1.6 million immigrants separated from families: Human Rights Watch new report

• Human
  Rights Watch recently published a new report, “Forced Apart: Families Separated
  and Immigrants Harmed by United States Deportation Policy” (Thanks,
  ImmigrationProf Blog!). The report
  tracks immigrants’ deportation information between 1997 and 2005 (the most
  recent year for which data are publicly available). Based on the 2000 US Census, Human Rights Watch estimates that
  approximately 1.6 million spouses and children living in the US were separated
  from their families because of these deportations. The report calls on the government for
  comprehensive immigration reform as a solution to prevent these deportations and the negative impact they have on the families of immigrants. Everyone deserves basic
  human rights, and this report highlights many of the ways in which the rights of undocumented workers
  have been violated
• Latina
  Lista reports on how Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s decision to pull the
  entire Defense Authorization Bill will have a negative impact on the children of immigrants.  As we reported earlier, elements of the DREAM Act had been added to the DoD Reauthorization as an amendment, and these provisions will no longer get an up or down vote in the Senate.  It is another defeat for even a small attempt at achieving humane immigration reforms.
• AMERICABlog reports on Bush’s refusal to renew SCHIP (State
  Children’s Health Insurance Program), because “expanding the program would
  enlarge the role of the federal government at the expense of private
  insurance.”  This viewpoint reflects
  many flaws in the current administration's thinking about government: whatever the conservative base thinks, the role of government in health care
  access is not inherently negative. In
  fact, making the government more accountable for the problems in health care
  access and discrepancies in quality would improve the dismal state of health care in America.  More efficient and accountable government involvement can be represent a positive step forward for the millions of children who lack health care, particularly in a program as successful and beloved as SCHIP.

For your entertainment, two videos on immigration:

• As posted by Immigration Equality,
  Bill O’Reilly mouths off to Immigration Equality Executive Director Rachel Tiven
  on the issues of immigration and opportunity. Tiven argues for the right for members of gay and lesbian couples to
  sponsor their partners who are citizens of foreign countries, just as straight couples do.
• Struggle Within posts a music video as a response to the
  Supreme Court schools’ decision, explaining the inequalities people of color
  face when the government hinders their educational rights.