Tag Archives: immigration

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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Senate hearings on “border security”

Posted on January 19, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Sen. Sylvia Garcia sent me the following to alert people of some Senate committee hearings of interest: Joint Committee on Border Security is Thursday, January 21 at 1pm at Capitol Extension, E1.030. This is a joint Senate & House Committee … 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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#IWillProtectYou

Posted on December 26, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

This is great and terrible at the same time. Melissa Yassini and her 8-year-old daughter, Sofia, spend some time every evening reading messages from the thousands of people who have told Sofia not to be afraid just because she’s Muslim. … 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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Texas files its lawsuit against International Rescue Committee

Posted on December 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I am at a loss for words. Texas has gone to federal court in its efforts to keep Syrian refugees out of the state, filing suit against the federal government and a refugee resettlement nonprofit. In a lawsuit filed Wednesday … Continue reading →

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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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