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Noorani said the red state's compact also surfaces in "liberal circles as a ray of hope that there is a constructive approach from a conservative perspective."

He noted his Washington, D.C.-based group "really started with the Utah Compact" as its model as the forum aims to engage faith, law enforcement and business leaders in an approach "that has come to be known as Bibles, badges and business for immigration reform."

Noorani added that the compact even has affected debate in Congress.

What the compact did there, he said, "was lay the foundation for a different way to have a conversation. Once you had that foundation, it was a lot easier to get to a policy debate."

Noorani does not foresee immigration reform clearing Congress anytime soon because of "hyper-polarization" on the issue. He is in Utah to talk to leaders and send a message to politicians that reform is still sought by many in the state and the need is urgent.

He said reform may come as more people get to know immigrant neighbors "and see they are good people."

He added that ongoing litigation over President Barack Obama's orders not to deport many adults and the upcoming 2016 presidential campaign could put more focus on immigration reform.

"The 2016 election will remind Republicans that the world is a changing," he said, "and they have a real chance to take credit for fixing the system."

Utah leaders have a range of other views on the compact. Anti-illegal-immigration activists see it as a sort of disaster for their cause, while Latino activists credit it for cooling the surging hate they had seen.

Ron Mortensen, a fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies and an activist against illegal immigration, on Wednesday called the compact "a business- driven effort to help businesses benefit from illegal immigration and avoid their responsibilities for hiring illegal immigrants."

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How the path of the Utah immigration debate turned a corner

Noorani said the red state's compact also surfaces in "liberal circles as a ray of hope that there is a constructive approach from a conservative perspective."

He noted his Washington, D.C.-based group "really started with the Utah Compact" as its model as the forum aims to engage faith, law enforcement and business leaders in an approach "that has come to be known as Bibles, badges and business for immigration reform."

Noorani added that the compact even has affected debate in Congress.

What the compact did there, he said, "was lay the foundation for a different way to have a conversation. Once you had that foundation, it was a lot easier to get to a policy debate."

Noorani does not foresee immigration reform clearing Congress anytime soon because of "hyper-polarization" on the issue. He is in Utah to talk to leaders and send a message to politicians that reform is still sought by many in the state and the need is urgent.

He said reform may come as more people get to know immigrant neighbors "and see they are good people."

He added that ongoing litigation over President Barack Obama's orders not to deport many adults and the upcoming 2016 presidential campaign could put more focus on immigration reform.

"The 2016 election will remind Republicans that the world is a changing," he said, "and they have a real chance to take credit for fixing the system."

Utah leaders have a range of other views on the compact. Anti-illegal-immigration activists see it as a sort of disaster for their cause, while Latino activists credit it for cooling the surging hate they had seen.

Ron Mortensen, a fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies and an activist against illegal immigration, on Wednesday called the compact "a business- driven effort to help businesses benefit from illegal immigration and avoid their responsibilities for hiring illegal immigrants."

Originally posted here:
How the path of the immigration debate in Utah turned a corner

BROWNSVILLE, Texas, March 19 (UPI) -- A federal court is set to hold a hearing on Thursday as part of the Texas-led lawsuit over President Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals immigration reform.

U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen issued a preliminary injunction in February that blocked the implementation of Obama's immigration reform. In the hearing in the city of Brownsville, Texas Hanen expects the government to "fully explain" the circumstances surrounding implementation of the immigration action.

Texas and 25 other states filed a lawsuit against the Obama administration in hopes to block the executive order, which seeks to give renewable work permits and deportation exemption to millions of undocumented people in the United States who met certain criteria.

Government attorney Kyle Freeny told Hanen that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services approved the orders for people who registered between Nov. 24 and Hanen's injunction. The hearing hopes to determine the circumstances surrounding the implementation of the order during that time.

Texas Republican Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz support the lawsuit and joined San Antonio Republican Lamar Smith and the American Center for Law and Justice in filing an amicus brief supporting the federal judge's decision.

"As I have said all along and a federal court affirmed, President Obama exceeded his authority when he went around Congress to unilaterally change our nation's immigration laws," Cornyn said.

Obama previously criticized the opposition to his executive order during a funding dispute for the Department of Homeland Security.

"This is just one federal judge. We have appealed it very aggressively. We're going to be as aggressive as we can," Obama said. "We said to Republicans... 'Instead of trying to hold hostage funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which is so important for our national security, fund that and let's get on with passing comprehensive immigration reform.'"

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Texas-led battle over Obama's executive order on immigration continues

There are many things politically happening these days and our communities have been dividedby political maneuvering and shameful tactics. I think that everyone can agree on one thing aboutpolitics we need more transparency, honesty and consistency.

