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<ol><li><h2 class="ReadMsgSubject" style="line-height: 24px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><font size="3">Two on Detroit Union Concessionsþ </font></h2></li><li><font size="3"><b><span style="color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 17px; ">Labor's David vs. GOP Goliath</span> </b></font></li><li><font size="3"><b><a href="http://act.alternet.org/go/17168?akid=8458.16102.7FCYL7&t=12" target="_blank" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 20px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); cursor: pointer; ">Even With Daisey’s Lies Peeled Away, Apple’s Rotten Core Exposed</a> </b></font></li><li><h2 class="ReadMsgSubject" style="line-height: 24px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><font size="3">YOU Can Help Protect Healthcare!þ </font></h2></li><li><h2 class="ReadMsgSubject" style="line-height: 24px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><font size="3">Casino Workers Seek Fair Processþ </font></h2></li><li><h2 class="ReadMsgSubject" style="line-height: 24px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><font size="3">3/23: State and Local Immigration Updates: SC, TX, AL, RI, AZ, LA (NCLR)</font><font face="Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 19px; "> </font><span style="font-weight: normal; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt; "> </span><span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma; "> </span></h2></li></ol><div><br></div><div>@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@</div><div><br></div><div><pre style="line-height: 17px; white-space: normal; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Two on Detroit Union Concessions<br><br>Dictatorship of the technocrats in Greece and Detroit<br><br>March 21, 2012 by William Rogers 1 Comment<br><br><a href="http://leftlaborreporter.wordpress.com/2012/03/21/dictatorship-of-the-technocrats-in-greece-and-detroit/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; ">http://leftlaborreporter.wordpress.com/2012/03/21/dictatorship-of-the-technocrats-in-greece-and-detroit/</a><br><br>Left Labor Reporter<br><br><br>More than 20 years ago, Lucio Magri of the now defunct<br>Communist Party of Italy observed that because of<br>capitalism's internal logic, which is to expand<br>privilege for the few at the expense of the many,<br>Capital from time to time runs afoul of formal<br>democracy. When this happens Capital's impulse is to<br>suppress democracy.<br><br>Post-industrial Capital's first choice for doing so,<br>according to Magri, is neither an authoritarian<br>dictatorship nor fascism; instead, it prefers to endow<br>appointed experts with the authority to supersede<br>elected officials-a dictatorship of the technocrats if<br>you will. Two examples are now underway on both sides<br>of the Atlantic.<br><br>In Greece, the European Commission, European Central<br>Bank, and International Monetary Fund last November<br>demanded and received the resignation of Prime Minister<br>George Papandreou after he suggested that Greeks should<br>vote whether to accept austerity measures proposed by<br>the three institutions, which have become known as the<br>Troika. The Troika demanded the austerity measures in<br>return for loans to help Greece service its huge debt<br>obligation. Papandreou was replaced by an unelected,<br>MIT-educated banker with a PhD in economics.<br><br>Back in the US, Michigan's governor and Detroit's mayor<br>are negotiating an agreement designed to deal with the<br>city's heavy debt load. The agreement, called a consent<br>decree, would result in the appointment of a Financial<br>Advisory Board with the authority to reduce and<br>privatize city services, terminate contracts with<br>public service workers' unions, and ignore elected<br>officials on the City Council.<br><br>The Troika was reluctant to allow a vote on its<br>austerity plan. It would impoverish more Greeks and was<br>opposed by a nine to one margin. The Troika believed<br>that a popular rejection of its plan would lead to a<br>disorderly default on the country's debt, which would<br>jeopardize the worldwide banking system; consequently,<br>it had Papandreou replaced with Lucas Papademos, who<br>served as Vice-President of the European Central Bank<br>between 2002 and 2010.<br><br>Papademos then oversaw the imposition of the country's<br>second round of austerity measures in two years.<br>Meanwhile, the Troika organized an orderly default that<br>cost private bondholders dearly, but prevented, at<br>least so far, a general fallout.<br><br>Meanwhile, the austerity plan for a second time cut<br>pensions, slashed services, reduced pay for government<br>employees, and reduced the minimum wage. Annual<br>economic growth has been reduced to -7 percent and<br>business curtailed so badly that a strong economic<br>recovery that could alleviate the current misery is<br>unlikely.<br><br>Like Greece, Detroit, the US city hit hardest by the<br>nation's de-industrialization policies, is in financial<br>trouble. Only two auto plants remain in the Motor City,<br>and a population that once exceeded a million is now<br>about 700,000. As a result, the city's tax base and<br>revenue have shrunk leaving the city mired in debt.<br><br>Last summer, Mayor Dave Bing insisted that city<br>employee unions agree to concessions to help the city<br>service its debt. The unions were reluctant, but<br>eventually agreed. Michigan's governor Rick Snyder said<br>that the concessions weren't enough and prepared to<br>implement Michigan's Emergency Management Act, which<br>allows the governor to appoint financial managers with<br>broad powers to manage local governments in financial<br>distress.<br><br>Last week Michigan's state treasurer Andy Dillon<br>drafted a consent decree outlining how the Emergency<br>Management Act would be implemented. The draft calls<br>for the appointment of a nine-member Financial Advisory<br>Board and a chief financial officer, a chief operating<br>officer, and a chief human resources officer. The board<br>and the newly appointed officers would manage the<br>city's day-to-day affairs. The mayor would retain some<br>policy-making functions, but the City Council would be<br>reduced to a rubber stamp.<br><br>Negotiations between the mayor and governor over the<br>consent decree have faltered over details, but if an<br>agreement is reached, the first order of business for<br>the appointed advisory panel and the city's new<br>officers will be to reduce city services and<br>unilaterally break the city's contracts with its<br>workers' unions.<br><br>Al Garrett, president of AFSCME Council 25, which<br>represents 60,000 city workers in the State of<br>Michigan, said the purpose of the consent decree is to<br>make sure that the city does not default on its loans.<br>"There's no concern about services, or with the city<br>living up to its contracts," Garrett said. "It's about<br>making sure that bond holders are paid."<br><br>The bankers' coup in Greece will expire in April when<br>new elections are held, but Garrett says that the<br>consent degree contains no time limit for how long the<br>Financial Advisory Board would run the city. "The only<br>people protected by the consent decree are the Wall<br>Street folks," Garrett said.<br><br><br><br>30 Detroit labor unions ratify concessions in hopes of averting emergency manager<br><br><a href="http://www.freep.com/article/20120323/NEWS01/120323029/30-Detroit-labor-unions-ratify-concessions-hopes-averting-emergency-manager" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; ">http://www.freep.com/article/20120323/NEWS01/120323029/30-Detroit-labor-unions-ratify-concessions-hopes-averting-emergency-manager</a><br><br>Steve Neavling<br><br>Detroit Free Press<br><br>March 23, 2012<br><br>A key coalition of 30 labor unions representing city of<br>Detroit workers ratified new concessionary contracts<br>this week, less than a week before Gov. Rick Snyder is<br>expected to decide on appointing an emergency manager<br>or reaching a consent agreement with the city's elected<br>officials.<br><br>"We want to fix Detroit together," Ed McNeil, special<br>assistant to President Al Garrett, AFSCME Council 25,<br>who cochaired the coalition's negotiating team, said in<br>announcing the agreements today.<br><br>"This is not a short-term fix but a long-term process<br>to turn the city around."<br><br>Union negotiations are considered the cornerstone of<br>any plan to save the city from financial ruin.<br><br>City Council is expected to approve the concessions<br>next week.<br><br>But whether those concessions are enough remains an<br>open question.<br><br>Under the current agreement, the city would save about<br>$54 million a year in concessions -- less than half what<br>Mayor Dave Bing originally wanted.<br><br>Other savings include $14 million in layoffs and about<br>$100 million in new revenue by aggressively collecting<br>past due taxes and parking tickets, but those were<br>plans already under way before the negotiations.<br><br>Still, union leaders stepped up the rhetoric against<br>more state intervention, saying the concessions show<br>that city leaders and workers are willing to make big<br>sacrifices for the survival of the city.<br><br>"When the union members see a need, we step up each and<br>every time to meet that need," said Richard Mack, the<br>coalition's attorney who helped with the negotiations.<br>"We are going to make sure the city gets back in the<br>black within a year."<br><br>But even if council approves the new labor deals, the<br>state still says it has the authority to wipe out the<br>contracts under an emergency manager.<br><br>Bing's administration called the ratifications<br>"historic and precedent-setting."<br><br>"These ratified agreements, reached before their<br>existing contracts expired, reflect how labor and<br>management can work together in a fair and constructive<br>way," said Bing Chief of Staff Kirk Lewis. "The<br>agreements also provide checks and balances that hold<br>both unions and Mayor Bing's administration<br>accountable."<br><br>Contact Steve Neavling: sneavling@freepress.com.<br><br>____________________________________________<br><br>PortsideLabor aims to provide material of interest to<br>people on the left that will help them to interpret the<br>world and to change it.</pre><pre style="line-height: 17px; white-space: normal; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br></pre></div><div>@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@</div><div><br></div><div><font style="color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><strong style="line-height: 17px; font-weight: bold; ">Labor's David vs. GOP Goliath</strong></font><br style="line-height: 17px; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Dick Meister, Dick Meister's Blog: "Organized labor is doing exactly what it must do to combat the onslaught against unions being waged by Republican politicians nationwide, throwing lots of money and lots of ground troops into the election campaigns of Democrats - most especially President Obama's campaign for re-election. The AFL-CIO made it official with a ringing endorsement of Obama." </span><br style="line-height: 17px; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><a href="http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=Uuc3NjZDBSAWBvFBEYN0/3KAuEPSgWmf" target="_blank" style="line-height: 17px; color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><font color="#cc0000" style="line-height: normal; ">Read the Article</font></a><span style="color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> </span>
