers to prove that they are legal citizens but since they are from Puerto Rico, and there has been discussion lately about Puerto Ricans, he was denied his identification card. I believe that they are passing judgment on this boy just because of where he is from. I feel that racial discrimination is spreading more and more each day and before we know it we could all be segregated again and I know this is not the solution people want to turn to.

    Leah Whitney
    Period 7

    ReplyDelete
  19. Geoffrey Thomason, Period 7, September 2nd, 2010


    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/us/02immig.html?ref=immigration-and-emigration

    In 2007, the number of illegal immigrants in the United States peaked at 12 million. Within the last two years, the number of illegal immigrants was reduced by almost 1 million, ultimately dropping to 11.1 million in 2009. That’s a reduction of 8 percent. The biggest reason for one of the largest declines in two decades was the number of Latin American immigrants. The Pew Hispanic Center (the nonpartisan research organization that authorized the population report) found that the most marked decline in the population of unauthorized immigrants has been among those who come from Latin American countries other than Mexico. Over this 2 year span, the size of this group from the Caribbean, Central America and South America decreased 22 percent. On the contrary, it was also recorded that the number of illegal Mexican immigrants living in America, did not changer whatsoever. “Some seven million Mexicans make up about 60 percent of all illegal immigrants, still by far the largest national group,” stated The Pew Hispanic Center. It was also stated that the number of illegal immigrants was reduced by at least 900,000 people, supposedly due to an increase in enforcement along the Southwest border, and our recession.
    I feel that it’s a good thing that the illegal immigrant’s rate has dropped so significantly. It’s a nice, reassuring feeling to know that things are improving. On Tuesday in class, we took a portion of the Citizenship Test and that completely relates with this article. Some immigrants migrate to the United States illegally because they can’t pass the test or just want to avoid the whole process. We are also working on traits and qualities of a good citizen in class. Most unauthorized immigrants don’t have the first clue about how to be a responsible, active citizen. I do feel that this whole thing could be handled a little more peacefully. It just seems that if everyone just went along with the whole granting-legal-citizenship procedure, then there wouldn’t be any illegal immigrants, and we wouldn’t have to be so violent and hateful. Ultimately, I feel that this immigration decline is a major accomplishment, and if we can keep heading in the right direction, then maybe immigration can become more of a positive thing worldwide.

    ReplyDelete
  20. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/14/opinion/14schuck.html?_r=1&ref=citizenship

    With an ever rising number of illegal immigrants entering the United States one of the most prevalent problems facing our country is what will happen to their children. The 14th amendment guarantees the right to citizenship for “all persons born or naturalized in the United States.” As of now, this includes the children of illegal immigrants. An 1898 Supreme Court case ruled that the son of a Chinese couple living in the US legally, but without citizenship, was in fact a citizen. However, Congress did not address the children of illegal immigrants because at the time of the ruling there were no limits on immigration so no one was here illegally. If Congress were to deny birthright citizenship to children of illegal immigrant it would only increase the number of people living in the US undocumented. Congress is also somewhat hesitant about punishing children for their parents’ crimes. Children growing up without their citizenship would be at a serious disadvantage in the country that they will more than likely grow up in. A proposed compromise for this problem is to deny citizenship rights to children born in the US by illegal immigrants until the child has spent a certain number of years in American schools.
    I believe that withholding citizenship rights for a child on the grounds that their parents are illegal immigrants is morally ambiguous. America prides itself on accepting people of all types and yet withholding citizenship rights indefinitely for a child who was born illegally goes against all of our morals. I think that the proposed solution of having illegally born children have to spend a certain number of years in an American school is an excellent compromise. This compromise means that the children and parents will have to stay in the country and work in order for the child to receive citizenship rights. This ruling is important because it could potentially reform our views on citizenship. Citizenship will no longer be a guarantee for someone who illegally enters the US to have a child. This relates to what we are talking about in class because right now we are focusing on the parents of children who enter the country wanting citizenship. However, this shows the other side of the issue, and that is the children growing up in a family with parents who do not hold citizenship.

    Zach Visco
    6th Period

    ReplyDelete
  21. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/07/us/politics/07fourteenth.html?ref=citizenship

    The United States has been granting citizenship to those who were born in the US's territory since the 1860's. Senator McConnell has annouced a proposal to end this, altering the 14th amendment. He thinks it is a mistake to allow American-born children of illegal immigrants to become citizens automatically. He was quoted on Fox News saying “We can’t just have people swimming across the river having children here — that’s chaos.” There are many different sides and opinons from the people in Washington DC on the subject.
    I think we should keep the 14th ammendment the same. I think everyone born here, no matter your parent's background, should be allowed to be a citizen. By changing this ammendment, that has been in place since the 1800's, would cause distress and anger around America. Everyone has an oppurtunity to become a citizen so why change it when it has been working fine? I do understand where they are coming from. I think the immigrants should be on their way to becoming a citizen to have their children be born citizens. Although, it is not the childs fault its parents aren't citizens. So why blame the child?

    ReplyDelete
  22. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/01/nyregion/01immig.html?scp=2&sq=emigration%20immigration&st=cse

    New York schools have recently been strongly recommended by the NY state government to avoid requesting information that may reveal immigration status during school registration. This recommendation was issued in response to a warning from a civil rights group that requesting such information could be in violation of federal law. This is a step in the right direction, and all other states should issue similar recommendations, and hopefully they will go a step further and prohibit the requesting of that information by law. All children within the age limits should be granted the right to a free public education, citizen or not. Not only is it wrong from a constitutional standpoint, it is wrong from a moral standpoint to allow schools to request information such as that which could incriminate the child and his or her parents as illegal immigrants.

    Liam Dalton
    Period 6

    ReplyDelete
  23. Arizona battles illegal immigration
    Maria Miggs
    P.7 civics

    As the controversial struggle against immigration continues in Arizona, citizens have taken matters into their own hands and are openly protesting illegal immigrants. On Sunday, August 15, members of the Tea Party portrayed their opinions by gathering by the border fence in Hereford, Arizona to criticize the enforcement of immigration laws and support politicians with the same attitude. Hundreds of activists rallied all day in favor of the immigration law SB1070, which requires police officers to detain people who they suspect are in The United States illegally. In addition, it penalizes people for failing to carry proper documentation
    This law is supported by some and to others it’s an egregious violation of the constitution. I agree with the latter. To me this law promotes racial profiling and puts a tremendous burden on all immigrants. We are constantly complaining about how immigrants from Mexico are coming to America and stealing our jobs. In my opinion, these aliens are doing the jobs that many Americans find unsuitable, and without them many of these important jobs would not be fulfilled. While illegal immigrants do present a problem, I think the measures that some people are taking are unconstitutional and immoral at best.



