Gov. Greg Abbott’s Latest Executive Order, ‘Invasion’ Rhetoric Dangerous, Immigration Activists Say7/14/2022
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s recent executive order on immigration and false border security rhetoric could lead to acts of racially driven violence – and resonate dangerously close to the so-called “show me your papers” laws, a group of Democrats and immigration activists said during a press call Wednesday. Abbott on July 7 issued an executive order authorizing the Texas National Guard and the Texas Department of Public Safety to return to the ports of entry migrants they apprehend for illegally crossing the border. Although the executive order doesn’t declare an invasion, it does claim that the Biden administration has failed to protect the state against one. Mario Carrillo, campaigns manager for America’s Voice, called the executive order a political stunt and “the most dangerous one yet.” America’s Voice, the national immigration advocacy organization, organized the press call which included U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso; Antonio Arellano of the youth voting organization NextGen America; former Austin councilman and District 35 congressional candidate Greg Casar; and America’s Voice political director Zachary Mueller. Border Security ClaimsOn May 20, in anticipation of the end of Title 42, Abbott activated the Joint Border Security Operations Center, directing DPS and other state law enforcement and emergency response agencies to coordinate “Texas’ response to secure the border.” Title 42, a provision that rapidly expels migrants to Mexico or other countries, was set to end on May 23 before a federal judge in Louisiana issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Biden administration from ending it. Abbott in March 2021 launched Operation Lone Star to ramp up security along the Texas-Mexico border, deploying resources from DPS and the National Guard. The state Legislature has allocated about $4 billion to the effort since, the Texas Tribune reports. The Texas Tribune and ProPublica discovered that the Department of Justice is investigating alleged civil rights violations regarding the governor’s controversial Operation Lone Star initiative. The initiative has mostly led to migrants being arrested on state trespassing charges, with lawyers for some of the migrants citing due-process violations, the news organizations found. Arellano, of NextGen America, in the press call said that Abbott and other Republican politicians and candidates for public office across the state are doubling down on the anti-immigrant policies and rhetoric. “One in three Texans are immigrants or a child of immigrants,” Arellano said, adding that young voters make up the largest eligible voting block in the state. “They are not recognizing our power in Texas.” Seeking a third term in office, Abbott faces former Democratic El Paso congressman Beto O’Rourke in the Nov. 8 election. Migrant Encounters The U.S. Border Patrol reports more than 1.4 million encounters with migrants along the Southwest border so far this fiscal year – a 60% increase over this time last fiscal year. As of May, the Border Patrol El Paso sector has seen a 56% increase in the number of encounters with migrants this fiscal year compared to this time last year. Many of those nearly 178,000 encounters are likely repeat border crossers, who face no consequences for returning after expulsion. Escobar said that the fluctuation is not new and that the bigger picture must be considered. That, she said, includes that many of the Trump-era immigration policies are still in place and cannot be blamed on the current administration. Beyond that, she said, the current situation is the result of 30 years of no comprehensive federal immigration reform and the geopolitical shifts happening across the world. Preying on FearBorder Network for Human Rights Executive Director Fernando Garcia agrees.
