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Immigration News Blog

Monday, January 29, 2007

Mexican immigrant worker economics - remittances are the goal

Mexican immigrant worker economics - remittances are the goal
By Peter Rousmaniere
The Arizona Republic presented information from the most recent Inter-American Development Bank about Hispanic immigrants in the U.S. The article starts with a personal profile: “Take Martin Armenta, for example. The Phoenix resident takes home $380 a week after taxes from his job as a cook. Yet he sends more than a third of his paycheck to his wife and two children in Sonora. How does he do it? With some serious scrimping. Armenta, 31, shares a three-bedroom house with seven other immigrant men, watches TV for entertainment and never goes out to eat."

 

France’s new skilled labor focus on immigration

France’s new skilled labor focus on immigration
By Peter Rousmaniere
The Migration Policy Institute published a paper describing France’s new immigration law of 2006. Below are quotes from the study, which says that France is well aware that it must compete with other global players for international talent. Countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia all actively recruit migrants and select them according to criteria that range from education and language skills to adaptability and age. I have already posted on Canadian policy and an extensive article in the Economist about the effort of other countries to recruit highly skilled labor (use "search" to find them.)

 

Where to find country population, migration and related projections

Where to find country population, migration and related projections
By Peter Rousmaniere
Go here, A U.N. website, to find past figures from 1950 and projections through 2050. It shows that Japan and Italy will begin to experience population declines in 2010-2015 and France after 2035. Canada and Australia will have very strong immigration rates (over 5% of population in many years). The U.S. follows. The immigration rates of Western European countries are much less. Mexico will export people at a substantial rate.

 

Income tax and social security tax payments of illegal immigrants - a legal analysis

Income tax and social security tax payments of illegal immigrants - a legal analysis
By Peter Rousmaniere
I located an article in the Harvard Latino Law Review analyzing the tax contributions of undocumented immigrants.

Francine Lipman, The Taxation of undocumented immigrants: separate, unequal and without representation published in October, 2006. The article focuses in-depth on income tax and social security tax issues, and is heavily annotated. I found the article in the reports section of the website for the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, or

 

NYCOSH online library on immigrant work safety

NYCOSH online library on immigrant work safety
By Peter Rousmaniere
NYCOSH -- the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health -- has created a library online with many reports, news articles, and other materials about the work safety and health of immigrant workers. Most of the material is from 2002 through 2004. It was last updated in 9/06.

NYCOSH was instrumental in making sure medical assistance and worker rights counseling was made available to the 8,000 odd immigrant workers engaged in the rescue and recovery from the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center.

 

Reform proposals to protect workers comp rights of day laborers -- Texas

Reform proposals to protect workers comp rights of day laborers -- Texas
By Peter Rousmaniere
In the full article there is a press release about proposed legislation in Texas. In that state --uniquely -- employers can opt out of (elsewhere) mandatory workers comp statutes. This increases the vulnerability of immigrant workers. The law would require employers to cover their day laborers with workers comp.
For day laborers who are illegal immigrants, a guest worker program would probably require that they be employees, rather than independent contractors, and that they be covered by workers comp as well as enjoy all other worker rights.

 

Tyson Foods Faces Suit over Illegal Workers

Tyson Foods Faces Suit over Illegal Workers
NPR audio:
Tyson Foods faces a class-action lawsuit accusing the company of hiring illegal immigrants at eight U.S. plants. A similar case went to trial in 2003, ending in acquittals and plea agreements.

 

Study Says Skin Tone Affects Earnings

Study Says Skin Tone Affects Earnings
By By TRAVIS LOLLER, Associated Press Writer
Light-skinned immigrants in the United States make more money on average than those with darker complexions, and the chief reason appears to be discrimination, a researcher says. Joni Hersch, a law and economics professor at Vanderbilt University,...

 

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Can a work injured illegal immigrant obtain benefits? In Indiana, it depends

Can a work injured illegal immigrant obtain benefits? In Indiana, it depends
By Peter Rousmaniere
Thanks to www.workcompcentral.com (subscription required) I have a case study of the snarl-ups often experienced today when an illegal immigrants suffers a work injury, about which there is no dispute it happened. Her or his payments can still be cut off. A guest worker program will eliminate all of these trap doors, which I have found the large majority of work injury experts are unaware of.