</div><div><span style="color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br></span></div><div>@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@</div><div><br></div><div><table width="415px" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" style="line-height: 17px; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><tbody><tr><td valign="top"><a href="http://act.alternet.org/go/17168?akid=8458.16102.7FCYL7&t=11" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><img src="http://images.alternet.org/images/managed/storyimages_picture11_1275519205.jpg_95x68" alt="" width="112" height="81" border="0" align="left" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; "></a></td><td><font color="white" style="line-height: normal; ">-</font></td><td valign="top"><p class="ecxheadline3" style="line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; "><font style="line-height: normal; "><a href="http://act.alternet.org/go/17168?akid=8458.16102.7FCYL7&t=12" target="_blank" style="line-height: 20px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); cursor: pointer; ">Even With Daisey’s Lies Peeled Away, Apple’s Rotten Core Exposed</a></font></p><p style="line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-size: 12px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); "><font style="line-height: normal; ">If one fundamental truth has emerged from the scandal surrounding Daisey’s fudging, it’s that the lived reality of many Chinese workers is bleak—no embellishment needed. <a href="http://act.alternet.org/go/17168?akid=8458.16102.7FCYL7&t=13" class="ecxreadmore" target="_blank" style="line-height: 11px; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(202, 133, 0); cursor: pointer; font-size: 9px; letter-spacing: 0.1em; "><b style="font-weight: bold; ">READ MORE</b></a></font></p><font style="line-height: normal; "><p style="line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; color: rgb(77, 77, 77); "><font style="line-height: normal; ">By Michelle Chen / In These Times</font></p><p style="line-height: 14px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; color: rgb(77, 77, 77); "><font style="line-height: normal; "><br></font></p></font></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@</div><div><br></div><div><table width="626" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="line-height: 17px; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><tbody><tr><td align="center" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: center; "> </td></tr><tr><td style="border-top-width: 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-width: 10px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><center><img border="0" align="center" src="http://uhw.seiu.org/page/-/email-images/seiu-uhw-email-header-p.jpg" title="SEIU-UHW United Healthcare Workers West" alt="SEIU-UHW United Healthcare Workers West"></center></td></tr></tbody></table><table width="626" cellpadding="20" cellspacing="0" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" style="line-height: 17px; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><tbody><tr><td bgcolor="#FFFFFF" align="left" valign="top" style="line-height: 18px; font-size: 12px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left; "><p style="line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 6px; ">Dear UHW Supporter,</p><div style="line-height: 15px; "> </div><div style="line-height: 15px; ">Two years ago, we worked with President Barack Obama to pass the Affordable Care Act. Already it has dramatically increased access to quality healthcare for millions of Americans: </div><p style="line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 6px; "><img align="right" alt="" height="194" src="http://uhw.seiu.org/page/-/Obama-and-members.jpg" width="250" style="margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; "></p><ul style="line-height: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 1em; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 1em; "><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-left: 0px; ">Children are covered up to age 26</li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-left: 0px; ">Lifetime coverage caps are ended</li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-left: 0px; ">No child under 19 can be denied coverage due to a pre-existing condition</li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-left: 0px; ">Free preventive care and more prescription coverage for Medicare recipients</li></ul><div style="line-height: 15px; ">But now, the Affordable Care Act is under attack by politicians who would like to see it dismantled, and next week, the Supreme Court will be hearing arguments on whether to uphold or strike down the law.</div><div style="line-height: 15px; "> </div><div style="line-height: 15px; ">Our politicians need to hear how healthcare reform has had an impact on our lives. <strong style="font-weight: bold; "><a href="http://uhw.seiu.org/page/m/18a1d324/1744dce/5f2bb721/389d54b/3014878688/VEsH/" target="_blank" style="font-weight: inherit; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); cursor: pointer; "><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); ">Will you tell them what the Affordable Care Act has meant to you?</span></a></strong></div><div style="line-height: 15px; "> </div><div style="line-height: 15px; ">For me, the Affordable Care Act means that my daughter Dezeray, a leukemia survivor, can stay on my insurance until she’s 26, with no fear of being rejected for insurance coverage because of her “pre-existing condition.”</div><div style="line-height: 15px; "> </div><div style="line-height: 15px; "><strong style="font-weight: bold; ">And this is just the beginning of what this law will do.</strong> Even more improvements to healthcare are coming in 2014:</div><ul style="line-height: 15px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 1em; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 1em; "><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-left: 0px; ">32 million more will be covered</li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-left: 0px; ">Medicaid Coverage will be expanded to 134% of Federal Poverty Level (FPL)</li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-left: 0px; ">Subsidized coverage through exchanges for those who can’t get affordable care at work</li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-left: 0px; ">No annual maximums on essential benefits</li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-left: 0px; ">No waiting period will be more than 90 days</li><li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 3px; margin-left: 0px; ">No excluding adults for pre-existing conditions</li></ul><div style="line-height: 15px; ">The Affordable Care Act has brought healthcare to millions of people who previously couldn't access it.<strong style="font-weight: bold; ">Now, we must stand together to protect it. </strong>Our politicians need to hear from you about why they should uphold the Affordable Care Act.</div><div style="line-height: 15px; "> </div><div style="line-height: 15px; "><strong style="font-weight: bold; ">Let's make sure they hear our stories: What has the Affordable Care Act meant to you, your family, or your patients? How will it change your life or the life of others you know? <a href="http://uhw.seiu.org/page/m/18a1d324/1744dce/5f2bb721/389d54b/3014878688/VEsE/" target="_blank" style="font-weight: inherit; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); cursor: pointer; "><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); ">Fill out this story form, and tell Congress why they need to protect the Affordable Care Act.</span></a></strong></div><div style="line-height: 15px; "> </div><p style="line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 6px; "> </p><p style="line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 6px; ">In Unity,</p><p style="line-height: 15px; margin-bottom: 6px; ">Denise Ybarra,<br>Kaiser Mountain View</p> <br style="line-height: 15px; "> <br style="line-height: 15px; "> <br style="line-height: 15px; "></td></tr><tr><td valign="top" style="border-top-width: 1px; border-top-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); "><span style="line-height: 10px; font-size: 10px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; "><br style="line-height: 13px; "> <br style="line-height: 13px; "><div style="line-height: 13px; border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-right-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-bottom-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-left-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); border-image: initial; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; text-align: center; ">SEIU United Healthcare Workers - West</div> <br style="line-height: 13px; "><div style="line-height: 13px; text-align: center; ">560 Thomas L. Berkley Way, Oakland, CA 94612</div></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></div><div><br></div><div>@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@</div><div><br></div><div><table align="center" width="700" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" style="line-height: 17px; "><tbody><tr><td><table align="center" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" style="line-height: 17px; "><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=Vj8/HB7bLrFQATRvikkhdGC6Y7Df7kk8" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><img border="0" alt="" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/aflcionowblog_700x100.jpg" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; "></a></td></tr><tr><td><table align="left" width="700" cellpadding="13" border="0" style="line-height: 17px; "><tbody><tr><td><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: Verdana; "><b style="font-weight: bold; ">March 23, 2012</b></span></p><table align="right" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="7" border="0" style="line-height: 17px; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); width: 22px; height: 38px; "><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center; "><a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=DtAO/8i7DX188JGVKXg60WC6Y7Df7kk8" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><img border="0" alt="Corporate tax loophole" title="Corporate tax loophole" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/How-Much-for.jpg" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; "></a><br><span style="line-height: 13px; font-size: 10px; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; "><a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=qD/CPqIDC%2B9tnMyZvvwcU2C6Y7Df7kk8" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><font color="navy" style="line-height: normal; ">A new report follows the money from corporate congressional campaign contributions to tax loopholes and lack of congressional action to make corporations pay their fair share</font></a>.