    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/16/us/politics/16rallly.html?scp=8&sq=immigration&st=cse

    ReplyDelete
  24. http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/i/immigration-and-emigration/index.html?scp=1-spot&sq=immigration&st=cse



    This article talks about the different laws of immigration that has been passed or not passed in the past couple of years in American. In 2004 president Bush proposed a new immigration law, “guest worker”, guest worker allowed illegal immigrants to become temporary citizens for up to 3 years in the U.S as workers. If there are no eligible American citizens for a job then they’ll turn to illegal immigrants to do the job. But Bush didn’t continue with the law after his re-election. By 2005 a bill was passed to enforce the border between Mexico, and the U.S... In May of 2006 Senator Edward M. Kennedy and McCain to easily pass legislation that was basically the guest worker law, but the difference in the houses was too great so it was dropped. But in early 2007 Bush along with other lawmakers seized the guest worker program and made all illegal immigrants pay a fee and other penalties in order to participate in the program.
    I personally thought that this was a good idea, but the people did have a good point when they refused to pass the law. We would be hiring criminals sometimes, and this would endanger the community we live in, along with the people. But I'm sure there was a way to make it work, but instead we just refused to do much, and just resort to deporting them instead. We need to create an immigration law that has fair for the immigrants and safe for the American citizens. This is important because there are places in the world that’s ruled by cruel government, and the people should have the right to leave the oppressive land, and go to a place that offers freedom. Isn’t that what the American forefathers did? And is it not written in the constitution that we as people have the right to be able to pursue happiness?

    ReplyDelete
  25. http://articles.cnn.com/2010-08-27/justice/immigration.arrests_1_outstanding-deportation-orders-illegal-immigrants-three-day-operation?_s=PM:CRIME

    Illegal Immigrants
    Over a three day operation all though out the mid west company ICE, have arrested close to 400 illegal aliens. 347 of these illegals have been charged with prior criminal convictions. ICE’s “Cross Check” operation was an operation that began in 2009 to catch illegal aliens. “Cross Check” is responsible for the arrest in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Kansas, Missouri, Michigan, Ohio, Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska. Operation “Cross Check,” which ended Thursday, has been the biggest operation that the organization has done so far.
    Of the 370 arrested, more than half of them were tied to crimes such as armed robbery, Drug trafficking, and aggravated assault. “These are crimes that they have committed here in the United States.” says ICE spokeswoman Gail Montenegro. “ICE is focused on arresting convicted criminals who prey upon our community and tracking down fugitives who scoff at our nation’s immigration law. ICE is more than ever to catch these criminals who are threatening our public’s safety.

    Gavin Welch per7
    9/2/10

    ReplyDelete
  26. Hannah Blackburn
    9-2-10
    Current Events Blog: Immigration

    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/americas/02migrants.html?_r=1&ref=immigration-and-emigration

    Many migrate to the US from Guatemala, documented and undocumented. One man, Gilmar Morales, was denied a visa and chose to make the journey north anyways. His father warned him of the many dangers that lay ahead. Not only would he have to get past border patrols, but he would also have to be wary of crooked policemen, gangs, thieves, kidnappers, and rapists. Leaving his teenage (fourteen year old!) wife and his mother behind, Mr. Morales left for the United States, only to turn up as a body on the news weeks later. There had been a massacre of migrants in northern Mexico, by the Texan border. There were 72 reported deaths, but there could be many more. In response to this tragedy, the Guatemalan government will take precautions such as constructing more consulates. One consulate will be in the area of the massacre. The Mexican government is also taking action to break up gangs and bands of thieves.

    It’s awful that these Guatemalans are in such a terrible state that they would rather risk this fate than stay put. It seems that Guatemala would benefit from improving the way the average Guatemalan lives more than spending money on border patrols and consulates. If the people were happy or satisfied where they are, they wouldn’t need to leave to find money. This would solve Guatemala’s problems with dying migrants. Mexico and Guatemala should work together to disband these groups of thieves and these drug gangs that make life dangerous for travelers. Migrants are the easiest targets for recruiting and robbing, but there are many others who are also affected by these groups. The Mexican government seems to be getting on this path, and I think Guatemala should back their efforts.

    ReplyDelete
  27. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/us/02immig.html?ref=immigration-and-emigration

    A recent report by the Pew Hispanic Center shows that the number of illegal immigrants residing in the United States dropped from around 12 million in 2007 to 11.1 million in 2009. The Pew Center is a nonpolitical group of researchers based in Washington, DC. They derived their statistics from the recent US Census, which was detailed enough to allow fairly accurate estimations. Mexico is apparently the most common country of origin for these unauthorized border-crossers; about 60 percent of illegal immigrants are Mexicans. Because of a combination of the economic situation in the US and increased security on the border, the number of new illegal immigrants has dropped steeply. However, many illegals seem to be settled enough that economic instability has not prompted a mass emigration. It is hard to produce accurate statistics on this group, since they are totally unregistered. However, the Pew study suggests that more immigrants from South America and Latin America have returned to their homelands, while for the most part the Mexican contingent is well-rooted here.
    I sympathize deeply with the plight of immigrants escaping difficult economic, political, and social conditions. However, illegal immigrants increase the tax burden on citizens unbearably, making everyone else work harder to pay for their "free lunch". Providing free health care, free education, and welfare to illegal immigrants simply is unworkable economically, and takes advantage of all taxpaying residents of the US. At the same time, it is morally unacceptable to turn immigrants away, particularly when it is impossible for them to support themselves and their families in their original homes. If anyone fulfills the obligations and responsibilities of a citizen in America, they are similarly entitled to the rights; if immigrants pay taxes, obey laws, and can passably speak English, they should be allowed to reside here and become citizens. Perhaps the answer is to streamline our immigration process. I think that the standards for becoming a citizen are relatively fair; however, green cards should be granted much more freely. As long as a person passes a background check, pays taxes, obeys laws, and speaks English understandably, there is no reason why they shouldn't be permitted to live here.

