âºArizona Governer Janet Napolitano Selected as Chief of Homeland Security
The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for overseeing a great deal of immigrant legislation, so the Obama administration needed to select someone who could oversee the department with a balanced approach. The Associated Press reports that Janet Napolitano, the Democratic Governor of Arizona, will be the border state executive in charge in Washington, come 2009. She will be in charge of immigration enforcement, border security, disaster response (such as FEMA), and airport security. Napolitano’s record is mixed yet balanced – she is very skeptical about the usefulness of a border wall, saying that if you “build a 50-foot wall, somebody will find a 51-foot ladder.” But she is also in favor of increasing border patrols. In addition to working hard with Arizona’s immigrant issues, she has worked closely with FEMA in the past. Her approval rate as governor is 65%, one of the highest in the nation. She had been touted as a possible opponent for John McCain’s senate seat in 2010, but her position on Obama’s cabinet will prevent that.
âºMore Americans Than Europeans are in Favor of Legalizing Immigrants, Study Shows
86% of American citizens view immigrants as hardworking and create jobs by opening businesses and investing, according to a survey by the German Marshall Fund. A large majority also supported legalization over deportation as a solution to illegal immigration. In Europe, the percentage of people favoring legalization programs is only 38%. On the other hand, respondents in English-speaking countries seemed more outspoken in refusing social benefits to undocumented immigrants, though this percentage was still a small minority – 25% – and this may be simply due to the more conservative politics in England and America compared to continental Europe which are skeptical of social programs in general. A majority also agreed that immigration does not foster terrorism.
âºImmigration Legal Info
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has decided to extend the grace period for re-registration of nationals of Honduras and Nicaragua who are residing in America under the Temporary Protected Status program. Re-registration has been extended for an additional month, and will allow nationals from these countries who were registered in the program to re-register for an additional year and a half. Normally, extensions are given for only one year. If you are from Nicaragua or Honduras and entered the country prior to 1999, please call (800) 375-5283 for more information. There are no filing fees.
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