</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">The majority of workers at Station Casinos, the third largest private employer in the Las Vegas area, have signed a petition urging a fair process, free of managerial interference, to decide whether to have union representation. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka says, “What these workers are calling for is simple, an end to the bullying and an end to the illegal behavior by bosses.”<br><a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=u/Ba6JvaugtPJKmzWMpgUWC6Y7Df7kk8" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><font color="navy" style="line-height: normal; ">Read more and comment</font></b></a><b style="font-weight: bold; "><font color="navy" style="line-height: normal; ">.</font></b> <img src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/navy_arrow.jpg" alt=""></span></p><hr align="left" width="30%" color="#cccccc" style="color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/button_most-recent-blog-posts_225.jpg" alt=""></p><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img border="0" alt="" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/blog_arrow-blt.gif"> <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=JDwmTnSckQ23meTRserW3mC6Y7Df7kk8" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><font face="Arial" color="navy" style="line-height: normal; "><strong style="line-height: 17px; font-weight: bold; ">How Much for That Corporate Tax Loophole?</strong></font></a></p><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img border="0" alt="" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/blog_arrow-blt.gif"> <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=KxLXfoS8DTgzCBj3QGpB8r4plPTJ7WLJ" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><font face="Arial" color="navy" style="line-height: normal; "><strong style="line-height: 17px; font-weight: bold; ">Affordable Care Act Has Helped Millions and Saved Billions</strong></font></a></p><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img border="0" alt="" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/blog_arrow-blt.gif"> <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=as0K3/0TUIi4Lxw1FicU3GC6Y7Df7kk8" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><font face="Arial" color="navy" style="line-height: normal; "><strong style="line-height: 17px; font-weight: bold; ">Kaiser Health Care Workers Take Public Health Campaign to the Streets</strong></font></a></p><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img border="0" alt="" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/blog_arrow-blt.gif"> <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=%2BmEH94%2Bjt/EDD60nNilgh2C6Y7Df7kk8" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><font face="Arial" color="navy" style="line-height: normal; "><strong style="line-height: 17px; font-weight: bold; ">Senate Sides with Wall Street. Passes So-Called JOBS Act</strong></font></a></p><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img border="0" alt="" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/blog_arrow-blt.gif"> <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=B6BIQhihXTw//ReiE763A2C6Y7Df7kk8" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><font face="Arial" color="navy" style="line-height: normal; "><strong style="line-height: 17px; font-weight: bold; ">Policy, Not Productivity, Behind Manufacturing Job Loss</strong></font></a></p><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img border="0" alt="" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/blog_arrow-blt.gif"> <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=vmlLdi07sWdlKviPQ8hzSGC6Y7Df7kk8" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><font face="Arial" color="navy" style="line-height: normal; "><strong style="line-height: 17px; font-weight: bold; ">California Labor Launches ‘Invest in California’ Jobs Plan for the 99%</strong></font></a></p><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img border="0" alt="" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/blog_arrow-blt.gif"> <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=dutk%2BxdLROzAEJ7/6P2L2mC6Y7Df7kk8" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><font face="Arial" color="navy" style="line-height: normal; "><strong style="line-height: 17px; font-weight: bold; ">Ah, Peace and Quiet—For CEOs</strong></font></a></p><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><img border="0" alt="" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/blog_arrow-blt.gif"> <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=Suyy9oL48oHIa9lGn1rWhmC6Y7Df7kk8" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><font face="Arial" color="navy" style="line-height: normal; "><strong style="line-height: 17px; font-weight: bold; ">Look Behind ‘Stand Your Ground’: You’ll Find ALEC</strong></font></a></p><hr align="left" width="30%" color="#cccccc" style="color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=KSRucHDWsmOh351%2BJD/kSL4plPTJ7WLJ" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><span style="font-family: Verdana; "><strong style="font-weight: bold; "><font color="navy" style="line-height: normal; ">Read more important news</font></strong></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana; "> of the day on the issues working families care about.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></p><table align="center" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="7" bordercolor="#cccccc" border="1" style="line-height: 17px; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><tbody><tr><td><table align="center" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" style="line-height: 17px; "><tbody><tr><td align="center" valign="middle"><p style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><nobr><span style="font-size: 13px; "><span style="font-family: Arial; "><strong style="font-weight: bold; ">Follow the AFL-CIO:</strong></span></span><strong style="font-weight: bold; "><br></strong><a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=UlLfRpM48B8aDNtcIlrrHGC6Y7Df7kk8" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><img border="0" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/images/icon_24x24_facebook.jpg" alt="Facebook" title="Facebook" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; "></a> <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=Iw5cfg3EgnfoGg0a5GcYNWC6Y7Df7kk8" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><img border="0" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/images/icon_24x24_twitter.jpg" alt="Twitter" title="Twitter" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; "></a> <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=CLNtmg7q4tGkOJ%2B491d/hmC6Y7Df7kk8" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><img border="0" src="http://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/c/18/images/icon_24x24_googleplus.jpg" alt="Google+" title="Google+" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; "></a> <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=MVE/OFDHDPieaTI/%2B0%2B5BmC6Y7Df7kk8" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><img border="0" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/images/icon_24x24_youtube2.jpg" alt="YouTube" title="YouTube" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; "></a> <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=bCVywIv41RfLJK%2Ba%2BPZMNWC6Y7Df7kk8" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><img border="0" src="https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/4001/images/icon_24x24_rss.jpg" alt="RSS" title="RSS" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; "></a></nobr></p></td></tr><tr><td><p align="center" style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; "><span style="font-family: Arial; "><span style="font-size: 13px; "><em><nobr>Take the next step. Become a mobile activist</nobr><br><nobr>by joining the AFL-CIO Rapid Action Text Team.</nobr><br><nobr>Text <strong style="font-weight: bold; ">NEWS</strong> to <strong style="font-weight: bold; ">AFLCIO (235246)</strong> to receive action alerts and more.</nobr><br>(Message and data rates may apply.)<br></em></span></span></p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><p align="center" style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: Verdana; ">To find out more about the AFL-CIO, please visit our website at <a href="http://act.aflcio.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=4sl8Ik00FC9uhjyXfmajPWC6Y7Df7kk8" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 104, 207); cursor: pointer; "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><font color="navy" style="line-height: normal; ">www.aflcio.org</font></b></a>.</span></p><br><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@</div><div><br></div><div><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><a title="http://www.nclr.org/index.php/issues_and_programs/immigration/state_local_immigration_initiatives/" href="http://www.nclr.org/index.php/issues_and_programs/immigration/state_local_immigration_initiatives/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(30, 102, 174); cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana; "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; "><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><img src="" title="http://www.nclr.org/index.php/issues_and_programs/immigration/state_local_immigration_initiatives/" height="122" alt="http://www.nclr.org/index.php/issues_and_programs/immigration/state_local_immigration_initiatives/" width="660" border="0" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; "></span></b></a><b style="font-weight: bold; "><u></u><u></u></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><u></u> <u></u></b></p><p style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; ">1.<span style="line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal; "> </span></b><b style="font-weight: bold; ">SC: South Carolina Immigration Law Exempts Sitters, Housekeepers, Farmworkers<a title="http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2012/03/19/south-carolina-immigration-law-exempts-babysitters-housekeepers-and-farmworkers/#ixzz1peqkMCld" href="http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2012/03/19/south-carolina-immigration-law-exempts-babysitters-housekeepers-and-farmworkers/#ixzz1peqkMCld" target="_blank" style="font-weight: inherit; color: rgb(30, 102, 174); cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana; "><span style="color: blue; ">http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2012/03/19/south-carolina-immigration-law-exempts-babysitters-housekeepers-and-farmworkers/#ixzz1peqkMCld</span></a> -- </b>Immigration laws fuel fear in many immigrant communities, but in South Carolina, some undocumented immigrants have no need to worry about the state’s tough new law.<b style="font-weight: bold; "> </b>The law, which seeks to crack down undocumented workers by requiring employers to verify their immigration status through a federal database, does not apply to farm workers, housekeepers and nannies.