IMMIGRANT STUDENTS  No federal requirement that school administrators inquire about students’ immigration status or report those who are undocumented, DHS confirms (5/13/08, UPDATED 8/6/08) 

LANGUAGE ACCESS VICTORY  Immigrant Groups Win Citywide Language Access Executive Order in New York City (New York Immigration Coalition).  The effort that went into this accomplishment, as well as the executive order itself, are models for the nation.  (7/23/08) 

RESPONDING EFFECTIVELY TO WORKSITE RAIDS  Feature article in latest issue of IMMIGRANTS' RIGHTS UPDATE: "The Los Angeles Rapid Response Network: How Advocates Prepared for and What They Learned from the Recent Workplace Raid in Van Nuys" (6/19/08) 

SOCIAL SECURITY "no match" letters 

• Aramark v. SEIU, No. 06-56662 (9th Cir. June 16, 2008): Listing of Worker's SSN in "No-Match" Letter Not Sufficient to Establish Constructive Knowledge That the Worker is Employment-Ineligible

• Potential Liability Employers Face if They Take Adverse Action against Employees Based Solely on a No-Match Letter.  Outlines the current areas of law under which an employer could be found liable if it takes adverse action against workers based solely on a no-match letter.  (Posted 6/30/08)

• Social Security Administration "No-Match" Letter Toolkit (3rd Edition).  Resources for organizers, advocates, and workers as they respond to no-match letters, launch campaigns to combat misuse of the SSA no-match program, and respond to the DHS rule published on Mar. 26, 2008.

LEGAL ARIZONA WORKERS ACT (IMPOSES EMPLOYER SANCTIONS) 

• Appeal to 9th Circuit of federal district court's decision on legal challenge to the Arizona act's provisions: opening, reply, and amicus briefs available. (Reply brief posted 5/15/08)

• Erecting Its Own Tombstone: Arizona's Mandatory Basic Pilot/E-Verify Law.  Arizona's requirement that employers verify workers' employment eligibility via Basic Pilot/E-Verify has yielded negative results for the state, its businesses, and its workers.  Other states considering similar measures would do well to pay attention to these results. (Posted 4/29/08)

BENEFITS FOR immigrants in CALIFORNIA  Benefits for Immigrant Victims of Trafficking, Domestic Violence and Other Serious Crimes in California.  California SB 1569 provides state and local benefits to immigrant survivors of human trafficking, domestic violence and other serious crimes under the same rules that apply to refugees.  Read here about the benefits they may receive and what they need to show in order to obtain them.  (4/08) 

HEALTH CARE FOR IMMIGRANT CHILDREN  Facts about the Immigrant Children's Health Improvement Act (ICHIA).  Why legislation is needed | Primary health care for children and pregnant women saves money | Immigrants should benefit from health programs supported by their taxes | Flexibility and fiscal relief for states. (3/26/08) 

SOCIAL SECURITY  Pulling at a Thread: Anti-Immigrant Proposals Threaten Social Security Traditions.  By enacting the Ensign amendment, Congress set a dangerous precedent.  If Congress is willing to start pulling at the thread of the contributory principle underlying the Social Security entitlement program, there is no telling where it will stop and who else it will harm. (1/08; posted 2/19/08) 

PRO-IMMIGRANT MEASURES  Cities and Immigration: Local Policies for Immigrant-Friendly Cities.  To help "elected officials, policymakers, activists, community-based organizations and city residents advocate for, design and implement progressive city policies toward immigrants."  (Center on Wisconsin Strategies, 1/20/08; link posted 2/13/08) 

• Pro-Immigrant Measures Available to State or Local Governments: A Quick Menu of Affirmative Ideas.  A menu of ideas for effectively incorporating immigrants into communities, investing in instead of marginalizing them.  (NILC, 9/20/07).

DRIVER'S LICENSES  Resource Guide Available!  Updated information for organizers, advocates, and others as they engage in efforts to ensure that all drivers, regardless of their immigration status, are licensed. (2/12/08)