Category Archives: La Migra

SCOTUS rejects reconsideration of immigration ruling

Posted on October 4, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Alas. The U.S. Supreme Court has declined the Obama administration’s request to reconsider a controversial immigration program that would have let millions of undocumented immigrants stay in the country legally. The program, Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful … Continue reading →

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Greg Abbott does not speak for all Texans on refugees

Posted on October 2, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Lots of people are moved to offer assistance to those who most need it. Nonprofits that resettle refugees say volunteer turnout has increased — in some cases dramatically — since Texas Republicans first suggested they threatened security. “It’s one of … Continue reading →

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We continue to cower in fear of Syrian refugees

Posted on September 22, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Sheesh. As part of its ongoing fight to keep Syrian refugees out of the state, Texas is threatening to withdraw from the nation’s refugee resettlement program if federal officials refuse to “unconditionally approve” a state plan requiring additional vetting of … Continue reading →

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State settles birth certificate lawsuit

Posted on July 27, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Good. After undergoing mediation, the state of Texas has reached an agreement with undocumented families in a lawsuit over its denial to issue birth certificates to children born in the U.S. to undocumented immigrants. The state will clarify and expand … Continue reading →

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Can we try this again with nine Justices, please?

Posted on July 19, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Can’t hurt to ask. The Obama administration on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider the legality of the president’s controversial immigration enforcement plan, which stalled last month when the high court deadlocked on an appeal. The program, known … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS punts on immigration order

Posted on June 24, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Ugh. ealing a major blow to President Obama’s controversial executive immigration order, the U.S. Supreme Court announced Thursday it had failed to produce a majority opinion on the policy — meaning that the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals’ November … Continue reading →

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State still resisting refugees

Posted on June 21, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Because of course we are. The federal government wants Texas to accept more than 2,000 additional refugees this year. Texas’ response: No thank you. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission is putting the federal government on notice that the … Continue reading →

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Texas anti-refugee lawsuit dismissed

Posted on June 17, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Texas on Thursday lost its fight against the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the state, ending a months-long battle during which refugees from the war-torn country continued to arrive. Dealing the final blow to Gov. Greg Abbott’s effort to … Continue reading →

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Hanen stays his sanctions

Posted on June 8, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The Texas-based judge that last year put a hold on President Obama’s executive order on immigration decided on Tuesday to also suspend a controversial punishment he had recently issued to the administration’s attorneys. U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen asserted in … Continue reading →

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Justice Department appeals Hanen sanctions to Fifth Circuit

Posted on June 7, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Missed this over the weekend. Escalating its constitutional battle with a federal judge over the ethics of government lawyers in the major test case on presidential power over immigration, the Justice Department late Friday night asked a federal appeals court … Continue reading →

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Groups ask Fifth Circuit to block Judge Hanen order

Posted on June 5, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. A coalition of civil and immigrant rights groups on Friday asked an appeals court to stop a federal judge’s order that requires the Obama administration to turn over the confidential information of thousands of undocumented immigrants. The filing in … Continue reading →

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Justice Department asks Judge Hanen to reconsider his last order

Posted on June 1, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Can’t hurt to ask, I guess. The Obama administration has asked a Brownsville-based judge to rethink an order that requires the federal government to turn over the private information of thousands of undocumented immigrants. The May 19 order from U.S. … Continue reading →

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Judge Hanen’s bizarre order

Posted on May 23, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

WTF? A federal judge with a history of anti-immigrant sentiment ordered the federal government to turn over the names, addresses and “all available contact information” of over 100,000 immigrants living within the United States. He does so in a strange … Continue reading →

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Paxton opines on Syrian refugees

Posted on May 20, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Whatever. Attorney General Ken Paxton sought Tuesday to bolster the state’s thus-far unsuccessful efforts to prevent Syrian refugees from resettling in Texas by issuing a legal opinion that stresses the state’s rights in the matter. His opinion, which doesn’t carry … Continue reading →

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The DAPA arguments at SCOTUS

Posted on April 19, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Hard to say how this will go. A shorthanded Supreme Court heard a Texas-led challenge against President Barack Obama’s 2014 immigration plan Monday with sharp questions about whether the state could bring the case to begin with and if the … Continue reading →

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DAPA’s day at SCOTUS

Posted on April 18, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Another day, another huge Supreme Court case involving Texas, a big policy item from President Obama at stake, and the fate of millions of people hanging in the balance. The Supreme Court on Monday will hear the matter, one of … Continue reading →

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Immigrant harboring law blocked

Posted on April 15, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A federal judge has blocked part of the state’s omnibus border security bill that makes harboring undocumented immigrants a state crime. Under a provision of House Bill 11, which went into effect in September, a person commits a crime … Continue reading →

