Tag Archives: immigration

SCOTUS denies 30-Day Extension in Immigration Case

Posted on December 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted twenty-six states an extra eight days to file their response to the Obama administration’s appeal in defense of its broad new immigration policy. That extension — considerably less than the added thirty days … Continue reading →

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Refugee group defies Abbott

Posted on December 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s on. A nonprofit organization that resettles refugees in the United States says it will move forward with the placement of Syrian refugees in Texas, despite warnings from officials in the Lone Star State not to do so. The New … Continue reading →

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Texas threatens to sue religious groups over refugees

Posted on December 1, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Amazing. Texas officials are escalating their opposition to Syrian refugees with a new order aimed specifically at resettlement groups that have indicated they will accept people fleeing the war-torn country: change your mind or risk getting sued by the state. … Continue reading →

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Feds respond to request for delay of immigration appeal

Posted on November 29, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Counterpoint: It was the federal government’s move Tuesday, and the U.S. Department of Justice asked the court to reject Texas’ request for a 30-day extension to file its brief in the case, but says it is open to an eight-day … Continue reading →

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Feds say No to Abbott on refugees

Posted on November 28, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

What now, Greg? The federal government on Wednesday informed refugee resettlement agencies in Texas and across the country that states do not have the authority to refuse to accept Syrians. The statement, made in a letter obtained by the Houston … Continue reading →

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State wants delay on immigration appeal

Posted on November 24, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Of course it does. The Texas Attorney General’s office is asking the U.S. Supreme Court for an extra 30 days to respond to the Obama Administration’s appeal of lower court rulings that have blocked controversial changes in immigration enforcement. The … Continue reading →

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Now who’s messing with religious freedom?

Posted on November 23, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

What is Greg Abbott’s beef with faith organizations? A prominent Texas faith organization signaled Friday that refugee resettlement agencies in the state may not comply with Gov. Greg Abbott’s order to turn away Syrian refugees, writing a letter “to express … Continue reading →

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Obama appeals immigration order ruling to SCOTUS

Posted on November 21, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

As expected. The Obama administration on Friday asked the United States Supreme Court to review a federal appellate court’s ruling that struck down the president’s controversial immigration program. The request comes exactly one year after the program, called Deferred Action … Continue reading →

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On Texas and refugees

Posted on November 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Greg Abbott does not speak for Texas. Tens of thousands of immigrants have come to Texas to escape persecution or political violence, and Texans have often offered their hearts, lands and money to the dispossessed. What has changed that makes … Continue reading →

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Fifth Circuit denies Obama immigration executive order appeal

Posted on November 11, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Alas. A three-judge panel of the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has once again ruled against the Obama administration’s controversial immigration program, upholding a lower court’s injunction barring the plan from taking effect while awaiting the outcome of a … Continue reading →

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Our stupid social studies

Posted on October 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Unbelievable, except that it totally is believable. The publisher of one of Texas’ controversial social studies textbooks has agreed to change a caption that describes African slaves as immigrant “workers” after a Houston-area mom’s social media complaints went viral over … Continue reading →

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Oral arguments in birth certificate lawsuit

Posted on October 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go. U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman heard oral arguments in a lawsuit filed by a group of undocumented parents and their U.S.-citizen children against the state Department of State Health Services, which has effectively blocked the children from … Continue reading →

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2015 Texas Lyceum poll

Posted on October 1, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Issues first, election stuff to come. From the press release: The 2015 Texas Lyceum Poll Finds:  Immigration remains the most important issue facing the state and Texans support lawmakers’ increased spending on border security. Texans’ views on  gay marriage are changing. … Continue reading →

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Texas Pulse Poll

Posted on September 24, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Hey look! Someone polled Texas. A statewide poll of Texas likely voters finds that immigration and the economy are the top issues of concern for residents of the Lone Star State. The poll also found that Donald Trump and Hillary … Continue reading →

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I stand with Ahmed

Posted on September 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Jesus H. Christ on a cracker. Ahmed Mohamed — who makes his own radios and repairs his own go-kart — hoped to impress his teachers when he brought a homemade clock to MacArthur High on Monday. Instead, the school phoned … Continue reading →

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Chron Mayoral profile: Adrian Garcia

Posted on September 9, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the third in a series of profiles on the top candidates running for mayor in Houston, in this case on Adrian Garcia. The youngest of six children born to poor Mexican immigrants could soon occupy the mayor’s office of … Continue reading →

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“Sanctuary cities” legislation will be back

Posted on August 22, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Better be ready for it. With debate over the nation’s immigration policies once again approaching full boil, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Wednesday pledged that the Senate next session would pass legislation to address so-called sanctuary cities. Patrick lamented that … Continue reading →

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I’m not the only one who thought the state’s response to the birth certificate lawsuit was specious

