For the first time in a generation, there seems to be political will on both sides of the aisle to pass new immigration legislation. It's an issue generally framed as a political or cultural one, but it has profound consequences for investors, businesses and the whole U.S. economy.
Is Arizona's "Legal Arizona Workers Act" -- which targets employers who knowingly employ illegal immigrants -- preempted by federal laws? The Supreme Court has agreed to hear challenges to the law on Wednesday. A final ruling is months away.
The new law will beef up armed patrols and increase funding for unmanned drones hunting for illegal immigrants crossing the border between Mexico and the U.S. President Obama, who hopes the measure will blunt anger over border security, signed the measure into law Friday.
In short, she found that federal law trumps the struck-down parts of Arizona's law because they imposed burdens on legal immigrants that only the federal government can impose, and because the law would force the U.S. government to reallocate resources away from its priorities, something states can't do.
U.S. District Court Judge Susan Bolton threw a monkey wrench into the deeply contentious debate over illegal immigration by declaring parts of Arizona's controversial immigration law to be unconstitutional. Backers of the bill, including Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, vow to keep fighting.
Polls show a link between the 8 million jobs lost during the Great Recession and a hostile attitude toward immigrants. These problems are adding to the pressure for new immigration policies -- and new jobs.
Pharmaceutical giant Novartis lost a huge gender discrimination case in May, and faced $250 million in punitive damages, plus possibly hundreds of millions more in compensatory damages. Rather than deal with years of appeals, both sides settled Wednesday for $152 million.
In an attempt to get out in front of the growing controversy about illegal immigration, President Obama on Thursday outlined key principles that he believes can lead to comprehensive reform legislation and tighter border security. One thing he says is key: Republican support.
Most Americans agree the nation's immigration policy needs revamping -- but disagree on whether undocumented workers benefit or hurt the economy. Clearing up common misconceptions would help in developing good policy changes.
Though the recently passed Arizona law empowering police to detain suspected illegal immigrants has gotten more attention, on Monday the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to rule on a different, but extremely important Arizona immigration law, one that punishes employers for hiring illegal immigrants.
The number of unauthorized people living in the U.S. fell for a second straight year to 10.8 million between January 2008 and January 2009. The reason for the decline is simple: fewer jobs. The tricky part is bringing those who remain out from the underground.