 

Shortages of farm labor hit Florida, California. Are they due to immigration enforcement?

Shortages of farm labor hit Florida, California. Are they due to immigration enforcement?
By Peter Rousmaniere
In Florida, H2A farm guest worker program is increasingly used to solve labor shortages on farms. In California, after a catastrophic pear season last year, farmers are ernest about getting a broad guest worker program into place. The increased demand may be due to stricter enforcement against illegal workers. In any event, H2A use is up 500% in Florida.

 

Thursday, January 04, 2007

Immigrants drive tech startups

Immigrants drive tech startups
SAN FRANCISCO - Foreign-born entrepreneurs were behind one in four U.S. technology startups over the past decade, according to a study to be published today.

 

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

A valuable new public interest group: Global Worker Justice Alliance

A valuable new public interest group: Global Worker Justice Alliance
By Peter Rousmaniere
Hundreds of millions of workers have migrated internally or across borders for work. The New York City – based Global Worker Justice Alliance protecting the rights of cross border workers through an international network of worker advocates and resources. Its initial focus is on the trans border workforces connecting the United States with Mexico and/or Guatemala. It tools include education, advocacy of public policies, and litigation support.

 

Immigration's Impact

Immigration's Impact
Forbes, NY -
Illegal immigration into the United States has sparked heated debate in Congress, roiled the two main political parties and prompted hundreds of thousands ...

 

DREAM Act proposal: citizenship through military service

DREAM Act proposal: citizenship through military service
By Peter Rousmaniere
What is the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act? This proposed federal legislation will incent immigrants, legal and illegal, to enroll in the U.S. military. Simply stated, “Immigrant students who have grown up in the U.S., graduated from high school here, and can demonstrate good moral character would initially qualify for "conditional lawful permanent resident" status, which would normally last for six years. During the conditional period, the immigrant would be required to go to college, join the military, or work a significant number of hours of community service. At the end of the conditional period, those who meet at least one of these requirements would be eligible for regular lawful permanent resident status.”

 

Capitol Hill analysis of immigration reform prospects for 2007

Capitol Hill analysis of immigration reform prospects for 2007
By Peter Rousmaniere
Rachel Swarns of the New York Times reviews the variables for immigration reform in early 2007:
WASHINGTON, Dec. 25 — Counting on the support of the new Democratic majority in Congress, Democratic lawmakers and their Republican allies are working on measures that could place millions of illegal immigrants on a more direct path to citizenship than would a bill that the Senate passed in the spring.

 

From the Economist: government policies to attract the highly talented worker.

From the Economist: government policies to attract the highly talented worker.
By Peter Rousmaniere
In its special report on the search for the talented worker, the Economist noted: “Two economists, Frédéric Docquier and Hillel Rapoport, estimate that average emigration rates worldwide are 0.9% for the low-skilled, 1.6% for the medium-skilled and 5.5% for the high-skilled. These rates have been accelerating far faster for the high-skilled group than for the rest. Skilled immigrants accounted for more than half of all admissions in Australia, Canada and New Zealand in 2001.”

 

Bulgaria, Romania Join EU Amid Immigration Fears

Bulgaria, Romania Join EU Amid Immigration Fears
Sofia News Agency, Bulgaria -
Critics in western EU countries fear that difficulties at home could produce a new wave of immigration after the exodus of Poles and other central Europeans ...

 

Support Builds for Immigration Protests, Boycott

Support Builds for Immigration Protests, Boycott
The NewStandard, NY -
While the corporate-sponsored media report alleged splits in the immigrant-rights movement and dwindling support for a boycott and general strike, TNS found that solidarity and commitment are growing

 

Many immigrants find Spanish key to business

Many immigrants find Spanish key to business
Though there's often a push for immigrants to learn English, the growing Hispanic population is prompting many immigrants in Houston to focus equally, if not more, on their Spanish.