In the last 15 years, California, Arizona, and Massachusetts have all replaced bilingual education with English immersion programs as a way to address the achievement gap between native and non-native speakers. Statistics show that only 11 percent of California’s English learners reached proficiency last year. How to teach new immigrants English has become an increasingly divisive debate in classrooms across the country with politicians like Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich chiming in to show their support of English immersion programs.

Currently, undocumented family members of legal citizens found living in the states must first exit the country and face a three to ten year ban before returning to apply for a green card. Under a new proposal by the Obama administration, the children and spouses of legal citizens could apply for a waiver which will allow them to remain in country to apply for their citizenship. Supporters say that it will keep families which face lengthy separation together while critics call the proposal “back door amnesty” and a move by the administration to court the much needed Latino vote.

Dr. Abraham Verghese first joined The Takeaway as part of the "My America" series. Verghese was raised in Ethiopia, by parents from India. He immigrated to the U.S. in the 1980s for a medical residency, and then to rural Tennessee treat gay men afflicted with HIV. Later, he became a professor at Stanford University Medical School and the author of the best-sellers, "My Own Country" and "Cutting for Stone."

The country's "toughest sheriff" has had his gold star revoked. A scathing U.S. Justice Department report released Thursday found that Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's office carried out a blatant pattern of discrimination against Latinos and held a "systematic disregard" for the Constitution amid a series of immigration crackdowns that have turned the lawman into a prominent national political figure.

Since 2008, the Obama administration has deported over 1 million illegal immigrants, the highest number in six decades. However, this crackdown has not only affected illegal immigrants. A new investigation into the Secure Communities program finds that hundreds of American citizens have been detained because immigration officials thought they were illegal immigrants.

The Supreme Court has announced that it will rule on Arizona’s tough immigration law. The case is making its way to the highest court after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco blocked parts of the law in April. One of the parts of the law in question is a provision that requires state law enforcement officials to check the immigration status of anyone they stop or arrest.

In honor of Thanksgiving, The Takeaway looks back at some of our favorite interviews from the past year and gives thanks. Our conversation with Dr. Abraham Verghese is among those we're especially grateful for. Verghese was raised in Ethiopia, by parents from India. He immigrated to the U.S. in the 1980s for a medical residency, and then to rural Tennessee treat gay men afflicted with HIV.  Later, he became a professor at Stanford University Medical School and the author of the best-sellers, "My Own Country" and "Cutting for Stone."

Some 300,000 deportation cases will be reviewed by the Department of Homeland Security starting Thursday in an effort to expedite the deportations of convicted criminals and stop non-criminal illegal immigrants from being removed from the country. The New York Times reports that in addition to the review of the court docket, Homeland Security will issue new guidelines instructing immigration enforcement agents to halt deportations of foreigners who have not committed serious crimes. The White House seeks to remove fewer immigrants who are students, parents of U.S. citizens, elderly, or members of the military. Over 400,000 illegal immigrants have been deported under the Obama administration.

Since Alabama introduced the nation's toughest anti-illegal immigration law, "unintended consequences" has mace life more difficult not only for undocumented immigrants, but also to documented, legal residents of the state. The new law, known as HB 56, has made every day activities like renewing a driver's license, teaching in public schools, or even helping an illegal immigrant with charity difficult or potentially criminal activities.

The issue of how the U.S. should control migration on the border with Mexico is politically sensitive and emotionally charged. It’s formed a major focus for the Obama administration and a key question for the Republican candidates. But the latest data from both sides of the border suggest that, in fact, Mexicans are no longer migrating to the U.S. in the way they once were. This year's net migration will be close to zero. They are either not crossing the border, or if they do, many end up returning to Mexico.

The Department of Justice has requested that school superintendents in Alabama release enrollment data that could reveal whether Latino students have stopped attending classes in the wake of recent immigration legislation. HB56, which passed the Alabama legislature this June, allows law enforcement officials to check a person's immigration status based during routine traffic stops or arrests. Initially it also required schools to report children who are in the U.S. illegally, but despite the fact this aspect of the law has been put on hold, there is evidence that many children have been staying home this academic year.

In the years since the start of the war in Iraq, thousands of Iraqis have fled their homes and sought refuge in neighboring countries like Jordan and Syria, but also here in the United States. San Diego, California is home to one of the largest Iraqi populations in the country, but many of them are facing hardships to create a happy home for themselves and their families. 

Immigration was a hot topic at the GOP debate on Tuesday. First, Texas Governor Rick Perry and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney attacked each other on the issue. Representative Michele Bachmann also jumped into the fray to attack President Obama. "I think the person who really has a problem with illegal immigration in the country is President Obama," she said. "It’s his uncle and his aunt who are illegal aliens who’ve been allowed to stay in this country despite the fact they're illegal." 

The extension of border fences has been a hot topic at recent GOP presidential debates. Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann has signed a pledge urging the completion of a fence by by 2013. Former Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain also supports a full-border fence, but he backed away from his comments over the weekend that the fence should be "20 feet high, with barbed wire, electrified." Of the nine candidates, only two say they think the fence is a bad idea — Congressman Ron Paul and Texas Governor Rick Perry. But what would it really mean to build a wall from the Pacific to the Gulf of Mexico? And do the perspectives the GOP candidates reflect most Republican's views on the fence?

According to new figures released by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Obama administration has deported a record number of illegal immigrants for the third year in a row. Yesterday, The Takeaway spoke to Frontline correspondent Maria Hinojosa about an investigation into detention centers and deportation proceedings. She explained that some of the individuals picked up by immigration enforcement are, in fact, legal immigrants with green cards. 

It's one of the most controversial topics for this year's Republican presidential hopefuls: How should America be handling illegal immigration? Bachmann, Romney, Perry, and Cain have all weighed in on the issue. In the meantime, the Obama administration set new records last year for detaining and deporting illegal immigrants. And this year, the government plans to top their record by removing 400,000 more. A new episode of "Frontline," called "Lost in Detention," investigates what detaining and deporting involves, for individuals, law enforcement, and communities. The episode airs on PBS stations tonight.

Last week, The Takeaway reported on an Alabama immigration law that is considered on of the toughest in the nation. A federal judge upheld the law in a challenge by the Justice Department. Among its provisions, the law requires Alabama's public schools to check the legal documentation of its students. Since the law went into effect on Thursday, over 200 Latino students went missing from schools in Huntsville. The law does not give schools the right to turn away children. Schools are only required to report to the state if a child cannot produce legal documentation.

A federal judge in Alabama upheld sections of a one of the strictest immigration laws in the country on Wednesday. The law requires public schools to determine the immigration status of all students. It also gives police the power to detain anyone who is unable to produce proper documentation proving citizenship. The law, which was challenged by the Justice Department, is likely to be one of many state immigration provisions to be ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court.

The Obama Administration has announced a dramatic shift in its immigration policy. The Department of Homeland Security announced it will focus on deporting undocumented immigrants with criminal records or pose a threat to national security. Those without criminal records will be allowed to apply for a work permit. The move marks a shift for the Administration, which has drawn criticism from immigration rights advocates for the record-number of deportations that have occurred since the president took office.

In June Alabama passed one of the toughest immigration laws in the country, and it's set to go into effect on September 1. Among other things, the law makes it a crime to knowingly give an illegal immigrant a ride in a vehicle, and to hire undocumented workers. It's already been met with opposition from farmers and contractors, and now church leaders are vocally expressing their opposition. A group of 150 of these leaders signed an open letter saying they intend to break the law, saying it interferes with their mission as Christians.