Social Policy

ICE Detainee Commits Suicide, and a Not-So Modest Proposal

Watch A clip from The Undocumented on PBS. See more from Independent Lens. I have very little to go on with the press release below from U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement concerning the "apparent suicide" at the Eloy Detention Center by a 24 year-old Guatemalan woman named Elsa Guadalupe-Gon ... More >>

Bill Montgomery Skewered in Puente March, SANE Defends Monty

Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery took it on the chin today, as about 120 demonstrators protesting Monty's discriminatory policies toward undocumented workers marched more than 3.5 miles from Steele Indian School Park to Montgomery's offices in the county administration building in downtown P ... More >>

Arizona's Republican Congressmen Take the Jan Brewer Route on Immigration Proposals

The anti-immigration-reform crowd's broken record is currently playing in the offices of Republican Congressmen Matt Salmon, Trent Franks, Paul Gosar, and David Schweikert.The congressmen, like Governor Jan Brewer, insist that they can only even fathom immigration reform proposals if the border is s ... More >>

John McCain Hosts Town Hall on Immigration, Gets to Deal With Angry Nativists (Videos)

If you have an e-mail account, it's highly likely you've received a nonsense, political chain e-mail -- you know, FW:FW:FW: Barack Hussein Obama II has signed more secret orders than any dictator in human history, even George Soros!Based on the video footage of Senator John McCain's town hall meetin ... More >>

President Obama Talked Immigration Reform While Jan Brewer Got Stale at the Border

President Obama got some heavy applause during his bits on immigration reform during yesterday's State of the Union address, as he delivered points that were almost echoed in  Republican Senator Marco Rubio's response.Then, we read what seem to be some unintentionally hilarious accounts of Gove ... More >>

Arizona Immigration Laws (and Joe Arpaio) Called Out by Cato Institute for Economic Woes

The Cato Institute -- a libertarian think-tank -- needed just seven words to sum up its report today on how Arizona's immigration laws are affecting business, and put those words right at the front of its analysis: "Arizona's immigration laws have hurt its economy."Not only that, but the Maricopa Co ... More >>

DREAM Act Lite: DHS Releases Deferred Action Forms for Undocumented Immigrants

See also President Obama Approves Version of the DREAM Act, Grants Immunity from Deportation for Certain Young Undocumented Immigrants See also DREAM Act Has Support From 73 Percent of Arizonans, According to Poll The Department of Homeland Security has released the forms undocumented immigrants br ... More >>

Ben Quayle and David Schweikert Take Part in Forum, Say Mostly the Same Things but Use Different Words

If there are Republican voters in Arizona's Sixth Congressional District who still can't figure out which candidate's position on issues most closely match their own, yesterday's candidate forum in Scottsdale probably didn't help.Congressmen Ben Quayle and David Schweikert said mostly the same thing ... More >>

Papa John's CEO Warns Obamacare Will Mean Higher Pizza Prices -- Okay, Slightly Higher Pizza Prices -- Okay, Barely Noticeable Higher Pizza Prices -- But Still, GRRR!

Strong words of warning from John Schnatter, founder and CEO of Papa John's to those who love themselves a slice of chain-store pizza. Last week, Schnatter (a Mitt Romney backer) said during a phone call with shareholders that if Obamacare is passed, the new healthcare law (set to go into effect i ... More >>

Appeals Court Delays 20-Week Abortion Ban at Least Two More Months

See also: ACLU Trying to Stop 20-Week Abortion Ban; Says "No Court Has Ever Upheld" Such a Law See also: Federal Judge Upholds 20-Week Abortion Ban; Actually Cites Suspect Fetal-Pain Evidence The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals delayed the implementation of Arizona's law banning abortions after ... More >>

Federal Judge Upholds 20-Week Abortion Ban; Actually Cites Suspect Fetal-Pain Evidence

See also: ACLU Trying to Stop 20-Week Abortion Ban; Says "No Court Has Ever Upheld" Such a Law A federal judge ruled that the Arizona law banning abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy will be allowed to go into effect as scheduled on Thursday. The ACLU of Arizona and the Center for Reproductive Ri ... More >>

Kirk Adams Not Satisfied With Matt Salmon's Explanation of "Obamacare" Lobbying

See also: Congressional Candidate Matt Salmon Says Lobbyist Matt Salmon Never Lobbied for "Obamacare"Republican Congressman-turned-lobbyist-turned-congressional candidate Matt Salmon's explanation of doing lobbying work on "Obamacare" bills -- or not doing lobbying work on the bills -- isn't quite s ... More >>

