Stateline Headlines

Driver’s seat

Rust-Belt reaches for immigrant tide

Number of Undocumented Children Who Cross U.S. Border Alone Has Tripled

A record number of children from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras are being apprehended at the U.S. border. What happens to these kids?

After Years of Defeats, Immigrants Win Big State Victories in 2013

Arizona’s immigration crackdown is a fresh memory for many, but now many states are passing immigrant-friendly laws. Find out what is driving the change.

States Taking in More Refugees from Mideast and Asia

People fleeing persecution around the world settle in different states. Pennsylvania, for example, has become home for many refugees from Bhutan. What are the other high-destination states?

Legislatures Consider Limits on Prisoner Deportations Through Secure Communities

As Congress considers major revisions to federal immigration laws, legislators in a few states are trying to curb the federal government’s power to deport immigrants who land in jail.

Nullification: Old Arguments Against Feds Get New Life

States challenging Washington is not new, but Second Amendment worries have breathed new life into a movement championing a wider range of topics than ever before.

Federal Government Gives States More Time on Real ID

Only 13 states issue driver’s licenses that comply with the federal Real ID law, but states that do not will have at least six months to bring their licenses up to those standards.

As Federal Immigration Overhaul Looms, California Schools Slash Adult English Classes

Requiring immigrants to learn English would likely be a key component of any federal immigration overhaul. But widespread cuts to English programs in California show that even that requirement may not be easy to roll out.

States Begin Giving Driver’s Licenses to Young Immigrants

The federal government thrust states back into dealing with the contentious issue of driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants, after years when the practice had become rare and the issue dropped off most legislative agendas.

Infographic: Ballot Measures Gave Voters Say on Divisive Issues

Voters in 38 states will decide 174 statewide ballot measures on Election Day. Are any on your ballot?

All Eyes on U.S. Supreme Court

States await key decisions this week from the U.S. Supreme Court on health care, immigration and elections.

Voters Decide Policy Issues

The American electorate that so narrowly divided over the presidential race swung many ways on a raft of ballot initiatives ranging from legalizing pot in three states to banning same-sex marriage in 11.

Drivers' licenses to face new federal standards

Dec. 9 - In a little-noticed provision that has some state officials fretting, the landmark U.S. intelligence overhaul passed by Congress Wednesday (Dec. 8) includes the first mandatory federal identification standards for drivers licenses, birth certificates and other forms of state-issued ID. The objective is to better safeguard the nation against terrorist attacks, but some wary critics argue it is merely, as one put it, an end run on states rights.

New Year Rings in Many New State Laws

New state laws that go into effect on Jan. 1 will mean fatter paychecks for minimum wage workers in five states. But some rowdy sports fans had better beware, and skateboarding kids in New York will have to don helmets.

States Weigh Tuition Breaks for Illegal Immigrants

State legislation plays an important role in determining who goes to college - and at what price. For the tens of thousands of undocumented students living in the United States, the equation is complex.

Census Data Shows Immigration Upsurge

New Census data shows that increases in the nations population since 1990 were caused by higher-than-expected immigration levels.

Immigration Bedevils State Lawmakers

Inundated by millions of illegal newcomers, states along the border and beyond are taking more immigration matters into their own hands. Resentment over illegal populations is brewing and already is creeping into state elections. But nearly as many new state laws help illegal immigrants as hinder them. In the last of a three-part series on illegal immigration, Stateline.org examines how states are responding.

Federal Red Ink Shrinks Money for States

President Bush is offering states no help in paying for congressionally ordered changes to driver's licenses and would foist new costs on states to provide food for low-income pregnant women while slashing money to revitalize poor neighborhoods. One day after Bush released his $2.77 trillion proposed 2007 budget, analysts scouring the document concluded that while it is chock full of savings for the federal government, it could spell new financial responsibilities for states.

Border Debate Shifts to Employers

Click image to enlarge. Expand new window fully. Businesses that hire undocumented workers are emerging as a new target for state lawmakers in a year already brimming with illegal immigration measures. By pointing their pens at those who hire illegal immigrants, rather than just at workers, legislators are ratcheting up state-based efforts to deal with illegal immigration in a further sign of frustration with the federal government's border enforcement.

Western Governors Back Bush Guest-Worker Plan

Fourteen Western governors threw their political weight behind President Bush on the issue of immigration Tuesday (Feb. 28), formally endorsing reforms including a guest-worker program that would allow thousands more immigrants to receive visas each year. The governors' resolution comes as Congress considers dramatically conflicting versions of immigration reform.