    Shane Sater
    7th period

    ReplyDelete
  28. Ashley Dwyer
    7th Period


    http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/08/27/immigration.arrests/index.html?iref=allsearch

    This CNN article is about the ICE releasing shocking information about the immigrants being found all over the Midwest. The ICE is the Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They are the ones who enforce the immigration and foreign customs. The ICE was doing an operation called the “Cross Check” that began in 2009 and are being held across the country. The ICE made 370 arrests of illegal immigrants in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Kansas, Missouri, Michigan, Ohio, Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska over a three day period. 347 of those arrests were immigrants that had a criminal record. Most of these records contained violent crimes that had been committed in the United States. Most of these crimes were armed robbery and drug trafficking. Some of these crimes were having sexual crimes against a minor.
    This event is important because immigration is slowly taking over our society. I’m glad we are doing something about it because it is becoming a big deal. We here about tons of stories and articles about illegal immigrants coming here and breaking our laws. They should just apply to become a citizen. Yes, it’s a long wait but if you wanted to get into the United States that bad then it’s worth it. This is related because immigration has it’s own set of laws and Civics and Economics is all about the government.

    ReplyDelete
  29. On Sunday, August 15, members of the Tea Party rallied together to protest the way the government is enforcing the immigration laws. Hundreds of activists gathered at the border fence in Hereford, AZ where they showed their support for the immigration law SB1070. This law would require immigrants to carry immigration documents at all times and allow police to detain any person suspected to be in the country illegally. The members of the Tea Party believe that the border is too easy to get across, even though The Obama administration says that enough funding of the Border Patrol has allowed crime at the border to decrease, and smuggling illegal immigrants into the country harder than ever.

    I think that this law will lead to even more racial profiling and prejudice than ever. The fact that immigrants may always be suspected to be illegal is enough pressure, but now they may have to deal with law enforcement asking them for their papers multiple times a day. I think this law will do more harm than good. I also believe that the way the Tea Party handled their feeling was appropriate. Instead of violently protesting, they got together with people with similar belief and expressed their opinions.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/16/us/politics/16rallly.html?ref=immigration-and-emigration

    explanation of law sb1070:
    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/24/us/politics/24immig.html

    Jessica Batson
    7th Period

    ReplyDelete
  30. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  31. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100901/ap_on_bi_ge/us_illegal_immigration

    Jay Htut

    Period 6

    The Number of Illegal Immigrants in the US is now Declining.

    For the first time in two decades, the number of illegal immigrants residing in the U.S. has decreased by 8% since 2007. The reason for this lies with the poor state of the economy and the increased fortification of U.S. borders. The majority of the decline of illegal immigrants stems in the Caribbean, and central and south America.

    In 2007, the population of illegal immigrants was estimated at about 12 million. In 2009, the population of illegal immigrants dropped down 8%, or approximately 11.1 illegal immigrants. This means that illegal immigrants account for about 4% of the U.S. population. In addition to the decline of illegal's causes listed above, many unauthorized immigrants were deported from the U.S. since 2009, when this study was completed. The total amount of the deported amounts to 389,000 people, mostly in states such as Florida, Nevada, and Virginia.

    It is tough to conclude how much of the decline has been caused by the bad economy or the enactment of federal immigration enforcement objectives. It is certain though that the idea of crossing illegally in the U.S. has become unattractive to potential illegal's. They will find it more expensive and dangerous to cross the U.S. border, in addition to the hazy job market, which offers low-wage industrial jobs instead of higher paying ones.

    ReplyDelete
  32. http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/08/27/immigration.arrests/

    Over about a three day period almost 400 illegal immigrants have been arrested throughout the Midwest. Out of these 400 immigrants 347 have had previous criminal convictions. There crimes varied from armed robbery to being associated with selling drugs. This operation called the “Cross Check” has been going on since 2009 but the arrested were made one after another throughout the three day period. Many members of the ICE were interviewed to find out more about the investigation. Gail Montenegro who is a spokeswoman for the Ice’s Chicago, Illinois, reports, "We are doing more than ever to prevent people from coming here illegally and we're doing more than ever to focus on those criminal aliens who are threatening our public safety." This investigation does raise the question of how all of these immigrants were found and arrested so quickly though. Montenegro had more to report about this as well. She said,"We used a number of different leads. We tracked individuals with information we had available in our databases. We worked with other law enforcement and used information they had as well to develop our target lists." This operation ended on Thursday and it was the largest investigation of its kind.

    I think this story is important because it showed me a lot about how many illegal immigrants there really are in the U.S and how they are being dealt with. I think that the ICE handled this situation very well. One thing I liked was how they made the arrests in such a fast period of time. I feel it was a very successful way to do things because it didn’t give the immigrants much time to hear about the the previous arrests and get away. This event is relevant to our class because recently we have been talking about what it takes to be a legal citizen. These people did not do what it takes to be a citizen and they had to face the consequences.

    Jack Haskins
    9/2/10

    ReplyDelete
  33. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/01/nyregion/01immig.html?ref=immigration-and-emigration

    The State Education Department of New York asked schools to not ask about the immigration status of students. This is because a civil liberties group complained that scores of districts were requesting this information, which could possibly violate the federal law. The New York Civil Liberties Union has now found out that about 139 districts, which is about 20% of the total amount of districts, were requiring children’s immigration papers in order to enroll. By law, schools are only allowed to see documents that prove age and residency, but not immigration related documents.

    I agree with what the State Education Department of New York is now doing. Children should not be denied an education because of their immigration status. It is not their fault that they may be illegal immigrants. They didn’t have a choice; they had to go with their parents. I believe they should deserve a chance in this country, even if they aren’t citizens.

    ReplyDelete
  34. A study from the Pew Hispanic Center recently came out that showed that the number of illegal immigrants in the United States fell from 12 million to 11.1 million from 2007 to 2009. The reasons for the drop are guessed to be the Great Recession, the higher border security, and the increasing pressure that has been put on businesses to not hire illegal aliens. It appears, however, that the great majority of those immigrants that left are not from Mexico, as might be expected. Most of those leaving are from other Latin American countries. The cause of this is uncertain. Another unexpected find was that the highest drop was not in the recently highly debated state of Arizona, but in Florida, Nevada, and Virginia.

