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Elections officials grapple with new Native American language rule

By Uriel J. Garcia – Friday, Dec. 9, 2011

Some county elections officials are grappling with a federal requirement to add Yuma to the list of languages in which they offer voting assistance. Counties already offer help in other American Indian languages, but are having trouble finding Yuma translators.

Coconino hopes to fix 50-year-old error that put homes on federal land

By Uriel J. Garcia – Friday, Dec. 2, 2011

Coconino County Supervisor Matt Ryan urged a House committee Friday to grant "much-needed relief" to homeowners in Mountainaire subdivision, who recently learned that an error by a private surveyor 50 years ago led to their homes being built on federal property.

Census: Arizona county poverty levels ranged from 12 to 34 percent

By Uriel J. Garcia – Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2011

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, six Arizona counties showed "statistically significant" increases in poverty rates since 2007. All but two Arizona counties showed an increase over time, and Santa Cruz County posted the largest increase in the state.

Opponents say Alabama’s ‘Juan Crow’ immigration law causes fear, anxiety

By Uriel J. Garcia – Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2011

Alabama's immigration law has "created chaos among Hispanics" in the state, one immigrant told congressional lawmakers this week. That's just fine with supporters, who hope the law, inspired by Arizona's SB 1070, will make undocumented immigrants 'self-deport.'

Alabama leaders defend immigration law as Grijalva, Dems come to challenge it

By Uriel J. Garcia – Monday, Nov. 21, 2011

U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona was among 10 Democratic members of Congress who traveled to Birmingham, Ala., a location key to the national civil rights movement, to protest the state's strict anti-immigrant law.

Democrats go to Alabama to fight SB 1070-style immigration law

By Uriel J. Garcia – Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011

A group of House Democrats – including Rep. Raul Grijalva of Tucson – say they'll travel to Alabama Monday to support opponents of that state's tough new immigration law.

Brewer travels to Washington in push to deploy F-35s to Luke Air Force Base

By Uriel J. Garcia – Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011

In an effort to keep thousands of military and related jobs in Arizona, Gov. Jan Brewer visited the nation's capital Wednesday to urge Pentagon officials to bring the latest fighter jet technology to Luke Air Force Base west of Phoenix.

At the Capitol, ‘hero’ in Giffords’ shooting testifies for tougher gun laws

By Uriel J. Garcia – Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011

Nearly 10 months after the Tucson shootings that killed six and wounded 13 people, including Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, survivors visited the nation's Capitol to attend a hearing concerning tougher gun laws.

Fourth Democrat jumps into crowded Senate race to succeed Kyl

By Uriel J. Garcia – Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011

Former Surgeon General Richard Carmona has formally announced his bid for U.S. Senate in 2012, becoming the 10th candidate in the crowded field to succeed Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz. Carmona, who served under Republican President George W. Bush, will run as a Democrat.

GAO report questions feds’ plan for Arizona border technology

By Uriel J. Garcia – Friday, Nov. 4, 2011

A Government Accountability Office report says Customs and Border Patrol officials do not have all the information they need to justify their $1.5 billion Arizona Border Surveillance Technology Plan, a proposed network of cameras and sensors on the border.

Committee to subpoena Homeland Security over immigrants’ records

By Uriel J. Garcia – Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2011

In response to reports that undocumented immigrants with criminal records were released from custody, a House subcommittee plans to subpoena the Department of Homeland Security.

SB 1070 defense fund draws donations from across nation, globe

By Uriel J. Garcia – Friday, Oct. 28, 2011

Gov. Jan Brewer's call for private donations to help fight legal challenges to the sweeping SB1070 immigration law, brought out lots of Arizonans - and Californians, Texans, Canadians and Costa Ricans. Donors to the $3.8 million fund come from across the globe.

Hispanic homes likely to have more hunger, less access to healthy food

By Uriel J. Garcia – Friday, Oct. 21, 2011

One in three Latino households with children is “food insecure,” meaning the family is never sure it will have enough food for everyone in the family, as unemployment has hit the Hispanic community hard, according to reports by hunger and advocacy groups.