Immigration Poll: Target Work, Not Border

More Americans would prefer workplace sanctions to reduce illegal immigration from Mexico rather than more fences or additional border agents, according to a new national poll. The survey queried the public on immigration policy questions being debated not just in Congress but also in statehouses. Governors rated better than President Bush in public confidence in their ability to handle immigration issues.

Border Plan Reignites an Old Debate

President Bush's plan to send 6,000 National Guard troops to the Southern border has rekindled debate in states about the role of the Guard, particularly on whether the new assignment will strain a force drained by extensive deployments. But some governors called the plan a bold step in the right direction.

States Want Cash for Costs of Illegals

States are raising their voices in the Capitol Hill debate over immigration reform, telling Congress they have a financial stake in how the United States deals with those here illegally. Specifically, states are lobbying for funds to help cover health care, education and law enforcement costs associated with the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the country.

States Hope for Better Deal in New Congress

(Updated 3:45 p.m. EST, Tuesday)When the 110th Congress convenes in January, there will be a new Democratic majority negotiating with a Republican president and, state leaders hope, a new relationship between the federal government and the nation's 50 statehouses.

Govs Want Action on Immigration, Health Care

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. - The nation's governors, in their first gathering since Election Day, urged Congress and the White House to stop bickering and work with them to address illegal immigration and the country's broken health care system. Fresh off the campaign trail, 10 of 11 newly elected freshmen governors joined 13 incumbents at the Greenbrier resort in West Virginia as part of a National Governors Association (NGA) weekend seminar to provide tips for transitioning from candidate to chief executive.

States Slow to Give Driver's Licenses to Illegal Aliens

The question of whether illegal immigrants should qualify for driver's licenses and if so, under what conditions - has been a topic of debate in 20 states this year. Although there has been little progress to make licensing undocumented residents easier or more difficult, proposals have prompted passionate support as well as vehement opposition. The fate of a proposal in California could prove influential in establishing a state trend on the issue.

States Balk at License Bill as It Heads to U.S. Senate

It will be impossible for states to comply with stringent mandates for state-issued driver's licenses specified in an immigration bill that cleared the U.S. House of Representatives last week, state officials say. The bill, which experts predict will encounter resistance in the U.S. Senate, explicitly bars federal agencies from accepting as valid forms of identification licenses issued in 10 states that do not require applicants to demonstrate they are lawfully present in the United States.

Congress Sets New Driver's License Rules

States no longer rule the road when it comes to driver's licenses. Congress just passed strict standards for driver's licenses nationwide that supporters say will help curb illegal immigration and keep licenses out of terrorists' hands. But opponents say the new standards usurp states' authority, violate drivers' privacy, will be costly to states and may not actually increase security.

States Try New Approaches, Federal Cool

In recent years, while the federal government has focused on terrorism and the war in Iraq, governors and state legislators have been tackling pressing domestic policy issues ranging from soaring prescription drug prices to environmental concerns. But as states plunge ahead, President George W. Bush and a Republican Congress often do not support the very activism that GOP leaders have encouraged for decades.

With feds stuck, states take on immigration

State lawmakers have taken widely divergent approaches to dealing with an influx of immigrants, including 11 million thought to be here illegally. Some states are rolling out welcome mats while others are slamming shut their doors.

Bush Budget Gives States Little to Cheer About

Reversing course from last year, the Bush administration announced Monday (Feb. 4) it plans to spend an additional $19.7 billion over five years to see that more of America's children have health insurance.

States Think Smaller, Slower on Immigration

The headlong rush of states into immigration policy may be slowing. So far this spring, ambitious proposals in state capitols have been watered down, delayed or outright defeated.

Legislators Prod Congress on Medicaid, Real ID

As some states tumble into what they fear is a recession, state lawmakers from across the country are pushing Congress for relief from impending federal rules that would force states to pick up more Medicaid costs and spend billions to make drivers' licenses more secure.

States, Locals Swamp Immigration Program

Sudden demand by state and local police to join the federal 287(g) initiative, which lets local police start deportation proceedings for suspects and criminals who are illegal immigrants, is overwhelming the federal government. That means long waits and alternative programs offered to police departments that want to join.

3 States, Including California, Ban Gay Marriage

Measures on gay marriage, abortion, affirmative action, stem cell research and physician assisted suicide were among 153 initiatives on the 2008 ballot in 36 states.

Property Rights a Popular Question on Ballots

A new feature on Stateline.org's interactive 2006 Elections Guide shows that property rights is the hottest new topic on state ballots, cropping up in 13 states, while Arizona outnumbers any of the 36 states to feature ballot measures Nov. 7. The new database is the most comprehensive list to date of the social, tax and reform proposals spicing up state election slates this fall. See a summary of every statewide ballot measure, with a link to the official text.

