Dn! In Depth

Immigration Reform

President Obama has vowed to make immigration reform a priority of his second administration. Today he is announcing a sweeping blueprint for immigration reform backed by a bipartisan group of senators. The Senate plan includes an "earned path to citizenship" for the estimated 11 million undocumented people in the United States, but also demands tougher border enforcement, including more use of drones, and a system for tracking those who overstay visas.

Top Stories

  • Immigration_reform
    President Obama has kicked off his second term with a major push for comprehensive immigration reform, backing a bipartisan Senate plan that includes a path to citizenship for some of the...
    Jan 31, 2013 | Story
  • Seanarce-new
    Sean Arce, the head of the Tucson school district’s banned Mexican American Studies program, was dismissed Tuesday night amid vocal protests from dozens of supporters. Tucson’s Mexican...
    Apr 13, 2012 | Story
  • Anastasio_hernandez_rojas
    A new PBS documentary exposes the tasing and beating death of a Mexican immigrant by U.S. border agents in California and has renewed scrutiny of what critics call a culture of impunity....
    Apr 24, 2012 | Story
  • Button-mayday-ny

    May Day Legacy of Labor, Immigrant Rights Joined by New Generation of Occupy for Historic Protests

    Several major unions joined with immigrant rights activists and tens of thousands of Occupy Wall Street protesters in New York City for a massive rally that marched to Wall Street. "I’m here today to support the efforts of May Day in fighting as a coalition to protect working families, struggling families and individuals — quite frankly, known as the 99 percent — to make sure that our issues, our causes are not forgotten...
    May 02, 2012 | Story
  • Arpaio_protest

    "No Papers, No Fear": As Arpaio Fights Arizona Suit, 4 Undocumented Immigrants Reveal Their Status

    Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio took the stand for six hours this week in a civil rights trial accusing him of using racial profiling to target undocumented immigrants in Arizona. The American Civil Liberties Union and the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund filed the lawsuit on behalf of residents targeted at traffic stops for detention, despite having a valid visa and identification. As Arpaio testified, four undocumented immigrants were...
    Jul 26, 2012 | Story
  • Viriphoto1

    DREAM Activist Speaks from Broward Detention Center: Listen to Exclusive Interview

    In a Democracy Now! exclusive, we speak with Viridiana Martinez, an undocumented DREAM activist who is being detained in the Broward Transitional Center in Pompano Beach, Florida. [includes rush transcript]
    Jul 31, 2012 | Web Exclusive
  • Viridiana_martinez

    DREAM Activist Speaks Out on Infiltrating Florida Detention Center to Find Wrongly Held Immigrants

    In a Democracy Now! exclusive, we’re joined by DREAM activist Viridiana Martinez, who calls us live from a detention center in Pompano Beach, Florida. Martinez is one of a group of undocumented activists with the National Immigrant Youth Alliance who have infiltrated the Broward Transitional Center and found dozens of immigrants who should be released under Obama’s discretionary guidelines. A review of cases to remove low-priority...
    Aug 01, 2012 | Story
  • Marco_saavedra-dream_act

    DREAM Activist: I Infiltrated Florida Facility to Expose How U.S. Still Detaining Youth Immigrants

    A new Obama administration policy could stop the deportation of as many as 1.3 million undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children. Starting on Aug. 15, students under the age of 30 may be eligible for a two-year reprieve from deportation if they meet certain conditions. We speak to Marco Saavedra, a DREAM activist who infiltrated a Florida detention facility and was arrested again over the weekend calling for the...
    Aug 08, 2012 | Story
  • Lines

    Undocumented Youth Line Up by the Thousands as Temporary Immigration Reprieve Takes Effect

    Tens of thousands of young undocumented immigrants waited in mile-long lines across the country on Wednesday to take advantage of a new federal policy that may grant them legal status to temporarily remain and work in the United States. Under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program, immigrants under 31, including students who are enrolled in school on the day they apply, will now be eligible for a two-year reprieve from deportation...
    Aug 16, 2012 | Story
  • Eddie_and_son_jose_arma

    Immigration Activists Win Reunion for Phoenix-Area Family After Deportation Almost Tears Them Apart

    As President Obama backs an immigration plan that includes a path to citizenship for some of the country’s 11 million undocumented residents, deportations are continuing at record levels. We go to Arizona, where one family was almost torn apart because of a three-year-old traffic violation. Last night, 11-year-old Jose Arma was reunited with his father, Edi Arma, who was detained two weeks ago and almost deported to Guatemala. One day after...
    Jan 31, 2013 | Story
  • Harvest

    "Harvest of Empire": New Film Recounts How U.S. Intervention Caused Mass Latin American Migrations

