Policy

While some characterize our immigration crisis as solely an issue of the 11 to 12 million unauthorized immigrants living in this country, our problems extend beyond the number of undocumented people to a broader range of issues.

Read more...

Published On: Wed, Oct 21, 2009 | Download File

The U.S. Census Bureau recently released data on the Latino population of the United States that underscores the extent to which the immigrant experience is embedded in the social (and political) fabric of the United States. The political significance of these statistics is apparent in the most recent IPC Fact Check. Latinos comprise the fastest-growing group of voters in the United States. The number of naturalized U.S. citizens is increasing rapidly and the electoral clout of New American voters who share a direct, personal connection to the immigrant experience—that is, naturalized citizens and the U.S.-born children of immigrants—is on the rise.

Published On: Mon, Oct 19, 2009 | Download File

Election experts tend to agree that modern-day voter fraud is a very rare occurrence in the United States, primarily because it is so irrational.  The potential payoff (a vote) is not worth the risk of jail time, thousands of dollars in fines, and—in the case of non-citizens—possibly deportation.  The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law succinctly summarizes this point in a 2006 fact sheet: “Each act of voter fraud risks five years in prison and a $10,000 fine—but yields at most one incremental vote.  The single vote is simply not worth the price.  Because voter fraud is essentially irrational, it is not surprising that no credible evidence suggests a voter fraud epidemic.”  As an October 18, 2010, story in the National Journal points out, “a five-year investigation by the Bush Justice Department…turned up virtually no evidence of widespread voter fraud.”  Nevertheless, anti-immigrant activists are fond of pretending that fraudulent voting by non-citizens is a national epidemic. Read more...

Published On: Tue, Oct 19, 2010 | Download File

America enjoys a demographic diversity that has long been a principal strength of the U.S. economy and civil society. Immigrants, Latinos, and Asians play critical economic roles as workers, entrepreneurs, and consumers.  As a result, they will be crucial players in the nation’s efforts to recover from the current recession.  Moreover, the immigrant, Latino, and Asian communities are key voting blocs that successful politicians cannot afford to ignore, particularly in close elections.

Read more...

Published On: Fri, Jul 02, 2010 | Download File

Voting data from the 2008 election, released in late July 2009 by the U.S. Census Bureau, illustrates the growing electoral power of minority voters. This data should serve as a demographic wake-up call to politicians that they cannot ignore the concerns of minority voters without paying a price at the polls.

Published On: Thu, Aug 13, 2009 | Download File