<b style="font-weight: bold; "><u></u><u></u></b></p><p style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; ">2.<span style="line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal; "> </span></b><b style="font-weight: bold; ">TX: Jury Still Out on Local Immigration Enforcement <u><span style="color: blue; "><a title="http://www.texastribune.org/immigration-in-texas/immigration/what-does-farmers-branch-case-mean-texas/" href="http://www.texastribune.org/immigration-in-texas/immigration/what-does-farmers-branch-case-mean-texas/" target="_blank" style="font-weight: inherit; color: rgb(30, 102, 174); cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana; "><span style="color: blue; ">http://www.texastribune.org/immigration-in-texas/immigration/what-does-farmers-branch-case-mean-texas/</span></a> -- </span></u></b>Wednesday's ruling that the city of Farmers Branch does not have the authority to enact immigration legislation sends a stern warning to municipalities intent on enacting similar laws, attorneys for the plaintiffs argue. But they caution that it doesn’t mean every form of immigration enforcement passed by local or state agencies won't hold up in court.<b style="font-weight: bold; "><u></u><u></u></b></p><p style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; ">3.<span style="line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal; "> </span></b><b style="font-weight: bold; ">AL: Delegation in Birmingham to look at impact of Alabama's immigration law on women and children<u><span style="color: blue; "><a title="http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2012/03/delegation_in_birmingham_to_lo.html" href="http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2012/03/delegation_in_birmingham_to_lo.html" target="_blank" style="font-weight: inherit; color: rgb(30, 102, 174); cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana; "><span style="color: blue; ">http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2012/03/delegation_in_birmingham_to_lo.html</span></a></span></u> -- </b>We Belong Together, a delegation of women from 17 groups around the nation, was in Birmingham on Wednesday and today to look at the impact Alabama's immigration law has had on women and children.<b style="font-weight: bold; "> </b>Today the group held a 2-hour roundtable discussion at St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Birmingham to discuss the impact of anti-immigrant attacks on families and the role women can play in the struggle for immigrant rights. About 80 people attended today's event.<b style="font-weight: bold; "><u></u><u></u></b></p><p style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; ">4.<span style="line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal; "> </span></b><b style="font-weight: bold; ">RI: Bill requiring R.I. companies to verify workers' immigration status introduced at Assembly<a title="http://news.providencejournal.com/politics/2012/03/bill-requiring-ri-companies-to-verify-workers-immigration-status-introduced.html" href="http://news.providencejournal.com/politics/2012/03/bill-requiring-ri-companies-to-verify-workers-immigration-status-introduced.html" target="_blank" style="font-weight: inherit; color: rgb(30, 102, 174); cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana; ">http://news.providencejournal.com/politics/2012/03/bill-requiring-ri-companies-to-verify-workers-immigration-status-introduced.html</a> </b>-- Legislation requiring Rhode Island companies to verify that their employees are eligible to work in the U.S. has again been submitted at the General Assembly.<b style="font-weight: bold; "> </b>The proposal, introduced by Rep. Peter J. Palumbo, D-Cranston, would require companies with three or more employees apply to participate in the national "E-Verify" program. The free Internet-based system, run by the federal government, lets businesses determine their employees' eligibility to work in the country.<b style="font-weight: bold; "><u></u><u></u></b></p><p style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; ">5.<span style="line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal; "> </span></b><b style="font-weight: bold; ">AZ</b><b style="font-weight: bold; ">: U.S. argues Arizona immigration law unconstitutional <a title="http://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2012/03/us-argues-arizona-immigration-law-unconstitutional-117932.html" href="http://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2012/03/us-argues-arizona-immigration-law-unconstitutional-117932.html" target="_blank" style="font-weight: inherit; color: rgb(30, 102, 174); cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana; "><span style="color: blue; ">http://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2012/03/us-argues-arizona-immigration-law-unconstitutional-117932.html</span></a> -- </b>In a brief filed Tuesday, the Justice Department asked the Supreme Court to find unconstitutional Arizona's law aimed at cracking down on illegal immigrants.<b style="font-weight: bold; "><u></u><u></u></b></p><p style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; ">6.<span style="line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal; "> </span></b><b style="font-weight: bold; ">LA:</b><b style="font-weight: bold; "> New Orleans drawing undocumented workers from elsewhere in south <u><span style="color: blue; "><a title="http://inamerica.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/14/new-orleans-drawing-illegal-immigrants-from-elsewhere-in-south/" href="http://inamerica.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/14/new-orleans-drawing-illegal-immigrants-from-elsewhere-in-south/" target="_blank" style="font-weight: inherit; color: rgb(30, 102, 174); cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana; "><span style="color: blue; ">http://inamerica.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/14/new-orleans-drawing-illegal-immigrants-from-elsewhere-in-south/</span></a></span></u> -- </b>Humberto Guzman drove big rigs in Alabama for two months. As an undocumented immigrant from Honduras, he feared being deported everyday.<b style="font-weight: bold; "> </b>“The police would come after us a lot,” Guzman said. “Where we parked was the problem because they always asked us for our papers.”<b style="font-weight: bold; "><u></u><u></u></b></p><p style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; ">7.<span style="line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal; "> </span></b><b style="font-weight: bold; ">AL:</b><b style="font-weight: bold; "> Immigrants could take up slack for aging Alabama </b><a title="http://annistonstar.com/bookmark/17735894-Immigrants-could-take-up-slack-for-aging-Alabama" href="http://annistonstar.com/bookmark/17735894-Immigrants-could-take-up-slack-for-aging-Alabama" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(30, 102, 174); cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana; "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="color: blue; ">http://annistonstar.com/bookmark/17735894-Immigrants-could-take-up-slack-for-aging-Alabama</span></b></a><b style="font-weight: bold; "> -- </b>Alabama has a real immigrant problem, says Yanyi Djamba.<b style="font-weight: bold; "> </b>The problem is that there aren’t enough immigrants.<b style="font-weight: bold; "> </b>“If anything, we need more of them,” said Djamba, director of the Center for Demographic Research at Auburn University at Montgomery. “In Alabama — especially in Alabama — if we look at the population of people who are over 65, it’s going to increase dramatically. At some point, we will face a shortage of skills and workers.”<b style="font-weight: bold; "><u></u><u></u></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><u></u> <u></u></b></p><div style="line-height: 17px; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-right-width: medium; border-right-style: none; border-right-color: initial; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-bottom-style: solid; "><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 1.35em; border-right-width: medium; border-right-style: none; border-right-color: initial; border-top-width: medium; border-top-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-left-width: medium; border-left-style: none; border-left-color: initial; border-bottom-width: medium; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-color: initial; "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><u><span style="line-height: 24px; font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u><span style="text-decoration: none; "> </span><u></u></span></u></b></p></div><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><u><span style="line-height: 24px; font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u><span style="text-decoration: none; "> </span><u></u></span></u></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><u><span style="line-height: 24px; font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Fox News Latino</span></u></b><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 24px; font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">: South Carolina Immigration Law Exempts Sitters, Housekeepers, Farmworkers<u></u><u></u></span></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 24px; font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">March 19, 2012<u></u><u></u></span></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 24px; font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><a title="http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2012/03/19/south-carolina-immigration-law-exempts-babysitters-housekeepers-and-farmworkers/#ixzz1peqkMCld" href="http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2012/03/19/south-carolina-immigration-law-exempts-babysitters-housekeepers-and-farmworkers/#ixzz1peqkMCld" target="_blank" style="font-weight: inherit; color: rgb(30, 102, 174); cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana; "><span style="color: blue; ">http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2012/03/19/south-carolina-immigration-law-exempts-babysitters-housekeepers-and-farmworkers/#ixzz1peqkMCld</span></a></span></b><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u><u></u></span></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Immigration laws fuel fear in many immigrant communities, but in South Carolina, some undocumented immigrants have no need to worry about the state’s tough new law.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">The law, which seeks to crack down undocumented workers by requiring employers to verify their immigration status through a federal database, does not apply to farm workers, housekeepers and nannies.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">The law went into effect January 1 and requires all private employers in South Carolina to use the federal E-Verify database to check newly hired employees' immigration status.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Bill supporter Sen. Chip Campsen says the loophole was necessary to get the legislation passed. The Charleston Republican says he opposed the exemption but said it doesn't make the bill ineffective.