Author: Staff

Critics lash out at immigration bill on Senate floor

Posted by | Jun 8, 2013 | |

Senate critics of an effort to pass a major overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws lashed out at the measure Friday, the first day of debate on whether to move the proposed legislation to the Senate for a vote.The arguments discussed on the Senate floor Friday represents the beginning of what could be a month-long debate on a measure that would grant citizenship to 11 million unauthorized immigrants. Democrats spoke in favor of the bill.Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., who has emerged as one of the most outspoken critics of the bill, was joined by other Republicans who said bill grants “amnesty” to people living here illegally, does not do enough to secure the border and brings in too many foreign workers who will take jobs from unemployed Americans.“The legislation that’s been offered by the Gang of Eight says they’ve fixed it. ‘Don’t worry,'” Sessions said, referring to the eight senators who crafted the original measure. “Well, it won’t do that.”via Critics lash out at immigration bill on Senate...

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Mexico says it may suspend U.S. trade preferences over meat labels | Reuters

Mexico says it may suspend U.S. trade preferences over meat labels | Reuters

Posted by | Jun 8, 2013 | |

The disagreement stems from a 2009 U.S. requirement that retail outlets specify the country of origin on labels on meat and other products in an effort to give consumers more information about the safety and origin of their food.Canada and Mexico have complained to the World Trade Organization that the COOL (country-of-origin labeling) rules discriminated against imported livestock.The trade body ordered the United States to comply with WTO rules by May 23, but the U.S. government made revisions that Canada and Mexico say would only make the situation worse.via Mexico says it may suspend U.S. trade preferences over meat...

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Border apprehensions up, but still near historical lows

Border apprehensions up, but still near historical lows

Posted by | Jun 3, 2013 | |

For the first six months of this fiscal year, ending in March, Border Patrol apprehensions of undocumented migrants entering from Mexico climbed 13 percent compared with a year earlier.The new data come as the debate over immigration reform and how much more to spend locking down the border intensifies in Washington. The Senate is expected to soon begin considering a sweeping bipartisan reform bill.The increase in apprehensions generally signals an increase in attempted crossings. And the recent surge is coming almost entirely through the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, which is beginning to rival the Tucson Sector as the...

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Who’s crossing the Mexico border? A new survey tries to find out.

Who’s crossing the Mexico border? A new survey tries to find out.

Posted by | Jun 3, 2013 | |

Last year, the Border Patrol caught about 356,000 immigrants trying to cross illegally at the U.S.-Mexico border. That’s thought to be about half of all attempts.Undocumented Mexican immigrants walk through the Sonoran Desert after illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. (John Moore/GETTY IMAGES)It also isn’t much of a deterrent. About 43 percent of those detained say they’ll try to cross again in the near future — often because they’re trying to get back to a job or family members waiting for them in the United States.That’s one upshot of a big new survey (pdf) from the National Center for Border Security...

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