Fellows’ Stories
Immigration Issues and the Election
Journalists participating in IJJ’s 2012 Immigration in the Heartland conference, which focused the impact of immigration issues and the election, used the training to produce the following stories.
Immigrants Spark Economic Growth in Rural Oklahoma
GUYMON—It’s a weekday morning, and downtown Guymon is bustling. Guatemalans walk into a clothing store, passing a small group of Mexicans chatting on the sidewalk. Across the street, a man of Kenyan descent walks along the curb. Above it all, the sound of Al Green’s silky smooth voice spills from outdoor speakers. “Well, we’re mostly [...] Read more
Opinion: The Flaws of “Secure Communities”
Gov. Jerry Brown’s veto of the Trust Act late Sunday raised some interesting questions. Brown said he supported the goal of the bill, which would have set some limits on a controversial federal immigration enforcement program. But the governor said he could not support the Trust Act because of a fatal flaw that would have required [...] Read more
A Tale of Two Garzas
The many small and mid-sized communities that make up the Texas border area known as the Rio Grande Valley are like beads in a chain — one after another, they stretch some two hundred miles from Laredo to Brownsville. Here, immigration policy is woven into the details of everyday life. In one town, meet two [...] Read more
Few Immigrants Benefit From “Prosecutorial Discretion”
Most immigrants who have U.S-born children and no serious criminal background are still being deported, despite an Obama administration policy, reports Maria Zamudio, an IJJ Immigration in the Heartland Fellow. Read more
Young Activists Wary of Delayed Deportation Policy
Atlanta — Viridiana Martinez has been on the front lines in the debate over immigration reform, organizing protests and getting arrested in acts of civil disobedience. But when the president announced a policy allowing young people like her to temporarily avoid deportation, she was anything but elated. “It’s all political theater,” said the 26-year-old who [...] Read more
How Will Latinos Vote in Swing States?
Denver — Joie Gutierrez is Mitt Romney’s problem. Not far up the highway, Barack Obama’s problem is named Jaime Portillo. Both are eligible voters. Neither plans to exercise their right in November. And no amount of cajoling, convincing or campaigning will change that fact. Instead, their votes will be among thousands left on the table come [...] Read more
Mexicans Returning From US Find Challenges at Home
This story was broadcast on Marketplace Radio/American Public Media as well as Fronteras, a public radio collaboration in the southwest focusing on the border and changing demographics. Audio is available here. Mexican immigration to the United States has slowed due to the economic downturn here and stricter immigration laws. In fact, for the first time in [...] Read more
Latino Youth Seek to Play Key Role in Elections
Maria Zacarias knocked on doors in a Latino neighborhood in Phoenix this summer, asking U.S. citizens to make their voices heard in a way that she can’t. “It’s important to vote this year,” she told them. “You’re making a difference in the Latino community because some can’t vote and you’ll be voting for them.” The [...] Read more
The New-Citizen Electorate
When war broke out in Bosnia, Ibro Tucakovic and his family didn’t stay for long. One summer day, it was bright and hot and he hung around with friends at a playground near his Sarajevo home. When shells fell on the playground killing neighborhood kids, his family had enough. “We left two days after that,” he [...] Read more
2012 Immigration in the Heartland Fellows
Reporter
Orange County Register
Reporter
The Salt Lake Tribune
Reporter
North County Times
Reporter
New York Daily News
Reporter
Oklahoma Watch
Reporter
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Senior Field Correspondent
Fronteras Radio Network
Reporter
Associated Press
Reporter
St. Louis Beacon
Freelance Radio Reporter
NPR
Staff Writer
The Chicago Reporter
Editorial Writer
The Los Angeles Times