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Atlantic Arc to encourage research cooperation

Wednesday, August 1st, 2007

A new research network will examine the migration of Ulster-Scots, Scots and Irish to Canada and the US. The Atlantic Arc has been founded by a group of academics, including several from the University of Ulster, who visited recently as part of a cross-border delegation to New Brunswick aimed at developing academic, cultural and economic co-operation across the Atlantic.

The Atlantic Arc will facilitate research cooperation and the use of archives among institutes in Canada, the US, and Europe.

See the press release from the University of Ulster.  

Irish undocumented speak of frustrated hopes

Monday, July 2nd, 2007

The Sunday Business Post carries an article on the failure of the US immigration reform efforts.  The article, by Susan Mitchell, interviews several undocumented Irish immigrants, who described the pain of being unable to return home for visits.

Read the article.

Immigration reform efforts to continue, says ILIR leader

Monday, July 2nd, 2007

Leading US immigration reform campainger and Irish Voice publisher Niall O’Dowd has urged those fighting for change to continue their efforts.

In a statement on the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform website, Mr O’Dowd says that the issue of comprehensive immigration reform is dead until after the November 2008 elections. He has indicated that the group may pursue another strategy: “We need to follow another path in order to achieve our aims. We were unable to do that while comprehensive reform, involving 12 million undocumented, was under consideration”.

Mr O’Dowd adds that it took three years to win passage of the Morrison visas in the late 1980s. He says he appreciates the response of the Irish government and says the group will now be calling on powerful friends in Congress.

Read the full statement at the Irish Lobby’s website.

Government gives $1.3 million to US groups

Wednesday, June 27th, 2007

Grants of nearly $1.3 million for US Irish organisations were announced yesterday by Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern. The money will go to 13 groups that are engaged in the provision of support, information and advisory services.

The Minister said:

“I am delighted to allocate increased funding, again this year, to the Irish immigration centres in the US. These grants reflect the Government’s continuing commitment to Irish communities abroad, particularly to supporting the vulnerable members of our community in the US. �

The Government has given a total of $1.431 million to Irish immigrant groups in the US; in April, Mr Ahern announced grants of $50,000 for the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform and $100,000 for the Coalition of Irish Immigration Centres in the US.

The funded organisations include:

• Aisling Irish Centre
• Emerald Isle Immigration Centre
• New York Irish Centre
• Project Irish Outreach
• Irish Immigration and Pastoral Centre, Philadelphia
• Irish Apostolate
• Irish Immigration Centre, Boston
• Irish Pastoral Centre, Boston 
• Irish Immigration Pastoral Centre, San Francisco
• Seattle Irish Immigration Support Group
• Irish Outreach San Diego
• Irish Connect Initiative
• Chicago Irish Immigrant Support

For more information, read the press release.

Justice for Immigrants urges action following cloture vote

Wednesday, June 27th, 2007

The immigration reform bill which was reintroduced in the US Senate has passed the first of many hurdles; yesterday the first cloture vote to proceed passed by a vote of 64-35.  The Justice for Immigrants campaign has issued an alert urging all Americans to call their senators.  Here is the text of the alert:

TAKE 5 AND CALL YOUR SENATORS TODAY!
Call 202-224-3121 and ask for your Senator’s office now.Ask them to:
Support family-reunification amendments

• Amendment # 1199 (Dodd): This would increase the number of visas that are available for parents of U.S. citizens, and would extend the number of days each year that non-immigrant parents could visit families in the United States.      
• Amendment # 1317 (Menendez): This would modify the point system to give greater weight to family ties for green-card applicants.  Family members could receive up to fifteen points in their application, rather than the ten points that would currently be given to family members in the base bill.

Support a workable legalization program

• Amendment # 1236 (Baucus-Tester): This amendment would strike provisions that make the bill’s legalization program dependent upon the systematic implementation of REAL ID documents.  Several states have already passed laws rejecting to implement REAL ID; additionally, best estimates are that this program would take many years and billions of dollars to execute.  This amendment would set more realistic goals and expectations for when the legalization program could take effect.

Oppose provisions endangering vulnerable immigrants

• Amendment # 1473 (Coleman):  This is a slightly modified version of an amendment that was narrowly defeated in this year’s Senate immigration debate.  In spite of these changes, the amendment would still prevent local law enforcement officials from choosing to afford certain protections to vulnerable immigrants who are preyed upon by criminals. 

Visit the Justice for Immigrants campaign.

US immigration bill to be reintroduced

Friday, June 15th, 2007

The US immigration bill will be reintroduced, apparently. Geri Garvey of the Irish Apostolate has forwarded this statement from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell:

“We met this evening with several of the Senators involved in the immigration bill negotiations. Based on that discussion, the immigration bill will return to the Senate floor after completion of the energy bill.�

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