illegal immigrant news stories on Newser

The Big World Events You Missed in 2011

Dustin Lushing — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 15:30:11 CST

What events and trends flew under the radar in 2011 but could erupt into massive headline-grabbers in 2012? Foreign Policy rounds up the top 10 "stories you missed" this year. India grows its military : India is now the globe's leading weapons importer, accounting for nearly 1 in 10 international arms...

Man Pretends To Be Illegal Immigrant to Skirt Jail

Kevin Spak — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 11:44:05 CDT

It’s not every day an American citizen gets charged with pretending to be an illegal immigrant, but that’s what happened to one Utah 27-year-old this week. The man was originally arrested for dealing drugs in February 2010, the Salt Lake Tribune reports. He told the judge he was an illegal...

Ala.: OK, Kids Don't Need to Show Birth Certificate

Kevin Spak — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 12:39:49 CDT

Alabama issued a statement yesterday imploring parents to send their children to school even if they don’t have a birth certificate, after thousands of Hispanic students failed to show up for classes this week. Alabama’s strict new immigration law requires all enrolling students to present a birth certificate, but state...

Obama's Uncle Arrives at Court, Giggling

Matt Cantor — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 14:10:05 CDT

President Obama’s half-uncle was in court today on drunk-driving charges —and he seemed to find the media's attention rather funny, notes the Boston Herald , which describes him as giggling and "stifling laughter" a number of times. Accompanied by attorneys and an unidentified man, Onyango Obama made a very brief appearance...

Alabama Now Has US' Harshest Immigration Law

Evann Gastaldo — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 07:49:36 CDT

Starting today, Alabama police will enforce what many are calling the US’ toughest immigration law. A federal judge upheld key aspects of the law yesterday, including allowing authorities to question and detain suspected illegal immigrants and requiring officials to check public school students’ immigration status. The governor says those portions...

New Mexico Man Who Saved Girl Is Illegal Immigrant

John Johnson — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 17:29:18 CDT

A new twist to the story of a New Mexico man hailed as a hero for saving a 6-year-old girl from a kidnapper: Antonio Diaz Chacon is an illegal immigrant. The 23-year-old has been married to an American and living in the US for four years, but he gave up...

Calif. Passes Dream Act for Undocumented Students

Rob Quinn — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 08:52:05 CDT

Illegal immigrants will be eligible for privately-funded college scholarships in California under a bill signed into law yesterday by Gov. Jerry Brown. The bill, known as the California Dream Act, is aimed at undocumented students who have received a high school diploma after attending at least three years of high...

Illegal Immigrant Journo's Driver's License Canceled

Evann Gastaldo — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 10:31:05 CDT

Jose Antonio Vargas, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who "came out" as an illegal immigrant in the New York Times magazine last month, is experiencing some fallout from his confession: Washington state has canceled his driver's license. Vargas initially found a way to procure an Oregon license, but when it was...

Illegal Immigrant Youth 'Come Out' for Reform

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 12:33:02 CDT

Eighteen-year-old Dulce Guerrero kept quiet about being an illegal immigrant until earlier this year, when she became upset after a traffic stop that landed her mother in jail for two nights. The arrest came as Georgia lawmakers were crafting what would become one of the nation's toughest immigration crackdowns, and...