This week (5.2.2011)

Thousands March for Immigration Reform at Downtown LA May Day Rally

Nearly 3,000 immigrant activists and their supporters packed the streets of downtown Los Angeles on Sunday for a May Day demonstrations. Chanting “We are the students, we are the students. The mighty, mighty students. Fighting for the Dream Act,” people marched in support of comprehensive immigration reform, workers’ rights and the federal DREAM Act.

Protesters Urge Georgia Gov. Deal To Veto Immigration Bill

Protesters are urging Gov. Nathan Deal to veto Georgia’s anti-immigrant bill, HB 87, which will allow law enforcement to question the immigration status of some suspects, and require most business owners to use E-Verify to confirm their workers status. Friday members of Atlanta's business community told CBS Atlanta they oppose the bill because they’re afraid it could lead to canceled conventions and big business losses.

Calif May Let Locals Opt Out of Immigration Checks

California lawmakers are the latest to weigh joining efforts in other states to gain control over a controversial national program that automatically checks the immigration status of arrestees. California accounts for more than a third of the deportations under the Immigration and Customs Enforcement program, and some local officials are saying they were misled by the federal government about the program's extent.

Controversial Immigration Bill Gets Shelved For Today

The Florida Senate has delayed a vote on a controversial Arizona-style immigration bill after protestors filled capitol hallways for the six consecutive business days. At least one protest has been held for seven weeks in a row. Today, farm workers from the Dade City Farmworkers Self Help group made up the majority of protestors. The immigration bill was listed on the Senate calendar, but late this afternoon, Senators decided to skip over it until tomorrow, prompting activists to ask who is in favor of the legislation.

Bloomberg Calls for a New Immigration Consensus

A bipartisan coalition of business leaders and mayors have joined together to make the case that visa reform is an economic imperative. A new consensus on immigration reform has emerged in the business community that could break the logjam and provide a much-needed jolt to our economy. The idea is simple: Reform the way we attract and keep talented and hard-working people from abroad to better promote economic growth.

Andrew Simpson

Andrew Simpson is a Policy and Outreach Associate at Sojourners.