Immigration

Somali immigrant visa petitions stalling over identity paperwork

Local immigration attorneys are up in arms over the United States embassy in Nairobi's refusal to issue certain visas to Somali applicants. At issue are I-130 applications by Somalis in America, which are petitions to bring over family members. United States Customs and Immigration Services has to ... More >>

Chris LaRiche, "Lothario Notario" who scammed almost 900 immigrants, pleads guilty

​This January, we brought you "The Lothario Notario," a feature exposing a local con artist who scammed hundreds of immigrants out of thousands of dollars.Chris LaRiche set up an office downtown at the Fifth Street Towers and claimed he could help undocumented immigrants fix their legal status. H ... More >>

Chris LaRiche, the "Lothario Notario," scammed almost 900 immigrants, prosecutors allege

​This week's cover story, "The Lothario Notario," reveals how a local man allegedly scammed undocumented immigrants with false promises of citizenship.Mario Alberto Martinez-Alanis used the fake name "Chris LaRiche" and promised to get jobs and legal status for undocumented immigrants who came to ... More >>

Chipotle wants immigration reform after losing half its Minnesota employees

Chipotle boss says immigration system "is really messed up."​Chipotle boss Monty Moran wants comprehensive immigration reform after immigration raids cost the company hundreds of jobs in Minnesota. Chipotle began a mass-firing of Minnesota employees last December after immigration authorities ... More >>

Bachmann wants Operation Wetback part Dos

Michele Bachmann and Joe Arpaio: best friends forever?​Michele Bachmann went to Arizona this week for Sheriff Joe Arpaio's endorsement. She didn't get it, and likely won't. But Bachmann did confess that America's self-proclaimed "toughest sheriff" gave her a pair of the pink boxers he forces inma ... More >>

Steve Drazkowski, City Pages' "Best Villain," calls the award an honor

Gracious in victory.​Rep. Steve Drazkowski, the GOP legislator from Mazeppa, is showing the class of a champion. This week City Pages bestowed upon Drazkowski our annual "Best Villain" award, citing the impressive raft of retrograde legislation he has launched in the past year. Kind of a ba ... More >>

Agnes Under the Big Top

Gracious in victory.​Rep. Steve Drazkowski, the GOP legislator from Mazeppa, is showing the class of a champion. This week City Pages bestowed upon Drazkowski our annual "Best Villain" award, citing the impressive raft of retrograde legislation he has launched in the past year. Kind of a ba ... More >>

Return to Sender

What Would Comprehensive Immigration Reform Look Like If the Feds Got Off Their Duffs?

The Feds Bury Border Patrol Abuses of Immigrants, But What's Been Unearthed Reveals a Culture of Cruelty

What Would Comprehensive Immigration Reform Look Like If the Feds Got Off Their Duffs?

Chipotle's Latino firing binge: Comment of the day

Do illegal immigrants depress American wages?​We're not going to solve the illegal immigration debate here and now, but the story we broke yesterday about Chipotle going on a mass-firing binge of Latino workers prompted some smart comments from some of our readers. We want to highlight one.

Fair-y Tales

Do illegal immigrants depress American wages?​We're not going to solve the illegal immigration debate here and now, but the story we broke yesterday about Chipotle going on a mass-firing binge of Latino workers prompted some smart comments from some of our readers. We want to highlight one.

Operation Streamline: An immigration boondoggle

Project Costs Millions, Tramples the Constitution, Treats Migrants Like Cattle, and Doesn't Work

Pinalcchio

Phoenix deputy's tale of being shot by drug smugglers doesn't add up

Asylum Denied

Only a fraction of Mexicans get U.S. asylum

Activists want the All-Star game out of Arizona [VIDEO]

Fibonnacci BlueAmerica's pastime gets political​Chanting "Stop the Hate! Move the game!" protesters crashed a quarterly meeting of Major-League Baseball owners at the Graves Hotel yesterday, demanding that the All-Star game be moved from Arizona unless the state repeals its controversial new i ... More >>

Seized: Inside the brutal world of America's kidnapping capital

Part of the Amongst Us series

ILLEGAL from Terry Greene Sterling

A penetrating chapter from former Phoenix New Times investigative reporter Terry Green Sterling's book: ILLEGAL: Life and Death in Arizona's Immigration War Zone

Arizona and America Join Joe Arpaio

Are your papers in order?

'ILLEGAL' from Terry Greene Sterling

Read a penetrating chapter from former Phoenix New Times investigative reporter Terry Greene Sterling's book: 'ILLEGAL: Life and Death in Arizona's Immigration War Zone'

Ronnie's Kids

Today, “amnesty” is a dirty word. So what happened to the immigrants given a fresh start by Reagan in 1986?

