The budget that the U.S. spends on border patrol has increased by more than 1,300% since 2002 to an astounding $3.8 billion in 2015. Donald Trump’s official immigration policy announcements this week would almost certainly more than double the current budget by adding 5,000 more border patrol agents, and of course–building a brick-and-mortar wall across the entire length of the U.S.-Mexico border. All of this at a time that the flow of undocumented immigrants has actually decreased—in short, it's an expensive, race-baiting absurdity in search of a problem. And yet, this false solution would have real costs—especially as the president of Mexico just reaffirmed that despite Trump's claims, Mexico will not pay for the wall. The increase in taxpayer dollars that Trump is suggesting–which could likely eclipse $4 billion or more annually–could instead fund the following: * Education for more than 375,000 school children each year. * Benefits for more than 650,000 veterans per annual fiscal year. * Investments in energy efficiencies and renewable energy at triple the rates they were in fiscal year 2015. Will you join me in asking your Senator to commit to speaking out against Trump's fiscally unsound immigration policy?

Misrepresentation of likeness without proper authority.

Donald Trump is desperate. He's so desperate he's started to flip-flop on the issue he founded his campaign on: hatred and fear of immigrants. Asked about what he’d do with the millions of undocumented immigrants who contribute to our communities and live among our families, Donald Trump is now saying he’ll do what President Obama is doing, but “with a lot more energy.” Who knows where Donald Trump really stands, or even less where he’ll stand tomorrow, but there’s one thing President Obama can do to make Donald Trump’s head explode today. He can take credit for Donald Trump’s latest shift and thank him for showing he’s right. Unfortunately, Donald Trump moving towards President Obama on immigration is not good news. Not enough people outside of immigrant communities know that President Obama has deported more people than any other president in history. If Donald Trump were to do the same, except with “more energy” he’d deport even more people than President Obama. If President Obama thanks Donald Trump for his latest shift, it will draw attention to just how tough on immigrants President Obama has been, and give a chance to whomever is elected in a few months to make a clean break and start in a new direction. Tell President Obama to thank Donald Trump for his latest shift in immigration. Also, don’t be afraid to tweet Donald Trump about it either. We all know how much Donald Trump loves tweets.

Donald Trump is desperate. He's so desperate he's started to flip-flop on the issue he founded his campaign on: hatred and fear of immigrants. Now, he won't even say what he wants to do with the millions of undocumented immigrants who contribute to our communities and live among our families. Donald Trump hates to admit he's wrong, but we can't go into an election without knowing where he stands on the issue he defined himself with. What's the one thing we can use to force Donald Trump to tell us where he stands on immigration? His own ego. If enough of us call Donald Trump a coward for not telling the public what he wants to do with the millions of undocumented immigrants that live among us, he won't be able to stop himself from either being straight with us about where he stands, or continuing to put his foot in his mouth. Sign this petition to tell Donald Trump he's a coward for not being straight with us on immigration. Also, don't forget to tweet this petition at him too. We all know how much Donald Trump loves tweets.

Pascual, a good student and accomplished soccer player, was picked up in a raid at his home on January 23 at 5 am, two weeks before his scheduled hearing at Immigration Court. Although he was sent to Georgia by Health and Human Services and had an Employment Authorization card, he received faulty representation and received an order of deportation back to Guatemala and the violent gangs. His new lawyer reports that his asylum hearing has been approved, but he is still being detained. Pascual's two little U.S. citizen sisters are still crying for him. Please release him now.

The incarceration of immigrants has skyrocketed under President Obama, allowing the private prison industry to rake in massive profits by locking up immigrants in facilities where they often face abuse, violence, unsanitary conditions, and lack of proper medical care. The Department of Justice is phasing out the use of private prisons, saying that they are less safe, less secure, and less effective. But the Department of Homeland Security – which incarcerates immigrants - handing out most of the federal government's contracts to private prison companies, is continuing business as usual. The DOJ’s decision is important because it shows that the Obama administration is starting to acknowledge that mass incarceration is out of control and that imprisoning people for profit can't be justified. But unless we push President Obama to do more, it won't make a difference for thousands of immigrants locked up in for-profit dungeons.

In previous articles, The Blade has described unauthorized immigrants as “illegal immigrants,” which is legally inaccurate. To be undocumented is a civil offense, not a criminal one. Describing someone as illegal is on par with describing someone accused of a crime as a criminal before a trial even takes place. I myself was an undocumented immigrant for 14 years. A daughter of an engineer and a teacher, my parents came to the United States in search of a better life. In 2013, the Associated Press, whose influential stylebook is held in high regards, dropped the word “illegal” as a label for people. Many news organizations have followed suit since. As a prominent news source in the Toledo area, we call on The Blade to drop the phrase “illegal immigrant” and avoid further politicizing an already contentious issue. Like most American cities, Toledo was built by immigrants and has a rich multi-ethnic history that could not have existed without them. While some immigrants are lawfully present, and some are undocumented, none are illegal. Toledo Blade: Drop the word "illegal!"

