Immigration Lobbyists Can't Win: Column

Norway's new government concedes on oil, immigration for support

Certainly, the unwillingness of the House leadership to bring up any legislation that is not supported by a majority of Republicans is the most obvious source of blockage. And a lengthy government shutdown won't help matters. But equally worthy of attention is the vaunted coalition of big-name corporations, trade associations, wealthy individuals, unions and civic organizations whose lobbyists have pushed for immigration reform and have managed only to wrestle it through one chamber of Congress. A potent lineup The list is impressive. According to OpenSecrets.Org , a component of the Center for Responsive Politics, the 573 groups that have lobbied the immigration reform bill (the majority being in favor) included Microsoft and the Christian Coalition; Facebook and the AFL-CIO; The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Roofing Contractors Association; The Human Rights Campaign and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. The list also suggests the magnitude of the lobbying effort because it includes the number of reports lobbyists are required to file with the secretary of the Senate and the clerk of the House.
For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2013/09/30/immigration-lobbyists-microsoft-column/2897873/

"We were very close to finding good solutions... This is the second best option," said Solberg, who is set to become Norway's second female premier after winning elections earlier this month. "This is not the end of cooperation between the four parties." She now faces a difficult alliance with the right wing, anti-immigration Progress Party, which will enter government for the first time. Since it was founded in 1973, and until now, mainstream parties had considered it too radical for power. "We can't hide the fact that we are very pleased with the immigration issues here. We have got a fairly strong tightening," said Progress leader Siv Jensen, who is likely to become finance abogado de inmigracion minister when the government takes office Oct 18. Progress, whose members once included mass killer Anders Behring Breivik, has toned down its policies in recent years and moved closer to the centre, but still faces criticism over its radical spending and tax proposals and warnings about a "creeping Islamification" of Norway. New immigration rules agreed on Monday could increasingly differentiate among asylum seekers, making it easier for the government to forcibly return people.
For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/30/us-norway-government-minority-idUSBRE98T0XV20130930

Uncontrolled immigration is fuelling Greece's violent street politics. The EU needs to sit up and take notice

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) -- will continue to operate, according to spokesperson Gillian Christensen. "ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, as well as ICE Homeland Security Investigations will remain operational under a government shutdown because they have been deemed law enforcement necessary for the safety of life and protection of property," she said in a statement. That doesnt include spokespeople, though. At 1 p.m. on Tuesday, the public affairs office will go dark. Guarding the border Like the rest of Homeland Security, most of the employees at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) -- 88 percent -- are viewed as essential. That includes Border Patrol.
For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/Politics/heres-shutdown-affects-immigration-services/story?id=20431892

Immigration: Newcomers carry America's secret

A 34-year-old who sang under the name Killah P, his lyrics railed against the Greek Far Right not the military junta who ruled from 1967 to 74, but the Neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party, whose MPs goosestepped their way into parliament last year on an anti-immigrant ticket. Since earlier this month, however, Mr Fyssas's face has been all over Europe's TV screens, having become a martyr to his cause. On September 18, he was stabbed to death, allegedly by a member of Golden Dawn who set upon him in a pre-meditated assault. The killing has provoked riots across Greece, and in the last few days, the Greek government has arrested the leader of Golden Dawn and five of the party's other MPs, charging them with running "a criminal organisation ". Golden Dawn has described the arrests as an attack on democracy, and already its party members have been in sporadic clashes with members of Greece's Far Left, who can be tough bunch themselves. It's fair to say that feelings are running high all round. I've been to Greece twice in the last couple of years, reporting on both the roots and the impact of its financial crisis. It's rather like touring Britain during the 1970s, with the economy nosediving, the unions still undefeated and the Far Right resurgent. The reason that Golden Dawn has flourished, though, isn't just because lots of people are losing their jobs under German-dictated austerity measures. In recent years, Greece has also become one of the main entry points for illegal immigration from Africa and Asia, most of it across the porous frontier that it shares with Turkey. Back in 2010, up to 350 immigrants were crossing the border every day , accounting for about 90 per cent of all illegal immigrants coming into Europe. Many were taking advantage of "visa diplomacy" in Turkey, which, as part of its bid to become an Ottoman-style regional power again, has relaxed visa restrictions for a number of north African and Middle Eastern countries.
For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/colinfreeman/100238759/uncontrolled-immigration-is-fuelling-greeces-violent-street-politics-the-eu-needs-to-sit-up-and-take-notice/

Here's How the Shutdown Affects Immigration Services

Soon, our nations leaders will again debate immigration reform. Rather than address the immigration problem, it is time we reframed the discussion. John F. Kennedy wrote, This was the secret of America: a nation of people with the fresh memory of the old country who dared to explore new frontiers The immigrants in our neighborhoods, schools, factories, restaurants and offices carry with them the secret of America. They are our explorers, builders and songwriters. May we as citizens of this land of promise refresh our memories and address the topic of immigration with the same remarkable courage and radical optimism as our ancestors. May we work toward immigration reform that would do them proud.
For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentaries/225584952.html