    At a time of heated and divisive debate over immigration, the new feature-length documentary, "Harvest of Empire," examines the direct connection between the long history of U.S. intervention in Latin America and the immigration crisis we face today. Based on the groundbreaking book by award-winning journalist and Democracy Now! co-host Juan González, "Harvest of Empire" takes an unflinching look at the role that U.S. economic...
    Sep 25, 2012 | Story
  • Jeff_biggers

    As Anti-Immigrant "Papers" Law Takes Effect, Jeff Biggers on Arizona, the "State Out of the Union"

    Last week a federal judge lifted an injunction against a key component of Arizona’s controversial anti-immigrant law, S.B. 1070, requiring police to check the immigration status of people they stop before releasing them. On Saturday, hundreds of protesters marched in Phoenix to protest the law, which they say enables racial profiling. As the "show me your papers" law goes into effect, we’re joined by journalist Jeff Biggers,...
    Sep 24, 2012 | Story
  • Amys_column_default

    No Papers, No Fear at the Democratic Convention

    By Amy Goodman with Denis Moynihan
    Convention was gaveled into session Tuesday, outside in the rain, in the paramilitarized heart of Charlotte, democracy in its finest form found expression.
    Sep 05, 2012 | Columns & Articles
  • Undocubus-dnc2012

    Undocumented Activists Arrested Outside DNC After Cross-Country Journey for Immigration Reform

    One of the first acts of civil disobedience at the Democratic National Convention took place Tuesday just outside the Time Warner Cable Center when a group of 10 undocumented activists rode into uptown Charlotte aboard the "No Papers, No Fear–Ride for Justice" bus and blocked traffic. The activists have been riding aboard the "UndocuBus" protesting the Obama administration’s immigration policies for the past six...
    Sep 05, 2012 | Story
  • Undocubus

    No Papers, No Fear: Busload of Undocumented Immigrants Defy Risks to Bring Message to DNC

    A busload of more than 40 undocumented immigrants and their supporters, known as the UndocuBus, has arrived in Charlotte after traveling more than 2,000 miles, through 11 states, to deliver a message to President Barack Obama and the Democrats under the slogan of "No Papers, No Fear." In many of the 15 cities they visited on their way to Charlotte, they engaged in civil disobedience to protest their criminalization by state and federal...
    Sep 04, 2012 | Story
  • Jakadrien_turner

    Deportation of U.S. Teen to Colombia Latest Failure of Immigration System

    The family of a Dallas teenager Jakadrien Turner is demanding answers after she was deported to Colombia, despite the fact that she is a U.S. citizen and speaks no Spanish. Turner, a 15-year-old African-American runaway, was living in Houston when she was arrested for shoplifting and gave police a fake name that belonged to a 22-year-old undocumented immigrant from Colombia with warrants for her arrest. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement...
    Jan 06, 2012 | Story
  • Pancho-ramos-yoga-arrest-ows

    Occupy Oakland Protester Pancho Ramos Stierle Faces Deportation After Arrest While Meditating

    The arrest of a high-profile undocumented protester has brought immigration issues to the forefront of the movement. In California on Monday, Francisco "Pancho" Ramos Stierle was seized while meditating at Oscar Grant Plaza during an early morning raid on the Occupy Oakland encampment. Rather than being released on bail, Pancho was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody under the Secure Communities program, which...
    Nov 18, 2011 | Story
  • Pearce_arpaio_web

    Latino Voters Help Dethrone Anti-Immigrant Champion in Historic Arizona State Senate Recall Election

    The architect of Arizona’s controversial anti-immigration law, Russell Pearce, lost a major recall election Tuesday night, becoming the first Arizona state senator ever to do so. He is required to step down immediately and will be replaced by newly elected Republican Jerry Lewis. Pearce wrote Senate Bill 1070, which requires police to investigate the immigration status of people they have lawfully detained. He was also behind an effort to...
    Nov 10, 2011 | Story
  • Detention_web

    "Lost in Detention": As Obama Admin Deports Record 400,000, Film Explores What Immigrants Face Behind Bars

    The Obama administration has released new figures showing U.S. deportations of immigrants reached a record high. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement says it deported nearly 400,000 people in fiscal year 2011, the highest total in the agency’s eight years. The data was released the same day a coalition of Latino and immigrant rights groups held a National Day of Action to protest Obama’s immigration policies. The protesters called...
    Oct 20, 2011 | Story
  • Alabama_immigration_kid_web

    Harsh Immigration Laws Threaten "Humanitarian Crisis" in Alabama, Prompting Latinos to Fight Back

    The state of Alabama became the latest hotspot in the national immigration debate when it enacted a new law, HB 56, that requires police to arrest anyone they suspect of being in the country without legal status. It also prevents courts from enforcing contracts involving undocumented immigrants and allows public schools to determine the immigration status of enrolled students. Last week, a federal appeals court blocked enforcement of parts of...
    Oct 20, 2011 | Story