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Critics say it is unfair for legislators to create an exemption for select groups and not provide it to other small businesses.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">The exempted groups also include ministers and fishermen working in small crews.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">As in some others states that have passed anti-illegal immigration laws, some South Carolina officials have been mindful of the disapproval over such laws by many employers in the state’s $34 billion agribusiness sector.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Many agricultural employers have said strict immigration laws could leave them with a shortage of labor. Many employers have said such laws -- though drafted for people who are undocumented – tend to scare off legal immigrants, too.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">State legislators recently put aside legislation that would eliminate the state Migrant Farm Workers Commission, a resource of sorts for farm workers.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">The plan had been to incorporate the duties of the commission – made up of six farmers appointed by Gov. Nikki Haley, a Republican -- into the Commission for Minority Affairs.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">But critics said the commission was crucial. It handles a myriad of things – including health, labor conditions and transportation – concerning the workers.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">“Our state would be flat on its face and prostrate without migrant labor, and I don’t want to do anything that would negatively affect (it),” said Republican State Sen. Danny Verdin, according to Savannahnow.com. “We’re already in a fragile environment as it is relating to others aspects — immigration law.”<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><u><span style="line-height: 24px; font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u><span style="text-decoration: none; "> </span><u></u></span></u></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><u><span style="line-height: 24px; font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Texas Tribune</span></u></b><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 24px; font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">: Jury Still Out on Local Immigration Enforcement<u></u><u></u></span></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 24px; font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">By Julian Aguilar<u></u><u></u></span></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 24px; font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">March 23, 2012<u></u><u></u></span></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><u><span style="line-height: 24px; font-size: 14pt; color: blue; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><a title="http://www.texastribune.org/immigration-in-texas/immigration/what-does-farmers-branch-case-mean-texas/" href="http://www.texastribune.org/immigration-in-texas/immigration/what-does-farmers-branch-case-mean-texas/" target="_blank" style="font-weight: inherit; color: rgb(30, 102, 174); cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana; "><span style="color: blue; ">http://www.texastribune.org/immigration-in-texas/immigration/what-does-farmers-branch-case-mean-texas/</span></a></span></u></b><u><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; color: blue; "><u></u><u></u></span></u></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><u><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; color: blue; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u><span style="text-decoration: none; "> </span><u></u></span></u></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Wednesday's ruling that the city of Farmers Branch does not have the authority to enact immigration legislation sends a stern warning to municipalities intent on enacting similar laws, attorneys for the plaintiffs argue. But they caution that it doesn’t mean every form of immigration enforcement passed by local or state agencies won't hold up in court.</span><u></u><u></u></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">In the Farmers Branch case, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld a lower court’s decision that a city ordinance that banned illegal immigrants from renting housing in the Dallas suburb was unconstitutional because immigration enforcement falls under the purview of the federal government.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">“Because the sole purpose and effect of this ordinance is to target the presence of illegal aliens within the city of Farmers Branch and to cause their removal, it contravenes the federal government’s exclusive authority over the regulation of immigration and the conditions of residence in this country,” the court ruled.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Nina Perales, the vice president of litigation for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund who argued the case before the Fifth Circuit in October, didn’t downplay the significance of the ruling, which she said came from one of the most conservative appellate courts in the country.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">“This is a stern message from the federal court that ordinances that target people for expulsion based on their race or ethnicity are unconstitutional, even if you dress them up as local immigration laws,” she said.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">But while the ruling is a victory for immigrants in the realm of housing, she said the effects on other aspects of immigration law cannot be easily predicted. That’s because immigration laws are often packaged into big omnibus bills, she said — including some pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">“A lot of these laws are a smorgasbord,” she said. “Some have to do with police, some have to do with employment, day laborers, solicitation of employment, some with housing.”<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments in Arizona’s case against the federal government next month. Federal courts blocked portions of Senate Bill 1070, the state’s controversial immigration legislation, including a provision that makes it a state crime to be in the country illegally and another that requires local law enforcement officers to check the immigration status of people they suspect are in the country illegally.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">The bill is considered the landmark legislation that led several other states including Texas to pass or attempt to pass their own forms of immigration laws. The Texas Legislature tried twice in 2011 to pass a bill that would have denied state funds to local or state entities that prevented their law enforcement officers from inquiring into the immigration status of a person arrested or detained. The legislation, dubbed the “sanctuary cities” bill, failed to make it to Gov. Rick Perry's desk despite being deemed an emergency item.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Perales said no matter what the court’s ruling in the Arizona case is, it would be difficult to use it as a litmus test to forecast outcomes on other immigration cases.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">“It’s hard to make a prediction about whether any portion of an SB 1070 ruling would inspire further anti-immigrant laws,” she said. “What we have in Farmers Branch is aimed at housing. It’s different than a law that may address employment.”<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">To illustrate the complexity of the issue, Perales pointed to an earlier U.S. Supreme Court decision that upheld a different immigration law passed by the Arizona Legislature. In Chamber of Commerce of the United States v. Whiting, the court ruled 5-3 that the federal government’s Immigration Reform and Control Act did not preempt the state government from revoking the business licenses of employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. And it upheld Arizona's ability to mandate the use of E-Verify.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">State Rep. Burt Solomons, R-Carrollton, the author of a Texas-based immigration enforcement bill last legislative session, said Thursday that he suspected lawmakers would wait and see what becomes of the Arizona law before considering another attempt. But he said the issue would remain heated regardless of the ruling.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">“I suspect someone will try to move forward with [legislation],” he said. “There will still be attempts and I think that is going to continue until we see a national [immigration] reform.”<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">In the Farmers Branch case, the appellate court also touched on the notion that the immigration system is broken and needs a nationwide solution. Judge Thomas Reavley said that while millions of Latinos live in the country illegally, “a great majority live quietly, raise families, obey the law daily and do work for our country.”<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">“For all that they contribute to our welfare, they live in constant dread of being apprehended as illegal aliens and being evicted, perhaps having their families disrupted," he wrote. "As unsatisfactory as this situation is it is the immigration scheme we have today. Any verbal and legal discrimination against these people, as Farmers Branch exemplifies by this ordinance, exacerbate the difficulty of that immigration scheme.”<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Though Wednesday’s decision was limited to housing, Perales said it’s a major victory because it addresses the racial profiling potential attached to the ordinance.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">“The early part of the opinion says that the purpose of the ordinance is to push Latinos out of Farmers Branch, so you see a recognition in the decision that there was a strong racial element to what Farmers Branch had done,” she said.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">The City of Farmers Branch has three options, Perales said: drop the case altogether, request a review by the entire Fifth Circuit Court or petition to have the case heard by the U.S. Supreme Court.