    This is an important issue. There have been many debates about immigration recently. This is a very hard subject to solve. It is important to remember that these immigrants, even though they are illegal, are still people. We must treat them ethically. On the flip side, especially in today’s economy, we need for all of the available jobs to go to our citizens. However, the answer is not to simply deport all of these people to their native country. Some of them were brought here as small children and have no connection to their birth country. Many of these people have lived here for a long time and consider the US to be their home. It would be nice if there was a way to legalize the people who have been living here for such a long time. Unfortunately, this could create the problem of people moving here illegally to make it easier for them to become a citizen. If the way to becoming a legal citizen was easier, perhaps we would find fewer illegal immigrants. As we found out in class, passing the test to become a citizen is not easy! The measures that are already in place seem to be slowly working. However, as this article noted, even though there are 900,000 fewer illegal immigrants, there are still 11 million here. More must be done to fix the problem.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/us/02immig.html?ref=immigration-and-emigration

    ReplyDelete
  35. http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/illegal-immigration-numbers-plummet-2005-study-finds/story?id=11524552&page=1

    Cole Shoup
    Period 7


    Since 2000, the population of illegal immigrants in the United States has been ever increasing. In 2007, it was estimated that approximately 12 million immigrants were in the U.S illegally. Since then, the numbers of illegal immigrants has been slowly decreasing, and will continue to do so as long as we keep our immigration solutions in play. These solutions include maximizing the usage of the border patrols, increasing numbers of unmanned airplane drones for scouting, and maintaining the stability of our border fences. By doing this, it will help to cut down on illegal immigration in the U.S as well as show other countries what may work for them too. All though the population of immigrants here illegally has been continuously dropping for 3 years, we need to make sure it will steadily do so in the near future.

    I believe that what we are doing right now is working as well as any solution to the problem could. We are minimizing illegal traffic between the United States and mainly Mexico. Many of these illegal immigrants are coming to the U.S only in search of a better life for themselves; a job in which they can sustain themselves. However, it is much more appropriate for them to go through the system and become a legal citizen of the U.S. I believe that keeping border patrols on high alert is helping us greatly reduce the illegal alien population. However, this is not all that can be done to continue this drop on the future. If we are to step up enforcement all over the country, as well as maintain strong borders, i believe we will be able to cut the illegal immigrant population down drastically within the near future!

    ReplyDelete
  36. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  37. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/12/us/12babies.html?ref=citizenship

    Leon Pickles
    6th period
    9/2/10

    Illegal immigrants have been coming to the U.S. a lot recently. But they have not only been coming here but they have been having kids here. This means that their children will be American citizens which will make the parents citizens. Lawmakers in Washington have been debating whether to change the 14th Amendment. They are trying to make it so that illegal immigrants children do not become legal citizens. Senator Lindsey Graham wants to 'revoke birthright citizenship for American-born children of illegal immigrants.'

    I agree with what Senator Lindsey wants to do because you can't just come into the U.S. illegally and then have a baby to become legal. That doesn't make everything better. It is like they are trying to trick the laws. Even if they are not trying to trick the system, they should not be illegal in the first place and having a baby should not make them a citizen. But on the other hand everybody should deserve a chance in this great country and it could be a great way to make the country more diverse and interesting. This is a very controversial topic and I agree and disagree at the same time.

    ReplyDelete
  38. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/us/02immig.html?_r=1&ref=politics

    Illegal immigrants are a big problem in the US. However, according to Pew Hispanic Center, the number of illegal immigrants are dropping. This is due to the decrease of illegal immigrants from other Latin American countries. Mexico's number of illegal immigrants have not changed much, and they still remain to be the largest national group of illegal immigrants. It is also stated that the rate of illegal immigrants from Cental, South America, and the Caribbean returning to their countries may have increased. Lastly, with the increased security at the border making it harder to get into the country illegally and the cost to be smuggled in soaring, potential illegal immigrants are changing their minds about coming into the country.

    This event is important becasue illegal immigrants is one of the largest problems in the US, and it is relieving to some to know that the number of the illegal immmigrants are going down. I personally think that illegal immigration is wrong, but we have to look at their perspective. For some immigrants, they have no choice but to come in illegally. Americans did the same thing all those years back when the pilgrams came on the Mayflower for relgious freedom. They claimed Native American lands as their own, and they took it. American lands weren't theirs, and they had no legal papers saying that they were allowed to be in America. However, they stayed and formed their own country. The illegal immigrants are not trying to take over America; they just want a better life. Therefore, I think that as bad as illegal immigration is, we should give a little sympathy to those who are just trying to live a better life.

    Jenny Jin
    9/2/10
    7th Period

    ReplyDelete
  39. Ariel Gunn
    Period Seven

    http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/13/reids-93-immigration-plan-in-news-again/?scp=5&sq=immigration&st=cse

    Discussion over the 14th Amendment, focusing on Harry Reid's 15 year old proposal of ending birthright citizenship, was once again brought up a few weeks ago. The Senate majority leader does not favor changing the 14th Amendment, which is an idea that some leading Republicans agree with. Reid helped sponsor legislation on increasing border control and ending birthright citizenship in 1993. He regrets pushing the legislation, going as far as to say it was a low point in his career, although when he said that, he did not mention birth right citizenship, or The Immigration Stabilization Act, his 1993 proposal. Harry Reid's leading opponent does say they should look at the 14th Amendment.

    I think we should change some of the immigration laws concerning birthright citizenship, since a lot of people will come here illegally and have a child just to be able to stay. I think they need to have the law be that even if your child was born here, that isn't a good enough reason to keep you here if you are here illegally. The 14th amendment definitely needs to be looked at, even if nothing is changed, I feel like sometimes it's good just to reconsider things. I also believe that patrolling the border is important, but not as important as getting the illegal immigrants out. I think that anyone who wants to live here should have to go through the immigration process, and its just not fair for people to be able to stay just because they had a child here.