Bush Builds on States' Agendas

It's too soon to know how far the new Congress might go in accepting President Bush's State of the Union proposals on health care, energy, immigration and education, but states aren't waiting to find out. States already are building a platform of policies on what Bush cited as the nation's top domestic issues.

WORTH NOTING: Sex, drugs and Rock 'n' Roll Hit States

A rock star shakes things up at Texas' inauguration, speeders get a break in Arizona, and the Colts-Bears Super Bowl matchup gives a whole new meaning to "partisanship" at the Indiana Statehouse. In case you missed those stories this week, "Worth Noting" fills you in.

Govs, Bush Vow Closer Health-Care Efforts

The Bush administration pledged to help states in danger of running out of money for a popular children's health program and agreed to work with a newly created task force of governors on ideas for overall health-care reform. Iraq, education, energy and immigration also were among the issues that President Bush and his Cabinet discussed Monday (Feb. 26) with the nation's governors.

State Lawmakers Ramp Up Immigration Efforts

Congress remains bogged down on immigration reform, but state capitols are awash in double the number of immigration measures as proposed in all of last year and legislators already have enacted 57 new statutes in 18 states, according to a new report.

State Immigration Laws Face Legal Doubts

A judge's ruling striking down a Pennsylvania town's penalties for hiring or renting to illegal immigrants could have repercussions in Arizona, Colorado, Georgia and Oklahoma, where state laws require certain companies to make sure their workers are legal.

States Forge Ahead on Immigration, Global Warming

From the Iraq war to illegal immigrants to global warming, states are showing impatience with Washington, D.C., and are blazing new policies often contrary to the feds. Stateline.org offers a real-time look at trends emerging from state capitols and a state-by-state summary of action in 45 legislatures this year.

State Immigration Laws Multiply

State legislatures passed more than twice as many bills dealing with illegal immigrants this year as they did in 2006, enacting laws on everything from employment rules to human trafficking, according to a study released today.

Tighter license rules hit illegal immigrants

In many of the seven states that issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, stricter rules are on the way to ensure immigrants live in-state and are who they say they are. Things could get even tougher when the federal Real ID Act kicks in next May.

Congress Revisits Medicaid ID Law

Congress is working to soften the impact of a year-old law that is designed to keep illegal immigrants from getting Medicaid benefits but is inadvertently disqualifying many U.S. citizens from the health insurance program for the poor.

Republican candidates stress immigration

Many Republicans, and some Democrats, running for state offices this November are trying to appeal to voters with get-tough stances on illegal immigration. The trend is hottest in Virginia, but candidates in Kentucky, Louisiana and Mississippi are weighing in, too.

New Year ushers in new laws

At least 31 states will enforce new laws that take effect New Year's Day. So as you ring in the New Year, expect some facet of life to change, ranging from where you can smoke in Illinois to how much it costs to enter a strip club in Texas.

Illegal Immigrants Dispersing

A new report says that illegal immigrants are living in states where relatively few had settled 20 years ago.

Labor Shortages Lead Businesses to Support Help for Undocumented Workers

Business groups, especially in agriculture, are pushing several state measures to aid immigrant laborers who are in the country illegally. But many of those efforts are treading on uncertain legal ground.

After a Contentious Political Year, Republicans May Moderate Their Approach

PART ONE OF FIVE: With the 2012 election drawing near, Republican leaders in much of the country are sounding less combative on the legislative front than they did in 2011.

Federal Court Blocks Parts of Anti-Immigration Law in Alabama, Georgia

A federal appeals court on Monday blocked several provisions of anti-immigration laws in Alabama and Georgia, while leaving intact each state’s so-called “so me your papers” policies.

Alabama Police Start Slowly in Enforcing Immigration Law

CLANTON, Alabama — Alabama is off to a slow start in rolling out its law requiring police to check the immigration status of suspects. But it is ahead of the other states, including Arizona, that approved similar measures.

Police join feds to tackle immigration

A program that allows local and state police to work hand-in-hand with federal immigration agents is skyrocketing in popularity. There are 34 programs in 15 states and another 77 programs are pending. But critics question whether it could hamper police officers' ability to do their core duties.

Alabama Immigration Debate Heats Up

While justices of the U.S. Supreme Court deliberate over the fate of Arizona’s anti-immigration law, Alabama lawmakers are deciding whether to tweak a similar they passed last year that is considered even harsher.

Alabama One-Ups Arizona on Immigration

TODAY'S TAKE: The Alabama Legislature has sent Governor Robert Bentley a bill that goes beyond last year's controversial immigration crackdown in Arizona.