Jimmy John's on Hennepin targeted by AZ immigration law foes [Video]

​Twin Cities foes of Arizona's controversial new anti-immigration law picked a new target Monday evening: The Jimmy John's sandwich shop at 600 Hennepin Avenue. (Video after the jump.) Arizona Boycott Clearinghouse says Jimmy John's is a protest target because founder James Liautaud contribut ... More >>

Cowboy Down

Murdered Southern Arizona rancher Rob Krentz's family talk about his life and death

Most Minnesotans support cops demanding citizenship papers

​A new Rassmussen poll finds that while Minnesotans are more liberal than other Americans in their opinions on illegal immigration, that's not necessarily saying much.Sure, Minnesota came in second to last among the 16 states polled on the question of whether police should have to check the im ... More >>

Badlands

From Ground Zero of the Immigration Crisis Along the Mexican Border

Toki Wright drops "By the Time I Get to Arizona" video

As we posted a while back, local rapper Toki Wright recently recorded his own version of Public Enemy's "By the Time I Get to Arizona" in response to the Arizona immigration bill. Today, Wright released an awesome video to accompany the song, shot during the May Day march through the streets of Minn ... More >>

Top cops Dolan and Harrington oppose Arizona-style anti-immigrant law

Photo: drcuervoDolan and Harrington don't want to see your papers​Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan and St. Paul Police Chief John Harrington have just issued a joint statement saying they are dead set against the Arizona-style anti-immigrant bill introduced to the state House yesterday by St ... More >>

Al Franken says Arizona immigration law "goes way to far"

Another Minnesota pol joins the backlash against Arizona​Count U.S. Sen. Al Franken in as the latest member of Minnesota's congressional delegation to come out against Arizona's heavily criticized new anti-immigration law. "I think that it's bad for public safety. It goes way too far," he tol ... More >>

Steve Drazkowski introduces Arizona-style anti-immigrant bill

No Mexicans need apply, as far as Steve Drazkowski's concerned​He threatened he'd do it, and now he has: Republican state Rep. Steve Drazkowski has introduced a bill in the Minnesota House he says is modeled after the hardline anti-immigration law just passed in Arizona. "The Democrats won't ... More >>

Terror becomes Arizona policy

No Mexicans need apply, as far as Steve Drazkowski's concerned​He threatened he'd do it, and now he has: Republican state Rep. Steve Drazkowski has introduced a bill in the Minnesota House he says is modeled after the hardline anti-immigration law just passed in Arizona. "The Democrats won't ... More >>

Immigrant rights marchers clog Minneapolis

Photo: fibonacciblueImmigrant rights activists took to city streets on Saturday​The local backlash against Arizona's controversial new anti-immigrant law got loud and crowded over the weekend when about 2,000 marchers clogged downtown Minneapolis to express their outrage at the legislation. T ... More >>

St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman announces Arizona travel boycott

​Calling Arizona's new hardline anti-immigrant law "a dangerous example for the rest of the country," St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman said today he's ordering a boycott of all city-paid travel to the state. Signed into law by Republican Gov. Jan Brewer, the legislation "will create a culture whe ... More >>

ALIPAC prez to conduct interviews in "Illegal Alien" costume

Anti-immigrant groups are urging followers to buy the costume and wear it this Halloween to protest Target's decision.

Postville raids lead to lack of kosher food

Warm up your jaw...the immigration debate is heating up again in Minnesota

Crossing Borders

The agent who ordered the arrest of "20th hijacker" Zacarias Moussaoui joins a law firm known for its aggressive defense of immigrant rights

English: The official language of Arcadia, Wisconsin?

The agent who ordered the arrest of "20th hijacker" Zacarias Moussaoui joins a law firm known for its aggressive defense of immigrant rights

Doctor, Bill Thyself

For Minnesota hospitals, sick immigrants mean an unhealthy bottom line

White Noise

KSTP targets a U of M instructor in the name of protecting America's borders

Working for the clampdown

KSTP targets a U of M instructor in the name of protecting America's borders

Will playing up prejudice backfire on Pawlenty?

KSTP targets a U of M instructor in the name of protecting America's borders

No exit: Keyse Jama waits to be deported

KSTP targets a U of M instructor in the name of protecting America's borders

Norm's got the eye of the (glass) tiger

KSTP targets a U of M instructor in the name of protecting America's borders

Hope You Enjoyed Your Stay

A landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision sends a Minnesota detainee back to Somalia

The Last Bus Home

Quito Ziegler takes her freedom ride photos on the road

Stopping the Status Seekers

St. Paul considers safeguards against federal immigration policies

Return to Sender

The justice department fights to deport a Somali refugee

Living in America

Meet the neighbors

For Better, Then Worse

Love, marriage, and the maddening plight of a Russian bride

No Place Like Home

Thousands of Somalis fled when their country committed suicide a decade ago. Now the local INS office has found a way to send them back.

Stars and Bars

Under a new law, the INS prepares to kick out thousands of immigrants who have done nothing wrong--except play by the rules.