    ReplyDelete
  40. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/world/americas/02migrants.html?_r=1&ref=immigration-and-emigration

    This article is about how hundreds of people migrate to the U.S. from all over South and Central America, with documentation and without it. One man, Gilmar Morales age 22, was denied a visa and decided to make the journey anyway. Leaving his mother and 14 year old wife behind he set off with two other relatives. He was warned that the trip would be extremely dangerous. Full of thieves, kidnappers, rapists, and drug lords looking for money and/or more people to join them. Sure enough when he got to the border there were drug lords that wanted money. What the drug lords do is tell people when arrive at the border that they will get them across, if they pay them money. A lot of the people that get to the border have already paid and refuse to pay more. In response to their refusal, the drug lords kill them. In this case the drug lords killed 72 people and left their bodies.
    In my opinion we are, in a way, encouraging illegal immigrants to migrate to the U.S. We aren't enforcing the laws that we have. We are paying people that are here illegally. Giving them American citizens jobs because they are cheap. The immigrants can't complain because the jobs they are given are better than nothing, and it allows them provide for their families. We are giving them what they came here for. America needs to make up it's mind. Are we going to let people live here illegally and pay them, or are we going to put our foot down and enforce the laws? Whatever we do, we need to take action soon because hundreds of thousands of innocent people are dying. Groups like the drug lords are making money off of the fact that we aren't enforcing the laws that we made.

    Leila Doerfer
    Logan-6
    9-3-10

    ReplyDelete
  41. Mark Stouffer
    7

    Immigration Article

    This article talks about how immigration has fallen over the past year. They list reasons for the fall, like the economy. The article says the biggest reason for the drop is the decline of illegal immigration and stricter security along the border. A study released said that the total of illegal immigrants is about 11.1 million, a decline of 12 million from 2007. They still make up 4% of the population. California had the highest percentage with 6.9%, while Nevada was just short of that 6.8%.
    This article shows that the security on the border has helped a little, but is not going to completely wipe out illegal immigration. It also tells you that most illegal immigrants live in the southwest. I think that in addition to all the security the country should open its arms more to immigrants. The article states that the swell of illegal immigration could change the economy enough to make it better or worse.
    This article was found at http://www.ksawtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13083821.

    ReplyDelete
  42. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  43. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/01/opinion/01wed2.html?ref=immigration_and_customs_enforcement_usb

    On the Lake Shore Limited Amtrak train between Chicago, Boston and New York City it has become regular for a train to be boarded and searched by Border Patrol. This train doesn't cross any international boarders, so it seems strange for boarder control to search it. Boarder control will roam the aisles and ask indivduals to prove that they are indeed a citizen of the US. If they can't produce proof that they are than they will be removed from the train. A woman who encountered the boarder patrol said that "You're sitting on the train asleep, and if you dont look like a citizen, its 'Wake up!'" Boarder patrols crack-down has escaladed since 9/11 and in the Rodchester area 2,788 passengers from 2005 to 2009 were removed from trains. Boarder patrol is allowed to operate within 100 miles of the boarder, but searching public transportation seems a little over the top.

    When you take a train somewhere you don't expect to have boarder patrol come on and verify that you are legaly in the country. 10 years ago if someone said that our trains would be searched for illegal immigrants i am sure that some people would be shocked. Illegal immigtation is a big problem in the country, but sometimes it is the only way to have a better life. If someone was on a train on the way home to their family and they were forced to get off because they couldn't prove they were a citizen, what would happen to their family waiting at home. They could be deported to whatever country they came from, often to worse living conditions. Everyone has a family and often the only way to give them a better life is to come to this country. I think that especially when the Boarder Patrol officers walk past the american looking people and begin to question the foregin looking people first that is not fair. Not all citizens will look the same and shouldn't be suspected of being illegaly here based on looks.

    Riley Hutchison
    9/2/10
    7th Period

    ReplyDelete
  44. The topic of immigration has always been discussed, but now it’s being conversed more than ever. Recently, the Pew Hispanic Center, a nonpartisan research organization located in Washington, announced in a report on Wednesday that the number of immigrants in the United Stated is declining. It fell to around 11.1 million from where it was in 2007. It was all the way at 12 million immigrants, being the highest amount ever. Even though not all immigrants come from Latin America and Mexico, people always seem to assume that. The numbers were reduced by 9 hundred-thousand because there was a decrease in population of the illegal immigrants in Latin America. This is the most it has ever dropped in over two decades. Out of the 11.1 million immigrants in the States, everyone is set to stay and don't want to return to their original home.

    There has been a lot of issues with immigration throughout American history. It is causing our country to be overpopulated. I think the fact that the numbers are starting to decrease is good. Immigration can bring our country better ideas and to be more diverse, but at the same time it hurts our country when people are living here illegally. Our country is losing money that can go benefit the people who actually pay their taxes and do the right thing. I don’t think this decline will last for long. Things like this happen randomly, so in the next year it’s possible there is a rapid increase. We just will have to deal with anything that happens: good or bad.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/us/02immig.html?_r=1&ref=us

    Stacey Cutrell
    Period 7

    ReplyDelete
  45. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  46. Tristin Van Ord
    period 6
    9-2-10
    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34752685/ns/us_news

    Illegal Immigrants are now looking towards the ocean as a new way to enter the United States. There is about a 400 square mile area from the coast of Tijuana, Mexico and Los Angeles. More and more Immigrants are crossing to the California coast from the Ocean. There is now a higher fence and more extreme border patrol, so immigrants have found another way to get to the United States. US boats are now posted along the coast of LA trying to prevent immigrants from coming in.

    I think that the fact that immigrants are working this hard to get to the United States is telling us something really important. It shows that people are willing to risk their lives and work hard to come live in America. This has to do with what we are studying in class, because I think it has to do with the process of becoming a citizen. I think that if the process to become a citizen was easier and faster, then we wouldn’t have so many immigrants coming in illegal. Rather, they would be more motivated to become a legal citizen. If we made the process more convenient, we wouldn’t have to have so many troops patrolling the borders or worry as much. Everyone deserves a good life, and if someone wants to become an American they should be motivated and welcome to.