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><u><span style="line-height: 24px; font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">The Birmingham News</span></u></b><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 24px; font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">: Delegation in Birmingham to look at impact of Alabama's immigration law on women and children<u></u><u></u></span></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 24px; font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">By Kent Faulk<u></u><u></u></span></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 24px; font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">March 22, 2012<u></u><u></u></span></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><u><span style="line-height: 24px; font-size: 14pt; color: blue; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><a title="http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2012/03/delegation_in_birmingham_to_lo.html" href="http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2012/03/delegation_in_birmingham_to_lo.html" target="_blank" style="font-weight: inherit; color: rgb(30, 102, 174); cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana; "><span style="color: blue; ">http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2012/03/delegation_in_birmingham_to_lo.html</span></a></span></u></b><u><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; color: blue; "><u></u><u></u></span></u></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><u><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; color: blue; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u><span style="text-decoration: none; "> </span><u></u></span></u></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">We Belong Together, a delegation of women from 17 groups around the nation, was in Birmingham on Wednesday and today to look at the impact Alabama's immigration law has had on women and children.</span><u></u><u></u></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Today the group held a 2-hour roundtable discussion at St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Birmingham to discuss the impact of anti-immigrant attacks on families and the role women can play in the struggle for immigrant rights. About 80 people attended today's event.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">The delegation spoke about the different stories they had heard on Wednesday from various illegal immigrant women living in Alabama.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Among the seven stories the group said they heard was a woman with a disabled child who fears she will be separated from her son as she faces the threat of deportation each day.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">One of those stories came from a 14-year-old middle school student from Jefferson County, whose name was given only as Nancy because she is an illegal immigrant. She told the crowd today that her mother, step-father, and 3-year-old sister moved back to Mexico because of the fear of being arrested soon after HB56 became law. She said she decided to stay in Alabama with her uncle so she could continue school.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">"I dream of being the first one in my family to graduate college and have a career," Nancy said. "I want to be a doctor."<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Nancy said her mother is trying to get a visa to return legally to the United States. "I don't want to give up all my dreams. I want HB56 repealed," she said.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Delegation members, which represent various civil rights', womens', and child advocacy groups around the nation, said that with the trip to Alabama they hope to mobilize the effort to repeal Alabama's law. <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "> <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">"What has struck me is the way in which HB 56 has impacted the daily lives of immigrant families and the extent to which they live in fear everyday -- fear of deportation both from the mother's perspective but also from the perspective of children," said Judith Browne Dianis, co-director of the Advancement Project, a Washington D.C.-based policy, communications and legal action group focused on racial justice. "The way it is ripping families apart is incredible."<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Parts of that law have already been stayed by federal courts as the issues are considered by appeals courts. Alabama legislators also may consider changes to the law.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Those who oppose Alabama's immigration law say it is the most restrictive of the states' laws enacted in the past few years to address illegal immigrants, touching on almost every aspect of immigrants lives. <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Many of those who support Alabama's and other states' laws regulating immigration say they are needed because the federal government is not doing its job in enforcing existing illegal immigration.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">We Belong Together delegations have also gone into Arizona and Georgia, which also have enacted state immigration laws.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 41px; font-size: 24pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><a title="http://news.providencejournal.com/politics/2012/03/bill-requiring-ri-companies-to-verify-workers-immigration-status-introduced.html" href="http://news.providencejournal.com/politics/2012/03/bill-requiring-ri-companies-to-verify-workers-immigration-status-introduced.html" target="_blank" style="font-weight: inherit; color: rgb(30, 102, 174); cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana; "><span style="color: blue; ">Bill requiring R.I. companies to verify workers' immigration status introduced at Assembly</span></a><u></u><u></u></span></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Bill requiring R.I. companies to verify workers' immigration status introduced at Assembly<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Comments 3 | <a title="http://news.providencejournal.com/politics/2012/03/bill-requiring-ri-companies-to-verify-workers-immigration-status-introduced.html" href="http://news.providencejournal.com/politics/2012/03/bill-requiring-ri-companies-to-verify-workers-immigration-status-introduced.html" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(30, 102, 174); cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana; "><span style="color: blue; ">Recommend</span></a> <img src="" height="20" alt="Description: Description: http://res.providencejournal.com/resources/img/thumb_up.gif" width="18" border="0">0<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">March 9, 2012 12:39 pm<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">By <a title="mailto:pmarcelo@projo.com" href="mailto:pmarcelo@projo.com" style="color: rgb(30, 102, 174); cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana; "><span style="color: blue; ">Philip Marcelo</span></a><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Legislation <a title="http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText12/HouseText12/H7927.pdf" href="http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText12/HouseText12/H7927.pdf" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(30, 102, 174); cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana; "><span style="color: blue; ">requiring Rhode Island companies to verify that their employees are eligible to work in the U.S.</span></a> has again been submitted at the General Assembly.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">The proposal, introduced by Rep. Peter J. Palumbo, D-Cranston, would require companies with three or more employees apply to participate in the national "E-Verify" program. The free Internet-based system, run by the federal government, lets businesses determine their employees' eligibility to work in the country.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Similar proposals have been approved in recent years in Rhode Island's House of Representatives, but not in the Senate.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Rhode Island's government used to require firms doing business with the state to use E-Verify, before Governor Chafee took office in 2011 and repealed the mandate.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><u><span style="line-height: 24px; font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Politico</span></u></b><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 24px; font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">: U.S. argues Arizona immigration law unconstitutional<u></u><u></u></span></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 24px; font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">By Josh Gerstein<u></u><u></u></span></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 24px; font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">March 19, 2012<u></u><u></u></span></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 24px; font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><a title="http://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2012/03/us-argues-arizona-immigration-law-unconstitutional-117932.html" href="http://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2012/03/us-argues-arizona-immigration-law-unconstitutional-117932.html" target="_blank" style="font-weight: inherit; color: rgb(30, 102, 174); cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana; "><span style="color: blue; ">http://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2012/03/us-argues-arizona-immigration-law-unconstitutional-117932.html</span></a></span></b><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u><u></u></span></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">In a brief filed Tuesday, the Justice Department asked the Supreme Court to find unconstitutional Arizona's law aimed at cracking down on illegal immigrants.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">"Petitioners assert that Arizona’s status as a border State that is particularly affected by illegal immigration justifies its adoption of its own policy directed to foreign nationals. But the framers recognized that the 'bordering States…will be those who, under the impulse of sudden irritation, and a quick sense of apparent interest or injury,' might take action that undermines relations with other nations, and regarded that possibility as a further reason to vest authority over foreign affairs in the National government," says the brief filed by Solicitor General Donald Verrilli.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">The Framers' quote is from Federalist No. 3, written by John Jay. Even taking that point, though, it's worth noting that the Obama administration has filed similar suits against three other states over their new immigration-related laws: Alabama, South Carolina and Utah. None of those are border states (unless you count the coastline for two of them), so presumably those states' alleged excesses would have to be explained or critiqued in other ways. (I don't immediately see any references to the other states' laws in the federal brief, which is posted here.)<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">One interesting note about the U.S. Government brief: it was signed by State Department Legal Adviser (and former Yale Law School dean) Harold Koh, underscoring the foreign policy-related argument against the Arizona statute.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Arizona's opening brief is posted <a title="http://www.azgovernor.gov/dms/upload/PR_020612_1070FilingOpeningBrief.pdf" href="http://www.azgovernor.gov/dms/upload/PR_020612_1070FilingOpeningBrief.pdf" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(30, 102, 174); cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana; "><span style="color: blue; ">here</span></a>. The case is set to be argued before the high court on April 25.