Tag Archives: immigration

Lawsuit filed over state refusal to issue birth certificates

Posted on July 16, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I’m sure this won’t be contentious at all. For nearly 150 years, the United States, under the 14th Amendment, has recognized people born here as citizens, regardless of whether their parents were citizens. But Texas has other plans. In the … Continue reading →

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Fifth Circuit hears immigration ruling appeal

Posted on July 12, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see, but as always with this court it is better to expect the worst and hope to be pleasantly surprised. Noise from hundreds of chanting immigration activists outside a federal appeals court building competed at times Friday with lawyers … Continue reading →

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What about LGBT asylum seekers?

Posted on July 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Good question. As millions waited this week for a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage, dozens of LGBT immigrants sat in American detention centers after fleeing what they say is persecution in their homelands because of their sexual … Continue reading →

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Possibly positive sign from the Fifth Circuit on immigration lawsuit appeal

Posted on June 12, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From ThinkProgress: A string of bad luck for immigrants — and for the Obama Administration — might be coming to an end. On Thursday, a federal appeals court indicated that it is not bound by a previous decision that would … Continue reading →

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Immigration bills fail

Posted on June 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Another thing to celebrate from this session. As the sun begins to set on the 84th Texas Legislature, promises to enact tough immigration legislation remain unfulfilled. State Sen. Donna Campbell says she’s not giving up just because the last gavel … Continue reading →

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Fifth Circuit panel declines to lift immigration executive order injunction

Posted on May 28, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Alas. A federal appeals court in New Orleans has denied a request to lift an injunction blocking President Barack Obama’s executive action to protect millions of immigrants from deportation. In a split decision, two of three judges on the 5th … Continue reading →

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Senate still trying to pass “sanctuary cities” and DREAM Act repeal

Posted on May 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Time is running out on these bad bills, but as the man said, it ain’t over till it’s over. After sitting idle in the Senate for more than a month, a controversial bill to eliminate in-state tuition rates for undocumented … Continue reading →

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Anti-immigration bills dying on the vine

Posted on April 28, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I think I’m going to just got to the executive summary at the bottom of this DMN story. AT A GLANCE: WHERE 3 KEY MEASURES STAND 1. Repeal of tuition law: Seeks to change the 2001 law that allows some … Continue reading →

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Fifth Circuit hears request to lift immigration injunction order

Posted on April 19, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Always best to temper one’s expectations with these guys. An argument from U. S. Department of Justice lawyers that the state of Texas doesn’t have standing to challenge the Obama administration’s controversial immigration policy met with resistance from a pair … Continue reading →

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As usual, the Fifth Circuit is where hope goes to be strangled

Posted on April 15, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Ugh. Judge Jerry E. Smith’s presence on the panel that will hear oral arguments in Texas v. United States on Friday is simply a disaster for the DAPA and expanded DACA programs. Smith, the self-described former right-wing activist, once described … Continue reading →

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Injunction against immigration executive order stays in place

Posted on April 12, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Not a surprise, I guess. A Brownsville-based federal judge on Tuesday denied the Obama administration’s request to let a controversial immigration program proceed while the issue plays out in the courts. United States District Judge Andrew Hanen ruled that his … Continue reading →

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Senate moves forward on sanctuary cities and DREAM Act repeal bills

Posted on April 11, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

One. Senate Bill 185 by state Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, also called the “sanctuary cities” bill, would cut off state funding for local governments or governmental entities that adopt policies forbidding peace officers from inquiring about the immigration status of … Continue reading →

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Sanctuary cities bill clears first Senate committee

Posted on April 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

As expected. Senate Bill 185 by state Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, would cut off state funding for local governments or governmental entities that adopt policies that forbid peace officers from inquiring into the immigration status of a person detained or … Continue reading →

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Call to action: DREAM Act repeal hearing set for Monday

Posted on April 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

You know the drill. The push to repeal a 2001 law that allows some undocumented students to pay in-state tuition at public colleges and universities is returning to the legislative spotlight, but on an unusual stage. On Monday, the border … Continue reading →

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Hearing set for appeal of immigration order ruling

Posted on March 29, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Coming soon. A court hearing has been set for April 17 on whether a temporary hold on President Barack Obama’s immigration executive action should be lifted, a federal appeals court announced Tuesday. […] The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals … Continue reading →

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Bill filing deadline has passed

Posted on March 15, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Believe it or not, we are almost halfway through the legislative session, and we have now passed the point where new bills can be filed. Racing to beat a deadline for filing bills, state lawmakers on Friday submitted hundreds of … Continue reading →

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Feds file appeal of immigration injunction to Fifth Circuit

