- Immigration crackdown moves in Florida House - A watered-down version of Arizona’s controversial immigration law started moving Thursday through the Florida Legislature.
- Texas Rep. Berman files, then kills, draconian immigration bill - Texas Rep. Leo Berman (R-Tyler) filed a bill that would make employment of undocumented workers a felony, create a criminal trespassing offense for illegal immigrants, and allow law enforcement to seize assets of illegal immigrants who commit a crime. House Bill 2878 is arguably the harshest piece of immigration legislation this session — and, as it turns out, one of the shortest-lived as well.
- Utah's new immigration outlook? - Utah Republicans, who control the state House and Senate by wide margins, just passed legislation that mandates tougher illegal immigration enforcement and employee verification provisions. But, most important, it gives undocumented immigrants a permit to work and live in the state without the fear of being detained and deported.
- Utah: False hope on road to deportation - The Utah Legislature has passed House Bill 116 which, among other provisions, establishes a program for undocumented immigrants to obtain a work permit from the Utah Department of Public Safety after paying a $2,500 fine. It is curious that so much time, effort and money have been put into this bill when these work permits will have no legal effect. They will not allow re-entry into the U.S. at the border or port of entry, prevent an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent from arresting and detaining someone or stop an immigration judge from deporting a permit holder.
- Alabama Protesters: Illegal immgration bill takes away freedom, money - A proposed Alabama House bill much like the one passed in Arizona last year would encourage racial profiling, overburden law enforcement and force citizens and employers to take on the role of immigration officials, attendees of a rally against the illegal immigration bill said here in Montgomery on Thursday.
- New Mexico Gov. threatens license bill veto - Gov. Susana Martinez on Friday said she would veto any bill to continue granting driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants.
- Oklahoma House passes Arizona-style immigration bill? - The Oklahoma House on Thursday overwhelmingly passed a bill patterned after a controversial new Arizona law that allows local law enforcement officers to inquire about people’s immigration status.
- South Carolina: Criminalize fake immigration docs, Bill Passed - South Carolina state senators approved a bill Thursday that would create the crime of false immigration documents, immigration does not have a card or make a false identification.
- Indiana 'Birther' bill fails, will be studied again - An Indiana Senate bill would have required a candidate for U.S. president to produce a birth certificate in order to appear on an Indiana ballot. State Sen. Mike Delph, R-Carmel, introduced the bill, but it was killed in committee. It may come up again next year, though, and according to Mike Brown, a legislative assistant for Delph, the bill has been assigned to a summer study committee to be researched further.
- New Hampshire Birther Bill Dies In Committee - Don't pop the champagne yet, birthers. Yes, New Hampshire Republicans have proposed legislation that would require presidential candidates competing in the New Hampshire primary to provide their long-form birth certificates.
- Maryland Dream Act Expected to Pass - Senate Bill 167, the Maryland version of the Dream Act, would authorize in-state tuition benefits at a local community college to undocumented students who have graduated from a public high school in that county and whose parents can prove they pay Maryland taxes. After two years, they would have the option of transferring to a state university at in-state tuition rates. Plus, students who are not permanent residents must provide to the public college an affidavit stating that they will file an application to become a permanent resident within 30 days after becoming eligible to do so.
- Lawmakers in Texas Attempt to Repeal State's DREAM Act - Just months after the federal DREAM Act failed to pass in the U.S. Senate, Republicans in Texas are looking to repeal the state’s version, stating the economic impact of the DREAM Act is costing the state millions of dollars. Strong opponent of the DREAM Act, Texas Rep. Leo Berman (R-Tyler) has consistently stated the undocumented immigrant students cost the state millions of dollars, precisely $42 million. Interestingly, he has never provided where he gets that number from, and while a large amount of money, $42 million is still only one-seventh of a percent of Texas’ almost $27 billion deficit.