U.S. Sues Alabama Over Tough Immigration Law

TODAY'S TAKE: "To put it in terms we relate to here in Alabama, you can only have one quarterback in a football game," a federal prosecutor says. "In immigration, the federal government is the quarterback."

Arizona's limits on immigrant driver's licenses upheld

Immigration-reform bill faces 1st major test

Arizona’s Border Fence Still Faces Obstacles

After nearly two years of preparation and with more than a quarter million dollars of private donations in hand, Arizona officials still have not unveiled a plan to build a border fence. But a state lawmaker who is leading the effort said that will soon change.

Issue To Watch: Immigration

Long-bottled-up bills that address state policies on whether to offer in-state tuition to undocumented students could become law this year, because of changes in party control of legislative chambers and changes in federal policy.

Judge Backs Heart of Arizona Immigration Law

The heart of Arizona’s law cracking down on undocumented immigrants is poised to take effect following a federal judge’s ruling. But the split decision blocked criminalizing knowingly transporting or harboring undocumented immigrants.

Key Parts of Arizona Immigration Law Struck Down

A majority of Supreme Court Justices ruled that three sections of the Arizona law were in conflict with federal authority.

Census Data Shows Immigration Shift

New Census data shows that increases in the nations population since 1990 were caused by higher-than-expected immigration levels.Parts of Arizona and North Carolina are the new magnets for immigrants.

Arizona Lashes Out at Illegal Immigration

Arizona is ground zero of a seething backlash against illegal immigration, a sentiment that has begun to spread to other states. So many migrants sneak into the desert state from Mexico that vigilantes showed up this spring to help police its 370-mile southern border, and in mid-August, Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano declared a state of emergency. In the first of a series on immigration, Stateline.org examines tensions in Arizona.

Lawmaker Fights Immigrant 'Invasion'

In the second of a series on illegal immigration, Stateline.org talks to Arizona state Rep. Russell Pearce, a Republican legislator who has helped give his state the toughest laws nationally against illegal immigrants. Pearce, a controversial figure who has been mentioned as a potential gubernatorial candidate, has been accused by civil rights groups and Hispanic leaders of "criminalizing people of color."

Marches spark state migrant debates

While aimed at federal legislation, recent pro-immigration marches could influence state elections and provide a tipping point for nearly 400 immigration measures pending in statehouses across the country. In Arizona, Colorado and New York, state lawmakers used the demonstrations to rally their own bills and campaigns.

Immigration Hardliners Trailing in Ariz., Colo.

A backlash over illegal immigration is seeping into state races even hundreds of miles from the Mexican border this election. But in two of the hottest flashpoints in the immigration debate -- Arizona and Colorado -- Republican state and congressional candidates taking the hard line on immigration aren't necessarily prevailing.

S.D. Abortion Ban, Ariz. Gay Marriage Ban Fail

(Updated 4:19 p.m. EST, Thursday)Arizona became the first state to reject a ballot measure to ban same-sex marriage, while South Dakota voters refused to make their state a test case in the fight to outlaw abortion. The 2006 election featured 205 ballot measures in 37 states, many focused on social issues -- from stem cell research in Missouri to a repeal of affirmative action in Michigan.

Immigration Roils States

States took the lead on immigration reform in 2006 enacting a record 78 immigration-control laws in 33 states. Immigration will continue to dominate state politics this year even as a new Democratically-controlled Congress considers taking up the issue.

Q&A: Should Armed Guard Troops Be Sent to Mexico Border?

Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) recently asked the federal government to send 1,000 armed National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border to prevent drug violence from spilling over into the United States. The Obama administration is weighing Perry's request. Stateline.org asked several experts whether they think armed citizen soldiers should be sent to the border.Inside, New Mexico Attorney General Gary King (D); Arizona state Rep. Ray Barnes (R); James Jay Carafano of the Heritage Foundation; El Paso, Texas, Mayor John Cook; and Randall Rhyne, president, Texas Narcotics Officers' Association talk about whether the National Guard should be sent to the border.

Immigration Law Debate Gets Preview in U.S. Senate

A Senate subcommittee heard testimony from author of Arizona’s controversial immigration law and from opponents of the law. If the Supreme Court upholds Arizona’s law, Senate Democrats threatened legislation to preempt more state immigration enforcement.

States Pick Sides in Arizona Immigration Case

More than half of the states weighed in on a U.S. Supreme Court case scheduled for a hearing next week over an Obama administration challenge to Arizona’s latest anti-immigration law.

Immigration: Will Other States Join Arizona?

