Latest news with #AmericanImmigrationCouncil
Newsweek
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Democrat Calls for 'Speedy Path to Citizenship' for 11 Million Migrants
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Democratic Representative Maxwell Frost has called for a simpler path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, saying that the U.S. "should document every single one of them." Speaking at a Wednesday press conference in Orlando, Florida, Frost proposed the move while announcing new legislation about transparency with ICE. If documenting "every single" undocumented immigrant happened, it would make 11 million migrants legal, according to figures from the American Immigration Council. Why It Matters Immigration has been a central pillar of Trump's second-term agenda. The president has pledged sweeping crackdowns on border security, expanded deportation operations, and an end to federal benefits for undocumented immigrants. In recent weeks, there has been public resistance to this immigration enforcement. A series of immigration raids sparked a large protest in Los Angeles earlier this month. In response to some incidents of violence and looting, Trump announced the deployment of National Guard troops. Meanwhile, there have also been legal challenges to the administration invoking the wartime Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to broaden deportation authority. Representative Maxwell Frost announces his filing of the Stop Unlawful Detention and End Mistreatment Act (SUDEM) at his office in Orlando, Florida, on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. Representative Maxwell Frost announces his filing of the Stop Unlawful Detention and End Mistreatment Act (SUDEM) at his office in Orlando, Florida, on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP What To Know Frost said that "being undocumented is not a crime" and called to give undocumented people "a speedy path to citizenship." The conference was called to unveil his new bill, the SUDEM Act, which stands for Stop Unlawful Detention and End Mistreatment. If passed, it would give detainees, their families and lawyers more information about who is being detained, where, when and why, the legal authority behind each detention and make public other data. What People Are Saying William F. Hall, an adjunct professor of political science and business at Webster University in St. Louis told Newsweek: "Notwithstanding the potential benefits that may be realized, if such a program to achieve a goal of mass documentation of all undocumented U.S. residents could be achieved, in my view, it would still appear that successful implementation of such an ambitious program for mass documentation of undocumented, would be highly improbable, mainly due to the estimates of the vast numbers that would be required to be documented, approximately 11-12 million, and the significant difficulties related to implementation of such an ambitious mass documentation program that would have to be successfully overcome. "This would also entail the need to develop, implement and administer a program that would require additional personnel, and perhaps even more significantly, development of a program that would allow undocumented individuals to feel safe in both accessing as well as participating in such a documentation system, two challenges that would appear to be extremely daunting at the very least and highly improbable, if not totally impractical or even impossible, especially given the current highly tense environment with respect to enforcement by ICE and implementation of immigration policies in general, at present." Frost at the conference: "I want to be clear, being undocumented is not a crime. My Republican colleagues who say I don't want any undocumented people in this country, I actually agree with you. So let's document every single one of them with a speedy path to citizenship. That's how we fix this problem." "We can't let politicians like Donald Trump pit us against one another," he added. "We are an immigrant filled community." Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican called "blanket amnesty" a "dangerous idea." "We must defend common sense and the rule of law," he wrote on X. You can't make this stuff up! At a Democrat rally today, Rep. Maxwell Frost proposed BLANKET AMNESTY for EVERY SINGLE ONE of the MILLIONS of ILLEGAL aliens Joe Biden let into the country. Republicans will never let this dangerous idea happen. We must defend common sense and the… — Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) June 18, 2025 On X, Texas Republican Brandon Gill said: "Dems want mass amnesty for every single illegal alien Joe Biden brought into our country. Why? So they can turn them into Democrat voters. And so they can rig congressional apportionment in their favor. We will never let that happen. What Happens Next Frost's bill is unlikely to pass given it would need bipartisan support and the Republicans have a majority in the House of Representatives. Nevertheless, Frost told the press he will head to Washington D.C. to gather cosponsors.
