• Hispanic voters are far more conservative than you might think

    A new survey of Hispanic registered voters conducted by 10 GOP-leaning pollsters suggests that more than a third of Hispanic voters self-identify as conservative or very conservative while another 28 percent say they’re moderate. And a majority have voted for a Republican candidate in the past. None of this comes as a surprise to those who have […]

     
  • The wrong lessons in Eric Cantor’s defeat

    GOP House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s stunning defeat in a primary challenge in his VA home district is being blamed on Cantor’s supposed support for immigration reform. But Cantor was never a backer of comprehensive reform and for years he drew high praise from anti-immigrant groups like NumbersUSA, which notes on its website that Cantor […]

     
  • Being bumped out of line in the immigration queue–the Supremes weigh in

    One of the frequent complaints among those opposed to granting legal status to those 11 million unauthorized immigrants currently living in the U.S. is that it is unfair for those who have patiently waited in line to become eligible for entry visas. But one group of applicants who have waited in line patiently–some for a […]

     
  • Americans support immigration reform that includes path to citizenship

    A new poll out from the Public Religion Research Institute and the Brookings Institution confirms that the vast majority of Americans want unauthorized immigrants living here to secure legal status–and most Americans, including a majority of Republicans, favor offering a path for those immigrants to earn citizenship. But there are divisions among the respondents, with those who […]

     
  • BAI President Linda Chavez on Bloomberg Radio

    Linda Chavez will be interviewed on Bloomberg Radio on Saturday, June 7 at 10 am and 6 pm ET live in Boston on 1200 AM and 94.5 FM and available here. She will be discussing her time in the Reagan administration and her decision to form the Becoming American Institute.

     
  • Unaccompanied minors pose challenge

    A record number of unaccompanied minors–60,000 by one estimate– will cross the border this year, posing a tremendous challenge for immigration officials. Many of these children are fleeing dangerous conditions in their home countries, as the New York Times reports. While many if not most of these kids have parents in the U.S., if border agents […]

     
  • Message from the pulpit

    The archbishop of Miami took House members to task today for failing to pass immigration reform. In an article for The Hill, Archbishop Thomas Wenski said that he is still hopeful that the House will pass immigration reform this year.”I believe Speaker Boehner (R-Ohio) knows that passing comprehensive immigration reform is the right thing to do, and […]

     
  • Assimilation alive and well

    This heart-warming story from Pasaic NJ demonstrates that Hispanics, including new immigrants, see themselves as part of the American fabric. “Longtime Passaic residents often complain that the new, mostly Spanish-speaking immigrants haven’t assimilated into the American scene. But the 3,000 people who turned out for the Memorial Day parade on Monday were out to prove their critics […]

     
  • Uncle Sam wants you

    The United States Defense Department announced during a hearing this week that the department is considering reaching out to young immigrants–including some who are undocumented–to join the military. Immigration activists are imploring the Pentagon to title these immigrants as “vital to national interest,” making them able to participate in a special program that would give them citizenship […]

     
  • Losing your place in the immigration line

    What if you did everything right in order to become a legal resident but lost your place in line simply because you “aged out”? That’s the fate of thousands of children of legal immigrants who turned 21 before their parents receive their permanent resident status. The problem is especially acute for the children of teachers who were […]