I am an immigrant, and I work full time on the west side of South Bend serving our current waveof immigrants to this area. The west side has been, for a long time,the neighborhood where our community welcomed immigrants. Unfortunately, this current waveof immigrants hasnt felt that welcome, and hasnt been given the same opportunities as theirpredecessors.

Efforts to seriouslyreform our nations immigration system began in 2013 when a bipartisan group of senators announced plans for a comprehensive approach to immigration reform calledthe Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and ImmigrationModernization Act of 2013. Immigrants were encouraged when Sen. Joe Donnellypublicly supported our community by voting for this important bill that promised realimmigration reform. Donnelly was with the bipartisan majority in the Senate that passedthat bill one that offered a pathway to citizenship for the more than 11 millionundocumented immigrants. But, the House of Representatives failed to take up this bill. Despiterepeated efforts to get U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski to support immigration reform, oreven to support bringing the bill to the House for a vote, she did neither. Progress made by the Senate was now stalled.

Our community rallied at the words of President Obama when, in November 2014, he stood byhis claims to fix our immigration problems. The inaction of our Congress required Obama to takethis action to help keep families and community together, and to help our economy continue torecover. When a federal judge in Texas placed an injunction on the presidents executiveorder and stopped the process of aiding so many immigrant families, it justtook the air out of everyones sails. Immigrants wondered what would happen.

What added insult to injury was the unexplainable position that Donnelly took on hissubsequent votes against immigrants. To thwart Obamas executive order that wouldhelp immigrant families, Congress placed language in the funding provisions necessary to keepthe Department of Homeland Security working and that would overturn the presidentsimmigration actions. Donnelly refused to support such a funding bill for DHSand that was the right thing to do. But when a political deal was made to allow a clean fundingbill for DHS, if there was a separate bill to overturn the presidents executive orders, Donnelly voted for it but the bill was nowhere near the 60 votes needed to advance and itfailed.

I am perplexed by Donnellys original vote to support our community, and thensubsequent vote to deport contributing members of our community and siding with extremeviews in our countrys fractured political structure. It also didnt help him as it didnt pass and hewas once again on the wrong side voting against our community. I hope Donnelly sticks to theprinciples that he showed when he supported the immigration reform bill that passedthe Senate in 2013.

I want people in our community to work together. I want them to see the facts, and thoseare that immigration reform is good for our economy. Look at all the reports, reform will benefitlabor, increase wages and create economic growth. More importantly, reform will keep familiestogether and its the right thing to do for so many people who have worked hard to make ourcommunity a better place.

I have had the honor of working alongside members of the Northern Indiana Coalition forImmigration Reform and their support of our work at La Casa de Amistad has been refreshing. Itis a diverse group of citizens coming together, compromising and working to make America andour community a stronger place. I wish our politicians could do the same.

Sam Centellas is executive director of La Casa de Amistad.

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Viewpoint: Donnelly's immigration vote flip disappointing

U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Hanen said at a federal hearing in Brownsville, Texas, this week that he will consider sanctions for the Justice Department if he determines officials misled him as to when certain aspects of President Barack Obamas November executive orders on immigration would take effect. The hearing unfolded after Hanen approved an injunction request from a coalition of 26 states last month to block Obamas plan to shield some five million illegal immigrants from deportation.

The injunction to block Obamas immigration orders took effect on Feb. 16. Justice Department attorney Kathleen Hartnett purportedly told Hanen in January that part of the plan -- a measure to expand a program that would grant more than 100,000 illegal immigrants work permits and a three-year window of deferred action -- would not be implemented until Feb. 18, according to the Associated Press. Like an idiot I believed that, Hanen said Thursday.

Instead, federal attorneys said in a filing last month that protections for the 100,000 immigrantswent into effect before the injunction was in place. The judge declined earlier this month to remove the injunction until the Justice Department could explain the discrepancy.

We strive to be as candid as possible. It truly became clear to us there was confusion on this point, said Hartnett, who also reportedly apologized to Hanen. She asserted that the protections were enacted under federal guidelines put in place in 2012, not as a result of Obamas executive orders.

Angela Colmenero, lead attorney for the 26 states who allege Obamas orders were unconstitutional, asked Hanen to implement sanctions against the Justice Department, based on the fact that some of the illegal immigrants may have received undue benefits as a result of their inclusion in the federal program. Hartnett criticized the states request.

There is absolutely no basis for sanctions here, she said. The government is absolutely trying to do the right thing.

Obamas executive orders were a key point of contention earlier this year when Congress sought to approve a new funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security, which handles immigration oversight. Republicans were initially unwilling to sign off on renewed funding until Democrats in both houses agreed to measures that would strip back Obamas plan. But the bill eventually passed without any stipulations for repeal.

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Immigration Reform 2015: Judge Considers Sanctions If Justice Department Misled On Obama Executive Orders