In a recent interview with El Paso Matters, Garcia said he was dismayed that the Biden administration also has failed on its promise of immigration reform. “Very little has happened and the waiting has made some things worse,” he said. Garcia said he believes Title 42 should have been repealed a year ago and not during an election year and that the administration should have been better prepared for the end of Migrant Protection Protocols, the so-called remain in Mexico policy. WASHINGTON (TND) — The toll the labor shortage is taking on the U.S. economy isn't getting better. There's a partial solution that's got bipartisan support but hardly any momentum behind it: allow more migrants into the country. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are about twice as many open jobs as there are people looking for work. This has employers competing for staff, often with higher wages. Higher labor costs often get passed onto customers, contributing to the highest inflation in four decades. Ron Hetrick, a senior labor economist at analytics and data firm Lightcast, has been sounding the alarm for years about the labor shortage and its long-term damage to the economy. Increasing the number of immigrants seems to be the easiest solution in the short run," Hetrick said, but notes it's easier said than done because the federal government is also struggling to find workers. “Even if we say we’re gonna increase the numbers, doing that quickly is still a bit of a problem because you still have to process these people. There still has to be, you know, a way that they go through the system," Hetrick said. Immigration laws and limits are outdated, Hetrick said, as many of them were crafted when Baby Boomers were entering the workforce. "I think what you’d find is that we could come up with solutions that would make a lot of people happy if people would just be willing to take on what we consider, you know, so many people consider to be a pretty taboo subject," Hetrick said. Immigration has long been a source of contention between Democrats and Republicans in Washington. Even the simplest questions to lawmakers about the topic often evoke criticism of the opposing party's history on the issue. Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., said he's constantly hearing complaints from employers in his state who can't find workers. He said he'd welcome more legal immigration. “I think there’s H-2Bs, for example, this time of the year. We need lots of them in South Dakota and we can never get enough from the administration," Thune said. H-2Bs are visas that allow American employers to bring foreign nationals into the country for temporary nonagricultural jobs. Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., said his state needs more, too. Seasonal workers are extremely challenging, the worker visas are too low in number. We need more H-2Bs," Cardin said. On May 18, the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Labor issued a joint temporary rule to increase the cap on H-2B nonimmigrant visas by 35,000 for positions with start dates between April 21 and Sept. 30 of this year. Of those, 23,500 visas were for returning workers and 11,500 specifically for nationals of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Haiti.
Within 12 days, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services received more petitions from returning workers than there were visas available. In 2021, Ontario welcomed 198,000 new permanent residents, or nearly 49% of all new permanent residents in Canada. This is not surprising as Ontario boasts Canada’s largest population as well as its largest city. Many newcomers chose to settle in Ontario due to its strong economy, well-developed support systems, and already-established immigrant communities. Those who wish to settle in Ontario have nine pathways to choose from through Ontario’s Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). What is a Provincial Nomination?The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is designed to help provinces attract immigrants who can support local labour force needs. If a candidate meets pathway specific criteria and is nominated by a province, they can add this to their permanent residence application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Why Does Ontario Need A Provincial Nominee Program?Due to its already large immigrant population, Ontario was the last province to introduce a PNP in 2007. The introduction of the system created more opportunities for newcomers to Canada to economically establish themselves within the province and gave Ontario the ability to select individuals who would be a good fit and fill gaps in the workforce. Each Canadian province and territory (except for Quebec and Nunavut) operate their own PNPs. What Categories Does Ontario Offer?Ontario has four streams of provincial nomination and within each category there are sub-streams, adding up to a total of nine provincial immigration pathways in Ontario.
Employer Job Offer CategoryIf you are not eligible for Express Entry, you can submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to the province through nomination in other categories. An Expression of Interest is applicable only when applying directly to the provincial government for nomination. An EOI tells the government of Ontario that you wish to be invited to apply. If choosing these pathways, you may only apply to OINP if you have received an invitation to do so. To submit an EOI, you must complete an attestation form the same day that states you meet the criteria for your chosen program and everything in your EOI is true. From here, you must wait for the province to invite you to apply for nomination.
Master and PhD CategoriesThe remaining two programs are designed specifically for master’s students and PhD students who graduate from Ontario universities and plan to stay in the province. The Masters Graduate Stream requires at least one year of study at an eligible Ontario university and graduation from the program. PhD students must complete at least two years of their PhD in Ontario. For both streams, candidates must have lived in Ontario for at least one year over the past two years. Entrepreneur CategoryThe Entrepreneur Category works somewhat differently. Candidates for this category must also submit an EOI, but if they are invited to apply, they are required to attend a mandatory interview and sign a performance agreement. If they are successful, they will be issued a temporary work permit to move to Canada and then 20 months upon arrival to implement a business plan and submit a final review. If the candidate has met business requirements, they will be asked for documentation that proves they are eligible for permanent residence.
|