Immigration

A More Direct Route to Welfare

By Justin Katz | July 28, 2009 |

Here’s an eye-popper: Josefina Lorenzi, 47, who has been imprisoned since her Dec. 11 arrest last year, was sentenced by Judge William E. Smith in U.S. District Court, according to acting U.S. Attorney Luis M. Matos. Lorenzi pleaded guilty in connection with the scheme that used other names but her home address [to file false…

Making Facilitators Pay for Illegal Immigration

By Justin Katz | July 24, 2009 |

The story of the illegal immigrant in Florida who sustained heavy brain damage during a car accident is a tough one. On the one hand, we don’t want a system that sweeps people who’ve been hurt under the rug because their immigration status is uncomfortable. On the other hand, making the hospital culpable for a…

After a Difficult Violent Roundtable, Part 2

By Justin Katz | June 7, 2009 |

A second conversation in which sufficient articulation proved difficult on Friday night’s all–Anchor Rising Violent Roundtable on the Matt Allen Show related to Matt’s statement that the Catholic Church is in some respects an anti-American institution. Having such a strong statement catch one off guard doesn’t make measured extemporaneous response an easy accomplishment, but upon…

But What Are Immigrants Coming For?

By Justin Katz | June 2, 2009 |

David Segal’s phrasing of the motivation for immigration is telling: Reasons for immigration vary year by year and generation by generation, but there are two basic themes: Flight from violence, and flight from destitution. Whatever somebody’s reasons for running from a place, it’s not irrelevant to consider why they run to another place — in…

A Fair Hearing for E-Verify in the Senate?

By Justin Katz | May 14, 2009 |

A comment from Joe Bernstein: E-verify will not make it through the Senate. It is “inexplicably” being scheduled for hearing before the Judiciary instead of Labor. Why? Because Paiva-Weed knows she can’t any longer just bury it, so she wants to make damn sure it gets voted down in committee. That won’t happen in Labor.…

Comprehensive Immigration Reform Stalling – Advocates in Neutral

By Monique Chartier | May 10, 2009 |

It looks as though President Obama is holding off on comprehensive immigration reform. Even if it would be more corect to append a “for now” to that sentence, the president is to be applauded for doing so. What caught my eye was this. “I’m just surprised at how muted the reaction has been to Obama’s…

Some Ideas on Immigration Reform

By Marc Comtois | May 7, 2009 |

David Segal believes that illegal immigrants in Rhode Island have come here for the same reason as other, previous immigrant groups: Flight from violence, and flight from destitution. I agree. Further, he attempts to knock-down our current immigration restrictions by reciting a brief history of immigration to the U.S.: the hurdles, the hardships, the “Know-nothings”,…

Tancredo in Pawtucket

By Monique Chartier | May 1, 2009 |

Our coverage this time is courtesy of Joe Bernstein who, along with myself, was one of over a hundred in attendance at the event Wednesday night. Joe walked right by me that night without saying “hi”, not that I’m calling him a snob. But in his comments under Justin’s post, Joe channelled and articulated my…

Thoughts on Immigration: Tancredo Here; Howard Down Under

By Monique Chartier | April 28, 2009 |

Former Congressman Tom Tancredo will have two public appearances tomorrow in Rhode Island: the first, at 4:30 pm outside of the gate (outside because the college did not invite him to speak inside; there are conflicting reports as to how and why this came about) of Providence College; the second, at 7:00 pm at the…

An Important Distinction on the American Dream

By Justin Katz | April 16, 2009 |

Semantic distinctions can be frivolous or they can be significant. Sometimes, as with Mart Martinez’s letter supporting in-state tuition for illegal immigrants, they point to an underlying difference in how people interpret something, like the American dream: I support H-5353 because I believe in the American dream. The American dream is about rewarding those who…