Civil Rights News: Immigration and Deferred Deportation Program; Voter ID Law in PA

Compiled by Maddie Peare, a Summer 2012 Intern

Illegal Immigrants Line Up by Thousands for Deportation Deferrals
The New York Times
Julia Preston

The application for deportation deferrals for eligible young undocumented immigrants became available on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Website on Tuesday. In Chicago on Wednesday, tens of thousands of young undocumented immigrants came to attend information sessions about the application. This was not unique to Chicago. Across the country, thousands of immigrants waited in lines outside immigration offices. If an immigrant does not provide the correct documentation, his or her application will be rejected and this decision cannot be appealed, which explains why so many came out to find out more information before submitting their applications.

For Most Undocumented Immigrants, Life in the Shadows Continues
The Washington Post
Steve Hendrix and Luz Lazo

Even though 1.7 million undocumented immigrants may be eligible to defer deportation and apply for work permits, this number only represents about 15 percent of the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States. Therefore, the vast majority of undocumented immigrants cannot apply for this program. While many met the age eligibility requirement, an estimated 320,000 of them do not meet the education requirement of a high school diploma. Although this program will help young undocumented immigrants, it does not solve the greater immigration problem.

Pennsylvania Judge Keeps Voter ID Law Intact on Its Way to Higher Court
The New York Times
Ethan Bronner

Many civil rights advocates and liberal groups argue that voter ID laws disproportionately affect low-income people and minorities, and are targeted toward Democratic voters. On Wednesday, Judge Robert Simpson, a Republican judge in Pennsylvania, ruled that the state’s voter ID law should be upheld because legislatures can regulate voting as long as it is not done in a clearly discriminatory or burdensome way. Judge Simpson also believes that state officials will ensure that citizens will have proper photo IDs before the election. The ACLU and other groups opposed to the law doubt that this will happen.