Civil Rights & Immigration
Struggle to provide housing for Georgians with developmental disabilities remains, study says
Georgia lacks appropriate housing options for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, according to a new study. “The current housing landscape is not working well for people with IDD and their caregivers,” said the report by Georgians for a Healthy Future, which is a nonprofit patient advocacy group. “Many caregivers and people with IDD find […]
New bipartisan immigration legislation proposed in U.S. House
WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of six U.S. House lawmakers on Tuesday described details of proposed legislation that would create a legal pathway for citizenship for undocumented people through work requirements, and would also fund border security measures. The two Latinas who spearheaded the bill, Reps. Veronica Escobar, a Texas Democrat, and María Elvira Salazar, […]
U.S. House passes bill to reinstate Trump-era immigration policies
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans on Thursday pushed through a border security package that mirrors Trump-era immigration policies, aiming criticism at the Biden administration for ending a pandemic-era public health measure used to expel millions of migrants from the country. The House passed the measure in a 219-213 vote. Only two Republicans voted in opposition, Reps. […]
Sinema says Arizona ‘bears the brunt of the crisis’ as Title 42 immigration policy ends
WASHINGTON — In a rare sit-down with reporters, U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona said Thursday that border states are not prepared for the end of a pandemic-era measure called Title 42 used to expel millions of migrants at the border. Sinema, an independent, was joined at the press event at the U.S. Capitol by Republican Sen. […]
Title 42 nears an end, marking a shift in U.S. immigration policy at the border
WASHINGTON — A pandemic-era measure that allowed for the swift expulsion of millions of migrants at the Southwest border is set to end Thursday, and the Biden administration and state officials across the U.S. are bracing for a potential increase in asylum seekers. At the same time, House Republicans this week are pushing through a […]
Biden proposal on transgender student athletes met with praise but also questions
WASHINGTON — Transgender legal scholars and advocates say they were relieved to see the Biden administration extend some protections for transgender students’ sports participation at a time when bans are being enacted by multiple states. But they say they remain cautious about the effect on high school and college sports. For two years, the U.S. […]
Asylum limits, more border security funds proposed in U.S. House GOP immigration bill
WASHINGTON — Top U.S. House Republican leaders on Thursday unveiled an immigration package of bills that appropriates millions in funds for border security and imposes sweeping restrictions on asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border. The plan is in sharp contrast with an announcement earlier Thursday by the Biden administration on how it would begin to handle legal migration […]
Revived push for Equal Rights Amendment blocked by U.S. Senate Republicans
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate failed to advance a symbolic measure to enshrine in the Constitution equal protection on the basis of sex, a century after the idea began circulating among lawmakers. Senators on Thursday voted 51-47 to go forward with a bill that would lift Congress’ self-imposed 1982 deadline for three-fourths of states to ratify the […]
DACA recipients to gain health coverage under new plan from Biden administration
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden announced Thursday that he will direct his administration to allow undocumented people in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to enroll in Medicaid or private insurance provided under the Affordable Care Act. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will issue a proposed rule on the policy by […]
Welcome to America: Refugees from wars in Afghanistan and Ukraine get help starting anew in Georgia
The 10th annual New Americans Celebration drew about 300 case workers, advocates and allies to the state Capitol this month to welcome resettled refugees and immigrants to Georgia. The Coalition of Refugee Service Agencies (CRSA) organized the event to honor the more than 1 million foreign-born residents who call the Peach State home. And as […]
Dalton Republican state lawmaker tries again on legislation to give DACA students in-state tuition
Georgia college and technical students who participate in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program could get a break on their tuition thanks to a bill under consideration in the state House, but similar measures have failed in recent years. DACA is an Obama-era program that shields people from deportation who were brought to the […]
State lawmaker’s revival of Georgia ‘religious freedom’ legislation sparks civil rights concerns
A new push for greater religious protections in Georgia has revived one of the most bitterly debated measures under the Gold Dome and renewed calls for a state-level nondiscrimination law. State Sen. Ed Setzler, an Acworth Republican who sponsored the state’s 2019 abortion law, has filed a bill that would extend federal protections passed in […]