Immigration

The Pew Hispanic Center published a report Wednesday showing that Latinos dislike President Obama's deportation policies. Obama has roughly doubled the number of deportations of illegal immigrants since taking office. Regardless, Latinos do not see Republican candidates as offering a better alternative and will likely vote for Obama in high numbers again.

Fifty-nine percent said they disapprove of the way Obama is handling deportations, according to the Pew Hispanic Center's survey of 1,220 Latinos in the United States. Only 27 percent approve, and 13 percent said they do not know or refused to answer the question.

The number of deportations of undocumented immigrants has risen dramatically under Obama. On average, the Obama administration has deported close to 400,000 immigrants each year he has been in office. This is about 30 percent more than the number of deportations during President George W. Bush's second term and about double the number of deportations during Bush's first term. This is despite the fact that illegal immigration, and apprehensions of illegal immigrants, is lower than during the Bush administration due to the economic recession. more >>

The Obama family is sending out Christmas cards with no mention of Christ or Christmas, but apparently, that is what presidents have been doing for nearly 100 years.

According to a Los Angeles Times op-ed piece by David Greenberg, a professor of history, journalism, and media studies at Rutgers University, White House Christmas cards have traditionally been secular and inclusive in nature, going back all the way to the 1920s when President Calvin Coolidge, a devoted Christian in his personal life, sent out cards void of specific religious references.

Rather than religious references, Coolidge's card referenced a “state of mind” that cherished “peace and goodwill,” Greenberg wrote, adding that the cards had an inclusive tone at a time of great divisiveness, with immigration, Prohibition, and the Ku Klux Klan, among the controversial issues of the time. more >>

During Thursday night’s debate, Texas Gov. Rick Perry likened what he predicts will be his moment to shine to that of Christian football player Tim Tebow. But unlike the Denver Bronco, Perry has shown little signs of a political resurgence.

Perry, in what was his final debate before the 2012 primaries, sent a message to Americans who are doubtful he could take on President Barack Obama as the GOP nominee: “I hope I am the Tim Tebow of the Iowa Caucuses.”

However, his parodied religious message, continued gaffes in debates and distant fourth place standing in the national polls have made his chances at a comeback more remote than Tebow’s. more >>

Supreme Court Justices decided Monday to take on Arizona’s immigration law case, inevitably leading to an escalating national debate on the controversial issue during the 2012 race for the presidency and Congress.

Immediately following today’s decision, the American Center for Law and Justice announced it will file an amicus brief backing Arizona's law and represent members of Congress and tens of thousands of Americans.

"S.B. 1070 reflects a sensible and constitutional method for Arizona to protect its citizens and borders from illegal immigrants," said Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the ACLJ. "This is a critical case that will have a tremendous impact on the growing number of states seeking to enact laws that protect their borders and citizens.” more >>

Some 70-odd members of a community of Christian Indonesian refugees who fled their country due to religious persecution 10 years ago and have been living in Highland Park, N.J., are facing imminent deportation.

The undocumented Indonesian immigrants escaped persecution in the late 1990s. Central New Jersey had no Indonesian churches in 1995, and seven by 2000, with some 1,000 members, according to a local pastor. Most of their children were born on American soil. These refugees have been living in the peaceful New Jersey community, in the shadows of the immigration law, attending church, including the Reformed Church of Highland Park.

But things have changed for the community after Sept. 11, 2001, when the federal agencies cracked down on immigrants from Muslim countries. One policy enacted was the  National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS) initiative that called for illegal immigrants from specific countries to register or be considered terrorist fugitives. All the men in the community decided “after much prayer” to be honest and reveal themselves, given that they were Christians who escaped Muslim persecution, the Rev. Seth Kaper-Dale, pastor of the Reformed Church of 10 years, told The Christian Post Friday. more >>

The Supreme Court is meeting on Friday to discuss Arizona’s controversial immigration law and whether or not it wants to take up the case. The justices’ decision will be announced Monday.

The law was passed in 2010 and has sparked a national debate about the role of state governments in dealing with the immigration issue. Arizona’s state bill 10170 gave state police broader authority to detain someone they suspected of being in the country illegally, so long as the initial stop by police was for an unrelated reason, such as speeding.

Opponents to the bill shouted that this would lead to racism and discrimination. Proponents of the bill argued that it is within state rights to enforce the federal law regarding immigration and that they must do so because illegal immigration is leading to more crimes in the state. The Obama administration sided with the opponents and challenged the law as soon as it was passed, arguing that it is in conflict with the existing federal law. more >>