Posted on March 13, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Time to force the issue. The Obama administration Thursday asked a federal appeals court to do what a Texas-based judge didn’t: allow a controversial immigration program to move forward while the issue plays out in the courts. Attorneys with the … Continue reading →

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Immigration lawsuit update

Posted on March 12, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Another hearing is scheduled. The judge who blocked President Barack Obama’s executive action on immigration has ordered the Justice Department to answer allegations that the government misled him about part of the plan. U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen ordered Monday … Continue reading →

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Sanctuary cities bill hearing rescheduled

Posted on March 10, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Didn’t know you could do this in the Lege. A controversial immigration proposal scheduled for a public hearing Monday was postponed after a border Democrat argued that Republicans did not give the public sufficient notice about the meeting. The “sanctuary … Continue reading →

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First call to action: Sanctuary cities

Posted on March 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Stace sounds the alarm. Republicans have set a hearing to debate and railroad through committee SB 185, a sanctuary cities bill which will allow local and state law enforcement to participate in immigration duties through the practice of racial profiling … Continue reading →

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Justice Department files request for stay on immigration ruling

Posted on February 24, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

As expected. The U.S. government asked a federal judge Monday to lift his temporary hold on President Barack Obama’s action to shield millions of immigrants in the country illegally from deportation. The Justice Department’s motion for a stay was filed … Continue reading →

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Stay sought on immigration lawsuit decision

Posted on February 22, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

As expected. The Obama administration will ask a court on Monday to allow the president’s controversial immigration order to move forward after a Texas judge halted the program this week. “The Department of Justice has made a decision to file … Continue reading →

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Obama immigration executive order halted

Posted on February 18, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

For now. A federal judge late Monday halted President Barack Obama’s landmark immigration order on the eve of its implementation, denying millions of people illegally in America access to work permits and dealing a victory to Gov. Greg Abbott in … Continue reading →

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2015 Mayoral manifesto: Public safety

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Preliminaries Transportation When I first started thinking about this series a couple of months ago, this section was all going to be about the budget. We’ve covered this ground before – public safety is about 65% of the total city … Continue reading →

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First hearing in Abbott’s immigration lawsuit

Posted on January 18, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

No clue what will happen with this. Saying South Texas is where the “rubber meets the road” on immigration issues, a federal judge used a folksy reference Thursday to note his court is the right place to decide whether to … Continue reading →

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Rallying to save the Texas DREAM Act

Posted on January 16, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It won’t be easy. With a new Texas legislative session underway and incoming state leaders indicating a desire to repeal the Texas Dream Act, supporters of the law are gearing up for a renewed fight to keep it in place. … Continue reading →

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More on revamping Secure Communities

Posted on December 22, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Stace responds to me. The involvement of local law enforcement has always been a sticking point for me. I’ve never been a fan of the federalization of local cops for the purpose of rounding non-criminal working brown people; I don’t … Continue reading →

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I’ll see you in C-U-B-A

Posted on December 19, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Among the many likely winners of the new US policy towards Cuba will be the city of Houston. As an established travel gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean, Houston is positioned to benefit from any potential easing of tourism … Continue reading →

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Revamping Secure Communities

Posted on December 10, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Long overdue. A federal jail screening program known as Secure Communities epitomized for critics the worst failings of the nation’s immigration system, causing the deportations of tens of thousands of immigrants who had committed no crimes or only minor infractions. … Continue reading →

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Abbott files his suit

Posted on December 4, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

As expected. Leading a 17-state charge up a steep legal hill, Attorney General and soon-to-be-Gov. Greg Abbott Wednesday filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Obama administration’s moves to expand legal protections for undocumented immigrants. The lawsuit, the 31st Abbott has … Continue reading →

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Abbott can’t stop talking about suing Obama

Posted on November 28, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

It’s what he does. A state lawsuit challenging President Obama’s executive order shielding as many as 5 million undocumented immigrants from deportation could come from Texas in the next two weeks, Gov.-elect Greg Abbott said during a Monday press conference. … Continue reading →

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Of course Greg Abbott wants to sue

Posted on November 22, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

It’s what he does. What else is there to him? Minutes after President Obama doubled down on his promise to change the country’s immigration system through executive action, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott made a vow of his own: Expect … Continue reading →

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What to expect from the DACA announcement

Posted on November 20, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

So today is the long-awaited, should-have-happened-months-ago announcement of executive action by President Obama on immigration enforcement and deportation. Stace, the Observer, and Politico have good overviews of what to expect. I personally hope Obama goes big, but whatever he does … Continue reading →

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Dan Patrick loves the poor folks

Posted on September 28, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

He says so himself, so it must be true. State Sen. Dan Patrick told a wealthy Houston business group Thursday that he would advocate for the poor and people of color if elected lieutenant governor in November, at one point … Continue reading →

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