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><u><span style="line-height: 24px; font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">CNN</span></u></b><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 24px; font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">: New Orleans drawing undocumented workers from elsewhere in south<u></u><u></u></span></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 24px; font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">By Nick Valencia<u></u><u></u></span></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 24px; font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">March 14, 2012<u></u><u></u></span></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><u><span style="line-height: 24px; font-size: 14pt; color: blue; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><a title="http://inamerica.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/14/new-orleans-drawing-illegal-immigrants-from-elsewhere-in-south/" href="http://inamerica.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/14/new-orleans-drawing-illegal-immigrants-from-elsewhere-in-south/" target="_blank" style="font-weight: inherit; color: rgb(30, 102, 174); cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana; "><span style="color: blue; ">http://inamerica.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/14/new-orleans-drawing-illegal-immigrants-from-elsewhere-in-south/</span></a></span></u></b><u><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; color: blue; "><u></u><u></u></span></u></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><u><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; color: blue; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u><span style="text-decoration: none; "> </span><u></u></span></u></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Humberto Guzman drove big rigs in Alabama for two months. As an undocumented immigrant from Honduras, he feared being deported everyday.</span><u></u><u></u></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">“The police would come after us a lot,” Guzman said. “Where we parked was the problem because they always asked us for our papers.”<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Last week, two more parts of Alabama’s tough immigration law, which makes it more difficult for illegal immigrants to live and work in the state, were blocked by a federal appeals court. Another piece, requiring schools to check the immigration status of students, was put on hold last year. The entire law is being challenged by the federal government and activist groups.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Anticipating the worst, around the beginning of the year, Guzman packed his belongings and headed for Louisiana. He was familiar with the state. In 2005, after Hurricane Katrina, illegal immigrants like Guzman flocked to the city. They came in droves, drawn by the high paying jobs.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">“Louisiana is a state where [police] don't bother you. Over [in Alabama], you can’t even eat in peace,” Guzman said of the reason why he chose to come to the state, instead of stopping in Mississippi on his drive-in from Alabama. “The governor from here has been very kind to us…and he’s Republican!”<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Despite Guzman’s sentiments, Louisiana did pass two immigration laws in May 2011, which Governor Bobby Jindal signed. They are both designed to make sure businesses check that their workers are legal. A much tougher bill was introduced in the same session– and withdrawn.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Louisiana law has not stunted the flow of unauthorized immigrants or the businesses who hire them. In 2010, the Pew Hispanic Center estimated the illegal immigrant community to be around 65,000 people in Louisiana. By comparison, neighboring Mississippi had an undocumented population of about 45,000.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Hiberto Apolo owns the hauling business that contracts Guzman. Apolo, originally from Ecuador, came to Louisiana looking for work after Hurricane Katrina. Now others are coming to him looking for a similar opportunity. <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">“The reality is many have come here and they've said to me, "Sir, can you help me get work? Can you give me work? I have problems in Alabama and they're supposedly going to deport me," Guzman says.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Of the 13 workers that Apolo currently contracts, about a third came from Alabama in the last few months. More are coming, he says.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">“The truth is here is a bit calmer, I see that. But what I hear on the news is that everyone is afraid of what’s happening, so who knows? That fear could touch here too,” Apolo says. “We may have to run here too, but at this stage it’s beautiful in Louisiana, and we thank God that they treat us well.”<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Although most of the work for undocumented workers is found in New Orleans, many immigrants have chosen to settle in nearby Kenner, Louisiana. Some areas of that city have seen a dramatic shift almost overnight. Latinos now make up about 25 percent of the population of Kenner—nearly a 10 percent increase since before Katrina, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">With the boom comes adversity. Jacinta Gonzalez is the head of the Congress of Day Laborers, an organization that supports undocumented immigrants. She says the wave of anti-illegal sentiment that led to strong laws in Arizona and Alabama is already impacting reality in Louisiana.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">“I think many residents want people to be part of the community but it seems like the only institution in the city that's really receiving them is the criminal justice system,” Gonzalez says. “We're really seeing an upsurge in people that are being arrested and that are being kept in the jails for very minor incidents”<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">At the day laborer site where Guzman hangs out, the tension is clear. Just as a CNN crew arrived on the scene, a security guard from a local business was chasing them off the grounds. A day later, a police car was parked in a lot overlooking the workers.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">So far Guzman has been able to avoid arrest. It’s easier to do that in Louisiana than Alabama, he says.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">“I don't understand, I don't understand over there what the reason is that they bother us so much, because here…here in New Orleans, it's not said that the laws have to be the end of you,” he says.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">For now he’s glad to be out of Alabama and looking forward to helping New Orleans rebuild.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">“A lot of people look at it and say, ‘Look how ugly New Orleans is,’” Guzman says. “But I hope that one day more people will understand how beautiful it is here. And it’s with our [Latino] hands that this city will move forward.”<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><u></u> <u></u></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><u><span style="line-height: 24px; font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Anniston Star</span></u></b><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 24px; font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">: Immigrants could take up slack for aging Alabama<u></u><u></u></span></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 24px; font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">By Tim Lockette<u></u><u></u></span></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 24px; font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">March 4, 2012<u></u><u></u></span></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><a title="http://annistonstar.com/bookmark/17735894-Immigrants-could-take-up-slack-for-aging-Alabama" href="http://annistonstar.com/bookmark/17735894-Immigrants-could-take-up-slack-for-aging-Alabama" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(30, 102, 174); cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana; "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 24px; font-size: 14pt; color: blue; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">http://annistonstar.com/bookmark/17735894-Immigrants-could-take-up-slack-for-aging-Alabama</span></b></a><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="line-height: 20px; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u><u></u></span></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Alabama has a real immigrant problem, says Yanyi Djamba.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">The problem is that there aren’t enough immigrants.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">“If anything, we need more of them,” said Djamba, director of the Center for Demographic Research at Auburn University at Montgomery. “In Alabama — especially in Alabama — if we look at the population of people who are over 65, it’s going to increase dramatically. At some point, we will face a shortage of skills and workers.”<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Djamba is one of a handful of experts who keep track of Alabama’s population and make predictions about where it’s headed. He — and others in the field — see a state that is aging rapidly, with a senior population set to double, and too few working-age residents to take care of them.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Immigrants and Hispanics — two sometimes-overlapping groups that often bear the brunt of harsh political rhetoric — could become the very groups who turn that trend around, demographers say.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">An aging state<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">State and local governments have to do population projections in order to predict future needs for services, but those projections often turn out to be wide of the mark. Moreover, current events — such as Alabama’s immigration law and the struggling economy — have created headaches for demographers trying to update the state’s years-old growth projections.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Carolyn Trent, who does population predictions for the Center for Economic and Business Research at the University of Alabama, said the center will likely be a couple of months behind schedule in issuing new official numbers.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">“I’d like to get in touch with schools and other agencies to see how much the immigration law affected their numbers,” she said. “Making projections this year has been tricky.”<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">But by and large, the demographers agree on a few significant trends.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">One is that Alabama’s population is aging quickly.