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Texas AG files SCOTUS brief against Obama immigration plan

Posted on March 31, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

It’s what he does. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court Monday arguing against President Barack Obama’s plan to shield from deportation nearly 5 million people here illegally and give them temporary work permits. … Continue reading →

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More on the rush to naturalization

Posted on March 22, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib looks at the trend in Texas. Amid a heated presidential election focusing heavily on immigration, a similar uncertainty about the future of immigration policies under a new president appears to be pushing thousands of legal residents in Texas … Continue reading →

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Donald Trump is making more citizens

Posted on March 18, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

He’s good for something. Over all, naturalization applications increased by 11 percent in the 2015 fiscal year over the year before, and jumped 14 percent during the six months ending in January, according to federal figures. The pace is picking … Continue reading →

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Turner files amicus brief for Obama’s immigration executive action

Posted on March 10, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The city of Houston has added its voice to a friend of the court brief in the looming U.S. Supreme Court showdown over President Obama’s late-2014 executive actions on immigration, Mayor Sylvester Turner said Tuesday. Calling the president’s decisions … Continue reading →

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State strikes out on Syrian refugees again

Posted on February 9, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Too bad. Now give up already. A federal judge has again denied a bid by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to block the federal government from resettling Syrian refugees in the state. Dallas-based U.S. District Judge David C. Godbey on … Continue reading →

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Paxton takes another shot at Syrian refugees

Posted on January 28, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Whatever. In the latest controversy over Syrians seeking refuge in Texas, the state’s top lawyer on Tuesday again asked a federal judge to halt the resettlement of people fleeing the war-torn country. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton told a U.S. … Continue reading →

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MALDEF sues over provision of border bill

Posted on January 27, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Worth watching. The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, or MALDEF, filed suit Sunday against Gov. Greg Abbott, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw and the Texas Public Safety Commission, which oversees the DPS. The group alleges … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS to hear immigration executive order case

Posted on January 20, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

It’s on. The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it will decide whether President Obama has the authority to declare that millions of illegal immigrants be allowed to remain and work in the United States without fear of deportation. The court … Continue reading →

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Paxton’s latest Syrian refugee brief

Posted on January 20, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

A bit of a reach, if you ask me. In response to the recent arrest of an Iraqi refugee who is facing charges of attempting to help the Islamic State, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a new court document … Continue reading →

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Syrian refugee litigation update

Posted on January 12, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From Trail Blazers: The legal jousting continues over Texas’ effort to bar the settlement of Syrian refugees in the state. Attorneys for the federal government and an aid agency this week filed briefs reiterating their opposition to Attorney General Ken … Continue reading →

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Current trends in Texas immigration

Posted on January 1, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

More Asian, less Latino is the nickel summary. The number of Latin Americans moving to Texas from abroad and other states has dropped by almost a quarter as the amount of Asians coming here doubled, offsetting the decline and echoing … Continue reading →

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Nothing says “holiday season” like immigration raids

Posted on December 27, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

How festive. Immigration agents are planning to round up Central American families that have been ordered deported by a judge in response to an unexpected surge in children and families crossing the border in South Texas, a former high-ranking immigration … Continue reading →

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Birth certificate denials only started happening recently

Posted on December 18, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Funny how these things work, isn’t it? Texas has for seven years said it won’t accept Mexican identification cards when issuing birth certificates for children of people in the United States illegally. But it doesn’t appear to have stepped up … Continue reading →

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Cruz to help Abbott give refugees a kick

Posted on December 15, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

If at first you don’t succeed… U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas introduced legislation Tuesday to give governors the power to opt out of refugee replacements if they believe there are security risks. Cruz introduced the bill at a news … Continue reading →

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State strikes out again on Syrian refugees

Posted on December 10, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

0 for 2 and counting. A judge on Wednesday denied a renewed attempt by Texas officials to block nine Syrian refugees from entering the state, describing the state’s safety concerns as “largely speculative hearsay.” “The (state) has failed to show … Continue reading →

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No hearing on request to bar refugees till January

Posted on December 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

So much for that. A Dallas-based federal judge has denied a request by Texas state officials for an expedited hearing regarding Syrian refugees and will not rule on the case until mid-January at the earliest. Judge David Godbey informed lawyers … Continue reading →

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Texas drops request for emergency order on Syrian refugees

Posted on December 5, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s something. Texas officials have withdrawn their request for an emergency order blocking a group of Syrian refugees from entering the state and instead are seeking a broader hearing next week on how closely the federal government coordinates with the … Continue reading →

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