Virginia state lawmakers are debating a bill that would amend state law to prevent undocumented immigrants from enrolling in public state colleges and universities. Passage of the bill would make Virginia the fourth state to prevent, in one way or another, undocumented students from attending state schools. This comes a month after the defeat of the DREAM Act in Congress, which would have allowed some undocumented immigrants to attain legal status by attending college or serving in the military.
The price of oil now tops $90 a barrel for the first time since the early days of the financial crisis; the Election Board in Chicago is expected to allow former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel to run for mayor.
More unauthorized immigrants have been deported from the United States since 2008 than in any another two-year period in the country's history. Just this past Saturday, the so-called Dream Act, which would have offered a path to citizenship for some illegal immigrants who came here as minors, was stalled in the Senate over a vote to bring it to the floor. Why have the past two years been so particularly tough on illegal immigration? And what, if anything, are the next steps for immigration reform?
Many Congressional Democrats are not happy with President Obama's compromise with Republicans on extending tax cuts. House Democrats showed that by voting not to bring up the tax bill last week. Callie Crossley, host of the Callie Crossley Show on WGBH in Boston, and Charlie Herman, economics editor for The Takeaway and WNYC, look at how the Senate plans to vote today on the bill.
Yesterday, the House of Representatives narrowly passed the Dream Act, which would allow certain illegal immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as minors a chance to become U.S. citizens, if they enter college or military service. Those eligible are people who were brought into the U.S. before they were 16, have been living here for at least five years, and have earned a high school diploma. In order to gain citizenship, they would have to join the military for two years, or attend a four year college for two years.
A new AP-Univision poll says more than eight out of ten Latinos in America believe the most important goal for high school graduates is to continue their educations. 94 percent of the more than 1,500 Latinos polled said they expect their children to go to college.