Australia proposes a new citizenship test.

Newsday reports on the way in which the recent murder of three college students has shaped the immigration debate in New Jersey. This story says that the legislature is unlikely to meet until after elections in November. Some proposals include:

_ Sen. Shirley Turner, D-Mercer, proposed requiring illegal immigrants to post full cash bail.

"When illegals commit crimes, they should be taken off our streets," Turner said.

_ Assemblyman Jon Bramnick, R-Union, proposed requiring county prosecutors to notify federal authorities when an illegal alien is charged.

"It is a very basic concept that when a local law enforcement official is aware that an individual in their custody has violated a federal law, that they should notify the federal authorities," Bramnick said.

_ Sen. Paul Sarlo, D-Bergen, proposed requiring law enforcement to notify federal officials when an illegal alien is arrested for a felony.

"If the tragedies that recently occurred in Newark have taught us anything, it's that the current system is flawed," Sarlo said.

_ Assemblyman Richard Merkt, R-Morris said he will amend legislation he introduced in June 2006 prohibiting jails from releasing illegal aliens. He said he wants to revise the bill so it covers any arrested illegal alien.

"But I seriously doubt that the Democrats currently in charge of the state government in Trenton will take any action to correct the problem," Merkt said.

An interesting Washington Post story on immigrants--both legal and "undocumented"--organizing for better wages and working conditions. Speaking of one group of workers at a restaurant in New York, the Post describes their wage conditions:

They demanded an end to what they say were salaries less than half the minimum wage, and to penalties that included $20 fines for late deliveries and $50 for shutting the restaurant's glass doors with a bang.

And what were these reported wages? $1.60 an hour. In order to stop these workers from unionizing, the owner of this restaurant reportedly offered them a raise to $4.00/hour.
This story also discusses the increasing use of unions in immigrants' struggles for better pay and says that the number of "day laborer" "worker centers" has "jumped from a few dozen to more than 200 nationwide."

Update: DNC votes to strip Florida of 2008 convention delegates unless it submits an acceptable new plan for nominating delegates within 30 days. The Hill reports:

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) Saturday gave the Florida Democratic Party 30 days to submit a new plan for a primary or caucus or lose all of its delegates to the nominating convention.

Adopting a resolution offered by committeeman Ralph Dawson of New York, the DNC’s rules and bylaws committee all but ignored the pleas of the Florida party and voted almost unanimously to strip the state of all its delegates unless it offers a new plan that meets DNC rules.

The state ran afoul of the committee’s new primary rules when it decided to adhere to a new state law that moved the primary to Jan. 29, in violation of the DNC rule preventing unapproved states from holding a nominating contest before Feb. 5. The rules committee officially found the delegate selection plan Florida submitted to be in noncompliance Saturday when it adopted Dawson’s resolution.

[...]

In adopting the harsh penalties, the rules committee appeared to be sending a message to other state parties and legislatures such as Michigan, that any moves ahead of the Feb. 5 window would be met with stiff penalties and little to no leniency.

The Michigan legislature and state parties have in recent days appeared poised to move its primary to Jan. 15.

The Politico has more. Mike Allen interviews DNC Rules and Bylaws co-chairs James Roosevelt and Alexis Herman:

Roosevelt: “The event on Jan. 29 would be purely a beauty contest — equivalent, as somebody said, to the Iowa straw poll.”

Herman: “But voters WOULD get to register their preference. I think that’s important to point out.”

Roosevelt: “There would be a state-run poll or beauty contest, as has happened before. But there would NOT be a selection of delegates for the national convention in that process.”

What will happen at the national convention? Will Florida have a section with a "Sunshine State" sign and the funny hats?

Herman: “This would then come under the purview of the credentials committee of the convention. And the convention credentials committee would then have to make a determination as to how they would interpret whatever activities would have occurred in Florida — be it the 29th process, or any subsequent activities, if it were not party approved.”

Many hope some deal can be worked out.

An interesting Washington Post story on the current Florida Democrat v. Democratic National Committee struggle over the consequences for an earlier Florida presidential primary. The DNC will vote today on whether to strip Florida of its delegates for the 2008 Democratic convention.
UPDATE: DNC votes to strip Florida of its delegates unless it presents an acceptable new plan within 30 days.

In this AP story, some argue that the American West is seeing a tightening labor market--and increased wages for its workers.

An AP story claims that illegal crossings over the US-Mexico border are down. (H/T Kaus, who's still skeptical about the administration's new "enforcement" push)

Hazleton, PA officially appeals the court ruling against its immigration-related policies.

A member of the Virginia state legislature will propose a bill that would deny state funding to those municipalities that do not check the immigration status of those who receive public assistance. The Washington Times has more.

Though the New Jersey AG has just announced rules for local police officers to check the immigrations status of those charged with drunk driving and serious crimes, she does not want immigration checks for those accused of other crimes:

Top federal and state law enforcement officials told the Morristown mayor yesterday that local police cannot check the immigration status of those charged with traffic violations or other low-level crimes.