The Hill
a day ago
- Health
- The Hill
Trump's deportation pause ignores vital immigrant health care workers
President Trump has signaled his intent to pause deportations on immigrant workers in the hotel, agriculture and restaurant sectors: an important step toward lowering the temperature that led to riots in the streets of Los Angeles last week. It's welcome news for millions of hardworking individuals. But it ignores another important industry demographic, one we can't exist without, where millions more will continue to live in perpetual fear: immigrant health care workers. Today, over 20 percent of doctors who practice in America were born outside the U.S., a number that has grown by 30 percent since 2004. Not surprisingly, a large number of physicians who trained overseas today serve rural and underserved U.S. populations — marginalized communities that already suffer from compromised access to quality medical care. While some are U.S. citizens who attended international medical schools, ' most ' are from other countries of origin. Specifically, a report by the American Immigration Council found that over a third of doctors in America who practice in areas where poverty is high were trained outside of the U.S. In places where the majority of the population is nonwhite, it's over 35 percent. In regions where annual per-capita income is lower than $15,000, it's over 40 percent. Proposed cuts to Medicaid will further decrease access to care and likely result in rural hospital closures. U.S. reliance on immigrant physicians to serve underprivileged communities is 'due, in part, to America's growing and aging population,' says Selma Hedlund, a Boston University postdoctoral associate. Hedlund argues many U.S.-born doctors have an 'unwillingness to move to poorer and more rural areas' due to a 'lack of interest in going into primary care, which can be less lucrative and prestigious than other areas of medicine.' It's why immigrants are 'indispensable in hospitals and clinics across the nation,' she says. Sadly, we're giving these medical professionals reason to wonder if they made the right decision. Foreign-born physicians require federal visas to live and practice in America, a ' privilege ' the U.S. State Department has made clear it will use as a weapon, decreasing the nation's ability to provide basic care across the country. The ongoing immigration debate will likely raise even more questions in the minds of both foreign-born doctors who are here and those considering emigrating to America. Such as: Will they feel safe to practice in America when immigration status is a flash point in urban and rural communities? When U.S. officials signal to the world that immigrant visas can be revoked at any moment, will foreign-born doctors want to bring their skills, and their families, to a place that says to the world: 'We don't want you here'? The impact on the health care system goes beyond doctors. Immigrants make up a sizable portion of the healthcare support workforce, too. Legal and undocumented individuals comprise nearly 30 percent of direct-care workers in America. Over 16 percent of nurses on staff are immigrants. Over 800,000 people served in this capacity in the U.S. as of 2023: 500,000 of them were naturalized citizens, and over 300,000 were noncitizen immigrants. Immigrants also represent a significant percentage of the home-care workforce. One out of every three, to be exact. Over 20 percent of staff in nursing facilities and nearly a quarter of those who work in residential care environments came from other countries. These individuals play a vital role in caring for the elderly, the disabled and supporting the needs of overcrowded hospitals and emergency rooms. And as our population increases, we will need more of them, not less. Today, 75 million baby boomers in America will soon need long-term care services. Without immigrants, America will not be able to address the needs of this fast-growing community. Our immigration system is broken. We must find sustainable and dignified paths for those who currently live here illegally, and those who wish to enter. Immigrants who provide critical health care services for a large segment of the U.S. population need to know they are welcome and appreciated. Implementing responsible immigration reforms while ensuring the stability of the U.S. health system that relies on a strong immigrant workforce isn't mutually exclusive. We can achieve both if the political will is there. But it doesn't stand a chance if our immigration crackdown is interpreted as a warning shot to skilled doctors and caregivers around the world that America is no longer a viable place to build a career. We must value, not vilify, the role immigrants play in supporting our nation's public health. And we must encourage more to come, not give them reasons to question what will happen to them if they do.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump admits his anti-immigration agenda is hurting farmers and hotels: ‘Taking very good workers away'
Donald Trump appeared to concede that his aggressive anti-immigration campaign is debilitating American farmers and hotel businesses, marking a rare public admission that his promise of the 'largest deportation operation in American history' comes at a significant cost. 'Our great Farmers and people in the Hotel and Leisure business have been stating that our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long time workers away from them, with those jobs being almost impossible to replace,' the president wrote on Truth Social on Thursday. The president's comments follow a series of workplace raids targeting farm workers in southern California, a meat production plant in Nebraska and dairy farm workers in Vermont, among other operations affecting multi-billion dollar industries that employ tens of thousands of undocumented people. More than 40 percent of the nation's crop workers are undocumented, according to estimates from the Department of Agriculture. Foreign-born workers make up as much as 90 percent of meat processing and dairy workers in some states. More than 1 million undocumented people worked across the hospitality industry — including hotels and restaurants — making up more than 7 percent of the workforce, according to an analysis of 2020 data by legal advocacy group American Immigration Council. Recent federal labor data showed the size of the nation's workforce was shrinking last month, partially due to the largest and ongoing decline of foreign-born workers in the labor force since 2020. In Thursday's Truth Social post, Trump shifted former President Joe Biden for 'criminals' who are now 'applying for those jobs' and pushing others out. 'This is not good. We must protect our Farmers, but get the CRIMINALS OUT OF THE USA. Changes are coming!' Trump wrote. It is unclear what those changes would be and when they will arrive. In a statement to The Independent, assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the agency 'will follow the President's direction and continue to work to get the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens off of America's streets.' In April, the president suggested that undocumented people working on farms and in hotels would be allowed to leave the country and return as legal workers if their employers could vouch for them. 'We have to take care of our farmers, the hotels and, you know, the various places where they tend to, where they tend to need people,' he said during a cabinet meeting in April. 