This Week's Immigration News

Chivas de Guadalajara gives fans a sense of home (Los Angeles Times)

As the United States' Mexican-born population grows, Mexico's most popular sports franchise - the Chivas de Guadalajara soccer team - has attained a large following in the United States. Chivas, an all-American team, is a symbol of Mexican identity for immigrants. These Chivas fans may have lost some ties to Mexico, but the passion for Chivas de Guadalajara is not one of them.

Iraqi Immigrants Face Lonely Struggle in U.S. (New York Times)

Over 30,000 Iraqis have been resettled in the United States as refugees since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, but some are discovering that life in the United States is harder than they expected. Many of these Iraqi immigrants have suffered the physical and emotional traumas of war. They are typically well educated, but find that their overseas qualifications do not apply in the United States, forcing them to take lower-skill jobs. Furthermore, the Iraqi population, especially in New York City, is scattered, leaving immigrants isolated.

Obama Sets Immigration Changes for 2010 (New York Times)
At a meeting with his counterparts from Mexico and Canada, President Obama reaffirmed his commitment to immigration reform. Given the current legislative challenges of health care, energy and financial regulation, Mr. Obama expects to focus on immigration reform in 2010. However, Congress likely to start drafting immigration bills later this year. Immigration is an issue that has strained relations with Canada and Mexico.

-Posted by Penny King