[...]

Mayor Donald Cresitello's plan for police to make immigration checks on routine traffic stops "is something our office thinks should not happen," said David Wald, a spokesman for [NJ AG] Milgram.

What would this plan entail, and how did one federal agency respond to it?

The mayor suggested the wide-ranging immigration checks in an Aug. 16 letter to U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie, written before Milgram announced the new policy.

In the letter, Cresitello proposed a crackdown including immigration checks on traffic stops -- questioning all drivers, to avoid racial profiling -- as well as investigations of contractors suspected of hiring illegal immigrants, and he asked for Christie's help in prosecuting such cases.

Christie's cooperation, the mayor wrote, "is critical to the success of this endeavor because you will have to decide whether and to what extent the violators arrested will be prosecuted."

Christie responded in a letter yesterday, telling the mayor his office does not accept cases for prosecution from municipal authorities, and does not formally enter into task forces with other agencies.

"If you want to propose a task force ... it would be most appropriate for you to propose that directly to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and any other federal and/or state law enforcement agency of your choosing," Christie wrote.

Morristown's mayor doesn't sound too happy with Milgram's decision:

Cresitello said he knows Milgram's new policy prevents Morristown officers from making immigration checks on routine traffic stops and low-level crimes.

But he doesn't like it.

"She's handcuffed law enforcement in the state of New Jersey," Cresitello said.

Cresitello has "applied for a federal program that trains and deputizes local officers as federal immigration agents, empowering them to inquire about immigration status and start deportation proceedings." He hopes that will increase the authority of Morristown's officers to engage in these checks.

Sen. Dole (R-NC) wants to help local sheriffs enforce immigration laws:

After a Thursday meeting with sheriffs from Wake, Johnston and several other central North Carolina counties, she said she would seek more federal funding to help counties eager to participate in a program that allows them to enforce federal immigration laws.

The program, established under a 1996 law that for years went unnoticed, is gaining popularity as sheriffs grow frustrated with understaffed Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices. Where the federal agency had once exclusively enforced immigration laws, sheriffs can now get involved if they go through a training program.

Once trained, they can check the immigration status of criminal suspects and begin deportation proceedings.

This story also says that Dole, who is running for re-election in 2008, is emphasizing her policies on immigration policy and her history in opposing the "grand bargain."

A story on role of immigration in the presidential campaigns in New Hampshire.

A New Jersey community votes to rescind an ordinance punishing those who rent to or employ "illegal immigrants." Its governing committee cited the high cost of lawsuits to defend the ordinance as one of the reasons for ending it.

Some police chiefs are uncertain about New Jersey's new directive, which requires police officers to check the immigration status of those arrested for an indictable crime and drunken driving.

The Politico has more on the effects of Warner's recommendation. Will this give some Republicans a "middle ground"? The Politico suggests that that's a possibility:

Warner’s idea of a partial withdrawal may give moderate Republican senators up for reelection — such as Susan Collins of Maine and Pete V. Domenici of New Mexico — a chance to embrace a less radical change of course than what Democrats have advocated.

Despite some reports tending to portray this news conference as a radical break with the administration, some Democrats are more doubtful:

Congressional Democratic leaders were skeptical about Warner’s rhetoric.

“President Bush has to make a decision whether he is going to join a majority of Americans and Democrats and a growing number of Republicans who are calling for redeployment of our troops or he will continue the stay-the-course strategy in Iraq,” said Nadeam Elshami, spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

A Senate aide said Warner’s real test will come during votes on the Senate floor. “It’s still an open question about whether he will vote for anything. Making a recommendation to the president is far different than voting for a hard deadline in legislation.”

And Warner still says he is opposed to any forced timetables.

The Mexican Senate is unhappy with a recent deportation of a Mexican national from the US.

Sen. Warner (R-VA)'s remarks on Iraq--in which he recommends that the president consider withdrawing some number (maybe 5,000 or so, maybe less) troops from Iraq--have been getting a lot of press. You can see Warner's full press conference on C-SPAN's website (see around 17:00 for Warner talking about his policy recommendation). Warner still sounds firmly against a Congressionally-mandated timetable and says that he does not want to see a "repeat" of what Congress did during the Vietnam era. Moreover, he also doesn't think the president should explicitly set a long-term timetable; instead, he thinks the administration should withdraw those few thousand troops and then wait and see what happens--how Iraqi security forces react, how Iraq's neighbors react, how the loss of these soldiers affects US policy in Iraq. Warner says that the president could then decide, having seen these results, decide to withdraw another "contingent." Warner says he recommends these measures because he wants to reassert the ability of the US to shape events on the ground on Iraq and he hopes that this threat of a partial draw-down will force the Iraqi government to move towards political reconciliation.
So is this declaration a break with the administration? Could this be a hardening of Warner's position against a Congressionally-mandated timetable for withdrawal? Could this be a crack in Republican support for continued operations in Iraq, or a new tactic for warding off Congressionally-forced withdrawal in order to continue more extensive US operations in Iraq (not to say that this is only a political tactic--it is also a policy proposal, one that I'm sure there will be some debate over)?