    ReplyDelete
  47. http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=11517666

    Being an Islam in the United States has to have been hard enough after 9/11, but the recent controversy over the mosque in New York City has caused a major uproar. Many innocent people have been hurt or abused by others just because of their religion. A story in Tennessee has brought into light the large movement of anti-Islam protesters in the U.S. A public mosque was to be built in Murfreesboro, Tennessee until three large construction vehicles were doused with gasoline and set on fire. This was not the first time the site had been vandalized either. Earlier, a sign outside the site had been torn in two and displayed the words “Not Welcome”. Many people have been trying to “show Muslims their place” through violence, and because of that, people like Daoud Abudiab of Murfreesboro must sleep with a gun at night to protect his family.
    This display of violence directly contradicts the reason immigrants first traveled to this country. The first people here came to escape religious persecution, only to find that a couple hundred years later we are trying to downgrade other people’s lives just because of their religion. We are violating our own duties as citizens in the United States, by not respecting and even denying the rights to other citizens.

    Jenny Vaughn
    6th period

    ReplyDelete
  48. Current Event
    Ryan Rainey
    http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/i/immigration-and-emigration/index.html?scp=1-spot&sq=immigration&st=cse

    Since George W. Bush was president he has talked about border patrols and tightning security towards illegal immigrants. In 2008 for the first time in recorded history the United States illegal immigrants out numbered the Leagal immigrants. Since Bush though over the past two years there has been the first noticable decline in recorded history. It went from 11.9 million to 11.1 million. Although it does not seem like much a change the United States has clearly done something because the numbers are lower. Immigration is crucial to the growth of the United States though. Some decline is not a terrible thing though, but this drop records hundreds of thousands. Because of all this contraversy the democrats and republicans have both decided they needed changes on there immigration law. The issue came in though one day before the new immigration laws were supposed to be enforced. They were blocked in Arizona and it shocked the world. These laws that were to be passed were going to benefit the immigrants that come in and benefit the United States economy. Right now in Arizona which is one of the biggist immigrant trafficing areas things seem to be at a stand still. Luckly 20 other states do seem to be making some progress but just because progress is being made it could end up just like how it did in Arizona. I think these laws must be passed because they will control the illegal immigrants and the one that get in will stay in the United States and be paying just like the rest of us so we would be benefited from the economy. The citizens taxes on the borders areas could get reduced in the long run from this but the most important thing about it is the benefit to the economy.

    ReplyDelete
  49. The article is about President Obama tole the nation that the days of treating Iraq as the economic revival is over,"it's time to turn the next page; today, out most urge task is to restore our economy and put the millions is Americans who have lost their jobs back t work." he said, which shows his idea that "our central mission as a people and my central responsibility as President" us reinvigorating the limping economy at home.
    Compared with George W. Bush, Obama seems is a soberer president, but it did not mean Bush made a wrong decision---he had been supporting and fighting for this for so long, there's no doubt for his contribution and love of the country.However, if we want a fight(under the worst condition anyway),our internal society should be united,basically fair,etc.But our country hasn't been in that condition so far,a lot of anarchy still happen,and the education has taught us to make the world peace,like the action of Obama of withdrawing the troops in Afghanistan,even though the government will keep up the increasingly difficult fight in Afghanistan. We try to stop the conflicts,and pledge to forge what an aide termed an "enduring partnership"with Iraq.

    Jessica Yin
    7th period

    ReplyDelete
  50. And so sorry that I forgot this:
    http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2010/08/31/2010-08-31_obama_pledges_new_beginning_in_iraq_out_of_the_ashes_of_war_says_its_time_to_tur.html

    ReplyDelete
  51. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE68149A20100902

    The actions of an Arizona sheriff have thrown the nation into an uproar. By cracking down on immigration in some say a racist manner, sheriff joe arpaio has brought the Obama administration on to the Arizona legislature. The sheriff is being sued by the Justice Department on allegations of refusal to cooperate with a federal investigation of the crackdown operation.

    I think Sheriff Joe Arpaio is rightfully charged. If he finds it necessary to resist an FBI investigation, there must be something at least slightly illegal going on. Although the sheriff may harbor racist opinions, that doesn't necessarily reflect the rest of the state. Citizens of Arizona and other bordering states are probably feeling the effects of unemployment and may be tired of legal and illegal immigrants coming to fill those jobs. Whatever the case, it will definitely be a long time before immigration disputes are settled.

    Tanner Gardner-7th Period

    ReplyDelete
  52. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/01/nyregion/01immig.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=immigration&st=cse

    Some New York school districts have been issued a memo by the State Education Department asking them to not check the immigration status of their students during enrollment. Previously, some schools had been asking questions that could show if someone was an illegal immigrant, or requiring their immigration papers to enroll. There haven't been any cases where a school has turned a child away, but this may have made immigrant families afraid to enroll their children, in case they might get reported. In 1982, the Supreme Court had decided that regardless of immigration status, all children should be allowed to attend public school.

    I believe that it's a very good thing that New York sent out this memo. Families should not have to worry about getting deported when they enroll their child in school. All children should have the right to an education, whether they're legally in the country or not. Many of these kids probably didn't have the option to stay in their home country, as it was probably their parents' idea to come to America. Therefore, we should not deny them their education, or give their families any reason not to enroll them. I hope that New York schools enforce this and don't require immigration papers anymore.

    -Kate Boyd (7th period)

    ReplyDelete
  53. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/18/opinion/18wed3.html?_r=1&ref=citizenship

    While George W. Bush was president, he created the Secure Communities program which is now being continued by President Obama. This was created as an effort to expel all of “the worst of the worst,” aliens, such as drug dealers, gang members, and violent criminals. This would be a great idea if law enforcers didn’t take advantage of it. People part of the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, the Center for Constitutional Rights, a public-interest legal organization, and the National Day Laborer Organizing Network all investigated the arrests, deportations, and other information from the Secure Communities program. They found that law enforcement officials were pushing the boundaries of the program. Evidence showed that about 79% of people deported by the Secure Communities program had not committed level 1 crime. Many were deported without having committed a crime at all or for small infractions such as traffic tickets, and juvenile mischief. Roughly 47,000 people were deported between October 2008 and June 2010, and of all those people, only 29% had actually committed a level one crime. Right now this program is only active in 27 states but y 2013, the whole country is expected to be involved. “Secure Communities ‘focuses our resources on identifying and removing the most serious criminal offenders first and foremost,’ said John Morton, the director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.” This statement is not completely true because sheriffs in many counties have been deporting more innocent aliens to whom President Obama “says he wants to give a chance to pay their debt to society and earn their right to become Americans.” The ways Secure Communities is working, it is not going to improve the country. Changes need to be made to this program for it to run the way it was meant to run.
    I believe that what the law enforcers are doing is not fair to the innocent aliens that they arrest. Obama says he wants to give those aliens a chance to obtain citizenship, but how can they if they are being arrested without having committed a crime. I also don’t think this is fair because an alien might be going through the process of citizenship by naturalization, and then get deported after all those years of waiting. This has to do with what we are learning about in class because it deals with aliens and becoming a citizen.