This year, the International Olympic Committee made history by announcing the first-ever Refugee Olympic Team. These ten athletes are worldwide heroes, and have captured the world’s attention and admiration during the Olympic games. These athletes have each faced incredible odds. Yusra Mardini, who fled the violence in Syria, risked her life to save the lives of 19 others—diving into the treacherous waters of the Aegean Sea and using her Olympic swimming skill to push a sinking boat to land. She swam in freezing waters for more than three hours—and surviving the sea was just one small part of her journey to safety. Just like Yusra, 34,000 people are forcibly displaced every day—and those fleeing violence in their home countries need our compassion and support now. Right-wing politicians want to limit the number of families fleeing violence that the United States helps—some have even called on the U.S. to stop accepting refugees all together, a policy radically out of line with American values. Secretary of State Kerry has the authority to restore the United States refugee acceptance rate back to 200,000 people, as it was when the Refugee Act of 1980 was passed. Kerry announced that the U.S. would accept 100,000 refugees a year starting in 2017–but surely the United States can offer a safe haven for so many more–as we have in the past.

Temporary Protected Status or TPS is granted to eligible nationals of designated countries suffering the effects of an ongoing armed conflict, environmental disaster, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions. TPS has provided an opportunity for individuals fleeing these various circumstances with another chance of rebuilding their life. However, this status as much as it is a blessing it’s also a stumbling block to many who now call the United States home; many have built their lives as well do citizens (even without the proper status), raising their children, working long hour jobs, paying taxes. Now, after much relief they have renewed fears about their status, the fear of deportation among these immigrants is real. Please, help these individuals live with dignity and respect worthy of a humane status, and the only way of accomplishing this is having a Resident status granted to them. -We are requesting a Resident Status for the following countries: -El Salvador which was the first country to receive TPS and the only country to have been granted TPS by Congress, which initially designated El Salvador for TPS through the Immigration Act of 1990; that designation expired in 1992. In 2001, the Bush administration designated El Salvador for TPS a second time, and the status has been continuously renewed since 2001. -Honduras which received TPS on January 5, 1999 as a result of the devastation caused by Hurricane Mitch in 1998. TPS for Honduran nationals has been extended continuously, with the current authorization lasting through January 5, 2015. -Nicaragua, like Honduras, first received TPS in 1999 following Hurricane Mitch; the designation has been extended continuously, with a current expiration date of January 5, 2015

The Supreme Court just split 4-4 on one of the biggest cases for immigrant communities in U.S. history. Reactionary governors and federal judges have held up relief for immigrant communities for far too long. Our work and fight-back is not over. Now, more than ever, we need to renew our commitment to justice until all immigrants receive the dignity and justice we deserve. Unless the Obama Administration acts now, more than 4 million immigrants - our neighbors, friends, mothers, and children - will continue to be devastated by the deportation machine. No human being is illegal. Judge Hanen dramatically overstepped his bounds in a politically motivated decision, and judges in the other 12 circuits can and should work to correct his reckless overreach in addition to President Obama taking immediate action. If enough of us raise our voices, the Obama administration won’t have a choice. President Obama will have to stand with us. This could be our last and best chance at some relief for immigrant communities for some time. The Obama administration needs to use the Supreme Court’s decision to implement administrative relief as quickly and as broadly as possible. Sign this petition to tell the Obama administration to use the Supreme Court’s decision to help as many immigrant families as possible. Source(s): 1." Yes, Obama Can Stop Millions of Deportations." Slate. August 12, 2014 http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/view_from_chicago/2014/08/why_obama_has_the_power_to_stop_millions_of_deportations_without_congress.html

Donald Trump has made his hate-filled bigoted position clear in regard to minorities and people of other races/places, ignoring the fact that we are all connected and we all have the same basic needs. Does Mr. Trump have the courage necessary to learn the truth about his heritage? Perhaps if presented with the truth of his heritage, he will have to reflect on and reconsider his rhetoric and the philosophy of separation he clearly espouses. We are one. Courage and honesty, Mr. Trump. Can you summon those up and have your DNA charted?

Judge Andrew Hanen is the conservative judge in Texas who blocked President Obama’s new immigration programs that allow undocumented parents of U.S. citizens, people who came to the United States, and children to apply for driver’s licenses and work permits. In his latest display of anti-immigrant bias, Judge Hanen issued an outrageous order that accuses the U.S. Department of Justice of “misconduct” and demands that personal information of thousands of immigrants is released to the general public. If carried out, Hanen’s biased order would leave thousands of immigrant families exposed to intimidation or even violence from anti-immigrant forces across the country. Judge Andrew Hanen is not interested in upholding the rule of law; instead, he is willing to use the judicial system in order to carry out his biased political agenda. If we want to uphold the integrity of our judicial system, then we need biased judges like Andrew Hanen to be removed from handling any case where their ruling is partial. We demand that the Department of Justice file the necessary motions to seek the removal of Judge Hanen from overseeing United States v. Texas.