âºNew Federal Guidelines Restrict 287(g) Program
The 287(g) program allows local law enforcement to enforce federal laws with regards to immigration. In other words, this program makes it possible for local police to arrest, detain, and deport undocumented immigrants without involvement from the federal government. However, recent federal guidelines aim to restrict this program’s application, so that it can only be used in cases of dangerous criminals, such as convicted rapists, assaulters, and murderers. Furthermore, the new guidelines call for greater transparency and oversight from the federal government whenever such action is taken.
However, Michael Keegan, a spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security, emphasized that local law enforcement will still be able to detain and deport immigrants provide local and state laws support that action.
âºArpaio Investigated for Civil Rights Violations
The actions of Maricopa County, Arizona Sheriff Jose Arpaio has long faced controversy. The sheriff has frequently come under fire recently from civil rights activists for mass arrest, detention, and deportation of immigrants, which fail, according to some allegations, to take basic human rights into account, as well as engaging in massive racial profiling. “Arpaio has made it clear that he and his deputies have little regard for due process, civil liberties and their obligation to protect all residents of Maricopa County,” said Clarissa Martinez de Castro of the National Council of La Raza in an interview with the Arizona Republic. “We look with hope to the Civil Rights Division investigation. We hope that the Department of Justice will send a signal to local law-enforcement agencies throughout America and restore the rule of law to Maricopa County.”
“We welcome the Department of Justice’s investigation because when a local elected official takes the law into his own hands, the role of the federal government is to protect the people from abuse,” added Ali Noorani, Director of the National Immigration Forum.
âº25% of Kindergarteners are Latino
A new report from the US Census bureau indicates that a quarter of the nation’s kindergarten students are Latino. A little over a fifth of all students are Latino, reaching as high as 47% in California and 54% in New Mexico. The census report estimated that Latino children would account for a majority of children by 2023.
“The future of our education system depends on how we can advance Hispanics through the ranks,” said William Frey in an interview with the Washington Post. Mr. Frey is a demographics expert at the Brookings Institution in Washington DC. “In many cases it’s going to be a challenge, because they are the children of immigrants, and their English is not as strong [as that of other children]. Many have parents without a high school or college education.” The percentage of Latinos in college, 12%, is slightly lower than their national representation, at 14%.
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