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">The first people born in America’s 20-year post-World War II baby boom are just now hitting retirement age — which means the over-65 population will nearly double between now and 2030. The Census Bureau and various state agencies offer slightly different numbers, but all predict the number of seniors in Alabama will top 1 million, rising from 13 percent of the population now to about 20 percent in 2030.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Another trend is a decline in the birth rate. Alabama couples are producing fewer children than they used to and as the median population gets older, the birth rate will get even lower.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">“We are already below the replacement rate,” Djamba said. To see what that will lead to, he said, look at Europe, where childbirth has been below replacement rate for years.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">“You see churches and schools being closed,” Djamba said.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">A homegrown state<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">The aging population means a child born today — one who turns 18 in 2030 —would enter a work force in which each working-age person is supporting more non-working people. Some of that support would come in the form of Social Security and Medicare, which are federal programs. But the state budget could also pick up some of the tab in the form of Medicaid.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">According to Trent’s most recent numbers, for every 100 Alabama workers, there are 68 people who are either too old or too young for the work force. Nearly two-thirds of those non-workers are kids.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">But by 2030, in Trent’s projection, that number grows to 85 dependents for every 100 workers. Nearly half of those dependents will be over 65.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">The biggest variable in this scenario is in-migration — the number of people moving into the state, whether from other states or other countries. If people come into Alabama, particularly people of child-bearing age, the working-age population will grow, demographers say.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Lately, that isn’t happening much. The 2010 Census numbers show about 100,000 people leaving the state, and nearly the same number coming in. Those numbers count only the people who filed tax returns in Alabama — most of them likely legal residents. The numbers of illegal immigrants could be much higher, though it’s hard to tell.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">But demographers say Alabama lags behind neighboring Southern states in the number of people moving in. Census numbers, as compiled by Governing Magazine last year, indicate that just less than three-fourths of Alabama residents were born here. That places the state in the top 10 for residents born in-state.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Why Latinos matter<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">For many Alabamians, a small, homegrown population may be just the ticket.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">“People here are very place-oriented,” said Bobby Wilson, a geographer at the University of Alabama.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">But that same approach can pose a challenge for economic growth.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Nationwide, the states with the lowest homegrown population — Nevada and Florida — were the ones that flamed and fizzled in the past 10 years. But the most-homegrown included Rust Belt basket-cases like Ohio and Michigan, as well as Alabama’s usual companions on the bottom socioeconomic tier — Kentucky, West Virginia, Louisiana and Mississippi.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">“You don’t necessarily want to be one of the fastest-growth states,” Trent said. “That may mean you’re headed for a crash. But you do want to have some growth. Right now, we’re way below the average for Southern states.”<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Migration from other states, if it starts to happen, could fill the gaps in the state’s working-age population.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">But demographers say immigrant populations — particularly Hispanic immigrants — could fill those gaps faster.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Immigrants tend to be young, the demographers say. And immigrants from Latin America tend to value large families.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">“The fertility rate for Hispanic women is much higher than in the larger population,” Djamba said. He said much of the nation’s recent population growth has come from immigration and a growing Hispanic population.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Growing by design<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Djamba said the coming shifts in population have been on the minds of some of the nation’s leaders for years. That’s one reason, he said, why the United States instituted a visa lottery in 1995, allowing randomly selected skilled workers into the country at the rate of about 50,000 per year.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">“Unfortunately, Alabama hasn’t seen a lot of them,” he said. Most, he said, have moved to more economically robust states. The best way to attract more working-age residents, immigrant or American-born, is to generate more jobs, he said.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Wilson, the geographer, agreed.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">“People follow the capital,” he said.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Djamba said he didn’t expect Alabama’s immigration law to have a huge impact on the state’s overall in-migration numbers. But he does see the law as a problem.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">“It’s a concern when we hear about immigrants pulling their children out of school,” he said. Those kids, he said, could become tomorrow’s work force — if they stay in Alabama.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">How did one of America’s most “homegrown” states wind up with one of the nation’s toughest immigration laws?<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Djamba said the recession played a major role.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">“When the economy is bad, you start looking for what’s wrong,” he said. He compared Alabama voters to a penny-pinching father, making sure his kids turn out the light when they leave the room.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">“You look for anything you can change,” he said. “And even though there are not that many immigrants here, it was something to change.”<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Djamba predicts that when the economy comes back, anti-immigrant sentiment will largely disappear.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">“When your business is growing, you need someone to work for you,” he said. “You aren’t going to care where that person is from.”<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><u></u> <u></u></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><u></u> <u></u></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><u></u> <u></u></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(127, 127, 127); font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">A. Elena Lacayo, </span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(127, 127, 127); font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Immigration Field Coordinator <br>Office of Research, Advocacy, and Legislation<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125); font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(208, 0, 0); font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">National Council of La Raza (NCLR)<u></u><u></u></span></b></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(89, 89, 89); font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Headquarters<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(89, 89, 89); font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">MAIN</span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(89, 89, 89); font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "> <a target="_blank" style="color: rgb(30, 102, 174); cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana; ">202.785.1670</a><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><b style="font-weight: bold; "><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(89, 89, 89); font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">TEL </span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(89, 89, 89); font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><a target="_blank" style="color: rgb(30, 102, 174); cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana; ">202.776.1576</a><b style="font-weight: bold; "><u></u><u></u></b></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(89, 89, 89); font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Visit NCLR’s </span><a title="http://www.nclr.org/" href="http://www.nclr.org/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(30, 102, 174); cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana; "><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: blue; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Website</span></a><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(89, 89, 89); font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "> | </span><a title="http://www.nclr.org/index.php/about_us/news/blog" href="http://www.nclr.org/index.php/about_us/news/blog" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(30, 102, 174); cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana; "><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: blue; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Blog</span></a><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "> | </span><a title="http://www.facebook.com/Nationalcounciloflaraza" href="http://www.facebook.com/Nationalcounciloflaraza" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(30, 102, 174); cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana; "><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: blue; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; ">Facebook</span></a><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "> | </span><span style="cursor: pointer; font-size: 10pt; color: blue; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; "><a title="http://twitter.com/NCLR" href="http://twitter.com/NCLR" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(30, 102, 174); cursor: pointer; font-family: Verdana; ">Twitter</a></span></p><p class="ecxMsoNormal" style="line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 1.35em; font-family: Arial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br></p></div><div>@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@</div><div> </div><br><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><font size="2">Material appearing here is distributed without profit or monitory gain to those who have expressed an interest in receiving the material for research and educational purposes. 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