OUTLAW: My Life As an Undocumented Immigrant

by Jose Antonio Vargas for DefineAmerican.com This article was originally published in the New York Times Magazine. One August morning nearly two decades ago, my mother woke me and put me in a cab. She handed me a jacket. "Baka malamig doon" were among the few words she said. ("It might be cold there.") When I arrived at the Philippines' Ninoy Aquino International Airport with her, my aunt and a family friend, I was introduced to a man I'd never seen. They told me he was my uncle. He h...

Colbert Report: Jose Antonio Vargas

Jose Antonio Vargas explains which is more difficult: coming out of the closet as a gay man or as a border gay. The Colbert ReportGet More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

U.S. border cities prove havens from Mexico’s drug violence

By Alan Gomez, Jack Gillum, and Kevin Johnson Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has warned of human skulls rolling through her state's deserts. Rep. John Culberson, R-Texas, says violence on the U.S. side of the border is "out of control." Rep. Candice Miller, R-Mich., has suggested sending a military brigade to protect Americans. "Of course there is spillover violence along the border," Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, said during a recent congressional hearing. "It is not secure and it has never be...

Immigrant hunting? What’s happening to my country?

Editor's note: Ruben Navarrette Jr. is a CNN.com contributor and a nationally syndicated columnist. San Diego, California (CNN) -- What is it about immigration? It brings out the best in America. And yet, talking about it brings out the worst in many Americans. The United States is becoming withdrawn and bitter, and the national mood is becoming uglier. It's nothing new. We live in a country that has -- for more than 220 years -- held the curious distinction of being a nation of imm...

Study, Forum Stress Plight of New York’s Unrepresented Immigrants

By Mark Hamblett The majority of detained immigrants in New York who face removal from the United States lack legal representation, according to the preliminary findings of a study on the needs of the indigent in immigration courts. The New York Immigrant Representation Study released Tuesday reports that 60 percent of detained immigrants in New York City do not have lawyers, that having counsel can make a world of difference in removal proceedings and that there is a serious shortage...

Global Detroit Study

The New Economy Initiative of Southeast Michigan, the Detroit Chamber of Commerce and The Skillman Foundation are pleased to present the findings from a new report from Global Detroit. The Global Detroit Study is an effort to understand the role and impact foreign-born residents have on the region’s economy and to define strategies to enhance their role in revitalizing older neighborhoods and transitioning the region to a new economy.   Written by Steve Tobocman, former State Representa...