TODAY'S TAKE: The national and international debate over Arizona's new immigration law continued Monday (April 26), as critics of the legislation called for an economic boycott of the state and the Mexican president, Felipe Calderon, warned that it "opens the door to intolerance and hatred." Less-noticed, however, was a state lawmaker in neighboring Utah who is drafting a similar bill in his state, and who says he has the support he needs to make it law.

L.A. is Latest to Boycott Arizona

TODAY'S TAKE: Los Angeles on Wednesday (May 12) became the largest U.S. city to boycott Arizona over the state's controversial new immigration law. Councilors voted 13-to-1 to ban most official city travel to Arizona and avoid future city contracts with companies based in the state. Meanwhile, Phoenix officials this week estimated that boycotts from other states could cost the city $90 million over five years.

Suing Arizona: Editorial Roundup

TODAY'S TAKE: The federal lawsuit challenging Arizona's new immigration law effectively ends any hopes that the issue would fade before the November elections. Editorialists are split over what to make of it.

Immigration Heats Up Governors' Meeting

TODAY'S TAKE: Arizona Governor Jan Brewer was a lightning rod at the summer meeting of the National Governors Association this weekend, as critics of her state's new immigration law descended on downtown Boston to protest her attendance. Immigration proved to be on the minds of many other governors, too.

On Immigration, Five States Look to Arizona

TODAY'S TAKE: The explosive Arizona immigration measure that Governor Jan Brewer signed into law in April is scheduled to go into effect on Thursday (July 29), even as the federal government sues to block it. Meanwhile, at least five states are weighing similar laws, according to a new report.

Many Reactions Follow Arizona Ruling

TODAY'S TAKE: Arizona Governor Jan Brewer is promising a fast-track legal appeal of a court ruling Wednesday (July 28) that invalidated key parts of the state's new immigration law. The ruling will have broad ramifications not only legally, but politically.

A Year Later, Arizona Leaders Stand Behind Immigration Law

TODAY'S TAKE: A year after the approval of SB 1070, the Arizona immigration law that sparked an economic boycott, a lawsuit and months of national debate, the state's leaders say the measure has been a success.

Governors Skip Border Conference

TODAY'S TAKE: For the second straight year, governors from three of the four states that neighbor Mexico are skipping an annual conference of border leaders intended to foster better relations.

States Eye Arizona-Like Immigration Measures

SOCIAL POLICY BEAT: Arizona's controversial immigration measure is getting a closer look from lawmakers in more than a dozen states … Cash-strapped legislatures weigh taxing marijuana and allowing Sunday alcohol sales … New programs help ex-offenders find jobs, and other social policy news.

Arizona Law Stokes Immigration Talk in D.C.

TODAY'S TAKE: An Arizona law, signed Friday (April 23) by Governor Jan Brewer, that gives local police broad new powers to arrest illegal immigrants drew a rebuke from President Obama and revived long-stalled efforts to overhaul the country's immigration laws.

For Arizona Cops, a High-Profile Dilemma

Arizona's new immigration law makes it a crime for illegal immigrants to be in the state - for any reason - but it also prohibits police from using racial profiling. The tension presents police with an almost insoluble dilemma, and many Latinos in law enforcement fear the law inevitably will lead to police treating all Latinos - whether or not they're in the country legally - in a discriminatory way.

Arizona Fame Propels Kobach's Kansas Hopes

The most exciting statewide race in Kansas this November may be the campaign for secretary of state. The interest in the normally obscure contest comes largely because of the candidacy of Kris Kobach, a TV-friendly law professor who helped craft Arizona's controversial immigration law this spring.

Arizona Employer Law Nets Immigrants, Not Companies

PHOENIX - Arizona's three-year old law against companies that hire undocumented workers started a wave of workplace raids that led to the arrest of nearly 500 immigrants. But it has done very little to punish their employers.

Arizona's Next Immigration Debate: Babies Born in U.S.

Lawmakers in Arizona and more than a dozen other states want to pass laws that will force courts to decide whether to revoke the automatic citizenship of babies born in the United States, including those whose parents are in the country illegally.

Assembly backs limiting immigrants' vulnerability when arrested

Assembly passes ‘Trust Act' easing deportation law

Illegal immigrants would be harder to deport under Assembly bill

Assembly approves bill to limit immigration holds

California has 2.6 million illegal immigrants, USC study finds

Immigration reform has big stakes in California

Undocumented Immigrants to Get Driver’s Licenses in California

California may become the first U.S. state to grant driver’s licenses to some undocumented immigrants. On a mixed day for pro-immigrant advocates, Governor Jerry Brown late Sunday (September 30) signed into law legislation directing the state Department of Motor Vehicles to grant licenses to illegal immigrants w