    Laura Musalem
    6th Period

    ReplyDelete
  54. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/18/opinion/18wed3.html?_r=1&ref=citizenship

    While George W. Bush was president, he created the Secure Communities program which is now being continued by President Obama. This was created as an effort to expel all of “the worst of the worst,” aliens, such as drug dealers, gang members, and violent criminals. This would be a great idea if law enforcers didn’t take advantage of it. People part of the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, the Center for Constitutional Rights, a public-interest legal organization, and the National Day Laborer Organizing Network all investigated the arrests, deportations, and other information from the Secure Communities program. They found that law enforcement officials were pushing the boundaries of the program. Evidence showed that about 79% of people deported by the Secure Communities program had not committed level 1 crime. Many were deported without having committed a crime at all or for small infractions such as traffic tickets, and juvenile mischief. Roughly 47,000 people were deported between October 2008 and June 2010, and of all those people, only 29% had actually committed a level one crime. Right now this program is only active in 27 states but y 2013, the whole country is expected to be involved. “Secure Communities ‘focuses our resources on identifying and removing the most serious criminal offenders first and foremost,’ said John Morton, the director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.” This statement is not completely true because sheriffs in many counties have been deporting more innocent aliens to whom President Obama “says he wants to give a chance to pay their debt to society and earn their right to become Americans.” The ways Secure Communities is working, it is not going to improve the country. Changes need to be made to this program for it to run the way it was meant to run.
    I believe that what the law enforcers are doing is not fair to the innocent aliens that they arrest. Obama says he wants to give those aliens a chance to obtain citizenship, but how can they if they are being arrested without having committed a crime. I also don’t think this is fair because an alien might be going through the process of citizenship by naturalization, and then get deported after all those years of waiting. This has to do with what we are learning about in class because it deals with aliens and becoming a citizen.


    Laura Musalem
    6th Period

    ReplyDelete
  55. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/01/nyregion/01immig.html?_r=1&ref=immigration-and-emigration

    This article is about education and the rights of immigrant students. On Monday, the New York State Education Department sent a memo out to all of its school districts, explaining a new suggestion about immigration and students. This new (strong) suggestion is that schools no longer ask about any information regarding to a student's immigration status upon enrollment. this information includes, but is not limited to, immigration papers and Social Security number, (which about 139 school districts were requiring as a prerequisite to enrollment when this memo was sent out). while no cases have been seen in which a student has been denied enrollment because of immigration status, the mere knowledge that those things are required, may keep some immigrant children from applying. While many people are hoping for this suggestion to have a strong effect, the situation will need to be monitored very closely until it becomes a strict mandate.

    I agree completely with this memo being sent out. All children deserve the right to a proper education. A child's immigration status is not something that he or she can change, and no child should be punished for that. I hope that every school who receives this memo will take it seriously and realize that all children deserve an education, no matter what their immigration status is. With any luck, this memo will be changed to a strong mandate as soon as possible.

    Kim Rubish
    6th Period

    ReplyDelete
  56. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  57. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/01/nyregion/01immig.html?_r=1&ref=immigration-and-emigration

    Twenty percent of school districts in New York are currently asking for information that may reveal the immigration status of enrolling students. The state law requires accessible education for all inhabitants of schooling age, regardless of their immigration status. There have been no found cases of students who have been barred from attending school because of their lack of immigration papers, but it is highly plausible that simply asking for this information has dissuaded many families from registering their children at all. In response, the State Education Department has issued a memorandum discouraging these enrollment practices.

    The immigration problem in America has been addressed countless times and a viable solution remains evasive. However, involving the education system is completely gratuitous. I believe that it is imperative to have accessible public education for everybody, especially immigrants, as they oftentimes lack the lingual skills necessary for living comfortably in the U.S. Keeping immigrants from a proper education will do absolutely nothing for America's immigration issues.

    Maria Yao, 6th

    ReplyDelete
  58. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/09/us/09students.html?scp=1&sq=students%20spared%20&st=cse

    This article is about the proposed legislation called the Dream Act. The Dream Act would protect illegal immigrant students who are high school graduates and came to the United States before they were sixteen from being deported. This could potentially impact more than 700,000 students. Most Republicans are strongly opposed to this piece of legislation, because they disapprove of any action that would weaken enforcement against illegal immigration. The majority of students who are illegal immigrants have clean criminal records, and in order for them to qualify to become legal under the Dream Act, they would have to maintain their untarnished criminal records. To meet the terms of the Dream Act, immigrants must have graduated high school, lived in the United States for at least five years, and they must complete two years of college or military service. The issue of deportation of illegal immigrant students has become a hot topic because there have been an increased number of protests to demand passage this year of this piece of legislation that would benefit this group of illegal immigrants. While students are occasionally held for detention, they are seldom deported. However, without the Dream Act, they could be deported.

    I think that the Dream Act should be discussed and passed as law because the illegal immigrants that they would be protecting are educated, productive, lawful members of society. To grant citizenship to people who have graduated high school, will soon be going to college or the military, and who have not broken any laws will benefit our society. These students were brought here illegally at a very young age through no choice of their own. Many of them were unaware of the fact that they were illegal until years later when they tried to get a driver’s license or attend college. It was their parents’ decision to come to this country illegally. This country has become their own, and for many of them, they think of themselves as Americans. If there is anyone that we should be granting citizenship to, it should be this group of people - students with clean criminal records who are on their way to college. These are the type of people who have the potential to benefit our country.

