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Wage Law Enforcement as Immigration Policy

PSN on GRITtv: Beyond SB 1070: Immigration Bills and the States

Anonymous on July 8, 2010 - 11:13am

Suman Raghunathan, PSN's Immigration Policy Specialist, joined State Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (AZ) and Laura Flanders of GRITtv to discuss how progressive state legislators across the nation are fighting back against draconian right-wing anti-immigrant legislation, and advancing common-sense immigration solutions on both the state and federal level.

WaPo: Advocates for immigrants turn to state legislatures to block Arizona-style law

Anonymous on July 4, 2010 - 9:39am

Advocates demanding stricter rules against illegal immigration -- including those backing Arizona's new law clamping down on undocumented immigrants -- have long argued that state lawmakers have been forced to act because of Congress's reluctance to take the lead.

But with little sign that Congress will act on comprehensive immigration reform this year, advocates for immigrants are also taking matters into their own hands. Like their political opponents, they have turned to their state legislatures to fight back.

In states from Pennsylvania to Utah, a battle of bills has been taking place between those who want to reproduce the Arizona law, which hands police more power to detain anyone they suspect of being in the country illegally, and those who want to extend further rights to immigrants.

Arizona "Copycat" Anti-Immigrant Bill Killed in Rhode Island Without a Hearing

Suman Raghunathan on May 27, 2010 - 11:26am

Immigrant and workers' rights advocates celebrated a victory in Rhode Island this week with the announcement that State Rep. Peter Palumbo's anti-immigrant bill, closely based on Arizona's widely criticized SB 1070, would not get a hearing. Rhode Island House Speaker Gordon Fox came out in opposition to Palumbo's bill, and decided to table it -- the proposal was drafted roughly ten days ago, just before the end of the state's legislative session. 

RELEASE: Policy recommendations from Corzine panel would put NJ at forefront of immigration reform

Austin Guest on March 30, 2009 - 1:12pm
JERSEY CITY, NJ — At a press conference this morning, Gov. Jon Corzine unveiled the results of his Blue Ribbon Panel on Immigration Policy, which included recommendations for the establishment of an Office on New Americans to help integrate immigrant families into the state’s culture and work force.  Policy experts at the Progressive States Network (PSN) were quick to praise the panel’s recommendations, which they placed within an emerging trend among state lawmakers to include working immigrant families into plans for shared economic growth.

According to PSN Interim Executive Director Nathan Newman, who authored a comprehensive 50-state analysis of state immigration policy last September, “The story that states are rushing out to punish undocumented immigrants is really a smoke screen. When you look at the facts, you see that more and more states are finding ways to integrate immigrants into a growing workforce and thriving small business community.  States like New Jersey realize that there is a far better economic future in working together than there is in dividing the population against itself.”

Don't create scapegoats: Enforce wage laws for all

Caroline Fan on February 11, 2009 - 3:55pm
Don't create scapegoats: Enforce wage laws for all

Des Moines Register
April 02, 2008
Senator Joe Bolkcom

Hypocrisy is running north of the border

Austin Guest on January 25, 2009 - 10:08pm
News item #1: As of Nov. 30, 13 states had enacted 19 employment laws related to immigrants since Jan. 1, 2008, according to a December report issued by the National Conference of State Legislatures. The laws covered hiring unauthorized workers, employment verification, unemployment benefits and so forth.
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The states: Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Maryland, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and, of course, Mississippi.

Iowa Meatpacker Is Fined Nearly $10 Million

Caroline Fan on November 13, 2008 - 12:53pm
October 30, 2008

Meatpacker Is Fined Nearly $10 Million

New York Times
By JULIA PRESTON

State labor authorities levied nearly $10 million in fines Wednesday for wage violations at an Iowa meatpacking plant where nearly 400 illegal immigrant workers were arrested in a raid in May.

The fines against Agriprocessors Inc., one of the country’s largest kosher meatpackers, were the largest wage violations penalties ever levied in Iowa, state officials said.

About $9.6 million of the fines were for illegal paycheck deductions the company made for protective jackets and other uniforms that packinghouse workers were required to wear. Iowa inspectors found 96,436 deductions for uniforms from the paychecks of 2,001 workers, and brought fines of $100 per incident.

The workers’ wages had been reduced by $192,597, Iowa officials said.

“You cannot legally deduct for clothing required by the company,” said Kerry Koonce, a spokeswoman for Iowa Workforce Development, the state’s labor department.