'So a farmer will come in with a letter concerning certain people, saying they're great, they're working hard,' he added. 'We're going to slow it down a little bit for them, and then we're going to ultimately bring them back. They'll go out. They're going to come back as legal workers." His latest statement follows the administration's ramped-up immigration enforcement efforts across the country, including raids and sweeping arrests that sparked recent protests in Los Angeles and elsewhere. The administration has revoked legal status for tens of thousands of immigrants, and immigration judges have been instructed to drop cases for hundreds of others, making potentially millions of people vulnerable to arrest and swift removal from the country. White House policy chief Stephen Miller, the architect of the president's anti-immigration platform, has put pressure on Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to arrest 3,000 people a day. He reportedly told officials to 'just go out there and arrest illegal aliens.' Viral footage from a farm raid in Oxnard, California this week shows federal agents and a speeding white van chasing workers through a field of crops. 'These actions are completely unjustified and harmful,' Oxnard Mayor Luis McArthur said in a statement. 'They create chaos and distress in our community without contributing much to public safety.' People targeted in those raids are 'hardworking families who make meaningful contributions to our local economy and to our greater community,' he said. The state's two Democratic senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff are 'deeply alarmed' by reports of workplace raids in the state. 'California is the nation's largest agricultural state, and without the people who work through harsh conditions — extreme heat, cold weather, or pouring rain — feeding the nation would be impossible, and putting food on the table would be much more expensive for American families,' they said in a statement. 'While the Trump Administration repeatedly claims it is focused on violent criminals and gangs, their draconian actions tell a different story,' the senators added. 'Targeting hardworking farm workers and their families who have been doing the backbreaking work in the fields for decades is unjustified and unconscionable.' The United Farm Workers union said the Oxnard raid and similar actions in Ventura, Kern and Tulare counties amount to 'an attack on Californians and a dangerous waste of resources.' 'Indiscriminate raids and chaotic sweeps put public safety at risk,' the group said. Immigration agents also arrested at least 100 people at an Omaha meat production plant this week. At least 74 people remain in custody, according to the Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement advocacy group.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Trump mocked over ‘tiny' crowd at his military parade as video goes viral; Here's how many people attended the event
President Donald Trump faced criticism online Saturday after his military-themed birthday parade drew a smaller-than-expected crowd near the Washington Monument. The event, held to mark Trump's birthday and the 250th anniversary of the US military, was also met with heavy protests and bad weather. The crowd appeared thin on the National Mall, with steady rain dampening the turnout. The parade, which reportedly cost an estimated $45 million, featured dozens of troops, tanks, and historical reenactors. However, several planned flyovers were canceled due to worsening weather conditions, while others were barely visible through thick cloud cover. The event also began 30 minutes early due to the forecast. One of the Twitter user wrote, 'That's not far from a busy weekend afternoon on the Mall size crowd. If you're able to throw around a football without annoying people, it's not a big crowd.' Also Read: JD Vance blasted for children's behavior at Trump's military parade: 'They're out of control' A different user wrote, 'HAHAHA! The crowd for Trump's birthday parade is TINY! They claimed 200,000 people would show up and it doesn't even look like 1,000 showed up. How embarrassing for MAGA! No Kings blew this out of the water!!!' Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, also weighed in. 'Having been to several large events on the Mall in my years living in DC... that is not a big crowd. Oof,' he posted on X. Despite the weather and criticism, Trump smiled and waved from his seat as troops marched down Constitution Avenue. The event included US soldiers dressed in uniforms from the Revolutionary War, World War II, and other conflicts. The estimated $45 million budget does not include the cost of potential damage to roads caused by the tanks. Army officials say they are prepared to cover those expenses, which could total between $3 million and $16 million.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawrence O'Donnell Flames Trump for Humiliating Surrender on Deportation Vow
Lawrence O'Donnell has called Trump the 'slowest and stupidest president in history' for his recent realization that farm-working migrants are essential to the U.S. economy. During his most recent flagellation of the president on The Last Word, the host tore into Trump's sudden realization that deporting all of the people who pick our crops might not be the best idea. 'It's over! The mass deportation lie that he never could have done anyway is over and Donald Trump formally, publicly, gave up today,' O'Donnell argued on Thursday's show. It comes after Trump slightly walked back on his promise to deport immigrants en masse. 'Our great Farmers and people in the Hotel and Leisure business have been stating that our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long-time workers away from them, with those jobs being almost impossible to replace,' he wrote on Truth Social earlier on Thursday. The Department of Agriculture estimates that over 40 percent of crop workers in the U.S. are undocumented. Analysis of 2020 data by the legal advocacy group American Immigration Council suggests that over 1 million undocumented migrants are working in the hotel and hospitality industries. Trump tried to soften his reversal by bashing Joe Biden and railing against boogeymen. 'In many cases the Criminals allowed into our Country by the VERY Stupid Biden Open Borders Policy are applying for those jobs. This is not good. We must protect our Farmers, but get the CRIMINALS OUT OF THE USA. Changes are coming!' his post continued. But O'Donnell saw through it. 'According to Donald Trump today, all of those people can stay. Millions and millions and millions of people can stay... most of the people without documents,' he said. The host added that Trump explained his decision in a 'typically incoherent, mental acuity-challenged way' Trump later said in a press conference that 'our farmers have been hurt badly' and while 'they're not citizens, they've turned out to be great.' 'We can't do that to our farmers,' he added. 'Donald Trump has just learned that today, what everybody else knew for years. In defense of those people who Donald Trump was calling murderers and rapists, everything we've been saying I guess has finally sunk in with Donald Trump. The slowest and stupidest president in history,' the host raged. O'Donnell suggested that 'the stupidest man in the room finally realizes the Democrats are completely right about this and always have been.' It was a 'huge surrender' by Trump, he added. In a parting blow, he called Trump the 'stupidest, most dangerous president this country has ever had to endure.'