    Brady Strine
    6th period

    ReplyDelete
  59. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  60. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/14/opinion/14schuck.html?scp=1&sq=birthright%20nation&st=cse

    There are currently 11 million illegal immigrants living in America. Some who have entered illegally, and some who have entered legally but have stayed longer than their visas permitted or violated the terms of their permanent resident card. Recent studies show that illegal immigrants account for a disproportionate amount of births, since a lot of these illegal immigrants give birth while residing in the U.S., so that their children automatically become citizens of the United States of America. These children are known as anchor babies, and many times mothers will cross the border just days before or even on their due dates, to ensure their children with American citizenship. It’s said they come here for more opportunities, advanced technology, political and economical resources, and better resources. Therefore, there’s been major controversy lately over whether we should or shouldn’t adjust the citizenship clause of the 14th amendment, which states that “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” When the clause was ratified in 1866, it was aimed toward the newly freed slaves, to override the Dred Scott decision that deprived blacks of citizenship. It’s important that we note that the citizenship clause excluded from birthright citizenship those who were not “subject to the jurisdiction thereof,” which was aimed at American born children of the American Indians who were governed by other rulers. But a Supreme Court decision in 1898 involving the son of an illegal Chinese couple confirmed that American born children of illegal aliens would become citizens. At that time, federal law didn’t limit immigration, therefore the parents were not considered illegal. In conclusion, there are to be hearings this fall to decide how to deal with this developing issue.


    I think being born in America should not give you citizenship. If you go through the naturalization process, you pay US taxes for about ten years before you even become a citizen, so why should illegal aliens be allowed to cross our border and benefit from all the things that OUR tax dollars pay for, when they haven’t paid anything? They’re place of birth can be easily established, but percentage and legality of their “American” statuses are not. We’ve been discussing citizenship a lot in class lately, and what makes someone a citizen. Illegally entering our country is breaking one of our laws, so that alone should disqualify you as a citizen. It is understood that America is a well off country, especially compared to some of the countries these people are coming from, but we have to pay a lot to lead the lives we do in America, so if they want the same privileges, it should come at the same cost. Then again, the children of undocumented migrants shouldn’t be punished for their parents’ mistakes considering they had to control over it. I think Congress should discuss conditioning birthright citizenship on a certain number of years of attending public schools in America. The child would be considered illegal, but after the child attended an American school for ten to fifteen years, they could apply for citizenship, and go through a less intense process of naturalization. They would have to take a test on American history and society, but since they were born in the United States and surrounded by our culture all their lives, they should know just as much as a child who was legally born here would. The children could become citizens regardless of their parents’ status.

    Julie Wulforst Honors Civics p6

    ReplyDelete
  61. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/27/us/27immig.html


    Current Event on Immigration and Citizenship
    Recently the Immigration Agency has started to cancel the deportations of thousands of immigrants. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as the ICE are focusing their efforts on catching and deporting illegal immigrants who have been charged and convicted of crimes. There are 247,922 cases of immigration deportation and the average waiting time for a case to get to court is on average, about 459 days. ICE Republicans are implying the Obama administration is failing to stand strong by the ICE decision, and is making it easier for illegal immigrants to stay in the country. Senator Charles E. Grassley says “Unfortunately, it appears this is more evidence that the Obama administration would rather circumvent Congress and give a free pass to illegal immigrants who have already broken our law.” He is saying that the Obama administration is not doing their part in being stricter about immigration deportation.

    In my opinion I think that immigration Agency is doing the best they can consider how many cases they have to tend too. They have a great number of cases to see and not that many courthouses to use. The ICE is trying to deport the immigrants who have committed a crime and broke the law. ICE has deported about 167,000 immigrants who have criminal convictions in the past year. It is believed that the number was increased about 43% over the previous year. I agree to what ICE is doing, because we already have enough crime that American citizens are causing, and we don’t need any access crime. Even though they have captured and deported many, they still have plenty more to go. I think the Obama administration are more concerned about bigger issues’ going on in the country, so they’re not really putting all their effort into this.

    Janine Minor
    6th Period

    ReplyDelete
  62. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/us/03sheriff.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&ref=immigration-and-emigration&adxnnlx=1283513375-Ar6x1nufh3Zsqbcr/dkqJw


    Current Event for September 3, 2010
    Jackson Wright
    6th Period

    I think the federal government did very well in this case, with the suing of Sherrif Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Arizona. Sheriff Arpaio was far out of line with the support to pass law SB 1070 and now has been sued for bias investigation on title VI of the Civil Rights act of 1964. I think he is an indignant racist and has unfairly treated many Latino's in his county of Maricopa and throughout the state of Arizona. Hopefully, a federal government victory in this case could lead to the downfall of Arpaio, and more federal government intervention in Arizona with their out of line Immigration laws. We first allowed Latino's into the country to do jobs the white people in this country didn't want to do, but now that we want them out we treat them very unfairly. I think that this should not be allowed and the Obama administration should do everything in their power to make the conservatives realize that we let them in, and we shouldn't be able to just kick them out.

    ReplyDelete
  63. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/09/02/study-shows-illegal-immigrants-mexico-staying-despite-overall-decline/

    This article talks about how the number of illegal immigrants in the US is dropping but the number of pelpe out of mexico is still the same. This means that there are still many illegal immigrants slipping through Border Control.

    The main reason for this failing in security is that many of the immigrants that get caught are from central and South America. I think this means that everything they're doing in Arizona and other places is just innefective.

    ReplyDelete
  64. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/12/weekinreview/12mattbai.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=obama%20chain%20to%20the%20world&st=cse

    This article mostly talks about what Obama has been doing and what his presidency will be called in the future, for example the pre-civil war-era and the reconstruction-era presidents. As time passes we’ll stop looking at presidents as individuals and look at them as time periods in history. Obama has recently decided to prolong Bush’s’ tax cuts for all but the wealthiest Americans, which I’m sure angered some Americans. Since Obama has become president, he is faced with a more acute economic crisis moments, than the previous presidents before. It has also been said that the recession is worse than the past ones, including the great depression.
    In my opinion Obama has a lot of obstacles to face but he could be doing better right now. The article states that after November it’ll be far too late for the president to do anything about the current recession we’re currently in. With the increase of unemployment and energy cost I think that Obama’s or the governments’ first priority is to get people off the streets and into jobs.

    ReplyDelete