Posted on July 31, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Actual legal experts didn’t think much of it, either. The state of Texas can’t hide behind sovereign immunity to escape a lawsuit for denying birth certificates to U.S. citizen children of undocumented immigrants, the director of the University of Texas’ … Continue reading →

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TOP/SEIU Mayoral forum report

Posted on July 28, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From David Ortez: After the dust settled, the forum commenced with the hosts explaining the four pillars of their platform. It boiled down to: 1) Good Jobs; 2) Neighborhoods of Opportunity; 3) Infrastructure; and 4) Immigrant Rights. At the end … Continue reading →

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State wants birth certificate lawsuit dropped

Posted on July 24, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know about that. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Wednesday asked a federal district judge to dismiss a lawsuit that claims a state agency violated the U.S. Constitution by denying birth certificates to U.S.-citizen children of immigrant parents. … Continue reading →

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More on the state’s refusal to issue birth certificates

Posted on July 18, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Observer follows up. Two legislators have weighed in on the controversy over Texas’ refusal to grant birth certificates to some children of undocumented families. On Wednesday, Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, vice chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, … Continue reading →

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Lawsuit filed over state refusal to issue birth certificates

Posted on July 16, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I’m sure this won’t be contentious at all. For nearly 150 years, the United States, under the 14th Amendment, has recognized people born here as citizens, regardless of whether their parents were citizens. But Texas has other plans. In the … Continue reading →

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Fifth Circuit hears immigration ruling appeal

Posted on July 12, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see, but as always with this court it is better to expect the worst and hope to be pleasantly surprised. Noise from hundreds of chanting immigration activists outside a federal appeals court building competed at times Friday with lawyers … Continue reading →

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What about LGBT asylum seekers?

Posted on July 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Good question. As millions waited this week for a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage, dozens of LGBT immigrants sat in American detention centers after fleeing what they say is persecution in their homelands because of their sexual … Continue reading →

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Possibly positive sign from the Fifth Circuit on immigration lawsuit appeal

Posted on June 12, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From ThinkProgress: A string of bad luck for immigrants — and for the Obama Administration — might be coming to an end. On Thursday, a federal appeals court indicated that it is not bound by a previous decision that would … Continue reading →

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Immigration bills fail

Posted on June 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Another thing to celebrate from this session. As the sun begins to set on the 84th Texas Legislature, promises to enact tough immigration legislation remain unfulfilled. State Sen. Donna Campbell says she’s not giving up just because the last gavel … Continue reading →

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Fifth Circuit panel declines to lift immigration executive order injunction

Posted on May 28, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Alas. A federal appeals court in New Orleans has denied a request to lift an injunction blocking President Barack Obama’s executive action to protect millions of immigrants from deportation. In a split decision, two of three judges on the 5th … Continue reading →

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Senate still trying to pass “sanctuary cities” and DREAM Act repeal

Posted on May 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Time is running out on these bad bills, but as the man said, it ain’t over till it’s over. After sitting idle in the Senate for more than a month, a controversial bill to eliminate in-state tuition rates for undocumented … Continue reading →

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Anti-immigration bills dying on the vine

Posted on April 28, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I think I’m going to just got to the executive summary at the bottom of this DMN story. AT A GLANCE: WHERE 3 KEY MEASURES STAND 1. Repeal of tuition law: Seeks to change the 2001 law that allows some … Continue reading →

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Fifth Circuit hears request to lift immigration injunction order

Posted on April 19, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Always best to temper one’s expectations with these guys. An argument from U. S. Department of Justice lawyers that the state of Texas doesn’t have standing to challenge the Obama administration’s controversial immigration policy met with resistance from a pair … Continue reading →

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As usual, the Fifth Circuit is where hope goes to be strangled

Posted on April 15, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Ugh. Judge Jerry E. Smith’s presence on the panel that will hear oral arguments in Texas v. United States on Friday is simply a disaster for the DAPA and expanded DACA programs. Smith, the self-described former right-wing activist, once described … Continue reading →

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Injunction against immigration executive order stays in place

Posted on April 12, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Not a surprise, I guess. A Brownsville-based federal judge on Tuesday denied the Obama administration’s request to let a controversial immigration program proceed while the issue plays out in the courts. United States District Judge Andrew Hanen ruled that his … Continue reading →

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Senate moves forward on sanctuary cities and DREAM Act repeal bills

Posted on April 11, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

One. Senate Bill 185 by state Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, also called the “sanctuary cities” bill, would cut off state funding for local governments or governmental entities that adopt policies forbidding peace officers from inquiring about the immigration status of … Continue reading →

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Sanctuary cities bill clears first Senate committee

Posted on April 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

As expected. Senate Bill 185 by state Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, would cut off state funding for local governments or governmental entities that adopt policies that forbid peace officers from inquiring into the immigration status of a person detained or … Continue reading →

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