Puente's "Undocubus" Set to Travel to Democratic National Convention

See Also: Arizona Congressman David Schweikert Falsely Claims Illegal Immigrants Are No Longer Afraid While most pro-immigrant activists are focusing on educating people about President Obama's new immigration policy regarding DREAM Act students, which promises to stop the deportations of ... More >>

SB 1070 Fuels a Movement of New Voters

Arizona Congressmen Repeat "Lie of the Year" About "Obamacare," and Vernon Parker's Set to Run It on TV

The thought that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act -- also known as "Obamacare" -- is a "government takeover" of health care has been repeated over, and over, and over again since the spring of 2009.That thought earned the label of "Lie of the Year" by PolitiFact, a fact-checking outlet ... More >>

DREAMers Score a Win with Obama's Immigration Initiative, But the War Is Far from Over

David Schweikert Also Offers a Bill to Block Obama Immigration Policy

Congressman David Schweikert, not to be outdone by his primary opponent, Congressman Ben Quayle, introduced his own bill to block the implementation of the Obama administration's new immigration policy.This move by Schweikert may seem familiar, since Quayle did just about the same thing yesterday to ... More >>

Obama Blocks DREAMers' Deportations, Outflanks GOP

Republicans are stumbling all over themselves to denounce President Barack Obama's executive action today to block the deportation of students who would benefit from the proposed DREAM Act. And in doing so, they're bumbling right into the trap the White House has laid for them. Obama's move, initial ... More >>

Joe Arpaio and Barack Obama Protested by Puente Moms and Their Children

Many would like to believe that even the most guileful and nefarious of individuals are capable of compassion, particularly toward the weakest among us.Sadly, human behavior argues otherwise. To rationalize away the sufferings of others is a fairly easy mental trick, and when the payoff fo ... More >>

Abortion Bully Trent Franks Wants to Tell People in Washington D.C. When They're Allowed to End a Pregnancy

​Fagala-phobic abortion bully Trent Franks today introduced a bill into Congress that, if it becomes law, would dictate when people in Washington D.C. are allowed to end a pregnancy.Franks, just to be clear, is a congressman from Arizona -- but that's not stopping him from playing morality cop in ... More >>

Feds Pull 287(g) Authority From Maricopa County Jails Due to Civil Rights Violations

Janet Napolitano, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary, announced today that she's yanking the 287(g) program, which helps identify illegal immigrants, from Maricopa County jails.​ U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano yanked the 287(g) program from Maricopa County jails today due to ... More >>

Joe Arpaio Opponent Mike Stauffer Comes Out in Favor of Proposed "Arizona Compact" for Immigration Reform

​As Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio stands by his hawkish approach to solving the illegal immigration problem, Scottsdale Lieutenant Mike Stauffer, the man who hopes to put an end to Arpaio's reign, has come out in favor of a more moderate approach to immigration reform.Stauffer, a life-long Re ... More >>

Russell Pearce Bashes Immigrants While Hispanics Are Saving Arizona's Economy

Senate President Russell Pearce claims illegal immigration costs taxpayers beaucoup cash; in reality Hispanics, legal and illegal, are aiding the state's economy.A boom in Arizona's Latino population has resulted in a powerful purchasing bloc that could help save the state's struggling economy.This, ... More >>

Russell Pearce Denied by 9th Circuit on 1070; Judge Susan Bolton's Injunction Remains

Pearce and his nativist allies were served a defeat today by the Ninth CircuitState Senate President Russell Pearce, Governor Jan Brewer, and the forces of nativism here in Arizona and nationwide have suffered a crushing blow. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has today upheld District Court Judge ... More >>

Another "Failed State" Article About Arizona Implies Everything Would be Rosy, Except for Conservatives

​ Arizona's conservative, anti-immigrant politics help make it a "failed state," says the Boston Review in a lengthy article published today. The piece makes plenty of good points, but gets watered down by writer Tom Barry's overly simplistic solution. If Arizona simply raised taxes, elected ... More >>

Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne Throws AG's Office into Crusade Against Obama-Care

James KingAttorney General Tom Horne has a few problems with President Obama's health care plan.​Newly sworn in Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne announced today that he's planning to do something his predecessor, Terry Goddard, refused to do: throw the Arizona Attorney General's Office into the ... More >>