Record 400,000 deportations in fiscal 2011 attributed to focus on criminals

By Uriel J. Garcia – Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011

Homeland Security Security Janet Napolitano says nearly 400,000 illegal immigrants were deported in fiscal 2011, which ended in September. She says deportation efforts that focused on targeting serious criminals have paid off.

Arizona deputy likens border to war zone at Washington hearing

By Uriel J. Garcia – Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011

Law enforcement officers from around the country gathered in Washington for a discussion on illegal immigration. A Pinal County Sheriff's deputy compared the border to Afghanistan and Iraq.

Napolitano confident more suspected criminals will be deported this year

By Uriel J. Garcia – Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano says the number of undocumented criminal suspects deported during the recently-ended fiscal year is expected to be record-breaking, thanks largely to a new federal program. But she admits the program got a "bad start."

Mexican repatriation flight program falls to lowest level ever

By Uriel J. Garcia – Friday, Sept. 30, 2011

The government flew fewer than 9,000 Mexican nationals home from Tucson to Mexico City this year, the lowest number in the eight years of a voluntary government repatriation program. Officials say the drop is evidence that fewer people are crossing the border in the first place.

Federal funds flowing to Arizona have doubled in the past 10 years

By Uriel J. Garcia – Thursday, Sept. 29, 2011

The amount of federal money received by governments, businesses and individuals in Arizona has more than doubled since 2001. The U.S. Census' Consolidated Federal Funds Report shows that more than $64 billion in federal funds came to Arizona, or about $10,000 per person.

House committee passes E-Verify after two days of debate

By Uriel J. Garcia – Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011

E-Verify, a computer-based system employers use to determine whether job applicants are legal U.S. residents, would be used across the country under a bill approved by a House committee in Washington. The system is already required under Arizona law.

State-level immigration bills hit record number in 2011, report says

By Uriel J. Garcia – Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2011

While there was a record number of 1,592 pro-immigration and anti-immigration bills introduced at state capitols this year, the actual number of proposals signed into law decreased by one-fourth nationwide, according to the National Conference of State Legislators.

Arizona student-loan defaults are highest in the nation, report shows

By Uriel J. Garcia – Monday, Sept. 12, 2011

Students in Arizona are twice as likely to default on student loans compared to the national average, according to data obtained from the U.S. Department of Education. Since the report's release, educators have begun exploring methods to combat the problem.

House considers bill to streamline foreign farmworker visa program

By Uriel J. Garcia – Thursday, Sept. 8, 2011

A House committee looks at a guest-worker program aimed to help farmers make it easier to hire temporary workers. Some Arizona farm officials are attracted to the idea since some estimates claim about half of agriculture workers in the state may be undocumented.

Appeals court orders new hearing in 1992 Tucson carjacking, murder

By Uriel J. Garcia – Thursday, Sept. 1, 2011

A federal appeals court ruled that Levi Jaimes Jackson should get a new hearing on his claim that faulty jury instructions may have led to his conviction in a 1992 Tucson carjacking and murder case. Jackson was 16 when he was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of Patricia Baeuerle, who was shot and left in the desert outside Tucson.

Feds take another look at slow recovery of Mojave desert tortoise

By Uriel J. Garcia – Friday, Aug. 26, 2011

The Fish and Wildlife Service plans to take a closer look at threats, among other factors, to the endangered Mojave desert tortoise in an effort to address “some shortcomings” in the 1994 plan to protect the animals, which number about 100,000 across the Southwest.

Federal court reverses ruling that let state charge some Medicaid recipients for care

By Uriel J. Garcia – Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2011

A federal appeals court has overturned a lower court's decision that allowed Arizona to charge co-payments to Medicaid recipients. An attorney representing the recipients said they are not asking to be reimbursed for previous co-payments, but want future fees waived for those who cannot afford them.