President Obama plans to announce his next steps on the issue of immigration reform in a live television address tonight. The broadcast will take place at 5 p.m., White House officials announced. “Everybody agrees that our immigration system is broken,” the president said in a video released on Wednesday. “Unfortunately, Washington has allowed the problem […]
Obama to issue executive order on immigration
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As soon as next week, President Obama will issue his long-promised executive order on immigration, according to a report in the New York Times. The order comes after the failure of the Republican-dominated U.S. House of Representatives to act upon bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform that was passed by the U.S. Senate in 2013. It’s expected […]
Obama open to piecemeal immigration reform
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President Barack Obama said Tuesday he would go along if Congress divides immigration reform into separate bills, as long as all the components of comprehensive reform are accomplished. “If they want to chop that thing up into five pieces, as long as all five pieces get done, I don’t care what it looks like, as […]
Top pro-reform House Republican sees window closing
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U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) favors comprehensive immigration reform, but he told Washington Post columnist Greg Sargent yesterday he doubts anything will happen in 2013. Further, he said the window is closing for action in 2014, due to the upcoming elections. Something would have to happen by February or March, or nothing will happen at […]
Business promises immigration reform push on Oct. 28
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With the federal debt ceiling issue settled temporarily, backers of comprehensive immigration reform are renewing their push to pass legislation this year. According to an article in USA Today, pro-reform conservatives will go to Washington, D.C. on Oct. 28 to make their voices heard. These include some nursery growers. According to Craig Regelbrugge, some of […]
Driver’s card goes on November 2014 ballot
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Opponents of the Oregon driver’s card bill have secured enough signatures to force a voter referendum on the November 2014 ballot. Passed during the 2013 session, the bill directs creation of a four-year Oregon driver’s card (as opposed to the regular, eight-year license) for those who can’t prove legal presence in the United States. It […]
President mentions Farm Bill and immigration reform as priorities
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With the two-and-a-half-week government shutdown ending last night, and government employees reporting back to work this morning, what’s next? According to President Obama, stalled efforts to pass a new Farm Bill and comprehensive immigration reform should be two of the main priorities when Democrats and Republicans sit down in the coming weeks to hash out […]
Driver’s card opponents turn in signatures
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In the spring, the Oregon Legislature passed a law that would create a new four-year driver’s card for those who live in Oregon and otherwise qualify for a driver’s license, but are unable to prove legal residency. The bill was backed by a coalition of business, faith, labor and law enforcement groups, including the Oregon […]
‘Dreamers’ get a place to call home
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This story by Andrea Castillo of The Oregonian (Portland, Ore.) shows the real and positive impact of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. This federal program is for people commonly known as “Dreamers,” who were brought to this country as children. Through no fault of their own, they lack legal immigration status, even though America may […]
Schumer predicts immigration bill will pass soon
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The Senate’s bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill — also known as the “Gang of Eight” bill — will pass by July 4, predicted Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) — one of the bill’s architects — on Sunday. However, some House members are predicting that the Senate bill will not get anywhere in the House. Still, proponents hope passage […]