Richard Mellon Scaife's Cash Pays For Judicial Watch's Ideologically Motivated Lawsuits

Sidebar: Mexican Macroeconomics

Barack Obama's $600 Million Border Boondoggle

Obama: $600 million-tough on landscapers and nanniesSo President Barack Obama, who still talks a good game about "comprehensive immigration reform," has now signed a supplemental border security package worth $600 million to add 1,000 Border Patrol agents, as well as hundreds of new officers for Imm ... More >>

SB 1070 Injunction: If You're Running for Office in Arizona, it's Awesome

www.babble.com​If you're running for office in Arizona and haven't issued a detailed statement outlining your position on Judge Susan Bolton's decision to grant an injunction for certain parts of SB 1070, it's time to get to work. Today was a political opportunist's Christmas in July.No matter whi ... More >>

U.S. Department of Justice Files SB 1070 Lawsuit Against Arizona

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder's Justice Department filed suit over SB 1070 todayAs was anticipated, the U.S. Department of Justice filed suit today in federal district court against the state of Arizona and Governor Jan Brewer over Arizona's new "papers, please" legislation, SB 1070.In the lawsu ... More >>

On Ignant Racism and a Donkey Leaning Against a Cactus

No Booze, Cigarettes, or Fancy Cars for Welfare Recipients -- if State Representative Frank Antenori Has Anything to Say About it

www.photobucket.com​Welfare recipients may want to hurry up and buy that Bentley they've been saving up for because -- if state Representative Frank Antenori has his way -- there soon will be restrictions on how much money people receiving government assistance can s ... More >>

John McCain Calls Massachusetts Senate Election a "Wake-Up Call" for Politicians in Washington

​Arizona Senator John McCain is looking at last night's Massachusetts Senate election as the "wake-up" call that could change how business is done in the nation's capitol. "Last night, a shot was fired around this nation ... saying no more business as usual in Washington, D.C.,"&nbs ... More >>

Emil Pulsifer's Intriguing Essay on the Subject of Immigration

If Emil's right on immigration, it may all come down to oil... Regular readers of the Feathered Bastard blog are familiar with the trenchant, and often amusing observations of regular commenter Emil Pulsifer. So you will be interested in Pulsifer's recent, thought-provoking guest column for Jo ... More >>

Rob Haney, Maricopa County GOP Chair, and His Anti-Mexican Rant to the Catholic Church

Maricopa County GOP Chair Rob Haney I've really got to wonder about these so-called "Christians" who spend all of their time hating on Mexican immigrants, legal and otherwise. I mean, did they ever go to Sunday school? Hear the parable of the good Samaritan? Read the Sermon on the Mount? Or an ... More >>

Police State: How the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency Turned All Local Authorities Into La Migra

Update: Napolitano yanks Arpaio's immigration funding

DEAD IN THE WATER: Ex-ACU Prez Bob Haran cuts ties with Anna Gaines' org, calls recall of Phil Gordon "waste of time."

Dems, activists at state convention demand Gov. Janet Napolitano veto HB 2807. (w/UPDATE: GUV COMPLIES, VETOES BILL.)

Flushing Them Out

Joe Arpaio and Andrew Thomas are teaching the rest of the nation how to terrorize illegal immigrants

Dueling Mormons

Marshal Jeff Flake goes toe-to-toe with Russell Pearce, and a former New Times staffer's popped for armed robbery

Meltdown

The Phoenix branch of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement bureau is Exhibit A of this country's failed border policies

Alien Nation

Undocumented workers constitute the biggest political issue in Arizona. But do we want to send them packing?

Learning Disorder

The Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections fails the state's worst kids

Jingo All the Way

Outside groups leading the anti-immigration campaign in Arizona are trying to distance themselves from their own bigoted pasts.

Closed Door Policy

A Chilean national's struggle against deportation raises fundamental questions about the constitutional rights of immigrants

The Price of Welfare Reform

Welfare That Doesn't Work

Governor Symington has spoken of helping needy kids and improving the welfare system. His welfare agency, the Department of Economic Security, is famous for astonishing incompetence and children who die.

FIFE'S DOUBLE TALK ON EDUCATIONGOVERNOR SYMINGTON'S SCHOOL-VOUCHER PLAN IS A GIFT FOR CONSERVATIVES--NOT THE POOR