“Labor, Latino and immigrant advocate groups called on President Obama on Monday to suspend deportations of illegal immigrants who could be eligible for a pathway to citizenship under a bipartisan bill to overhaul the immigration system that is under consideration in the Senate,” the New York Times reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n “The groups, which generally support the Senate bill, said that thousands of immigrants who would most likely gain legal status under its terms were being expelled and separated from their families in the United States while Congress deliberates. “Every day, 80 to 120 children cross the Texas border illegally – and alone. What’s happening in Texas reflects a nationwide trend: Immigration by undocumented children under 18 is on the rise, even as fewer adults come into the country illegally. The Border Patrol apprehended 24,481 unaccompanied children in 2012, more than three times than in 2008,” Stateline reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n “Whatever the reason, the increase has been so dramatic that it caught the government and advocates by surprise. In a typical year, federal authorities handled between 7,000 and 8,000 unaccompanied children. The total was 13,625 in 2012. By government estimates, it could climb to nearly 24,000 within the next year.”
\n‘It’s a simple matter of fairness and justice,’ said Thomas A. Saenz, president of Maldef. ‘It makes no sense to deport those who would be eligible for that relief.'”<\/p>\nMany More Unaccompanied Minors Caught At Border<\/h3>\n