Sen. Feinstein (D-CA) says the push for AgJobs is coming back:

Today, Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein will be assuring a San Joaquin Valley audience that Congress will once more take up a big agricultural guest-worker bill. A top priority for Valley farmers, the bill soon could resurface on Capitol Hill.

What would AgJobs entail (e.a.)?

The agricultural guest-worker package is getting its second wind two months after comprehensive immigration reform collapsed in the Senate. It still faces very steep odds. However, political optimists can sketch out a scenario for snatching success from seeming defeat.

Dubbed AgJobs, the legislation first introduced in September 2003 culminated years of negotiations among farmers and the United Farm Workers. It would offer legal residency, and eventually U.S. citizenship, to 1.5 million illegal immigrants now working in agriculture. It also would streamline an existing guest-worker program.

The first tactic to push this bill--emphasize the need for its passage:

Step one in the plan for passage calls for farmers and their allies to emphasize anew the dangers of losing an agricultural work force.

It seems as though Majority Leader Reid (D-NV) has promised to do "everything" he can to pass this proposal (or at least make sure that "something" is "done" about it)(e.a.):

Step two relies on the latest promise by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., that he will help pass an agricultural guest-worker bill this year. With Senate floor time limited, and the legislative calendar running out, a commitment like this becomes essential.

"I am committed to doing something about AgJobs," Reid declared in late July, in response to Feinstein's questions. "I hope we can do something soon."

Revealing one potential but controversial new tactic, Reid specified he "will do everything" he can to include the agricultural guest-worker package as part of a larger farm bill. The House already has passed its version of a farm bill, without immigration provisions.

[...]

If the farm bill doesn't work out as a vehicle, Reid added, he will try to bring up the 109-page agricultural guest-worker bill as a "freestanding" bill or perhaps attach it to something else.

The push for AgJobs will also attempt to use the administration's new rules for worker verification as a way of pressuring for passage of this measure (e.a.):

Step three in the AgJobs game plan relies on employer anxiety over a new Bush administration plan for cracking down on companies that hire illegal immigrants. Two weeks ago, the White House announced plans to send out tens of thousands of so-called "no-match" letters.

These letters will notify employers that an employee's name and Social Security number don't match government records. Potentially, employers could be fined for knowingly hiring illegal immigrants. More than one agricultural lobbyist believes the White House hopes that angry business leaders will now lean on Congress to change the immigration laws.

This story says that 30 senators currently co-sponsor AgJobs. Will they be enough to ensure its passage?

So will this measure be attached to the farm bill? Will Sen. Harkin (D-IA), chair of the agricultural committee, want that? Some reports suggest he might be a little skeptical. Will Reid have convinced him to be open to this measure? Could we be seeing the start of another immigration battle in the Senate?

How many individuals holding "non-work" Social Security Numbers are employed by government agencies? According to the Washington Times (H/T Hot Air), one report suggests a significant number:

f President Bush is serious about getting tough on U.S. employers who hire illegal aliens, he can start with his own administration, which employs thousands of unauthorized workers, says the top Republican on the House immigration subcommittee.

A 2006 audit showed federal, state and local governments are among the biggest employers of the half-million persons in the U.S. illegally using "non-work" Social Security numbers — numbers issued legally, but with specific instructions that the holders are not authorized to work in the U.S.

[...]

According to the 2006 audit by the Social Security inspector general, 17 of the 100 worst employers using employees with non-work numbers were government agencies: seven federal agencies, seven state agencies and three local governments. That means the government knows who those employees are, but usually does not go after them.

Another report claims that these holders of "non-work" SSNs who work illegally could collect up to $966 billion in benefits by 2040.

A poll released last week about the approval ratings of AZ GOP senators Kyl and McCain; both their approval ratings fell from March to August (some think as a result of their vocal support of the "grand bargain"):

McCain’s favorable rating among voters fell from 49 percent in March to 42 percent in July. At the same time, his negative rating increased from 18 percent to 30 percent.

[...]

Meanwhile, Kyl’s favorable rating fell from 46 percent in March to 40 percent in July. His negative ratings increased from 12 percent to 18 percent.

It's also interesting to note that, before the battle over immigration "reform" heated up the public airwaves in May of 2006, Sen. McCain's approval rating was at 62%; since then, it's lingered at 50% or less (according to this poll). Kyl's approval rating was at 42% in January of 2006, and, after he led opposition to the "comprehensive reform" of 2006 and ran for re-election opposing such measures, his approval rating increased to 49%. However, since his support of the "grand bargain," it seems as though his approval rating has drifted down. At least according to this poll...