Immigration issues pose growing difficulty for American schools

Pressure is mounting across the country against illegal immigrants in American schools, reports the Huffington Post. In some areas, schools are responding to shrinking budgets and growing student populations by trying to root out non-citizen students. While federal law restricts this practice, the issue points to the increasing difficulty of managing immigration and education policy in America…

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8 illegal immigrants detained at Georgia protest

Eight young illegal immigrants were arrested Tuesday for sitting in the middle of a busy street in front of the Georgia Capitol, protesting their lack of access to higher education in a scene reminiscent of civil rights demonstrations decades ago, the Associated Press reports. The group, made up of mostly students, believe their plight is similar to movement the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. led, and they met with former activists from the 1960s to hash out their civil disobedience plan. As the foreign-born youngsters sat in the road, at times holding hands, hundreds of supporters lined the street and cheered in support as the illegal immigrants were led away in handcuffs…

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Groups make late push to salvage bill aiding illegal immigrant students

Immigrant advocate groups have mobilized across the country in what they call a last-ditch effort to persuade Congress to pass a bill that would grant legal status to hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrant students, pressing for action in the remaining weeks when Democrats control both houses of Congress, reports the New York Times. The groups held marches, hunger strikes, prayer vigils and protests at lawmakers’ offices on Monday and Tuesday in support of the bill, which they call the Dream Act. Opponents are also in high gear, swamping some senators who have not disclosed their positions with faxes and phone calls. A vote on the bill has not been scheduled, but Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, has said he could bring it up as early as this week. While its prospects do not look strong, both sides expect that any measure to legalize illegal immigrants would have far slimmer chances in Congress next year, when Republicans will have a majority in the House and increased strength in the Senate.

“We see this as our best opportunity now to get something done,” said Frank Sharry, executive director of America’s Voice, a group that favors the bill…

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Student body president in CA is illegal immigrant

The popular student body president at California State University, Fresno has publicly revealed a personal detail he long sought to keep secret: He is an illegal immigrant, says the Associated Press. Pedro Ramirez, 22, previously told campus administrators in confidence that he was concerned about going public with his immigration status after winning the top post in student government. But that changed Tuesday when The Collegian, the newspaper at the largest university in California’s prolific farming region, disclosed his status after receiving an anonymous e-mail.

“I don’t want this issue to be about me,” Ramirez told The Associated Press Wednesday. “This is a big, big issue that should have been addressed a long time ago. My goal is to bring awareness to that.”

Ramirez was expected to appear Friday at a campus rally in support of the federal “DREAM Act,” which would create a path to citizenship for young people living in the country illegally who attend college or join the military……Read More

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